Here are the latest updates for "Planet ISKCON" - 57 new articles - H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Friday 12 November 2010--Kindly Help Us Save the World--and--Can I Chant My Japa in a Cab?
- Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Sabji & Puri
- Kirtan Australia.com: The “Godfather of Kirtan” – Vaiyasaki AU/NZ Tour
- Japa Group: Japa Poem
- ISKCON Melbourne, AU: ... of seasons I am flower-bearing spring...
- Akrura das, Gita Coaching: MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS
- ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana
- ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Svarupa-sakti Mataji
- ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Jaya Radha Madhava - Svarupa-sakti Mataji
- David Haslam, UK: Srila Prabhupada Never
- Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: diplomatic behavior
- H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: Transcription Bhagavad-gita Day 1, US Retreat 2009 H.H. Bhakti Caru Swami
- Nitya Navina dd, New Jersey, USA: Food Mountain Festival--Govardhan Puja
- H.H. Sivarama Swami: B. Rasvan of Romania asks whether devotees living outside a temple can be initiated
- H.H. Sivarama Swami: How much do we value our principles and the quality of life that they represent?
- H.H. Sivarama Swami: Istagosthi 3/3
- Rupa Madhurya das, TX, USA: KuliMela 2006 - Krishna-devata - Dance - 8/11
- Kurma dasa, AU: Six Shopping Weeks to Christmas
- ISKCON News.com: Annakuta Festival at ISKCON Vrindavan
- ISKCON News.com: Varnashrama College 2011 In South India
- Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Recipe : Banana Lassi
- ISKCON News.com: The Passing of Srikanta Das
- ISKCON News.com: Soy May Help Ease Sleep Problems In Older Women
- Subhvavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Krishna is still lifting Govardhan Hill!
- ISKCON New York, USA: The Passing of Srikanta Prabhu
- ISKCON News.com: Govardhana Puja At Sridham Mayapur`s International School
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 129
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: One Hundred Prabhupada Poems
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Following Srila Prabhupada
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Lord of Mine
- Australian News: Blast rocks centre of Sydney
- 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: ASSUMPTIONS
- Matsyavatara das (ACBSP), Italy: Counseling based on a Bhaktivedanta approach - Interview given by Akrura Prabhu to Shriman Matsyavatara Prabhu (Part I)
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 128
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: One Hundred Prabhupada Poems
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Holy Names and Deity Worship
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Prabhupada Festival
- Dandavats.com: Development of Damodara preaching program in Malaysia
- Dandavats.com: The Last Darshan of Purnachandra Swami
- Dandavats.com: Bhisma-Pancaka Vrata 2010
- H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Wednesday, November 10th, 2010
- H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Tuesday, November 9th, 2010
- H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Monday, November 8th, 2010
- Akrura das, Gita Coaching: HOW TO BE ALWAYS JOYFUL?
- Akrura das, Gita Coaching: IF GOD IS ALL GOOD, WHY DOES EVIL EXIST?
- Subhvavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Jaya Srila Prabhupada! Here comes the Sun!
- Mayapur Online: All glories to HH Purnacandra Goswami Maharaj!
- Gouranga TV: Govardhana Puja Class by Trivikrama Swami
- Japa Group: Relationship With The Holy Names
- More Recent Articles
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================================================================== Thought for the Day--Friday 12 November 2010 ================================================================== Dedicated with love to ISKCON Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and to you, our treasured readers. Our purpose is to help everyone awaken...
 i admit, it is an OLD pic. These days, the band is roughly 8 months pregnant. Put that in your conch and smoke it!        
Fri 12 Nov – Brisbane
Atma Yoga
99 Elizabeth St, Brisbane
7pm, $20 www.atmayoga.com.au
Sat 13 Nov – Brisbane
ISKCON Brisbane
95 Bank Rd, Brisbane
5pm, by donation www.iskcon.org.au
Mon 14 Nov – Tue 15 Nov – Brisbane
ISKCON Brisbane
95 Bank Rd, Brisbane
7pm, by donation www.iskcon.org.au
Wed 16 Nov – Gold Coast
Bhakti Centre
Surfers Paradise
Suite 1c, Trust House
3070 Gold Coast Highway
6pm, $10 www.bhakticentregoldcoast.com.au
Thu 17 Nov – Gold Coast
Bhakti Centre
Surfers Paradise
Suite 1c, Trust House
3070 Gold Coast Highway
6pm, $10 www.bhakticentregoldcoast.com.au
Sun 21 Nov – New Govardhana
New Govardhana Farm Community
525 Tyalgum Road
Eungella, New South Wales
5pm, by donation www.krishnafarm.com
Wed 24 Nov – Mullumbimby
Mullum Civic Memorial Hall
55 Dalley Street
NSW 2482
7pm, $15
Fri 26 Nov – Byron Bay
Lotus Temple
Unit 1/5 Wollongbar St. Byron Bay Arts and Industry Estate
7pm, $15 Lotus temple website
Sat 27 Nov – Byron Bay
Kirtan Workshop
Lotus Temple
Unit 1/5 Wollongbar St. Byron Bay Arts and Industry Estate
12pm, $40
Sat 4 Dec – Sydney
24 hour kirtan, w/ Sri Prahlad and others
ISKCON North Sydney
cnr Falcon St and Miller St
North Sydney
Sat 4pm – Sun 4pm www.iskcon.com.au
Fri 10 Dec – Canberra
Insync Yoga Institute
Level 1
Griffith Shopping Centre
14 Barker Street, Griffith
6pm www.insync.com.au
Thu 16 Dec – Melbourne
Gertrude St Yoga
Levels 1 & 2
202 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy www.gertrudestreetyoga.com.au
Sat 18 Dec – Melbourne
Level 3, 123 Swanston Walk www.urbanyoga.com.au
Sun 19 Dec – Melbourne
12 hour kirtan
ISKCON Melbourne
197 Danks St
Albert Park www.iskcon.net.au
Wed 22 Dec – Thu 23 Dec
Kirtan seminar
ISKCON Melbourne
197 Danks St
Albert Park www.iskcon.net.au
Sat 25 Dec – Sun 2 Jan
New Zealand
Details TBA
Mon 3 Jan – Sun 9 Jan
Kuli Mela Festival
w/ Gaura Vani & As Kindred Spirits, The Mayapuris, Sri Prahlad, and others
New Govardhana Farm Community
525 Tyalgum Road
Eungella, New South Wales www.kulimela.com.au
It’s a surprising concession,
that even if you are illiterate
and can’t read the Gita or the
Bhagavatam, you can perfect
your life simply by chanting
the Hare Krishna mantra, honoring
prasadam, and dancing in ecstasy.
Lord Caitanya is audarya, or
lenient. It is good to be a
scholar and a preacher, but
you can still reach perfection
if all you can do is chant.
The chanting must be done
without offenses to be completely
effective. Sleepiness and
head pain are impairments.
We shall overcome.
Deep in my heart I do believe
we shall overcome one day.
From Bhajan Kutir #129
Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita (10.35), that of the four seasons He is flower-bearing spring. Our green-hand treasurer is here to remind us to see Krishna in and behind everything.
Indeed, Prabhu Dasa's second main, if not his foremost service is his dedication to the temple's garden which is very dear to him.
We all find solace and enlivenment from the garden, especially around meal times. The children love it too; that is where they enact their favorite pastime of picking the flowers and throwing them in the fish pond!
Today there's a bit of an overcast so the colours on the slideshow are not as bright as they actually are.
Well, that is another good reason to come down to the temple and experience the true vibrancy of our courtyard.
Here's a slideshow. 
Their magnificent Lordships strike again in light blue and soft rose; it's the 3rd time in a row!
Srimati Radharani wears a most exquisite nose ring and Nrsimhadeva is swimming in an ocean of pink carnations...
Here's a slideshow.
Srimad Bhagavatam 11.26.32-33
Length: 8:40.
The other day I was fortunate to be at Bhaktivadanta Manor during the disappearance day of Srila Prabhupada which was an amazing day charged with much emotion, however I want to share my own thoughts as I woke up in the guest accommodation. I woke up with a feeling of sickness with one thought in [...] Kutinati, or diplomatic behavior, cannot satisfy the atma, the soul. It cannot even satisfy the body or the mind. The culprit mind is always suspicious; therefore our dealings should always be straightforward and approved by Vedic authorities. If we treat people diplomatically or duplicitously, our spiritual advancement is obstructed. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Madhya 19.159
Transcription : Sacikumara Dasa Editing : Ramananda Raya Dasa Hare Krishna! So did everybody get the summary of the first six chapters? So today I will cover all the six chapters in one go. Are you all ready for that? With rapt attention? What is Bhagavad-Gita? Bhagavad-Gita is the essence of the Vedas. The Vedas [...]
And Varsana dd asks about how retired devotees who no longer can donate money can serve the temple/community.
Are we willing to pay and sacrifice for them?
 Community Development and Raising Children in Krsna Consciousness. Karuna Bhavana, November 2, 2008
 Krishna-devata performing a dance to the music of Ghost Brothers (Scream) at KuliMela 2006 held at New Vrindavan.
Only six shopping weeks to Christmas!
Why not gift your loved ones a Kurma cookbook or two! Yes we can!! Cook sumptuous dishes like these? Yes we can!! These are the books. This is the 11-disc 20-hour Kurma TV cookery show DVD compendium. Yes we can!!
By Laksman Das for ISKCON News on 7 Nov 2010
| | Govardhana Puja, Go-Puja and Annakuta are all connected with the story of Lord Krishna’s lifting of Govardhana Hill to protect the inhabitants of Vrindavan. As part of the festivities, devotees prepared a big hill out of sweets, rice and halva in the middle of our temple courtyard. |
By Bharat Chandra Das for ISKCON News on 11 Nov 2010
 | ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministry (India), pioneering the Varnasrama mission announces the third term of Varnasrama College course, entitled "Land, Cows, and Krishna". |
Happy Veteran’s Day! To show my appreciation for the men and women who served this country, I made my children a banana lassi. Sure, there is no direct correlation, but considering my husband works at the VA hospital and is on today (and my kids are off), I think that somehow, this banana lassi is a symbol of…something. We shall call it gratitude for the Vets. Banana lassi is basically a yogurt/fruit smoothie with an Indian name. Here is the recipe that got my son to chug 24 ounces in one sitting.
Recipe:
3 ripe bananas
3 cups whole fat yogurt
1/2 cup honey
2 cups filtered water I put everything in a 1/2 gallon mason jar and then stick the immersion blender in there. Whrrrrrr……lassi! Don’t have a stick blender? Well, why not? Requires much less musculature than lugging out that big bulky traditional blender and is totally easy to clean. I have an el-cheapo Oster from Target that I got for $20. Works just fine. Only had to replace it once in 10 years.
 | ISKCON New York regrets to inform the readers of ISKCON News that Srikanta Das passed away into the arms of Lord Krishna, on November 10, 2010 at approximately 7:20pm at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.
|
 | The estrogen-like compounds found in soy could help postmenopausal women get a better night's sleep, according to a small study.
|
 Jaya Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha! Stunning beyond words.  Jaya Govardhan Hill! Even I was able to do Parikarma :)  Close up. Very cute. Krishna was 7 years old and He lifted Govardhan Hill for 7 days. So He is still lifting Govardhan Hill! Meditate on this pastime. Jaya Giri-Govardhan!
I am not sure who's "brain child" and efforts was this year's Govardhan Hill at ISKCON Toronto but it was beautiful. I am not able to see Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha for a couple of weeks as I recover but last time I saw Them on Govardhan Puja They were stunning!
Thanks to the pictures of the 2 young devotees, Vijay and Rishi, who's pictures I am sharing.
Jaya Sri Sri Radha Ksirchor Gopinatha!
Dear Devotees and Friends, We regret to inform you that His Grace Srikanta Das passed away into the arms of Lord Krishna, on November 10, 2010 @ approximately 7:20pm at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. He was an extraordinary devotee whose skills were only matched by his single desire to please the devotees and the Lord. His legendary feasts and kirtans will always shine in our memories.
 We request all devotees to pray to Sri Sri Radha Govindadeva and Lord Nrsimhadeva to protect Srikanta prabhu on his voyage back to godhead.
All devotees near and far are invited to come and chant with Srikanta prabhu one last time before his body is sent to India, this evening from 7pm to 10pm at:
- Nearest Transit:
45th St (R)
36th St (D, M, N, R)
- Your servants,
NY ISKCON
PS: here is an email from HH Candrasekhara Swami:
>I regret to inform you that today evening at about 7:20PM Sri Kantha left
> this world. He had been having health issues and was going to see a
> doctor when he collapsed en route and was taken to emergency instead. He
> seemed to have recovered at the emergency room, when Ramabhadra visited
> him, but shortly thereafter he suddenly went into cardiac arrest. We
> received a phone call saying that he had no blood pressure and arrived
> just a few minutes after he was already gone.
>
> We stayed and chanted Kirtana and there will be a program tomorrow before
> the body is sent to India. May all of our prayers be with him. We will
> miss him. All glories to the Vaishnava Devotees of the Lord.
>
> Hare Krishna.
>
> your servant,
>
> Candrasekhara Swami 
       
11 Nov 2010
www.sdgonline.org. 
3:51 A.M.From Namamrta by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:
“Even an illiterate or unintelligent person can be liberated by chanting the holy name:
“In the Hare Krishna movement, the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, the dancing in ecstasy and the eating of the remnants of food offered to the Lord are very, very important. One may be illiterate or incapable of understanding the philosophy, but if he partakes of these three items, he will certainly be liberated without delay.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 15.237) A realized student of Krishna consciousness has realized knowledge because it is coming from the perfect books of knowledge such as Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. But even if someone says, “I am not educated at all, and I cannot read books,” he is still not disqualified. He can still perfect his life by simply chanting the maha-mantra. Krishna has given us a tongue and two ears, and we may be surprised to know that Krishna is realized through the ears and tongue, not through the eyes. So even if one cannot read Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam he can still perfect his life simply by chanting the maha-mantra. I woke at 12:30 A.M. I tried Baladeva’s suggestion and turned the light on, stayed in bed and tried chanting my rounds. But I quickly fell asleep and didn’t wake until the alarm went off at 2:00 A.M. The difference was that my first round was not slow but fast. I chanted quickly the whole time, but I have mixed feelings about not getting up when I wake up early. I don’t like getting up when the alarm goes off at 2:00. Anyway, my chanting was rapid and attentive, but at 3:00 A.M. a headache began and I had to take medicine. That impaired my chanting. By 3:30 when Baladeva came up, I had twelve rounds chanted. Narayana is in the house, but he is in bed recovering from his long jet journey to India and his operation. It’s a surprising concession,
that even if you are illiterate
and can’t read the Gita or the
Bhagavatam, you can perfect
your life simply by chanting
the Hare Krishna mantra, honoring
prasadam, and dancing in ecstasy.
Lord Caitanya is audarya, or
lenient. It is good to be a
scholar and a preacher, but
you can still reach perfection
if all you can do is chant.
The chanting must be done
without offenses to be completely
effective. Sleepiness and
head pain are impairments.
We shall overcome. Deep in my heart I do believe
we shall overcome one day.
www.sdgonline.org.
#86
We live here until we die, and
we can always remember those eleven years.
Think of you sitting in a rocking chair
in the Dallas backyard, one of many places
you traveled,
80 years old, Mississippi farm
walking through the grass.
You pause on the walk, you turn to
me, I smile. You put me on the spot.
You are certainly a powerful spiritual father.
Now you turn away from me
and gaze fondly at my Godbrother.
No one of us owned you,
you gave to each of us even though
you saw how devious
and quarrelsome we could be.
And you bravely lectured
in the rowdy Paris theater.
We can always remember
from those eleven years,
especially what you said. It stays with us.
www.sdgonline.org.
“Krishna,” the word, means
“all-attractive.” The boy asked
Prabhupada, “I’m chanting Hare Krishna
but what do I make of the
Vedic mythology where
persons with four heads
are flying around on swans.”
“Don’t worry about that,”
said Srila Prabhupada, “just
chant Hare Krishna.”
How surprising he could
be in his replies. He
is an expert preacher
and defender of the faith.
He depended on the
scriptures, avaroha
pantha, the descending
process. He spoke the
parampara in his own
voice.
Someone asked him did
the kings rule just the
earth or whole universes?
“Why are you interested in
ruling the earth?” he replied.
“That is politics. You should
just chant Hare Krishna and purify
yourself.”
What about a person
who thinks life is not
suffering and he’s not
afraid of death?
“He’s a madman,” he
replied. “What do we
care for a madman?”
He could be so dismissive
of what he saw as nonsense.
He brought you around to
the soul in the body,
and the Supersoul and
the Supreme Personality
of Godhead.
The devotees remember exchanges
they had with him. Someone
walked behind him and
thought his feet made no
impression in the grass.
A disciple said Prabhupada
walked through the botanical gardens
in Melbourne and knew
the Latin names for all
the plants and flowers.
A little boy slipped into
Prabhupada’s quarters when
no one was there. He
fell asleep under Prabhupada’s
bed while the master slept.
He sat and ate prasadam
with him.
Prabhupada joked with the temple
lawyers, and they all broke
into wide smiles and
laughter again and
again.
They asked him to stay in
Melbourne, and he said
he’d like to but “I
have so many places I
have to go.” He looked
so charming as he said so.
And the reality of it—
he traveled around the
world, meeting people
and giving himself in
conversations and lectures
for many hours.
He never seemed to
tire. “He was like
Krishna, nava-yauvana,
always spry and youthful,”
said one of his men,
“and his followers became
like that to be with him.”
www.sdgonline.org.
Free Write
I turned at random to Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 3, Chapter 28, text 22:
“The blessed Lord Siva becomes all the more blessed by bearing on his head the holy waters of the Ganges, which has its source in the water that washed the Lord’s lotus feet. The Lord’s feet act like thunderbolts hurled to shatter the mountain of sin stored in the mind of the meditating devotee. One should therefore meditate on the lotus feet of the Lord for a long time.” In this verse the position of Lord Siva is mentioned. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of everyone else, and therefore everyone else, including Lord Siva and Lord Brahma is a servant of Lord Krishna. Anyone who puts the Supreme Lord and the demigods on the same level at once becomes a pasandi, or atheist. Another significant point in this verse is that the mind of the conditioned soul, on account of its association with the material nature since time immemorial, contains heaps of dust in the form of desires to lord it over material nature. This dust is like a mountain, but a mountain can be shattered by a thunderbolt. Meditating on the lotus feet of the Lord acts like a thunderbolt on the mountain of dirt in the mind of the yogi. Meditating on Krishna’s lotus feet can enhance even the position of Lord Siva, what to speak of ordinary living entities. The “Prayers by Demigods to Lord Krishna in the Womb” is a difficult chapter to review. The demigods praise Krishna in a very technical, scientific way. I can’t remember the analogies and examples. They say the Lord didn’t come to the earth to vanquish the demons. He can wipe out demons by His material energy. He comes to enjoy transcendental pastimes with His devotee-friends. He comes for His pleasure, not to do police work. Any chapter in Krishna book is good, so it is not welcome when a chapter is finished. If you are going to hold an execution, you must be certain you have evidence against the culprit. That last sentence came from the unconscious. We have to allow some sentences like that. It is stated in a Purana that the demigods and their wives used to come and visit Devaki to give her reassurance. The sentences come tumbling out of the brain. I get an idea but forget it before I have time to write it down. They assured her that because Krishna was in her womb she had nothing to fear. (Krishna says in the peak verse in Bhagavad-gita, “Surrender to Me, don’t be afraid.”) But Devaki has experience that six of her children were killed by Kamsa, and the next child is the one Kamsa is expecting. The prophetic voice of the eighth child would kill Kamsa, and everyone thinks the seventh child was a miscarriage. When the time was mature for the Lord to appear, the constellations became very auspicious. The star Rohini was dominant. There were auspicious moments of the planetary systems. In all the directions, north, south, east and west, there was an atmosphere of peace and prosperity. Krishna was about to descend. You write what comes to mind as you used to do years ago, traveling in Europe, in the USA, in Ireland. You didn’t care what came out. I wrote a great deal at Castlegregory, Ireland, and Kaisori boiled it down to a small “chap” book selection. I also wrote poems there as a separate endeavor, on big sheets of paper on the floor, and many of them got selected for a volume of poems, Writing in Gratitude, I think. Free writing at its best. The man holds the gas lantern up to his chest. They have no electricity. He went to sleep in his sleeping bag. No rodents came to bother him. There were big rats at Wicklow. We poisoned them. Some died and stunk under the boards. You built your Visionary Garden in the big yard. If I could have gotten an outsider art photographer from Raw Vision magazine to come and photograph my garden, it could have become famous. You read a lot of Srimad-Bhagavatam and did “reading and writing” and published it in the volumes of Every Day, Just Write. There is no business like show business. Sleepytime japa. Click your rounds, 1728. You have hip-hop in your pocket. Chant Hare Krishna. Gondola. Throw your grains into the fire. Break the coconut. The red dye. The dead kirtaniya. You’ve got to get your ticket. You go for the money. You pray and work and sleep. We are working, and probably it can be discovered by the archaeologist’s smrti. We found a mine of chocolate. Kit-Kat. We spun the top. We chanted Hare Krishna until the bell rang. It makes your heart jump when the alarm rings. I saw the number light up when the poker champ won $8 million. The baseball pitcher Cliff Lee will be traded. It’s not a race to the moon. Saci ran fast in the triathalon. We were sleepy in our japa and didn’t think of Radha and Krishna. Just skipped and forgot about it. Ernest Hemingway wrote short sentences, Faulkner wrote long. Which was better? I bluffed and said I preferred Bill. I didn’t like either. I liked Seymour, an Introduction by JDS. Eccentric books. Go into the basement and pick one out. Krishna is God. His name and form are non-different.
What a blast it was. Everything started of serene and blissful. There was the poor dishevelled man who came up as we were singing out and he said “This is the smallest harinam party I have ever seen.” I said Haribol mate how so you know about that. He had another drag on his cigarette and said “Believe it or not I used to be a brahmacari at the temple!” Then he shuffled off into the night 
The there was this young man (above) who was stunned to see us chanting and dancing and wanted to know all about it. “There is a temple?” He said. “Where is it?” Luckily we had a few Back to Godhead magazins to hand out so, as you can see, he know owns one of them. This dear friend found us when we returned to our starting position after dancing down the street and back. First she chanted with us, then she clapped, next she clapped, chanted and danced. We even let her take the lead for a verse or two. Bhaja Govinda is off to Fiji soon so next week I need you all to come and chant, danced and sing with me. Please come… you won’t regret it. Harinam Sankirtan Ki Jay. Share this story your way:          
1975 November 11: "Why not stick to Vrndavana? I am coming there soon and again we shall associate and things will be adjusted. Now you extend your visa and stick to that holy place. Vrndavana is our goal of life."Prabhupada Letters :: 1975
1975 November 11: "Have faith in Guru and Krishna and your attempt will be successful.I am always praying to Krishna that your attempt will be more and more successful and ideal for your country. That is my only prayer."Prabhupada Letters :: 1975
1974 November 11: "GBC or XYZ you are always servant of Krishna. That is wanted. Following the rules and regulations is the real qualification of GBC. We have made things easy for being qualified for such position, but still they are violating."Prabhupada Letters :: 1974
1974 November 11: "The report that the newly published books are all selling like mad is very, very encouraging. Now publish more books. Make more translations. I have never studied science, but I am challenging the scientists. They may take me as crazy, but I am not crazy. I am right."Prabhupada Letters :: 1974
1972 November 11: "Preaching is our real business, not getting big, big buildings and doing business for money just to maintain them, no. We shall live under a tree, that is not difficult, but we must go on preaching every moment, that will make us happy."Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
1970 November 11: "This requires unwavering strength and enthusiasm to fulfill the desires of the Spiritual Master. When my Guru Maharaja ordered me I did not know how I could do it, but I never lost faith nor did I ever forget his order."Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
1968 November 11: "Persons who want to take advantage of cheap reputation they imitate great personalities. One should not imitate. Better to be engaged in preaching work, then we gradually acquire our spiritual strength without failure."Prabhupada Letters :: 1968
1967 November 11: "I am very glad that MacMillan Co. has agreed to publish my Gita Upanisad. This service done by you is a great asset. I do not want crowd of Kirtananandas but I want a single sincere soul. One moon is sufficient for the night - not thousands of stars."Prabhupada Letters :: 1967
One of the greatest obstacles to our success and happiness are the assumptions we make.
The assumptions about what we can or cannot do and about what's possible.
Akrura Prabhu: I would like to hear of some fundamental principles that favor people’s spiritual healing. Matsyavatara Prabhu: First of all we must distinguish between those who have already made a specific spiritual choice and those that have not done it yet and are not looking for a religious conversion, but they are interested in resolving their existential problems and finding answers and solutions to daily practical questions।
We can offer spiritual teachings to both of these categories of people, however using different approaches and modalities and in particular a different language adequate to their respective needs and interests. The common purpose of these helping relations is to favor conscience awareness of one’s deepest spiritual nature identity and favor a higher sense of living. Akrura Prabhu: Please explain both typologies in relation to these helping relationships. Matsyavatara Prabhu: I will begin by speaking of those that have already made a precise spiritual choice. When these individuals tell me that they have “spiritual” problems I try to convey to them that in reality there are no “spiritual problems”. Problems can arise on a physical, psychological or emotional level. Sometimes they can be on the economical, social, professional or in the religious life area, but not on the spiritual level. Instead, the solution of all these problems is indeed the acquiring of spiritual consciousness which is a vital state because it leads one to reach a superior point of view. Crisis is constantly present in human life, however, it is the modality of our answers to crisis that makes the difference. Therefore, one of the first necessary steps is to help people to become conscious of their mental automatisms which lead to inadequate reactions to life events. A person must be helped with looking inside himself and become conscious of behavioral models used subconsciously and of the obstacles to his evolutionary path. Generally I begin this work by exploring repressed desires, trauma and fears. Often we meet people that, in the name of spirituality lived in an immature way, have removed some aspects of their personality or dark episodes of their lives without making an effort to enlighten them with a superior conscience, thus solving the connected uneasiness and problems. Removing of such things is one of the principal causes of strong existence crisis and often they are favored by abstract pseudo-spiritualistic escapes. Uddhava Gita offers teachings in relation to this. It explains how spiritual life must provide in a way that cannot be put aside, the strict observance of sattvic principles that bring light, equilibrium and harmony in the psyche and personality in its complex. Such principles are important because they allow for a constructive satisfaction of requested and neglected needs, often removed much earlier. Generally I ask people what they would like to do, how they would like to be, where they would like to live and with whom. These questions may appear simple and maybe trivial, however, the answers are crucial because we must be clear within ourselves and favor our spiritual journey by letting emerge those aspects of our personality on which we must intervene most urgently. For example, an uneasiness toward a job that we don’t like could arise. In this case it would be necessary to give teachings geared on how to overcome the attachment-repulsion dualism and on how to approach something that give us pain (dvesha). Those who practice Krishna-Bhakti have many formidable instruments at their disposal to work on themselves such as Harinama japa, Meditation, Visualization, Devotional Service and Sat Sanga. The company of Bhakta, mainly those who are particularly evolved and experienced, is one of the principal “therapeutic” factors. However we must benefit from Sat-Sanga not in an abstract way, but through personal relationships lived with emphatic emotion in daily activities based on doing things together. This devotional service results in the best instrument of reciprocal knowledge, and allows for constructive, sound and extraordinary relationships which are beneficial for the evolutionary development of all.
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3:55 A.M.Namamrta by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:
‘After one’s mind becomes cleansed by chanting Hare Krsna, one advances and studies the Vedic literature:
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced the congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra to give everyone a chance to hear Krishna’s holy name, for simply by hearing Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, one becomes purified (ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]). Therefore our Krishna consciousness movement is chiefly engaged in chanting the Hare Krishna mantra all over the world. After one’s mind becomes cleansed by chanting Hare Krishna, one gradually comes to the platform of Krishna consciousness and then reads books like Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Caitanya-caritamrta and The Nectar of Devotion. In this way, one becomes more and more purified of material contamination.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.18.11, purport) The point here is the one must first chant Hare Krishna in order to come to the stage of understanding the philosophical instructions of the scriptures. No ordinary person can understand the scriptures. The listener must be advanced to understand the words of exalted, spiritually advanced people, such as Jada Bharata. Great personalities speak to the advanced, not sudras, vaisyas or unintelligent. Sometimes it is very risky to give great philosophical instructions to ordinary people, but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, for the benefit of the fallen souls of Kali-yuga, has given us a very nice instrument, the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. The general mass of people, although sudras or less, can be purified by chanting this Hare Krishna mantra. Then they can understand the exalted philosophical statements of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. The opposite is also true. That is, to become attached to the chanting of the holy name, one must read Srimad-Bhagavatam regularly and with scrutiny. Srila Vyasadeva presented Srimad-Bhagavatam for the benefit of the mass of people. As stated in the First Canto, “The material miseries of the living entity, which are superfluous to him, can be directly mitigated by the linking process of devotional service. But the mass of people do not know this, and therefore the learned Vyasadeva compiled this Vedic literature, which is in relation to the Supreme Truth.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.6) So the chanting qualifies one to read the scriptures, and reading the scriptures qualifies one to chant the holy names. Our Krishna consciousness movement has therefore adopted the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra for the general masses. When people gradually become purified, they are instructed in the lessons of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. Materialistic people like stri, sudra and dvija-bandhu cannot understand words of spiritual advancement, yet one can take to the shelter of a Vaisnava, for he knows the art of enlightening even sudras in the highly elevated subject matter spoken in Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. This morning I woke at 12:15 A.M. and with my taskmaster attitude I rose and began chanting. The first round took a long time and by 2:00 A.M. I’d only chanted two rounds. Then a headache came. It was in the right eye, but I decided that my migraine medicine was at too low of supply so I took regular headache medicine. It didn’t work, and the migraine just increased. So fifteen minutes after taking the first medicine I took migraine medicine. Gradually the right-eye twinge went down. Simultaneously I began to chant quicker. When Baladeva came up at 3:30 we discussed my rising early and my headache patterns and my slow chanting in the beginning. He suggested that if I wake up at 12 or quarter after 12 I could start chanting in bed and not get up. Then if I was genuinely awake I could go on chanting, but if I was sleepy I could go back to sleep. I should not be obsessed with rising so that I get up at twelve because it’s counterproductive anyway, since I chant the first round so slowly. Theoretically I agreed with him to try this new method starting tomorrow. As it was I managed to finish my sixteen rounds before Baladeva left me and went downstairs, which was about 3:45 A.M. The chanting was done silently and with attention to accumulating the rounds. But I did not drift off into meditating on the relevant subjects, but kept fixed on the syllables of the names. You have to chant the maha-
mantra if you’re low class
person, before you become
qualified to study the scriptures.
The chanting purifies you and
enables you to understand.
And the opposite is true:
you must scrutinizing study
Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-
Bhagavatam in order to chant
with full appreciation. Both
chanting of the names, and hearing
the teaching from realized
souls and scriptures bring us
progress in Krishna Consciousness.
But when I chant slow and poorly, I do not help
myself. The chanting must
be done quickly and
on alert.
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#85
Prayer to our master:
Who can make so many bhaktas and bhaktins
but one sent personally by Lord Caitanya?
I read in your purport, master,
that the enmity between the acarya and the parents
of young devotees has been going on for
a long, long time. It happened to Narada when
he stole the Haryasvas from their materialistic Dad.
You wrote of this
and told us not to be afraid of
those who come as enemies. Krishna
will protect us.
Prabhupada, yesterday they asked me again
about following the eternal resident of Vrndavana.
How will we know who he is?
Is it Prabhupada? Yes, sure I said,
either you consider him as
a very elderly sannyasi coming from Vrndavana
as Swamijî in New York
or you consider his eternal rasa
in which he’s a Vrajavasi—
if you fix yourself in service to him,
you are following the eternal resident of Vrndavana
and that’s the quickest way to qualify to go there.
After your death you join Krishna
in His road show and get introduced
to your service, and Prabhupada
is involved in this. Srila Prabhupada,
is that explanation all right?
I know there are plenty of details that I left out
but the most basic thing is that
Prabhupada will lead us.
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Sankirtana and Deity worship
go well together. You dress
and decorate Their forms,
and then you open the curtains
and sing and dance before Them.
Chanting on beads or kirtana
can be done anywhere
even without the Deity.
The Lord dances on your
tongue. But because we
have such a recent
history of degradation
and dirty habits, the
cleanliness of Deity worship
keeps us fixed in
Krishna consciousness.
You have to be bathed
and clean-dressed to approach
the altar and touch the Deity.
You say prayers appropriate
and bow down in full
dandavats.
You can sit before Radha
Krishna or Gaura-Nitai and
finger your beads and utter
quickly maha-mantras
while gazing at the beauty
of the form Who’s name
is one with Form.
I am at such a low status,
I need all the help I can get.
To worship the arca-vigraha
and say the names is double
power for which I’m grateful.
Oh Lord of the universe,
kindly be visible unto me.
Let me see the holy names
and feel Their presence
in my heart.
The beautiful marble forms
are “Hare” and “Krishna”
“Sri Krishna Caitanya”
“Prabhu Nityananda”.
I thank you for coming
into my life, and to
my hearing and vision.
The holy names come straight
from Krishnaloka and seek to
make the connection. I say them
in my mind because if I
exert too much I get a
headache. As for the Deity,
I can not strenuously bath
and decorate Them in detail.
I keep it simple or get
assistance.
Chant Their names
and see Their forms.
Hear the sound vibration
with your inner ear and
go to see Their lotus
feet, His flute
held to His lips.
The form is not a doll,
the mantra is not a
mechanical ritual.
You are learning that these two
forms of worship
are the requisites for
the age of Kali,
They can save you from all
misconceptions of
life in the material world.
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Free Write
I turned at random to Canto Three, Chapter 25, text 2: “Saunaka continued: There is no one who knows more than the Lord Himself. No one is more worshipable or more mature a yogi than He. He is therefore the master of the Vedas, and to hear about Him always is the actual pleasure of the senses.” No one can be equal to or greater than the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the supreme living entity and is supplying the necessities of all other living entities. Thus all other living entities, both vishnu-tattva and jiva-tattva, are subordinate to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. To hear from Krishna is the real pleasure of the senses; therefore He is known as “Govinda,” for by His words, by His teachings, by His instruction—by everything connected with Him—He enlivens the senses. Whatever He instructs is from the transcendental platform, and His instructions, being absolute, are non-different from Him. Bhagavad-gita can be read or heard many times, but because it gives great pleasure, the more one reads it he gets new enlightenment. That is the nature of the transcendental message. Similarly, we find that transcendental happiness in Srimad-Bhagavatam. The more we hear and chant the glories of the Lord, the more we become happy. This is the disappearance day of Srila Prabhupada, we are not having a big celebrations here in Stuyvesant Falls. It a weekday and devotees are going to work. Saci-suta has a business meeting in NYC. Baladeva and I had invited Kaulini Mataji, Nandarani Dasi and Jnanagamya Prabhu to lunch. Kaulini has plans to watch films of Prabhupada all day. I don’t know if there will be a chance for me to speak of Prabhupada in an homage setting. If it happens I feel rusty and a bit out of touch. I have not been working on a project of intensive Prabhupada meditations. I choose a photo of him everyday and post it on my website and post one of my poems from my Centennial collection, One Hundred Prabhupada Poems. I don’t know what I would speak if I were asked to speak on Prabhupada. You can speak historically in homage fashion and say that he did what no acarya did, he brought Krishna consciousness effectively (Bhagavad-gita, bhakti-yoga, Gaudiya Vaisnavism) out of India for the first time in the history of the world. His story is rags to riches. He started with no money or support, in old age and in ill health, and started preaching alone in NYC. After six months he had about a dozen initiated disciples and an established storefront temple on the Lower East Side. He had written a manuscript for Bhagavad-gita As It Is and was working on the Second Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. He went in January 1967 to San Francisco and was embraced by the hippie culture and established the temple in Haight Ashbury district. He initiated another dozen disciples in a few months there and came back to NYC. There he suffered a stroke and eventually went back to India, unsure if he would recover. But he did recover in six month and returned to the US where he began opening new centers and sending his disciples out to establish temples. He soon had temples in Boston, Buffalo, Los Angeles, Montero, Santa Fe, Columbus, a farm community in West Virginia and then he sent devotees to London and Hamburg. In each centers the devotees would go out on the streets and sing the Hare Krishna mantra and distribute Back to Godhead magazines. You want to tell people how great he is, how hard he worked to spread Krishna consciousness. He was a pure devotee of Krishna and always thought of how he could serve the order of his spiritual master. As Kamsa was always absorbed in thought of Krishna in an inimical way—“How can I kill Krishna?” Prabhupada was always thinking—“How can I serve Krishna?” He taught us to always chant the Hare Krishna mantra and pray “O Radha, O Krishna, how may I serve you?” He taught us that we should not strive for material sense gratification or even liberation. We should strive to please Krishna. If we pleased Krishna, he would bring us to Him, back to Godhead to live with Him and His associates for eternity, bliss and knowledge. I do not know if I will see him and meet him again. As I leave this world I want to always pray to always serve him. The relationship with the spiritual master is eternal, janme janme prabhu sei. He is my Lord birth after birth. Even when I reach the spiritual world I will serve him in a spiritual body. It is mysterious and esoteric, but it is stated in the sastras and in the words of the acaryas, Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Narottama dasa Thakura speak of serving their guru in madhurya rasa, in the bodies of gopis as assistance of Radharani. Udhava prayed to be born as grass in Vrindavana, so that the gopis might trample on him and he might receive their footdust. You could go to him somewhere in the material world, where he is serving as a pure devotee, preaching to the conditional souls, and assist him as you did at 26 Second Avenue or in Boston. Pray to continue chanting Hare Krishna mantra as he has taught you. Five of us celebrated Prabhupada disappearance day by watching several hours of Following Srila Prabhupada, Yadubara’s film with devotees reminiscing. There was wonderful footage of Prabhupada in Australia. He had a special fondness for the devotees and people of that country. He gave his Bhagavatam lectures in the evenings so as to get bigger audiences. He gave long question and answer sessions. A lot of it was taped directly from his speeches. He cut down the opposition so strongly and humor and logic. A man asked if Brahma actually travelled on the swan or was it symbolical? Prabhupada said it was factual, why do you think it is symbolical? The man said: “It is unusual.” Prabhupada replied: “What experience do you have?” You experience is tiny. In Bhagavad-gita Krishna states that one day of Lord Brahma is four billon, three hundred million of our years. He lives so long, how you can speculate on his way of life. Some asked about the position of a person who does not think he is suffering and who says he is not afraid of death. Prabhupada said, “He is a madman. What can we say about a madman?” It is so good to be with him and see him and hear him. A devotee carried Prabhupada up a flight of stairs every night in Australia and felt he was weightless. One night after the lecture the devotees were served apple crisp. But there was a controversy among them whether it was bona fide, because someone said that Prabhupada said that oats were for horses. After the lecture Prabhupada was hungry and asked what the devotees were eating. They served him a bowl of apple crisp. He ate it all and asked for a second bowl or that “crispy apples.” So apple crisp was bona fide. The close-ups of the earnest young faces of the boys and girls listening to Prabupada…
By Rasika Murari dasa
It has been 10 years since the devotees of Sri Jagannatha Mandir, ISKCON Kuala Lumpur (SJMKL) bathed in the glory that is the Damodara Program. From humble beginnings of just 24 homes being blessed with the presence of Lord Sri Damodara, it has grown by leap and bound to a startling 20,000 homes in recent years
 By Jaya Madhava das
He spend many of his later years in iskcon preaching in the former Soviet Union, Moscow in particular. I personally knew him for many years and I will miss him. I was always so happy to have his kind friendship, humble and genuine association, Purnachandra Swami really cared about his Godbrothers and Godsisters and lived his life for serving and helping the devotees and later in his life serving the Russian iskcon devotees
Radhe Shyam das: Pure devotional service to Me which, because it places Me under My devotee's dominion, is very difficult to attain, is easily attained by following this vow in Mathura (mandala) during Karttika
Jesus was wet here
Jordan River, Israel
From Natanya city situated on the Mediterranean sea we trudged along, always choosing the hardest packed sand next to the water. Our team of four chanted on beads, meditating on the sound and then sang to the standard bhajans sung in temples around the world.
There were intermittent quiet areas where we could manage this in loud tones. The trail which is cross country path, is marked with orange, blue and white stripes on rocks, trees, and just about anything. This trail diverts away from the coast at places and therefore creates some confusion. Ekavirya eventually called our path "the paramatma trail", because in all reality we just moved with our gut feeling. Paramatma by the way, refers to God-in-the-heart, who gives direction within. That seems to work for us.
We met a friendly horticulturalist who guided us around areas that were tricky such as the big power-plant at the Nahal Park. This guy, a retiree, was such a hospitable type. He knew who we were, of-course my robes are the give-away. "You are Hare Krishna?"
In most places judging by the faces, the saffron robes are a novelty, if not an alien sight. After a glorious 20 KMs on foot we drove to the Jordan River, the place of Jesus' Baptism at Yardenit. Our group chose to bathe in his holy waters, just a few meters away for our own privacy. Indeed, the water is sacred, cool and clean, and shaded by varieties of trees, including the medicinal eucalyptus. School girls in uniforms canoed the channel here and adolescent males appeared to camp at our bathing area.
There is lots of life in this area and there are date and orange groves nearby. And while our men were munching on snacks after the swim an amiable groundhog ate fearlessly next to us. In fact it was Roman, our youngest trooper, who mentioned that chanting helps the animals. So the Shabda Brahman (spiritual sound) impacts even those creatures that make no effort toward spiritual practices, the sound has such power.
As Jesus said in delivering the Lord's Prayer "Our Father - who art in heaven, hollowed by the name..." The name is powerful!
20 KMs
Dead and alive.
Natanya, Israel
At 5 am right on the button, today`s set of troupers, Ekavirya, Vrikodar, Roman and myself set out at a beginning point of the journey on foot. It was a 24 hours convenient store just off of highway 2 near Rishpon, that was the finishing point from the previous day. We all had taken to resting late the night before, as the evening called for sat-sang (spiritual gathering). Yet that did not give cause to dampen any spirits for the early rise, shower, and then the drive to our starting point.
Our first hour was total confusion, a meandering through the curved streets of Kibbutz settlement. As the sun's lightness began to pervade we trekked along narrow trails atop cliffs, and then eventually made our way descending to the beach heading north to the city of Netanya. We met fishermen and runners and youth being primed for the army training. According to my companions the cleaning up of beach trash was a part of their training.
To the exclusion of this humble servant the troupers of today admitted to being out of shape and that our mere 18 KMs was a little hard pressed. No real complains thought. The reward for all the leg labor and a treat for me, the guest to Israel, was a dip in to the Dead Sea. After a good hour and a half on wheels, we arrived at a resort where Russians, Americans, Europeans, Asians and other tourists came for the therapeutic bath in this world famous mineral-dense body of water. Fish don't live in it, but humans flock to it for the buoyancy fun. And after time spent floating (careful to not submerge the head, the salts are intolerable for eyes and mouth) we did as every one else did - smudged the body with mud before a final rinse of real water.
The day`s experience with the elements was not a complete day until the heart could speak out about gratitude to our Guru, Srila Prabhupada. On this 33th anniversary of his passing we expressed what we could about the person who was clearly the cutting edge of a change in world consciousness. Due to his coming to the west, we now have all this marvelous people who have taken to ahimsa (non-violence), vegetarianism, karmic cognition and something else profound called prema (unconditional love for the Supreme).
People have come alive. Our indebtedness to him knows no bounds.
18 KM
Om Shalom!
Ariel, Israel
My happy fate to walk Israel had been sealed when trekking the waterfront yesterday.
Today marks day 2. Ekavirya a soon father-to-be with twins, became my partner for today's walk. Our first hour was a hard pace. The momentum kept up until the last hour as we lost our bearings when beach ended and cliffs and fencing took over.
"Never trust a coastline", I concluded.
Our steady clip allowed us to pass hundreds of walkers, runners and cyclists, many of whom emerged from the affluent condos and hotels nearby. The best I could do as far as outreach is concerned was to send a big smile, offer a nod of greeting and an occasional utterance of "Shalom".
I am committed to my prescribed chanting on beads and, I could not interrupt that very often. Judging by the looks on people faces my robes were a surprise to them. The markings for an apparent cross country trail were obscured. Ekaviriya and I came upon this national park called "Apollonia". The edge of the park which is fenced off revealed ancient ruins. The Greeks were here. We then had to divert on to semi-desert roads. We were not in the city any longer.
I have to hand it to technology sometimes. If Ekavirya did not had a cell phone, we could easily been lost sheep. In the dry desert we noticed multitudes of white-shelled snails latching onto long green grasses they resembled cotton plants from a distance. I viewed some birds, new species to my eyes.
In the air you could smell the most aromatic wildflowers.
Finally we closed the curtains to the walking aspect of Day 2 with aloe vera drink, humus, olives, tahini, avocado salad and a local take on kichari (an Indian staple).
This brings me to this point; I see Indian and Israeli cultures to be so compatible. A friend back in Canada who calls himself "Mister Hinjew" (born Jewish and adapted to Vaishnava ways) once told me that young Israelis love visiting India. I asked, "Why?"
"Because India is a place where Israelis won't be judged", he said calmly.
It is unfortunate that there is all this bodily differentiations. In Israel you are Jewish or Palestinian or whatever, and you may not get along with each other.
Oh, when will that day come, when we identify as spirit souls?
I wish we could learn from the wildflowers that humbly co-exist.
16 KMIn the material concept of life, when one works for sense gratification, there is misery, but in the absolute world, when one is engaged in pure devotional service, there is no misery.
The devotee in Krsna consciousness has nothing for which to lament or desire.
Since God is full, a living entity who is engaged in God's service, in Krsna consciousness, becomes also full in himself.
He is just like a river cleansed of all dirty water.
Because a pure devotee has no thought other than Krsna, he is naturally always joyful.
He does not lament for any material loss or aspire for gain, because he is full in the service of the Lord.
He has no desire for material enjoyment, because he knows that every living entity is a fragmental part and parcel of the Supreme Lord and therefore eternally a servant.
He does not see, in the material world, someone as higher and someone as lower; higher and lower positions are ephemeral, and a devotee has nothing to do with ephemeral appearances or disappearances.
For him stone and gold are of equal value.
This is the brahma-bhuta stage [SB 4.30.20], and this stage is attained very easily by the pure devotee.
In that stage of existence, the idea of becoming one with the Supreme Brahman and annihilating one's individuality becomes hellish, the idea of attaining the heavenly kingdom becomes phantasmagoria, and the senses are like serpents' teeth that are broken.
As there is no fear of a serpent with broken teeth, there is no fear from the senses when they are automatically controlled.
The world is miserable for the materially infected person, but for a devotee the entire world is as good as Vaikuntha, or the spiritual sky.
The highest personality in this material universe is no more significant than an ant for a devotee.
Such a stage can be achieved by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, who preached pure devotional service in this age.
Bg 18.54 Purport
If God is all good, then why is there evil in the world?
For God there is no evil, just good.
Just as my chest is as important to me as my back, if there is pain in my back I take care of it.
I do not ignore it thinking that the front is more important.
Evil is compared to the back of God.
It is not different from His front, or goodness.
If everything is good from God's point of view, then how can there be evil?
It is just like the sun.
On the body of the sun there is no shadow.
We create shadow by turning our back to the sun.
Similarly, when we turn away from God there is evil.
Evil is the absence of good, just as darkness is the absence of sunlight.
If you keep yourself always in the light, where is the question of darkness?
God is all-good.
So if you keep yourself always in God consciousness, then there is no evil.
And why was the world created with evil men?
Why was the police department created?
Because there is a necessity.
Some living entities want to enjoy this material world, therefore God creates it.
He is just like a father who gives a separate room to his mischievous children to play in.
Otherwise, the naughty boys would always disturb Him.
This world is something like a prison.
Therefore, there is suffering here.
In the prison house you cannot expect comfort, because unless there is suffering, there is no lesson for the prisoners.
Evil is undoubtedly created by God, but this was necessary due to the human being's misuse of his free will.
God gives man good directions, but when man is disobedient, evil is naturally there to punish him.
Evil is not desired by God, yet it is created because it is necessary.
The government constructs prisons not because it wants to but because they are necessary.
The government prefers to construct universities so that people can attain an education and become highly enlightened.
But because some people misuse their independence and violate the state laws, prisons are necessary.
We suffer due to our own evil activities.
God does not desire to create evil, but man's evil activities oblige God to create an evil situation.
- Srila Prabhupada
 Below is my blog post from yesterday. I forgot about George Harrison's song, Here comes the Sun, which was reportedly inspired by his first meeting with Srila Prabhupada. So after a kind suggestion yesterday I included this beautiful clip that ties into the post below about Srila Prabhupada being the Sun and His appearance day being the Sunrise and disappearance day being the Sunset. (The Lord Chaitanya's Moon is rising clip is below as well.) I love the images, song and wording to honour our Guru Maharaj Srila Prabhupada.
Yesterday's post:
I logged onto Facebook yesterday morning and it asks "What's on your mind?" Well actually it should have been "Who is on your mind?" and it was Srila Prabhupada. I closed my laptop and asked my son for a pen and paper. I wanted to write an offering to Srila Prabhupada and it is just more personal to do it by hand.
All I wanted to say to Srila Prabhupada was that I miss you and thank you for saving me. I want to stay in your shelter and at your lotus feet. Use me as you wish.
A Godbrother called last week and said we should share memories and I threw a couple of them in but as I wrote, I thought there are thousands upon thousands of personal memories Srila Prabhupada created with so many devotees and this itself is the Glory of Srila Prabhupada. He touched so many of us in his own and unique way.
I could not be there personally since I am recovering from surgery but thank you Krishna das Kaviraj das for reading my offering in front of Srila Prabhupada. I feel Srila Prabhupada in New Remuna Dham and it was nice to know Srila Prabhupada could hear the offerings and memories of many of his Toronto disciples. We are all fortunate to have these Godbrothers and Sisters serving Srila Prabhupada.
My wife, Ashalate d.d. used to not want to go to Srila Pabhupada's Disappearance day since it was too painful to remember the day our guru physically left. A devotee convincing us that we must come no matter what used the preaching that a Sunrise and Sunset are both beautiful and to be appreciated. So it got me thinking of a recent video clip I saw of Srila Prabhupada with the song Lord Chaitanya's moon is rising. I cannot find the one I saw a few weeks ago with different footage but the one attached here is excellent as well. I guess after the Sunset the moon rises and thanks to Srila Prabhupada that is happening.
When my kids came back from the temple yesterday they happily told me there was a marked improvement in attendance over last year. On Srila Prabhupada's disappearance day I understand everyone has there own way of coping and marking the day.
On Srila Prabhupada's Appearance day (the Sunrise) it is my hope and prayer that the temple rooms should be packed to capacity. Every disciple, grand disciple, bhakta, follower and member should be there. It is Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada's temples in which we enjoy khata, kirtan, association, prasadam, instruction and transcendental literature. Srila Prabhupada is the head of the ISKCON family and no matter which guru or affiliation our allegiance to Srila Prabhupada should be shown Loudly and Proudly. So happy to hear about yesterday and the temple management and youth always organize excellent festivals and hopefully this year on Srila Prabhupada's appearance day we will see ALL the grand-disciples and devotees with their hands up chanting in ecstasy for His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.  
On the 4th of November, 22:25 PM Moscow time Purnacandra Goswami passed away. It is a great loss for the entire ISKCON community.
On October 15th Maharaja was hospitalized with internal bleeding, and from October 19th he was in coma. Despite deep coma he manifested some signs of consciousness every time when devotees would come to him to chant the holy name.
A brief bio about Purnacandra Goswami
read more
Govardhana Puja Class by Trivikrama Swami
Mahatma dasa discussing the important topic of our relationship with the Holy Names.
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