I came into contact with Iskcon and Srila Prabhupada's books in 1986. I did not join the movement. But I used to visit the temple in Chennai almost every day for several years. I took initiation from Jayapataka Swami Maharaj. When I retired I went to Vrindavan to settle down to spend the evening of my life in 2014. I had a younger brother named Satyanarayan. He was a passive devotee of Krishna. He was not initiated, and he was not chanting. He liked Vrindavan especially Krishna Balaram Temple which Srila Prabhupada described aptly as Vaikunta.

In the last week of April, he accompanied me to Vrindavan to stay for a few days at my small flat. Suddenly he expressed his desire to visit Yamunotri. I myself did not know anything about Yamunotri. Since Yamuna is very dear to Krishna I also developed an interest to visit her origin. When people told about 8-kilometer trek which one should brave to reach the temple of Yamuna Devi we took it lightly. The journey by foot from Janaki Chatty proved very tough. My brother Satyanarayan hired a pony and went ahead of us. Half way through we other three members of our family also had to hire ponies. The ride on pony was nightmarish. When at last we reached the top, we met my brother who already finished darshan and was ready to descend. He was happy and cheerful. "I will wait for you in the car park" he said smiling. We had darshan and a bath in the hot spring. When we reached the car park at the bottom I found my brother lying in the back seat of the car looking very sick. "He vomited. I gave him some lemon water" said the driver. When we reached our room in Sayan chatty he became very weak. From there we left for Delhi via Haridwar.

At Delhi I hired a car and reached Vrindavan. Finding his health condition worsening I decided to admit him in Nayati Hospital. Doctors, after examining him in the Emergency, declared to our shock that he has a brain fluid block requiring immediate surgery. Surgery was performed early next morning on 8th May. After surgery he was fully conscious and spoke few words to us. I chanted Hare Krishna Mahamantra into his ears and assured him that Narsimha Dev of Mayapur would save him. Hope turned into despair the very next day when he developed lung infection which was followed by a cardiac arrest. He left his body on 11th May (Ekadashi) at 11.50 PM. His mortal remains was cremated on the banks of Yamuna with the invaluable help from Iskcon devotees. In spite of my association with Iskcon and having read Prabhupada's books, my brother's death devastated me. Devotee friends consoled me saying my brother Satyanarayan was actually very fortunate to have come all the way from Chennai to leave his body in Mathura- Vrindavan. I beg any of Iskcon's exalted devotees to enlighten me as to where my brother Satyanarayan’ s soul went. He did not chant. But he visited Vrindavan, Radha Kund Barsana, Mathura several times. He never committed any offense against devotees and the Holy Dham of Vrindavan and always donated often as much as he could.

Anandgopaldas

Vrindavan

"ASK NOT WHAT KRISHNA CAN DO FOR YOU  ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR KRISHNA"

Thanks to John F Kennedy  from whose famous quote I replaced country with Krishna

anandgopaldas, Vrindavan

Of late I have noticed one disturbing thing in Iskcon  which I want to write about. Many of Iskcon Sanyasis and senior devotees are more into writing their own books and spending their energies to push them. Instead they should concentrate on distribution of Prabhupad's books. Prabhupad's books alone have the potency to turn the reader into a Krishna devotee. More over a number books written by second and third generation of devotees are not hundred percent faithful to gaudiya vaishnava sampradaaya. There are here and there compromises and deviations. The only force that sustains ISKCON is books by Prabhupada. Even the books by Prabhupada's dearest disciples do not possess the shakthi which the smallest of Prabhupada's books has.  Put your ear to Prabhupadas's book you will hear the ticking sound of Krishna bakthi bomb. There is nothing left unsaid in Prabhupada's books which we can find in these new generation books. I went through many of them. They,to tell the fact , cause confusion in the mind of even fixed up devotees what to speak of the impact they may have on beginners. Books containing individual realisations are good and welcome but  books on subjects which are already dealt with by Srila Prabhupada are not.

Many of these authors seem to be prone to use the tasteless impersonal word GOD often in their narrations. Prabhupada  used to use the word GOD only very rarely. Why these souls following Prabhupada's foot steps feel shy of referring to God by His name KRISHNA. They should remember that in the beginning when Prabhupada invited suggestions for naming the society some of his disciples recommended the name International Society for God Consciousness. Prabhupada rejected their idea out rightly. When you as a devotee in the line of Prabhupada call the Supreme Lord by insipid name God instead of by the transcendental sound vibration "KRISHNA" you are committing an offense. The word God does not possess transcendental vibration. You can never bring around people unless you always say Krishna wherever you are required to mention God. This habit of using the word God now days are noticed in lectures on Bhagavad-Gita Srimad Bhagavatam etc too. My request is that they should not black wash the beautiful word Krishna by replacing it with the featureless word God. The usage of God in place of Krishna is a crack through which darkness of impersonalism will pour into our through and through personal institution.  Every brick  with which  Iskcon  is built bears the name KRISHNA . The Society is wholly depending on the name Krisna. Please do not feel shy of using it even to an envious person

anandgopaldas

anandgopaldas@yahoo.com

I don't know how others feel when they see someone without shika sitting on Vyaasasan, but I feel disturbed. Only devotees in full uniform which include Shika inspire listeners. You cannot enter Krishna's sanctum without shika ,  one should avoid occupying  Vyasasan without Shika. Shika has shakthi .Shika is a symbol of Krishna bhakthi. Shika is also a symbol of total surrender to Guru and Krishna .Preaching without shika will not be reaching. When a devotee comes before me I pay in my heart obeisances  first to his tilak and then to his Shika

When a temple develops as a collective result of dedication and hard work of temple authorities and devotees at a lower level the success goes to the head of the head - the temple president. Such presidents start consolidating their position and go about as if they are the virtual owners.  We have got an example on our hand where a temple president in defiance of his SpiritualMaster proclaimed the center and temple of which he was made president as being separate from main tree ISKCON. It is like a manager of a bank branch who, when served with transfer order, refuses  to move on the ground that because he developed the branch it has become his own. No president should be allowed to continue in his post for more than five years. If it is not done more and more Bangalore- type headaches are bound to happen. Iskcon Temples and Centers are not franchises . Are they?

Have any  of you felt as I feel whenever I hear Srila Prabhupada's recorded lecture?

Although Prabhupada was speaking in front of so many of his disciples and other listeners. when you hear his lectures through an earphone it is indeed as if he is speaking to you personally.  

You feel should not miss a word , even bat your eyelids fearing offence of inattention.

The other day I fell asleep as I was listening to a lecture of Prabhupada. I felt guilty and ashamed 

anandgopaldasJPS

Material existence is compared to fire. It is hot very very hot . To escape from burning heat of summer we install air conditioners. The bigger the room bigger the air conditioner. Can you imagine one centralised  air conditioner for the entire world  which Krishna  sent to Earth for people to take refuge in ? This air conditioner's capacity is limitless. One tonne ? No two tonne ? No. Trillions of tonnes. This AC is none other than Srila Prabhupada -  A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - humming always Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, running on Spiritual Energy. 

The use of the word "Monk" is not appropriate to describe a devotee of Krishna. It is a word that suits only mayavadhis ie impersonilists. The picture that emerges  in front of your eyes  when you see or hear the word MONK is a that of a Bhudist. ISKCON is through and through a movement of PERSONALISTS. Not a ray of mayavadh-darkness should be allowed to enter our movement. Future of ISKCON is depending on the vigilance which serious faithful devotees should exercise against deviations from gaudaya vaishnava philosophy. For no reason whatsoever we should change our philosophy. Please do not dilute the nectar. The original and primary fight of ISKCON is with mayaavaadhis. We should have nothing to do with anything that even reminds us slightly of that philosophy. Srila Prabhupada never used the word monk anywhere. We are not here to go with the tide. We are here to create our Krishna Consciousness tidal wave to save the world.

Forgive me for being audacious. But there rings a bell of alarm in me when I come across certain things that happen in the society.  It is for the exalted devotees to intervene and rein in overenthusiastic members who indulge in innovation. There is no room for innovation in ISKCON. We are to present what our Founder AC Bhakthi Vedanta Swami has handed to us,  as it is without trying to read between lines.The Train  ISKCON is moving on a track consisting of two rails. One represents Prabhupada's teachings and instructions and the other is  our conduct in following them. Unless we strictly remain parallel to Prabhupada's teachings it will endanger the passage of ISKCON Train aboard which thousands of people are travelling to reach the Victorious Terminus of Goloka Vrindavan 

anandgopaldas(JPS)

One thing which is bothering me about devotees with high material qualifications is the way they hardly miss an opportunity to flaunt them. Once a person enters devotional service to Krishna he gets the highest of qualifications namely IKS (In Krishna's Service). When a person acquires a higher degree of qualification, he mentions only its name, not the entire chain of lower degrees which he obtained before reaching the higher. For example, if a doctor obtains the degree of MD he simply calls himself so and so MD and not So and So MBBS MD. In fact, the only qualification which devotees should proudly display next to their names is FRCP (Fellow of Royal College of Prabhupada).  The illusion that higher the material qualification easier it will be to understand the Science of Krishna should be given up. Subtleties of devotion to Radha Krishna are revealed only to the souls which submit themselves fully to their Gurus. Unless Krishna reveals Himself there is no question of seeing Him through Binoculars (High Material Qualifications). Krishna will rather reveal himself to a totally blind humble devotee who remains in perfect line with the teachings and instructions of his Guru, than to one who seeks to see beyond, go beyond his Guru just because he is an MIT or IIT . Throw your material qualifications into dust bin before you can Krishna's heart win. Stop trying to stand taller on the stilts of material qualifications when you are in the midst of devotees with humble or no material qualifications. Realizations matter not qualifications. Look at HH Navayogendra Swami Maharaja who, though short physically , and not in possession of any big material degrees, is one of the tallest merciful and humble Vaishnava leaders of Iskcon 

Anandgopaldas JPS

The lowly leper who used to utter loudly Lord Narayan’s Name Super

Since a long time ago I longed to  write about two characters who were just beggars from material point of view. One of them was a leper and the other was a roller. By roller I mean a person who, wearing  a mere loin cloth and carrying a vessel on his right hand, used to roll up the entire stretch of Baroda Street  Chennai where my family resided during my school days ,on Saturdays calling loudly the name of Tirupathi Balaji. I used to look up on both with awe and a kind of veneration.

Every Sunday those days in late sixties I woke up to the distant but strong  boom of a voice of the leper. The only word he uttered was “Narayana”.  He would yell this holy Name of Lord Narayana from the bottom of his soul in such a way that you would think that the sound vibration would reach Vaikunta the abode of Vishnu. Even though I was ignorant of greatness of Lord and His names that time the voice of this leper stirred my hearts’ heart. I could not help liking it.  What amazed me was the faith and devotion which he put into the Name of Lord Narayana.  He was a leper. His fingers and toes were all worn out. Nose was almost eaten away . There were hardly any lashes on his eyes. He must have been undergoing a great deal of pain and discomfort. Still he was calling out to Narayan.  It was definitely touching. The picture of him dragging himself along the street clutching a lota (metal mug ) between his elbow and chest  surface in my mind whenever I think of my days in Baroda Street. Though he was a beggar the dhoti he wore was clean and white.  He was wearing thick white and red vaishnav thilak on his fore head. Since his hands were almost fingerless I used to wonder as to who might have applied the vaishnav mark on his forehead . It was my grandfather who first made me realise the benefit which the residents of Baroda Street were getting from this poor leper. “ He appears to be a beggar. But actually he is a giver. You may throw into his lota ten or twenty paisa. But what he gives you is the transcendental  vibrations of Vishu’s name.  After his death he goes back to Vaikuntha. He is more dear to Lord Narayan than those archakas in the temples who commit all kinds of nonsense under the very nose of deities ” he told me one day. From the commission I made from purchase of grocery I kept aside some coins for this leper devotee of Narayan. As soon as I heard his voice I used to go up to the gate and wait for him. When I droped the coin in to his aluminum lota  he would say Narayan with a  smile showing a glimpse of his white teeth bringing his fingerless palms together in a gesture of salutation and gratitude. He was neither a leper nor a  beggar. He was someone from planetary system upper who fell on earth and suffered due to some curse or offence.

Next comes Govinda. He had matted hair reaching his shoulders. Five inch beard. Half an inch thick  vaishnav thilak. Only cloth on his body was a loin cloth full of mud. I never saw him standing or sitting. Carrying a brass vessel in his hand he used to roll in the street calling loud “Govinda”. Saturday was his day. Baroda Street those days was not a smooth tar road. It was dirty strewn with stones. There were litter everywhere. But Govinda never bothered. He just rolled and rolled. Even during summer days Govinda performed this act. You could not stand barefoot for a second but Govinda rolled bare bodied . The residents of Baroda Street who were mostly Brahmins did not offer this guy even a mug of water to drink. Myself and my friend Ramakrishna used to fetch water and pour into his mouth straight much to the displeasure of on looking elders. Like the leper, Govinda filled our ears with Balaji’s name on Saturdays. For this priceless act he used to get hardly a rupee or two . He would stop in front of each and every house and call out the names of Balaji. “Yedu kondalavada venkataramana Govinda Govinda “ even after so many years his voice echo in my mind. Since I came to realise the nature and value of Lord Vishu’s names and the benefit of hearing them  later on in my life after coming into contact with devotees of ISKCON and started reading books of  its founder Acharya Srila Prabhupada, I feel grateful to them. Things are not what they seem to be and persons are not what they appear to be. I am sure the leper and the roller should be by now in Vaikunta. The so called  proud brahmins who looked down up on them should be screaming with pain in some dark corner of hell

Anandgopaldas (JPS)

It happened more than twenty five years ago. But its memory is very fresh even today. I recollect it in fact every Ekadasi day. I went to Mumbai Sri Sri Radha Rasbihari Temple  for the first time during monsoon time in 1990. I actually accompanied my god brother HG Srivas Pandit Das who was then a big collector through life membership. Srivas Pandit Prabhu was known to HG Devaki Nandan das Prabhu JPS who at that time was the Vice President Bombay Iskcon. The day we arrived at the temple was Ekadasi. It was around 10 in the morning .Srivas Pandit Prabhu  took me  after darshan to see HG Devaki Nandan Prabhu . He was sitting in his beautiful office behind a low desk conversing with devotees . After exchanging greetings Srivas Pandit Prabhu introduced me to HG Devakinandan Prabhu. At that exact time a plateful of Ekadasi prasadam  arrived for HG Devakinandan Prabhu. You know what he did ? He simply picked up the plate and offered the same to me. "Prabhu take this Ekadasi Prasadam . All for you . For Srivas I will arrange another plate."  I was stunned. I was unknown and rather an insignificant devotee compared to nice big and very prominent devotees like him. This gesture of HG Devakinandan das Prabhu touched my heart. So many years gone by. I could not see him after that meeting. I used to see him only in TV. I dont know and I am not sure if he remembers me. Actually I should not expect him to do so. But I want to let him know through this blog I recall with gratitude the incidence  every Ekadasi. The plate which he gave away to me still floats in front of my eyes when I think of it every fifteen days. My humble obeisances to HG Devakinandan Prabhu of Bombay ISKCON with thanks. Hare Krishna

anandgopaldas JPS

VRINDAVAN

Tell me if I am wrong. There is a growing trend among ISKCON  devotees including seniors to shy away from three very important aspects of the movement.

1. Hesitation to use always the name KRISHNA while referring to God

2. Wearing of TILAK in a clear and Eye catching manner. It would be nice if devotees from West choose to apply Tilak with Radha Kund Sacred Mud which will contrast with their white skin.

3. SHIKA. It appears the days of shaven heads with golden shikas  are gone. More and more devotees display long hair with "SHIKAS"  made of a bit of longer hair. 

Along with Hare Krishna Mantra these three aspects form four pillars of ISKCON Movement. Erosion of these pillars may please be checked in time

anandgopaldas

JPS

Like Maharaj JPS

a devotee of Krishna hardly there is

how much he did and still he does  

to his Gurudev Srila Prabhupada please

 Mayapur is blooming like a big lotus  golden

 with  petals billion

 under Maharaj's  supervision

 Round the globe even now he goes

 despite health issues and bodily woes

 to push forward mission Mahaprabhu's

 Everyone  knows

 He is carrying on back his

 the karmic cross 

 of his disciples not serious

 and knives thrown by knaves

 whom he gave spiritual lives

 Still accepting he keeps

 more and more disciples

 if he is not merciful then who is?

 tell me one of you please

 faithfully yours

anandgopaldas

I longed to become an officer IPS

Luckily that dream did not come true

Instead somehow Iskcon I was attracted to

Now I can put after my name  the title  JPS

anandgopaldas JPS

பக்தி வேதாந்த ஸ்வாமி பிரபுபாதா 

                       DON"T BE CELLFISH

The material  world we live in, is a huge Prison House. Every country is a cell . Instead of trying to find a way to get out of the Prison House  people in one cell fight with people in either other or neighboring cells. What they will get out of such fights. They should accept the Hare Krishna Mahamantra Masterkey of Krishna Consciousness from Srila Prabhupada which he received in disciplic succession from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu , to open the doors of their cells first and then those big doors of the prison house itself to escape to Krishna's world of eternal bliss. 

Of late I have noticed one disturbing thing in Iskcon  which I want to write about. Many of Iskcon Sanyasis and senior devotees are more into writing their own books and spending their energies to push them. Instead they should concentrate on distribution of Prabhupad's books. Prabhupad's books alone have the potency to turn the reader into a Krishna devotee. More over a number books written by second and third generation of devotees are not hundred percent faithful to gaudiya vaishnava sampradaaya. There are here and there compromises and deviations. The only force that sustains ISKCON is books by Prabhupada. Even the books by Prabhupada's dearest disciples do not possess the shakthi which the smallest of Prabhupada's books has.  Put your ear to Prabhupadas's book you will hear the ticking sound of Krishna bakthi bomb. There is nothing left unsaid in Prabhupada's books which we can find in these new generation books. I went through many of them. They,to tell the fact , cause confusion in the mind of even fixed up devotees what to speak of the impact they may have on beginners. Books containing individual realisations are good and welcome but  books on subjects which are already dealt with by Srila Prabhupada are not.

Many of these authors seem to be prone to use the tasteless impersonal word GOD often in their narrations. Prabhupada  used to use the word GOD only very rarely. Why these souls following Prabhupada's foot steps feel shy of referring to God by His name KRISHNA. They should remember that in the beginning when Prabhupada invited suggestions for naming the society some of his disciples recommended the name International Society for God Consciousness. Prabhupada rejected their idea out rightly. When you as a devotee in the line of Prabhupada call the Supreme Lord by insipid name God instead of by the transcendental sound vibration "KRISHNA" you are committing an offense. The word God does not possess transcendental vibration. You can never bring around people unless you always say Krishna wherever you are required to mention God. This habit of using the word God now days are noticed in lectures on Bhagavad-Gita Srimad Bhagavatam etc too. My request is that they should not black wash the beautiful word Krishna by replacing it with the featureless word God. The usage of God in place of Krishna is a crack through which darkness of impersonalism will pour into our through and through personal institution.  Every brick  with which  Iskcon  is built bears the name KRISHNA . The Society is wholly depending on the name Krisna. Please do not feel shy of using it even to an envious person

anandgopaldas

anandgopaldas@yahoo.com

'  

MY GURUMAHARAJ JAYAPATAKA SWAMY IS NOT AN ORDINARY PERSON -A  GENUINE REPRESENTATIVE OF KRISHNA.

I have recently joined Iskcon Desire Tree. The devotional blogs which appear here are wonderful to go through. They in fact water the plant of Krishna Consciousness in our hearts. I am a disciple of HDG Jayapataka Swami Maharaj. It was in early nineties. I was not a full time devotee. But I was close to Iskcon Chennai. Jayapataka Maharaj gave me initiation in 1988 at Mayapur. I used to see him whenever he visited Chennai , pay obeisance and kept myself in the fringe as he was always surrounded by senior devotees who used to vie with one another to serve him. During one such visits Gurumaharaj spoke a few words to many devotees of the center, addressing each one by his name. As usual I was standing  away in a corner  and suddenly I felt myself longing to be spoken to by Gurumaharaj. I felt a kind of an yearning for my name to be uttered by Jayapataka Swamy Maharaj. As I mentioned before I was not a full time devotee and I had almost nil association with my Guru maharaj . How could I expect him to know/remember  my name?  I just dismissed the  desire. Hardly ten minutes later  devotees/disciples started performing Guru Puja/ aarti to him as he sat on Vyasasan in the small hall upstairs. The beautiful "Sri Guru charana padma... song was going on. Devotees were offering flowers to his lotus feet one by one. I always give way to full time devotees and wait for my turn at fag end. The last of the temple devotees was paying his obeisance to Jayapataka Maharaj . I was to go next when  Jayapataka Maharaj's  voice rang out.  " Hurry anandgopal Prabhu  I have a plane to catch"  I literally ran towards him , placed the flowers on his lotus feet and paid full obeisance. Only hardly quarter of an hour ago I desired that my Gurumaharaj should call me by my name and speak to me a word. The very thing happened to my surprise and blissful shock. How on earth Jayapataka Maharaj  knew /remembered my name Krishna alone knows. Krishna never delays fulfilling devotional desires of His devotees especially fallen ones like me. MORE OVER MY GURUMAHARAJ JAYAPATAKA SWAMY IS NOT AN ORDINARY PERSON -A GENUINE REPRESENTATIVE OF KRISHNA.

anandgopaldas