Shabda Hari Das's Posts

Depending on GOD: Brings Stability in Life!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on March 9, 2010 at 11:30am

"Those who are depending on God, they're actually stable and steady in their situation. Otherwise material life, one minute things can go pretty good and the next minute, things can suddenly change. We think how easy it is for a human body to be killed. It's almost a miracle that how we're alive. I mean see, it doesn't take much. A car accident, falling of one storey building anything. Somehow Krishna's mercy we're alive. It's a kind of a miraculous thing.

So, in this time, if we actually take the stock of our life and take it as an opportunity in these times of world crisis, to become more fixed up in our spiritual life, to regularly chant hare Krishna, to regularly come to the temples, to make our home as a real ashram. Grihasta home should also make their home as an ashram for their whole family with putting Krishna in the center.

You go in the Navadvip parikrama and visit the homes of different devotees like Murari Gupta. He was a devotee of Sita Ram, he worshipped Sita Ram deity and he had a temple. He lived in a grass hut but made a stone temple for the deities. So, the temple is still there. The Sita-Ram-Laxman-Hanuman deities are still there. Like this Grihastas, they must also worship Krishna whether in a photo form or in a small deity form or whether they construct their own temple.

HH Jayapataka Swami

Lecture: SB 10.20.16

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Krishna STEALS His Devotees!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on February 23, 2010 at 4:50pm

What I remember, once devotee told me, when I came, you see there were three boys who came to one Hare Krishna festival. They were very naughty boys.

And there was a devotee, had a book table with incense, books all the paraphernalia. And the three boys came and started to distract him. "What's this? What's that?"..they said. So the one on the other side took one Bhagavad Gita and stole it. And they ran off!!

Then they thought, "Hahahahahahahha.....We got the Hare Krishna's!....we stole their book!". This is the kind of tamasic fun, stealing. But the delinquent prople, if they do something successful, then they go,they give some. SO they thought we got. And what did we steal anyways, so they started reading it. (laughter)

So the person that was standing for question/answer period. He said,'Actually, we read the book, and I'm one of those three boys, and I became your disciple. And another one became Hrdayananda Maharaj's disciple, and the third one became your disciple also."

So by stealing Bhagavad Gita, who is the more clever? (laughter).

Everyone should keep Bhagavad Gita in their cars. If they steal, maybe they'll steal the Gita. Don't leave your mobile phones!(laughter) They stole GITA, Krishna is so clever, HE STOLE THEM!

HH Jayapataka Swami
Lecture
18th September, 2005
Teluk Intan, Malaysia

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Shortcut to the Spiritual World!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on January 28, 2010 at 10:20am

"Narottama Das Thakura prayed for a short-cut. He said, "I am so unfortunate, I am so unhappy. It is so difficult for me to control my mind. So Lord Nityananda, please just flood me with ecstasy. Flood me with Your mercy. Then I will be so attracted by the taste of the love flowing from Your lotus feet that automatically my mind will be absorbed. "

This is the devotee's short-cut. If we can get the mercy of Lord Nityananda, then very quickly we taste the ecstasy of pure love for Krishna. Then the mind is easily controlled."

HH Jayapataka Swami

From the book: Vaisnava Ke
Verse Nine: Purport

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Like Rising Cream!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on January 27, 2010 at 4:10pm

"His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has used the appropriate analogy of Cream.Cream naturally rises to the top of the milk, and similarly, if the devotee's Desires are pure, light and free from all material contaminations, that pure desire will pull one higher and higher in Devotional Activities.There is no need to be misled; one should exclude all other desires except one- to be the servant of the servant, in other words, to be a pure Vaisnava."

HH Jayapataka Swami From the book: Vaisnava Ke Verse 4 - Purport

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Maya's Sticky Web!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on January 26, 2010 at 12:33pm

"When a living being attempts to enjoy separately from the Lord, he enters Maya's Web.Just as an unwitting insect flies into a spider's web and, just as by struggling, the fly becomes increasingly entangled, so the unwitting living being becomes increasingly implicated in illusion the more he struggles to implement his Independent plans.On the other hand, just as a baby spider crawls nonchalantly across the web, so the devotee who is linked with Lord Madhava, the original author of illusion, remains free from material entanglement.By personal devotion and dedication of all one's wealth to Lord Madhava's service, one can easily be liberated from the web of illusion."

HH Jayapataka Swami From the book: Vaisnava Ke Verse 3 - Purport

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Representatives of Andal & Ramanujacarya!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on January 25, 2010 at 6:00pm

When we took our Safari to South India we went to the Sri Rangam temple and there we chanted Hare Krsna for the acarya of the Sri Rangam temple, one of the 64 temples of Ramanuja and that’s maybe the most important that he has. Then he said, "You are all incarnations of Andal, an incarnation of Lakshmi who chanted the holy name and said everyone should go with karatals and drums in the street and chant the name of Krsna." He said, "You are all incarnations or representatives of Andal, you are doing."

And just recently when we had the Tirupati temple opening, the head acarya was going to come for one day just bless it. But he stayed for all the seven days. When he saw some of the gurukuli devotees leading kirtan, and everybody chanting and dancing and all wearing tilaka, then he made a declaration that, “You are doing what we should be doing. This is what Ramanujacarya did, he made people devotees. We have become expert in all the rituals but we are not making new devotees. But you are making the new devotees.”

Then Radhanath Swami told me that he did a programme in Sri Rangam and the acarya had publicly over television said, “I want to be a member of ISKCON. [Devotees: Haribol!] They are doing what Ramanujacarya told us to do.”

HH Jayapataka Swami
Lecture
March 19th, 2008
Sridham Mayapur

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REAL Test of a Devotee!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on January 25, 2010 at 9:45am

"In good times anybody can serve Krishna. Difficult times are a REAL TEST of a devotee.Sometimes because of our Karmas or something, the situation becomes very complicated. Krishna is just watching. He allows it to go on. But anyway nothing happens without His permission. When he sees that the devotee, even though in problem, is still thinking of Me and is wanting to serve Me, then he becomes 'purchased' and feels that this devotee is so determined to serve Me.If you want to impress Krishna, you should serve Him not only in the good times but other times also. In difficult times if we say, "Forget it, I won't serve", that kind of friend you can get anywhere. You can buy people like that. Real Devotee means, that you serve anytime and in any circumstance.Krishna promises He will protect you. He wants to see whether you believe Him or not. If He sees that this person even in distress is looking to Him for protection, then Krishna will protect. If he is not looking for protection, then why will He protect? We have to be fixed that we want Krishna's protection, then He will protect us, in His own way."

From the book: Vaisnava Vani Courtesy: Mathuradesh Publications

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IMAGINE…Krishna Makes it Perfect!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on January 21, 2010 at 9:57am

Jayapataka: Everything you plan is perfect.Prabhupada: No. I imagine. Krishna makes it perfect. I think, "It would have been nice if it would have been like this," but Krishna... Yei prasade pure sarva asa. Long, long ago, when I was publishing Back to Godhead, one sheet, I was thinking that "What is this sheet? If it would have been like Illustrated Weekly, then it would have been nice." Now they are coming like that.Jayapataka: Now 'Illustrated Weekly' is nothing compared to Back to Godhead.Prabhupada: No. (laughs) Better than Illustrated Weekly. I thought of getting some help from artist. For painting picture, I will dictate, and they will paint picture. Now Krishna has got lots of artists. So depend on Krishna. He can do everything. Krishna-Balarama.

Arrival Talk in Room

March 23rd, 1975 Sridham Mayapur

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Transcendental Music... for Haiti Relief!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on January 18, 2010 at 9:52am

Dear DevoteesPlease accept my respectful obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!All Glories to Guru and Gauranga!The recent HAITI EARTHQUAKE has claimed more than 1,00,000 victims, and counting...Thought that this would be a good opportunity to make a difference... through music!As a tribute to the departed souls of the Haiti quake, I'm giving away 5 songs from my recent album ILLUMINIZE for FREE.- Jagannath Astaka- Pure Souls (Guru Vandana)- Longing Vraja- Ocean of Mercy (Gaura Nitai)- A Little Girl's Dream=>> http://www.gimmesound.com/ShabdaHariDas/I stumbled upon a site which allows musicians to be able to contribute to various causes through their music.Every FREE download of yours counts here...as a portion of the revenues goes towards the cause.The MAIN purpose of this endeavor is to be able to spread the Holy Names to as many people as possible, far and wide.By the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and Guru: may these transcendental sounds touch many more hearts....In your serviceShabda Hari Das=>> http://www.gimmesound.com/ShabdaHariDas/

Too Busy? Think Again!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on January 18, 2010 at 9:34am

“Nowadays we try to organize once a week namahata meeting, or house program or get people to come to the Sunday feast but they're too busy. They cant even break away one night to come together for a meeting and have some kirtan in somebody's house. This is our progress in the modern society. We progress so much that people are so stressed out that they cant even get together and chant 'Hare Krishna' once in a week.But somehow or the other we must make the time, because we sing together, study the Bhagvatam, study the Caitanya Caritamrita, study the Bhagavad Gita. This actually makes our minds very peaceful, very fixed up in Krishna consciousness and makes our spiritual life very clear. The whole existence becomes balanced.We become like these mountains we discussed earlier. Solid, even in the midst of clouds, even in the midst of lightening. The mountains stand stiff, solid. We want to be able to survive these difficulties which keep coming in the modern society. We don't know where its going to lead. It could lead anywhere."

HH Jayapataka Swami

Lecture Srimad Bhagavatam: 10.20.16

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How are you?...I am fine!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on January 14, 2010 at 9:40am

“Every one of us has experienced how someone in a completely miserable condition - like a person in traction in a hospital - says "I am fine!" when asked "How are you?", just because he has slightly less pain since the day before. This is the standard of material happiness.In His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's books and lectures, a similar example is often given. From this example one easily realizes that in material life it is not real happiness that is experienced; rather one experiences simply momentary happiness.Real happiness is not dependent on material situations, is fully satisfying, and can be experienced when in Krishna Consciousness.When one is able to understand all these truths about material and spiritual life, that is not an ordinary thing. It is only possible by the special mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

HH Jayapataka Swami

From the book: Vrindavane Bhajan Verse 5 Purport

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Weapons of Love!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on January 8, 2010 at 9:31am

“In the previous ages, the Lord was carrying weapons. When the devas approached Caitanya Mahaprabhu when He was still in the womb of His mother, they were glorifying Him that, in every incarnation You come, and You deliver the demons and You deliver Your devotees.The demons are delivered by getting killed by the Lord and then they are given moksha. They merge into the light of the Lord. The devotees of the Lord are given His shelter, and the achieve Vaikunta.But in the incarnation of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord doesn't carry any weapons of violence. His weapons are only weapons of Love, of Bhajan.Mrdangas, Kartals, Srimad Bhavagat, His personal beauty, His associates, His festivals...these are all transcendental weapons of the Lord. But they are weapons to kill our demoniac nature! The weapons are not to kill us, but the weapons to kill our demoniac nature only...leaving the devotional nature. That is the special mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.So we see in all the incarnations They are very affectionate to the devotees, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the personified...total compassion! Even Jagai-Madhai beat Lord Nithyananda, still Lord Nithyananda gave them His mercy. Who can be more merciful? "

HH Jayapataka Swami

Lecture: SB 5.8.17 27th December 1994 New Govardhan

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Power of Preaching!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on January 7, 2010 at 10:52am

“By preaching we can burn up the effects of our offenses. By helping others to be Krishna Conscious, we attract the mercy of Krishna in a very quick manner and we can advance quickly.For those who are liberated, there are also special rasa when they go out and preach and that is what the Lord wants.So whether one is a very neophyte or one is a liberated soul, they can all engage in preaching."

HH Jayapataka Swami

From the book: Vaishnava Vani Courtesy: Mathuradesh Publications

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Transparent Windows to the Spiritual World!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on January 6, 2010 at 10:30am

“Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and his beloved disciple, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, are “sages” or bona fide spiritual masters whose instructions are Transparent Windows to the Spiritual World.Where blindly following can cause mishap, one is protected by carefully comprehending the instructions of the previous spiritual masters and the Vedic literatures using reasoning and logic. Logical reflection on the teachings of Krishna is recommended, while mental speculation based on material conceptions and blind sentiments are forbidden.On the long journey back to Godhead, who but a fool would travel without a map, without a guide? However, when a devotee has a bonafide spiritual master and the Vedic literatures as his guide and yet instead listens to his false ego, that is even more foolish..”

HH Jayapataka Swami

From the book: Vaishnava Ke Verse 19 - Purport

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Everfresh Krishna Consciousness!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on January 5, 2010 at 9:37am

" What ever pleasures one is getting by meditating on Krishna's qualities, that pleasure is coming again newer and newer!This newness is something everybody is hankering for in the material world. You see in the store, on the packages-New! Newest! The daily newspapers tell you what's new, what's the latest. What is new is news. Something you don't know yet, something that's new for you, something that is inexperienced.So people go to great lengths not to get bored. Some TV show maybe gets top ratings, but after a while the materialists get bored with it. When it goes down they want something new. People want always something new.The wonder, "How is it that you can always be just worshiping Krishna? Don't you get bored?"Krishna is Nava Nava. He is EVER NEW! The ecstasy of worshiping Krishna or serving Krishna is ever new. You always feel that this is a new happiness; this is something better than I have ever experienced before, this is something different, this is something new. The devotee doesn't feel any compulsion to look for something different. He thinks, "Why should I go looking for something different when Krishna is giving ever new transcendental pleasures?"

HH Jayapataka Swami

From the book: Vaishnava Vani Courtesy: Mathuradesh Publications

http://www.guruvakya.com

Reality Check!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on January 4, 2010 at 9:27am

"When there is a big disaster, people start to have reality checks. What did we do wrong? People start to become introspective when there are disasters and problems. That's an opportunity for the people who are well grounded in their spiritual life, in their Krishna consciousness to be able to promote KC.We need a more spiritual world. It's too much of a one sided world, too much materialism. It needs to be balanced. So, Srila Prabhupada was trying to promote this balance deal of a spiritual life with a responsible householder to show and have role models on how to have a spiritually oriented Grihasta life, family life and to promote that to the neighbors, friends, work colleagues and other acquaintances.We see here in this examples here in the Bhagvatam that different problems in life, we try to avoid them by having a balanced Krishna conscious life by studying families, by dedicated renounced people, everyone serving together in a cooperative society to please Srila Prabhupada, Lord Chaitanya and Krishna."

HH Jayapataka Swami

Lecture: Srimad Bhagavatam 10.20.16

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Material World: Nothing But A Shadow!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on January 1, 2010 at 12:00pm

"The material world is but a shadow. If we hold our hand against the light it casts a shadow image. The shadow image is like an outline of the hand. It doesn't show the qualities of the hand, such as the hair, the skin, or the fingerprints. It is only a vague form.Similarly, in the material world, what we see as admiration, servitorship, friendship, parental affection, or conjugal affection, these are all like incomplete shadows of their real form.Just as the hand has so many variegated qualities like form, taste, and small, so the relationships in the spiritual world are full of qualities. They are expanded unlimitedly and contain no imperfection or inebriety.Because the Lord and the devotees are both eternal and liberated from all material qualities, their relationship is perfect and transcendental."

HH Jayapataka Swami

From the book: Vrindavane Bhajan Verse 8: Purport

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The Proud Frog!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on December 31, 2009 at 10:10am

"Sometimes someone has a little knowledge, and they become very proud. Sometimes someone has a little wealth, they become very proud, they think nothing can disturb them.There is a story once, that there was a frog living in the pond. One day the frog, he jumped out on the side of the pond and there he found one coin. He found a 50 paisa piece...'aat anna'. Now this was quite some time ago, so that time 'aat anna' was more than it is today. Maybe that 'aat anna' was worth 50 rupees today. Now rupees are not worth so much.So that frog thought that, "Now I am the richest frog in the world! What other frog has so much money?" Have you ever see a frog with money? So he was very proud. So he was sitting on top of that 50 paisa and he was making that sound that the frogs make...what do we call it..croaking!And he thought that, 'Now I have become a very wealthy frog, and I don't have anything to fear anymore because I have so much wealth...I am going to teach that elephant a lesson!! Everyday the elephant comes down, the King's (raja's) elephant and he bathes in the pond here and he disturbs all us frogs. He doesn't appreciate our real value. Just ignores us and comes and...Now that I am the richest frog in the world I'm going to just tie up this elephant and stop him from disturbing us in the pond!"So when the muhoot came with the elephant in the morning, to take him to bathe in the raj pukoor...raj tank, so that frog sitting on his 50 paise piece...this 8 annas, he told the elephant.."Stop!". Elephant could hardly pay any attention to what the frog was croaking.And the frog in his anger jumped over to the elephant, hit his leg and then fell off near the elephants leg. The next step the elephant's foot came right on the frog....Squish!! End of the story.So the moral of the story of-course, is we shouldn't get too proud even if we have some material prosperity. In the material world people, they get a little proud, they get a little prosperity, they are very proud and they start to do things with pride...forgetting that this life is temporary.And ultimately, whatever power we have, it doesn't take anything to finish us off."

HH Jayapataka Swami

Lecture: BG 2.57 31st July 1991 Mathuradesh (Muscat)

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ABC's of Spirituality!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on December 30, 2009 at 10:23am

So sometimes when people hear these principles of Bhakti..this bowing down, offering a flower, offering a fruit, offering water with tulasi, doing some simple services, they think, 'what is this? this is over-simplified! we have to do some high mental speculation or....these are just the ABCs'.There is also a story about that...One time there was one widow. She had a son, about 11-12 years old. So she wanted to give the best education for her son, but she herself was not very highly educated. She just a primary student. So she even borrowed some money and she was paying 100 rupees a month, and order for a tutor, a teacher, to come and teach her boy.So one day she was cooking, but she was listening, what is the teacher teaching the boy. So that day...he's about 6th standard, he was teaching geometry. So in geometry... teaching about a triangle, so a triangle is 3 corners, A...B...C. He described the sides by saying AB...BC...CA. So the teacher was explaining this...triangle A...B...C, and then how you go AB...BC..CA.And the mother is just listening...all she can hear is 'A...B..C...A...B..C..C..B...C..A'. She said, 'what is this? I am paying a 100 rupees to a teacher to come and teach by boy, after he is already in 6th standard...and he is still teaching ABC?!!'She became very furious..came out and started shouting at him, 'You are fired! You are useless...what are you doing? I am paying you 100 rupees a month and you are teaching my son, after 6-7 years, still you are teaching him ABC??!! You are fired...get out! You are wasting my time'. Then he was trying to explain what it...but you know she won't hear. She was so angry..so furious. So what can he do, he closes the book.. he goes.So like that, sometimes the Jnanis, they think, 'Oh what the Bhaktas as saying, this is ABC!'. They don't realize that these are higher principles. But even higher principles you may refer to certain things, which may sound that, just superficial, if you don't go deep into it, it may sound as though this is ABC.But actually, the devotees know how to apply it, these principles for understanding the highest knowledge...'Who is the Parambrahma? How do we relate with the Parambrahma, with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan? What is our Sambandha, relationship? or Abhideya, how we act in that relationship? Prayojana, the purpose of life?'All these there are very clearly understood, practiced and achieved through the process of Bhakti Yoga!"

HH Jayapataka Swami

Lecture: BG 2.57 31st July 1991 Mathuradesh (Muscat)

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Beautiful Story on Material Attachments!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on December 29, 2009 at 9:47am

Because of lack of transcendental knowledge, one is thinking, "Oh because of Krishna Consciousness, I will give up some happiness, like going to the movies at night." Some kind of attachment is there.There is a story about Sanatana Goswami's servant. He asked Sanatana Goswami, "There is a party going on in the forest...there is a big festival. Could I go and participate?"Sanatana Goswami said, "Festival?...in the middle of the night???...I don't think you should go there.""No, no, no, they are having a good time....""All right if you want to go, what can I say? You go, but no eating whatever they give you. Whatever they give you to eat, you just wrap it up and bring it back here."So the devotee went to the festival in the forest and they sat him down, "Please take some food."They gave him some nice preparations...some rice and so many things, but he wrapped it all up in his cloth, didn't take it, and he went back to the Ashrama and took rest.Next morning, Srila Sanatana Goswami asked, "How was the festival?""Oh, it was quite interesting. Everyone was having a good time.""Did they give you anything to eat?"He said, "Yes, but I didn't eat it. I kept it in my cloth.""Bring your cloth. Let me see what they gave you. I am sure it has got some nice preparation."So he brought it and when they opened the pot, instead of all the nice delicacies he had seen the night before, there was bones, and rotten flesh, and pus and blood, stool and all kinds of horrible things."Oh, what is this?""Those were ghosts having a ghost festival. They had transformed all these horrible things to make it seem like nice things. If you had eaten...oof!"Then when the servant realized that, he said, "Oh, how did you know?""Who has a festival in the middle of the night, in the middle of the forest?"So the spiritual master could understand, but the disciple was still attached to some material things. Once he has the knowledge, "Oof! Look at this horrible stuff!" Then naturally you get some detachment."

HH Jayapataka Swami

From the book: Vaishnava Vani Courtesy: Mathuradesh Publications

http://www.guruvakya.com