Sri Mayapur International School
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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 […]

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Vrndavan Das Thakur
→ Ramai Swami

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”.

Transcription – CC Adi 1. 4 Parampara of Happiness
→ Prahladananda Swami

[Kindly transcribed by Swetha Ganeshan Mataji]

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.

anarpita-carim ciriat karunayavatirnah kalau samarpayitum unnata ujjvala-rasam sva-bhakti-sriyam harih purata-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandipitah sada hrdaya-kandare sphuratu vah saci-nandana

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

susrusaya bhajana-vijnam ananyam anya- nindadi-sunya-hrdam ipsita-sanga-labdhya

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 and the TOVP
- TOVP.org

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.

Madhavas – TheRockband (Interview)

 

TOVP NEWS AND UPDATES – STAY IN TOUCH

Visit us at: www.tovp.org
Follow us at: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch us at: www.youtube.com/user/tovpinfo
Phone App at: http://tovp.org/news/announcements/new-tovp-phone-app-goes-live/
Mailing List at: https://goo.gl/forms/ojJ2WcUUuqWh8bXt1
RSS News Feed at: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Buy from us at: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/
Support us at: www.tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities

The post The Madhava’s Sankirtan Rock Band and the TOVP appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

First Russian Farm Conference: Omsk, Siberia. ISKCON’s farm in…
→ Dandavats



First Russian Farm Conference: Omsk, Siberia.
ISKCON’s farm in Omsk, creatively entitled “The Planet of Cows,” produces large quantities of cruelty-free milk as a result of careful cow protection and community development. They draw many visitors interested in agro-tourism, have partnered with the Ministry for Cow Protection and Agriculture, and presented their project at the ISKCON Leadership Sanga in Mayapur in 2018.
Now Omsk devotees are ready to launch the first Russian Farm Conference, which will take place from September 27th to 29th this year. Topics will include soil technologies that enhance farming, agro-tourism, and how to connect the urban and rural environments in Russia.

Check out their website and feel inspired!
http://en.planetakorov.ru/en

Srila Prabhupada’s Faith in the Holy Name, May 26, Sadhu Sanga…
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Srila Prabhupada’s Faith in the Holy Name, May 26, Sadhu Sanga Kirtan Retreat, Boone, North Carolina.
HH Giriraj Swami: “Hearing of the holy name gradually promotes one to the stage of hearing about His form, His attributes, His pastimes, and so on, and thus the necessity of the chanting of His glories develops successively. This process is recommended not only for the successful execution of devotional service, but also even for those who are materially attached. According to Sri Sukadeva Gosvami, this way of attaining success is an established fact, concluded not only by him but also by all other previous acaryas. Therefore, there is no need of further evidence. The process is recommended not only for the progressive students in different departments of ideological success, but also for those who are already successful in their achievement as fruitive workers, as philosophers or as devotees of the Lord.

“Srila Jiva Gosvami instructs that chanting of the holy name of the Lord should be loudly done, and it should be performed offenselessly as well, as recommended in the Padma Purana. One can deliver himself from the effects of all sins by surrendering himself unto the Lord. One can deliver himself from all offenses at the feet of the Lord by taking shelter of His holy name. But one cannot protect himself if one commits an offense at the feet of the holy name of the Lord. Such offenses are mentioned in the Padma Purana as being ten in number.” SB 2.1.112 purport.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.11

The Global Peace Initiative of Women welcomed two leaders in the…
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The Global Peace Initiative of Women welcomed two leaders in the field of spiritual ecology, Dr Vandana Shiva and Radhanath Swami to their offices in New York to discuss some of the ecological challenges facing our planet. Vandana Shiva’s NGO, Navdanya, focuses on promoting sustainable practices, like seed-saving, promoting more bio-diversity and is on the front lines in India and around the world battling the big chemical and GMO giants in order to protect the small farmer.

Vrindavana Braja Parikrama 2019
→ KKSBlog

The festivals keep coming!

The Vyasa-puja festival was just a month ago and now we are already planning for Kartik; this time with a special surprise! Before we however get into that, we would like to invite you again to book your holidays this year to join the annual Vrindavana Parikrama.

Kadamba Kanana Swami will once again take us through the Krsna book and make it come alive by visiting all the holy places where the pastimes of Krsna and his friends & families took place. To get you in the spirit of Kartik, we encourage you to read the book “Under the Desire Trees” by Kadamba Kanana Swami (visit the shop).

In this book, Kadamba Kanana Swami guides us through the intimate pastimes that are taking place in the holy land of Vrindavana and Braja. The book was compiled from classes and stories recorded during the Vrindavana parikrama in 2018.

Dates

The dates for Vrindavana Parikrama 2019 are 1-12 Nov 2019!

Special Surprise – Jaipur

Each year, we visit the main temples in Vrindavana. And each year, we are told that several original deities were moved to Jaipur in Rajasthan during a muslim invasion. So this year, we are planning a special 3-day trip to Jaipur to see the deities of Govinda Dev, Radha Gopinatha, Radha Damodara, Madana Mohan and Vinodi Lal.

Since this is a 3-day trip, transport and accommodation (hotel) will be provided once registration takes place. We are still not ready with the planning, so changes may take place. Please note that the pricing for this special trip will be higher than usual as it will include transport and accommodation to Jaipur!

Next steps…

Once all the preparations and planning are finalized, the registration form will be made available here: kksblog.com/parikrama

* Schedule and programs are subject to change!

The article " Vrindavana Braja Parikrama 2019 " was published on KKSBlog.

Sadhu Sanga Retreat Class, 26 May, Boone, North Carolina
Giriraj Swami

“Hearing of the holy name gradually promotes one to the stage of hearing about His form, His attributes, His pastimes, and so on, and thus the necessity of the chanting of His glories develops successively. This process is recommended not only for the successful execution of devotional service, but also even for those who are materially attached. According to Sri Sukadeva Gosvami, this way of attaining success is an established fact, concluded not only by him but also by all other previous acaryas. Therefore, there is no need of further evidence. The process is recommended not only for the progressive students in different departments of ideological success, but also for those who are already successful in their achievement as fruitive workers, as philosophers or as devotees of the Lord.

Srila Jiva Gosvami instructs that chanting of the holy name of the Lord should be loudly done, and it should be performed offenselessly as well, as recommended in the Padma Purana. One can deliver himself from the effects of all sins by surrendering himself unto the Lord. One can deliver himself from all offenses at the feet of the Lord by taking shelter of His holy name. But one cannot protect himself if one commits an offense at the feet of the holy name of the Lord. Such offenses are mentioned in the Padma Purana as being ten in number.” SB 2.1.112 purport.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.11

Conquering in relationships
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 31 December 2018, Simhachalam, Germany, Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.21)

We have to conquer in relationships. We can never take them for granted and we can never think, “Now this person’s commitment is assured, so there is no need to put in effort.”  When there is a marriage and the ring goes on the finger, it does not mean much; it is just a little piece of metal. Marriage actually means that one has to conquer. So we should not think that now that the ring is there, there is no need to conquer the other person.

This is the same in the relationship between a guru and his disciple. One may initiate someone, but it does not mean that they become the property of the guru (although technically speaking, they are a property of the guru, in accordance with the Caitanya Caritamrta). The disciples however do not always behave like the property of the guru because it does not always work so easily in this world – “Put a banana in the fire and now you are my property!” It is not so easy (laughter). So this is how we can see that there is an ongoing process of conquering when it comes to relationships.

So it is to be remembered that relationships are based on conquering one another and it is in that way that we are able to spread this movement of Krsna consciousness. We conquer people not through some technique or fixed process, but simply by making an effort and displaying great qualities.

The article " Conquering in relationships " was published on KKSBlog.

European Communications conference – Day 1
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By Mina Sharma

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. Day one of the conference has focused upon ISKCON and the Environment, where there have been exciting presentations from a number of devotees. HG Shaunaka Rsi Dasa spoke about the Vedic Perspective on the Environment, where he discussed the Vedic concepts of Rta (cosmic order) and Rtu (cycles) and how these are innate in nature - we as material entities form a small part of the system, but our contribution is service not stewardship. He also described the importance of Mother Bhumi, Lord Visnu's wife, who when she approached Brahma for help, all came to her aid. Shaunaka Prabhu said: "We are not separate from nature - we cannot harm nature without harming ourselves." Continue reading "European Communications conference – Day 1
→ Dandavats"

Kaundinyapur Yatra ~ Birthplace of Rukmini Ji and place of Rukmini Haran (kidnapping) pastime
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Kaundinyapur is tiny village, 2 hours from Nagpur in Amravati, Maharashtra on the banks of river Wardha. This is birthplace of Rukmini Ji, the principal queen of Lord Krishna. This is also where famous Rukmini haran (kidnapping) pastime took place. Here there is famous Sri Vitthala Rukmini temple, the exact spot of Rukmini’s palace.
Read More...

The story of Vishvamitra – part 2 – Overcoming anger and arrogance
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Talk at Montreal, Canada]
Video

Podcast

 

Podcast Summary

The post The story of Vishvamitra – part 2 – Overcoming anger and arrogance appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Can Abhimanyu’s getting trapped in Chakravuha be compared to our getting trapped in samsara-cakra?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Podcast

The post Can Abhimanyu’s getting trapped in Chakravuha be compared to our getting trapped in samsara-cakra? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

TRUST acronym for strengthening relationships
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Talk at ISKCON, Scarborough, Canada]

Video:

Podcast

 

Podcast Summary

The post TRUST acronym for strengthening relationships appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

ISKCON Australia’s First Community Services Conference
→ Dandavats

On 1 June 2019, devotees from various temples in Australia will attend a one-day conference on New Govardhana farm, Murwillumbah, Northern New South Wales. Presenters at the conference will be devotees who are developing Vaishnava community welfare services including mentoring, counseling, mental health support, youth support, widows support, palliative care and caring for the sick, women’s support, social justice and more.

When Krishna Decides To Take Charge!
→ Dandavats

I tried repeatedly to reach chaplains from female institutions—to obtain their permission to place books in their chapel libraries—but unfortunately, chaplains are very hard to reach and my time is always very limited, so I never went far with this project. Over the years, at different times, three volunteers also attempted to reach these chaplains, with similar poor results.

Rathayatra in Dnipro, Ukraine (15 min. video)
→ Dandavats



Rathayatra in Dnipro, Ukraine (15 min. video)
Indradyumna Swami: Dnipro is one of the main cities in Ukraine. We arrived just in time for the local temple’s celebration of Nrsimha Caturdasi and next day’s Ratha Yatra. A thousand devotees attended both programs. There are over 10,000 devotees in Ukraine. It is a paradise for those sharing Krsna consciousness. And those fortunate to join are well taken care of.

How the laws of nature work and what role Krishna plays in them
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Bhagavatam class at ISKCON, Montreal, Canada]

Video:

Podcast

 

Podcast Summary

The post How the laws of nature work and what role Krishna plays in them appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.