Bhaghirati De, Srila Prabhupada’s Great Granddaughter.
She lives in Mayapur on the ISKCON Campus. The photo was taken yesterday at a school function. Bhagi lives with her widowed father, a disciple of Jayapataka Swami. Her mother, late Gouri De (daughter of late Vrindavan Chandra De, who was Srila Prabhupada’s youngest son) drowned during a flood in Mayapur, along with Bhagi’s elder sister Yamunangi. Bhagi was miraculously saved by her uncle Hari Das, former temple president of ISKCON Dhaka in Bangladesh. Hari Das was able to save the 10-month-old Bhagirathi, just before he himself drowned. He left his body as a hero.
Bhagirathi is a very good and sincere devotee.
After taking sannyasa, Lord Caitanya, by a trick of Lord Nityananda, met all the devotees from Bengal, including Mother Saci. Lord Caitanya had a transcendental mood. He said, “What have I done? I was mad. Somehow or other, I took sannyasa in a fit of madness. How could I give up my mother? But now it is too late – now it is done!”
Upon hearing this, Mother Saci said, “I beg that I may be allowed to cook this week and that I will be the only one to cook.” Everyone wanted to cook, but it was Mother Saci’s wish that was granted, and when she cooked, it was just something incredible. Each time she cooked, it had always been special, but this time she knew that she was cooking for the last time for Nimai. So she was cooking with so much love and so much devotion, putting everything in whatever she made, and then it was offered. When the devotees got this maha-prasadam, it was extraordinary!
You can buy food items from the supermarket, read the ingredients and say, “Well, it is vegetarian … Sri Vishnu, Sri Vishnu, Sri Vishnu … and now we have prasadam.” Yes, that is prasadam, but then there is also prasadam where the devotee has, with great love and dedication, taken so much effort to do something extraordinary that you can taste it in every bite! That is what the devotees and even Mother Saci were tasting.
This movement is made of dedication and it is dedication which makes things special. And it is dedication that is the means by which we preach. If we think that preaching means to learn the art of hypnosis, then we are making a big mistake. Devotees purchase others with their exemplary dedication.
From A Meditation on the Importance of True Humility” in “Back to Godhead, Vol. 53, No. 5 (Sep/Oct 2019):
Guru Dasa (disciple of Bhaktimarga Swami): “The Tao Te Ching advises that humility is the best policy. One quote I like is translated as follows: ‘If the sage wants to stand above people, he must speak to them from below.
Internal discord is our greatest enemy.
One disciple of Srila Prabhupada wrote him a letter soon before he left this world saying he wished he could trade his youth for Srila Prabhupada’s old age so Srila Prabhupada could go on preaching. Srila Prabhupada appreciated the disciple’s loving sentiment but said that how much they loved him would be shown by how they cooperate to spread this movement in his absence.
When I work in hospitals I am always very moved by the great suffering and despair of the souls who by circumstance happen to be there, whether patient or hospital worker. Because of this, as I traverse the various stairwells, elevators, corridors and rooms I whisper Hari! Hari! over and over again Continue reading "Bridge of Sighs → Dandavats"
Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi Fasting.....................on Thu Jun 13th,2019 Breakfast................ on Wed Jun 14th, 2019 b/w 5.35am – 6.00am
Every fortnight, we observe Ekadasi, a day of prayer and meditation. On this day we follow a complete fast from eating and drinking. We spend extra time reading the scriptures and chanting the auspicious Hare Krishna mantra. By constantly ‘exercising’ our minds through regular japa we can train our senses to push the threshold of contentment.
ONGOING PROGRAMS
Adult Education At The Temple ISKCON Brampton offers various courses and Seminars for adults. The courses take a personal approach to learning. It encourages the student not only to study thoroughly the contents of Srila Prabhupada’s books but also to clearly understand the philosophy and practically apply it. The course focuses on behaviour and character, nurturing students in appropriate Vaishnava values. Professionally designed and presented, it draws on the principles of Krishna consciousness and the best of progressive education. In this way, it is true to ISKCON’s heritage and at the same time relevant to its mission in contemporary society.
The Sunday School provides fun filled strategies through the medium of music, drama, debates, quizzes and games that present Vedic Culture to children. However the syllabus is also designed to simultaneously teach them to always remember Krishna and never forget Him. The Sunday School follows the curriculum provided by the Bhaktivedanta College of Education and Culture (BCEC).
Monthly sankirtan Festival(MSF)
“One who has life can preach, and one who preaches gets life.”(Previous Acaryas)
Every member of ISKCON should have the opportunity to make advancement in Krishna consciousness by preaching.We encourage everyone to come out and participate and make Srila Prabhupada happy.
Please note that registration in the Mentorship System is now a mandatory requirement for all initiation requests at ISKCON Brampton.It
1.Facilitates and nurtures devotees aspiring for first and second Initiation. 2.One-on-One personal follow up on a regular basis. 3.Systematic training to devotees in matters of Philosophy, Sadhna, Vaishnava behavior, etiquette, Lifestyle and attitudes.
Are you looking for some amazing gift items which are less expensive and more beautiful for your loved ones for festivals or many other occasions?? Our boutique is stocked with an excellent range of products, perfect for gifts or as souvenirs of your visit. It offers textiles, jewelry, incense, devotional articles, musical instruments, books, and CDs inspired by Indian culture.We're open on all Sundays and celebrations marked in our annual calendar.
Whether you like it or not, Jehovah’s Witnesses are always ready to do two things (1) Distribute books (2) Sit down and talk with you, and help you to understand. ISKCON has many book distributors, but we need more gurus. Continue reading "ISKCON: More Gurus Needed! → Dandavats"
Here HH Bhaktivaibhava Swami, the 2019 ISKCON GBC Chairman introduces the work of the Executive Committee of the ISKCON GBC Body and gives some insights as to what they do in their service. Continue reading "GBC Chairman’s Address → Dandavats"
A lifetime dream is finally being fulfilled as Prabhupada disciple Mahendranath Das captains his Sailing Temple, “The Jai Nimai Nitai,” 16,000 nautical miles from Mississippi, USA to Mayapur, India.
Food For Life London, which has been feeding hot vegetarian meals to the homeless since 1994, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with its first ever “Walk Against Hunger.”
Around sixty devotees from across Europe and the US have gathered in New Vrajamandala in Spain, to participate in the European Communications Conference running from 27th - 30th May.
Shastrakrit Das: This cute girl came up to my table and started to bargain the price on the Inner Yoga book.
She goes “ give me a better price on that Inner Yoga book!“.
I tried to give her the Krishna book instead but she said: “I already gave her brother the Krishna book in the past”.
She wanted to be a yoga teacher when she grows up, so she insisted on the yoga book. So finally she went and got $10 from her mom and gave it to me and walked away with a $20 book!
Sivarama Swami: Thirty years ago I was doing the Prabhupada marathon at the Chicago airport. One afternoon, we devotees were so intoxicated by distributing books that we decided to show that one doesn’t have to speak to sell books, that book distribution just depends on our state of consciousness. So we didn’t speak.
First Ukrainian Farm Conference (Album of photos)
Ukraine is famous as the breadbasket of the world. Devotees’ project there, New Mayapur, counts on a symbiotic relationship between ISKCON and private initiatives. It includes a farm of 150 hectares which grows organic fruits and berries, as well as a popular Ayurvedic clinic.
New Mayapur in Ukraine will host the first Ukrainian Farm Conference this year from August 16th to 18th.
Mind Body Spirit Festival in London (Album of photos)
On Saturday 25th May, HH Sivarama Swami spoke at the Mind Body Spirit Festival in London on ‘Yoga & Meditation — as it was’. He spoke on how this ancient path was intended to be practiced with special emphasis on how to achieve the real goal of Yoga which is Self-realisation. The talk ended with a beautiful meditation session and an opportunity for attendees to ask questions!
Hash Bash Crash (Album of photos)
Jai Nitai Gaura Hari das: As Michigan’s long, cold winter finally subsided, April 6, 2019 marked Ann Arbor’ annual Hash Bash, and subsequently The Harmony Collective community’s kick-off to the 2019 street sankirtan season.
In Chaitanya Caritamrta Lord Caitanya says that sadhu-sanga, the association of a great saintly person, is very important, because even if one is not advanced in knowledge, simply by association with a great saintly person one can immediately make considerable advancement in spiritual life.
Pandal Ground Braking Ceremony in Pandharpur (Album of photos)
Pandharpur is getting ready for Ashadi Ekadasi Festival. Today was the day when the Bhoomi puja and groundbreaking ceremony was done for the pandal construction.
In the midst of the lush, green Grihasta Para housing area of ISKCON Mayapur the Sri Mayapur International School is situated. The school campus features an idyllic combination of brick buildings, pathways, and tree-filled grounds, and those living nearby can often hear the children at play, performing kirtan, or practicing mridanga. The Sri Mayapur International […]
vedavyaso ya evasid daso vrindavano’dhunasakha yah kusumapidah karyatas tam samavishat
Vedavyasa became Vrindavan Das Thakur. Krishna’s friend Kusumapida also entered into him for special purposes. (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 109)
Vrindavan Das was born on the Krishna-dvadashi of the month of Vaishakh in 1429 of the Shaka era (1507 AD). Some say he was born in Mamgachi in the Nabadwip area, others say his birthplace was in Kumarahatta. His father was Vaikunthanatha Vipra, who originally came from Sylhet (Sylhet), his mother Narayani Devi. Narayani was the daughter of Srivasa Pandit’s elder brother, Shrinalina Pandit.
He spent some of his childhood with his mother in Mamagachi, at the home of his maternal grandparents where Narayani was married. Vrindavan Das’s Gaura-Nitai deities are still worshiped at the Mamagachi home. When his father died, he and his mother moved to Srivasa’s house where he received Mahaprabhu’s special blessings.
Vedavyasa described Krishna-lila in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Non-different from Vyasa, Vrindavan Das described Mahaprabhu’s lila in his Chaitanya Bhagavat. His book was first called Chaitanya Mangala, but when Locana Das gave the same name to his biography of the Lord, it was dubbed “Chaitanya Bhagavat”.
From: Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir! Date: March 14, 2014 Speaker: HH Prahladananda Swami Maharaja Subject: C.C Adi Lila 1.4
HH Prahladananda Swami: I am going to read from Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi Lila, Chapter 1, Text number 4. I am just going to read it, so you don’t have to respond, otherwise it will take too long.
TRANSLATION: May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Srimati Saci-devi be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.
HH Prahaladananda Swami: I am happy to have this opportunity to try to say something about Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates. As it says in the Bhagavatam, as the birds fly in the sky according to their ability so I can try to explain about Krishna conscious according to whatever mercy Srila Prabhupada has given to me and in that way I could try to become more, understand Krishna conscious myself.
We have in our societies in terms of our meditation, we have Srila Prabhupada, we have Srila Prabhupada’s movement, we have our previous Acaryas, going back to the Six Goswamis, we have the Panca Tattva and then we have Lord Krishna, Srimati Radharani and their associates in Goloka Vrindavan and somehow or another we have to fit this all together so that Srila Prabhupada becomes part of our daily lives. Not only when we have Guru puja, we have kirtan and chant his name.
I remember Srila Prabhupada once said that wherever I am, my spiritual master is also there. And because Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada is one our acaryas, wherever he was, our previous acaryas were also there. And our previous acaryas means, that because they were serving the instructions of the Six Goswamis, therefore within their hearts, the Six Goswamis were also there and all the mercy that the Six Goswamis were offering was also there. If one is a 100% surrendered with enthusiasm, Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita:
tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te
After hearing from these great devotees about one subject matter-how wonderful Krishna is, How He is the source of everything, how everything is flowing from Him. This is the subject matter for the advanced devotees or for the devotees and as they become advancement then they become satisfied as gradually the awareness of Krishna consciousness develops within one’s heart as gradually the detachment from the things that our agitating us, gradually we become aware not only that we are eternal, but all the things that we are in anxiety about they gradually disappear. And when they disappear as we become more receptive, as we can hear the Holy Name and the glories of Lord Krishna, not only with a peaceful mind but with a receptive mind that we want to feel like we are bathing in the happiness of Krishna’s pastimes when we hear the Holy Name. Then it is not only through sakti that we are making advancement:
adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango ‘tha bhajana-kriya
We are actually going through the stages of development of faith. We are actually becoming more aware of Krishna, tattvatah, in Truth and that the process of bhakti is having an effect on our heart. Then as we become satisfied, ramanti. The understanding of Krishna’s activities and why he has come here become more clear to us, as Srila Prabhupada writes in the Krishna book.
In the beginning Krishna consciousness is attractive because it is nice: nice prasadam, nice devotees, nice Deities, nice lifestyles-but as we make advancement, that devotional service becomes more clear and more and more encouraging. And finally ramante: we can come to the platform where we are actually in transcendental happiness. The same happiness we can experience that Srimati Radharani and Krishna are experiencing, that Their associates are experiencing, that the residents of the spiritual world are experiencing. The same happiness the Panca Tattva are experiencing, the same happiness that Caitanya Mahaprabhu is experiencing, the same happiness that the Six Goswamis are experiencing, the same happiness that our acaryas are experiencing, the same happiness that Srila Prabhupada is still experiencing. And it’s because of Their happiness and because of Srila Prabhupada’s happiness that we are actually making advancement in Krishna consciousness.
We should not think that Srila Prabhupada has left. He is present here in his murti form. He is present here in his instructions. He is present here in the form of his devotees who are following his instructions. And if we follow those instructions also then that happiness of Srila Prabhupada will be revealed to us through the devotees, through his murti and through following his instructions. And we’ll be able to experience that happiness which is the happiness coming in the disciplic succession, the same happiness that our acharyas are experiencing, that the Six Goswamis and the Panca Tattva are experiencing-the happiness of feeling separation from the transcendental pastimes of Srimati Radharani, Krishna and Their associates in the spiritual world. This is what is raising us and advancing us in devotional service and indeed this is what advances our entire society for Krishna consciousness.
It is said that Lord Krishna had three confidential reasons for assuming the form of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. One of them is He wanted to feel the happiness of Lord Krishna the same way that Srimati Radharani was feeling that happiness. Lord Krishna is the reservoir of unlimited happiness. When we chant Hare Krishna, Lord Krishna is there with all His happiness. But the question is how much are we feeling Lord Krishna’s happiness? That will depend upon how much we are trying to make Krishna happy when we chant Hare Krishna.
If we are like Srimati Radharani when Krishna is there-Her heart is completely a 100% dedicated to Krishna’s happiness. She only wants that Krishna is happy. Then she feels Sri Krishna’s happiness a 100%. So what is Krishna’s happiness? What has Caitanya Mahaprabhu described as Krishna’s happiness for us? Of course Srila Prabhupada has made it very practical: serve Krishna’s instructions, that will make Krishna happy. It will make Srila Prabhupada happy if we serve those instructions.
So what are those instructions? Those instructions of course in the beginning is to chant Hare Krishna and follow the regulative principles of devotional service. That will make Srila Prabhupada happy, that will make Krishna happy. But is that enough? No. Actually Srila Prabhupada did not stop there. He wanted us to act on the second class platform. He wanted us to become liberated, to act on the liberated platform. So that we ourselves can become liberated. So what is that liberated platform? Try to dedicate everything to Krishna. But practically what does that mean? Dedicate everything to service of the Spiritual Master. But what did Prabhupada want us to do. He wanted us to cooperate with the devotees-in a maitri-at least in friendship. And what is that cooperation? That cooperation is:
krsneti yasya giri tam manasadriyeta
diksasti cet pranatibhis ca bhajantam isam
susrusaya bhajana-vijnam ananyam anya-
nindadi-sunya-hrdam ipsita-sanga-labdhya
There are six loving exchanges. This Hare Krishna movement is an opportunity to explore and experience those six loving exchanges between the devotees. By offering prasad, by learning how to actually accept prasadam, by chanting the Holy Name, learning how to actually receive the Holy Name. By offering the gift of pure love of Krishna to others and being willing to accept the gift of pure loving service to Krishna from others. These are the loving exchanges.
So for those who are not very advanced in Krishna consciousness, we can accept when they chant Hare Krishna, we accept that as an offering to Krishna and we respect them that they are giving us a merciful gift of helping us remember Krishna. But we may not associate with them very intimately because they may not follow very strictly. Those who are fortunate enough to understand the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and his gift of pure love for Krishna then we cooperate with them to spread the Krishna conscious movement. And what is that Krishna conscious movement?
yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’ upadesa
amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa.
Whoever we meet we try to remember that I am not meeting a man, I am not meeting a woman, I am not meeting my wife or my husband, I am not meeting my Godbrother or Godsister, I am not meeting an American or an Indian or whatever else, I am meeting an eternal servant of Krishna. And because I am meeting an eternal servant of Krishna, and because I am trying to become a servant of my spiritual master, therefore my duty is to pray to my spiritual master, to pray to Lord Krishna, to please give me the intelligence so that I can serve this servant of Krishna by helping them become a better servant of Krishna. I can help them revive their eternal loving relationship with Krishna. Somehow or another that Krishna will give me the intelligence to do this.
Then everyone we meet becomes an opportunity to serve our spiritual master, to serve the disciplic succession, to serve Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission, to give people the gift of their eternal service to Krishna. And if we do that then we have a mission and purpose of life at every moment. How to learn, how to fulfill that mission with not only humility but with greater and greater transcendental discrimination and expertise that these are the things necessary to expand the Krishna conscious movement? Therefore
We have to take shelter of all the devotees and especially Srila Prabhupada. Why? We take shelter of all the devotees in as much as understood the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu as revealed to us through the unalloyed service instruction and heart coming from Srila Prabhupada, who was actually advanced in undeviated devotional service, who spent every moment of his existence distributing Krishna conscious to others, giving them the gift of Krishna with unparalleled discrimination. So much so he was able to not only by his heart full of love and spiritual potency attract people, but by his expert discrimination and transcendental expertise invite people to take up the process of devotional service and actually make tangible advancement and experience the love for Krishna to some degree and the awakening of transcendental consciousness within their consciousness so that they can understand what the goal of life is and how to achieve it.
Srila Prabhupada had said in his last days that he was visible to us in this planet, when he was asked who would be the next acarya. Because after all that ultimately is the wish of every conditioned soul to become an acarya. Everyone wants everyone to follow them, to surrender to them. That is why we have all come to this material world. We want full surrender from every other soul. And we are disappointed somehow or another we have not been able to achieve it, although the conditioned souls within this universe, they are quite determined to do so-life after life after life. They think they get a hint from that when their wife seemingly surrenders to the husband and the husband surrenders to the wife and the children, but actually they are really surrendering to Krishna to some degree.
But Srila Prabhupada when He was asked who will be the next acarya, He said all my disciples, all my followers, as much as they follow my instruction to that extent they become the next leader. Not that I name anyone as leader. So the next leader will be as much as we have understood and follow Srila Prabhupada’s instruction, to that extent every one of us becomes qualified to be the next leader.
Of course Srila Prabhupada has also given us this society with its leadership of the GBCs, initiating spiritual masters, temple presidents, Godbrothers and Godsisters, so this is also following Prabhupada’s instructions-to follow that leadership also. So that leadership is meant to give us uninterrupted, unalloyed love for Krishna. To teach us how to come to that mood, whoever we meet, not only the GBC, not only the Temple President, not only our initiating Spiritual Master, not only our instructing Spiritual Master but every single devotee, how to become their servants by deeply understanding and accepting the instructions of Srila Prabhupada, the instructions coming from Caitanya Mahaprabhu, deeply understanding, developing this transcendental discrimination expertise, so that we can enter into other’s hearts and give them something about Krishna. Then if we are actually sincere servants of our disciplic succession, if we are actually able to follow our authority structure then we will able to awaken within the hearts of others something about Krishna. Then we will able to feel Krishna’s love. Actually if we try to give Krishna’s love for others then we’ll be able to experience that love for ourselves. We want others to understand how wonderful Krishna is, how wonderful His love is, then He will give us an opportunity to experience it. If we actually serious about experiencing it for ourselves in giving it to others. And to understand what is it like to love Krishna.
That love for Krishna which is most intense in the heart of Srimati Radharani and she is offering that intensity of love for Krishna to everyone through Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. When we feel how much Srimati Radharani is loving Krishna then we can understand our own natural feelings in loving Krishna too. And that is manifested loving Krishna by expanding this Krishna conscious movement. Because this is what Krishna wants.
He wants everyone to go back to the spiritual world so that they can become happy. Because no one can become happy unless they love Krishna. That is what love means. No one can be happy unless they feel Krishna’s happiness in reciprocation. No one can be happy unless they experience how wonderful Krishna’s qualities are and how wonderful Krishna’s qualities are manifested in innumerable living entities, unlimited living entities and especially they are manifested in the sankirtana movement.
So these are said to be the confidential reasons for Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission of coming here. But that mission is to spread these confidential feelings and understandings to everyone on this planet, to everyone in this universe. He did not want to keep them confidential, He wanted them to become a known secret to everyone who is willing to share that secret with others and engage in the sankirtan movement. So it is not that Srila Prabhupada did not give us everything. He gave us everything and more in one sense. He gave us an opportunity to take part in the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and expand the Hare Krishna movement in everyone’s heart in this universe. Or at least since we are not going to go to Brahma loka right away, and Indra loka, since the demigods are not coming to this planet yet, still we are meeting so many devotees every day. We don’t have to become some powerful incarnation, we don’t have to become a temple president or a GBC, we don’t have to become anything other than who we are:
gopibhartur pada kamlayor dasadasanu dasa
That’s all we have to be: sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir. Remaining in whatever circumstances we are under, in any situation but hear from Srila Prabhupada, hear from Srila Prabhupada’s representatives and at the same time try with our body, with our mind and with our words try to serve the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Srila Prabhupada especially wanted us to distribute books. Why? Because in the words of the acaryas, in the words of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in the words of Krishna, they are especially imbued and saturated with this karunya, with this mercy of trying to freely give love to Krishna to everyone. These books are saturated in an unlimited way with pure love for Krishna in the mood of compassion. And at the same time anyone who goes out and tries to distribute books, this pure love of Krishna, by contact with this pure love, compassion, they also gradually become purified and some compassion and some love for Krishna will awaken within their hearts also, because it is such a wonderful opportunity to intensify one’s desire that whoever we meet, we try to give them Krishna. What a challenge. People who know nothing about Krishna to somehow or the other be able to present them something about Krishna in a way, by the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada and His followers to be able to somehow or another be given the intelligence, the transcendental potency, the discrimination, the expertise to actually awaken within their heart the desire to take one of these books and to accept Krishna to some degree.
So this is really dadami buddhi-yogam tam that Krishna is giving us the intelligence by which we and others can come to Him. And what is everyone else’s business? Everyone else in this movement, our business is to reveal what is in these books. This movement is the manifestation of the books of Srila Prabhupada. It is meant to create a cultural revolution so that these transcendental vibrations that are in the books of Srila Prabhupada become manifested in this world. They are not simply words, they are the spiritual world, they are the path to the spiritual world and our basis is to manifest those words within this world so that this world becomes a spiritual world.
[Audience applauses]
So what does that mean? It means whatever talent we have, whatever abilities we have, utilize that in Krishna’s service yukta-vair?gyamucyate. If we are dancers then dance for Krishna, if we are singers then sing for Krishna if we are eager for prasadam then take prasadam for Krishna, if we know how to cook then cook for Krishna, if we know how to do art, theater, whatever we have. If we are managers then manage the sankirtan movement for Krishna, if we have money then utilize the money for the sankirtan movement and if we have knowledge then tell people about Krishna.
In this way just like the iron is put into the fire, we’ll become hotter and hotter and hotter and then one day we will just become like fire. Now we may be trying to walk and may be just like a child who tries to walk and he falls down so his parents they never criticize the small child, “Why is he falling down? When I was your age it took me three times to walk! You, what family are you from anyhow? That’s five times, get with it kid- you are an embarrassment!”
No, the beloved parents they are simply encouraging the child, please walk try one more time. And one day the child will walk-not only walk but dance in the sankirtan movement, dance in pure spiritual bliss.
[Audience applauses]
So acting on the second class platform means this sankirtana movement of Caitanya Mahaprabhu as given to us by Srila Prabhupada, this will reveal the innermost heart of Caitanya Mahaprabhu because it will actually be in our heart as we are performing this sankirtana movement with devotion that has been revealed to us by Srila Prabhupada, through this Hare Krishna movement and what will be the result? We will try to capture everyone’s talent and abilities, we will see everyone as a precious asset to be utilized in the service of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission, to bring everyone back to Radha and Krishna’s pastimes in the spiritual world. Then everyone will be appreciated.
One time Ramesvara prabhu wrote to Srila Prabhupada because there was some controversy that Ramesvara Prabhu is saying that the book distribution devotees are in the mood of the gopis trying to bring other people to Krishna’s lotus feet and Prabhupada wrote back, he said, yes he’s understood. This is the mood of the gopis. We are, actually this movement is the mood of the gopis. Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement is imbued with madhurya rasa in the mood of the gopis trying to completely surrendered to do anything and everything to bring all of us back to the lotus feet of Radha and Krishna in the spiritual world.
So every part of this movement, even the varnasrama dharma, the transcendental cultural revolution, it is all part of the same movement to bring people back to the spiritual world, back to the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani, who can bring us to the lotus feet of Krishna. So as this movement becomes more and more imbued with that mission, then we’ll invite everyone; why just the members of the Hare Krishna movement, why should only we understand that our movement has convinced people that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that we should bring people to the lotus feet of Krishna? So many other Vaisnava societies have also understood them. So why not engage them also to the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu as revealed to us through the lotus mouth and example of Srila Prabhupada?
Why only the Vaisnavas, why not all the religious movements, convince them that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that everyone should utilize whatever assets they have in this cultural revolution. So this is the mission that Srila Prabhupada has indicated to us, we have to take a step at a time. But it is a big mission. It is a mission to save, Srila Prabhupada said, to save the human civilization. That this movement will actually go down in the history, as a movement that will save this entire material world.
[Audience applauses]
So let us take shelter of Srila Prabhupada, let us take shelter of His instructions, let us take shelter of the acaryas, and actually become Gopibhartur padakamlayor dasadasanudasa. Thank you very much.
[Audience applauses]
Srila Prabhupada ki jai. Any questions?
Question: Thank you for the encouraging class Maharaja. You mentioned that the books are actually alive and the activities themselves are living. So, could you please explain why Caitanya Mahaprabhu chose public chanting and dancing as a method of propagating this movement.
HH Prahladananda Swami: In every Kali-yuga there is chanting and dancing. There is sankirtan in every Kali-yuga. And this is a special Kali-yuga, because this is a Kali-yuga where the chanting and dancing is imbued with feelings of separation from Radha and Krishna in Vrindavan. And is imbued with the feelings of trying to bring everyone back to Vrindavan, not only to Vaikuntha, but to the spiritual world of Goloka Vrindavan, the same feeling of complete surrender to Radha and Krishna in Vrindavan.
So in every Kali-yuga. . . because in Satya-yuga everyone who had any desire for self-realization was meditating on the Radha and Krishna’s pastimes, or Krishna’s pastimes in the spiritual world. We say Radha and Krishna. We also mean Lakshmi Narayan and Krishna’s expansions, Their pastimes. In Treta-yuga, people became a little lusty and a little greedy because from lust comes greed.
I heard somewhere that they began to eat a little too much prasad. Nice prasad. You can imagine what prasad was like in Satya-yuga. So they ate a little too much so they had to make some offering, some sacrifice to get free from these material attachments. And therefore sacrifice was recommended in Treta-yuga. And when their hearts were purified from sacrifice then naturally their minds could meditate upon Krishna’s pastimes.
And in Dvapara-yuga people became even more attached and therefore some method of regulating their senses had to be there so their activities could be offered to Krishna, and when their activities were offered to Krishna their consciousness would get purified and then they offered their intelligence to Krishna and then they became qualified to meditate in trance upon Krishna’s pastimes.
In this age our minds are everywhere, we have no intelligence, we have no understanding of devotion or attraction to it and so therefore only by the loud chanting of Hare Krishna can we become purified. But in this age not only will the loud chanting of Hare Krishna purify us, but when it is heard by the followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu through our disciplic succession, and when it actually is coming from our disciplic succession through the Six Goswamis, through the Panca-tattva, and when Radha and Krishna are actually being manifested through the spiritual world, then it is a portal to send so many souls back to Vaikuntha or especially Goloka Vrindavan and join Radha and Krishna’s pastimes there.
Question: You talked about how the mood of separation is happy. You were talking about happiness in Krishna conscious, you mentioned in the mood of separation. So I was wondering if you could speak about how we can understand the mood of separation being happy.
Maharaja: Yes, actually in the pastimes of Lord Krishna, especially as revealed by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the pastimes of Krishna are Hladini Shakti. They are full of transcendental pleasure, unlimitedly. And when we feel separation from those pastimes then they are actually revealed more and more therefore we feel more and more pleasure the more we feel separation. Caitanya Mahaprabhu began his pastimes by showing us how to be a good householder, how to be a dutiful brahmana, how to cultivate knowledge.
And at some time He met Madhavendra Puri’s representative Isvara Puri and He developed some feeling towards the separation from Krishna and therefore He started the sankirtana movement and had others go with Him. They are all acting on the platform of liberated souls by performing the sankirtana movement. And in that sankirtana movement, Caitanya Mahaprabhu preached how Krishna was the Supreme Personality of Godhead and we should offer everything to Him. At the end of His pastimes He showed us love in separation.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu was walking on the beach of Jagannath Puri. And there he saw one hill, the Chataka Parvata and at once He remembered Krishna and His pastimes of Govardhan Hill. He recited the verse, how wonderful Govardhan is, He is greatest of the devotees because He provides the cows with grass and caves for Krishna’s pastimes.
He began to run towards this hill at the speed of the mind and His body erupted, He looked like a kadamaba flower. The pores of His body erupted like kadamba flower, because Caitanya Mahaprabhu was yellow therefore pores of His body looked like flowers erupting, kadamaba flowers which were also yellow. And then blood, perspiration were flowing simultaneously and he became stunned in ecstasy and He fell on the shore of Jagannath Ocean and His followers were running after Him, Brahmananda Bharathi, Paramananda Puri, and Bhagavan Acarya who was lame, they all began to run after Him because they are always in anxiety about Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s welfare.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu fell on the ground in ecstasy, they came they surrounded him and they were trying to awaken Him. He awakened in half consciousness and He said, “Why have you brought Me back here? I went to Vrindavan and I heard Krishna playing on His flute and then Srimati Radharani and her cowherd girlfriends all came and they were all very wonderfully dressed, beautifully dressed and they were entering into a cave. The gopis invited me to pick flowers for Srimati Radharani and Krishna. So I was in Vrindavan, I was with Radha and Krishna and you made this loud noise and brought me back here.”
Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to full external consciousness and Bhagavan Acarya was there and Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “Why have you come here?”
Bhagavan Acarya said, “Just to see you dance, my Lord, just to see you dance.”
And then all of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s associates went into the Jagannath Ocean to take their bath. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement, Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s instructions, everything about Caitanya Mahaprabhu is filled with His transcendental separation of love from Radha and Krishna and Their associates in Vrindavan which is the nature of pure transcendental love and bliss. So there can only be happiness in Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement.
Question: You mentioned in your lecture about book distribution specifically. Is there a difference between sankirtana, chanting of the Holy Name, and book distribution, or is there some advantage of one over the other?
HH Prahladananda Swami: Well, they are exactly the same. Prabhupada’s books are written kirtanas. They have the name, form, qualities of Krishna right there before us. And they are revealed to us as much as we are actually surrendered to the books. As much as we engage in this sankirtana movement of Caitanya Mahaprabhu to that degree the books become real to us to manifest the spiritual world. Then katha ruchi, then we get the taste of the books, then we get the taste of the Holy Names.
The advantage of book distribution is that it’s a challenge, the challenge is to become a servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna that whoever we meet we try to tell them about Krishna. So people who have no idea about Krishna, people who have no interest about Krishna, sometimes people who are adverse to Krishna, somehow or another we are praying to Krishna, we are hoping to Krishna, we are praying for the intelligence how to give people Krishna in the form of this transcendental literature.
Therefore, Krishna, when He sees our sincere desire, He reciprocates by giving us more and more transcendental potency, by giving us more and more transcendental intelligence how to accomplish that. But anyone in any service, if that is our mood, if that is our attitude, then Krishna will very happily give us more and more intelligence, more and more transcendental potency to perform those services also.
So therefore Prabhupada said that the best service is book distribution. He also said that the most fortunate people are those who are worshipping Deities, He also said the education of these children is the most important service in our movement. So everything is equally important as much as we take it seriously and apply it within our lives.
So there is one more question, [Maharaja’s reads the question] something about Srila Prabhupada said that 50% of His mission is accomplished by establishing ISKCON, the remaining 50% is to re-establish varnasrama dharma and cow protection from farming.
Varnasrama dharma is certainly mentioned through Srila Prabhupada’s books. But in order to establish Varnasrama dharma we have to first establish the sankirtana movement. Otherwise, even if we made a king among ourselves, who will the king rule? Even if we had sudras among ourselves what would they do? They’d do the same thing: go on book distribution, become the Temple President whatever else.
So we have to expand the sankirtan movement to a much greater degree so that we actually establish a class of people in this world who actually appreciate the devotees but cannot understand what is the purpose of this sankirtan movement completely. But they are willing to serve the devotees because they have that much appreciation that the devotees at least know how to eat. They know how to farm, they know how to cooperate with each other. They know they have something special, they know how to rule over others, they have this intelligence coming from Krishna. And although they themselves may not understand the value of chanting Hare Krishna and following all the regulative principles, they appreciate the devotee’s love to surrender to the Varnasrama system which will be conducted by the devotees.
But first we have to become more powerful devotees, we have to become a more powerful movement, we have to become so powerful and so pure, so conscious that people will actually surrender, accept us in that way. Srila Prabhupada said, first they’ll laugh at us, then they’ll attack us, then they’ll love us. So we may be in different stages in different parts of the world but we have to come to this stage when they’ll actually love us and then they’ll love to follow our instructions including varnasrama dharma.
Audience: Haribol!
Thank you very much. Srila Prabhupada ki jai. Samaveta bhakta vrinda ki jai. Sri Sri Radha Madhava ki jai. Gauranga!
Audience: Gauranga!
Transcription – CC Adi 1. 4 Parampara of Happiness 2014-03-14 Mayapur
The Madhava’s Sankirtan Rock Band has become a popular rock/kirtan style band throughout ISKCON. Led by Nav Kishore Nimai das (Nirdosh Sobti), the winner of the Best Guitarist of India award in 2014, he and his wife Nandrani Gopi devi dasi and the other band members focus on writing devotional music for the glorification and pleasure of the Lord and His devotees.
The video shows their enthusiastic support of the TOVP and a short presentation by Braja Vilasa das, TOVP International Fundraising Director. Below we reproduce an interview with the band that answers many questions about their service to ISKCON and their plans for the future.
By Jagabandhu dasa
Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi
Adult Education At The Temple
By Kripamoya dasa
By Tamohara dasa
By Bhaktivaibhava Swami
In Chaitanya Caritamrta Lord Caitanya says that sadhu-sanga, the association of a great saintly person, is very important, because even if one is not advanced in knowledge, simply by association with a great saintly person one can immediately make considerable advancement in spiritual life.
