Planet ISKCON

Sri Mayapur Dham Harinam Sankirtan (Album with photos)
Srila Thakura Bhaktivinoda, standing on the balcony of his house in God...

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HH Tamal Krishna Goswami Disappearance ceremony in Sydney 27/02/17 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Only an animal is not pessimistic about life in this material world. A man is capable of knowing the threefold sufferings of material life. There are sufferings of the mind and body, sufferings offered by other living entities, and sufferings forced upon us by natural catastrophes and the laws of nature. The world is full of suffering, but under the spell of maya, illusion, we think we are progressing. Ultimately, whatever we do, death is there to annihilate the results. Under these circumstances, there is no happiness within this material world. We may make all arrangements for happiness, but at any moment, death may capture us. So what happiness can we have here? Therefore an intelligent man is always pessimistic about material life. He knows that he will not be allowed to be happy here. As we further advance, we understand the orders of Krsna: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. “Abandon all religions and just surrender unto Me.” [Bg. 18.66] We must surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and after surrendering and understanding Him fully, we can go to the world that is full of bliss, knowledge, and eternal life. Unless we take a pessimistic view of this material world, we will remain attached to it, and the repetition of birth and death will ensue. >>> Ref. VedaBase => William James [1842-1910]
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Mahadyuti Swami Sannyasa Ceremony (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: You have to accept anything from the authorized source. So according to Vedic civilization, all knowledge is received from the Vedas, perfect authorized source. Sruti-pramana, evidence from the sruti, from the Vedas, that is perfect. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, if you want to establish something you have to quote the section or the injunction from the Vedas. Then it is perfect. In learned circle you cannot say anything hodgepodge. That will not be accepted. If you support your statement from the evidence of the Vedas, then you are accepted as authority. Therefore our principle is… Not only our; this is the Vedic principle. You’ll find Caitanya Mahaprabhu giving instruction to Sanatana Gosvami, to Rupa Gosvami, or He was talking with Ramananda Raya – in Caitanya-caritamrta you’ll find – and quoting support from the Vedas. Although Caitanya Mahaprabhu is God Himself, Krsna, Krsna-Caitanya, but He is not, what is called, autocratic or, what is called, dictator. No. You’ll never find Him. Whatever He’ll say, immediately He is supported by Vedic evidence. He can say anything. He can manufacture anything. No, that He does not do. He does not violate the principle. In the Bhagavad-gita also… Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He’s also quoting from Vedas. He does not say, “I say.” He says, but He says on the Vedic authority. He doesn’t say anything superfluous. ——From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 16.9 – February 5, 1975, Honolulu
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Remembering the ‘Quiet Beatle’
February 25 is the birth anniversary of George Harrison, the popular British songwriter and musician known best as a member of the famous Beatles Group.
Harrison , known as the “Quiet Beatle”, passed away at the age of 58 on November 29 ,2001 .He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Ganga , according to his wishes. Harrison had embraced the Hare Krishna tradition and remained a devotee till his death. In the summer of 1969, he produced the single “Hare Krishna Mantra”, performed by the devotees of the London Radha Krishna Temple. That same year, he and fellow Beatle ,John Lennon, met A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder - acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Soon after, Harrison embraced the Hare Krishna tradition and became a lifelong devotee.

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The post When the Gita insists that we work according to our nature, why do ISKCON authorities tell us to do the needful, without considering our nature? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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The post If the material and the spiritual are separate, how can chanting attentively lead to good book distribution? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

[Bhagavatam class at Krishna House, Gainesville, USA]

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Kirtan Mela Mayapur 2017 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Krsna consciousness means, “I am Krsna’s,” that’s all. Krsna says, mamaivamsah: “All these living entities, they are My part and parcel.” So you have to understand this relationship with Krsna, that you are Krsna’s. And Krsna, what is Krsna? Bhagavan. -From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 16.1-3 – January 29, 1975, Honolulu
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The post Overcoming Obstacles appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

By Romapada Swami

Tamala Krsna : What is the way to draw the line between the following three things: blasphemy, fault-finding, and calling a spade a spade? Prabhupada: A spade a spade... Just like I am saying that "What you are? You are small fig only." That is reality. And what is the other? Tamala Krsna : The other is fault-finding and... Prabhupada: Fault-finding, that is another fault, that... vranam icchanti, maksika vranam icchanti, madhum icchanti(?) Just like the flies, they are finding out where is sore, and the bees, they are finding out where there is honey. So two animals, they have got two business: fault-finding and collecting the good things. These are two... Just like creature. They are two classes. Similarly, there are many rascals who are simply fault-finding. Tamala Krsna : And blasphemy? Prabhupada: Blasphemy means you have good qualities, but still, I am defaming you. Continue reading "Vaishnava: Devoid of fault finding, enviousness, pride, and blasphemy
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By Giriraj Swami

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji lived to a very old age. In fact, some Vaishnavas say he was just waiting for Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura to come—someone to whom he could impart his special knowledge and realization, for the benefit of humanity. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura had requested to be transferred from his post in Orissa to Bengal so he could be near Navadvipa-dhama. And eventually, he was posted at Krishnanagar, near Navadvipa. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura did extensive research to determine the actual birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He studied various old maps, consulted the local people, and visited the different places. Eventually he found a mound where many tulasi trees were growing. He got the intuition that this was the actual birthplace of Lord Chaitanya, but still he wanted his intuition to be confirmed. At the time, Jagannatha dasa Babaji was the most renowned Vaishnava, and he was Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s siksa-guru. Continue reading "Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja’s disappearance day
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Sri Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama 2017 already started! (Album with photos)
Nitya Kishora Dasi: After the most wonderful kirtan ...

An enlightening discourse by Giriraj Swami on the disappearance day celebration of Srila Jagannatha dasa babaji:

“Today is Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja’s disappearance day. He comes in the Gaudiya Vaishnava disciplic succession after Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana. He was a renounced ascetic, fully engaged in chanting the holy names of Krishna and meditating on His pastimes. For some time, he made his residence at Surya-kunda in Vraja-dhama, near the temple of Suryadeva, where Srimati Radharani used to come and worship the sun-god—or, I should say, where She used to come to meet Krishna on the pretext of coming to worship the sun-god.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who comes in the disciplic succession after Jagannatha dasa Babaji, accepted Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja as his main guru, his siksa-guru. Once, some of Jagannatha dasa Babaji’s disciples in Vraja approached the Thakura. They complained that although they had come to Vraja to live like Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, fully absorbed in chanting the holy names and meditating on Sri Sri Radha-Krishna’s astakaliya-lila, Babaji Maharaja had refused to instruct them in such esoteric topics and had instead engaged them in cultivating tulasi plants, flowers, and vegetables to offer to the Lord. So these disciples requested Bhaktivinoda Thakura to appeal to their guru maharaja to instruct them in the esoteric practices of Krishna consciousness.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura told them, “Actually, your gurudeva’s instructions are right for you. Because you still have anarthas, for you to try to sit and do nirjana-bhajana [solitary worship] and practice asta-kaliya-lila-smarana [meditation on the Lord’s eightfold daily pastimes] would be artificial, and you would just become degraded. So you should follow your gurudeva’s instructions with full faith and work hard in Krishna’s service. Then, in time, you may be able to chant the holy names purely.”

Eventually, Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja moved to Mayapur, where he lived by the banks of the Ganges, fully absorbed in chanting the holy names. He had the greatest reverence for the holy land of Navadvipa. Although he was so renounced and so absorbed in Krishna consciousness, as his reputation spread, gentlemen would come to him and give him donations. Once, Babaji Maharaja asked one of his servants to take the donations he had received, which he kept in an old burlap bag, and purchase a large pot of rasagullas. All the devotees were surprised, because Jagannatha dasa Babaji was so renounced and lived so simply. He would eat just the most simple rice and dal. Anyway, the servant brought the sweets, and Jagannatha dasa Babaji offered them to his Deities and then distributed them to the cows and dogs in the dhama. He said the creatures of the dhama were elevated souls and worthy of service.

Later, Babaji Maharaja would not accept prasada until he had shared his food with ten newborn puppies. He would wait until they came, and he would count them with his hands. (In his old age, Babaji Maharaja’s eyelids drooped over his eyes and prevented him from seeing.) So, he would count them with his hands, and only after they had begun to eat would he also partake. He would say, “They are puppies of the dhama. They are not ordinary living entities.” He had so much faith in and affection for the dhama.

He had less affection for Mayavadi impersonalists. He used to say, “Let the dogs come in for darsana, but the impersonalists—kick them out!”

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji lived to a very old age. In fact, some Vaishnavas say he was just waiting for Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura to come—someone to whom he could impart his special knowledge and realization, for the benefit of humanity. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura had requested to be transferred from his post in Orissa to Bengal so he could be near Navadvipa-dhama. And eventually, he was posted at Krishnanagar, near Navadvipa.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura did extensive research to determine the actual birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He studied various old maps, consulted the local people, and visited the different places. Eventually he found a mound where many tulasi trees were growing. He got the intuition that this was the actual birthplace of Lord Chaitanya, but still he wanted his intuition to be confirmed. At the time, Jagannatha dasa Babaji was the most renowned Vaishnava, and he was Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s siksa-guru. Thus, Jagannatha dasa Babaji’s disciples carried him to the place with the mound and tulasi plants. He was so old (over a hundred and forty years old, some say) that his disciples had to carry him in a basket. And his eyelids were so heavy that he had to open them with his hands to be able to see. So, the disciples brought him, but they didn’t tell him that it was the site Bhaktivinoda Thakura had determined to be the birthplace. Still, when Babaji Maharaja arrived there, he spontaneously jumped out of his basket and began to dance in ecstasy, singing the holy names. Thus he confirmed the location of Mahaprabhu’s birthplace.

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji’s bhajana-kutira and samadhi are there in Navadvipa-dhama, in Koladvipa. Devotees who perform Navadvipa-parikrama visit there and get his mercy. We also pray to him for his mercy, that we may be instrumental in fulfilling the desires of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and the other acaryas in the line of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu coming to us through Srila Prabhupada and his disciples.

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja ki jaya!
Srila Prabhpada ki jaya!”

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Jagannatha dasa Babaji’s disappearance day, February 20, 2004, Carpinteria, California]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1472480496104992&set=a.471089672910751.109563.100000291664876&type=3&theater

Today, myself and several devotees met with His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini, the reigning King of the Zulu Nation in South Africa. Ruling over 11 million people King Goodwill plays an important part in South African politics and culture. We had a long discussion about social cohesion and how to unite the diverse ethnic peoples of the country. We agreed that the ultimate solution is a spiritual one, where the people of South Africa understand their common bond is that they are all children of one God, who has many names. The King and I felt a strong bond from our previous encounters together.

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These are pictures of snow flakes taken by Wilson Bentley in 1885 when he was 20 years old. He went on to take over 5,000 pictures of different and individual snowflakes. A book having over 2,500 images was released in the name of Snow Crystals. This book is in print since 1931. Wilson Bentley provided visual evidence that no two flakes are alike - source.

If two small snow flakes are not alike, then how can more complex human beings be alike? Today biological science categorizes species and living beings on their external likeness (morphology). Social science categorizes behavioral patterns among like living beings. Chemists test drugs based on the commonalities in human anatomy and physiology. Categorizing, normalizing and standardizing may be okay to study patterns of behavior and functions among living beings but it is certainly not okay to evaluate an individual. Today, we (including myself) very easily judge people based on these common traits. But actually no two living being is identical, hence we should see them and relate with them entirely on an individual basis.

Because we live in an impersonal and a time-constraint world, we neither have the desire nor the time to know the person we come in contact with. How can we understand God, He is invisible?

Hare Krishna

Today is Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja’s disappearance day. He comes in the Gaudiya Vaishnava disciplic succession after Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana. He was a renounced ascetic, fully engaged in chanting the holy names of Krishna and meditating on His pastimes. For some time, he made his residence at Surya-kunda in Vraja-dhama, near the temple of Suryadeva, where Srimati Radharani used to come and worship the sun-god—or, I should say, where She used to come to meet Krishna on the pretext of coming to worship the sun-god.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who comes in the disciplic succession after Jagannatha dasa Babaji, accepted Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja as his main guru, his siksa-guru. Once, some of Jagannatha dasa Babaji’s disciples in Vraja approached the Thakura. They complained that although they had come to Vraja to live like Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, fully absorbed in chanting the holy names and meditating on Sri Sri Radha-Krishna’s astakaliya-lila, Babaji Maharaja had refused to instruct them in such esoteric topics and had instead engaged them in cultivating tulasi plants, flowers, and vegetables to offer to the Lord. So these disciples requested Bhaktivinoda Thakura to appeal to their guru maharaja to instruct them in the esoteric practices of Krishna consciousness.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura told them, “Actually, your Gurudeva’s instructions are right for you. Because you still have anarthas, for you to try to sit and do nirjana-bhajana [solitary worship] and practice asta-kaliya-lila-smarana [meditation on the Lord’s eightfold daily pastimes] would be artificial, and you would just become degraded. So you should follow your Gurudeva’s instructions with full faith and work hard in Krishna’s service. Then, in time, you may be able to chant the holy names purely.”

Eventually, Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja moved to Mayapur, where he lived by the banks of the Ganges, fully absorbed in chanting the holy names. He had the greatest reverence for the holy land of Navadvipa. Although he was so renounced and so absorbed in Krishna consciousness, as his reputation spread, gentlemen would come to him and give him donations. Once, Babaji Maharaja asked one of his servants to take the donations he had received, which he kept in an old burlap bag, and purchase a large pot of rasagullas. All the devotees were surprised, because Jagannatha dasa Babaji was so renounced and lived so simply. He would eat just the most simple rice and dal. Anyway, the servant brought the sweets, and Jagannatha dasa Babaji offered them to his Deities and then distributed them to the cows and dogs in the dhama. He said the creatures of the dhama were elevated souls and worthy of service.

Later, Babaji Maharaja would not accept prasada until he had shared his food with ten newborn puppies. He would wait until they came, and he would count them with his hands. (In his old age, Babaji Maharaja’s eyelids drooped over his eyes and prevented him from seeing.) So he would count them with his hands, and only after they had begun to eat would he also partake. He would say, “They are puppies of the dhama. They are not ordinary living entities.” He had so much faith in and affection for the dhama.

He had less affection for Mayavadi impersonalists. He used to say, “Let the dogs come in for darsana, but the impersonalists—kick them out!”

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji lived to a very old age. In fact, some Vaishnavas say he was just waiting for Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura to come—someone to whom he could impart his special knowledge and realization, for the benefit of humanity. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura had requested to be transferred from his post in Orissa to Bengal so he could be near Navadvipa-dhama. And eventually, he was posted at Krishnanagar, near Navadvipa.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura did extensive research to determine the actual birthplace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He studied various old maps, consulted the local people, and visited the different places. Eventually he found a mound where many tulasi trees were growing. He got the intuition that this was the actual birthplace of Lord Caitanya, but still he wanted his intuition to be confirmed. At the time, Jagannatha dasa Babaji was the most renowned Vaishnava, and he was Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s siksa-guru. Thus, Jagannatha dasa Babaji’s disciples carried him to the place with the mound and tulasi plants. He was so old (over a hundred and forty years old, some say) that his disciples had to carry him in a basket. And his eyelids were so heavy that he had to open them with his hands to be able to see. So, the disciples brought him, but they didn’t tell him that it was the site Bhaktivinoda Thakura had determined to be the birthplace. Still, when Babaji Maharaja arrived there, he spontaneously jumped out of his basket and began to dance in ecstasy, singing the holy names. Thus he confirmed the location of Mahaprabhu’s birthplace.

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji’s bhajana-kutira and samadhi are there in Navadvipa-dhama, in Koladvipa. Devotees who perform Navadvipa-parikrama visit there and get his mercy. We also pray to him for his mercy, that we may be instrumental in fulfilling the desires of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and the other acaryas in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu coming to us through Srila Prabhupada and his disciples.

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja ki jaya!
Srila Prabhpada ki jaya!

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Jagannatha dasa Babaji’s disappearance day, February 20, 2004, Carpinteria, California]

 

Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 February 2009, Srimad Bhagavatam 11.6.11)

Some people think that this world is a gift from Krsna to us, “Krsna was so kind that he made this material world for us so that we can have a good time!” That thought is going on and in the middle of it, some disaster happens and then suddenly it is not such a nice world anymore, “How is this possible? How can this happen?” 

A more sober person who is not so passionate can see things as they really are. A passionate person is so full of desire to enjoy that a passionate person projects that desire to enjoy upon the world, upon everything and then he or she sees wonderful things everywhere! And then, an ordinary girl looks like the Goddess of Fortune!

In the fourth canto of Bhagavatam, remember King Puranjana. He meets this lady in the forest and he is immediately and totally convinced and he said, “My dear Goddess of Fortune, what happened to your lotus flower, have you dropped it in the forest somewhere?” Because the Goddess of Fortune is supposed to carry a lotus flower and this lady was not carrying a lotus flower but she looked like the Goddess of Fortune… so just see! So in other words, projecting, turning her into the Goddess of Fortune which she obviously is not. She is not Lakshmi but he wants Lakshmi so he sees Lakshmi!

A lady wants a prince and ordinary Joe comes around the corner but she is convinced, “Oh, here is Prince Jo…” for a while but it doesn’t last that long!
Those in the mode of passion project upon reality. They project their own desires upon reality and colour it and make it really nice but the truth of the matter is that the material world is not designed for happiness and there is nothing that can fix it… NOTHING! It is like a broken car, it cannot be fixed.

Fix a broken car?? Forget it! It is not even worth it because as soon as you fix one thing, another thing breaks. The material world is like that, it cannot be fixed! So devotees are described as pessimistic about material life, they don’t believe that you can create a perfect happy situation in the material world.

Happiness and distress will come of their own accord, sometimes you get one and sometimes you get the other. Therefore knowing that, a devotee does not put his hopes into the material energy. It doesn’t mean that we do not want some comfort and nice things to happen to us, but we are not going to put all of our hopes in there. The devotee understands, “My real happiness is not here in this material world, my real happiness is in the spiritual world. My real happiness is in the relationship with Krsna!”
The truth is, “We will never be happy in this world!” I know it is a very hard thing to say and not everyone may agree with it but if you don’t agree with it then know: THIS IS MAYA, illusion! This is the work of maya, this is what maya does!

By Vijaya Dasa

Mexico City did very well in January: 8,563 book points made it No. 2 in Latin America. A very nice devotee, Aravinda Prabhu, is the sankirtan leader, and he oversees the BBT activities in Mexico. He's dedicated to distributing Srila Prabhupada's books and to encouraging others to distribute them. Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, also successfully started the new year: With 3,860 book points, it is No. 2 in the Small Temple category. Vasudeva datta Prabhu, the leader there, is a brahmacari who does not like glorification, because it leads to pride. He's dedicated to distributing Srila Prabhupada's books to relieve people's suffering, and he has an appropriate name for his spiritual demeanor. In Lord Caitanya's pastimes, Vasudeva Datta wanted to accept the sinful reactions of the whole world, so that all conditioned souls would go to the spiritual world. Lord Caitanya felt so pleased with Vasudeva Datta that he embraced him. In Africa, the No. 1 temple is Midrand, South Africa, a temple I don't remember seeing in a top position in past newsletters. In January, Midrand scored 774 book points. Continue reading "WSN January 2017 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
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By Bhakti Charu Swami

Tamal Krishna Maharaj joined Srila Prabhupada in 1968. Srila Prabhupada went to a place where the young Americans were living in the redwood forest near San Francisco. He was so aloof from the materialistic culture that he was living in the forest. But Srila Prabhupada went to that place and it was just love at first sight. He left everything. Even that commune that he was living in. He came with Srila Prabhupada to San Francisco after one meeting, maybe even just one sight of Srila Prabhupada, attracted him to his lotus feet. Then we see what an important role that he played in the Krishna Consciousness movement. Continue reading "HH Bhakti Charu Swami on HH Tamal Krishna Goswami
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One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly [to indicate something else], jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully. This is accepted by all the learned scholars of the scriptures.

If one chants the holy name of Hari and then dies because of an accidental misfortune, such as falling from the top of a house, slipping and suffering broken bones while traveling on the road, being bitten by a serpent, being afflicted with pain and high fever, or being injured by a weapon, one is immediately absolved from having to enter hellish life, even though he is sinful.

Authorities who are learned scholars and sages have carefully ascertained that one should atone for the heaviest sins by undergoing a heavy process of atonement and one should atone for lighter sins by undergoing lighter atonement. Chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, however, vanquishes all the effects of sinful activities, regardless of whether heavy or light.

As a fire burns dry grass to ashes, so the holy name of the Lord, whether chanted knowingly or unknowingly, burns to ashes, without fail, all the reactions of one’s sinful activities.

If a person unaware of the effective potency of a certain medicine takes that medicine or is forced to take it, it will act even without his knowledge because its potency does not depend on the patient’s understanding. Similarly, even though one does not know the value of chanting the holy name of the Lord, if one chants knowingly or unknowingly, the chanting will be very effective.

Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk.
Krishna-kripa das: I have Harinama videos from different parts of the world.
I have a nice quote by Srila Prabhupada about the importance of the association of spiritually minded people. I share an excerpt from Satsvarupa dasa Goswami’s Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name. I share notes on lectures by Mother Madhumati, Caitanya Carana Prabhu, Ekayani Devi Dasi, Abhimanyu Prabhu, and Bhakta Hanan.
To read the entire report click here: https://goo.gl/im1oy2

[Seminar in Alachua Learning Center, Alachua, USA]

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The post Overcoming obstacles 8 – Focus less on detachment from the world and more on attachment to Krishna – part 2 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

By Bhakti Vikasa Swami

If you really want to see iskcon a lot stronger than it is at present, and if you are ready to take part in a grassroots revolution, here is a program for you. It is non-political and non-controversial, easy to implement, and with negligible cost, yet it will benefit the whole society of devotees worldwide. The program is that all members of the Krsna consciousness movement should read all of Srila Prabhupada’s books. Of course, many devotees are already reading Prabhupada’s books, but still, far too many are not. Numerous devotees who have been initiated for ten years or more, and are even brahmana-initiated, have not read all of Srila Prabhupada’s books, and apparently have never thought of doing so. Continue reading "Time for a Revolution
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[Seminar in Alachua Learning Center, Alachua, USA]

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[Seminar in Alachua Learning Center, Alachua, USA]

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[Seminar in Alachua Learning Center, Alachua, USA]

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ISKCON Auckland NZ: Holi 2017 (Album with photos)
Around10 thousand guests joined today`s annual holi festival at our farm in ...

George Harrison Appearance Day 2017 London Harinama Sankirtan (Album with photos)
This weekend’s London Saturday night harinama sankirtan coincided with the 74th anniversary of George Harrison’s appearance day (birthday).
The weather was wet so there were fewer people out and about, but still many members of the public did stop to watch or join in.
Actually, one of the things that had endeared the devotees to the
Beatles was that they went out on the streets of London no matter what the weather.
Videos:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=56928266%40N05&view_all=1&text=25%2F02%2F2017%20video

Photo slideshow:
http://davidc.zenfolio.com/george_harrison_appday_harinama_sankirtan_25022017/slideshow

Photo gallery:
http://davidc.zenfolio.com/george_harrison_appday_harinama_sankirtan_25022017

Q: For Gaudiya Bhakts what is the Parampara? Very many descendants of Mahaprabhu are there and each professes to be the correct link to Him.

Your use of the preposition “the” in the phrase “each professes to be the correct link” isn’t exactly correct, because “the” means “the only one” or “the most important one.” There is more than one active, valid, paramparā lineage, so the correct phrase should be “each professes to be a correct link to him.”

Some lineages may indeed profess to be “the” link to Mahāprabhu (i.e. the one and only), but in so doing they prove they are not even “a” link.

Q: I had read that we are in Braham Madhav Gaudiya Sampradaya. Is this Madhvacharya or Madhvendar Puri who is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Guru’s Guru.

We need only trace our lineage to Mahaprabhu, who is Svayam Bhagavān Śrī Krishna’s Audarya Rūpa. But for the sake of others who may not accept this, we can note that Śrī Caitanya accepted dīkṣā in the Madvācārya paramparā (from Śrī Īśvara Puri disciple of  Śrī Mādhavendra Puri), which is a part of the Brahmā paramparā  which is one of the four Vaiṣṇava Paramparā (Brahmā, Śrī, Catusana, Śiva).

Philosophically speaking, the Gauḍīya Paramparā accepts key elements from all four Vaiṣṇava Paramparā.

As for the development of the Gaudīya line after Śrī Caitanya, you can read a lot about that in Caitanya Caritāmṛta (Start at Adi-līlā Chapter 10). Gadādhara Paṇḍit, Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, etc. all have important branches in the lineage from Śrī Caitanya. All these branches have their own branches, and so on.

Q: But then I think from Jagannath Das babaji there are many divergent branches.

The problem is not from Jagannatha Das bābājī, exactly, but from Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati. His followers accept that he took dīkṣā from Gaurakiśor dās Bābājī, but other Vaiṣṇava’s do not agree.

There is also a problem with his father, Śrī Bhaktivinode Ṭhākur. He definitely took dīkṣā from Śrī Bipin Bihari Gosvāmī, but Bipin Bihari Gosvāmī, after the passing away of Śrī Bhaktivinode, disowned him as a disciple, apparently due to disputes about the location of Śrī Caitanya’s birthplace.

Because of this, and because of his well-documented strong dislike for the Gosvāmī from the start, Bhaktisiddhānta refused to acknowledge the Goswāmī as his father’s guru, preferring to cite Śrī Jagannātha dās Bābājī instead.

This is a small problem in comparison to the whole Gauḍīya paramparā tree, but it potentially affects many people because the world was introduced to Gauḍīya bhakti mainly through disciples of Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta, especially Śrīla Prabhupāda, who founded  ISKCON.

Q: Is being somewhere in this lineage also important or just learning and realising and experiencing the Knowledge would be sufficient?

Learning, realizing, and experiencing is what is important.

But it is not likely that you’d be able to do that very well without learning it somewhere in the lineage that passes on the realization and experience.

Lineage is not a technicality, because the knowledge, realization and experience is passed down by lineage. Thus, if you study Gauḍīya Siddhānta in detail you will see that the unclear dīkṣā lineage of Gauḍīya Maṭha and ISKCON is not just a technicality. It has an obvious ramification on the clarity of their realization and experience: They are almost like a separate world from the rest of the lineage of Gauḍīya bhakti, with many philosophies and practices that are entirely their own and not shared at all with the rest of the lineage.

Q: One set of people may not recognise the other set of people’s lineage, but supposing Sri Chaitanya Maha Prabhu accepts all these linkages to Him…

Lack of recognizing plural paths is not a symptom of true Vedic culture. Quite the opposite.

As expected, then, lack of recognizing other branches is not common in the Gauḍīya paramparā. It is, however, a pervasive phenomenon in ISKCON and Gauḍīya Maṭha. Even amongst themselves the “we are the only bona-fide group” syndrome is rampant.  Often one Gauḍīya Maṭha branch will not visit the other Gauḍīya Maṭha branch. ISKCON will not cooperate with or recognize Gauḍīya Maṭha leaders. Etc. Etc. Even the micro-branches within each micro-branch in these groups devote a lot of time and energy to defaming the other nano-branches.

When anyone points any of this out, like this article does, the ISKCON / Gauḍīya Maṭha claims it is an “attack.” It is really a sad, psychologically complex situation.

Q: …is it Ok to switch from one lineage to the other?

No, not really.

But if you are having problems in one branch for some reason, they will help you; and if they can’t, they will help you find a better situation in another branch. If they don’t, you know they are not a genuine spiritual lineage in the first place, and then there is no problem “switching.”

Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com

Tagged: Gaudiya Matha, ISKCON, lineage, Parampara, sampradaya

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 19 January 2017, Sydney, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 9.13.5)

Caitanya Caritamrta gives the three categories of pious activities. There is karma unmukhi sukriti, moksha unmukhi sukriti and bhakti unmukhi sukriti. Sukriti means spiritual benefit. Karma unmukhi sukriti gives benefit on the realm of karma which gives you good material results. So if you do pious activities – let’s say you make a shelter for people or you give to the poor – these kind of things are pious and they give you good karma and in the next life it comes back. It is said that if you give to a brahmana, it comes back to you manyfold. If you give to a Narayana-parayana, one who is absorbed in the worship of Narayana, it comes back to you unlimitedly. So give donations to devotees and you will become rich in your next life – give to the temple, put money into the donation box and you will be really rich in your next life and you may have a next life so there is nothing bad in putting a little money in the box.

Moksha unmukhi sukriti is where you get involved with knowledge. One spends time studying and it fixes in the consciousness a mood of desiring liberation. Bhakti unmukhi sukriti is the real piety because bhakti leads to bhakti so whatever you do in devotional service, it increases your desire to do more devotional service.

One may ask, “How do I get a desire a serve Krsna? My problem is I do not have enough desire?” Do devotional service and then your desire will awaken! This is why we need ajnata sukriti for people, unknown spiritual benefit. That is why we go out to the streets doing harinama, “Ching Ching Boom!” and people look and think we’re crazy lunatics and we’re a cult but people make spiritual advancement, even the lady who puts her fingers in her ears when we walk past. Somehow or other, all these people get the benefit. Whatever they do, even if they give one donation to a vaisnava for Krsna, they will get unknown spiritual benefit!