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Daily Darshan: Mar09,2017
Pandava sena Alumni Event in the UK
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Written by Uddhava
Kadamba Kanana Swami is currently spending his last days in the UK, London and surrounding areas. He arrived on Friday (03 March) and will leave again on the 8th. On Saturday, he was invited to speak at a Pandava Sena event for Alumni (past members). The title of the program was:
“Krishna Consciousness – The Real Adventure” by HH Kadamba Kanana Swami – An insightful evening into the life of a present day Swami who has dedicated his life to spirituality and sharing with others.
And as usual Kadamba Kanana Swami rocked the kirtan boat and finished it off with an inspiring talk. You can still join the event by watching the energetic videos.
The Enchanting Kirtan
An evening began with an enchanting kirtan which captivated hearts – Mantra Meditation combined with Mindfulness; 30 minutes of meditation for inner peace and joy.
In our modern-day spiritual practices, the word “mantra” has become as mainstream as “intention”. But the two are actually quite different. The word mantra can be broken down into two parts: “man” which means mind and “tra” which means transport or vehicle. In other words, a mantra is an instrument of the mind — a powerful sound or vibration that you can use to enter a deep state of meditation. Like a seed planted with the intention of blossoming into a beautiful perennial, a mantra can be thought of as a seed for energising an intention. Much in the same way you plant a flower seed, you plant mantras in the fertile soil of practice. You nurture them and over time they bear the fruit of your intention.
The Real Adventure – Lecture
When we become responsible in our material life, our employers may exploit us – how to avoid?
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Anwser Podcast
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Is starting spiritual life because of frustration undesirable?
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Anwser Podcast
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Accepting that we are beyond the brain, how can we know whether we are the mind or the soul?
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Anwser Podcast
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A new sannyasi for ISKCON-HH Bhakti Ananda Hari das Goswami
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Bhakti Ananda Hari das Goswami was born on the 6th of March 1956 in a village named Chandamleikai, Asaam (North East India). Born in a traditional Manipur Vaisnava family, he was a devotee of Lord Krishna from his very childhood and always listened to Krishna katha whenever it was spoken. He showed special interest in the Manipur rasa lila performance. He graduated with BA honours from Guwhati University and thereafter worked for a private firm as secretary for 22 years, from 1976 till 1998. Maharaj came in contact with ISKCON in the year 1988 after reading Caitanya Caritamrta. From then on, although married he started to preach in his local area with much determination. He took first initiation in the year 1997 and second in the year 2002 from HH Bhakti Swarup Damodar Swami. Continue reading "A new sannyasi for ISKCON-HH Bhakti Ananda Hari das Goswami
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How can we make our wandering consciousness more connected to the body?
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Is the brain the generator of emotions or the responder to emotions?
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Anwser Podcast
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Have you had a near-death experience?
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Can we get to higher consciousness only through near-death experiences or by other means?
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Anwser Podcast
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Are the mind and the brain interchangeable?
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Overcoming our mental energy drainers
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[Evening program at Houston, USA]
Podcast
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TOVP: NEW YEAR, NEW WORKS BEGIN (Album with photos)
Sadbhuja…
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TOVP: NEW YEAR, NEW WORKS BEGIN (Album with photos)
Sadbhuja Das: Here is a small update on the current activities that are going on in the TOVP.
1. We started making a full size sample of the wooden windows.
This is the beginning of the frame around the windows, on the very top underneath the domes.
All together there are 240 windows to cover, lots of work!
You can see in this image how big and think the wood has to be for such a large window.
Sadbhuj prabhu and the team went to inspect the workmanship.
2. We have just received a cast iron piece that the factory made for us which is part of the railings design.
They have refined their technique to the way we wanted it, now we want to commence the production.
In this image you will see we are holding one of the pieces, which weights 13 kg and it’s quite thick.
Definitely this cast iron will last forever!
3. Production of the GRC Rib Segments has commenced on a full scale.
They are ready to be placed on the actual domes ribs once the waterproofing is completed. Each segment weights 450 kg!
For each small dome we will need 120 segments. At the moment we are producing 1 segment a day but more mold are being fabricated to be able to produce 3 per day.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/FCBCOS
What’s it about: Seminar 1 in Mayapura, March 7th
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Varnasrama Series
In Toronto I became more aware how important clarity of culture, language, and terminology is for effective interfaith dialogue
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Festivities begins at Mayapur!
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Today is Amlaki Vrata Ekadasi. After Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama, festivities have begun in Mayapur. Today we will have Sri Radha-Madhava carried in a procession on the elephants. Deity procession is celebrated every saturday , begining from Kartik and ending with Gaura Purnima. This will be the last HATI PARIKRAMA for this season- so, devotees are […]
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Jagannath Ratha Yatra Solo
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When all the participants performed their cultural presentations in front of the stage of honour then the devotees entered with the gopi dancers in front. The leader of ISKCON in Indonesia His Grace Vrajendra nandan prabhu presented a mahaprasad flower garland already offered to the Lord and a Bhagavad-gita to the mayor of Solo. They were delighted to receive the book. Then they were amused seeing the Lord on the chariot. The carnival finished at the mayor’s office yard. Many participants took the opportunity to take picture in front of the chariot. Many also asked for the flower garland that decorated the chariot. The prayer to the Lord Nrashinga deva concluded the ratha yatra. Devotes then took rest and prasadam was distributed to all. Book distribution team distributed 150 Srila Prabhupada’s books, and people scrambled to get Lords’ maha parasadam. An officer of Sragen regency approached Garuda Prabhu and Tapana Misra prabhu to invite the devotees to participate in the carnival in his city. It means that Lord Jagannath already captivated the heart of people in Central Java and paved His way into the next city for yet another enchanting Ratha Yatra festival. Continue reading "Jagannath Ratha Yatra Solo
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Why does the Gita begin with Dhritarashtra, not Krishna?
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Answer Podcast
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Mayapur Parikrama 2017 and TOVP Palanquin Mayapur (videos)
The…
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Mayapur Parikrama 2017 and TOVP Palanquin Mayapur (videos)
The vision of Srila Bhaktivonde Thakura is fulfilled!
In 1885, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote: “Very soon the unparalleled path of hari-nama-sankirtana will be propagated all over the world… . Oh, for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German, and American people will take up banners, mridangas, and karatalas and raise kirtana through their streets and towns. When will that day come? Oh, for the day when the Western fair-skinned men, from one side, while chanting ‘Jaya Sacinandana ki jaya!’ will extend their arms and, embracing the devotees of our country coming from another side, treat us with brotherly feelings. When will that day be?”
Watch them here: https://goo.gl/T32ByY
This is the video of the arrival of the TOVP palanquin created by one of the five 2017 Navadvip dham parikram groups: https://goo.gl/A4LhQJ
Daily Darshan:Mar 08,2017
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Radha Kunda Seva: February 2017 Photos and Updates (Album with…
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Radha Kunda Seva: February 2017 Photos and Updates (Album with photos)
February was a peaceful month of steady service. Cleaning every day. Distributing prasadam every day. Construction is still on hold as we wait for the government crackdown on structures built close to the parikrama path to dissipate. 7000 buildings around Govardhan have been marked for demolition. And our construction managers tell us that this isn’t a good time to begin new construction. We will keep you updated, and in the meantime, we are grateful to be serving at Radha Kunda with you. Please browse our latest photos and join our efforts by visiting www.radharani.com. Your servants, Campakalata Devi dasi, Padma Gopi Devi dasi, Urmila Devi Dasi, and Mayapurcandra dasa.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/y6szAt
Gaura Purnima Issue of KK Bindu #395: Several first time…
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Gaura Purnima Issue of KK Bindu #395: Several first time translations for the upcoming day of Gaura Purnima.
CONTENTS INCLUDE: * ADVERSITY AS MERCY – His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada describes eligibility to enter the spiritual world.
* SRI CHAITANYA KAVACHA – A first-time translation done especially for this issue of Bindu of a little-known prayer for protection.
* THE GREAT FIGHT AT HOLI – Vrindavan pastimes of Krishna and the gopis. Presented in honor of the upcoming festival of Holi, this is another first time translation of a song written the medieval Bengali vaishnava poet Kabir.
* THE SPOTLESS MOON OF NADIA – Another first time translation of a song written the medieval Bengali vaishnava poet Dina Bandhu Das. This poem speaks of the reaction of the residents of Nadia at the time of the appearance of the son of Sachi Devi and Jagannath Mishra.
* DEVOTION TO GAURA LEADS TO ATTACHMENT TO RADHA – Another fresh translation of a verse from Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati’s Caitanya-candramritam.
This issue can be downloaded at the following link:
https://archive.org/details/bindu395
TOVP: Visions of Material and Spiritual Universes.
Ordinary…
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TOVP: Visions of Material and Spiritual Universes.
Ordinary human observation, no matter how greatly enhanced by telescopes, satellites, and other instruments, cannot see past the outermost reaches of the universe. Exhibits in the Vedic Planetarium will seek to illustrate how yoga, meditation, and study of scripture, coupled with devotional practices, can reveal what lies beyond the limits of human perception. Left: The material universe, which is the object of scientific study, represents only one-quarter of the creation. The unlimited spiritual world makes up the greater three-quarters. In that spiritual world, the topmost planet, resembling the whorl of a giant lotus flower, is called Goloka Vrindavana. This is the abode of Krishna, the original Personality of Godhead. From Krishna’s spiritual body emanates an effulgence called brahmajyoti. Innumerable spiritual planets float in the brahmajyoti. Four-armed Vishnu expansions of Krishna reign over each of these planets, which are home to liberated souls who live with the Supreme Being in ever-fresh exchanges of loving devotion. Collectively this expansive spiritual realm is called Vaikuntha, “the place of no anxiety.” Like a cloud in the spiritual sky, the material creation exists to accommodate souls who choose to live apart from Krishna. In this illustration, Srila Prabhupada is shown translating and commenting on the Srimad-Bhagavatam, which reveals the method (bhakti-yoga) for reviving the soul’s original spiritual consciousness. At the moment when their souls leave their bodies, people who have become fully Krishna conscious (God conscious) enter Vaikuntha and never return to the material world of birth and death.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=43690
TOV: Changing Bodies.
Level One of the Vedic Planetarium…
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TOV: Changing Bodies.
Level One of the Vedic Planetarium addresses the question “Who am I?” and the first exhibit is designed to give visitors a visceral sense of themselves as nonmaterial beings: souls who inhabit temporary material bodies. Seeing themselves change from man to woman, from young to old, from Indian to European, or white to black, visitors will know they are seeing a computerized simulation. Yet by combining entertainment with a photo-realistic sensation of reincarnating, this exhibit is intended to prompt a rethinking of identity.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=43690
TOVP: The Universal Form.
In the Bhagavad-gita, Sri Krishna…
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TOVP: The Universal Form.
In the Bhagavad-gita, Sri Krishna poetically describes how He can be perceived in nature. “Of luminaries,” He declares, “I am the radiant sun. Of heavenly bodies I am the moon, of bodies of water the ocean, of purifiers the wind. Of subduers I am time. Of secret things I am silence… .” In memorable language, He offers a meditation on the natural world as His virat-rupa, or universal form. Among seasons, Krishna adds, He is flower-bearing spring, and of stationary things the Himalayas. The Bhagavatam says that appreciating the natural world as an incarnation of God is a prerequisite to realizing God in person, as displayed in Vaikuntha, the spiritual world. Designers of the Vedic Planetarium have envisioned a universal form exhibit that will inspire visitors to rethink their relationship with the earth and discover that respect for nature is an essential part of devotional practice.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=43690
TOVP: Planetarium.
Exhibits on the first three floors are…
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TOVP: Planetarium.
Exhibits on the first three floors are designed to prepare visitors for the film they will view in the top-floor Planetarium. The 200-seat amphitheater will feature a full-dome video projection theater with ambient acoustics, intended to immerse the audience in a simulated journey out of the material world and into the eternal Vaikuntha realm. This experience on the Planetarium’s top floor will bring together the many perspectives described in the dozens of previous exhibits, including the soul different from the body, life on other planets, and devotional service as the means of achieving liberation from birth and death in the material world. The film concludes with the soul’s entrance into the eternal Vaikuntha realm.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=43690
TOVP: Model Chandelier.
Srila Prabhupada envisioned the Temple…
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TOVP: Model Chandelier.
Srila Prabhupada envisioned the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium as an emotionally stirring and aesthetically beautiful experience. He proposed that this could be achieved by showing all the spiritual and material worlds in a giant chandelier suspended from the temple’s center dome. As currently envisioned, this cosmological chandelier will hang down more than 200 feet and weigh 10,000 pounds. To understand the many components of the chandelier, a twenty-foot replica will be incorporated into Level Three of the Vedic Planetarium. Video viewing stations positioned around the periphery of this scaled-down model will explain the chandelier’s many planetary systems along with their presiding deities and the prerequisites for living there.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=43690
The Unseen Universe
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A groundbreaking museum of science – the Vedic Planetarium – seeks to reveal what the eye cannot see. Recently, the "Back To Godhead" Magazine published an article with the above title to reveal some of the facets of the planetarium within the main dome of the TOVP. (On behalf of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium Executive Committee) Illustrations by Alexey Klimenko, Duncan Smith, and Nina Tara. Continue reading "The Unseen Universe
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Upcoming Schedule of Chaitanya Charan
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Travel Date |
From |
To |
Mar-11 | Houston | Phoenix |
Mar-14 | Phoenix | Denver |
Mar-17 | Denver | Salt Lake City |
Mar-20 | Salt Lake City | Portland |
Mar-22 | Portland | San Diego |
Mar-23 | San diego | Los angeles |
Mar-24 | Los angeles | Laguna beach |
Mar-25 | Laguna beach | Seattle |
Mar-29 | Seattle | Boston |
Mar-31 | Boston | Central New Jersey |
Apr-7 | Central New Jersey | Dayton |
Apr-8 | Dayton | Columbus, Ohio |
Apr-11 | Columbus, Ohio | Hillsborough |
Apr-13 | Hillsborough | Charlotte |
Apr-15 | Charlotte | Detroit & Grand Rapids |
Apr-18 | Detroit | Chicago |
Apr-21 | Chicago | Washington |
Apr-25 | Washington | Montreal |
Apr-27 | Montreal | Toronto |
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Last day of the Christchurch Temple Festival
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HH Bhanu Swami gave the SB class on the last day of the Christchurch temple festival. Temple President, Ramanuja das, picked the first verse of the Srimad Bhagavatam signifying how the temple was starting afresh.
In the afternoon Sri Prahlada led kirtan and gave class for the first Sunday feast at the temple in 6 years since the earthquake. The devotees were enthused and appreciated how Sri Sri Nitai Gauracandra were now back in Their new home.
In kali yuga, we do not curse
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 19 January 2017, Sydney, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 9.13.4)
In kali yuga, we do not curse. This is not our business. In the Vedic times, cursing and counter cursing were happening. We see that Narada Muni would sometimes curse. There is the example of the sons of Kuvera – Manigriva and Nalakuvara – who were drunk and enjoying in the Alakananda River with some ladies and they did not pay respect to Narada so they were cursed. But Narada’s curse was a disguised blessing because he cursed them to become trees in the garden of Krsna so they got a curse and with it a purification at the same time. Anyway we see many personalities who got cursed from time-to-time in the Vedic tradition for sake of their purification.
In this age if we start this game of cursing and counter cursing then we would be cursing all day. Therefore it is said, sakuni sape gorumarana (Bengali proverb) that when the vulture curses the cow, the cow does not die! To be a vulture is a bit austere because at breakfast time nobody may die. So at one point, a vulture gets hungry and he looks at a fat cow, points his wing and says, “I curse you to die!” but nothing happens, sakuni sape gorumarana. In this kali yuga, our cursing capacity has been taken away. We don’t have that power anymore.
The other day we were discussing King Vena who the brahmanas just killed by mantra. I’ve had people say to me, “Drop dead!” but I am still here so that did not work fortunately because nowadays we say these things without deeply thinking of the consequences so this power is no longer with us and is not a part of the sankirtan movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
The sankirtan movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is a movement of mercy. Nityananda was smashed on the head by Jagai and Madhai and he simply took it, he tolerated it and remained their well-wisher. This is our business, to somehow forgive and remain a well-wisher. So this cursing business is kind of alien to the sankirtan movement. There is also no need for any other purification. The Vedic literature offers us extensive activity, prayascitta, for purification from sinful activities – so many rituals, so much austerity – fasting, giving to charity and so on. We see many examples also – the gopis told Krsna, “To atone for killing a cow, now you have to bathe in all the holy places!”
So Vedic culture is like that but the sankirtan movement does not have any separate processes of prayascitta, purification. This point comes out in the sixth canto in the discussion leading up to Ajamila. In the introduction to the Ajamila pastime, Maharaj Parikshit brings out this point to Sukadev Goswami – the kunjara snana, the bathing of the elephant. After taking bath, the elephant takes dust and throws it all over his body which defeats the purpose of bathing. So kunjara snana, the bathing of the elephant is prayascitta, meaning that we try to wash off sinful karma by engaging in doing some sacrifice or doing some charity but the desire for sinful activity does not go away, therefore prayascitta is condemned. Maharaj Parikshit said that so many criminals have gone to jail which he has witnessed as a king but it did not reform their criminal mentality.
Therefore kecit kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ (SB 6.1.15) only devotional service can take away the root cause of sinful tendencies from the heart because by engaging in devotional service, one automatically becomes detached from other things because one becomes satisfied. Therefore desires disappear. In devotional service there is no need for separate atonement therefore there is no need to curse someone to rectify them; we simply get them to chant Hare Krsna and that is the purification. Devotional service is the rectification. This is the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Yamuna Gems – Vani Devi Dasi remembers…
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Yamuna Gems
Vani Devi Dasi remembers…
“At six years old it can be hard to appreciate what goes on around you, yet I remember quite clearly. I was asked to ‘assist’ Auntie Yamuna in the kitchen for a raw feast she was preparing—stuffed red peppers with a mock cream cheese filling, various types of raw soaked rice salads, a raw pie topped with beautiful light and fluffy whipped macadamia cream, and various other preparations, each unique in flavor, color and ingredients. It was my first experience being utterly fascinated by what you could prepare with food. Every movement, smell and texture was all new and exciting. The way Auntie Yamuna engaged me and explained to me and took care to teach me made it a completely unforgettable experience. From that day on she inspired a spark inside of me to continue to learn to cook and feed the Vaisnavas. She didn’t just create delicious prasadam, though; she taught cleanliness, Srila Prabhupada’s standard, and she showed by her example how not to waste any part of Krishna’s creations. As I went to throw away the pepper seeds, she stopped me and excitedly explained how if I let them dry for a while I could plant them and grow more peppers.
Immediately I proceeded to follow her instructions and was eager to learn more. She named me "seed saver,” and I felt proud to do a part and re-grow the peppers. She made every aspect of cooking and all that it could entail possible and exciting. Sure enough, in time, a beautiful pepper plant grew, and I picked my first pepper with an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction that it was possible for a little six-year-old girl to grow peppers for Krishna.“
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From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir – Srimad Bhagavatam class, February 27, 2017
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It needs to be clear for all the members of Krishna Consciousness movement, when we are talking about Srila Prabhupada as the founder Acharya, it means that Srila Prabhupada is our Mahajan, and Srila Prabhupada‘s teachings in textual for us and his teachings, his examples, his instructions, all the instructions of the other Mahajan. Otherwise Prabhupada will use the other example, you cannot jump over. Jumping over means, you think, well Srila Prabhupada said this but such and such Acharya, Jiva Goswami, Vishwanath Cakravarti Thakura, said something different. So no, Srila Prabhupada didn’t say anything different, it’s just the matter of we don’t understand the context in which Srila Prabhupada is saying the same thing as what the Acharyas say. Because ultimately that is the qualification that the Divine Grace would repeatedly emphasize, that I haven’t changed anything I just follow my spiritual master. Continue reading "From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir – Srimad Bhagavatam class, February 27, 2017
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Barsana 17-03 (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: Last week,…
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Barsana 17-03 (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: Last week, Abhimanyu Prabhu brought 100 Ukraine devotees for parikrama so we went to the sacred place of Srimati Radharani, Barsana. We even got a rare picture of Brishabhanu Maharaja! It’s Holi time, so watch out as you come along with the pics of Vittalrukmini Das!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/DQcFkN
Distinguishing Paramatma and the Mind.
Question: What is the…
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Distinguishing Paramatma and the Mind.
Question: What is the difference between the dictation of the Paramatma and the mind? How can one tell if the mind or Paramatma is speaking to us?
Romapada Swami: In BG 2.22’s purport, Srila Prabhupada gives the example of two birds sitting on a tree. One bird (Jiva-atma) is eating the fruits of the tree while the other bird (Paramatma) is simply watching His friend. If the Paramatma is just watching, how can the Parmatma dictate the soul? Can you please help me with this confusion? Please help me understand this by some other citations in the BG.
In Bhagavad-gita Chapter 6, Krishna talks about the importance of controlling the mind. In particular, with regard to your above questions, verses 5 and 6 of Chapter 6 give us a good understanding of the interaction of the mind with the living entity.
Krishna tells Arjuna:
Verse 5: One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.
Verse 6: For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.
The main point is that one must renounce the desire for sense gratification, or else his mind will degrade, not elevate him. Unless one develops a higher taste (spiritual taste, or bhakti), this becomes impossible. Within the purport to Verse 5, Srila Prabhupada emphasizes controlling the mind:
“It is stressed herein that the mind must be so trained that it can deliver the conditioned soul from the mire of nescience. In material existence one is subjected to the influence of the mind and the senses. In fact, the pure soul is entangled in the material world because the mind is involved with the false ego, which desires to lord it over material nature. Therefore, the mind should be trained so that it will not be attracted by the glitter of material nature, and in this way the conditioned soul may be saved. One should not degrade oneself by attraction to sense objects. The more one is attracted by sense objects, the more one becomes entangled in material existence. The best way to disentangle oneself is to always engage the mind in Krishna consciousness. The word hi is used for emphasizing this point, i.e., that one must do this.”
From this purport we can understand that the mind’s dictations when not under the control of bhakti will gyrate towards sense gratification and will lead one to further entanglement with the material nature. Srila Prabhupada then explains in the purport to Verse 6:
“Unless the mind is controlled, the practice of yoga (for show) is simply a waste of time. One who cannot control his mind lives always with the greatest enemy, and thus his life and its mission are spoiled. The constitutional position of the living entity is to carry out the order of the superior. As long as one’s mind remains an unconquered enemy, one has to serve the dictations of lust, anger, avarice, illusion, etc. But when the mind is conquered, one voluntarily agrees to abide by the dictation of the Personality of Godhead, who is situated within the heart of everyone as Paramatma. Real yoga practice entails meeting the Paramatma within the heart and then following His dictation. For one who takes to Krishna consciousness directly, perfect surrender to the dictation of the Lord follows automatically.”
In the book Dharma: The Way of Transcendence, Srila Prabhupada writes:
“By serving the guru and inquiring from him, we can come to the point where Krishna will enlighten us from within. Krishna, the supreme guru, first imparted knowledge into the heart of Brahma, the original person in the universe (tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye [SB 1.1.1]). Krishna is situated in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul, and as you become purified He speaks to you from within. Actually, He is always speaking to us, but in our impure condition we cannot hear Him. In the Bhagavad-gita (15.15) Krishna confirms that He is the source of our knowledge:sarvasya caha hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca. “I am situated within the heart of everyone, and from Me come all remembrance, knowledge, and forgetfulness.” So as Paramatma, the Supersoul, Krishna is always prepared to help every one of us, provided we serve Him and take His instruction. He says in the Bhagavad-gita (10.10),
tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te
“To those who are always engaged in serving Me with great love and devotion, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.”
If we want to know the Absolute Truth, we have to follow the proper process, and that process is simply to engage oneself in the loving service of the Lord. That will enable us one day to directly perceive the Absolute Truth. With our present blunt material senses we cannot perceive the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For example, with a blunt knife you cannot cut anything. You must sharpen it first; then it cuts very nicely. Similarly, to understand the Absolute Truth you must sharpen and purify your senses by engaging them in the service of the Lord. Now you cannot see God, or Krishna. But if you purify your eyes and your other senses, you will be able to see God, to hear God, to talk with God—everything. That is possible by the process of bhakti.
So Srila Prabhupada’s point is very clear – unless we perform devotional service it is not possible for us to speak to the Paramatma or listen to His instructions in our hearts. In fact when we do not heed Him, then He simply fulfills our desires to enjoy based on our karma. And He simply witnesses our foolishness. Due to the minute free will of the living entities, the Paramatma does not interfere with their choices until they take up devotional service. Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport to BG 2.22 thus:
“Although the two birds are in the same tree, the eating bird is fully engrossed with anxiety and moroseness as the enjoyer of the fruits of the tree. But if in some way or other he turns his face to his friend who is the Lord and knows His glories—at once the suffering bird becomes free from all anxieties.”
When the living entity becomes slightly devotional the Paramatma ‘speaks’ to him through the scriptures, through his guru, through the devotees or through certain actions or behaviors of others. By heeding such indicators, the living entity makes progress to performing pure devotional service where the Lord may personally speak to him.
In conclusion, the dictations of the Paramatma are only understood through devotional practices which includes guru, sadhu, and sastra whereas the dictations of the uncontrolled mind are directed at sense gratifications.
Finally there is a story regarding this which happened a few years ago in San Diego. A devotee was actively involved in Facebook. So somehow or other, he got involved with an under-aged girl on Facebook. After some time, the girl invited him to her place. He accepted the offer and went driving there. While driving there he got lost several times and many times he felt he should just give up and go back to the temple, but in his mind he wanted to meet the girl. Finally after several hours of driving and losing directions he somehow got to the destination. He knocked on the door and was invited inside. Once inside, the police immediately arrested him for under-aged child sex exploitation etc. He went to prison. The devotee later realized and understood that when he wanted to go there, there were so many signs and indications from the Lord that he should not go there but because of lust, his mind was uncontrolled, he did not heed the instructions of the Paramatma.
In all aspects of life, we really must distinguish the difference between the mind’s dictation and the indications of Paramatma!
The story of King Rukmangada, Mohinī and the observance of Ekādasī
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Understanding attachment, detachment and commitment
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Can those undergoing near-death experiences choose not to return to their body?
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During near-death experiences, is everything that happens predetermined or can the experiencer choose?
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How do we balance our fundamental and functional identities?
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