On May 21-22nd, the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation (RFBF) hosted its fifth annual Faith@Work Conference, a global platform that welcomed business and religious leaders from around the world. The event was held at the prestigious Catholic University of America’s School of Business in Washington, DC. Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON’s Global Minister of Communications, and Yachneet Pushkarna, CEO of HARIBOL Foods, were among this year’s participants.

Founded in 2014 by Dr. Brian Grim, the RFBF aims to educate “the global business community, policymakers, non-government organizations, and consumers about the positive power that faith and religious freedom for all (including those with no religious faith) have on workplaces and the economy.”

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/global-companies-honored-for-appreciating-religious-diversity-in-the-workplace/

By Ananth Krishnan for the Hindu.com

In and around Quanzhou, a bustling industrial city, there are shrines that historians believe may have been part of a network of more than a dozen Hindu temples and shrines

A panel of inscriptions of the God Narasimha adorns the entrance to the main shrine of the temple, believed to have been installed by Tamil traders who lived in Quanzhou in the 13th century. Photo: Ananth Krishnan

For the residents of Chedian, a few thousand-year-old village of muddy by-lanes and old stone courtyard houses, she is just another form of Guanyin, the female Bodhisattva who is venerated in many parts of China.

But the goddess that the residents of this village pray to every morning, as they light incense sticks and chant prayers, is quite unlike any deity one might find elsewhere in China. Sitting cross-legged, the four-armed goddess smiles benignly, flanked by two attendants, with an apparently vanquished demon lying at her feet.

Local scholars are still unsure about her identity, but what they do know is that this shrine’s unique roots lie not in China, but in far away south India. The deity, they say, was either brought to Quanzhou — a thriving port city that was at the centre of the region’s maritime commerce a few centuries ago — by Tamil traders who worked here some 800 years ago, or perhaps more likely, crafted by local sculptors at their behest.

“This is possibly the only temple in China where we are still praying to a Hindu God,” says Li San Long, a Chedian resident, with a smile.

“Even though most of the villagers still think she is Guanyin!” Mr. Li said the village temple collapsed some 500 years ago, but villagers dug through the rubble, saved the deity and rebuilt the temple, believing that the goddess brought them good fortune — a belief that some, at least, still adhere to.

The Chedian shrine is just one of what historians believe may have been a network of more than a dozen Hindu temples or shrines, including two grand big temples, built in Quanzhou and surrounding villages by a community of Tamil traders who lived here during the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1279-1368) dynasties.

At the time, this port city was among the busiest in the world and was a thriving centre of regional maritime commerce.

The history of Quanzhou’s temples and Tamil links was largely forgotten until the 1930s, when dozens of stones showing perfectly rendered images of the god Narasimha — the man-lion avatar of Vishnu — were unearthed by a Quanzhou archaeologist called Wu Wenliang. Elephant statues and images narrating mythological stories related to Vishnu and Shiva were also found, bearing a style and pattern that was almost identical to what was evident in the temples of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh from a similar period.

Wu’s discoveries received little attention at the time as his country was slowly emerging from the turmoil of the Japanese occupation, the Second World War and the civil war. It took more than a decade after the Communists came to power in 1949 for the stones and statues to even be placed in a museum, known today as the Quanzhou Maritime Museum.

“It is difficult to say how many temples there were, and how many were destroyed or fell to ruin,” the museum’s vice curator Wang Liming told The Hindu. “But we have found them spread across so many different sites that we are very possibly talking about many temples that were built across Quanzhou.”

Today, most of the sculptures and statues are on display in the museum, which also showcases a map that leaves little doubt about the remarkable spread of the discoveries. The sites stretch across more than a dozen locations located all over the city and in the surrounding county. The most recent discoveries were made in the 1980s, and it is possible, says Ms. Wang, that there are old sites yet to be discovered.

The Maritime Museum has now opened a special exhibit showcasing Quanzhou’s south Indian links. Ms. Wang says there is a renewed interest — and financial backing — from the local government to do more to showcase what she describes as the city’s “1000-year-old history with south India,” which has been largely forgotten, not only in China but also in India.

“There is still a lot we don’t know about this period,” she says, “so if we can get any help from Indian scholars, we would really welcome it as this is something we need to study together. Most of the stones come from the 13th century Yuan Dynasty, which developed close trade links with the kingdoms of southern India. We believe that the designs were brought by the traders, but the work was probably done by Chinese workers.”

Ms. Wang says the earliest record of an Indian residing in Quanzhou dates back to the 6th century. An inscription found on the Yanfu temple from the Song Dynasty describes how the monk Gunaratna, known in China as Liang Putong, translated sutras from Sanskrit. Trade particularly flourished in the 13th century Yuan Dynasty. In 1271, a visiting Italian merchant recorded that the Indian traders “were recognised easily.”

“These rich Indian men and women mainly live on vegetables, milk and rice,” he wrote, unlike the Chinese “who eat meat and fish.” The most striking legacy of this period of history is still on public display in a hidden corner of the 7th century Kaiyuan Buddhist Temple, which is today Quanzhou’s biggest temple and is located in the centre of the old town. A popular attraction for Chinese Buddhists, the temple receives a few thousand visitors every day. In a corner behind the temple, there are at least half a dozen pillars displaying an extraordinary variety of inscriptions from Hindu mythology. A panel of inscriptions depicting the god Narasimha also adorns the steps leading up to the main shrine, which houses a Buddha statue. Huang Yishan, a temple caretaker whose family has, for generations, owned the land on which the temple was built, says the inscriptions are perhaps the most unique part of the temple, although he laments that most of his compatriots are unaware of this chapter of history. On a recent afternoon, as a stream of visitors walked up the steps to offer incense sticks as they prayed to Buddha, none spared a glance at the panel of inscriptions. Other indicators from Quanzhou’s rich but forgotten past lie scattered through what is now a modern and bustling industrial city, albeit a town that today lies in the shadow of the provincial capital Xiamen and the more prosperous port city of Guangzhou to the far south.

A few kilometres from the Kaiyuan temple stands a striking several metre-high Shiva lingam in the centre of the popular Bamboo Stone Park. To the city’s residents, however, the lingam is merely known as a rather unusually shaped “bamboo stone,” another symbol of history that still stays hidden in plain sight.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/behind-chinas-hindu-temples-a-forgotten-history/article4932458.ece

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=11759

Looking for greener pastures, many Indians left their homes and migrated to other countries. Even young men and women from traditional conservative families ventured out of their insulated nests with an aim to acquire more knowledge and skills yet with a firm belief that their roots will hold them tight and not give any scope for aberrations. They went with the idea of having the best of both worlds. The best of the material world with its promise of more wealth, fame and fortune; and the ‘other’ world that was already deeply embedded in themselves in the form of traditions, practices and faith in the divine. Apparently the balance was not so easy. Getting the best of both worlds mostly meant compromising on many aspects of this ‘other’ world since it was invisible to others. What practices we followed at home, what religious rituals we identified ourselves with, what food we ate at home and what prayers we chanted, everything was a private affair. What we did or what we did not, did not really matter outside.

In the quest of getting the best of both worlds the ‘private’ inner world is mostly compromised. When Srila Prabhupada went to America he did the opposite. At the age of 69 when he decided to spread the Krishna consciousness movement throughout the world he sacrificed his ‘comfortable’ life in Vrindavan; the best life that any sannyasi can ask for. The respectful, peaceful and spiritually surcharged life in Vrindavan was a huge sacrifice in itself what to speak of the risk that he took upon his own health to travel to a country that was thousands of kilometres away; the distance was not just physical but there was colossal gap in the social and cultural ethos as well. But Srila Prabhupada truly discerned the best from the two worlds and helped many others to do that. The philosophy of yukta vairagya or engaging everything in the service of the divine, specifically in the service of the supreme lord Sri Krishna, was clearly explained by Srila Rupa Goswami in his Nectar of Devotion (Bhaktiramritasindhu). Srila Prabhupada practically applied this philosophy and exemplified the meaning of true renunciation when he utilized all the facilities provided in the materially prosperous United States in the service of Lord Krishna and His devotees. Yet he did not compromise anything in his sacrosanct world of spiritual practices rooted in the Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy. In fact, it was this world of his that made sense of the outside world. This was indeed the best world in the truest sense since it works on the higher principles of selfless love, respect and empathy.

Srila Prabhupada belonged to this best world and being situated there he took the best from all the other worlds and gave it to us. So how can we have the best of both the worlds? By following the same route; situate ourselves firmly on the spiritual plane through our consciousness and take whatever is best available in this material world. As Srila Prabhupada would often put it ‘make the best use of a bad bargain’! Recognizing which among the two worlds is really ‘best’ is the key to get the best of both the worlds. Because most of us get it wrong and prioritize the material world, we end up losing both. In our chase for the best of material comforts we slip off the spiritual plane and sure enough settle down for some hotchpotch, precarious mid ground where the roots are wavering and branches are stalled. Srila Prabhupada explained and exemplified this principle of yukta vairagya. Giving the analogy of a blind and a lame man, he spoke of how some people are endowed with many material facilities but none to progress spiritually. A blind man can carry the lame man on his shoulders and the lame man can direct the blind man, he said. The spiritually blind have to be directed by the spiritually elevated saints who may be lame in the sense of the material facilities. Best of both worlds!

When little Dhruva, angered by his father’s neglect, went seeking for unprecedented wealth, he was looking only at that world, the material world and its promises. Fortunately for him both his mother and most importantly sage Narada helped him ‘see’ the other world. And when he finally did see the four-handed supreme lord Himself, he felt guilty and stupid for having asked something quite insignificant in comparison. Eventually Dhruva indeed got the best of both worlds; he understood what was truly more significant or ‘best’. When Vibheeshana left his powerful brother and king Ravana, he already knew that he was entering the best world and very soon he got the best of both worlds when he was crowned as the king of Sri Lanka upon the death Ravana.

Certainly the material world and its comforts are alluring and the path of bhakti that defines our inner world feels very challenging and tedious. But to choose one over the other may leave us in a lurch; confused and disoriented. There will surely be many dissuading us from taking our spiritual path seriously, screaming for attention and convincing us how the austere spiritual life is not worth it all. This reminds me of a beautiful song written saint Gopala Dasa who belongs to the Madhva sampradaya or tradition where he is addressing Goddess Lakshmi and asking her whatever made her marry Vasudeva or Lord Krishna!

Gopala Dasa, in a song using the poetic device called as ninda stuti, that employs mockery or sarcasm to glorify the Lord prays to mother Lakshmi as follows:

My dear mother Lakshmi, why did you marry Vasudeva? Knowingly you seem to have overlooked all his faults, as He assumes numerous forms!

Your personality is divine, with the fragrance of a lotus, delicate body and an enchanting face and He, Vasudeva assumes the form of a foul smelling fish (Lord Matsya) and a rough body of a boar (Lord Varaha)! Your form is so pleasing whereas He assumes extremely fearful form (Lord Narasimha). You generously give yourself to others whereas He begs for alms (Lord Vamana)!

O’ Mother Lakshmi, why did you marry Vasudeva?

You have an eternally blissful place to reside whereas He wanders in the forest (Lord Rama)! You are highly respected as the most chaste but He desires to enjoy with several women (Lord Krishna). Whosoever hears about Him doesn’t want to do anything with this material world, seeing His deity they give up all worldly wealth! Further, those who go to His abode don’t ever come back!

O’ Mother Lakshmi, why did you marry Vasudeva?

Your character is spotless and extremely courteous whereas He is very fond of fighting (Kalki, Parashurama) and has no clue of His parentage (Krishna). His relatives are all materially impoverished and yet He lays on a banyan leaf sucking His toe!

O’ Mother Lakshmi, why did you marry Vasudeva?

He does not depend on anything on anyone for His pleasure (atmarama). He needs neither sleep nor food nor has any permanent residence (He stays wherever devotees sing His glories)! By making a palatial abode for you in His heart, that magician has deceived you.

O’ Mother Lakshmi, why did you marry Vasudeva?

Lord, His abode, His devotees and everything in relationship with Him is the best world. Mother Lakshmi knows what is the best choice to make. She chooses the Lord despite all of His apparent ‘faults’. We on the other hand choose everything else but Him completely forgetting that best of both the worlds presented before us is a possibility only when we understand which among the two is really best. Now the huge Indian diaspora in other countries have taken shelter of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) founded by Srila Prabhupada and indeed they have got an opportunity to actually get the best of both worlds. All of us, for that matter, irrespective of where we live have the same opportunity.

The following conversation between His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and some of his disciples took place in July 1975 on an early-morning walk in Chicago.

Srila Prabhupada: Where does Darwin begin?

Disciple: He begins in the ocean. He says that some fishlike animal climbed out of the ocean and began to breathe the air.

Srila Prabhupada: Then where did the ocean come from?

Disciple: He doesn’t say.

Srila Prabhupada: Then his theory is not perfect.

Disciple: Scientists say there was great turbulence on this planet in the beginning. The oceans were stirring, and then some lightning charges occurred.

Srila Prabhupada: From where did the lightning come? And from where did the ocean come? Where is his philosophy? It is a speculation.

Disciple: They say it all began from a primeval explosion.

Srila Prabhupada: Then I ask the same question: Wherefrom did the explosion come?

Disciple: They say that the explosion took place at time zero.

Srila Prabhupada: Time zero?

Disciple: Time began then, at time zero. And they say that the question “What was before that?” is not a logical, sensible question.

Srila Prabhupada: Why?

Disciple: They say it’s a question that should not even be asked.

Srila Prabhupada: No, then they are rascals. They are beginning from zero. How can you begin from zero?

Disciple: Everything comes from nothing then.

Srila Prabhupada: That is not philosophy.

Disciple: They say it all originates from a giant mass of primordial matter.

Srila Prabhupada: Then the same question arises: From where did the matter come?

Disciple: They say it’s an accident.

Srila Prabhupada: So that is rascaldom. Where is the accident? Nothing is accidental. Everything happens by cause and effect. The Bible says that in the beginning there was God, or the word of God. So God was there. That is the beginning. In our philosophy, too, that is the beginning. The Srimad- Bhagavatam gives evidence: janmady asya yatah [1.1.1] . . . aham evasam evagre [2.9.33]. And the Bhagavad-gita: aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [10.8]. This is our philosophy. Everything begins from God. Now you can ask, “From where did God come?” But that is God. God is existing. He is not caused by any other cause. He is the original cause. Anadir adir: He has no beginning, but He is the beginning of everything. This is the conception of God given in the statements of Brahma: anadir adir govindah [Brahma-samhita 5.1]. That adi is the original person, Govinda, Krishna. We find this in the Vedic history. Brahma is there in the beginning. He is a deva, one of the demigods the first demigod. Now Krishna says, aham adir hi devanam [Gita 10.2]: He is the cause of the demigods. He is the cause of Brahma also. So this is our philosophy. We don’t begin from zero or from an accident.

Disciple: Darwin never tried to understand the Vedic philosophy.

Srila Prabhupada: No, no, he admitted that he speculated. He is not a philosopher; he is a speculator. He has admitted: “It is my speculation. I think like this.”

Disciple: He started his speculation from the creation of life.

Srila Prabhupada: Anywhere, speculation is neither science nor philosophy.

Disciple: They call the Vedas speculation. They say the Upanishads are speculation.

Srila Prabhupada: No, no, no, not speculation. Sri Isopanishad [Mantra 1] says, isavasyam idam sarvam: everything is beginning from the isa, the supreme controller. Where is the speculation in the Vedas?

Disciple: They say the Vedas are written by man. Therefore they are imperfect.

Srila Prabhupada: What is your philosophy? It is written by man. What is the value of your philosophy? It is speculation. We don’t say that the Vedas are written by man. They come from a transcendental source. The words spoken by the Lord are called apauruseya, which indicates that they are not delivered by any mundane person. They may say whatever they like, but we don’t accept it. Suppose somebody says, “Your father’s name is so-and-so.” What is his authority to say what my father’s name is? I know very well, So their suggestion is like that: “Your father’s name is this.” Is that a very good suggestion? We can challenge: “You don’t know anything about my family. How can you say, ‘Your father’s name is this?’” Is it not rascaldom? You do not know anything about my family, and you say, “Your father’s name is this.” What is this logic?

Disciple: Darwin’s whole theory rests on the fact that he showed bones and archeological evidence.

Srila Prabhupada: Anyway, it is not possible that he has seen all the bones. So taking it that he has studied by seeing the bones, I can say very easily that it is not possible for a person like him to see all the bones. That is my challenge. He says, “Millions and millions of years ago . . .” But he lived for fifty years. How has he seen all the bones? He is a limited person.

Disciple: They admit they haven’t found all the bones, but they say that what they have found is conclusive evidence.

Srila Prabhupada: But they cannot say that. If you have seen all the bones, then you can conclude. But they say some of the bones are missing. Therefore their theory is always imperfect.

Disciple: Just this year they found a skull that was millions of years older than any human skull they found before.

Srila Prabhupada: That’s all right. But still they cannot say they have found all the skulls. They simply guess: “There is some gap of millions of years.”

Disciple: They even say that the missing link is the most important part.

Srila Prabhupada: So that is not science. Therefore we say they are rascals. And other rascals will believe them.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=24719

ISKCON New Vrindaban in West Virginia is offering devotee families two exciting summer camps for children this June – the Bhakti Arts Summer Camp and the Little Devi Summer Camp.

Bhakti Arts Summer Camp

The first event is the Bhakti Arts Summer Camp, to be held Jun 17 – 21st, 2024, 9am-4pm daily, for boys and girls aged 4-10 years old. The Bhakti Arts Summer Camp is a wonderful way for your children to experience the spiritual culture and beauty of our Bhakti path. Each day begins with yoga and japa meditation, introducing a fun-filled day with dance and movement, arts and crafts inspired by India, stories from the sacred texts with puppet shows, visiting the cows at the goshala, outside games, and friendship-building activities. A prasadam snack and lunch will be provided to the campers each day. The Camp will be facilitated by Gaurangi Priya Dasi, who was born and raised in the Hare Krishna movement and remembers fondly the immersive devotional play of her childhood, singing songs about Krishna, dancing about him, and hearing stories from the Srimad Bhagavatam. She has been running summer camps for children, along with her mother, Kamalini Dasi, for the past 17 years. Her intention and hope is to give her campers what she calls “happy Krishna memories,” with which they can learn and practice Bhakti in a wholesome, caring, and adventurous environment. Hundreds of children have attended her camps over the years, and she is very excited to provide this opportunity for the first time in the beautiful New Vrindaban surroundings. You can learn more about her service here. The cost for this retreat is $250. To register, click here. For additional information or questions you can send an email here or call (919) 259-1625.

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/two-exciting-summer-camps-for-children-offered-at-new-vrindaban/

The gift of the Holy Name is the greatest treasure because it is Krsna Himself. Everything is contained within the Holy Name. The Holy Name is more merciful than Krsna Himself. When you offend Krsna yourself, you can purify that by chanting the Holy Name. But if you offend the Holy Name, then what? Even that we can purify by chanting the Holy Name. The only remedy is chanting the Holy Name!

Source: https://www.kksblog.com/2021/05/chanting-is-the-only-remedy/

In the lives of great persons there is always opposition and apparent road blocks in accomplishing their goals or mission in life. Whether through another person, an accident, their own body or mind, or some natural disturbance, what appears on the surface to be an impediment is passed through and the glory of the person is revealed.

Practically we can see that great success in any undertaking or field is not accomplished without passing through many setbacks and even failure. In the personal growth or success literature such perseverance and determination in the face of what seem insurmountable odds are part of any great person’s story.

In Christianity we have Judas who betrayed Christ but was actually a facilitator of his mission to sacrifice his life to benefit others. Haridas Thakur being whipped in 21 market places, or being tempted by a prostitute sent by a envious person, only added to his glory as the great teacher of the holy name.

Without the atrocities of Hiranyakashipu, Prahlad’s glories would not have been revealed, and we would have never heard of him. Dhruva Maharaja’s step mother forbidding him to be favored by his father helped him realize the strength of his determination and his eventual favor by the Lord. What would have happened if Krishnadas Kaviraja, the author of Chaitanya Charitamrita, had not left his brother’s home? Without the devastating rains sent be Indra, Krishna would have had no necessity to lift Govardhan Hill.

Imagine Prabhupada easily receiving his first visa and other papers for travel, or if instead of sailing on the Jaladuta he would have just hopped on a plane and was met with instant success in America. We glorify great persons not for the ease of their lives but because of the great odds they overcame. Without Arjuna’s dilemma, or dark night of the soul, there would be no Bhagavad Gita to light our path out of darkness. Had Emperor Pariksit not been cursed to die, we would have no Shrimad Bhagavatam to lead us on the path of bhakti…and on and on, as the examples are many in scriptures, biographies, and life….

Keeping this in mind we can look at our own lives and see reverses and difficulties as opportunities for personal growth and dependence on the Lord. On one level they are our karma which we are meant to go through, and we can take personal responsibility for the challenges we need to face. On a spiritual level we can know that our difficulties and suffering are actually minimized by the Lord, and not merely punishment but mercy to show us the naked form of material nature with the potential to help us be stronger in our devotional resolve. What is our alternative?

We can be angry or humbled in a helpless condition and understand that by our attitude we can choose how we want to label anything. Is it a lamentable calamity or great opportunity? Is it good or bad? Praying to apply Shri Chaitanya’s 3rd verse of Shikshastakam we can practice forbearance in the face of provocation, humility and patience on our spiritual quest, and become appreciators of the good we find in life and in others, realizing that seeking external glory from others is superficial and impermanent. Our devotion, love, and service attitude is our real reward and that which carries us upward, in spite of our shortcomings.

That we are imperfect practitioners of bhakti is a given. Get over it! We are where we are on the path of pure devotion, but we are on the path! Within ourselves there isn’t only darkness but much light as well. The question is, which do you want to highlight and focus on and let define you? That will determine your state of mind and happiness or depression. I am not speaking of complacency but a positive focus that helps you live day by day, wanting and praying to spiritually advance, and which is also encouraging to others.

No one wants to be around a sourpuss (within or without), so we all have to practice being the best person we can, and praying to increase our good qualities and devotion. Most of us have had difficult pasts and many bad days, but let us not be pulled down by that, but use it as a springboard to rise up spiritually. Read inspiring books; listen to uplifting talks; seek positive and encouraging association. Don’t settle for misery and mediocrity.

May we all pray to change our angle of vision to one that always supports our progressive path and is helpful to others! This can be challenging at times and yet it is our journey to wholeness and spiritual positivity. What is the alternative? This attitude of finding the gems in misfortune has never been more evident in my life than in still facing cancer, which I consider Krishna’s loving embrace. It has fueled my writing, and speaking around the country. Most importantly, it has given me a new life to make my mission to give what I have been blessed with.

I still struggle to move out of my comfort zone of complacency, so in a sense my dark night of the soul isn’t from the cancer journey itself, but that I so easily forget my initial enthusiasm which fostered so much inspired writing and speaking. I can effortlessly find myself gravitating to the easy and comfortable, which can be rather depressing. However, I keep dusting myself off, and rise up again by my attempt to attract grace, by my prayers and endeavors. As it is said, “The Lord helps those who help themselves.” I remember the determination of the sparrow, and her attracting the help of Garuda! In another sense our endeavor is meant to be its own reward and regardless of whether we are successful or not externally, our real success is our devotional attitude and desire to please our gurus and Krishna!

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=64108

jivasya samsrtir bahvir
avidya-karma-nirmitah
yasv anga pravisann atma
na veda gatim atmanah

TRANSLATION:

There are varieties of material existence for the living entity according to the work he performs in ignorance or forgetfulness of his real identity. My dear mother, if anyone enters into that forgetfulness, he is unable to understand where his movements will end.

PURPORT:

Once one enters into the continuation of material existence, it is very difficult to get out. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes Himself or sends His bona fide representative, and He leaves behind scriptures like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, so that the living entities hovering in the darkness of nescience may take advantage of the instructions, the saintly persons and the spiritual masters and thus be freed. Unless the living entity receives the mercy of the saintly persons, the spiritual master or Krishna, it is not possible for him to get out of the darkness of material existence; by his own endeavor it is not possible. [End of Srila Prabhupada’s purport.]

HH Candramauli Swami: Material energy endlessly changeable! The living entity decides to do his business somewhere else. He leaves the spiritual world comes to the material world and then thinks he can make a profit by that change in consciousness. Material energy or the material world, the energy that makes up the material world sometimes is compared to a gigantic, dark, deep, unlimited forest. If you go into the forest and you don’t know anything about the forest or even if you are in the forest it is a very difficult place. It is dark, there are many paths, much danger in the forest also cold, excessive cold, excessive heat, wild animals, mosquitos, so many unexpected things, big holes, wells that are covered up. So many things! Yet the living entity goes into this material energy trying to make a profit.

It is explained in the fifth canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam in the fourteenth chapter – it is called the forest of material enjoyment. What is the enjoyment. Enjoyment in the forest is simply a hard struggle. Therefore according to how one approaches the material enrgy or how one connects with the material energy one is struggling in a different way. Here Srila Prabhupada pints out that it is darkness. Darkness indicates ignorance, forgetfulness. Ingorance is also mentioned in the translation. That the living entity is in utter forgetfullness of what? Who he is , his real identity.

Of course without even understanding that there is no question of understanding ones relationship with the Supreme Lord. So of course the ignorance begins with the bodily consciousness, the bodily conception of life, aham mametti – everything is mine and that I am endlessly a man or woman or from this country or that culture, I am intelligent, old, young, so many things, on and on. You can list it endlessly – what I am. But all these things are external to the living entities existence.

So in as far as the material existence the living entity tries to find some enjoyment because the nature of the living entity is ananda, happiness, pleasure but he is trying to find pleasure where pleasure doesn’t exists. So therefore in this hard struggle for existence the living entity is subjected to so many forms of ignorance and illusion. They just bewilder their life more and more in creating greater and harder struggles.

You might say the material energy is catergorised in three catergories – the mode of ignorance, the mode of passion and the mode of goodness. Any of these thre modes are still considered to be an example of ones ignorance, even the mode of goodness. Srila Prabhupada was talkng about happiness in this material world. He was describing how there is no happiness in this material world.

So one devotee said to Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada what about the mode of goodness. Sometimes we understand that there is happiness there.” Prabhupada said that the main quality of the mode of goodness is knowledge. So that knowledge means that you understand that there is no happiness. That is the understanding of that knowledge.

So even in the mode of goodness there is ignorance – ignorance of ones real identity and ones real activity. Of coures the lower modes of material nature such as the mode of ignorance is destructed by nature and it is sinful. It causes the living entity so much unlimited forms of suffering. In the mode of ignorance there is not even material happiness or even any spark of material happiness. One simply preforms activities that are self destructive – physcially, spiritually, emotionally, in all aspects – intoxication, excessive sleep, madness, laziness.

In the material world people also have different categories of activities that are considered to be what we say good but even in the material world if you are lazy nobody likes you. It is one of the worse qualities – laziness. It destroys, Srila Prabhupada said, “Laziness destroys all of ones god qualities.” Of course when it comes to spiritual life there is no question of laziness because from laziness you get absolutely nothing.

Therefore one has to always be ethusiastic. We can’t say these are qualities. They are just characteristics and symptoms of a person who is in that particular mode. And it causes one unlimited suffering. Somehow if one comes in the mode of passion or if someone is situated more in the mode of passion than they are in the mode of ignorance. Nowadays the modes are so mixed you can’t distinguish actually the qualities separately. You have to say the mixed modes of material nature.

Sometimes we say now the mode of goodness is conspicuous by its absence. We don’t find that so much nowadays. Mostly it is a hard struggle to acquire and to gain material things. Which is the mode of passion. The mode of ignorance is destruction. The mode of passion is selfish, it is selfe centered. It sees oneself as the object of activities and the goal of that activities to satisfy the selfl

If you want to loof for any good qualities in the mode of passion you can find one but even that is selfish in its endeavour and that is creativity. Creativity is somewhat in the mode of passion. Those who are creative by nature and can use good intelligence to bring about material creation, creativity, technology, great inventions. So many things. People think this is wonderful. It is still motivated by self interset or even extended self interest from ones family or from ones country. So these two lower modes simply keep the living entity in great illusion.

The mode of goodness is a little better but still one is illusioned by material happiness and one thinks that one has somehow or the other achieved success in life by acquiring material things, by having good qualities, by being able to do things that are beneficial on a material level for others – philanthrophy and other activities. But still that mode will casue one to get another birth, a better birth. But what is the use of a better birth because a better birth just creates a better illusion that, “I am okay.” That is all.

Actually those who are suffering more understand the truth about the material energy and that the material energy is simply suffering. So Prabhupada expalins that the living entity cannot get out ogf these three modes by his own endeavour.

We see today there is so much attempts by various groups, spiritual and otherwise to elevate themselves away from the suffering material existence sometime even to practice spiritual life but unless, it says here, one has to accept mercy coming from higher authority. Srila Prabhupada gives three categories – the Lord, the spiritual master and saintly persons. They provide the way out.

Srila Prabhupada says here, they leave behind – the Lord comes or His bona fide representatives come and they leave behind scripture, Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. These are the blueprints for the way out of material struggle but the applications of the principles that govern these great scriptures have to be taught by the spiritual master. This is were the essential principle comes in. One cannot simply read scripture and expect to achieve the goal. One has to understand scripture according to those who have realized scripture and not just simply try to understand it from a limited perspective. One can read scripture and get an understanding but unless one has the understanding of application – therefore knowledge has to come to the point of realization or application.

So we find even in devotional service although the guru is there, the spiritual master is there, the scriptures are there still we find sometimes it becomes very difficult or sometimes very slow in making spiritual progress. Therefore one has to realize things in relationship to how they apply. They are obstacles. There are difficulties on the path of spiritual life.

It is described that there are nine stages. The first stage is to take shelter, the second is to associate and through that association one gets initiation. Then Prabhupada said initiation means beginning. It is not like the end. I got my name. I have a Guru and now I can just take it easy. He does everything. Just like Prabhupada used to say, Krishna was on the chariot but He told Arjuna, “You fight. Although My mercy is available you have to take advantage of My mercy by making the endeavor.”

So in the same way we have to apply the principles but there are so many obstacles. The next stage after bhajana-kriya, after taking initiation is that one gradually through the process of devotional service under careful guidance of the spiritual master removes the anarthas. These are the obstacles, anarthas.

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, Srila Visvanatha Cakravati Thakur explain what are these anarthas. I like to just mention what these anarthas are because I think that sometimes we don’t know clearly what are the obstacles or the blocks. Although we are chanting the holy names and though we are associating with devotees and though we are executing the process still these anarthas remain there.

There are four categories of four, sixteen anarthas explained by the acaryas. The first one is philosophical misconceptions – not understanding certain spiritual principles that need to be applied correctly in order to get the mercy of the Lord or to apply them in such a way that one is actually freeing themselves from the anartha.

The first is not understanding who you are. As long as the living entity is still under the bodily conception of life in any aspect – sometimes we say, “Oh, here is a Russian devotee and here is an Indian devotee and here is an American devotee.” A devotee is a devotee. Sometimes we might say devotees from Russia or devotees from America. But to give a label to a devotee! A devotee is actually free from all designations, even the designation of bodily concept. And that is connected with country. We get so much absorbed in, “I am this, from this country. I am Italian so I like pizza.” So many things! I am Italian so I can say that. You can criticize me on that one. So I have a justification for making that statement. But the point is we get so caught up in this bodily concept that comes with nationality. It is also an anartha in the sense that there is still some tinge of misidentification. We have to be free of that jivera ‘svarupa’ haya – krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’ [Cc Madhya 20.108-109]

All living entities are actually parts and parcels of Krishna. Krishna explains in Bhagavad-gita, “When you thus learn the truth you will know that all living being are My parts and parcels. They are in Me and they are Mine.” To have that vision or to practice that type of consciousness is the means to get out of this bodily concept of life. When we see the external environment what do we see? We have to see with sastra-caksu. We have to see according to scripture no according to vision. Therefore one has to see according to the direction given by the absolute principle and not according to ones contaminated…

How do you purify consciousness? Just like when we take darsan of the Deity. Bhaktisiddhanta one time was standing in front of the Deity and he had forgotten to bring his glasses – Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Maharaj – so one of his disciples said, “Maharaj should I get your glasses?” He said, “No, what is this question of seeing? We come before the Lord to let the Lord see us. We have to be in such a consciousness that the Lord actually sees us.” What can we see? Of course we can see something but that is not darsan. Darsan is being in proper consciousness when we come before the Deity and the Lord is pleased by His devotee.

So purification of consciousness is that you will see the Deity when you hear the holy name, the glorification, the glories of the Lord, when you become purified through the process of hearing. Then you can see.

premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs 5.38]

Prabhupada explains that the eyes they have this mascara or kajal which beautifies the eyes and that is love. When love is there the eyes actually become beautiful then one sees according to what is there or at least to some degree. So in the same way through the process of hearing and chanting the holy names of the Lord we purify the consciousness. And when we go before the Lord then we can see the Lord. The Lord reveals Himself according to that consciousness. So this identity of identifying oneself with the body, this is the first misconception.

The second is the misunderstanding of the Supreme Lords position in relationship to the material energy and in relationship to the living entities. So one has to understand that the nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that the Lord is the controller of the material energy and we are His eternal servants both in the conditioned stage and in the liberated stage. So that is also philosophical misconception, not to understand correctly the position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The third is not to understand the sadhana that is connected with… Sadhana bhakti, preliminary principles and execution of devotional service and prema bhakti – the rules and regulations for executing devotional service according to scripture, and one has to apply according to the teachings of the spiritual master and make corrections according to that person’s guidance. So one has to follow scripture and learn the process of sadhana bhakti. Sadhana bhakti is vaidhi bhakti rules and regulations and from vaidhi bhakti one develops spontaneous loving devotinal service or raganuga bhakti. But even on the raganuga bhakti there are principles that one executes according to that type of devotional service. And one follows those principles also. Although it is spontaneous it is also understood in relationship to the scripture, not otherwise.

And the last philosophical misconception is, not understanding the relationship between other spiritual philosophies and pure devotional service such as Mayavad or other – karma misra jnana, karma misra bhakti and jnana misra bhakti. Actually pure bhakti and of course even those philosophies that have very little bhakti such as impersonalism. So that’s an anartha – to not understand the relationship between bhakti and other spiritual teachings. One has to clear away these philosophical misconceptions and then one can move further. That is four of the anarthas.

The second category is anarthas that are caused by pious activities – attachement to material enjoyment, attachment to mystic power, attachment to endeavours to reach the heavenly planets and also attachment to liberation. You may say, “Well I am not attached to any of those things.” If we are interested in material happiness or material arrangements. “I need this materially. I need to have this materially.” We have to judge the relationship to our service. As Srila Prabhupada said if one wants physical comfort in the material world it is very difficult to execute bhakti because it is not always physically comfortable especially in certain places.

So one has to not be attached to any material arrangement. Prabhupada made a very strong statement once that was quite shocking. He said, “Many of my disciples will achieve Svargaloka.” And what is Svargaloka? Heavenly planet or the enjoyment of the heavenly planet! Prabhodananda Sarasvati just condemns that. He calls it akasa-puspayate. He condemns that. He says that the desire to enjoy heavenly delights or elevation to the heavenly planets is like some phantasmagoria. You read about it in the scriptures but it is just so euphoric.

One who has been blessed by the mercy of Lord Caitanya sees that kaivalya or liberation and material happiness are just like poison. It becomes very repugnant. So Krishna will test. Maya will test us to see whether we want Krishna or whether we want some facility in this material world and still want Krishna consciousness. And that test will come.

Prabhupada answered a question once. Hrdayananda Maharaj asked Prabhupada a question, “What is the most dangerous thing in taking the sannyasa order of life?” Prabhupada said, “If you are out preaching and you go to someone’s house and you see, “Such a nice house they have and such a nice wife. Gee, if I hadn’t taken sannyasa I could have had all that.” He said, “You are not qualified to take sannyasa.”

So if one looks back to material energy in any way and thinks, “There is something I missed. There is still some happiness there that I am looking for.” What happens is when you engage in devotional service Krishna supplies things in order to facilitate your service. You get money. Money comes in our society, so much money. But Prabhupada said, “If you don’t use every paise for the service of the Lord we become implicated in material reactions. Every paise should be used for the service of the Lord or whatever is needed to maintain oneself but not beyond.

At an individual level the two biggest stumbling blocks in Krishna consciousness are: attachment to the opposite sex and attachment to wealth. Srila Prabhupada said that those who are stalwart devotees on the path of devotional service – he mentions this in the second chapter of the first canto, verse seventeen in the purport – he explains that this attachment has caused even the greatest stalwart devotees to slip from the path of devotional service.

So Krishna sends followers, facilities, money and Krishna sends so many things that when they are not seen in relationship to Krishna are actually stumbling blocks or opportunities to slip in ones devotional service. Therefore one has to be free from any conception that there is any happiness in the material world. Prabhupada explains that this is a prerequisite for making advancement. That is one is still thinking that there is something here for me even though I haven’t got it or I haven’t done it right. Then one cannot make tangible progress on the path of spiritual life.

Krishna says, atleast I know of two occasions, in Bhagavad-gita He says, duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg 8.15] It is temporary and is full of misery. And nitya asubha, same thing He says in the ninth chapter of Bhagavad-gita.

So being here in Mayapur, this is the spiritual world. Just like there is a big sign as you walk near the samadhi, Prabhupada’s statement, “Mayapur is the spiritual world.” But we have to have spiritual consciousness. We are in the spiritual world so we should align our consciousness with spiritual in the same way. If we still have material consciousness. If we are still trying to enjoy Krishna, Bhaktivinode Thakura explains that people sometimes they see Krishna as one part of their enjoyment, they may take up spiritual life and I also do this, I also do that. I enjoy Krishna, I enjoy this or I enjoy that, but then there is a little higher that, Krishna is my only object of enjoyment. I am only trying to enjoy Krishna that is all. It is a little better. At least you will get faster realization of your illusion if you have that mind.

That illusion is another illusion that we are meant to be enjoyed by Krishna, not that we are supposed to enjoy Krishna. Prabhupada said Krishna consciousness is enjoyable but to taste the happiness in Krishna consciousness one has to be free from the enjoying spirit. Happiness in Krishna consciousness comes by surrendering service. So therefore one should execute the devotional service in that mood, not seeing the results of the activities for ones enjoyment, because for as long as we are still trying to enjoy the results of our activities we become implicated in this consciousness that I am the enjoyer.

And you will get tested. Especially if you do something wonderful or something noteable. Somebody says, “Oh Prabhu/Mataji, so nice. You are such a nice devotee. You did such nice service. All glories to you.” You think, “All glories to Prabhupada.” I did something – 90% for Prabhupada and 10% for me. Krishna likes to glorify His devotee but the devotee does not like to take credit for anything no matter what it is. As soon as we take credit we become implicated. And then maya seeing that tempts us more and more with opportunities for material enjoyment.

So this is an anartha. Any aspect of material existence, even liberation! Liberation means what? To be free from all material suffering! A devotee considers that the suffering that one encounters in devotional service – Bhaktivinode Thakur sings one beautiful song and he ends the song – he says what is my happiness in Krishna consciousness? He says, “My happiness in engaging in devotional service is the sufferings I get when engaged in Your service my Lord.” That is pretty elevated consciousness. Why? Because I can offer something! Not that we try for suffering but we don’t try to avoid it either.

Actually a devotee doesn’t suffer anyway. Prabhupada explains the difference between the materialists suffering and a devotees suffering. The devotee does not take suffering seriously. He simply takes it as an opportunity to surrender more and he tolerates the difficulties that come with being in the material body and being in the world.

Whereas a non-devotee when suffering comes their whole life gets turned upside down. Just like sometimes a person will get a notice that it is time to leave the world. You have terminal cancer or some other disease. You have so much time to live. So the materialist will go through so much mentally – “Why is this happening to me.” The first stage, “It is not true. It is just not true. There is some mistake.”

Finally after exhausting all possibilities they find out, realize that it is true then, “Why me?” Then finally after going through the, “Why me?” “Okay what do I do now?” Lost! Completely lost.

There was a TV show in America many years ago. I think it was called, ‘Run for Your Life.’ Therein some powerful guy got a notice that he had one year to live. So they had another TV show for another year. In the first episode he was diving off mountains and he was surrounded by beautiful girls and then he is going scuba diving with beautiful girls, then he is driving fast cars with beautiful girls. So every show is he is doing something really adventurous, exciting and different with beautiful girls. The show became so successful that he got an extension on his life. (Laughter.) The doctors gave him a few more years to live. So the show continued like that.. People like that because it keeps them in greater illusion of the reality of existence. But when a devotee is put in a difficult situation,

tat te ‘nukampam su-samiksamano bhunjana evatma-krtam vipakam
hrd-vag-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te jiveta yo mukti-pade sa daya-bhak [SB 10.14.8]

This is a mantra. We might say that it is second to the Hare Krishna mantra, because in order to execute devotional service on has to accept difficulties as the mercy of the Lord. That verse explains that when one accepts difficulties as the mercy of the Lord the result is that one prays to the Lord, “My dear Lord what you gave me is just a small token of what I actually deserve.”

Prabhupada in one lecture says, you may have been a murderer in a previous life. Somehow or the other you have come to Krishna consciousness and you cut you finger. That is the reaction. The suffering has been mitigated to the least amount because the spiritual master and the Lord allow us to engage in devotional service by removing our past. But Prabhupada says if you commit sinful activities after one accepts initiation you should know you are being subjected to the effects of the material energy once again.

It is not like, “Well I am initiated. There is no more karma. There is only a little. If I do something wrong it is not so bad.” It is not so bad. Yes, in one sense but if one has the wrong consciousness and is not trying to overcome these things. One still has the desire to enjoy then one again will get the reaction of material suffering as a token. It is still a token because Krishna takes care of His devotee but it is a slap and that slap is good.

Therefore sometimes Krishna arranges for a devotee to undergo some difficulties. We can use many examples and how devotees have accepted difficulties as opportunities to spread Krishna consciousness. Devotee does not look towards the material energy for any type of happiness whether it is facility, ability. Whatever comes by, it is all given by Krishna in order to use in devotional service. If one takes these things as ones success in devotional service, just like money comes, position comes, followers come or praise comes and one takes it for themselves then that can lead to a fall down.

Visvanatha Cakravati Thakur explains that is called taranga-rangini – to accept the accolades or the benefits that one gets in devotional service as indications of ones advancement. The indication of ones advancement is real purification of the heart. When the heart becomes purified that is the process. The heart becomes purified by hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord. Therefore the anarthas, I just mentioned eight of them, there are eight more. But I will mention the anarthas that come by impious activities.

That is attachment to things unrelated to Krishna consciousness,
deceitfulness, envy, faultfinding and a desire for fame, desire for prestige. These are considered to be impious. Things that cannot be used in Krishna consciousness such as sinful activities, envy – envy is the cause of the living entities fall down in the material world. Prabhupada explains that the living entity is envious of Krishna and now we are envious of each other. Faultfinding, deceitfulness and desire for fame, these are the four anarthas that come by way of sinful activities.

Then the last category of anarthas are the offences. Offences to the holy name, offences to the Deity. Now that doesn’t mean – “I don’t worship the Deity, I am not a pujari.” Offences to the Deity means that if you are in the temple there is a certain etiquette that should be followed and if we don’t follow that etiquette in front of the Deity there is also digression from etiquette which can lead to offences. Just like it says – talking loud before the Deity; chastising somebody before the Deity; turning ones back towards the Deity – they are offences. It is all listed in the ‘Nectar of Devotion.’ So these are one of the anarthas – to be free from the offences.

That last two are the most severe – offences to the Vaisnavas and offences to other living entities. So one has to carefully avoid these anarthas. And these sixteen anarthas cause the six enemies: lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride and envy to exist. And these six enemies called the six waves, waves of: hunger, thirst, birth, death and old age and lamentation and illusion.

Bhaktivinode Thakur explains that there is a fast process to crush the anarthas. Of course we have to deal with each anartha but there is a very quick way to accelerate that process of removing the anarthas – harinam sankirtan. One who absorbs himself in chanting the holy names – Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. The holy name and chanting and dancing and associating with the Vaisnavas helps one to quickly remove these anarthas.

So here we are in Mayapur, we are here to actually honor Lord Caitanya. And the best way to honor Lord Caitanya we know is to chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. It is simple, sublime but most powerful. Not just powerful, extreme powerful. Lord Caitanya’s mercy coming in the form of harinam sankirtan. So I will stop here. Any questions or comments?

Question: Maharaj we are advised to chant and be happy and at the same time w are advised especially since we are trying to surrender to Krishna to give up the enjoying spirit. Is there any contradiction? Of course there is no contraction. What is the art of chanting and being happy, enjoying serving Krishna but also giving up the enjoying spirit?

HH Candramauli Swami: Chant and be happy – there is a purport to that. That means if you are looking for happiness somewhere else outside of the holy name. It is hard to get happiness in the holy name. So chant and be happy means to make exclusively your happiness in chanting the holy names for glorifying the names of the Lord in association with Vaisnavas. If we are chanting and if we are somewhat still inclined to other types of happiness it is hard to get that mercy from the holy name, that happiness that we are looking for.

Comment: So if we are happy chanting Hare Krishna, if we are really happy chanting Hare Krishna then we are engaging in the surrendering process.

HH Candramauli Swami: Prabhupada said devotees should be happy. This movement is to make one truly happy. Real happiness is the souls relationship with the Supreme Lord in devotion. [Sanskrit.} This movement is meant to make the whole world happy through the process of harinäm, chanting the holy names of the Lord and engaging in devotional service. Why do we do so many other things? Because we have to purify our consciousness in order to chant the holy names.

Comment: I am asking you the question because I have an ongoing discussion with a Godbrother who maintains that even when we are happy in Krishna consciousness that that is maya. (Laughter) and I say, “Come on.”

HH Candramauli Swami: Is it maha-maya or is it yoga-maya?

Devotee; He says that we should chant and be miserable or something. I am not sure what he is all about.

HH Candramauli Swami: I think that was the old days on Krishna
consciousness. It was like if you are happy – uh oh, you are not supposed to be happy. Only Krishna is supposed to be happy. He is happy when we are just unhappy. Doesn’t make sense does it?

Devotee: No. Thank you.

Devotee: Can I make a comment?

HH Candramauli Swami: Sure.

Devotee: Srila Prabhupada writes in one purport that one who is not happy in Krishna consciousness he is a great rascal.

HH Candramauli Swami: Prabhupada said if you are not happy you are in maya. Usually if you are in maya it is a symptom of rascaldom. Happiness is actually the nature of devotional service. It awakens that happiness. When we engage in devotional service we purify the heart. The heart is by nature blissful. So happiness manifest itself automatically through the purification of the heart, through the chanting of the holy names of the Lord and by engaging in devotional service.

So if we are not happy we should be doing something. Sometimes people say to me that they have got so many problems. I say, “Just chant Hare Krishna.” “But that doesn’t solve my problem. I have this problem.” “Just try chanting Hare Krishna. See what happens.”

Prabhupada writes in one place that we have our temples anywhere in the world. If there is some difficulty we cant just sit down and chant Hare Krishna. That is why we come to Mayapur because it is the concentration of the mercy of the Holy name. With the association of so many wonderful Vaisnavas it allows that holy names mercy to be so much readily available, so strong it is. Then we taste that and when we go back to our respective services wherever we are in the world we can remember that and bring that realization, realizing what we realized and then try to practice that wherever we are.

Question: You mentioned the sixteen anarthas. Does that mean form anartha-nivrtti to prema we are eliminating all those?

HH Candramauli Swami: Bhaktivinode Thakur says the stage beyond
anartha-nivrtti is nistha, becoming fixed. He says before you can go to nistha you have to get three quarters or seventy-five percent of your anarthas destroyed. Now the anathas for philosophical misconceptions are destroyed in bhajana kriya. The anarthas for pious and impious activities are destroyed on the platform of ruci.

Offences can carry all the way to prema. We hear about Jaya and Vijaya, how they actually committed offence even though they were in the spiritual world. Offences are the hardest ones to get rid off because even those who are very high on the spiritual platform have to be careful not to commit offences. It is easy to commit offences. Therefore once 75% of the anarthas are removed then one can move to the stage of steadiness in devotional service.

Otherwise the anarthas cause on to remain unsteady. And with unsteadiness there is no real taste. Taste is just too flickering. We can get that taste constantly when we are steady in our spiritual practice but to remain steady we have to be free from at least three quarters of the anarthas. Especially certain anarthas; the anarthas of committing offences to Vaisnavas, envy and attachment to things unrelated to devotional service. These are anarthas that can cause great distress in our spiritual life.

Envy that is with things unrelated to Krishna consciousness. “I like to chew pan but I still chant Hare Krishna.” I remember when we first joined the Hare Krishna movement we used to offer betel nuts to the Deities. I guess they do here. In western temples they stopped doing that because devotees where getting betel nut prasadam. So it wasn’t too good. So if one gets attached to that or if one gets attached to watching movies or anything that you really cannot dovetail in devotional service.

Question: The offences, which are like the most dangerous?

HH Candramauli Swami: Which is the most dangerous from all offences? Vaisnava aparadhas! The chanting of the holy name can free on from offences except Vaisnava aparadhas. If one is continually subjecting themselves to committing offences against devotees, Caitanya Mahaprabhu speaks or writes, He says, “If that person is still chanting the holy name, My holy name destroys that person.”

So if they are committing offences against Vaisnavas the holy name drives that person out of Krishna consciousness.” Because Krishna doesn’t tolerate that! So one has to be most careful in that particular aspect in out interpersonal dealings. The association of devotees is like a double-edged sword. We come to Mayapur for association and that is the most wonderful thing but if we are not careful in dealing with the Vaisnavas that same association cause us to fall down if we are not careful. So therefore Lord Caitanya taught the principles of,

trnad api su-nicena taror iva sahisnuna
amanina mana-dena kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc Adi 17.31]

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati says that is your svarup. Then someone asked him what is our svarup he chanted this verse and said that is your svarup. That is your eternal position. But we have to be very careful in the association of Vaisnavas – careful and enthusiastic to serve their lotus feet. Then if there is some mistake it is not so serious, but one should be careful. All devotees! Not that I honor the so-called senior devotees but the other devotees they are not so important. Krishna doesn’t see like that. Even if you commit offences to the non-devotees also, materialistic persons. We don’t hate anyone. We take issue with what they do but not with them.

A Vaisnava is one who is compassionate towards others. So in order to preach one has to show concern to others even if they do not like what we are doing and criticize what we are doing but to the person there should not be any enmity or envy otherwise we can’t really preach affectively. We can commit offense to non-devotees because Krishna is in the heart of every living entity. Krishna is there. When you offend someone you offend Krishna because He is in his or her heart.

Once someone asked Prabhupada, “ When we pay our obeisances to each other what does that mean?” Prabhupada said, “You are actually paying obeisances to Krishna in the heart of that living entity.” IT is there is Srimad-Bhagavatam. So you are offering respects to both Krishna and to that soul. When we honor another devotee we are honoring Krishna also.

So if we are very careful in the association of devotees executing the process enthusiastically but be careful not to offend. Therefore Vaisnava etiquette is the ornament of a devotee. How a devotee behaves is how a devotee is seen. If we follow the etiquette it is less likely we will commit offences. What is the etiquette? It is mentioned throughout the scriptures. Does that help? Just remain enthusiastic. But enthusiasm is intelligence applied to activities. That is enthusiasm. Not just activity. … if intelligence is there activity itself is not considered enthusiastic even if it looks enthusiastic. If it is not applied in an intelligent way it may just be an expression of ones false ego. Yes Vasudev?

Vasudev: Thank you Maharaj. We hear occasionally that when we offer obeisances we offer obeisances like you just said we offer obeisances to the Supersoul within that living entity but it would seem to me if that was the case we would offer our obeisances equally to everyone but the etiquette is that we offer according to if on is initiated or not or if one is a sannyasi or not. Primarily it seems that we offer to the living entity rather than the Supersoul.

HH Candramauli Swami: If you are following the etiquette according to how to honor you are not going to go around paying your obeisances to all the non-devotees. Of course you could do that but it is just not going to be practical to do that. It is not the etiquette also but you honor a person by behaving in such a way, the proper way. Therefore Bhaktivinode Thakur explains – “Somehow I live in this world because I give respects to all.” So respecting everyone is Vaisnava but how to show the respect may differ from different types of persons.

So it is explained in Bhagavatam that for those who are more advanced we offer obeisances and offer service and hear for those who are equal we make friends and share Krishna consciousness together and for those who are in a lesser position we show compassion. That means we try to elevate them up in Krishna consciousness. If you follow that etiquette it says in that same verse in the fourth canto eight chapter thirty fourth verse in Bhagavatam – if you follow that etiquette you will never be subjected to the sufferings of material nature – just by following that etiquette – how to behave towards other living entities. So we should practice that but you are honoring that Supersoul if you are following the proper etiquette in terms of giving respect. You are because you are following the Lord’s instructions. Okay? Anyone else have a question? Mataji?

Question: Hare Krishna. The nature of the living entity is to seek pleasure ananda-mayo ‘bhyasat – so we are all seeking happiness but the trouble is obviously most people are looking for happiness in the wrong place, in material things but as it is our nature to seek pleasure is there fault in try to find happiness in Krishna consciousness?

HH Candramauli Swami: Is it a fault? If you want to be happy just serve and surrender and happiness comes automatically. It is not that you have to look for it. It is in the process itself. If you are looking for it you may not find it. It comes by service. It comes by surrender and service when we execute the process by serving to please, when Krishna is pleased, Prabhupada said then you become pleased.

So the instructions of the spiritual master are many but if we follow the instructions accordingly and apply the principles also accordingly – if I am looking for something other than to serve I may not get the benefit of Krishna consciousness. If I am looking for recognition or if I am looking for happiness or if I am looking for anything. Just try to serve. That is all.

Try to serve to please. That is all. anukulyena krsnanu-silanam [Cc Madhya 19.167] Serve Krishna, serve Krishna’s devotees with the desire to please. In that mood you will become happy because the principle of happiness aside from the fact that it comes automatically with that mood is that when someone is pleased by something you do you also become pleased. That is love. If I do something to make you happy and I see you become happy by what I do I become happy. It is natural. But if you please the Lord automatically He is going to reciprocate.

So our tendency is to sometimes act in that consciousness looking for happiness but you don’t have to look for it. It is there. It will come just by your service and surrender. So what are the means? Enthusiasm, determination and patience. If we serve with these principles, be enthusiastic, be determined to continue despite obstacles and reversals and to be patient. What does it mean to be patient? It means when Krishna is ready He bestows His mercy. If we don’t have patience in Krishna consciousness – Prabhupada said a woman gets married. Now she has a husband and she thinks where is the child? Well has to take some time before the child appears.

So everything is there but it takes time. So the fruits of our devotional service may not come immediately, the happiness that we are looking for. If you stay with the process it comes as long as we are enthusiastic and patient. Does that answer you question? Thank you. So I think we are out of time. Thank you very much. Srila Prabhupada ki jai!

Hare Krishna,

I am sharing below the transcript of a lecture by Srila Prabhupada where he mentions how anyone can see God! He reveals that we have Television in our heart!

Sila Prabhupada: So we are worshiping Govindam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original person. So this sound, govindam adi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi, is reaching Him. He is hearing. You cannot say that He is not hearing. Can you say? No. Especially in this scientific age, when television, radio messages are broadcast thousands and thousands of miles away, and you can hear…. Why Kṛṣṇa cannot hear your prayer, sincere prayer? How can you say? Nobody can deny it.

So, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). Just like thousands and thousands miles away you can transfer the television picture or your radio sound, similarly, if you can prepare yourself, then you can see always Govinda. It is not difficult. This is stated in Brahma-saṁhitā, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena. Simply you have to prepare your eyes, your mind in that way. Here is a television box within your heart. This is the perfection of yoga. It is not you have to purchase one machine or television set. It is there, and God is also there. You can see, you can hear, you can talk, provided you have got the machine. You repair it, that’s all. The repairing process is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, everything is supplied, complete, complete set of machine you have got within you.

And just like for repairing, an expert mechanic required, similarly, you require the help of someone expert. Then you’ll see that your machine is working. It is not difficult to understand. Nobody can say that it is not possible. In the śāstra we hear also. Sādhu śāstra, guru vākya, tinete kariya aikya.

Spiritual realization can be perfected by three parallel process. Sādhu. Sādhu means saintly persons, who are realized souls, sādhu. And śāstra. Śāstra means scriptures, authoritative scriptures, Vedic scriptures, śāstra. Sādhu, śāstra and guru, a spiritual master. Three parallel lines. And if you place your car or vehicle on these three parallel lines, your car will go direct to Kṛṣṇa.

(SP Lecture – October 18, 1968, Seattle)

Please read it 2-3 times and we may get a sense of what Srila Prabhupada is telling us. And it is not just a theory, being an acharya he himself is experiencing it and then sharing the same with us. Let us delve deeper within us and get the Television in our heart repaired!

In the next blog, I will share Srila Prabhupada explaining in detail- how to see Krishna in our heart!

Your Servant,

Giriraj Dasa

p.s. – Below is the short audio clipping of the above lecture.

Source: http://www.forthepleasureoflordkrishna.com/2022/01/20/there-is-a-television-in-our-heart/

With 3,100 devotees attending the 2024 Sadhu Sanga Retreat in Dallas, Texas over Memorial Day weekend, it was bound to be a great success. And that it was! Let these photos attest to that most wonderful fact!

Read more: https://dandavats108.blogspot.com/2024/05/sadhu-sanga-retreat-2024-dallas-texas.html

By Sukanti Radha dasi

The 24-hour Birmingham Kirtan event has long been a cherished tradition within the ISKCON UK community, drawing devotees from far and wide to participate in the continuous chanting of the holy names of the Lord. This spiritual gathering, initiated by the dedicated efforts of Mayapur Madhav Das 25 years ago, has served as a beacon of devotion and unity, bringing devotees together in a collective expression of love and faith.

For a quarter of a century, the devotees have come together every year to immerse themselves in the chanting of Lord Krishna’s holy name, inspired by Tribhuvannatha Das

A research study was conducted to explore the impact of the 24-hour Kirtan Birmingham event on participants and the broader community at the 25th Anniversary of this very special event. The findings of this study shed light on the profound spiritual experiences, sense of community, and personal transformation that participants reported as a result of their involvement in the event.

The research results, which will be attached herewith, were officially launched at the ISKCON European Communications Conference 2024 in Radhadesh, Belgium. The presentation of these findings was met with enthusiasm and appreciation by attendees, inspiring many devotees to engage in further research and exploration of the spiritual benefits of such devotional practices.

The success and positive reception of this research study serve as a testament to the enduring impact and significance of the 24-hour Kirtan Birmingham event within the ISKCON community. The ISKCON Birmingham Team team together with Mayapur Madhav Das’s vision and dedication have paved the way for a profound spiritual journey for countless devotees, fostering a deep sense of connection and devotion to the holy names of our Lord Krishna.

We are grateful for the opportunity to share these research findings and look forward to continued exploration and celebration of the transformative power of kirtan within our ISKCON community.

Read more: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=112595

George Harrison’s profound influence on culture, music, and spirituality was recently honored with a blue plaque at his family home in Liverpool, England. The renowned Beatles member, who was born and spent his early years in this house, went on to make a global impact.

The tradition of installing these commemorative blue plaques, which began in the 19th century, serves as a significant way to recognize and honor the lives of influential British figures, like Harrison.

Liverpool’s mayor, Steve Rotheram, said at the plaque’s unveiling, “His career might have taken him around the world – but he never lost his love for this city. He was also a deeply spiritual man who used his platform to spread a message of peace and acceptance.” To read the full story, click here. 

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/liverpool-honors-george-harrison-with-plaque-at-his-birthplace/

Well, it finally happened. Dwarkanatha, our superb cook, tied the knot in marriage with his devotee fiance, Mandira. I have seen a good number of couples taking form over the years and I believe they are a really good fit.

What makes a couple become successful is when they approach that relationship in the spirit of giving, sacrifice or what you call in Sanskrit, Yajna. You just can't be selfish. Looking out for each other is just the thing to do and in that mindset and methodology the couple stands a good chance on making it work.

From Back to Godhead

Fulfilling our duty as parents requires taking care of our children’s spiritual needs.

As the mother of ten children, I am often asked, “How do you fulfill your family responsibilities and still make progress in spiritual life? When do you find the time to serve God?”

“It’s a matter of vision,” I reply. “I realize that I can serve God by caring for my children and husband with love and respect.”

Being a mother and wife is my duty, and I don’t distinguish it from my service to God. It is my service to God.

Central to that service is training my children in service to God. How does one serve God? The scripture Srimad-Bhagavatam lists nine principal ways, beginning with hearing about, praising, and remembering God, and progressing to deeper levels of devotional service.

Spiritual training for children should begin early, and the Vedic scriptures prescribe a rite (garbhadhana-samskara) that creates a spiritual environment at the time of conception. When I was pregnant with each of my children, I read scriptures, listened to spiritual music and lectures, chanted sacred mantras, ate food prepared for and offered to the Lord, prayed (a lot), and associated with likeminded spiritual seekers. When I was giving birth, devotional music played quietly in the background. As the children grew, we held daily classes on the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. I chose to home-school my children until they reached the ninth or tenth grade. I wanted to ensure that, in addition to a sound academic background, they would have a strong spiritual foundation. Rather than seeing my children as impediments to my spiritual life, I prayed to be able to view them as devotees of the Lord and to understand that by raising them with love, in a spiritual atmosphere, I was doing a service as pleasing to God as other forms of worship.

While raising children today is difficult, raising God-conscious children is even more so. Just to provide food, clothing, shelter, education, and other physical and mental needs requires great endeavor. Add the diligence and support needed for the children’s spiritual training, and parenting is an awesome responsibility. But by accepting the commitment to act as parental stewards on God’s behalf, dedicated, spiritually inclined parents develop good qualities. From within the heart, the Lord gives sincere, committed parents the intelligence and direction to know what to do and to whom to turn for help. From without, He gives guidance through the guru, scriptures, grandparents, and other experienced parents and spiritually advanced persons.

All over the world, most religiously or spiritually inclined people are married or will get married. The majority of these couples will have children. And of these, many parents seek ways to raise children who are moral, spiritually conscious contributors to the communities in which they live.

The Long Road to Adulthood

Unlike animals, the young in human society don’t grow up quickly to take their place as mature or self-sustaining members of their community. Human children have a variety of long-term needs that must be addressed: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. They need love, food, shelter, education, clothing, recreation, protection, good association, and so on. As dedicated caretakers, spiritually conscious parents must make every effort to provide for these needs in healthy ways. This is an important part of spiritual life: caring for or serving the Lord’s servants. It cannot be neglected.

The best parents are good role models for their children. They demonstrate the spiritual way of life through words and deeds, understanding that children learn what they live. They seek out other parents or families trying to raise God-conscious children. In this way, they create a much-needed support system. Truly “It takes a village to raise a child.” (Ancient African Proverb).

Sometimes it is necessary to get parenting skills so that we can communicate better, resolve conflicts, set goals, and administer discipline in loving ways to our children. Obtaining such skills is also devotional service because it helps us carry out our parenting duties.

God-conscious parenting requires sacrifice. But it is a sacrifice of love that, like other kinds of devotional service, can be quite rewarding. Raising caring, spiritually conscious children is a grand and valuable goal, and to reach it takes a grand commitment.

The Wonderful Art of Dovetailing

In the Bhagavad-gita (9.27), Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, “All that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.”

The secret weapon of parenting is to dovetail everything in Krishna’s service. For example, Krishna declares in Bhagavad-gita (14.4), “I am the seed-giving father.” So, as a parent changing your baby’s diaper, you can remind yourself, “I am changing the diaper of one of God’s children.” When, despite fatigue, you read to or play with your son or daughter, remind yourself that the Lord is noting how you sacrifice to bring joy to one of His children. When you chide your teenage child, do so with the sense that you are caring for a living being who belongs to someone much greater than you. With your spouse, if possible, take the time to prayerfully create some family rules, rituals, and routines that are fair, hopeful, and consistent and that contribute to each child’s growth and development.

Parents who want to raise kind, considerate, spiritually aware children must provide more than just physical maintenance for their offspring. Dovetailing family life to Krishna distinguishes God-conscious parents (grihastha) from those who don’t (grihamedhi). To paraphrase Lord Krishna: “Offer the austerities of your parenting duties as an offering to Me.”

Moving on Up

In Vedic culture, life is divided into four stages, called ashramas, or “places of spiritual growth”: (1) student life, (2) married or family life, (3) retired life, and (4) renounced life. Each stage is meant for growth and development and requires the fulfillment of certain duties. Being a God-conscious parent means that you are in an ashrama (the grihastha ashrama) that is part of a spiritually progressive system. The grihastha ashrama is meant for living a wholesome, loving, regulated family life.

Since most people marry and have children, the grihastha ashrama is an example to others and offers hope. One who sincerely accepts the service of becoming a Krishna conscious parent is empowered by God Himself to do this service. God-conscious parenting is a vital duty very much appreciated by the Lord.

The Vedic scriptures tell us that we should not become parents unless we can bring our children to a higher stage of spiritual life and save them from the cycle of birth and death. Prospective parents should realize their tremendous responsibility.

“You must produce nice children,” Srila Prabhupada said. “For that purpose, sex life is allowed. And especially in this age, at the present moment, if you can produce children to become Krishna conscious, that will be a great service to the Lord.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and his wife, Srimati Bhagavati Devi, were an ideal couple who raised ten children in late nineteenth-century India. He was a great spiritual master and government official who perfectly balanced his parental, spiritual, and administrative duties. He rightly appreciated that he was but a steward for Lord Krishna’s children and property. A masterful poet and songwriter, he wrote in one song, “My life, my wife, my family—all belong to you, O Lord.”

Results Are up to the Lord

Our duty as parents is to be good examples in a God-conscious setting. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, our children will cause us problems. Therefore, we must remember, as the Bhagavad-gita teaches us, that we can only do our duty and rely on the Lord for the results.

Too many children grow up to be crude, harsh, immoral, undisciplined, or criminal. Psychologically and spiritually unhealthy children grow up to be unhealthy adults.

“Hurt people hurt people,” says actor and educator Bill Cosby.

In other words, people who have been abused or misused will often become abusers or exploiters themselves. Our world cries out for children who are truthful, compassionate, self-disciplined, clean in mind and body, and spiritually inclined. They will carry these qualities into adulthood.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu predicted a golden age of God consciousness within the present age of quarrel and deceit. That will require more and more God-conscious children and adults to populate the earth.

“Good population in human society,” Srila Prabhupada writes, “is the basic principle for peace, prosperity, and spiritual progress in life.”

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17291

From Back to Godhead

Hare Krsna couples know from the start 
that their life together has a spiritual purpose.

IN MY MOTHER’S wedding photo, she holds a thin bunch of flowers as if she wished to hide it somewhere. The Town Hall marriage chamber resembles a waiting room of an old-fashioned office. My parents, in their everyday attire of poor college students, look blissful but embarrassed, as if they cannot fully comprehend what is happening: Are we really married? What now? Get out and go back to our classes, or what?

In those times the sixties the young Polish intelligentsia took pride in abandoning the old rites of the Catholic tradition. Under Communist influence, marriage was thought of as merely a formality, a matter of signatures. Twelve years later, my parents placed their signatures on a divorce document.

I’m remembering this as I leaf through my own wedding album. In the background I can see my mother’s face. Touched, she is watching as my husband and I throw grains into the sacrificial fire, while a devotee softly explains to her the meaning of the rituals.

In my childhood, I used to wrap myself in a window curtain and dream I was wearing a beautiful silk dress, so long that I would have to lift it with both hands when stepping up the stairs. Soon enough, life forced me to admit I wasn’t a fairy-tale princess. But now my old dream was to be fulfilled at, of all places, a Hare Krsna temple the same temple where I’d learned every day that I’m not my female body and not meant to be the center of attraction. A wedding ceremony was to be performed for two persons striving to understand that the attachment between man and woman is a trap of maya (illusion), and that our real family is Krsna’s family in the spiritual world.

Krsna consciousness is both idealistic and practical. It makes the highest perfection love of God accessible to people with various natures and inclinations. Celibacy and absolute dedication to spiritual practice are encouraged and praised, and so is a sincere desire to pursue Krsna consciousness in married life. Devotees wishing to create a family can have their material needs fulfilled while getting unlimited opportunities to keep Krsna in the center.

Devotee families have their own unique offering to make to Krsna. Theirs is not an inferior brand of spirituality. Nor is marital happiness something shameful, as was often believed in the medieval ages of Christianity. God does not envy our enjoyment. But if we want our happiness to last, it has to be built on the principle of serving Krsna’s enjoyment, because we are all His servants and cannot have lasting enjoyment by acting against our nature.

Lasting Impressions

The night before my wedding, the devotee who would be dressing the temple Deities the next morning asked me which clothing I most liked seeing the Deities dressed in. I felt touched: she wanted to help me appreciate and remember our Deities on that special day.

Until recently, in all traditional societies, religious rituals accompanied major transitions in life, such as being born, taking up education, or getting married. The Vedic scriptures call those ritualssamskaras, or purifying rites. Samskara means “impression,” like ruts in soft clay or a riverbed. The purpose of samskara is to create a deep, lasting impression in the mind of the person for whom it is performed. The impression will channel the stream of the person’s thoughts and emotions in a way conducive to spiritual advancement. On the social level, samskaras help clarify for members of the society their place in it: their rights, duties, progress. Psychologically, samskaras aid the development of one’s sense of identity, purpose, and fulfillment in life.

The vivaha-samskara (wedding rite) offers an excellent opportunity to spiritualize thoughts, emotions, and commitments that accompany being united with one’s chosen partner. A Vaisnava wedding (a wedding of devotees of Krsna) is not only a colorful, joyful ceremony but also a source of devotional inspiration for years to come. When difficulties arise in the relationship, we may ask ourselves, “How did I get into this situation? Why did I marry this person?” Then the mind will go back to the wedding day and automatically remember Lord Krsna, His devotees, and His loving service.

Sanctioning a relationship by a Vaisnava wedding is not all it takes to make a marriage successful. And one can even undergo this meaningful ceremony thoughtlessly. One person will meditate on the ritual’s essential meaning, while another may be preoccupied worrying about a pimple. The foundation for a good marriage is laid long before, beginning from childhood. Proper motives for entering the relationship are essential. A senior devotee, married for many years, once told me, “If we are honest and respect each other, Krsna can make our marriage like soft grasses, and if we are cheaters, He can make it like a swamp.”

Still, the Vaisnava wedding ceremony helps the couple take their first step together in harmony with each other and with God. Even if the partners have already lived together before accepting Krsna consciousness, undergoing the vivaha-samskara can deepen their relationship and make it more satisfying. It helps the couple realize, “We are together not because it somehow happened this way, not by mistake, not in a passing episode of blind passion. The life we share is sanctified and meaningful, an important aspect of our spiritual life. Any little effort to make our relationship pleasing to Krsna goes to our eternal benefit.”

Prayers for Success

Next moment, I’m inside. As sweet sounds of Hare Krsna chanting envelop me, suddenly the anxiety goes away. The bridegroom and I approach the altar and stand before the Deities. Mentally, we offer Them a prayer we have prepared:

“Our dear Radha and Krsna, O Divine Couple, please accept us. Please teach us to serve You and not try to imitate You. If You think we can help each other grow in love and devotion to You, then let this marriage ceremony be auspiciously performed under Your merciful glance. May we never forget this ceremony. Then our relationship will stand the test of time. May our parents, who are blessing us now, never feel sorrow remembering our wedding.”

Then I offer my own prayer:

“O Srimati Radharani, so beautifully decorated with ornaments and flowers, smiling with such simplicity and kindness, You are the real princess. I am happy standing before You in humble submission. The desire of my childhood has now melted away.”

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=81612

Srila Prabhupada once said that when devotees give up practicing Krishna consciousness it is ‘fifty percent their fault, and fifty percent ISKCON’s”. In this article I would like to explore what I perceive as a systemic problem contributing to our society’s fifty percent of the blame.

It is surely surprising that someone should get as far as seriously following the process of Krishna consciousness, only to give it up again. Most of us experienced an immediate relief of suffering when we joined, and we have all heard many times how pure devotional service to Krishna is the highest platform of happiness. Throughout Srila Prabhupada’s books it is made clear that the root cause of misery is turning away from Krishna, and still devotees turn away from the process and plunge themselves back into the material whirlpool.

And it is by no means an unusual phenomenon, as those of us who have been around a while will testify. I don’t believe any actual figures have been kept, but I would suggest that probably the greater number who commence the process, chanting sixteen rounds and following the principles, will slacken or stop their practises at a later date. They may not argue that the process does not work, but the fact they have ceased practising speaks for itself. Perhaps they are now absorbed in a material career, or have taken up some other spiritual path, or ‘new age’ doctrine, or whatever. All of these are sought because they are seen as a means to happiness, to solving the problem of suffering. And if they are pursued to the exclusion of sadhana then obviously they are viewed as a better solution, at least for the time being. It seems then that the point of Krishna consciousness, that it destroys all misery and bestows the highest happiness, is somehow being missed.

IMMEDIATE SOLUTIONS

Srila Prabhupada certainly saw Krishna consciousness as the solution to all problems, personal and social, immediate and long term. In 1974 he even asked devotees to write a book called “How Krishna Consciousness Can Solve All The Problems of Life.” At this time he asked his disciples to present a new problem to him each day and he would explain how Krishna consciousness is the answer. This eventually led to the “Spiritual Solutions to Material Problems” section of the Science of Self Realisation.

Scripture makes it clear that Krishna consciousness is the sure remedy to suffering. In its very beginning Srimad Bhagavatam states that it “uproots the threefold miseries” and Srila Prabhupada comments, “…by service (to the Lord) one is immediately freed from material encumbrances.” (1) As is often the case with such instructions, Prabhupada uses the word “immediately”.

The Bhagavatam goes on to analyse why we suffer. “Due to the external energy, the living entity, although transcendental to the three modes of material nature, thinks of himself as a material product and thus undergoes the reactions of material miseries.”(2)

Again Prabhupada comments, “…due to this unholy contact (with the material energy), the pure spiritual entity suffers material miseries under the modes of material nature” (3)

In other words our problems begin when we identify with matter. Thinking ourselves to be the body, we experience the miseries that afflict it, such as old age, disease and death. This misidentification is the fundamental anartha, or unwanted contamination of the heart. It leads to the subsidiary anarthas of lust, greed, anger etc, as we try fervently to achieve bodily or mental satisfaction. These various impetuses drive us to all kinds of foolishness, along with their resultant painful reactions.

Hence uprooting our suffering means destroying the basic misidentification with matter. This is made clear in the Bhagavatam. “The material miseries of the living entity, which are superfluous to him, can be directly mitigated by the linking process of devotional service.”(4) “Linking process” means connecting with Krishna, seeing our true identity as his eternal loving servants.

The Bhagavatam presents itself as the specific means of achieving this. “Simply by giving aural reception to this Vedic literature, the feeling for loving devotional service to Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sprouts up at once to extinguish the fire of lamentation, illusion and fearfulness. ”(5)

Prabhupada explains that there is no difference between Krishna and the subject matter about him. Just by hearing about Krishna we immediately contact him, “And the transcendental sound is so effective that it acts at once by removing all material affections.”(6)

Again we should note in such references that terms like “at once” are used. The relief from suffering is immediate. So how can we get that immediate relief? Many devotees, as mentioned above, have had some taste of it, but still went away. It seems they were not experiencing sufficient alleviation of their pain to maintain diligent spiritual practises. They thus turned to other solutions that they felt were more immediate, putting aside the actual means of eradicating their suffering condition.

What I would like to consider here is the possibility that they did not fully experience the benefits of Krishna consciousness because they did not fully practise the process as given by Prabhupada. I feel that a key element may have been missing, that of effective hearing and chanting of Krishna katha, specifically Prabhupada’s books.

THE PRIMARY PRACTISE

Hearing is the first of the nine angas, or limbs, of bhakti, and it is the primary limb upon which all the others depend.

“Unless one hears about the holy name, form and qualities of the Lord, one cannot clearly understand theother processes of devotional service.”(7)

It is often said that chanting is the most important limb, but Prabhupada interestingly makes the following comment,

“When we speak of hearing and chanting, it means that not only should one chant and hear of the holy name of the Lord as Rama, Krishna (or systematically the sixteen names Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare), but one should also read and hear the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam in the association of devotees.”(8)

In the purport quoted above Prabhupada describes this as a “primary practise” of bhakti that will cause the creeper of love of God to grow all the way to Krishna’s lotus feet. It is my belief that in general we have failed to appreciate the critical importance of hearing and discussing Krishna katha together. As a result we may not have deeply assimilated the messages of Krishna consciousness and thereby felt the benefit. We may have been attending the morning programme, including class and chanting our rounds, but still felt that something was missing, and thus even after some years of practice we are still not feeling the full effect.

Another problem associated with a failure to deeply analyse our books is that we may fail to understand our duty. The result of not properly following sastra is explained by Krishna in the Gita. “He who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination. ”(9). Even though we may not deliberately “discard” scriptural instruction, by not properly understanding and practising the philosophy we effectively do this, and thus experience the above unwanted outcomes.

SADHU SANGA

A recurrent message in Prabhupada’s books, as stated in the quote above, is that hearing and chanting should be performed in the association of other devotees. This is called sadhu-sanga. Anyone coming to Krishna consciousness will be quickly apprised of the importance of sadhu-sanga. There is the famous verse that says how even by a moment’s association with a sadhu one can achieve “all perfection”.(10) Then there is Lord Chaitanya’s statement that the “root cause of bhakti is sadhu–sanga” (11), which Srila Prabhupada translates as the association of advanced devotees. Lord Chaitanya said that the main quality of a Vaishnava is that he gives up non-devotee association and associates with other Vaishnavas. Srila Prabhupada explains, “When Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was requested to explain the duty of a Vaishnava, a Krishna conscious person, He immediately said, asat-sanga-tyaga-ei vaisnava-acara [Cc. Madhya 22.87].” (12)

Sadhu-sanga, or sat-sanga as it is also called, is the second element of devotional practise after sraddha or faith, as defined by Rupa Goswami. We could go through Srila Prabhupada’s books and extract any number of quotes emphasising the importance of associating with devotees. So what exactly constitutes sat-sanga, and who is the ‘sat’ or sadhu referred to in sastra?

In one place Srila Prabhupada directly equates sadhu sanga with hearing. “Lord Chaitanya therefore recommended five main principles for attaining perfection in the devotional service of the Lord. The first is association with devotees (hearing).”(13)

For the most part, though, he defines it as discussing Krishna-katha. “Those who are devotees, they assemble together. Bodhayantah parasparam. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, “They discuss about the glories of the Lord.” Bodhayantah parasparam. That is sadhu-sanga” (14) Here Srila Prabhupada quotes a seed verse of the Bhagavad-Gita , where Krishna describes the symptoms of a pure devotee, how they “derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about me.”(15)

Prabhupada could be strong about the need for hearing and chanting together, or discussing Krishna katha. “Sat-sanga means assembly, discussion. Bodhayantah parasparam, tusyanti ca ramanti ca. If you are not interested in association, discussion, then you are finished. So… karmis, they are fools and rascals. When you have got this center, it is not that you should be engaged from morning till you go to bed for sense gratification. That is not life. That is karmi’s life. You have no time for sat-sanga, for association. You cannot make any progress by this sort of karmi’s life. We have to work for organization, but not that whole day and night engaged and no sat-sanga. That is a misguided policy, and it will spoil the whole structure.” (16)

Krishna conscious discussion is also known as istha-gosthi, instituted by Srila Prabhupada. This has largely come to mean meetings where temple business is discussed. We require management meetings, of course, but here is Prabhupada’s definition of istha-gosthi: “For a devotee, there is no point in making friendships with ordinary persons; he should make friendship with other devotees so that by discussing among themselves, they may elevate one another on the path of spiritual understanding. This is called ista-gosthi. In Bhagavad-gita there is reference to bodhayantah parasparam, “discussing among themselves.” Generally pure devotees utilize their valuable time in chanting and discussing various activities of Lord Krishna or Lord Caitanya amongst themselves.”(17)

THE EFFECT OF SADHU SANGA

Prabhupada would often cite a key Bhagavatam verse that describes how by sat-sanga, by discussing Krishna consciousness in the association of devotees, the whole process of bhakti unfolds.

“In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.”(18)

This verse appears three times in the Chaitanya Charitamrita, twice cited by Lord Chaitanya himself in his instructions to Sanatana Goswami.

Discussion about Krishna is both sravanam and kirtanam, hearing and chanting about the Lord. This is the “watering process” for the seed of bhakti, as described by Lord Chaitanya. The result is that one achieves the highest perfection of life. In Srimad Bhagavatam, Prabhupada states, “The highest perfectional gain of humanity is to engage in discussions of the activities and glories of the Pious Actor.”(19)

Prabhupada indicates how by this process we will achieve success in all our endeavours. “This process of hearing about and glorifying the Lord is applicable for everyone, whoever he may be, and it will lead one to the ultimate success in everything in which one may be engaged by providence.”(20)

Discussion about Krishna is the means by which we develop detachment and come to the Lord. “Therefore one must learn detachment by discussion of spiritual science based on authoritative scriptures, and one must hear from persons who are actually in knowledge. As a result of such discussion in the association of devotees, one comes to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”(21)

In 1972 Prabhupada issued an instruction to a prominent GBC member that his “first job” should be to ensure that the devotees in his care were regularly reading and discussing his books. “Your first job should be to make sure that every one of the devotees in your zone of management is reading regularly our literatures and discussing the subject matter seriously from different angles of seeing, and that they are somehow or other absorbing the knowledge of Krishna Consciousness philosophy. If they are fully educated in our philosophy and if they can get all of the knowledge and study it from every viewpoint, then very easily they will perform tapasya or renunciation and that will be their advancement in Krishna Consciousness.” (22)

Prabhupada wanted us to thoroughly analyse his writings from various perspectives, with a view to clearing all doubts. “Try to always study our books and see our philosophy from different lights of directions, become convinced yourself of this knowledge and without a doubt all of your difficulties of mind will disappear forever and you will see Krishna face-to-face.”(23)

He did not expect us to just blindly accept what he had written, and explained how by the process of discussion we would gradually become attached to the subject matter. “Suppose you hear something of the Bhagavad-Gita, and it appeals to you, or even does not appeal to you. Just try to think over: ‘What Bhagavad-Gita says? How Swamiji has discussed this matter?’ Apply your arguments. Apply your logic. Don’t take it as a sentiment or as a blind faith. You have got reason; you have got arguments; you have got sense. Apply it and try to understand it… You will gradually develop your attachment for hearing it, and devotional service will be invoked in your heart, and then gradually, you will make progress.”(24)

Discussions in which we try to see from different angles please Krishna. “Such pure devotees, always merged in knowledge of Krishna and absorbed in Krishna consciousness, exchange thoughts and realizations as great scientists exchange their views and discuss the results of their research in scientific academies. Such exchanges of thoughts in regard to Krishna give pleasure to the Lord, who therefore favours such devotees with all enlightenment.” (25)

We become oblivious to misery. “My dear King, in the place where pure devotees live, following the rules and regulations and thus purely conscious and engaged with great eagerness in hearing and chanting the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in that place if one gets a chance to hear their constant flow of nectar, which is exactly like the waves of a river, one will forget the necessities of life — namely hunger and thirst — and become immune to all kinds of fear, lamentation and illusion.”(26)

Prabhupada comments, “If one gets the chance to hear from pure devotees in such a place, allowing the constant flow of the river of nectar to come from the mouths of pure devotees, then the cultivation of Krishna consciousness becomes very easy.” (27)

WHO IS SADHU?

Generally Prabhupada says that we must hear and chant in the association of pure devotees. Indeed, as quoted above, such association is the ‘root cause’ of bhakti. In one place Srila Prabhupada defined sadhu sanga as “associating with the bona-fide spiritual master and abiding by his order.”(28) In the Bhagavatam verse about sat-sanga, cited above (3.25.25), Prabhupada translates the word ‘satam’ as “pure devotees”, and this is usually how he translates the word ‘sadhu’.

It is a frequently repeated point. Lord Chaitanya says, “Unless one is favoured by a pure devotee, one cannot attain the platform of devotional service. To say nothing of Krishna-bhakti, one cannot even be relieved from the bondage of material existence.” (29)

Commenting on this verse, Prabhupada says, “If one is serious about escaping maya’s influence and returning home, back to Godhead, one must associate with a sadhu (devotee). That is the verdict of all scriptures. By the slight association of a devotee, one can be freed from the clutches of maya. Without the mercy of the pure devotee, one cannot get freedom by any means. Certainly a pure devotee’s association is necessary in order to obtain the loving service of the Lord. One cannot be freed from maya’s clutches without sadhu-sanga.” (30)

In one lecture Prabhupada describes the sadhu as a perfect devotee. “Sadhu means a devotee, perfect devotee of Krishna. That is a sadhu. Therefore it is recommended, sadhu-sanga. We have to associate with sadhu, means who have completely dedicated life for Krishna’s service.” (31)

Everything depends upon such association. “The secret of success in the cultivation of Krishna consciousness is hearing from the right person.” (32) And the proper way to associate with such persons is to hear from them. “…one has to associate with liberated persons not directly, physically, but by understanding, through philosophy and logic, the problems of life.” (33)

There is no shortage of such statements throughout Prabhupada’s instructions. We need the pure devotee’s association. The question then, is what does ‘pure devotee’ mean? There are many statements by Prabhupada describing their symptoms, but this can be a somewhat subjective area. One man’s pure devotee may well be another’s rascal. Where one person sees all the qualities of a pure devotee as given in sastra, another may have quite a different view.

However, although there may well be other pure devotees, there cannot be any argument that Prabhupada is the “right person” as described here. He has made his association freely available in his instructions, which are intended for everyone in our society. Those of us who are not his initiated disciples need to find someone from whom we can receive instruction and initiation, but we can also derive immense benefit by hearing directly from Srila Prabhupada through his books, especially in the association of devotees. Perhaps that association will be primarily our own spiritual master, as Prabhupada suggests above, but even if this is not possible we can still come together to discuss Krishna consciousness on the basis of Prabhupada’s teachings. In that way we will get the association of a topmost sadhu, the maha-bhagavata devotee, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada writes, “Here is the remedy for eliminating all inauspicious things within the heart which are considered to be obstacles in the path of self-realization. The remedy is the association of the Bhagavatas. There are two types of Bhagavatas, namely the book Bhagavata and the devotee Bhagavata. Both the Bhagavatas are competent remedies, and both of them or either of them can be good enough to eliminate the obstacles.” (34)

It is my belief that by deeply and carefully studying and discussing Prabhupada’s books we effectively get the association of both Bhagavatas , the book and the person.

As well as this, it is service to Prabhupada, as he explains, “To serve the topmost devotee means to hear from him about the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (35)

As Prabhupada so painstakingly produced his books, it surely behoves us to also try painstakingly to understand what he wrote. And by so doing all the benefits listed above will be ours.

MAKING OUR CLASSES SAT SANGA

Surely the best opportunity for us to regularly hear from Srila Prabhupada in the association of other devotees is during our daily classes, but is that happening? Prabhupada plainly expected the class to be a powerful transformational experience. Thus he translated the ‘nasta prayesu’ verse as follows: “By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.” (36)

As I have shown above, this destruction of anarthas or unwanted things in the heart is the effect of proper sat-sanga. If we are actually associating with Prabhupada, through his instructions, this should be happening. However, in my experience so many of our classes fail to offer Prabhupada’s association. Often the speaker will read the verse and purport, and then deliver his or her own thoughts on the subject with scant reference to Prabhupada’s actual words. Stories, jokes, anecdotes, pep talks, favourite cause espousals, outright speculation and even mundane discussion of politics or whatever, are all too common in classes I have heard (and I have recently made a fairly wide study of them). Even where the speaker sticks to the philosophy, it is still rare to hear a class that adheres closely to Prabhupada’s words, seeking to deeply unpack and understand his meaning, and then discussing that together. We are thus mostly getting the speaker’s association, rather than that of Srila Prabhupada, the undoubted sadhu. Some of us may be pure devotees, but speaking for myself I am still a conditioned soul, and I would venture to suggest that many of us called to give class are in the same floundering boat. We are aspiring pure devotees, on the path of sadhana bhakti, which means still becoming freed of anarthas.

Prabhupada says: “Because conditioned soul cannot give you the truth. I am conditioned soul. I cannotsay something which is absolute… Because we cannot take any instruction from a conditioned soul. So thespiritual master, even if you take that he is conditioned soul, but he does not speak anything from hisown side. He speaks from Kṛṣṇa’s side. So unless… The Vedic principle is that unless one is not liberatedfrom the material conditions, he cannot give us any perfect knowledge. The conditioned soul, however hemay be academically advanced, educated, he cannot give us any perfect knowledge.” (37)

As conditioned souls we must therefore stick very closely to Prabhupada’s words in order to not speak ‘anything from our own side’, as he puts it.

I do not want to denigrate the value of any devotee’s association, and I know that many give good talks, but I would suggest that our temple classes, morning and evening, be reserved as sacred time during which we all associate deeply with our Founder-Acharya. Recently the GBC published a pamphlet entitled Srila Prabhupada: The Founder Acharya of ISKCON. In its preamble they stated, “Srila Prabhupada’s presence is to be felt in the life of every ISKCON devotee today, and in the lives of devotees many centuries into the future.” The aim of the pamphlet was declared as, “understanding how Śrīla Prabhupāda is in the center of our lives and our society, and knowing how to keep him in that essential role.” (38) Prabhupada’s role was stated in the pamphlet to be: “The single prominent śikṣā guru immanent in the life of each and every ISKCON devotee—a perpetual, indwelling active guiding and directing presence.”(39)

Siksa means instruction, and thus to ensure that Srila Prabhupada is the “prominent siksa guru” in our lives must mean prominently hearing from him, and that surely begins with class.

And Prabhupada wanted class to be a learning experience. “We should have regular classes, just like school and colleges, eight hour, six hour. Be engaged always in reading Srimad-Bhagavatam, discussing amongst yourself. Then you’ll make progress. Otherwise, if you take it as an official routine work… You should take as routine work, but with consciousness that “We have to learn something,” not simply attending the class, but to learn something. In this way make your life successful.” (40).

Note how he even suggests that there be six or eight hours of classes a day, although mostly he would instruct that there be one hour of class in both the morning and evening. Even this is often minimised, with morning class as short as thirty minutes (after all the preliminaries), and evening class non-existent for most. Many devotees do not even attend the morning class. Of course, where temple attendance is not possible we can conduct our classes at home, but the main principle I would stress, wherever we hold class, is the need to hear the words of Srila Prabhupada.

HOW TO HEAR EFFECTIVELY

As far as the methodology of effective hearing is concerned, there is much more to say, but this article is already too long. My wife Cintamani-dhama and I have compiled a set of principles drawn from Srila Prabhupada’s instructions which can be found on our website: www.improvingsanga.wordpress.comPerhaps I will write a further article on this subject at a later date.

Fundamentally, though, there should be a complete focus on Prabhupada’s words. Put the purport up on Powerpoint for everyone to see, or have them bring their own books. Then go through systematically, picking up on his points, diving deeply into the nectar of his words. Take time, if necessary. Some purports are long and packed with valuable instructions. Why not spend more than just one day on a verse? So much is missed when we rush through his purports. They deserve more than that, and surely this is what Prabhupada expected. Take a look at the link below:

http://www.vanipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Read_Srila_Prabhupada’s_Books

To conclude then, I believe that if we institute more direct hearing from Srila Prabhupada, especially in classes, we will see a fall in our attrition rate. Devotees will better experience the benefits described above and be less inclined to seek other, paltry solutions. Krishna consciousness will be seen as the all-encompassing remedy for every problem, and we will quickly feel the wonderful effects of Prabhupada’s powerful association.

There is no difference between the spiritual master’s instructions and the spiritual master himself. In his absence, therefore, his words of direction should be the pride of the disciple.(41)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1•SB 1.1.2

2•SB.1.7.5

3•Ibid

4•SB 1.7.6

5•SB 1.7.7

6•Ibid

7•SB 7.24-25

8•SB.2.2.30

9. Bg.16.23

10•CC.Mad.22.54

11•CC.Mad.22.83

12•SB.5.18.10

13•SB.2.9.31

14•SP Lecture Bombay, December 4, 1974

15•Bg.10.9

16•SPC.New Delhi, Nov 3, 1973

17•SB.3.29.3

18•SB.3.25.25

19•SB.3.36.37

20•SB.2.1.5

21•Bg.15.3-4

22•SP Letter Los Angeles June 16, 1972

23•SP Letter New York; July 8, 1972

24•SP Lecture July 28, 1966

25•CC Adi 1.49

26• SB 4.29.39-40

27• Ibid.

28• SP Lecture August 19, 1968

29• CC. Mad 22.51

30• SB.5.3.14

31• SP Lecture, Sydney, February 16, 1973

32•SB 4.29.39-40

33•SB 3.31.48

34•SB 1.2.18

35•SB.4.22.22

36. SB. 1.2.17

37. SPL 27 Nov 1968

38. Srila Prabhupada: The Founder Acharya of ISKCON, p.9

39. Ibid, p.22

40. SPL January 16th, 1975

41. Caitanya Caritamrita Adi Lila 1.35

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=58889

Although Alarnath is a little known holy place, I had always been fascinated with the idea of going there. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would stay at Alarnath during anavasara, the two-week period when Lord Jagannatha rests in seclusion before the annual Rathayatra (chariot festival) in Jagannatha Puri. Lord Chaitanya couldn't bear staying in Puri without seeing His beloved Lord, and at Alarnath He would reveal the highest spiritual emotions, pining in ecstatic separation.

I'm traveling with a group of five others to Bentpur, the village near the Alarnath temple, seventeen kilometers west of Puri and about five kilometers inland. To reach Alarnath, Lord Chaitanya would walk along the beach, but today most pilgrims take a bus.

We're traveling by jeep, and the ride along the flat, winding road gives us beautiful views of agricultural fields and large coconut-palm forests. The rich land of the coastal plain supports many people, and we pass quite a few villages during the one-hour ride. It's seven in the morning, and people are rising to bathe in ponds and rivers, as they have for thousands of years.

Along the way we see many palanquins that house deities from area villages. The deities are on their way to Bentpur for an annual festival that brings together deities of each of the five Pandava brothers, the pure devotees of Lord Krishna whose lives are central to the epic Mahabharata. According to local tradition, anyone who sees all five deities in one day attains liberation. Because the deities' temples sit some distance from one another, visiting them all in one day is impossible. In former times a king once tried on horseback but failed. Now once a year the five deities gather at Bentpur and pilgrims come from all over the area with deities from their villages. More than a hundred deities—Radha-Krishna, Siva, other devas—will be arriving for this year's festival, to be held tomorrow.

We arrive in Bentpur in a typical Indian bazaar with blaring cinema music. It’s a small village with a few hundred houses. Although it’s still early, merchants are opening their small shops and kiosks to sell their produce, grain, spices, cloth, hardware, stainless-steel pots and pans—just about anything you’d need.

The Alarnath Temple

We walk a hundred yards or so to the Alarnath temple and find ourselves in a peaceful, serene setting amid palm trees moving gently in the breeze. We imagine what the place must have been like when Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stayed here five hundred years ago (a blessed time without loud-speakers).

As with the Jagannatha temple in Puri, Westerners are not allowed inside for an audience with Lord Alarnath. Because it’s a fairly small temple, we can see the deity from outside, al-though not clearly. Lord Alarnath is a four-armed Vishnu deity. At His feet kneels Garuda, His eagle-carrier, hands folded in prayer. The Lord’s consorts Sri and Bhu also accompany Him. The temple also contains small Deities of Lord Krishna’s queens Rukmini and Satyabhama. Bas reliefs of Lord Brahma and Lord Siva grace the ceiling of one of the halls leading up to the main chamber.

The temple also holds a deity of Lord Chaitanya known as Sad- bhuja, or ‘Six-armed,’ signifying Lord Chaitanya’s identity with both Lord Krishna and Lord Rama. A stone slab in front of the deity bears impressions from Lord Chaitanya’s body. When Lord Chaitanya first lay in full obeisance before Lord Alarnath, the stone beneath Lord Chaitanya melted from His ecstatic touch.

The government of Orissa manages the temple, and brahmanas from about fifty families take turns serving the deities. Each family specializes in one aspect of the deity service, the tradition passing from generation to generation. Some families cook for the deities, while others offer the deities their meals, worship them, decorate them, and so on. The temple owns about sixty acres of land, some used for the deities and some for their servants.

Near the Alarnath temple is the Brahma Gaudiya Math, established by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in 1926. The temple houses deities of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Radha-Krishna (Gopi-Gopinatha), and a small Lord Alarnath. A priest of the Alarnath temple had found the small deity during excavation and had installed Him in the temple. One night the deity appeared to the head priest in a dream and told him that He wanted to be worshiped by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. The next day the priest presented the deity to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, who happened to be staying at the Gaudiya Math temple.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, who was born in Puri, loved Alarnath. He said that the place is the same as Vrindavana and that the small lake there—on whose banks Lord Chaitanya would rest—is the same as Radha-kunda, the most sacred of lakes. In 1929 Srila Bhaktisiddhanta arranged renovation of the Alarnath temple and construction of a boundary wall. It is said that he was so eager to see the work completed that he would roll cigarettes for the workers to keep them on the job. He also placed sculptures of Vamana, Nrisimha, and Varaha (three incarnations of Lord Krishna) in alcoves in the temple’s outer walls.

Ramananda Raya’s Home

After visiting the Alarnath temple and the Brahma Gaudiya Math, we go to the other end of Bentpur village to the birthplace of Ramananda Raya, one of Lord Chaitanya’s chief associates. We meet Mr. P. K. Pattnaik, a descendant of Gopinatha Pattnaik, a brother of Ramananda Raya. Mr. Pattnaik and his family show us a ceremonial sword that belonged to Ramananda (a governor) and old government documents written on palm leaves.

Across a dirt path from the Pattnaik’s home is a temple of Ramananda Raya and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, depicting their meeting on the bank of the Godavari River.

An Important Site

Alarnath is not a big or famous holy place and probably never will be. Yet Gaudiya Vaishnavas, the followers of Lord Chaitanya, revere it as an important site of Lord Chaitanya’s pastimes. The great Gaudiya Vaishnavas spiritual master Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung, gaur amara, je saba sthane, karalo bhramana range, se-saba sthana heribo ami, pranayi-bhakata-sange: “I aspire to see, in the company of loving devotees, all the places visited by Lord Chaitanya.” And Srila Prabhupada writes, “A devotee should make a point of visiting all the places where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu performed His pastimes. Indeed, pure devotees of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu even want to see the places He simply visited for only hours or minutes.” How important, then, is a place where Lord Chaitanya stayed every year, exhibiting the most intense mood of separation from His beloved Krishna!

Source: https://www.krishna.com/alarnath-abode-spiritual-longing