- New Vrindavan, USA: Ramachandra Vijayotsava
- Institute for Sustainable Society, NZ: Awakening the White Lotus: A Meditation-Based Workshop
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Akrura das, Gita Coaching: EXCUSES
- Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: offering obeisances to Krsna will not go in vain
- Dandavats.com: For those who love cows
- Dandavats.com: Bhaktivedanta Research Centre - Ist Annual Report
- Dandavats.com: Bhakti Bhavan for Women: Bhakti Sastri Course Registration
- Dandavats.com: Rascal Editors
- Dandavats.com: Interview with H.G. Sripad Aindra Prabhu - Kirtan standards
- Japa Group: The Story Of Krsna dasa
- Rupa Madhurya das, TX, USA: KuliMela 2006 - New Vrindavan - Main Movie
- Ananda Subramanian, Iowa, USA: Supertheory
- Hari Sauri das, Mayapura, IN: Om-ananda 2
- Krishna Dharma dasa, UK: Ode to Sri Radha (Radha stuti)
- Hari Sauri das, Mayapura, IN: Oman-anda 1
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 92
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Prabhupada Smaranam
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Not This Body
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Flying a Plane
- Akrura das, Gita Coaching: SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE
- Akrura das, Gita Coaching: TEN BOLD QUESTIONS (BQ)
- H.H. Bhakti Caitanya Swami: Durban Spring festival
- H.H. Bhakti Caitanya Swami: Soweto Ratha Yatra
- H.H. Bhakti Caitanya Swami: Durban Radhastami photos
- H.H. Bhakti Caitanya Swami: Pictures from Auckland
- Japa Group: Please Join The Japa Group
- Gouranga TV: Questions with Tribhuvanath 2.
- ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Kadamba Kanana Swami
- H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: Ekadasi In Vanipedia
- Gaura Yoga, NZ: Bhakti Yoga Meditation Series
- More Recent Articles
- Search Planet ISKCON
TABLAS de CONTENIDOS
- Tabla de Mitologías
- Concepto Hinduista 1428SC
- Concepto Hinduista 2919SK y 2592SK
- Tabla de Materias en General
Lord Rama’s victory over the demon Ravana is celebrated as Ramachandra Vijyotsava. The Yuddha-kanda of Valmiki Ramayana states:
Empowering the arrow with the required mantras, Rama placed the terrible Brahmastra upon His bowstring. While gazing upon the flaming arrow, the monkeys became filled with delight, while dread penetrated the hearts of the Rakshasas. As Rama pulled the bow string back to His ear, the earth began to shudder and the heavens appeared to be thrown into confusion. At last, when Rama released the Brahmastra, it sped through the air like death itself, striking violently the chest of the Rakshasa king. Piercing through Ravana’s heart like a thunderbolt, the fierce arrow then entered into the earth, taking Ravana’s sinful life along with it. Then, as the wonderful Brahmastra reentered Rama’s quiver, Ravana dropped his bow from his hand. Vomiting blood from his ten mouths, he fell down dead upon the ground.
With Ravana dead, the rishis and demigods felt blessed relief and peace of mind that they had not enjoyed for a long time. A gentle, cool, fragrant breeze then began to blow, and the sun serenely spread its rays, so that happiness appeared to pervade all directions.
To celebrate this victory, in the evening a huge effigy of Ravana is burnt on the bonfire, followed by a display of fireworks. The devotees rejoice as evil is overcome by the Lord to benefit everyone.
Please join us at Gaura Yoga in Wellington from Oct 13 for a 4 week meditation-based workshop series. Based on the premise that certain states of consciousness lead to certain actions which in turn have certain consequences, we will explore the 5000 year old tradition of bhakti-yoga to see how it can provide a framework and practice that will reawaken the qualities of consciousness necessary for truly sustainable behaviour.
1967 October 5: "When I receive letters from you immediately I feel new energy. Thank you very much for improving our BTG. This means Krishna is giving you more & more facilities. Krishna is such a nice boss - he gives the most facilities to His sincere servants."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967
1970 October 5: "One has to hear the message of Godhead from the lips of a pure devotee. That message is coming in disciplic succession and one who is purely in that chain is called Acarya. Religion is practically presented by the bona fide Spiritual Master."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
1970 October 5: "When the scientist philosopher medical man will get the opportunity to study what is God, what are His energies, what is my relationship, how to approach Him, only then there will there be paradise. Otherwise life in ignorance of God is parasite in paradise."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
1970 October 5: "Your program of visiting different cities weekly is very nice. Krsna is giving you good intelligence. In future maintain a permanent Sankirtana Party and regularly visit the cities and in this way distribute our literatures without any difficulty."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
1974 October 5: "In Vrindaban Krishna calls the cows each by his own name. When cows were purchased in the beginning I have seen them crying because the calf was taken for killing. They can understand. Not that they are animal and cannot understand."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974
1975 October 5: "There is a very good potency for introducing Krsna consciousness here on a wide scale. We had one meeting and all big government officers, ministers, ambassadors came to hear me and they appreciated. Most important the local boys are coming. So I am prepared to personally take up this program and remain here."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975
1975 October 5: "The boys here are educated and intelligent. Kindly arrange for some devotees to come here for preaching. Sober, intelligent men are required who can preach. Now we have so many literatures, this is a great opportunity."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975
1975 October 5: "This is very bad. These reports are coming from all over the world. This is very disturbing to me. Their own original face is coming out. Now you have to rectify the situation."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975
What are your top ten excuses for not being more happy and more productive?
What would your life look like if you could not use these excuses?
...this offering obeisances to Krsna will not go in vain. It will have effect. So it is inexpensive. It is very simple, without any loss. Suppose you have got a picture of Krsna and you simply think of the picture, man-mana, and you offer a little lamp, a little incense, and if you don't offer, if you simply offer your respect, what is your loss? Is there any loss? [break] We are all businessmen. We calculate everything in terms of loss and profit. So there is no loss. That's a fact. But if there is any profit, why don't you try it?
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Town Hall Lecture -- Auckland, April 14, 1972
By Vrsabha das
I am sure you would like my latest PowerPoint presentation (converted to PDF) on Cow protection. The presentation is in plain English.
By Hari-sauri dasa
Welcome to our first annual report and newsletter. It? s just over a year since the inauguration of the BRC. We have made good progress, some exciting acquisitions have been donated, and we are full of plans for the coming year
Vinode Vani d.d.: Ladies, now is your chance to take part in a new study opportunity. Explore Bhagavad Gita, Sri Isopanisad, Nectar of Devotion, and Nectar of Instruction in the association of many, serious devotees.
Kaisori (dasi) (BBT): The "Rascal Editors" conversation, which took place in Vrindavan on June 22, 1977, has been known to Hare Krishna devotees for more than thirty years. And for more than thirty years, most devotees have been wrong about what mistake he had found.
Members of The Krishna-Balaram Mandir 24 Hour Kirtan Mandali: His Grace Sripad Aindra Prabhu who is most beloved to all of us has left this world to enter into Krishna’s lila leaving behind him a legacy of dedicated and enthusiastic Kirtaniya’s to carry on this Kirtan mission
In this recording, Sacinandana Swami talks about Krsna dasa.
Kuli Mela New Vrindaban 2006, DVD
Kuli Mela documents the largest ever gathering of second-generation Hare Krishnas (known informally as gurukulis, or just kulis). Far from just a party, the Mela focused on exploring who Kulis are and what they can accomplish.
Experienced youth and elders shared their knowledge in over 50 seminars, while each night was a dazzling display of music and dance. Envelop yourself in these four memorable days, as RasaFilms captures the visionaries, outstanding artists, musicians and friends who came together to celebrate their lives.
Individual stage acts will be posted separately. This is the main title from the DVD.
More about kulimela: http://kulimela.org, Kulimela merchandise: http://store.krishna.com/Search.bok?category=Kulimela
Modern science and scientists are frantically trying to answer “everything” through one theory. But modern science defines a thing as that which can be measured and tested otherwise it is an anomaly. Essentially "everything" deals with only the seen, touched, smelled or heard directly or indirectly through gadgets. It does not account for the unseen, unheard, and unfelt. Then, how can science call it “everything”. Shouldn’t it be more like “something” or “everything measurable”. Anyways…this is the sheer arrogance upon which scientists and modern science operates.
My point is, there are many “things” even modern scientists acknowledge as “existing” but “not explainable”. This conclusion, they come to, is based on modern scientific testing methods. So by their own standards, they accept that everything cannot be known. For example, below is an excerpt from two physicists on potential paranormal behavior that they are not able to explain through conventional wisdom.
“While measuring sound levels, they noticed that, although no sound was heard, their monitor showed a huge deflection, so they concluded that there must have been direct pressure on the crystal in the microphone. They speculated that a similar invisible force could be acting on the pen of the Unireg [electrical instrument showing voltage fluctuations] itself, causing the unnatural loops directly, independently of the electrical current. They speculated further: the same force could be acting on the tiny springs inside the telephone, bypassing the dial. It was active only for short periods, its nature was complex and it was not electrodynamic. Known physics could not explain it”.
There are tonnes of unexplained phenomenon or unknowns similar to this that can never be explained. To propose one theory, then, essentially means to redefine how science fundamentally operates. They should seriously study things that cannot be seen, heard, smelled or felt if they want to find one supertheory to explain everything.
True & superior knowledge, therefore, includes the known (that which can be measured) and the unknown (which cannot be measured). Modern science fails in the unknown and hence inferior knowledge. It cannot comprehensively explain so many crucial aspects of life such as near-death experience, past life memories, alien life forms, science of astrology, dreams, creation of the Universe, creation of Life, ghosts to name a few. They put all this in one big bucket and call it “paranormal” like it is some sort of stepchild to mainstream knowledge.
Even if scientists try to explain things using mainstream logic, to hide their ignorance, they simply call all events either “mental concoction” or “random events”. This type of simplistic explanation and dismissal actually reveals their ignorance about “everything”.
However, all this can be explained if we understand the fundamental aphorism of Vedic science. Vedic science tells us that the gross external body is simply a covering. The real person is a spirit (soul) and made of spiritual qualities (not material). Vedic science defines this “spirit” as “life”. Modern science defines combination of chemicals (anatomy and physiology) as life. These two definitions are diametrically opposite with each other. Because modern science defines chemicals as life, they are not able to account for freaks of nature such as past-life memories or ghosts etc.
Vedic science goes on to explain that this “spirit” or “life” is unique and individualistic. In other words, every atomic spirit has a character and forms the personality of the person. The spirit also cannot be cut, burnt or withered by water. It is transcendental to material designations such as heat, cold, and other physical properties. Just as in this planet, the “spirit” occupies the fish body and is able to live in water according to the environment as opposed to a spirit in human body who cannot live in water; similarly, the “spirit” takes a physical form suiting its environment. By this logic, there can be life forms in all planets depending on the environmental condition. Because spirit is not the body it occupies, sometimes, the spirit can remember the previous bodies it occupied in the past, and this remembrance can explain past-life memories. Also, it can explain the concept of ghosts as spirits wander without physical bodies.
Vedic science explains that “spirit” (aka life) is superior to matter (aka material body) because the body is temporary and inert where as the spirit is unchanging and full of life. Just as in the physical sense, we have a government with one leader; similarly, in the spiritual realm we have a government and a Supreme leader. This explains the concept of astrology, creation of the universe and existence of life. This one Supreme spiritual leader is called “God” by different religions.
The concept of the soul is all-pervading and present everywhere. The soul is guided and directed by one supersoul. Vedic science calls this supersoul “Krishna”. To conclude, if we know the soul, supersoul Krishna and their mutual relationship, we essentially have a “supertheory” that can potentially explain everything.
Hare Krishna
September 22 was sight seeing day. Its nice to get out and see what the local clime and conditions are. I am not much of a tourist but at least the first time I visit a city, I like to have a look around and see how the locals are living. Srila Prabhupada also liked to check out the cities he was visiting, either on a morning walk or sometimes take a drive around in the afternoons.
Our first stop was the Qaboos Grand Mosque, named after the ruling Sultan. Built about 8 years ago it is said to be the third biggest mosque in the world. Tourists are allowed to visit every morning except Fridays for a couple of hours.
Its very impressive. It didn’t look that big from outside but inside it was quite a grand edifice. The mosque itself holds about 8,000 worshippers, and up to 20,000 when they use the outer corridors and courtyards.
The central chandelier weighs eight tonnes. They had to invent their own mechanical apparatus to change any of the 1,022 light bulbs when they blow.
The carpet took four years to hand make, by teams of ladies. It has 1,700,000 knots in it and weighs 21 tonnes. Needless to say, it was spotlessly clean.
The four interior supporting columns had a curious feature which looked like clay pots laying their side and embedded into the walls. Inquiry revealed they were actually the vents for the air conditioning system. Very aesthetic.
The inner central dome was incredibly artistic and colorful. Unfortunately my camera wasn’t good enough to capture it. All around the marble clad walls were small niches with copies of the Koran, a feature I particularly liked.
Everything is perfectly symmetrical. Islamic architecture is noted for its precision in design, mainly developed because the depiction of human form is frowned up. So the artists directed the skills in to patterns and geometrics, to wonderful effect:
There were quite a few tourists. The ladies all have to cover their heads and arms.
And the tour guides were friendly enough, and all of them spoke good English. The Omanis seem to have a bigger variety of head gear, much more colorful than the ones I saw in Dubai.
Here’s a few photos:
This is another feature I particularly liked. The verses of the Koran are carved into the walls all around the exterior walls.
A system of natural lighting is employed to keep the cavernous interior well lit.
Everything is highly polished and constantly kept clean by a large team of workers.
Allahu Akbar!
Radha queen of loving mellows.
From Krishna’s breast does not depart
Her love all boundless bliss bestows
upon that Lord in every heart.
Krishna to her his life does give.
Divine expansion, form of truth.
First among all those that live.
Exquisite and eternal youth.
Transcendence pure, forever free
from matter’s clutch and quality.
Residing by the Kalindi.
Leader of the Vraj gopis.
In Goloka ever dwelling.
Mother to the cowherd boys.
Krishna’s ardent passions swelling.
Her heart filled with transcendent joy.
Lovely goddess of all graces.
Pleasing, peaceful and fulfilled.
Purifying holy places.
Ever chaste to Krishna’s will.
Queen of the gods please hear my plea
from this dark world of death and pain.
Please free me from my agony
and lift me to the Lord again.
Dear Radhika pray grant to me,
pure loving service to your feet.
Which praised by Brahma and Lakshmi,
makes even Krishna’s bliss complete.
Vrishabhanu’s most dear daughter,
Vrindavan’s queen and deity.
Dazzling with a golden lustre.
Deeply loved by Lord Hari.
The highest love made manifest,
makes you to Madhava most dear.
By you we are with bhakti blessed,
thus do I your feet revere.
From September 20-23 I spent a few days of bliss in Muscat Oman (O man; or Om ananda). I travelled back from Bahrain to Dubai for one day and did an evening home program and then flew the 55 minute flight to Muscat the next morning.
Oman is an independent state bordered by seven Emirates to the north-west and Saudi Arabia to the west. Iran lies directly across the Gulf of Oman. Like Dubai and Bahrain, it is an almost entirely new city, built from the revenues earnt from the oil industry. Since Sultan Qaboos came into power in 1971 it has undergone tremendous infrastructure development. Tourists are welcome and English seems to be spoken by almost everyone.
There is a large group of enthusiastic devotees in the city and we did three evening programs, two in devotees’ homes, and the other in a small hall.
I stayed with Mukunda Murari prabhu and his family, enjoying their kind hospitality and prasadam. I am always gratified to see devotees so eagerly hearing about Srila Prabhupada’s pastimes. In Oman, because I was there during the working week, the devotees had to go to work at 7 am, come home at 7 pm, (they get two hours off in the afternoon because in the summer it hits 48 deg. C) and then attend the programs from 8.30PM-10.30PM, and the attendance was at least 100+ at the homes and 200+ at the hall, so it was an appreciable effort on their parts.
The day I arrived happened to be the appearance day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, so after a half day fast devotees gathered in the home of Braja Natha dasa. Typical for most of the homes I have seen so far, he and his wife maintain a beautiful small home altar with Jagannatha and Gaura Nitai Deities.
Rather than deliver a segment from “Srila Prabhupada the Living Bhagavatam” I presented a few slides of Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s home in Svarupa ganj, across the Jalangi river from Mayapur,
and then a few things gleaned from whatever I heard Srila Prabhupada say about or by Bhaktivinoda during the period of my travel with him. Devotees were enrapted and attentive hearers and we went till about 10.30PM.
Next day September 21 we had another evening house program, this time at the home of Buddhi Krsna dasa and his family.
I kicked off with a few photos of Mayapur taken the day I left September 13. Then I let the devotees chose the topic for the SPLB talk. Wherever I travel I read through the list of topics and let the devotees vote on the one they want to hear. ‘Association’ is pretty popular and that’s what we did in Muscat. The devotees here love to associate with senior devotees and their eagerness is itself the reason why so many senior preachers and sannyasis visit.
www.sdgonline.org. 
3:58 A.M.
Namamrta by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:
‘To think that glorification of the holy name is an exaggeration or to interpret the glories of the holy name are offenses against the holy name:
“Once the Lord explained the glories of the holy name to the devotees but some ordinary students who heard Him fashioned their own interpretation. When a student interpreted the glories of the holy name as a prayer of exaggeration, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, greatly unhappy, immediately warned everyone not to see the student’s face henceforward.”
“When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained the glories of the transcendental potency of the Lord’s holy name, the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one unfortunate student said that such glorification of the holy name was an exaggeration in the sastras to induce people to take to it. In this way the student interpreted the glories of the holy name. This is called artha-vada, and it is one of the ten offenses at the lotus feet of the holy name of the Lord. The holy name is identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore one who distinguishes between the Lord and His name is called a pasandi or nonbeliever, an atheistic demon. Glorification of the holy name is glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should never attempt to distinguish between the Lord and His name or interpret the glories of the holy names as mere exaggerations.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 17.72-73)
I never want to be guilty of this offense. I have to have simple faith in the statements of the scriptures even thought they may seem, to ordinary logic, very extreme. Just one chanting of the holy name brought Ajamila liberation and put him on the path to love of God. Even chanting in jest frees one from sins. Even chanting parts of the holy name in a different word frees one from sinful activities and can bring one to liberation. A Mohammedan who chanted haram, indicating “abominable,” when he was attacked by a pig, was granted liberation. These are not just stories to encourage people to chant. They are factual incidents and factual positions of the power of the holy name. One should collect these evidences from sastra and accept them as they are and not think they are exaggerations. They are all holy evidence and proof. I must regard these proofs in this way and never think the sastras or my spiritual master are just trying to induce me to chant by telling me some tall tales about the power of the holy name. The holy name is as good as Krishna. This in itself is an extreme statement. The holy name is more merciful than the form of Krishna. This is another proof and not an exaggeration. One has to chant with faith in these things and therefore give all attention and proper time and never neglect the japa period or the kirtana. One should always be aware of the holy position of Nama Prabhu.
This morning I woke at 1:30 A.M. and began chanting, but after some time I got a headache. I persisted in chanting, but the chanting was somewhat hampered. The pace of my chanting slowed down, and I could not think deeply as indicated in this morning’s topic about the holy name, that there is no exaggeration in it. But I chanted faithfully, like a dog is faithful to its master. I did not take the chanting as exaggeration but neither did I chant in topmost form. I chanted twelve rounds by 3:45 A.M.,which is slow and is and indication that I was not chanting with the most alertness as in the best performance. But I will finish the quota and try to do them well. I must keep my simple faith in the chanting and never take it as something to be interpreted but to be taken as is given in the sastras and by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
The unfortunate student
claimed that harinama’s
glories are exaggerations
to induce people to chant.
Lord Caitanya was so unhappy
with him He said no one
should see his face. The
holy names have all the
power as is told in the
sastras and the histories
of people who chant even
without full purity.
Even if I do not chant
in suddha-nama, I must
have faith in everything stated
about the glories of Nama
Prabhu. They will work
on me as long as I accept
them in truth.
www.sdgonline.org.
One Hundred Prabhupada Poems, #49
May I dedicate this to my
spiritual master? Unless you please
him you are nowhere. Only devotees
can understand this. Those without
a bona fide spiritual master will see it
as some kind of oppression or
false life.
I have a loving and sometimes stern
spiritual master. He is expert and
empowered by his spiritual master to
spread the mercy of Lord Caitanya
all over this world.
I am doing my best, I say,
to serve him.
If my expressions are tired it’s
my fault. Srila Prabhupada was strong up
until his last breath; he said
he prayed to Krishna for enthusiasm,
and the Lord gave it.
He is eternal, we are all eternal.
He has gone to his nitya-lila.
We will all go somewhere.
It was a quick eleven years and the rest
of life is recounting it and
living out service in separation.
Separation is longer and more important
than brief meeting. I want to
love him in my own way.
Dear Srila Prabhupada,
I write this as rain pours down
on our van roof. I’m dry
under lamplight, we are about
to leave this camping spot and head
for the ferry to Ireland,
a rendezvous for lots of writing.
I pray you won’t see me as a
nonsense, or motivated—like
Ekalavya. I don’t want to be a
great writer. I write to please
you by achieving an honest state.
I do love it, but it’s work,
long and patient love like you gave
to us in ISKCON.
I don’t want to write to please myself
and just tag on “for Prabhupada.”
But I’ve got to tell it honest.
I’m trusting in your
guidance.
www.sdgonline.org.
Krishna, I have heartburn
and my feet are cold.
I identify with this body.
I am this body, I tell
myself, because someone
wrote to me and said she’s
tired of being told she’s not
her body—she thinks
it’s negative preaching—and
it convinced me.
I had to admit I am
my body in a non-theoretical
way although the scriptures
definitely declare we are
not the body; the body
is just an outer covering.
It’s so basic to our philosophy.
An early devotee asked, “Is
anyone going to give a lecture on
something other than I am not this body?”
You get tired of hearing it.
Of course it’s the truth. But
I need to take something for
my heartburn and yesterday
I applied two band-aids to
my bleeding ankle because the
blood kept coming out.
The mysterious thing we are,
is the soul, the jumping
live essence. As soon
as it leaves the body, the
corporeal goes rigor mortis
and starts to rot. You
bury it or burn it.
We’re definitely not the
body for eternity. But
are we eternal?
I can’t see that self,
that shining star,
one ten-thousandth
the tip of the hair,
but I believe it’s there
because my spiritual master
told me so and it’s in
the Bhagavad-gita.
We are all spirit souls,
and we shuffle from one
body to another, it’s
hard to understand but
you accept it on the
proof of the sastra
and the faith that
makes us transcendentalists.
Not the body, go treat
your heartburn and put
on socks, get into a
warm bed and pull up
the covers, fall asleep
and have a dream.
You’ll wake to a new
world.
www.sdgonline.org.
Free Write
I turned at random to Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 1, Chapter 13, verse 50: “Draupadi also saw that her husbands, without caring for her, were leaving home. She knew well about Lord Vasudeva, Krishna, the Personality of Godhead. Both she and Subhadra became absorbed in thoughts of Krishna and attained the same results as their husbands.”
When flying a plane one cannot take care of other planes. Everyone has to take care of his own plane, and if there is any danger, no other plane can help him. Similarly, at the end of life, when one has to go back home, back to Godhead, everyone has to take care of himself without getting help from others. The help is rendered on the ground, however, before one takes off into space. The spiritual master, and one’s dear ones, can render help during one’s lifetime, but while crossing the sea one has to take care of himself and use the instructions he has formerly received.
Draupadi had five husbands but none of them asked her to come when they left home. She had to take care of herself without depending on her great husbands. But because she was already trained, she at once concentrated on the lotus feet of Krishna, the Personality of Godhead. She got the same result as her husbands, and without changing her body she reached the destination of back to Godhead.
Lord Caitanya went to visit Haridasa Thakura and found him lying on his back. He asked Haridasa how he was feeling. He said his body was all right but his mind was diseased. He said his disease was that he could not chant his prescribed number of rounds. Lord Caitanya told Haridasa that he was already liberated and it was all right for him to reduce the number of his rounds. In the purport Prabhupada says that the members of the Krishna consciousness movement have a prescribed number of sixteen rounds to chant, and if they don’t do it they are spiritually diseased. There are other spiritual diseases such as pride, breaking the four regulative principles and committing offenses in the chanting. For many of these diseases, vigorously chanting the holy names is the medicine.
The last two Writing Sessions had a lot of incoherency in them. I wasn’t going to even attempt dictating the last one; I couldn’t even read the penmanship. The sections were coming from the unconscious. Baladeva suggested I use the dictaphone and just improvise verbally what I couldn’t read. So I did that, and I will continue to use that process. We may have some strange sentences, sections and sessions. After all, the Writing Sessions offer complete freedom. Now I would like to write something religiously, like a catechism–or a Bhagavad-gita class? Not exactly. I don’t want to feel the pressure or demand to build logical arguments and quote sastras. But it would be nice if you would write about scriptures. At lunch, Baladeva read to me from Caitanya-Bhagavata, the section where Jagai and Madhai are converted from drunkards to Vaisnavas. It’s very nice. Lord Nityananda was covered with blood but He was smiling. And He assured Lord Caitanya that He was all right. Jagai grasped Lord Caitanya’s feet and Madhai grasped Lord Nityananda’s feet. They fell unconscious in love of God. That miraculous conversion established the reputation of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda. Caitanya-Bhagavata is a wonderful book.
Who made the world? God made the world. Who is God? Is Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Who made me? I am an eternal part and parcel of Krishna. There was never a time when I did not exist, nor will there be a time in the future when I will cease to exist. But as I change in the body from boyhood to youth to old age, so at death I will change to another body. Sober persons are not bewildered by this. I look forward to the time when I won’t have to come back to another material body, but at the time of death I will go to Krishna and live with Him in the spiritual world. How many births do I have to take before that occurs? I have to become completely detached from matter and completely attached to Radha-Krishna. When I can chant with complete faith that Krishna and Krishna’s names are the same and with bliss, knowledge and eternity, then I will be ready to go back to Godhead.
O Krishna, You are dear to me
I want You to be near to me.
But I don’t have the adhikara.
I drive to You in my car.
But hope You don’t catch me
because I want to be alone.
Alone? Without You? That
doesn’t sound right. I’d rather
fight to gain Your darsana
in the night and throughout
to dawn. But listen Mister,
we’ve got to catch Him sooner
or later.
“It is a simple task to make things complex, but a complex task to make them simple” (Meyer’s Law)
The starting point of simplification is to reduce the number of things that we do in our service or work and personal life.
We can only make a best use of our time to the degree to which we stop tasks that are of little value.
We need to stop doing things that we have become accustomed to doing over the years.
We even need to stop doing some things that we do well and which we enjoy, if they are of little value.
Bold people ask themselves bold questions. They like to challenge themselves. If you consider yourself to be bold, you may ask yourself these bold questions:
1. What do I really want in life?
2. What is the price I need to pay to achieve it?
3. Am I ready to pay that price?
4. What do I need to stop doing?
5. What do I need to start doing?
6. What excuses I am making for not moving forward in my life?
7. What am I afraid of?
8. What is it in me that is holding me back?
9. What kind of person I need to become in order to achieve what I want?
10. What skills I need to have in order to achieve my goals?
Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction email and I will be happy to make you a member:
rasa108@gmail.com
ys
Rasa Rasika dasa
Questions with Tribhuvanath 2.
Srimad Bhagavatam 11.25.9-10 - The relevance of mode of goodness for devotees. Taste is the driving force in Krsna Consciousness.
Click here to read Srila Prabhupada’s quotes on Ekadasi.
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