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Seminar on Vaisnava Etiquette and Culture given by HH. Bhaktividya Purna Swami given at ISKCON Radhadesa in 1998. Today, we'll try to look at a different angle or go a step a little further in trying to understand the culture. If we're accepting our premise that culture means following the Vedic rules and regulations with a desire to please the Lord and these rules and regulations then come to us in the form of this varṇāśrama culture –this dharma. Things become a little bit more easy to categorize if you have a framework to work in. Now then the difficulty comes in. We have these varṇas, we have these āśramas and then were trying to establish our self within these. The āśramas side is not so difficult, generally it's quite easy. We're either married or not married. If we're not married, either we wanted to get married or did not want to get married or we've been married and now we're through with being married, so it kind of comes quite easily and then if you're through with being married, then you're still either with the wife or you have not spent so much time together or once taken sannyāsa or gone to Vrindavana, just living as a recluse, so that it becomes a little bit more obvious. But then when we're dealing with varṇas that's generally where all the problem comes. Cause somehow or another the nature is they, you know I mean, anywhere in the material world especially the western culture. We find in the modern situation there's so much emphasis on position, control, and the prestige that goes along with that. So when looking at this we won't necessarily look at our own nature and how to engage it but we will look at what is best for us, what is the most prestigious and how, what is the platform we can get to acquire for our self the best result, the best whatever we're wanting…. read full story Vaisnava Etiquette and Culture (part 2) mp3 
Here are the pictures of the Sadhana Retreat that Kadamba Kanana Swami held in North Sydney.
Kalachandji's Kirtan Group performing the bhajan "Jaya Radhe Jaya Radhe Radhe" at the Denton Unitarian Church. Hari das (lead vocals), Gopi Gita (vocals), Gopinath (flute), Kapil (mrdanga), Madri (violin), Sri Rupa (kartals) Dallas, TX
2010-05-01 Download: 2010-05-01 - 01 - Kalachandji's Kirtan Group - Sacred Sounds at Denton Church - Hari das - Jaya Radhe Jaya Radhe Radhe.mp3  Srimad Bhagavatam 11.26.5 - Unrestricted sex life impedes spiritual emancipation.
You don't read. In the first volume of Bhagavata these things are explained. But I don't think you read all these things. Do you read? So if you don't read, then you will feel restless: "Oh, let me go from Japan to India, from India to Japan." You are restless because you don't read. I am laboring so hard for you, but you don't take advantage. Don't take advantage of eating and sleeping. Take advantage of these books. Then your life will be successful. My duty -- I have given you so valuable things, day and night trying to convince you, each word to word. And if you don't take advantage of this, then what can I do for you? >>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.9.14 -- Melbourne, April 13, 1972
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Caitanya Mahaprabhu advises that "one should be humbler than the grass and more tolerant than the trees. One should not be proud of his intelligence but should give all respect to others. In this way one can chant Hare Krishna offenselessly." This is the most famous of all statements about humility in chanting.
From Viraha Bhavan #110
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www.sdgonline.org.  3:42 A.M. Namamrta by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: 'One must chant with respect and veneration'
"Devotees of the Personality of Godhead know that Sri Krishna, the son of the king of Vraja, is the Absolute Truth. They do not discriminate between Krishna's name, form, qualities or pastimes. One who wants to separate the Lord's absolute name, form and qualities must be understood to be lacking in absolute knowledge. A pure devotee knows that when he chants the transcendental name Krishna, Sri Krishna is present as transcendental sound. He therefore chants with full respect and veneration." (Caitanya Caritamrta, Adi-lila 2.11) One who thinks the names are just a symbolical representation of Krishna doesn't chant properly. The true understanding of Nama Prabhu is that it is Krishna Himself. Therefore one chants with full respect and veneration. He realizes Krishna is actually present in His sound vibration. Therefore he doesn't chant mechanically or with lack of attention. Just as if you would treat Krishna if He were personally present, so you treat Him when you chant His names. You don't allow your mind to wander over various topics other than Krishna. You offer yourself to Krishna in the form of the maha-mantra. I got up from bed at one o'clock without any pain and began chanting, but for some reason I was very low on energy and chanted too slowly. I've only chanted eight rounds from 1:15 to 3:45. I will have to make the chanting quota up later at a time when it is not ideal, when it is not so early in the morning. There is a certain unsteadiness in my chanting that this occurs on certain days and I can't control it. I regret the slow chanting and can only make the best of it by keeping my quota despite the slow pace. Because Nama Prabhu
is Krishna Himself, we
utter harinama with
respect and veneration.
We treat Him as a
great person and do
not slovenly say His
names. But when
your energy is low,
and you speak the
names very slowly
it is a form of inattention
and offensive. Chanting
should be quick and lively
with relish and awareness.
I regret the slow pace
and resolve to overcome it.
www.sdgonline.org. 
# 68 Looked at photos of him on
Juhu Beach, no kurta, stopping to
talk with Bombayites who honor him as guru
at least in Hindu sense.
Me standing there also, no kurta, thin
only 34 years old.
We believe we can
go to be with Prabhupada again.
We will have spiritual forms.
The way to perfection
is by following him here and now. I'm telling them to read his books.
Today we may see some imagined visit
from you, Prabhupada.
But mostly in your books.
You live in your instructions.
It's not something to be proved
in the ordinary way.
Prabhupada is with us without a doubt.
www.sdgonline.org. Krishna is inclined to His
devotees, He loves them
better than other transcendentalists
like the jnanis and yogis,
and certainly better than materialists. So why not become a devotee?
What's holding you back?
Your body. Your heavy body,
too fat, too warm in
long underwear. Take off
your clothes, do more
exercise to reduce weight
and eat less. Do more devotional service.
Write a better poem
with praises of Krishna.
Tell the time He
showed His universal form
and Arjuna was afraid
of it and said please
return to Your two-handed
form and please forgive
me for being too familiar
with you. You want Krishna to be
inclined to you? Then be
inclined to Him. Preach
His message and chant His
holy names. Krishna is inclined to His
devotees. He's called
bhakta-vatsala, you
should be among that
group. How do you get there?
I already told you.
Now just do it.
Write about Him
favorably, read books
written by His
great devotees, distribute
those books to the
innocent. You want Krishna to be inclined to
you? Work for Him.
Try to please Him.
Serve your spiritual master. Speak His glories.
He drove the chariot of
His devotee as a service
to him. H's so inclined
He likes to be subordinate
but only to the pure
ones who live to please Him. Don't ask Krishna to be inclined
to you to give you sense
gratification. Ask Him
to give you service.
If He's inclined He'll
make you His servant
in intimate ways,
but you have to prove
yourself selfless and
inclined to tapasya
for His mission. He wants to help you in
the right way, by
giving you errands and
duties and messages to
carry, work to carry out
on His behalf. Krishna is inclined to His devotees.
He engages them in kirtanas
and japa and speaking
to devotees and nondevotees
about His glorious deeds.
www.sdgonline.org. Free Write 
I turned at random to Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 3, Chapter 24, verse 29: "Not considering the negligence of ordinary householders like us, that very same Supreme Personality of Godhead appears in our homes just to support His devotees." Devotees are so affectionate to the Personality of Godhead that although He does not appear before those who practice yoga in a secluded place for many, many births, He agrees to appear in a householder's home where devotees engage in devotional service without material yoga practice. Devotional service is so powerful it surpasses other forms of transcendental realization. The Lord therefore says He does not live within Vaikuntha or in the heart of a yogi but where His devotee is chanting and glorifying Him. The Supreme Lord is known as bhakta-vatsala because He is more inclined to His devotees than to other transcendentalists. Jnanis can realize only the bodily luster of the Supreme Lord, and yogis can realize only the partial representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But a devotee not only realizes Him as He is but associates with Him face to face. Lord Caitanya and His associates were having kirtana in Srivasa's home when one of Srivasa's sons suddenly died. The women began to cry,but Srinivasa went to them and told them to calm down. He didn't want to interrupt the bliss of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's kirtana. So the women quieted, and Srivasa rejoined the kirtana and chanted joyfully. The all-knowing Lord, however, said that He was not feeling bliss and that something inauspicious had happened in the house. They then told Him of the death of the son. How long ago did that happen? asked Lord Caitanya. They told Him it happened seven hours ago. The Lord wept and then asked the dead boy to speak. The boy said I had to leave my body under Your control. My time for life in this body is up, and I have to take a new one. Everyone was amazed to hear the dead boy speak. Lord Caitanya told Srinivas that He and Nityananda would always stay as Srivasa's sons. They performed funeral rights for the boy and recommenced their kirtana. Another time Lord Caitanya asked Suklambara Brahmacari to cook for Him. Suklambara said he was too low and fallen to cook for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But the other devotees encouraged him saying the Lord likes to eat the cooking of His devotees. Suklambara then began preparing a meal, and he chanted the names of Krishna as he did so. The goddess Laksmi glanced at Suklambara cooking, and it took on a taste of nectar. Lord Caitanya came there with some of His associates, and He was very pleased. Now we have finished reading Caitanya Caritamrta and have began The Nectar of Devotion. It was written by Srila Prabhupada in 1969, much of it while he was staying in Beverly Hills and writing Krsna book at the same time. Pray to read it in your original spirit as you read it the first time. Prabhupada refers to the work of the Library Party when he says learned professors are reading his books and taking standing orders. He says that in the "Concluding Words" of Caitanya Caritamrta. It was worth it to leave his personal body servant service and do the redeeming work of the Library Party. I wrote essays for Back to Godhead magazine and planned our route and managed the personnel of the party. The main work was done by Ghanasyama and Mahabuddhi. The accepted me as in-charge. It was a blissful period of travel and book distribution. I read the Caitanya Caritamrta manuscript to the men at night. We got fresh copies of the new volumes of Srimad-Bhagavatam as they came off the press, with gold-tinted pages. Traded in our Ram Dodge Vans every three months and got new ones. Constant travel.
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By New Vrindaban Communications Following the disappearances of Lord Caitanya and Svarupa Damodara, Srila Raghunath dasa Goswami was so crushed that he decided to commit suicide. "Raghunath dasa planned to jump from the top of Govardhan Hill," said Varsana Swami. Sri Rupa and Sanatan would not allow Raghunath dasa to attempt suicide. Rather, Rupa and Sanatan considered that Lord Caitanya having given His own Govardhana-sila and gunja-mala to Raghunath was a sign that the Lord desired Raghunath to live near Govardhana Hill and worship Radha-kunda. Thus, the Goswamis appointed Raghunath the custodian of Radha-kunda and the acarya for all those who aspire for raganuga bhakti. Raghunath took up residence on the bank of Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda. Some years later, the idea of enlarging the kundas entered his mind. Raghunath visualized that in the future, thousands of pilgrims would flock to Radha-kunda to take a holy bath. Thus Jiva Goswami purchased, in the name of Raghunath dasa, the two paddy fields where Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda were situated. Raghunath dasa Goswami personally supervised the excavation of first Radha-kunda, and then Syama-kunda. The excavation work was completed in the year 1554. Later, in 1591, the king of Jaipur constructed a canal linking Syama-kunda with Lalita-kunda. Raghunath dasa Goswami continued to perform his bhajana on the banks of the sacred kundas right up until his disappearance in the year 1583. He personally set the highest example of renunciation expected for all those who wish to imbibe the deeper internal spirit of bhajana. Similarly to Raghnunath dasa Goswami, Srila Prabhupada envisioned that in the future, thousands of pilgrims would flock to New Vrindaban (USA) just as they were flocking to Vrindaban (India). Therefore, Prabhupada wrote to Hayagriva dasa in 1968 and advised him to "convert West Virginia into New Vrindaban. I understand the spot is very beautiful, and the hills may be renamed as New Govardhana. And if there are lakes, they can be renamed as Syamakunda and Radhakunda." In 1979, Varsana Swami personally excavated Radha-kunda and Lalita-kunda on a small piece of agricultural property. "I was in the plow department full-time," said Varsana Swami. "By Lord Balarama's mercy, I have always been engaged in both of Srila Prabhupada's mandates for New Vrindaban. The first mandate is excavating and replicating the holy places. The second mandate is to practice agriculture as a step toward varnashrama." In 2001, the parcel of land on which Radha-kunda is located came into the possession of Sri Sri Radha-Gopinath, Who are worshiped by Varsana Swami. Thus, Varsana Swami became the custodian of Radha-kunda in New Vrindaban. After acquiring the land, Varsana Swami excavated Syama-kunda and built the model of a moon tower that would double as an altar for Radha-Gopinath. A moon tower, explained Varsana Swami, is an elevated place where the devotees go to watch for Vrindaban-Chandra, and where Radha and Krishna go to survey their subjects and property. "From the moon tower, the Deities are always casting down Their merciful glances," he confided. "It is a very rewarding place to serve the Lord." Syama-kunda and the moon tower are not yet completed, due to lack of funding and lack of labor. "Syama-kunda is far too small, because I ran out of money for construction. Besides that, I am the only crew up here. I am the sole architect, excavator, mechanic, stonemason and pujari," Varsana Swami explained. The project received a boost just last week, when Varsana Swami received a $5,000 grant from New Vrindaban for construction of the moon tower. He still requires approximately $3,000 to complete the landscape around Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda, including a parikrama path, stonework, and Vrinda devi's gateway. He also requires the assistance of a devotee who can help with various aspects of the project. "The bank of Syama-kunda is the base of the moon tower, so both projects should be done simultaneously," said Varsana Swami. This unique opportunity to render service at Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda is available to everyone, by the mercy of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). It is well known that service rendered in Vrindaban is 1,000 times more potent than service rendered elsewhere, and that Prabhupada also said New Vrindaban is non-different than Vrindaban. Varsana Swami's motivation for the project, however, is different. "Our acaryas tell us that Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda are the favorite pastime places of Radha-Gopinath," he says. "Their happiness is all that matters." Notably, Sri Sri Radha-Gopinath are the Deities of prayojana. Raghunath dasa Goswami, the prayojana acarya for followers of Lord Caitanya, lived on the bank of Radha-kunda. Thus, there is confidential relationship between Radha-Gopinath and Radha-kunda which is understood only by one who renders service at Radha-kunda. For more information about this project, contact VarsanaSwami@gmail.com or 646-708-6169 (US), or visit http://www.dhamseva.com/
1970 October 21: "I am very much anxious to hear what you are doing there and how many life members have been made since my departure? How many you have made and how many Acyutananda has made? So kindly send me immediately a general report."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
1968 October 21: "If you can increase the offerings it is very nice, there is no harm. Krishna can eat unlimitedly, provided we can supply unlimitedly. But that is not possible for us therefore, we limit."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968
1970 October 21: "Regarding our Indian centers, it is already decided that in Bombay we must have a center first and negotiation is going on. If we cannot open many centers in India, at least one center must be opened in Bombay before we go back to the States."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
1966 October 20: "Today first hearing was done in the matter of my visa extension It will be heard again on 10/28/66 at 9 a.m."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1966
1972 October 20: "REMAIN BOMBAY. FINISH NAIR BUSINESS. IF SETTLED PEACEFULLY IMMEDIATELY BALANCE SOON. IF NO POSSIBILITY OF SETTLEMENT GO TO COURT. LETTER FOLLOWS. --BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI"
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
1972 October 20: "He has dominated you and you are afraid of him and he has fooled you to think he is in superior legal position. But this is cheating. Do not pay him any more money. Bring a criminal case against him."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
1972 October 20: "He is bluffing. Our position is very strong. He is simply planning tricks. Possession is nine-tenths of the law. Why you should be afraid of him? We can satisfy any court of law."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
1973 October 20: "Regarding your opening another school, if you can do it, I have no objection. But, it is a great responsibility. To open for a few days, and then close it is not good."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973
1973 October 20: "The more our books are distributed, the more people will become convinced about this movement. This is very important work and I wish that you continue. I start within the next few days for Delhi. We are having a big festival there. I look forward to seeing you at that time."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973
1973 October 20: "Regarding my seeing the Pope, I shall let you know. Now I am India, then I shall go to Africa, Australia, Hong Kong, and America. It must be postponed."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973
1973 October 20: "You should keep everything very clean. That is the first business. The prasadam room should be immediately cleaned after taking prasadam. Every room should be as clean as a mirror otherwise you are inviting rats."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973
1967 October 19: "I congratulate you for your successful dealing with your brother against falling prey to Kirtanananda's recent propaganda. To save a man from impersonal calamity is the greatest service to humanity."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967
1967 October 19: "The Lord puts the dangerous impersonalist into more & more darkness so he can never know the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If Kirtanananda does not rectify himself immediately his future is very dark."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967
1967 October 19: "From my part as I am your ever well-wisher I wish that you may preach Krishna Consciousness to the students of the entire Western world. You will be blessed not only in this life but in your next eternal life in association with Krishna."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967
1967 October 19: "Krishna will not accept food prepared by Kirtanananda in his present diseased condition. If he at all wants to render service to Krishna he may be engaged at washing dishes and this will improved his condition."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967
1968 October 19: "We must always know that we are executing the topmost yoga system, Krishna Consciousness, and we do not require any other inferior quality yoga system. That is a fact."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968
1972 October 19: "I have read the Agreement and I do not find any mention of a time limit as you have told. Our position is very strong so long we are in possession and we have paid him the earnest money and more."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
1973 October 19: "We have already got our book-selling program. It is better not to divert to other lines of business. This boy appears to be lost coming in contact with business. Unless we become very strong in Krsna consciousness, it is very risky to handle material things and business."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973
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Kumari was doing the rounds, collecting names for upcoming preaching programs. She signed me up for a weekend preaching program in Antwerp. Then there was a preaching program in Gent, many weeks later. I was hesitant but I couldn't shake off the chance. "Sign us up for both" I said. We came together a few times in the weeks, with all the potential band members, just to run through the numbers. Apparently I was going to be on kartalas but it was still a little vague. By midweek, before the actual concert, the emails were out. We met one final time, for supposed band practice. All of a sudden I was called out from the meeting and I was being sent to the reception with Nimai. I was a little apprehensive to go but I was urged along. I sat with Nimai and then they broke their plan to me. Nimai was scheduled to be the MC for the program and their proposition was that I also come up onstage and master the ceremony. I was very enthusiastic but very reluctant. This proposition had almost come up for me once before (mostly in jest) on the Australian Le Carnaval Spirituel tour and I was also very nervous then. This time I tried to resist but it seemed I was locked in. Nimai and I went over the whole show, late into the night, taking notes as we went. We were all in the kitchen in the morning. I plotted around, dabbing in the kofta production with Manoj and others. HG Gokula Prabhu had come to Belgium from New Govardhana, Australia and trained them up in the catering gig. I teased them, telling kofta stories from Australia, as I we popped countless balls into the wok. We were all in the car, after some premature chaos. Everyone was exhausted, due to studies, service and lack of sleep. We started the drive, Vijaya Baladeva at the helm. There were going to be some other cars coming later but we were to go early so we could clean the hall, set up and then be ready for the harinam. We arrived timely in Gent but we had no idea where to park. We drove around, like dogs chasing their tails, trying to find somewhere close enough to unload the vehicle. We finally decided to do a drive-by drop off and then Vijaya headed on. The hall was as filthy as a flock of pheasants (pheasants look pretty but they're filthy). The devotees set off to work, purifying the environment and decorating it for the program. We were finished in good time and were keen to go on harinam. We waited for the devotees to join us with the other car for harinam. We waited and waited and no one was coming. We decided to call up the drivers and see what the problem was. It was a big disaster; there was a massive traffic jam, which was holding up most of our cars and another had scored a flat battery. I prayed to Lord Caitanya for His mercy, knowing very well that these inconveniences might compromise the program. We decided to rejuvenate our spirits by going out on harinam sankirtana, despite the rest of the team not being there. We headed out, with our small carload of youth. We were enthusiastic and inexperienced. The rain was an unpleasant drizzle and the flyers were sticking together in our hands. Unlike the flyers, the harinam party was struggling to stay in one group; the pathways were narrow and chaotic. Kumari was on disaster control, glued to her phone and I was supposed to guide the harinam around the town. I informed Kumari that the circumstances were too disastrous and that we'd have better luck back at the hall, preparing for our reinforcements. I called a retreat and we headed back, just before the rain really hit hard. We returned to the hall just as our next car load of devotees arrived. I was quickly employed into kartala seva for the mrdanga demonstration. Just as I was getting into the bhava of it I was wisped away by Nimai for another run through on the MC gig. We practiced outside (so we could escape the noise) and seconded as doormen. We were happy to see that the people were gradually coming. We soon set ourselves up for the performance but there were still elements of the stage show missing. Although the venue had it's own sound system, it was only enough to run my MC microphone. Due to this, I was asked to go onto the stage and beg a little time from the audience, informing them of the Prasadam buffet and other distractions that we had organized. I stepped up onstage and casually made the request. The audience were receptive and full of smiles, and they seemed to be willing to wait out (seeing as more than half of them were scheduled to come late anyway). Finally it came time to start the show. Nimai and I were thrown onstage with a total change of plans. The harmonium hadn't arrived (it was in the car that broke down) so we started with kirtana (as apposed to the scheduled bhajana). We introduced all the acts in a vague way, emphasizing "love" and "Bhakti", juggling around words so we wouldn't loose our audience to any prejudices. We were happy to be in Gent, which was the vegetarian capital of Europe. In all the public eating areas, every Thursday, they have vegetarian day, abstaining from any meat items that might usually be on the menu. We were praying that the Gent people's piety would soften their hearts to our Bhakti business. The show was on its way. The sound system was giving all sorts of problems; popping and clicking all the while. The musicians felt embarrassed but played on in good spirit. Each time we introduced an act, I kept going on, not realizing that my microphone wasn't carrying through. My unclear, Australian accent was doubly muffled by the poor sound equipment provided at the hall. We continued on in this fashion throughout most of the night. In between shifts, Nimai and I were honouring various snacks and savouries from our snack bar. This helped to keep our spirits high, after every stomach clenching rendition onstage. We stepped up and introduced the mrdanga demonstration, the "Bhakti Beats". I joined in with the kartalas and Nimai stayed on to encourage the audience to clap. Krsna Dasa and Gopinatha entertained the crowd with various mrdanga mantras, both vocally and on their instruments. It seemed to be the turning point of the evening, I could see from the stage vantage point that the people were really stating to feel our Bhakti. The beats picked up and all of a sudden Nimai abducted the kartalas. He busted out a quick kartala clash to go along with the rhythm and I decided to take my banana boots off the stage, back into hiding. The harmonium finally arrived, along with our dancer (Lalita - Nimai's sister). We introduced the bhajana and then the dance. It was all met with good spirit. In the end, the final bhajana was cancelled. Nimai and I were happy to be informed that we were going to be introducing the Maha Mantra yet again. We came out in good spirits. The mantra was put on the back wall and Nimai begun to teach them the Swami step. The people very willingly rose up from their seats, ready to dance. The dancing was very nice. Everyone danced along, with their hands in the air. Soon our matajis took over leading the dance and then Nimai encouraged me to take our dancing offstage. Within no time, Nimai had gathered all the boys and we had a dancing circle. The college students easily accepted the same sex dancing scheme, based on it being "Indian culture". Nimai and I wiped the sweat off our brows and jumped back onstage. We called up our facilitators and gave them gifts of Srila Prabhupada's books. We invited everyone to take Prasadam from the buffet, now free of charge, and we mingled into the masses. Everyone signed the follow up sheet, excited to see more shows. We were all shocked how well the people received our presentation. We quickly started to look busy, as the concert closed down. Nimai lined me up in his car (the early one) knowing that I was on the cooking schedule the next morning (and probably because he wanted my loud mouth to keep him up while he was driving). We quickly came into trouble, having an empty fuel tank. We came to an automated fuel station - futuristic to this simple Aussie boy. Of course, like most modern things, the automated fuel station was giving us more inconvenience than convenience. We pulled out all our credit cards, from various companies and various countries. Eventually we tried another station, having the same shortcoming. Nimai used his sankirtana skills and convinced someone else to buy us fuel on his card (in exchange for cash of course). I did my roll, talking loudly to everyone in the car, keeping Nimai from going into Samadhi at the wheel. We arrived safely, a little bit after 1am. We were one of the last cars to return, being held back by our fuel situation. We nestled into our nests, feeling fully energized from the preaching experience. It was amazing to see, that although we felt fully incompetent, how Lord Caitanya carried our whole operation by His merciful maintenance. I was fully content, just wandering how I was going to manage to cook breakfast the next day. Read original post: [http://maddmonk.wordpress.com/2010/10/24/856] Subscribe: [http://maddmonk.wordpress.com/subscribe]
Srimad Bhagvatam 11.26.3 - The deepest pit of darkness of ignorance.
Class given on Saturday 23/10/2010.
Srimad Bhagavatam 11.26.2 - A Krishna conscious person does not bite the bait of Maya.
From The International Business Times
By Joseph Picard | September 30, 2010 3:35 PM EDT The philosopher Frederick Nietzsche once famously said, "That which does not kill me, makes me stronger." That may or may not be true for human beings. It is certainly true for bacteria. The superbugs are among us and they are not leaving. Indeed, they are growing stronger. REUTERS
Chickens drink water next to calves on a farm near Poolesville, Maryland, October 19, 2005. Experts say the misuse of antibiotics for farm animals is helping to create superbugs. "The incidence of drug-resistant infections is a national and global problem, in both the civilian and military world, and has grown dramatically over the past decade in civilian hospitals," said Rep. Vic Snyder, D-AK, at a House subcommittee hearing Wednesday on what the military is doing to deal with multi-drug resistant organisms, aka superbugs. The military, according to the military physicians who testified to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, has ramped up anti-infection measures over the past few years in the areas of prevention through standardized practices, detection through screenings and surveillance, and control through isolation, sanitization and the targeted use of antibiotics.  The military has had some success."While considerable progress has been made in controlling infection, the problem has not been solved," Congressman Snyder said. "New outbreaks will be a continuing challenge." In July of this year, Dr. Stuart Levy, director of the Center for Adaptation Genetics and Drug Resistance at Tufts University School of Medicine, and a world-renowned expert on superbugs, appeared before another House subcommittee. "We are not gaining ground in the struggle against antibiotic resistance," Levy said. "All of us - you, me and your constituents - are at ever greater risk of contracting a resistant bacterial infection and even one that is untreatable." Levy explained to lawmakers "the paradoxical nature of human engagement with antibiotics." "On the one hand, these miraculous drugs are pillars of modern medicine, helping us to manage and prevent dangerous bacterial infections and save lives. On the other hand, the widespread use - and misuse - of antibiotic drugs has spawned the evolution of life-threatening bacteria that render our current antibiotics useless," he said. While the military physicians in their testimony this week, and the military branches in their efforts over the past several years, concentrated on prevention and control of superbugs, Levy took aim at the root cause of the problem - the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. "Some progress has been made in developing protocols and encouraging more judicious use of antibiotics in human medicine," Levy told lawmakers in July. "But there has been precious little progress with regard to stemming the spigot of antibiotics flowing into animal agriculture." Kathleen Young is the executive director of the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, a worldwide organization founded by Levy. "The problem is that the animal agriculture industry makes massive use of low-dose antibiotics for growth promotion and in place of effective infection prevention methods," Young said, adding that the farm animal population is much larger than the human population. The low-dose antibiotics do not kill the disease. They make the disease stronger, more resistant to those and other antibiotics. The animals - the cattle, pigs and chickens - thus treated become superbug factories. The diseases stay in them and they wash off them to infect the surrounding environment. "The diseases are not only spread around. The superbugs propagate, making more superbugs," she said. On the human side, antibiotics are still widely misused, Young said. "Often, the diagnostics used to determine what bacteria is ailing a person are not precise," she said. "So the doctor, out of convenience, will use a broad spectrum antibiotic." But a broad spectrum antibiotic - the popular Cipro, for example -- may not kill the specific bug, making it stronger. Superbugs get into hospital settings, propagate and spread. When a patient actually needs an antibiotic in, say, a serious operation to stem infection, the antibiotic may not work. The physician goes to another type of antibiotic. That also may not work. The superbug is resisting. Another type of antibiotic is tried, if the patient is still alive for the trial. Not only is there the threat to health and life, costs rise as more antibiotics are used to lesser and lesser effect, Young said. Levy and Young say that the animal agriculture industry, and the pharmaceutical industry that supplies the antibiotics, have not responded to the outcry of professionals to curb non-therapeutic antibiotic use. "The solution requires a multi-dimensional, multi-stakeholder approach," Young said. "The animal farming industry and Big Pharma do not want to cooperate." Levy pointed out that the Food and Drug Administration has made plain to the animal farming industry that their use of antibiotics for growth promotion is dangerous to the public health. But FDA's guidance has no clout, and .the industry ignores it. "Agribusiness has fought efforts to curtail overuse of antibiotics every step of the way," Levy said. "We've given moral suasion, medical urgency, scientific study and voluntary guidance its chance and the problem has only grown worse. We can't wait any longer. Congress must act." Congress has at least begun to act. In July 2009, Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-NY, introduced the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act, and the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-MA, sponsored the Senate version of the bill. Slaughter's bill would phase out the use of the seven classes of medically significant antibiotics that are currently approved for nontherapeutic use in animal agriculture and, so people will better know what's in their chicken and burgers and pork chops, require producers of agricultural antibiotics to report the quantity of drugs they sell and information on the claimed purpose. The bill is idle in a House committee. Young, however, said there is still interest in the bill and has hope that it will move in the future. "Its provisions are similar to those of a law passed by the European Union that bans antibiotics for food animals and orders surveillance of the use of all antibiotics," she said. "We need to move in that direction."
Transcription and Editing : Nimesh, Ranga Radhika Dasi, Ramananda Raya Dasa Hare Krishna, so now we are having the seminar, and so we have some special classes. In the morning, we are having the classes on "Saranagati," instead of Bhagavatam class. Actually, this is also Bhagavatam class, because the ultimate goal of Bhagavatam is sharanagati, [...]
How Inclusive is Devotion?
New York/Toronto
At La Guardia Airport at waiting area C3 and ad on the wall struck me. It read "Devotion, Pass It On" with caption "Dad's been behind him for 65 marathons" a message from Team Hoyt. A large picture image shows a retiree-aged man pushing his son on one of those Olympic wheel-jobbies.
No doubt, the image and message are touching. So I thought or re-thought about the word 'devotion' which is so finely saturating the books I read from the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Often devotion is exclusive to our service to God, but that can be argued. It has got to be more inclusive than that, at least while we are strong of mind and health we should be able to extend our devotion to others as well.
One would dismiss the message on the wall as one of mere philanthropy or just a plain familial gesture. In other words this message is not one of transcendence and therefore deserves to be marginalized. We sometimes hear these attitudes expressed within circles of people who profess to be 'devotional'.
One might take a word of caution with regards to such a lofty attitude since it can effect the harmful spirit of 'holier than thou' and breed notions that acts of human kindness are not important.
In all circumstances our guru, Srila Prabhupada, expected actions form his students to be of the plateau of ladies and gentlemen. Mind you, devotion to the good works of this world is not an end to itself.
When defining the mantra about devotion, the maha-mantra that is, it should be considered that when we ask for devotional service form the Creator we must also include service to His creatures.
The message stands, "Devotion, Pass It On!" Let it be fully contagious. Let the mood of service prevail.
5KM
Tattoo Jay
Cleveland, Ohio
Kaustuba, a former punk rocker, described himself as a "textbook bad boy" who used to intentionally oppose every wish of his parents. They neither cared for the pins coming out of his skin, nor the multiple tatoos interspersed on his body parts. He has taken up construction work, renovating and hair-cutting as his career pastimes, and he developed tameness through his Krishna consciousness. His life-experience thus far has been transformational. I'm very happy for him.
We both meandered along the creek amidst autumn – pretty hardwoods near Hillsdale Avenue where is located Prabhupada Manor, the home of Dayal Nitai / aka Don Foose, another punk rocker who still does his gigs now and then. Dayal also met his metamorphosis some years back when he became a devotee of Krishna.
At his weekly home gatherings, it has been a few times now that Dayal plays priest to the havan (fire ceremony) when new candidates become initiated. Dayal is twice initiated as a priest and it is part of the spectacle to see his fully tattooed torso complemented by the strong Vaishnava clay markings.
The Cleveland community, which I visit twice a year, is to me the warm tattooed family. Atmaram, also a brahman priest, is also deep-blued with markings of images from Bhagavad-Gita pictorials. There is also handlebar mustached Ram. Altogether, these blokes, if you will, could form a unique human tattoo art gallery.
Be that as it may, they and their find female partners are all terrific human beings and great Vaisnavas. I love them.
As Kaustuba and I made the return journey by the creek, he asked, "Maharaj, do you have a tattoo or would you ever think of getting one?" I indicated that I would stick to my washable tilak clay marks. Maybe in the next life. I know I would give it a consideration. I'm content for now.
3KM
The Age of the Avatar
Toronto, Ontario
Nick and I walked east on Bloor St. when he asked, "What is the purpose of the Kali Yuga?" Kali Yuga is a Vedic term that refers to the age of darkness in which we live. As there are four seasons which are defined by certain qualities, there are four ages defined by particular characteristics. The ages or yugas are identified as four sessions of time that make a cycle, much like the seasons. Kali Yuga is likened to the wintery season.
I explained that Kali Yuga is a time of stillness, dullness or even sleepiness. There is little attentiveness to enlightenment. Ego-centricity prevails. And yet in all its grimness, the morally- sensitive see through all of these blatantly wrong things. It is those people who perceive the overt-pervertedness of lifestyles and are compelled to make a change initially on a personal level and then to impact the public if so desired.
When Nick and I crossed at Bay St. he questioned the principle of grace. "God's grace is very essential then, in Kali Yuga?"
Yes it is. The path to enlightenment in this age requires easy access. That is why Krishna has come to be born as Chaitanya, the Yuga Avatar. Avatar means one who comes from a higher plane of existence to descend to a lower plane of existence. Chaitnaya is the avatar for the age, Kali.
As we entered the Yorkville district, I pointed out to Nick the place where our chanting parties are received so well during the summer months. Through this narrow, but rich alleyway, people sip wine and whiskey and get a real charge out of seeing the moving chanting process.
That's what Chaitanya has come to offer – the easy to follow, easy to execute method of happiness – the chanting of God's name – Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
The grace has come in the form of Chaitanya and His method and everyone can take advantage of it.
12 KM
Lecture – Prahladananda Swami – SB 9.13.7-9 – Maya, an equal opportunity employer
O Supreme Personality of Godhead, when someone desires to chant Your holy name, sins tremble in fear, the glory of material illusion faints unconscious, Yamaraja's scribe Citragupta becomes happy and gazes at the chanter's toenails with awe and reverence, and Lord Brahma prepares madhu-parka to worship him. O Lord, what more can we say than this?
Padyavali Verse 20
1973 October 19: "We may artificially renounce the world, but as soon as the opportunity of sucking blood is there - we turn again into a bed bug. I repeatedly say this. Unless everyone of us sticks to the regulative principles there is no other alternative than fall-down."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973
I do not care very much for these filmings because by presenting Krishna in this way it makes it something like fantasy. It is better to have people to read my Krishna books what I have written so that they can understand Krishna fully. - Srila Prabhupada
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