Shabda Hari Das's Posts

The Journey Back to Godhead!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on May 19, 2010 at 12:13pm

"As we are going back to the spiritual planet, we may happen to go by a visual tour. Sometimes the yogis want to see how the universe looks like, so go round and see a few planets on the way back to Godhead. But if there is danger, we get stuck up.

If we think, 'Oh! These mystic powers are very nice, I like to have those!' All Right! Next you are found in Siddhaloka. If we think that all these gardens are very nice, then we take birth in the heavenly planets.

If you go through all the different planets, but your actual desire is, 'There is no Krishna here, where is Krishna??? I don't see Krishna amongst the yogis, I don't see Krishna here in the heavenly planets, I don't see Krishna here in Sivaloka, certainly I don't see Krishna here in the Brahmajyoti, where is Krishna? Oh! Here is Vaikuntaloka, where is Krishna, where are the cowheard boys, where is Mother Yashoda? Where is Lord Chaitanya and His sankirtan party? There is Narada muni here. Here it is very formal with Lord Narayana, the four Kumaras. But where is Gopala??? And where is Gauranga??'

If we have that type of desire, if we are already in that Svarupa Upalabdhi, where we are directly identified as a servant of Krishna in His Gopala form, Radha Madhava form, or of Lord Chaitanya, then that takes us back to Goloka Vrindavan.

Anywhere along the way, if we are attracted to the material world, to Karma Kanda, Jnana Kanda, to the majestic aspect of the spiritual world, or just merging in the Brahma Jyoti, wherever it may be, we get STUCK UP there!"

HH Jayapataka Swami

From the book: Vaishnava Vani Courtesy: Mathuradesh Publications

http://www.guruvakya.com

The All-Attractive Supreme Lord!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on May 17, 2010 at 10:11am

"Actually Krishna is neutral. He is reciprocating with different people according to their particular way of approaching. So when is approaching inimically, the Lord is inimical. When one is approaching devotionally, and is friendly, the Lord is very friendly and very merciful. So actually He is Neutral!

Prahlada being a little boy, and naturally simple and straight forward, said to Hiranyakashipu, "Why are you calling the Supreme Lord enemy, He has made me attracted to Him, He has given me devotion to Him, just like an iron rod is attracted to a magnet."

So if we want to be attracted to Krishna, it's actually Krishna who is attracting us. He is the all attractive and this is the easiest way of going back home, back to Godhead, to be attracted to Krishna.

What are the means of getting attracted to Krishna? Yes, the mercy of Krishna. He is the one who attracts."

HH Jayapataka Swami

From the book: Vaishnava Vani
Courtesy: Mathuradesh Publications

http://www.guruvakya.com

Never Give Up Chanting!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on May 5, 2010 at 11:25am

"No matter what impediments there may be, you have to chant Hare Krishna. Maya, the material nature and the material modes may give someone so many imagined reasons why not to chant. But none of them are real. It's all illusion. No matter what, we have to chant. It's the only hope. By chanting and remembering Krishna at the end of the life then we go back to Krishna's nature.Sometimes there maybe some personality clash. Some authority might not deal in a way we consider to be totally fair, so that you can get a mental idea, reason, excuse to take ground. "Send somebody in Krishna Consciousness to deal with me fairly - I will chant Hare Krishna."Or someone's wife may not treat one properly or one's husband may not treat one properly or the weather may not be very good or there may be some stomach ache or any number of things that might happen - some disease or old age, or whatever it might be, someone hits you with a shoe, no matter what, we should simply realize that whatever is happening in this material world, there is no use of becoming preoccupied with that and forget about Krishna. That will be the trick of Maya.

HH Jayapataka Swami

From the book: Vaishnava Vani (Page 28-29) Courtesy: Mathuradesh Publications

http://guruvakya.com/guru-vakya/never-give-up-chanting

What is Real Pleasure?

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on May 4, 2010 at 5:05pm

"Everybody wants pleasure, this whole world is pleasure seeking. But pleasure comes on different levels. There is physical pleasures, mental pleasures and spiritual pleasures.

If somebody is mentally pleased, they feel physically content also. If somebody is spiritually pleased, they feel mentally and physically..things are open.

For instance, if somebody is not mentally pleased even if you give them a nice meal but they are very sad because a loved one is sick, they're not going to enjoy the meal. So the physical pleasure will not replace the mental agony they are felling because of worry for the well being of some relative.

So generally I go for a walk on the Durban beach front and there's a lot of people trying to sell pleasure. But the pleasure they're trying to provide is something for the tongue, something for the touch, something for the ear, something for the eye…superficial pleasure.

We are simultaneously trying to provide pleasure on all the levels. We also have food for the tongue, but it's also food for the soul. We also have certain cultural programs… dance, drama, music and more..

So these things are pleasing to see, at the same time they are spiritually gratifying because the topic is about KRISHNA! "

HH Jayapataka Swami

Ratha Yatra Lecture April 13th, 2001
Durban, South Africa

http://guruvakya.com/guru-vakya/what-is-real-pleasure

FAME in Kali Yuga!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on May 3, 2010 at 11:00am

" Sometimes the people, they're hankering to get famous. This is a very big thing in the world. Football players, cricket players, movie stars. Of course when you get very high fame, there is also a burden.

Just like George Harrison, because he is famous, someone tried to kill him. If you are very famous people will like to kill you, because then they become famous for killing a famous person. Now, to get that... your name put on the news cast as the killer of a big person...many crazies are willing to do anything. So it is very dangerous to be famous nowadays.

George Harrison agreed to come to Mayapur, so he said, "Don't tell anybody that I'm coming". Then when he was there he was saying that, big harassment, all the time people tell where they are. So when he went to Bangkok, he had the secretary sign the hotel and everything. If he signs then they'll recognize the name. But somebody spotted him and then all of a sudden at his door there were like ten charities asking please do a benefit for an orphanage, please do this, do that. So, those are innocent things but then you don't get any peace. Queen of England or any important person. Sometimes, people they just crawl into the house just to get famous.

So being famous in Kali Yuga goes both ways."

HH Jayapataka Swami

Lecture: SB 1.8.6 July 25th, 1999
Bangalore, INDIA

http://guruvakya.com/guru-vakya/fame-in-kali-yuga

ISKCON: Not a Personality Cult!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on April 20, 2010 at 11:30am

"Srila Prabhupada never promoted himself, he could have called it the Bhaktivedanta Movement instead of the Krishna Conscious movement. Just like you have, you know this.. Gurudev movement and this…all the missions, usually they name after the Guru. Charismatic Guru movement. Then after…this baba, that mama, that ma…whatever.

But Prabhupada, he named it the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Hare Krishna Movement, Krishna Consciousness movement. He didn't make it a Personality Cult!

Still somehow or the other, because of his service, we want to glorify Prabhupada, we want to make him famous, because we appreciate he did everything, he was a REAL pure devotee. And therefore his fame should be spread over the three worlds!"

HH Jayapataka Swami

Lecture: SB 1.8.1
July 25th, 2003
Bangalore, INDIA

http://www.guruvakya.com

Prayer of the Acharyas!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on April 16, 2010 at 3:30pm

"You see devotees, the acharyas they pray that, "Please, if I don't get back to You in lifetime let me immediately take birth in the family of Your devotees!"

You see so many children here, they are fortunate to have taken birth in the family of devotees. It's the opportunity for them to get the mercy of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

If some how or the other we can create the environment for them to grow up in, in our homes, which will be so conducive in our communities that they will be able to get a taste, for the nectar in Krishna Consciousness while they are still under the shelter of the parents and then they'll be able to have it their whole lifetime."

HH Jayapataka Swami

Lecture: SB 5.18.17 December 27th, 1994
New Govardhan

http://guruvakya.com/guru-vakya/prayer-of-the-acharyas

Lord Caitanya’s Cleanup Operation!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on April 11, 2010 at 1:55pm

"In the Chaitanya Mangal it mentions that Lord Chaitanya said, "I'm going to flood India, but later someone will come, one of My commanding general devotees and he will spread it to the distant places where sinful people are living. People who have escaped from the mercy in India and who are far away…Don't worry, we'll get them too! I'm going to send the CLEANUP OPERATION. My devotee will go and spread the sankirtan everywhere else."

Srila Prabhupada Ki Jaya! Srila Prabhupada Ki Jaya!

So because of Srila Prabhupada's mercy we can also get this mercy of Lord Chaitanya. We can chant the holy names. We can get the mercy.

Yesterday, so many people on the beach, Byron Bay, they were able to get the mercy. Thousands of people getting Krishna prasad, seeing Lord Jagannath, what to speak of seagulls, sharks. Even the sharks didn't bite anybody yesterday (laughter). Must have been too much filled with ecstasy.

Lord Chaitanya is giving us this complete form of Mercy!"

HH Jayapataka Swami

Lecture: SB 5.18.17 December 27th, 1994
New Govardhan

http://guruvakya.com/guru-vakya/lord-caitanyas-cleanup-operation

No Mercy? Get Stuck!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on April 9, 2010 at 12:05pm

"The conditioned souls are hopelessly entangled in this material world. There is no way of getting out of this material world by their own effort. Simply by their own effort, they'll remain stuck.

We require the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in order to get out of the material entanglement.

daivi hy esha guna-mayi · mama maya duratyaya

Duratyaya…very difficult to overcome this material nature.

mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te

Those who surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, they can easily cross over this ocean of material illusion. Therefore we are totally dependent upon getting the mercy of the Lord. Without His mercy we just remain stuck.

We may try, we can move up and down within the material but to get free from it, we need the mercy of the Lord."

HH Jayapataka Swami

Lecture: SB 5.18.17 December 27th, 1994
New Govardhan

http://guruvakya.com/guru-vakya/no-mercy-get-stuck

Liberated While Alive...?

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on April 7, 2010 at 3:40pm

"If you use your mind, your words and your activities in the service of God, or Hari, or Krishna in this lifetime, then by utilizing all your activities, all absorbed in the spiritual contact with the Supreme Lord, then you'll be even while you are alive, you'll be liberated.

Jivan Mukta….jivan means alive and mukta means liberated. Liberated while alive. So we want to teach people how to spiritualize their consciousness.

Actually Narada Muni, he was chanting Hare Krishna and when he died, it is said that it was like a lightning bolt. He told his disciples how it happened, that he was chanting and meditating and then all of a sudden it was just like being hit by a lightening. And he was illuminated and he could see his spiritual form, his eternal blissful spiritual form and he could see the material body lying there, but there was like no pain, it was just like he just got liberated and it was just a natural transition. So that's also the perfectional way of it happening.

But even while alive, like we saw Srila Prabhupada, everything he did was offered to Krishna, everything that Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was doing was dedicated, and he was a liberated person even while living in the material world. Just coming in his presence you could feel a difference, because everything he was doing was dedicated to Krishna.

So we like to train people to be liberated from their Karmas, while living in the material world so that they can be at peace with themself and be able to help others."

HH Jayapataka Swami

Lecture: BG 8.6 October 10th, 2001

http://guruvakya.com/guru-vakya/liberated-while-alive

Are You a Human Being...?

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on April 6, 2010 at 1:15pm

"People are being a human being, we should be concerned not to neglect this opportunity we have to fully develop our consciousness.

Why someone would take animal birth? Of course one thing would be thinking about the animal at the end of life. Other thing is to develop a consciousness which is more suited to the next birth being an animal birth, than a human being.

Like say somebody is drunk all the time, or something, that's just always in a stooper. They're not, they don't want to be very conscious of whats going on. Human being is much more aware of the realities than an animal. Animal's consciousness is you know, blocked into a limited sphere of understanding. So they would prefer to not have to deal with the problems of life. That's why they are remaining intoxicated.

So at time of death, they may get such a birth, that they can just, you know… ignorance is bliss, or.... They don't have to deal with it, and just deal with the priorities of life like eating, sleeping, mating and defending.

But that's a big waste. As a human being, we've have already gone through 8 Million 400 Thousand species of life of transmigration, a kind of spiritual evolution of consciousness. And being a human being, we should actually perfect our human life by fully developing our potential."

HH Jayapataka Swami

Lecture: BG 8.6 October 10th, 2001

http://guruvakya.com/guru-vakya/are-you-a-human-being

Clap Your Karmas Away!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on April 2, 2010 at 8:45pm

"There is a verse in the Nectar of Devotion that says, when you chant and dance, when chanting Hare Krishna and you clap your hands, just liken when people clap their hands and the birds fly off, as many Karmas fly off from your account…your bad Karmas.

As while you're chanting and clapping your hands, as birds will fly off from the fields, so it's a good impetus….Haribol….Hare Krishna! (Everyone Clapping)"

HH Jayapataka Swami

Lecture: BG 8.6 October 10th, 2001

http://www.guruvakya.com

One Good Fragrant Flower!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on April 1, 2010 at 11:15am

" We know that one good fragrant flower in the forest can give the good name for the whole forest, so like that in the parampara one good disciple will glorify the whole parampara.

So His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad because he took this message around the world he has created a very good name for the disciplic succession following Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

So we all must be very careful to do the same thing to be a good example of His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

I dont feel myself so qualified but I am trying; I am trying my best and I want my disciples, well-wishers, like god-brothers, god-sisters like everyone also try to do what they can to carry on Srila Prabhupada's mission. This is my primary message."

HH Jayapataka Swami

2010 Vyasa Puja Address LA, USA

LISTEN TO AUDIO: http://www.guruvakya.com

61st Vyasa Puja Dedication – GURU VANDANA!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on March 26, 2010 at 2:20am

Celebrating this most-auspicious appearance day of HH Jayapataka Swami Gurumaharaj, with Guru Vandana Music Video. A humble dedication to His Holiness, on the occasion of his 61st Vyasa Puja Celebrations, 26th March 2010.Courtesy: http://www.illuminize.com

Bonafide GURU is a DISCIPLE!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on March 24, 2010 at 10:29am

"The whole purpose of Krishna Consciousness is to develop our pure Krishna Consciousness and the first qualification, first thing we should do, in the Nectar of Devotion, is find the shelter of a bonafide spiritual master.

We serve under the shelter of a bonafide spiritual master, and then after sometime we take initiation. After taking initiation then we get further instruction and the things progress from there, we offer our service to the Guru.

So Prabhupada said, the first qualification of a Guru is to be a disciple. Chadiyace vaisnava seva, nistar paiche kebab. If there is anyone who claims to be Guru who is not a disciple, then he is NOT a bonafide Guru.

A bonafide Guru must first be disciple of his Guru. Even Krishna is 'Gurur Guru'. He is the Guru of all Gurus. He also accepted a Guru just to show us how it is absolutely essential."

HH Jayapataka Swami

Vyasa Puja Lecture Sridham Mayapur

http://guruvakya.com/guru-vakya/bonafide-guru-is-a-disciple

Savior of the Whole World!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on March 19, 2010 at 5:30pm

"If I were to describe myself it would be, 'Bhakti hina, kryia hina, jnana hina, mantra hina.. the particular verse that we offer and beg for forgiveness and no qualification absolutely before coming in contact with His Divine Grace Srila Abhay Charan Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

So then, after meeting Prabhupada and his devotees, then we can see guru kripa hi kevelam. If there is any good quality that I have acquired, it was simple by the mercy of Guru.

Many of you may be born in Brahmana families and may have learned many slokas and suktas before meeting the Krishna Conscious movement. Ofcourse one should not be proud of that. You see that we did not have such an opportunity. Whatever we learned was after meeting Srila Prabhupada. Before that we even never heard of Krishna. We never heard of Bhagavad Gita. We never heard of Hare Krishna maha mantra.

So then we can see everything is due to the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, for us."

HH Jayapataka Swami

Vyasa Puja Lecture Sridham Mayapur

http://guruvakya.com/guru-vakya/savior-of-the-whole-world

GURU: Like a Viceroy!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on March 17, 2010 at 10:30am

"Prabhupada explains, Vyasa Puja address in '72, just like in our country when there was British rule, there was a Viceroy, the king's representative, so naturally when the Viceroy used to go to some meeting many people used to present valuable jewels, valuable, because just to honor him. But the law was that not a single of the jewels or contribution, the Viceroy could touch. It was going to the royal treasury. The Viceroy should accept on behalf of the King all contribution, but it goes to the King.

Similarly this day, Vyasa puja day, whatever honor, contribution and feeling is being offered to the spiritual master, it is, again as we have received the knowledge from upwards, similarly this respect also goes from the downward to the upward. This is the process.

So the spiritual master is the teacher of the student. He has to teach the student how to send back his respect in contribution to GOD. In other words whatever worship is being offered, the Guru accepts on behalf of Vyasadeva, on behalf of the previous acharyas and offers to them."

HH Jayapataka Swami

Vyasa Puja Lecture Sridham Mayapur

http://guruvakya.com/guru-vakya/guru-like-a-viceroy

We Must Be DEBTOR!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on March 15, 2010 at 12:00pm

"Prabhupada said in a Srimad Bhagavatam lecture about what is our relationship with the Guru, 1974. He said, 'We must be DEBTOR! Guru. Debtor to the spiritual master, to the sages, to the saintly persons, because we are getting knowledge from them.

Therefore the Vyasa Puja is there. Once in a year the disciples are worshiping the spiritual master and trying to repay what he has received from the spiritual master.

Why we respect the Guru, Prabhuapda explains, because he does not manufacture. He says what he has heard from the acharyas. Exactly like the child, what he has heard from his father, from the superior, he speaks. So that is the position of Guru.

Guru is respected as good as God….why?…only for this qualification, that he does not speak anything nonsense. He speaks only what he has heard from the acharyas."

HH Jayapataka Swami

Vyasa Puja Lecture Sridham Mayapur

http://guruvakya.com/guru-vakya/we-must-be-debtor

"We change our name at initiation, but if we don't change the consciousness, then what is the use? Our point is that the consciousness has to be purified. It says in the first Canto of the Srimad Bha

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on March 11, 2010 at 4:41pm

"We change our name at initiation, but if we don't change the consciousness, then what is the use?Our point is that the consciousness has to be purified. It says in the first Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam 'janata agha viplavah', that in every shloka and every verse of the Srimad Bhagavatam, it has the potency to create a revolution in our sinful consciousnessSimilarly we should be detached from our materialistic point of view and become attached to cultivating and developing this type of spiritual knowledge, so that we can actually very systematically purify the consciousness. If we don't purify the consciousness, what is the benefit of practicing?Real benefit comes from purifying the consciousness and then engaging that purified consciousness in devotional service.It doesn't matter what externally one's birth might have been, but if one's consciousness has become purified, then they are elevated. And they become eternal consort or associate of the Lord. They become connected with the Lord eternally."

HH Jayapataka Swami From the book: Vaisnava Vani Courtesy: Mathuradesh Publications

PLEASE VISIT: http://www.guruvakya.com for MORE.

One & Only Shelter!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on March 10, 2010 at 1:08pm

"Pure devotional service is unconditional and favorable to the Lord's desire. Since it is Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu's desire that His devotees preach cooperatively the glories of the holy names of Krishna, pure devotees unhesitatingly perform this activity at all times under all circumstances.

The thought that an individual will "in his own way" spread Krishna consciousness outside of the sankirtana movement authorized by the previous acaryas is inconceivable for a pure devotee of the Lord.

There is no alternative for one who wants to achieve perfection in Krishna consciousness in this lifetime other than to remain within the shelter of the Krishna consciousness movement and cooperatively work together for the satisfaction of Guru and Gauranga!

HH Jayapataka Swami

From the book: Vaisnava Ke Verse 10 - Purport

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