Science amidst bhakti – rasabhasa or rasa access? (Album with…
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Science amidst bhakti - rasabhasa or rasa access? (Album with photos)
Chaitanya Charan Das: In India, I usually speak on topics related to science & spirituality at colleges and youth centers, practically never in temples.
During this trip to America, I am increasingly appreciating that speaking to Indians in America is substantially different from speaking to Indians in India. Indians in America are among the most materially intelligent Indians who have passed through rigorous competition with flying colours in order to make it to America.

“All glories to Mexico City!” (photos)
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Hare KrishnaBy Dharmatma Das

Srila Prabhupada found the Mexican people pious. Their humility, simplicity, and devotion was reminiscent of the people of India. “Mexico is very much like India,” he said. We met this far out guy downtown who convinced us to come to a big Entreprenurial Convention going on in Santa Fe, a modern suburb of Mexico City. It took place in a huge venue and tens of thousand young students and business start ups attended. We were received like Rock Stars and within moments had huge crowds going crazy in ecstatic Kirtan masterfully led by Sundar Nitai prabhu. Fantastic preaching field. Many books, thousands of mantra cards and over 1000 small cups of Halavah were distributed until we were politely escorted out amidst cheers from the appreciating crowds. Continue reading "“All glories to Mexico City!” (photos)
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Charuhasa prabhu ACBSP incapacitated after a heart…
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Charuhasa prabhu ACBSP incapacitated after a heart attack.
Charuhasa das joined Srila Prabhupada’s movement in the early pioneering days as a successful talented musician. Later he became a great painter at Srila Prabhupada’s request.
Previous to that he had not held a paint brush, but Prabhupada had empowered him. Caruhasa das painted many paintings in the Krishna conscious books and at temples over the years.
He continued his service, in multifarious ways. Over the years he has produced radio shows and television shows, and courted many celebrities and introduced them to Krishna consciousness.
He is a friend, and vibrant preacher, father to two children;
Recently he suffered a heart attack and became incapacitated.
His two friends Manvantara, and Vrindavan das, stand by him
in this trying time of need.

Who is to Blame for our Illusions?
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An extremely important section of the Bhagavatam (1.7.4-6) describes Vyāsa’s samādhi (divine vision). In this vision, he saw Māyā (the power of illusion) subordinate to Krishna (the complete, original personal-consciousness), but bewilering the jīva (individual consciousness). Analyzing this in Tattva Sandarbha, Śrī Jīva Goswāmī brings up a very important question, “Who is to blame for the jīva’s infatuation with māyā?” 

Who is to blame for our illusions?

Śrī Jīva explains that only the jīva is to blame. 

Māyā does not bf5501ea3148d587f0405e2253c7cce4“entice” us. She would actually prefer not to give herself to us, and is ashamed and humiliated by having to do so. We approach her and proposition her, she merely agrees to our proposition – out of compassion. Thus the whole idea of māyā as a “temptress” has no basis in Bhāgavata. It is a saṁskāra from Abrahamic/ Western thought.

Krishna is also not to blame. Our unique individual nature is to be fascinated with enjoyment more than love, and Krishna provides māyā to placate this incongruous and unconstitutional disease of consciousness. Within māyā he includes “medicine” for this disease. The lower potency medicine is karma – a slow-acting but constantly applied mechanism that gradually encourages the jīva towards love/cooperation and away from self-centered enjoyment. A higher potency (but more rare) medicine also exists, becuase Krishna causes bhakti to manifest within māyā, to grant the jīva an opportunity to experience Krishna (which is possible only through bhakti), the glimpse of whom begins to slacken our fascination with māyā’s selfish pleasures and supplant it with a fascination for Sri Krishna’s exhilarating love.

Thus neither māyā nor Krishna is to blame for our situation. We are to blame.

That we are the root cause of our own problems also means that we have to be the root cause of our solution. The jīva’s rectification requires the help of bhakti-śakti, but only the jīva can decide to become receptive to that bhakti-śakti or remain fascinated with the opportunities for self-centered enjoyment provided by the illusions of māyā.

Vraja Kishor (www.vrajakishor.com)


Tagged: illusion, Maya, origin of evil, origin of jiva

Science amidst bhakti – rasabhasa or rasa access?
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On 9-10-16, in Canada, I spoke on science twice in the same day – and both at temples, and that too in Sunday feast classes. I spoke on “What near-death experiences mean for us” at ISKCON, Brampton, which is a suburb in Toronto, and on “Science vs Religion” at ISKCON, Toronto.

Science vs Religion – Talk & QA
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/…/%e2%80%8bscience-vs…/

What near death experiences mean for all of us
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/…/%E2%80%8Bwhat-near-…/

During this trip, I have earlier spoken on a science-related topic once “Do we need spirituality in the age of science” at the Sunday feast class at Washington DC.
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/…/%E2%80%8Bdo-need-sp…/

In India, I usually speak on topics related to science & spirituality at colleges and youth centers, practically never in temples.
During this trip to America, I am increasingly appreciating that speaking to Indians in America is substantially different from speaking to Indians in India. Indians in America are among the most materially intelligent Indians who have passed through rigorous competition with flying colours in order to make it to America.

Among our movement’s leaders in the West, there is great concern that not many Western people are coming to our movement, only Indians are taking it up. While the lack of Western participants is a matter of great concern, that concern shouldn’t lead to minimising of the Indians who are coming. These Indians are often high-caliber people, the kind whom we would be proud to welcome in our temples in India.
Whereas in India a science-spirituality topic in a Sunday class would often be met with many blank stares, in America it was met by most attendees with avid interest, thoughtful questions and enthusiastic appreciation.

When I had asked Ananda Vrindavani Mataji, the Temple President of ISKCON Washington, about the rationale for speaking on scientific topics in a Sunday feast class she had given an insightful reply. I expand it here in my words: “If we treat our Sunday feast attendees as pious Hindus, that’s how they will stay – and that’s the kind of people who will come. But if we treat them as intelligent people capable of understanding the depth of our message, that’s how they will become – and that’s the kind of people who will come.”

After my scientific talks, several devotees appreciated the points, some saying that their long-standing doubts were addressed and some saying that they felt better equipped to answer questions that they often face. Hearing their appreciations brought into sharp focus a thought that had been nascent within me: In today’s world, speaking on science is essential to help many people gain access to bhakti-rasa.

Speaking on science in front of the beautiful Deities – and the temples that I have spoken at have often have high-quality Deity worship – might seem to some as rasa-abhasa. But I recently remembered a Prabhupada pastime, wherein during his last days, he was talking animatedly with Bhakti Swarupa Damodara Maharaja about scientific outreach. When Tamal Krishna Maharaja, thinking that Prabhupada might be tired, asked him whether he would like to have kirtan, Prabhupada forcefully replied, “What do you think we are doing? This is kirtan.”

While many devotees are equipped, and often far better equipped than me, to speak on direct bhakti-related subjects, not many are so well equipped to be able to share scientific access to bhakti. I felt grateful to be able to do this service of scientific outreach in my own small way.

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Becoming Godly, October 2, Radha-Kalachandji Temple, Dallas
Giriraj Swami

original-delhi-bhagavatam-coverGiriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.28.

“The standard of perfection for a human being is to develop the attributes up to seventy-eight percent in full. The living being can never possess attributes like Siva, Visnu or Lord Krsna. A living being can become godly by developing the seventy-eight-percent transcendental attributes in fullness, but he can never become a God like Siva, Visnu or Krsna. He can become a Brahma in due course. The godly living beings who are all residents of the planets in the spiritual sky are eternal associates of God in different spiritual planets called Hari-dhama and Mahesa-dhama. The abode of Lord Krsna above all spiritual planets is called Krsnaloka or Goloka Vrndavana, and the perfected living being, by developing seventy-eight percent of the above attributes in fullness, can enter the planet of Krsnaloka after leaving the present material body. —SB 1.3.28 purport

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.28

“Being strict means that we are serious”
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 30 July 2016, London, England, Initiation Lecture)

01oct2006

Once I gave initiation in Mayapur to a devotee and afterward, we met Jananivasa Prabhu. I said to Jananivasa Prabhu that I just gave initiation to this devotee, could you please just give him your blessings. Jananivasa Prabhu said, “Oh, you just took initiation! This is very nice because the time when you just take initiation is a very special time! It is the time where everything is still fresh and you are full of good positive energy. This is the time when you can put some really good habits in place…” He went on to say, out of humility, that he did not do that and he only knows it theoretically, but this is very nice. So the time of initiation is the time to be strict. Being strict is not fanatic… being strict means that we are serious… it means that we want to go back home, back to the spiritual world this lifetime. That is why we are doing all of this.

​What goes wrong when one person gets undue control on others’ minds?
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​If we see wrongdoers go unpunished in our movement, what should we do?
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​How can people who are conditioned to be child abusers be cured?
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​During chanting should we try to control the mind or should we pray to Krishna that he control the mind?
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​How do we differentiate between the mind’s desires and the soul’s desires?
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​Are materialists completely controlled by the modes or can they make choices?
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​Why did Prabhupada not encourage devotees to consult astrologers?
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​What near death experiences mean for all of us
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​Sunday feast lecture at ISKCON, Brampton, Toronto, Canada

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Vraja-prema only increased by knowledge of Krsna’s position
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By Bhurijan Das

Seeing the intense absorption of Nanda and Yasoda, Uddhava thinks, “This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. This is THE perfection. I have never seen anything higher than this”. He is looking somewhat from the point of view of Krsna’s aisvarya, being the Absolute Truth. But the power of their sweetness like a hurricane moves aside everything, tivrena. In the same way if one performs bhakti with tivra, obstacles are removed. Continue reading "Vraja-prema only increased by knowledge of Krsna’s position
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Harinama in Hollywood, Los Angeles (7 min video) Srila…
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Harinama in Hollywood, Los Angeles (7 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: There may be so many impediments for a person who is chanting Hare Krishna. Nonetheless, tolerating all these impediments, one should continue to chant so that at the end of one’s life one can have the full benefit of Krishna consciousness. Bhagavad-Gita 8.5 Purport.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/DaPURv

The Glories Of Lord Ramachandra
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Hare KrishnaBy Radhanath Swami

Ahankara keeps us in this world Ravana was terrorizing this world. And he stole the consort of Lord Rama, Sita. But how Rama performed this wonderful act of liberating Ravana was a very very instructive, instructive in the sense that it really revealed the heart of the Lord, intimately. The Lord’s love for His devotees. Because at every step, Lord Sri Rama is giving credit to His devotees more than Himself; and even when He did something, He staged in such a way that it was due to the blessings of His devotees. This is a very important lesson, because what keeps us in this world is our very deep rooted tendency to take credit for what we do, to take credit for what we don’t do, to give blame for what we do – this is ahankar. Continue reading "The Glories Of Lord Ramachandra
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Sripad Madhvacarya
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Hare KrishnaBy Jaya Tirtha Caran Dasa

In his childhood Madhvacarya was known as Vasudeva, and there are some wonderful stories surrounding him. It is said that once when his father had piled up many debts, Madhvacarya converted tamarind seeds into actual coins to pay them off. When he was five years old, he was offered the sacred thread. A demon named Maniman lived near his abode in the form of a snake, and at the age of five Madhvacarya killed that snake with the toe of his left foot. When his mother was very much disturbed, he would appear before her in one jump. He was a great scholar even in childhood, and although his father did not agree, he accepted sannyasa at the age of twelve. Upon receiving sannyasa from Acyuta Preksa, he received the name Purnaprajna Tirtha. After traveling all over India, he finally discussed scriptures with Vidyasankara, the exalted leader of Srngeri-matha. Vidyasankara was actually diminished in the presence of Madhvacarya. Accompanied by Satya Tirtha, Madhvacarya went to Badarikasrama. It was there that he met Vyasadeva and explained his commentary on the Bhagavad-gita before him. Thus he became a great scholar by studying before Vyasadeva. Continue reading "Sripad Madhvacarya
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Sinking ship
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 30 July 2016, London, England, Initiation Lecture)

12June2016


When one is chanting and purposefully commits sinful activities, what happens is that Krsna withdraws himself from the holy name. One may still chant but all that is there is an empty shell; one may chant for many, many births and still not get the benefit from such chanting. So one should try to avoid sinful activity. There may be accidental fall-down and Krsna may let you off on an accident, but we must be very careful to remain pure.

As of late, many devotees have confided in me that they sometimes drink coffee. They say, “I got to drive and need to keep awake so it is a matter of life and death. It is an emergency!” Others say, “It helps me digest,” or, “I have to work on the computer for a long time and I get tired so I just need something to keep me going.” This is outrageous! What has become of this Hare Krsna Movement that now gradually this is slipping in and this is looked upon as acceptable, do not make a big deal about it.

But I am making a big deal about it! It is total nonsense. I am from the Netherlands and it is a country of boats. If in a boat, there is a hole and water comes in through that hole then what happens is that the hole gets bigger due to the force of the water. So, if you make a hole in your spiritual life and let in some maya, then more maya will come in! Letting in a little maya is opening the door for more, I guarantee you that!

Srila Prabhupada’s Program with Allen Ginsberg
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By Chintamani dasi

What is this? Oh my, Srila Prabhupada appearing with Allen Ginsberg? On the same stage? How is it possible? It was true. We put these posters all over the Ohio State University campus. I was in the room when Srila Prabhupada was talking to Sriman Allen Ginsberg before the event. I was shocked, quite honestly, at how humble Srila Prabhupada was, how he was asking Ginsberg’s opinion on the venue. It was amazing. Anyway, about 2,000 midwest teenagers from the “All American City” of Columbus, Ohio showed up, mostly to hear from the bohemian Allen. At this time he was a famous poet. At the event he gave a talk, and I only remember one thing he said. It certainly wasn’t exactly parampara. Then Srila Prabhupada talked, and then the most amazing thing happened that I can never forget. We had the most amazing kirtan I have ever experienced. As the audience gradually started to catch on to the magical maha mantra, they began to chant. Not only chant, they all chanted like enthusiastic devotees. As the devotees stood up on the stage around Srila Prabhupada and started to dance, after having been seated around His Divine Grace, some of the audience also started dancing. Some came up by the stage, some stood up in their seats. Then Srila Prabhupada stood up on his box-like Vyasasana and was dancing and throwing some of his garland flowers to the crowd who was catching them. It was so wild, so blissful. I felt like Srila Prabhupada “opened the storehouse of love of God” and was just passing it out! Continue reading "Srila Prabhupada’s Program with Allen Ginsberg
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One of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of ISKCON,…
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One of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of ISKCON, Bangladesh.
Bhaktivedanta National Competition, 2016
By Krishna Gopal Dasa

As a part of celebrations going throughout the whole world to glorify the Golden Jubilee of the foundation of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), ISKCON Bangladesh has recently organized “Bhaktivedanta National Students Competition- 2016” . More than 10,000 students from different parts of the whole country took part in this competition. This competition took nearly five months for its completion and was held in four levels – zonal level, district level, divisional level and finally national level. All the participants were divided into two classes – students from standard two to standard five were in the junior class and students from standard six to standard ten were in the senior class. Subjects of competition were Verse recitation from Gita, coloring & drawing transcendental picture, vedic story telling, bhajan, speech in selected topic & acting in Vedic dress. All participating students received different devotional gifts. In the final round, the winners (1 st , 2 nd & 3 rd position holders) of all subjects were rewarded with special crests & Bhaktivedanta Scholarships. One student from each class was announced as “All-rounder” for their extraordinary performances and were rewarded Champion crests and Bhaktivedanta Scholarships. The final round was organized by Jagrata Chatra Samaj (School Preaching Department) on 23 rd September in which more than 500 students participated from different districts of the country. The prize giving ceremony was held on 24 th September at Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. ISKCON GBC and director of this whole competition HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami along with many members of the national management committee of ISKCON Bangladesh were present at the ceremony. The presence of honorable minister Mr. Narayan Chandra Chanda and several famous
cultural personalities added a different dimension in the ceremony. Valuable speeches from the guests and spectacular cultural functions made the whole program more enjoyable. The successful completion of this whole competition would not be possible without the hearty participation, cooperation and help of students, guardians, volunteers and other devotees.

​If I can invest one hour daily for bhakti, which bhakti practices should I do?
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​How has the momentum of bhakti helped you to face problems in your own life?
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