Two intrepid devotee explorers are set to travel to the last frontier, and bring kirtan and Srila Prabhupada’s books to Antarctica – the southernmost and coldest continent in the world.

The continent is largely uninhabited and 98 per cent of it is covered by ice, but it does have a tourist season and many international research stations to reach out to. One thing’s for sure – venturing there is a unique offering to Prabhupada for ISKCON’s 50th anniversary.

The two devotees set to travel this November are Kesihanta Das, a Prabhupada disciple and co-director of ISKCON Alachua’s Save the Cow program; and Trivikrama Das, bass player for Vaishnava hardcore band 108.

Cow protector Kesihanta (left) and 108 bassist Trivikrama, the two intrepid explorers set for Antarctica

“During the Prabhupada arrival festival at Boston’s Commonwealth Pier last year, many devotees were giving exciting and inspiring talks about Srila Prabhupada’s achievements, saying he went to six continents,” Kesihanta says. “That got me thinking – what about the seventh continent? What about Antarctica?”

To the best of his knowledge, Kesihanta says, no devotees have yet traveled to Antarctica in a missionary capacity. “We wanted to get there first before Indradyumna Swami found out,” he jokes.

Kesihanta and Trivikrama will leave on November 13th from Ushuaia, which is the capital of Tierra del Fuego in Argentina and is considered the southernmost city in the world.

From there they will take the MV Ushaia, a small 88-passenger ship originally built for the U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. The journey to the Antarctic Peninsula will take two days, and will cross the Drake Passage.

“We’ve been advised to wear prescription motion sickness patches, because the seas are generally very rough – it’s called the Drake Shake,” says Kesihanta. “Especially because our ship is relatively small, we’re expecting to feel it more.”

On the voyage, the devotees will observe the Western calendar day of Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance – November 14th – with a half-day fast and arati to their four-inch Prabhupada murti.

The Krishna South flag devotees will place in Antarctica, with the ISKCON 50 logo on the other side

For them the voyage, and any harsh weather or hardships on it, will be a meditation on Prabhupada’s bravery and determination through his trip to the USA on the steamship Jaladuta.

Kesihanta and Trivikrama will be arriving in Antarctica on November 15th. In winter, the continent sees four months of total darkness, weekly hurricane force winds, and unfathomable temperatures as low as 89.2 °C (−128.6 °F).

Fortunately, November is its summer. And coupled with the fact that their destination is the Antarctic Peninsula – the northernmost point with weather less extreme than the South Pole --  the devotees will find temperatures “only” reaching freezing or just below.

They will, however, be sending Krishna’s message and Srila Prabhupada’s words to the South Pole.

“We are in touch with someone who works with the three year-round U.S. research stations in Antarctica, and has agreed to place pocket editions of Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita in their libraries,” says Kesihanta. “The stations are the Amundsen–Scott Station in the South Pole; the McMurdo Station, which is the largest research station in Antarctica; and Palmer Station, on Anvers Island off the coast of the Peninsula.”

The information plate in the Bhagavad-gitas devotees will be placing at U.S. research stations in Antarctica

Kesihanta and Trivikrama will live in their ship off the coast of Antarctica between November 15th and 21st, but will go ashore in large rafts called zodiacs daily. So they also plan to personally place copies of Bhagavad-gita As It Is in the libraries of research stations like Britain’s Port Lockroy Base, Argentina’s Brown Station, and Ukraine’s Vernadsky Research Base.

“We even brought a Ukrainian Bhagavad-gita for the Ukranian station!” says Kesihanta.

The devotees also plan to hold several kirtans, with kartals and mridanga, outside on the Antarctic Peninsula. They hope that some broad-minded fellow adventurers will participate, as well as a few penguins!

At least one of their kirtans will include guru-puja with a full set of arati paraphernalia to Srila Prabhupada, who will be set up on the ice on a fold-up table and his vyasasana.

Surrounded by glaciers, Srila Prabhupada will be dressed in a saffron parka specially made for the trip by Kesihanta’s wife and Save the Cow co-director, Devaki Dasi. 

The team's 'ISKCON Antarctica' t-shirt design

Kesihanta and Trivikrama will also place a Hare Krishna banner and a “Krishna South” flag in the ice to claim the final frontier for Srila Prabhupada.

Despite Antarctica’s remoteness, Kesihanta says there is further scope beyond his groundbreaking expedition to share Krishna consciousness there.

“During the summer, there are about 4,000 researchers at the different research stations,” he explains. “And the largest one, McMurdo, becomes like a whole city, with all sorts of events and concerts. So if someone like Indradyumna Swami or Radhanath Swami got inspired from our trip, they could take the effort further.”

Ultimately, Kesihanta hopes Srila Prabhupada will be pleased. “He was always very interested in devotees’ different landmark achievements, so this is my offering to him.”

Source:http://iskconnews.org/devotees-to-hold-first-kirtan-in-antarctica,5912/

Even when we are so transcendental ourselves, we still have to take people’s feelings very serious, even if they are partially motivated by false ego – it doesn’t matter, just like a child. But when you are an adult, you see it different although a father leaving home is not a small thing; that is real suffering but what can be done!?

When I was a kid, I lost my favourite toy car in a sand-pit; I never got over it. It was a big thing. I dug up the whole sand-pit and sifted through the whole thing but never found my little golden Jaguar, as it was called. What a drama it was!

Now, of course, I look at it a little bit different but my little golden Jaguar stands there to remind me that for me, that was a very important thing. So, what really counts is what is really important to people. I don’t think that we should go around and put labels on people and say, “False ego!”

I think that we should take serious what is serious to others otherwise how will they take us serious. If I am so transcendental that I don’t take anybody serious, that doesn’t make sense at all. Then I become cold and disinterested from people.

Like Prabhupada, he was very transcendental yet he could be very human with human beings. He was able to come down to what moved people although it didn’t move him in the same way.

Source:https://www.kksblog.com/2016/11/what-really-counts/

Vaishnava marriage counselors Partha Das and Uttama Dasi were recently invited, under the recommendation of GBC Bhakti Vijnana Swami, to offer marital and premarital education to devotees in Moscow, Russia, for the first time.

The effort was an important service to the vast and fast-growing 10,000 member ISKCON Moscow community, who were grateful to learn practical advice and new paradigms.

Initiated by Srila Prabhupada in 1973, husband and wife Partha and Uttama have an incredible amount of experience and wisdom between them. They’ve been happily married for forty-five years, have premarital education training certified by Prepare and Enrich, and have offered that education with the Grihasta Vision Team – a group of professional devotee counselors – for the past decade.

In their native Canada, they also provide a mandated five-session premarital education course for all couples getting married at ISKCON temples.

“We were able to convince the leadership across the country that we don’t want to just perform marriages anymore – we actually want to support and nurture marriages,” says Partha. “We’re trying to create a culture where premarital education is an integral part of marriage in ISKCON.”

Visiting Moscow from October 7th to 20th, the couple offered an abbreviated version of their two-day seminar, Strengthening the Bonds That Free Us, which they’ve taught in eleven countries.

Their stay, organized by Ekanga Dasi, included four evening sessions. Audiences up to sixty men and women attended, both married and unmarried.

During the sessions, Partha and Uttama taught their 12 Principles and Values of a Successful Krishna Conscious Marriage, such as alignment with Srila Prabhupada, spiritual growth and progress, mutual respect and appreciation, open and honest communications, focus on children’s welfare, family love and affection, and regulated, balanced and exemplary lifestyle. (read the full list here: http://vaisnavafamilyresources.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/12_Principles-brochure-2012.pdf)

They also spoke about negotiating roles between husband and wife, gender differences, preparing for marriage, and communication skills.

Partha and Uttama with Moscow newly-weds

In preparation for marriage, they advised devotees to develop good qualities within themselves, and to look for certain qualities in prospective partners. They emphasized looking for someone who is kind first and foremost; as well as balanced, respectful, a good listener, humble, faithful to the Supreme Lord, free from addictions, and compatible.

“It’s important that you look for someone with similar values, personality and lifestyle,” says Uttama. “For instance, someone who shares your work ethics, family values, and the way you practice Krishna consciousness.”

Of course, she acknowledges, it is fine and natural to have small differences in values, and couples should support and encourage each other in these areas for a healthy marriage.

Partha and Uttama also emphasized getting to know a prospective partner well before trusting them, and making sure you trust them before you commit.

The communication skills part of the course, meanwhile, was largely based upon two of Rupa Goswami’s six loving exchanges between Vaishnavas: revealing one’s mind in confidence, and inquiring confidentially, or reworded here as “listening in confidence.”

“We’re trying to help devotees realize how important that exchange is, especially in household life,” says Partha. “We teach simple communication techniques that keep dialog from escalating into the modes of passion and ignorance where people end up having arguments, or isolating themselves in the relationship.”

Partha and Uttama feel that Krishna conscious marriage done right is something very special. If we truly stayed aware that Krishna is being worshipped in our homes, and is in our spouse’s hearts, they explain, we would never use unkind words or treat them harshly. 

The counselors also talked about negative paradigms sometimes touted in ISKCON that cause damage. “One is the misunderstanding that your marriage and your children are not devotional service,” says Uttama. “Because then devotees don’t work on their relationships, minimize them, and sometimes don’t even meet their children’s needs.”

Partha and Uttama at a young devotee couples' wedding, with Bhakti Vriksha leaders Angira Muni Das and Kaveri Dasi

Happy, caring marriages and family lives are devotional service not only because our children and spouses are devotees, Partha adds, but because the general public observes how devotees live and conduct themselves. “So just having a good marriage is a big contribution to Prabhupada’s movement – what to speak of having happy, well-adjusted, protected children.”

Another area commonly misunderstood that Partha and Uttama made an important distinction between is the difference between Vedic marriage – where the wife is often seen as subservient to the husband – and Vaishnava marriage.

In this connection, they cited an article on Vaishnava marriage by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati in his magazine The Harmonist. “The cardinal principle of grihasta ashram is that no one may be the owner of any property or service of another,” he writes.  Everyone is only a servant whose activities are ever in the service of the Lord.”

He continues, “Marrying and giving in marriage do not give rise to any rights of a master either to the husband or to the wife. Men and women are joined in wedlock for the purpose of serving each other in the performance of the joint service of Krishna. The wife is not an object of enjoyment of the husband, nor vice versa. They do not marry for gratifying their sexual appetites. They marry for pleasing the Lord, not for pleasing themselves.”

He concludes, “Neither the husband nor the wife should claim the services of his or her partner on their own account. Both of them are only to offer their services if and when their partner is pleased to permit them to share their service of Hari. None of them can force their partners to serve them….This system of household discipline has its roots in the joint worship of the household deity by all members of the household.”

The seminar was received with gratitude by Russian devotees. It contributed to two main needs: providing knowledge on what was required to keep a marriage healthy and happy; and correcting neophyte understandings by new devotees.

“ISKCON Moscow is expanding so quickly,” says Partha Das. “The preaching there is amazing. There are 10,000 devotees in Moscow, 100 different Bhakti Vriksha programs, and the temples are full of people dancing and chanting at every morning program.”

“But the challenge that goes with that is, growing very quickly means you have large numbers of neophyte devotees. So in Russia they are going through a lot of the same things now that other parts of ISKCON went through in the 1970s and early ‘80s. There are devotees with not so much maturity preaching whose intent is good, but who might not be always giving the best advice and information. For instance, that everything Vedic is automatically Vaishnava.”

Partha and Uttama deeply appreciate that the Moscow devotees are sincerely looking for ways to strengthen their families, and find it encouraging to see that their ISKCON leadership cares about the devotees and wants to help them have healthy marriages.

The couple plan to return in April to offer their full Strengthening the Bonds That Free Us course at a Moscow Grihasta Retreat, and to train select couples to give premarital education to others. In this way and others, they’ll help Russian devotees design their marriage and family support network, and get good role models.

Next, Partha and Uttama are working on preparing an online version of their course that will be offered to everyone soon through Belgium’s Bhaktivedanta College website.

Preparing as well as taking the course takes time and effort – but so does having a healthy and happy marriage, they remind us.

“Sometimes devotees look for an easy fix, saying, ‘Can you give us your blessings?’” Partha says. “But our blessings are to tell them, ‘Marriage doesn’t make you happy, it makes you married. And once you’re married, then you can do the hard work of becoming Krishna conscious and happy in your marriage. If you do the work, it is very satisfying. But you have to do the work.”

Source:http://iskconnews.org/vaishnava-marriage-counselors-give-first-seminars-in-russia,5913/

Jagattarini Dasi (ACBSP): Puppetry was a big part of my life a long, long time ago… it’s a powerful form of artistic expression, and a great way to share a message or a story. Recently, much to the delight of some of my very dear friends (both young and old) who were attending our recent Kartik festivities here at The Sacred India Gallery, I spontaneously revived the puppetry spirit! Here’s a video capturing some more of the fun called “The Most Valuable Thing”
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/QY4vmJ

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=33261

Selected quotes from Sadaputa Prabhu’s upcoming book “Maya: The World As Virtual Reality”

“The problem here is that anything that we can fully describe in words is something of which we are aware, and thus it is not awareness itself. But if awareness is not fully describable by words, then is it anything at all? One person will say, “Of course it is something; I am aware of being aware all the time.” But someone else may say, “If you can’t define it, then what is it? It doesn’t exist in the domain of rational discourse.”

“This is ironic, since the very feature of consciousness that disqualifies it for many modern philosophers is the starting point for meditative disciplines that try to realize the self by discriminating it from nonself.”

“Whether we use quantum theory or classical Newtonian physics, it is clear that no known computer or process of computation will enable us to predict what billions and billions of molecules will do. Physicists have taken it as a matter of faith that all of the molecules in nature move according to their equations, and in this sense, physics can be viewed as a branch of theology.”

“The phenomena studied by parapsychologists seem to radically violate the known laws of physics. If they are real, then physics will have to undergo fundamental modifications, and this is a daunting prospect for many scientists. Nonetheless, the laws of physics have been modified in unexpected ways many times in the past, and it will not be surprising if this also happens many times in the future.”

“I should also observe that although the virtual reality model does describe the physical world as illusion, it does not dismiss that illusion as a mere nothing, as the term maya may sometimes be thought to imply. As both magicians and computer artists know, it takes hard work to make a good illusion.”

“Physicists in recent years have sometimes lamented that they are approaching the end of fundamental discoveries in physics, but it appears that this worry is unnecessary.”

“The laws of physics are based on mathematical concepts that can be fully expounded in a few textbooks. But, in principle, these laws could be formidably complex. They could easily require hundreds or millions of textbooks to define. They might even be an indigestible morass of special cases and exceptions that could not be reduced to a rational system. There are many more ways to be complex than there are to be simple. The fact that the laws of physics are so simple and mathematically elegant has led many prominent scientists to conclude that God must be a mathematician.”

“Carbon nuclei are made in stars by a special nuclear reaction involving the simultaneous collision of three helium nuclei. The astrophysicist Fred Hoyle noticed that this reaction depends on a certain quantum mechanical effect (called a “resonance”) that occurs at the energy level of helium nuclei in large stars. Without this effect, carbon would be a very rare element in the universe. After a detailed study, Hoyle found several other “coincidences” that were necessary for the production and preservation of carbon within stars. Observations such as these led Hoyle to finally adopt a theistic position, and he remarked that, ‘A common sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a superintellect has monkeyed with physics, as well as with chemistry and biology, and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in nature. The numbers one calculates from the facts seem to me so overwhelming as to put this conclusion almost beyond question’ (Hoyle, 1982).”

“To account for one universe with life, this [multiverse] scheme requires us to posit a vast number of universes without life, as well as an underlying process that endlessly spawns universes. One could ask which theory carries more metaphysical baggage, this one, or the traditional idea of a cosmic designer.”

“Today, of course, scientists explain the succession of life forms in the fossil record by the neo-Darwinian theory of evolution. In this theory, evolutionary developments are attributed to random variation sifted by natural selection. This theory can create plausible explanations of many observed features of the biological world, and it is reasonable to suppose that the Darwinian mechanism of evolution does function in nature. However, it is far from clear that this mechanism is the last word. Organs of high perfection and complexity, such as the eagle’s eye or the human speech center, are notoriously difficult to explain by mutation and natural selection. In addition, many features of the fossil record can be placed in the Darwinian framework only by an act of faith.”

“By seeing the meaninglessness of material nature, we can be freed from attachment to it, and this opens the gateway to a realization of our true nature.”

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=33264

Srila Prabhupada:

From a letter to Kulashekara, written in Los Angeles, on January 21, 1969:

“In this age no one is able to remain aloof from the general human society. Therefore one need not go into the forest in a secluded place to try to make spiritual advancement. Much better idea is that one associate with devotees in the Krishna Consciousness Centres; this will bring better spiritual results than living in the forest. Krishna Consciousness is possible when one is in association of devotees.”

From a letter to Upendra, written in Los Angeles, on January 16, 1969:

“Do not let even one minute go by without doing some sort of service for Krishna. Because as soon as there is a little gap of Krishna Consciousness, immediately maya makes an attack to grab us again. So keep up with your … engagements and always think of Krishna so that maya will not have a second’s opportunity to try to conquer you. And Krishna gives all assurance that the sincere devotee will never know defeat.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Antya 1.101, purport):

“The transcendental vibration of the Lord’s holy name is completely spiritual. . . . As far as possible, therefore, the devotees in the Krishna consciousness movement gather to chant the holy names of Krishna in public so that both the chanters and the listeners may benefit.”

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami:

From Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name:

“What about my request begging for the nectar of the holy name? Is that purely motivated? We have to examine it. The purest motive was expressed by Lord Caitanya: ‘You may make Me broken-hearted by not being present before Me or handle Me roughly in Your embrace, but I still love You unconditionally.’ This is how we should chant.”

“Italy is not the same as Vrindavana. When you are here, you think Italian countryside thoughts, whereas in Vraja, underneath the Kali-yuga covering, lies the heart of the chanting movement. It is here that Krishna led the gopis in the rasa dance while they chanted His holy names. It is described in the Sri Vishnu Purana, ‘Krishna sang the glories of the autumn moon, the moonshine and the lotus-filled river, while the gopis simply sang His name repeatedly.’ (Quoted in purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.29.44)”

“It is a fact that we don’t want mukti in terms of the so-called merging of the soul into the rays of the impersonal brahmajyoti; we want to go back to Krishnaloka. I am grateful that by the power of the holy name given by Srila Prabhupada, I am free from sinful life and its reactions. Srila Prabhupada writes confidently, ‘. . . We invite everyone to come with us and simply chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare, because we know that if one simply chants and hears the topics of Krishna, one’s life will change; he will see a new light, and his life will be successful.’ (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.7.44, purport)

“This is another aspect of harer nama. The faithful chanter lives to spread the holy name around. He is unhappy that others are suffering. He knows by his own experience that chanting Hare Krishna brings relief, that it brings one to pure-hearted, obedient Krishna consciousness. He strives to deliver the holy names and makes novel presentations so that nondevotees can take it up and receive relief from samsara. Where is that prayer in my japa retreat, ‘Please make me strong to spread the holy name’?”

“M. said that lunch would be late and I was on the verge of remarking, ‘I have an even better feast in the chanting. Eating only lasts for about fifteen minutes, but I can chant all day.’”

“Among the benefits that occur to human society just from chanting the holy names, Srila Prabhupada mentions peace, material prosperity, an auspicious political situation, and eradication of crime. Even when we don’t notice the development of the good symptoms in a chanter or in society, we should have faith that the holy name is all-powerful and that its influence is growing.”

From Vaishnava Compassion:

“We can take our cue from Srila Prabhupada. First, we can feel the fortune of our own position, feel grateful that we have prasadam at every meal, that we have the holy name, and that we have the opportunity to hear the Absolute Truth spoken every day. Second, we can try to understand Prabhupada’s kindness and tolerance, and we can let those qualities inspire us to want to share our wealth with others. We may not always be feeling compassionate toward others, but at the very least, we can, inspired by Prabhupada’s example, serve his compassionate cause.”

“There are people who do need to be clothed, fed, and housed, but all people need spiritual emancipation. Krishna gives the human being special facility not to become absorbed in superior standards of sense gratification but to realize himself and his relationship with God and to leave the material world behind. Animals are not given that intelligence. Human beings should not be left to work only for the animal propensities because they lack knowledge. Prabhupada wanted us to teach Krishna consciousness and to free others while we worked to free ourselves.”

“When we face the truth about ourselves, we realize both that we are utterly helpless and that only Krishna can help us. When we are that dependent upon Him, Krishna will certainly help us.”

“Self-compassion means being prepared to live in the ashram that is most suitable for us, even if we hear that another ashram is ‘higher.’ It means facing our material desires honestly, even if that means abandoning ideals we cannot live up to. Such honest and compassionate self-acceptance can lead us toward accepting others who also do not measure up to our ideals.”

“We know the nondevotees are suffering due to lack of spiritual understanding; actually, we often know that we are suffering from the same disease, although perhaps to a lesser degree. It seems prudent to be kind. Imagine what it’s like for these people who are forced to do the same monotonous jobs each day, and how easy it would be, in our exchanges with them, to lighten their load.”

“By definition, compassion is evoked by perceiving another’s suffering. If we fail to understand the suffering inherent in a life of sense gratification, we will not be able to feel compassion for those who live for the senses. We may even be tempted to live that way ourselves. We need a clear Krishna conscious philosophical understanding before we can know how to apply our compassion.”

“It may be that our willingness to preach is simply based on Prabhupada’s edict rather than on a personal conviction that we have something important to offer others. It may be that we have been convinced by Prabhupada’s presentation of the philosophy; we may never have heard anything like it before. It satisfies our intellect. We don’t mind sharing it. It is good to recognize the real reason for our interest in preaching, even if we feel embarrassed by its lack of profundity, and then work from there.”

“There are as many kinds of preachers as there are people in this movement. There are conservative preachers and their followers, and liberal preachers and their followers, and without both of these types of preachers, our movement would not have been able to grow as rapidly as it did.”

From a Facebook post on October 20, 2016:

“Prabhupada said,
‘Book distribution is
important and health
is important, but health
comes first.’”

From a Facebook post on October 27, 2016:

JAPA POEM

“Namabhasa chanting (at the clearing stage)
brings liberation, and
I assume it’s not
so important;
I’m already at that stage.
But wait a
minute, do I even
know what liberation
is? Have I actually
conquered all the namaparadhas?
This fallen soul
had better be
humble and think himself
lower than a blade of grass.”

Bhakti Charu Swami:

From a seminar on Lord Krishna’s Pastimes Outside of Vrindavana on June 2, 2016 at European Retreat on Island of Iz (Croatia):

“I am very thankful to Srila Prabhupada for giving me sannyasa, because after Srila Prabhupada left it was actually a very difficult phase because ISKCON had gone through lots of crises. And at the time of such crises one may lose faith, but fortunately that did not happen to me, and I think my sannyasa order played a very important role in that. There are three instructions I consider to be the most important instructions of Srila Prabhupada and those three instructions have actually saved me. The first instruction is: No matter whatever happens, don’t leave ISKCON. That’s why when I give you all initiation I ask you to promise that, because that’s what Srila Prabhupada wanted. No matter whatever happens, don’t leave ISKCON. Because where else can we go? Leaving ISKCON where else can we go? On the other hand, what ISKCON is giving, can we find that anywhere else? The second instruction: Your love for me will be shown by how you cooperate with each other. So if we love Srila Prabhupada, then we have to cooperate with each other in this community of devotees. And the third one is: The GBC is the ultimate managing authority. That automatically brings up another point: In this society Srila Prabhupada is the founder-acharya. This position of Srila Prabhupada will always be there. Not only will he always remain the founder of ISKCON, but as the acharya of ISKCON, he is the guru of all the devotees of ISKCON, for all time. And the GBC is there to hold this institution together.”

Ramabhadra Prabhu:

When we sing and dance during the arati, when we offer the lamps to Damodara, that is all love and devotion for Krishna.

Krishna says, “Govardhan Hill is to be worshiped as I am.”

If you cannot take it with you at the death, is it that important?

To help others get Krishna consciousness is the duty of every devotee. It is what the mission of Srila Prabhupada is all about. It is why he suffered multiple heart attacks on the boat to America.

Srila Prabhupada would say, “Save yourself first.” Do not use that fact some of your other family members are not Krishna consciousness to keep from becoming Krishna conscious yourself.

We have to become the greatest example of Krishna consciousness in our sphere of association. We must stay in the association of devotees who are fixed in the practice.

In New York City the schools are closed on all the Jewish, the major Christian, and the Islamic holidays, but not on the Hindu holidays. It is not my business to deal with civil and political things, but some of you should do something about this.

Yogesvara Prabhu:

Spiritual philosophies can be described in terms of zero, one, and two.

Buddhism is the world of zero. It explains that at the point of nirvana, consciousness dissolves away.

Advaita is the world of one. Our individual personality is illusion, and when it dissolves we are all one.

Bhakti is the world of two. You are already one. You are not to lose your identity but to lose your false identity.

I asked Srila Prabhupada why people favor the different philosophies.
Srila Prabhupada replied, “At the end of the day, it is personal choice.”

Krishna’s message in chapter 12 of Bhagavad-gita is to just do something. If you cannot do this, do that, but at least do something. If you start on the path by doing something, you will ultimately reach Me.

Many people are involved in yoga, but they do not know the philosophy beyond it. Someday I hope no one will be issued a yoga training certification without taking a course in yoga philosophy.

Because spirit is unchangeable, if we are a part now, we have always been a part.

“Just leave me alone” is the idea of Advaita Vedanta.

Srila Prabhupada told a story that he and his father were looking at artwork where artists were told to depict a mother witnessing her child mercilessly massacred. The winning photo was one with a mother whose eyes were closed. That is like Advaita Vedanta.

Western civilization is so averse to idols. They remind people of the original idol, the golden calf.

When I left the temple after 13 years, my mom commented, “The music is great. The food is great. What is it with the dressing of the dolls?”

As by understanding the philosophy behind art and music you can come to appreciate them better, so you can appreciate yoga better by knowing the philosophy behind it.

As you advance in yoga, who you are eternally comes to the surface, and your temporary identity begins to abate.

Nirodha is often translated as controlling when managing is more accurate.

The entire Bhagavad-gita was spoken because Arjuna was not angry when he should have been angry.

To understanding Krishna’s teachings, you have to know Krishna’s heart. Arjuna was not a Sanskrit scholar.

There were some mistakes in different printings of the Bible historically:
Thou shalt commit adultery.
Blessed are the placemakers.
Blessed are the unrighteous for they will inherit the kingdom of God.

One who is realized in love of Krishna can present His teachings.

I asked my teacher, Srila Prabhupada, how does a follower of Bhagavad-gita see art.
He replied, “Placing an object in the best environment for highest utility.”
He picked up a rose, twirled it, and, asked, “How did this flower know how to take this, of the many fragrances existing in the earth, as its own?”

Comment by student: George Harrison said, “Art is man’s attempt to imitate what God does at every moment.”

Creation is easy. Vishnu does it in His sleep.

I do not think it is possible to have a mentality of self-loathing and completely connect with Krishna.

Krishna speaks of coming in touch with Brahman (brahma-samsparsa) not becoming one with Brahman (Bg. 6.28).

Adi Purusha Prabhu:

By hearing of the benefits of devotional service, we are inclined to endeavor for it.

We chant our rounds with the burning desire to be in the center of Krishna’s will.

Our challenge is to not mix in our desires and preferences with our choice of devotional service to perform for Krishna.

Love means ‘I love you for you’ not ‘I love you for me.’

Vision Quest tells the story of a man who failed materially and was considering committing suicide, but then decided not to and volunteered for a suicide help line, and from that he realized many other people were in the same situation, and he decided to do something about it. Krishna sent him a Native American teacher who engaged him in what he called a vision quest, where you are dropped off in a forest setting with some water, and you fast for three days, and pray for a vision.

Two thousand high school students kill themselves in the America each year.

New Zealand, despite its idyllic situation, has one of the highest suicide rates in this world.

There is no material solution, but there is a spiritual solution: devotional service to Krishna.

One college student started attending a program Radhanath Swami had, but after a while, she could not accept the practice and she argued with Maharaja. Later she hid herself in a closet, poured gasoline on her body, and burned herself to death. The material energy is no joke, and if we do not take shelter of Krishna by devotional service, we suffer in its hands.

When two people meet, the one first to say, “How are you?” is the one closest to God.

Shyamananda Prabhu:

Some avatars have a whole Purana dedicated to them but not Rsabhadeva.

In India, many people are under the illusion that Lord Vishnu has but ten incarnations, when in reality you cannot count all the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. This is because Krishna is always making plans to deliver the conditioned souls.

The advancement of technology is so we can hear Srila Prabhupada’s lectures wherever we go. They had something else in mind, but we can use it in that way.

You can explain avatara as ava coming down and tara to save.

Your body is a manifestation of your past desires.

Getting an animal body is not punishment but what the living entity desires.

Many, many sunset pictures are on the internet, yet not so many sunrise pictures. Why? People do not get up that early!

Vaishnavas have more advanced mystic powers than the greatest mystics.

How did Srila Prabhupada come from India and change the world? By Krishna Shakti, the potency of Krishna.

I talked to one Indian man who goes to a Shiva temple and asked him why. He explained that Shiva fulfills my desires. I suggest he could also visit Radha-Rasabihari. He said no, He [Krishna] is Hari, one who takes everything away.

Karuna Gauranga Prabhu:

One is so happy performing devotional service he does not desire a more comfortable material situation.

It is the duty of the person who does outreach to explain the benefit of devotional service in the language of his audience. Offering the man on the street Krishna-prema is not meaningful because he has no understanding of its value.

Initially Dhruva did not want Krishna, but he engaged in devotional service, and attained Krishna nonetheless.

Management professionals say a person has three zones, (1) the comfort zone, (2) the stretch zone, and (3) the panic zone. They advise to keep your employees in the stretch zone, where they will best develop their abilities.

Role models help us advance. These are of three different levels (1) from the sastra [the revealed literature], (2) from our contemporary devotional society, and (3) from our daily association.

Vrtrasura prays, “O my Lord, source of all opportunities, I do not desire to enjoy in Dhruvaloka, the heavenly planets or the planet where Lord Brahma resides, nor do I want to be the supreme ruler of all the earthly planets or the lower planetary systems. I do not desire to be master of the powers of mystic yoga, nor do I want liberation if I have to give up Your lotus feet.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.11.25)

Srila Prabhupada beautifully defined dharma as being situated in one’s constitutional position of serving Krishna.

You can compare devotional service to Krishna to a master switch, which illuminates all the lights.

Vasudeva Prabhu:

Both the lifting of and the worship of Govardhan Hill are a cause of great joy to the devotees.

“O King Pariksit, when Rama and Krishna saw Vrindavana, Govardhana and the banks of the river Yamuna, They both enjoyed great pleasure.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.11.36)

The Vedic way is to worship Vishnu, along with His part and parcels, the demigods. The more advanced people, such as Bharata Maharaja, understood properly that the demigods are part and parcel of Lord Vishnu.

For the sadhu, there is no private life. There are no secrets.

In karma-mimamsa, understanding the Lord and the demigods are not as important as doing your duty. By properly doing your duty and executing the rituals, you attain svarga, and you come down again, and do it all over again. It is like the cycle of working hard and going on vacation.

Krishna argues in effect, “If it is just about ritual, we might as well do any ritual.”

The cowherd men were not concerned with the philosophy Krishna was speaking. They just wanted to satisfy Krishna.

Govardhana Hill supplies all necessities for Krishna’s pastimes. It does not require Indra’s help in the form of rain.

You do not separate the shakti from its source. Otherwise you become a Shakta.

By proposing the worship of Govardhana Hill, Krishna is making a shift from the stressing the ritualistic sacrifices of the Vedas to direct worship of Himself. This is simultaneously a simplification of worship and an elevation of worship.

When Adi Purusha Prabhu’s mother advises him to get a job, he replies, “I am working for God. He never goes out of business.”

Some argue that Krishna accepts Govardhana Hill as His own body in the same way as the deity or the sila is accepted by Krishna as His own body.

Even up to today, all the residents of Vrindavan love Govardhana Hill.

Krishna spoke in such a way as to make Indra angry to reduce his false pride.

If we have some material opulence, we want to showcase it to feel important, but a Vaishnava is so satisfied serving Krishna, he does not feel the need to showcase anything.

It is said that to accelerate the pastime, Narada informed Indra that Krishna was diverting the Indra sacrifice to Himself.

With all his clouds, thunder, and lightning, Indra could not move one grain of sand from Govardhana Hill.

There is a story that one king asked his court pundit, “What is the work of God?” The pundit said he would answer in three days, but he could not think of a good answer, so he decided to leave the kingdom. On his way out, he passed one of his disciples, and explained what had happened. The disciple was a simple cowherd man, but he said he knew the answer to that question and that he would tell the king. So the pundit and disciple approached the king, and the disciple said he would answer the question. The king was incredulous. How would the disciple answer the question when it was even a challenge for the pundit? The disciple affirmed that he could answer, and the king listened. First the disciple asked the king to get off the throne. The king was at first reluctant, but then he agreed. Then the disciple got on the throne, and said, “This is the work of God: that the proud be reduced and the humble raised up.”

Murali Gopal Prabhu:

The atheists enjoy bashing God and religion as much as the devotees enjoy glorifying Krishna, sometimes even more.

Jains do not eat potatoes or other root vegetables, because uprooting the vegetables is considered by them to be violent.

The goal of the Jains is moksha or liberation, and one symptom of this omniscience.

To understand whether a religion is bona fide, one must understand its goal and its path to attain that goal.

The Jains say the creation is always existing, and therefore, there is no need of a creator.

Comment by Arjuna: The Jains have great knowledge of the intricacies of karma, but it is a great foolishness that think that such a complicated arrangement could come into existence without a creator.

Comment by me: In a Caitanya-caritamrita purport, Srila Prabhupada discusses the Buddhist idea that the creation is always existing and thus a creator is unnecessary. What I understood from that is that we can see around us how everything is breaking down as time goes by, and thus it does not make sense the creation is eternal, as it would have completely broken down in the course of eternity.

Actually a cardinal who studied Einstein’s theories originally suggested the Big Bang model, but at first scientists did not accept it, because it sounded too much like religion. Later as the steady state models appeared to have different faults, they adopted it.

People will spend hundreds of dollars on Halloween to dress exactly as the character they pretend to be.

The psychology of imitation is “I cannot be that, but let me at least look like I am that.”

Our transmigration through different species is like dressing up on successive Halloweens.

How happy can you be if you are always pretending?

Comment Ananda Bihari Prabhu: Once we did harinama at a Halloween parade in Greenwich Village. People wondered if we were really Hare Krishnas or just pretending to be.

People desire to be self-sufficient. They imagine if they get a car they can go anywhere and do anything. Srila Prabhupada defines real self-sufficiency by quoting Bhagavad-gita 18.54, “One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything.”

To achieve satisfaction, we change our jobs, our partners, our ashram, our guru, but with all this change, we do not achieve ultimate satisfaction.

Before I met the devotees, I hoped to find success in life through finding a beautiful girlfriend. Unfortunately, I was neither good-looking or rich, so I was always unsuccessful. My philosophy was I wanted a lasting relationship, so if I got the most beautiful girl, I would not have to look for another one.

In that state of frustration, I came upon the philosophy of “I am the beautiful person I am looking for.” Unknowingly I was following the people who are frustrated in material life and then become Mayavadis, people who think themselves God, as a reaction to their frustration.

Benares wanted to remain the seat of learning in India, so the teachers there would not allow the students to have the books. Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya decided to memorize them, and after he completed his studies, he moved to Navadvipa and excelled all the other teachers of logic there, having the complete knowledge. His amazing abilities were not surprising as he was an incarnation of Brhaspati, the guru of the demigods.

Imagine the beauty of Radha and Krishna combined. That is the beauty of Lord Caitanya.

Natabara Gauranga Prabhu:

No religion promotes eating as much meat as possible. There is always some restriction, kosher, halal, etc.

The Mayavadis reject the world and everything in relationship to it out of fear, but that is difficult to maintain.

“One who knows that everything is Krishna’s property is always situated in renunciation.” (Bg. 5.2, purport)

The Goswamis were so elevated when they would chant the holy name they would be transported to the spiritual world.

Jayapataka Swami tells that Bhaktivinoda Thakura had a vision with Lord Caitanya dancing around tulasi in an ecstatic kirtana. Then Lord Caitanya transformed into Radha and Krishna, and tulasi assumed her sakhi form, and the devotees became gopis, and the scene transformed into the rasa dance.

In Portland Srila Prabhupada said, “If you follow the four regulative principles and chant sixteen rounds, you will go back to Godhead. I guarantee it. I guarantee it. I guarantee it.”

Mahotsaha Prabhu:

We have the transcendental remedy for all the sufferings of the conditioned souls.

We go everywhere and spend so much money on false gurus, but actually everything we need is in these beautiful books.

When Vrindavana dasa Thakura wrote “Gurvastakam” at that time Narottama Dasa Thakura was like the founder-acarya, and so that song is about him.

Lord Caitanya told Lord Nityananda, “There will come a devotee named Narottama who will continue spreading this Krishna prema in my absence.” Then Lord Caitanya deposited his personal Krishna prema in the river Padma, for Narottama to later collect.

Narottama had a dark complexion, but when he bathed in river Padma, he became golden like Lord Gauranga. Even his parents could not recognize him.

When Narottama traveled to Vrindavan, he was greatly fatigued. A golden brahmana brought him a pot of milk to give him energy. Then he rested, and Rupa and Sanatana Goswami appeared in a dream, and revealed to Narottama that Lord Caitanya was that brahmana.

Narottama cleansed his future guru’s latrine with such love and devotion, it was as if he was cleansing the altar of Radha-Krishna.

Narottama dasa Thakura had the attitude of the perfect disciple, and thus he was qualified to became an acarya, an elevated spiritual master.

Gaurikisora was asked, “How do I attain Krishna prema?”
He replied, “You can attain Krishna prema for just a few annas. Go to the marketplace and get the two books by Narottama dasa Thakura, Prarthana and Prema-bhakti-candrika. [An anna is less than a paisa, which itself is just a hundredth of a rupee].

It appeared that Narottama dasa Thakura introduced his own style of kirtana, but as an eternal associate of the Lord, he was just revealing a kirtana style already existing in the spiritual world.

“Sri Krishna Caitanya Prabhu Doya More” [which we sing every day in Mayapur before the Pancatattva] was the last bhajana that he wrote.

Bhakta Josh:

Sometimes I realize that it does not matter what I want to do and do not want to do. I should just be happy to do whatever I can to serve Krishna and the devotees.

Sometimes you go to music concert to distribute books and you meet someone who studied a bit of yoga and you go to sell them a Bhagavad-gita, and they say, “O I don’t need that. I already have my crown chakra open.”

There are subtleties in many departments of knowledge that you cannot really appreciate unless you hear from an expert, and so it is true with the spiritual science.

If we take a step toward God, he will take many steps toward us, but we have to keep taking steps if we want to ultimately reach Him.

Comment by Adi Purusha Prabhu: As you say, it is good if we can engage our natural talents in Krishna service to be situated nicely in devotional service, but then sometimes Krishna makes an arrangement where we have to do something that is completely against our nature. Actually we are still here in this world because in our past life there is something we were not willing to do for Krishna.

Comment by Arjuna Prabhu: It is better to think in terms of what guru wants us to do rather than what Krishna wants us to do. Sometimes Srila Prabhupada would say, “I do not know Krishna I only know my guru.”

Krishna-kripa Das:

Emphasis in the spiritual power of the glorification of the Lord is an important part of Srila Prabhupada’s mission.

It is powerful because the sound of the name, instructions, qualities, and activities of the Lord is not different from the Lord Himself.

Lord Caitanya says in “Siksastakam” verse 2, that the Lord has invested all His energies in His holy name, nija sarva saktih.

Once a yogi asked Srila Prabhupada what his process was and he replied, “Hearing. Whatever changes you see in the lives of my disciples have been brought about by hearing.”

Once when Srila Prabhupada was explaining that only one who is pious can take to devotional service, one disciple said that he had not performed any pious activities in his life and wondered how he was somehow engaged in devotional service. Srila Prabhupada replied, “I have created your pious activities.”

How did Srila Prabhupada create his pious activities [and ours]? By his mere presence and by his vibration of transcendental sound.

Presence: “My Lord, devotees like your good self are verily holy places personified. Because you carry the Personality of Godhead within your heart, you turn all places into places of pilgrimage.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.13.10)

Transcendental sound: “Sri Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.17) This is an important verse explaining the power of transcendental sound. Srila Prabhupada quoted it as first of the five verses from the Bhagavatam in his “Markine Bhagavata Dharma.”

Another important verse and purport about the importance of hearing Krishna-katha is this from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 25.278:

“Men become strong and stout by eating sufficient grains, but the devotee who simply eats ordinary grains but does not taste the transcendental pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Krishna gradually becomes weak and falls down from the transcendental position. However, if one drinks but a drop of the nectar of Krishna’s pastimes, his body and mind begin to bloom, and he begins to laugh, sing and dance.”

Purport: “All the devotees connected with the Krishna consciousness movement must read all the books that have been translated (the Caitanya-caritamrita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita and others); otherwise, after some time, they will simply eat, sleep and fall down from their position. Thus they will miss the opportunity to attain an eternal, blissful life of transcendental pleasure.”

My favorite reading program is reading 15 minutes each from Caitanya-caritamrita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, and The Nectar of Devotion, each day. Each book has a different flavor, and reading all four is like having a whole meal. When you reach the end of The Nectar of Devotion, you can read Krishna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Isopanisad, The Nectar of Instruction, and the Brahma-samhita, before returning to it, but read the three other books, which are our main books each day.

Srila Prabhupada would also often quote this verse in connection with the importance of hearing:

“Glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is performed in the parampara system, that is, it is conveyed from the spiritual master to disciple. Such glorification is relished by those no longer interested in the false, temporary glorification of this cosmic manifestation. Descriptions of the Lord are the right medicine for the conditioned soul undergoing repeated birth and death. Therefore, who will cease hearing such glorification of the Lord except a butcher or one who is killing his own self?” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.1.4)

The celebrated gopis, famous for their complete absorption in Krishna, in their ecstasy of separation from Him, spoke this famous verse to Krishna, glorifying the power of narrations concerning Krishna:

“The nectar of Your words and the descriptions of Your activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned sages, eradicate one’s sinful reactions and bestow good fortune upon whoever hears them. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Certainly those who spread the message of Godhead are most munificent.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.31.9)

King Prataparuda spoke that verse to Lord Caitanya, who embraced him, saying, “You are the most magnamimous.”

Before leaving the pastime of Lord Rsabhadeva, I want to recall his first instruction:

“Lord Rsabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one’s heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.1)

Srila Prabhupada is enlightening humanity, informing them of a kind of superior pleasure that we have never experienced before. We can experience this eternal spiritual pleasure even during this span of life by absorbing ourselves in pure devotional service to Krishna.

Comment by Adi Purusha Prabhu:

“The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.8) If what we are doing does not help us develop our attachment for hearing about Krishna, it is useless.

Comment by a Prabhupada disciple: Srila Prabhupada told me in 1973, “Study my books carefully, follow the four regulative principles, distribute my books profusely, take prasadam sumptuously and prepare yourself to go back to Godhead in this way.”

—–

This final stanza of the song “Narada Muni Bajay Vina” by Bhaktivinoda Thakura reveals the pure desire of the advanced Vaishnava in our Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya and his dependence on Rupa Goswami. Thinking of Bhaktivinoda Thakura, I pray to Rupa Goswami when we do our public chanting of Hare Krishna that we might chant the pure name of the Lord so people get the supreme benefit:

sri-krishna-nama, rasane sphuri’,
pura’lo amar asha
sri-rupa-pade, yacaye iha,
bhakativinoda-dasa

“Thakura Bhaktivinoda, the humble servant of the Lord, says, ‘The holy name of Krishna has fulfilled all my desires by vibrating on everyone’s tongue.’ Bhaktivinoda therefore prays at the feet of Sri Rupa Goswami that the chanting of harinama may continue like this always.”

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=33281

Nityananda Chandra das: The mayor gave a stellar introduction to our temple and also invited listeners to Janmastami both in the beginning and the end of our invocation. 
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/rVeq9Q

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=33286

Hare Krishna respected Devotees,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila
Prabhupada.

Gadeigiri is a beautiful village situated amidst the tranquil solitude of
rural Orissa surrounded by lotus-filled ponds and green paddy fields.
Gadeigiri has a most interesting history. The village is named after its
founder, Gadai Giri, a great devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This
village is extremely special as Lord Gopal Jiu came here especially from
Sri Vrindavana Dhama in response to the desire of His devotee Gopal Giri
and has stayed here for over 250 years. During that time Gopal Jiu has
manifested many unique and amazing pastimes.

Please find article *Sri Gopal Jiu Temple at Gadeigiri* on website:
www.dandavats.com/?p=32765

This article is also available on: www.holy-pilgrimages.com



Thank you very much.
Hare Krishna!

Your servant,
Chandan Yatra Das
www.holy-pilgrimages.com

We pray that this update finds you all experiencing a very propitious and auspicious Kartika, dear friends. We began the month of October with a painting marathon in anticipation of the *millions* of pilgrims who would soon be inundating Radha Kunda to honor Srimati Radharani’s special Kartika month also known as the month of Damodara. As we hoped, construction on the kitchen has begun! Despite half the building crew coming down with chikungunya (similar to dengue fever only worse), they managed to start the work with several deliveries of earth in order to raise the ground at the kitchen site. This is a very important first step since otherwise, the low-lying area would be flood prone during the rainy season. We are so grateful to you, our family of supporters – those of you have newly joined our efforts and those who have so generously increased your donations - for stepping forward to sponsor our widows’ daily meals! We are up to 78 sponsored out the 80 we are presently feeding! We are feeling optimistic that with your help we will be able to reach even more ladies in need. The enthusiasm of the visiting pilgrims and sadhus inspired and enlivened our crew this month. So many festivals! So much color and celebration! Yes, the cleaning work quadruples, but joy is in the air and it’s an honor to serve the Vaishnavas in this way – cleaning and serving prasadam. Jai Sri Radhe! Shyam! Thank you for being part of the team! Please browse our latest photos and join our efforts by visiting www.radharani.com. Your servants, Campakalata Devi dasi, Padma Gopi Devi dasi, Urmila Devi Dasi, and Mayapurcandra dasa.

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=33197

Latest blissful photos of Arabic book distribution to university students from Saudi Arabia. Two of them insisted on also getting the English Gita -- to learn English from something they suddenly found fascinating -- after being amazed to receive books in their own language! (feel free to share this :))

** Make this bliss happen every single day at the universities and tourist spots in your own area! It's not only easy and ecstatic to do, but it increases your local language book sales at the same time! Leave a message or write us at info@bbtfeme.com for step-by-step details... **

(photos by Vijaya Prabhu)

Source:https://www.facebook.com/bbtfeme/posts/1528639157152372

Lord Damodar with his wooden mortar enters Bollywood!

On the evening of the 27th of Oct 2016, Bollywood fashion designer Rohit Verma invited Guru Maharaja to have a Damodar program at his fashion studio in Mumbai. It was a short and well organized program where Rohit Verma had invited about 50 of his close friends. Guru Maharaja gave an excellent 15 min class on the Damodar Lila pastime. He especially stressed how Prabhupada wrote him a letter that this Kartik month was a special opportunity like a discount offer for those who are otherwise busy at work. "It brings all auspiciousness by doing a little devotional activity of offering lamps to Lord Damodar in this month.",he said. The point was noted and received well by the guests in attendance. This was followed by a melodious singing of Damodarastakam by one of Guru Maharaja's siksa disciples, Govinda Priya dd, a trained singer who came from Manipal University just to sing for this occasion. Guru Maharaja then gave out Damodar kits to each of the attendees along with a small book of Srila Prabhupada and a box full of delicious Prasadam snacks from ISKCON Juhu's Govindas.

The guests spent more than an hour interacting with Guru Maharaja and asking him various questions and seeking his blessings. They said that the whole evening was very enlivening for all of them. Rohit Verma's sister Anuragini Radha dd and her mother Rajasri Gopi who are both disciples of Guru Maharaja played very important roles in organizing this program and making it successful. The Janmashtami dress of Sri Sri Radha Rasavihari, Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, and Sri Sri Sita Ram Lakshman Hanuman this year was both designed and gifted to Their Lordships by Rohit Verma. 
Guru Maharaja was accompanied by the Temple President of ISKCON Mumbai HG Braja Hari Pr to the Damodar program. Here is a list of some of the people who attended the program:

Poonam Dhillon: Bollywood actress, Former Miss India
Aditi Govitrikar: Bollywood actress, Former Mrs.World
Vindu Darasingh:Bollywood actor
Nisha Rawal: Bollywood actress 
Madhurima Nigam, wife of Singer Sonu Nigam
Priyanka Shah: Bollywood actress
Ashish: Bollywood actor
Kanwaljit: Veteran designer 
Monisha Khatwani: Bollywood Tarot reader
Parth: Astrologer 
Kalpana Gandhi: Ex-owner of Britannia

Mahavaraha Das

Source:https://www.facebook.com/Jayapatakaswami/posts/1077464125708363

Diary of a Traveling Monk
By Indradyumna Swami
Volume 14, Chapter 11
November 7, 2016
O Resident of Kailash!

My fascination with Tibet began in the 1960s. I was fifteen, and the hippie movement, with its unconventional philosophies and ways of life, had just taken hold in America. I often visited alternative bookstores in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, and one day I found The Tibetan Book of the Dead in the Eastern Spirituality section. I read it for years until I found a deeper understanding of spiritual philosophy in Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita As It Is.

Three years ago an opportunity to visit Tibet arose when several devotees invited me to join them on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, the sacred abode of Lord Siva, situated in the remote western part of the country, but our plans ended abruptly when the Chinese government refused our visa applications. My interest in Tibet was reignited last year when I met a Buddhist monk from Tibet in New Delhi. He was traveling to Bodh Gaya, the place of Lord Buddha’s enlightenment in Bihar, India. The monk had encountered many difficulties in his travels, and I did my best to help him. In the short time we were together, a close, almost mystical, bond arose between us, and as we separated he told me he would leave something of great spiritual value for me in his monastery in Tibet. I wondered, of course, what he would leave for me, but I wondered even more how I would ever obtain it. Though I am used to packing my bags on a moment’s notice and traveling to wherever my service takes me, Tibet had never been within my realm.

Then a few months ago, I received a call from the group who had planned the original journey to Tibet. The Chinese government was again issuing visas for Mount Kailash. Would I be interested in going? Oh, would I ever! Thirteen of us were granted visas through an official Tibetan travel agency.

My motivations for visiting Tibet went beyond the fascination I had had as a teenager, and even beyond the desire to obtain the gift from the Tibetan monk. My objective, as a devotee of Lord Krsna, was to obtain the blessings of Lord Siva who resides with his consort, Parvati, atop mount Kailash. In Vaisnava teachings we learn not to approach the Lord directly, but through His pure devotees.

“My dear Partha,” Lord Krsna says to Arjuna in the Adi Purana,  “one who claims to be My devotee is not so. Only a person who claims to be the devotee of My devotee is My devotee.”

And of all devotees of Krsna, Lord Siva is considered the best:

nimna-ganam yatha ganga
devanam acyuto yatha
vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh
purananam idam tatha

“Just as the Ganges is the greatest of all rivers, Lord Acyuta the supreme among deities and Lord Shambhu (Siva) the greatest of Vaisnavas, so Srimad-Bhagavatam is the greatest of all Puranas.” [ Srimad Bhagavatam 12.13.16 ]

Mount Kailash,  22,000 feet (6,705 meters) above sea level, is a special and sacred dhama because it is there that Siva meditates deeply on Lord Krishna and meets with great sages like Narada. It was at Mount Kailash that the Ganges descended with great force from the spiritual world to the material world and was caught by Lord Siva in his matted locks.

“The demigods observed Lord Śiva sitting on the summit of Kailāsa Hill with his wife, Bhavānī, for the auspicious development of the three worlds. He was being worshiped by great saintly persons desiring liberation. The demigods offered him their obeisances and prayers with great respect.” [ Srimad Bhagavatam 8.7.20 ]

Kailash is also known as Mount Meru, the center of the universe. Throughout the ages it has been called by various names including Jewel Peak, Lotus Mountain, and Silver Mountain. The city of Kuvera, the treasurer of the demigods, is said to be near Mount Kailash.

Local Buddhists recognize the spiritual significance of the mountain and consider it one of their holiest places of pilgrimage. It is also fervently worshiped by followers of the Bon religion, the religion of Tibet prior to the arrival of Buddhism in the seventh century. Tibetans say that there is an invisible ladder connecting Kailash to heaven, and the rulers of ancient Tibet were said by their citizens to have descended to Kailash from heaven attached to ropes of light. 

Because of the mountain’s sanctity in the eyes of several of the world’s great religions, no one has ever attempted to climb it. Reinhold Messner, the famous Austrian mountaineer who has scaled all fourteen of the 8,000-meter mountains of the world, was offered a license to climb Mount Kailash by the Chinese government in the 1980s. “Of course I declined,” he writes. “It would not have been intelligent to do otherwise. One should not trample on gods.”

A Buddhist saint once said: “Only a man entirely free of sin can climb Kailash. And he wouldn’t have to actually scale the sheer walls of ice to do it. He’d just turn himself into a bird and fly to the summit.”
                                                                                          
Through the centuries Westerners have been attracted to visit Kailash, not for spiritual reasons though, but out of curiosity. The first recorded Westerner to visit Kailash was an Italian Jesuit Missionary, Ippolito Desideri, in 1715. He wrote:

“Kailash is a mountain of excessive height and great circumference, always enveloped in clouds, covered in snow and ice, and most horrible, barren, steep and cold. The Tibetans walk devoutly around the base of this mountain which takes several days, and they believe this will bring them great indulgences. Owing to the snow on the mountain my eyes became so inflamed that I well nigh lost my sight.”

Following more in the footsteps of the pilgrims and less in those of the curious, our group left Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 15, 2016, and headed for Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Our short flight over the beautiful Himalayan Mountains was meant to take only one hour. Unfortunately, as we were to repeatedly experience in the coming two weeks, we encountered an obstacle. Forty-five minutes into the flight, the captain announced that we were unable to land in Lhasa due to inclement weather and that the flight was being diverted to Chengdu in Southwestern China, two hours away. I knew someone was lying. The weather in Lhasa was fine. I had checked it on the internet just before we took off. Later we learned that the flight had been diverted to Chengdu to pick up more passengers for Lhasa.

The airlines put us up in a hotel in Chengdu for the night and we flew out for Lhasa the next day. The austerities in the detour were bearable, but little known to us there would be serious flow-on effects from the delay. Because of the detour we would begin our pilgrimage later than planned and would have to face bad weather.

Within hours of arriving in Lhasa,  11,450 feet (3,490 meters) above sea level, most of our team began struggling with altitude sickness, also known as mountain sickness. Caused by reduced air pressure and lower oxygen levels, it affects climbers, skiers, and travelers. At times, altitude sickness can be life-threatening, causing pulmonary edema or cerebral edema (fluid accumulation in the lungs or brain), both of which require the sufferer to be evacuated to a lower altitude. In most cases, though, symptoms are mild: difficulty sleeping, dizziness, fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. 

Altitude sickness was an ongoing problem for us during our stay in Lhasa, one of the highest cities in the world. I had acclimatized myself somewhat by spending twelve days in the mountains of Kashmir before the trip to Tibet. Most of the other members of our team, though, suffered from headaches and dizziness during our first days in Tibet. 

While they rested, I decided to take a look around the old city of Lhasa that I had heard about during my youth. It was harder to find than I expected. Much of the city had been rebuilt with endless modern structures like apartment buildings, office buildings, and shopping complexes. The romantic idea of exotic, spiritual Tibet I had formed as a young man seemed nothing more than an insubstantial dream until I rounded a corner and saw thousands of Tibetans in traditional dress walking in pilgrimage around the sacred Jokhang Temple (built starting from 1652 AD), the most important site of pilgrimage in Tibet. Hundreds of Buddhist devotees were bowing down repeatedly while others walked around the temple fingering their wooden prayer beads as they chanted om mani padme hum (I worship He who sits on the divine lotus). I joined the surging crowd circumambulating the temple and then sat among the pilgrims. I immediately became an object of discussion. I was pleasantly surprised that everyone without exception welcomed me and several even came over to congratulate me on my good fortune to be there. When I took out my japa beads to chant, swarms of curious people surrounded me and listened attentively to my chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra.

I had been chanting for a couple of hours when two young women approached me.

“Are you a lama?” one asked.

“Do you mean a priest?” I asked. She nodded. “Well yes, I am trying my best,” I said.

“We are honored to meet you,” said the other woman. “My name is Nima.”

“And I am Zaya,” said the first woman.

“You speak English very well,” I said.

“Yes,” said Nima. “Here in Tibet we learn three languages in school: Chinese, Tibetan, and English.”

“Why is English mandatory?” I asked.

“It’s the international language, of course,” Nima said.

 “Ours is a beautiful country,” said Nima. “And the most important thing for Tibetans is our spiritual tradition. That’s why every morning more than fifteen thousand people circumambulate Jokhang Temple.”

“I very much appreciate the pilgrims’ devotion,” I said.

“My grandma tells me that you Western people have very strange habits,” Zaya said, abruptly changing the reflective tone of the conversation.

“Like what?” I asked.

“She said most of you take a bath every day.” They both giggled.

“Well, yes,” I said. “Don’t you do that in Tibet?”

“No!” exclaimed Zaya, looking horrified. “My grandmother bathes once a year. She says if she were to bathe every day, the blessings she received by prostrating herself before the temple three hundred times a day would be washed away.”
“We all bathe during a special festival called Karma Dunba,” said Nima. “Everyone, even Zaya’s grandmother, goes down to a river and takes a full bath. Strict followers wash their clothes just once a year on that day.”

“But times are changing now,” said Nima. “I bathe once a month.”

“And I bathe once a week,” said Zaya. “Some of my friends even bathe every day like you Westerners.” 

We needed another day in Lhasa for acclimatization before beginning our journey to Mount Kailash some thirteen hundred kilometers away, so I suggested we visit the famous Potala, formerly the residence of the Dalai Lama. Built at various stages beginning from 1645, it is rich in Tibetan history. The palace was visually stunning, a reminder of the mysterious enchantment of old Tibet, but as we meandered through the amazing structure my mind was elsewhere. I was remembering the Buddhist monk I’d helped in New Delhi and the special gift he had left for me in the Sera monastery in Lhasa.

But where was the Sera monastery? And how would I get there? We only had one afternoon left in Lhasa. I decided to ask the monks who were tending to the shrines in the palace.

“Excuse me,” I said to one. “Can you kindly tell me where I can find the Sera Monastery?”

“Sera means ‘wild rose,’” he said. “It is one of our most important monasteries. You can find it in the northern suburbs of Lhasa.”

“Is it a big building like this palace?” I asked. 

“Oh no!” he said proudly. “The monastery consists of thirty six buildings scattered over twenty eight acres of land.”

“Thank you,” I said, suddenly feeling despondent. It would be impossible to find the priceless gift in a complex so huge. I resigned myself to following our group around the Potala.

We returned to our hotel late in the evening, and I quickly fell asleep. I dreamed that our group was visiting an old Buddhist monastery. Guests were being given headphones that guided them through various parts of the monastery. Everyone in our group except me was given brown headphones. I was handed a silver set that glowed brightly in the dark. When I put the headset on, I heard the familiar voice of my monk friend.

“I told you we would not meet again in this life,” he said, “but I will speak words regarding the gift I promised you. I cannot give you anything greater than that which your spiritual master has already given you. Be content with his boundless mercy alone, and with it attain the highest perfection.”

I woke suddenly and raced around the room to find paper and pen before I forgot the monk’s words. Part of me wanted to knock on the other devotees’ doors to tell them about the amazing dream, but I also felt shy. Afterwards, it took me hours to fall asleep.

The next morning we were meant to fly to Ngari, a city just one hundred kilometers from Mount Kailash. But we were informed at breakfast that the flight had been canceled. China’s security was on red alert because of North Korea’s recent test-firing of missiles. It was another setback in our pilgrimage. The only other way to reach Mount Kailash was a four-day drive across one thousand three hundred kilometers of mountainous roads.

Our government travel agency provided two SUV cars with drivers, a small truck for our luggage and cooking equipment, and two official guides who were required to be with us every minute of our stay in Tibet. Ultimately, their presence worked to our advantage, because wherever we went we were subjected to security checks.

Upon departing Lhasa, we learned that a storm and cold front were about to descend on western Tibet. We had to get to Mount Kailash as fast as possible. By driving seventeen hours one day and eleven hours the next, we managed to cut the journey in half. The long hours in the car were austere, but gave me time to reflect again on the purpose of our journey to Mount Kailash: to obtain the blessings of Lord Siva that we might become become better devotees of Lord Krsna and His representative, my beloved spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada.

During the drive, I read the Sivastakam, eight prayers glorifying Lord Siva spoken by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and recorded in Murari Gupta’s book, Sri Caitanya Carita Mahakavya. I did so to better understand Lord Siva according to our Vaisnava philosophy.

“I perpetually offer obeisances unto you, the lord of the thirty primal devas, who are the original father of created beings, whose character is gracious, upon whose head, which is crested by the sickle moon, the Ganga springs, and who are a festival for the eyes of Gauri, the fair goddess.

“I offer my obeisances to you who resemble a moon of molten gold, who are dressed in garments colored like a group of budding blue lotuses or lustrous rainclouds, who bestow the most desirable boon on your devotees by your delightful dancing, who offer shelter to those who seek to become one with the transcendental effulgence of Godhead, and whose flag bears the image of the bull.

“I offer my obeisances to you who dispel darkness with your three eyes – the moon, the sun, and fire – and thus cause auspiciousness for all the living entities of the universe, and whose potency easily defeats thousands of moons and suns.

“I offer my obeisances to you, whose form is brilliantly illuminated by the jewels of Ananta-deva, the king of snakes, who possess divine potencies and are clothed in a tiger skin, who stand in the midst of a thousand-petaled lotus, and whose two arms are adorned by lustrous bangles.

“I offer my obeisances to you who bestow happiness on your servitors as you pour upon them the liquid nectar flowing from your reddish lotus feet, upon which charming ankle bells ring. Obeisances unto you who are adorned by an abundance of gems. Please endow me today with pure love for Sri Hari.

“O Sri Rama! O Govinda! O Mukunda! O Sauri! O Sri Krsna! O Narayana! O Vasudeva! I offer my obeisances unto you, Sri Siva, who are the monarch ruling over all the bee-like devotees who are mad to drink the nectar of these and other innumerable names of Hari, and who thus destroy all grief.

“I offer my respectful obeisances to you, Sri Siva, who are forever inquired of confidentially by Sri Narada and other great sages, who very easily bestow boons on them, who bestow the happiness of Hari-bhakti on those who seek boons of you, who thereby create auspiciousness and are thus the guru of everyone.

“I offer my obeisances to you who are a festival of auspiciousness for the eyes of Gauri, who are the lord of her life-energy, who bestow rasa and are expert in forever singing songs with eagerness of the pastimes of Govinda.

“A person who lovingly hears with rapt attention this wonderful eightfold prayer to Sri Siva, can quickly gain Sri Hari-prema as well as transcendental knowledge, the realization of that knowledge, and unprecedented devotional potency.”

Sripad Sankaracarya also wrote a well-read Sivastakam, but even more popular are Ravana’s prayers to Lord Siva which he composed while residing at Ravana-tal, a lake near Mount Kailash. The demoniac king, a devotee of Lord Siva, created the lake and performed severe penance and austerities on its banks with the desire to gain the strength to pick up Mount Kailash, along with Siva and Parvati on its summit, and take it back to his abode in Sri Lanka. He was unsuccessful because Lord Siva increased the weight of Kailash so that no human, devata, demon, or snake from the lower planets could ever lift Mount Kailash.

In his Siva Tantra Stotram, Ravana prays:

“When will I be happy, living in a hollow cave near the celestial river Ganga with folded hands on my head all the time, with bad thoughts washed away, uttering the mantra of Lord Siva and devoted to the God (Siva) who has a glorious forehead and trembling eyes.” [ Verse 13 ]

After two days of driving, we approached Ravana-tal and the even more important nearby lake of Manasarovar (Mapham Tso in Tibetan). Every pilgrim first takes darsan of Manasarovar on the way to Mount Kailash. It is famous for three things: its changing colors, its infinite variations of reflection, and its fearsome storms. On the top of Mount Kailash, Lord Siva and Parvati once sat in deep meditation on Lord Krsna for twelve years by the calculation of the demigods. No rain fell in the area during that period, so Lord Siva called Lord Brahma to create a sacred lake where he and his consort could bathe. Lord Brahma created Manasarovar from his mind. After their bath, a self-manifested golden Siva lingam appeared in the center of the lake.

We took darsan of Manasarovar and that same day reached Darchen, a small village just a few kilometers from Mount Kailash situated at an altitude of 15,010 feet (4,575 meters). Darchen serves as the starting point for every pilgrim’s journey around the sacred mountain. 

We rested in a simple hotel there for two days to prepare ourselves for the arduous pilgrimage ahead. Despite our best efforts to be in good physical shape and to avoid altitude sickness by acclimatizing ourselves, we all knew that faith in Krsna and His devotee Lord Siva were the most important qualifications for completing the kora (the Tibetan word for “pilgrimage”).

Two days later, at long last, all thirteen of us set out on our kora around Mount Kailash. It was to take us three days. The first day is called the day of purification, the second the day of departure (from one’s illusory self or the false ego), and the third the day of renewal. Many Tibetans do the pilgrimage in a single day. There are also those who do the circuit in prostrations, which takes three weeks. 

Most of our gear and kitchen paraphernalia had gone ahead on yaks to meet us where we would stay the first night, a location twenty-two kilometers further up the winding road. We were carrying just basic necessities in our backpacks as we started on the barren moonscape terrain towards Mount Kailash. Eager to get the journey underway after so many days of waiting, everyone started out at a fast pace.

“Slow down, Prabhus!” I called out. “At this height you have to pace yourselves. And remember to drink three liters of water as we walk along today. It’s easy to get dehydrated up here.”

I noticed that Bhakta Alexey, a strong, healthy, and well-built Russian man in his early 30s, was missing. He had come on the trip to help Ananta Vrindavan das film the expedition. I retraced my steps along the path until I found him trailing far behind us. He was barely moving along the road.

Saradiya Rasa dasi came up behind me with our chief guide. “He doesn’t look good,” she said.

“Maybe he’s just exhausted from traveling here,” I said. I turned to the guide. “Do you think he should stay back this morning? Maybe one of the other guides can stay with him.”

“Yes,” he said. “I can take him back to the hotel, and I’ll keep in touch by phone to let you know how he is doing. Your phones should certainly work on the first day of your pilgrimage. If he feels better this afternoon, we can catch up by horse.”

The rest of us proceeded onwards. As the road gradually got steeper I didn’t have to remind the devotees to slow down. The altitude made sure of that. Soon we were walking only ten paces at a time before having to stop and catch our breath. To our left the huge, treeless Barkha plain was dotted with white nomadic tents and herds of sheep and goats. After four hours we arrived at a chaktsel gang, one of four places on the kora where Tibetan pilgrims offer prostrated obeisances to the mountain. At these sites there are images on rocks which are reputedly places where Lord Buddha left his footprints when he magically visited Kailash in the 5th century BC.

From the chaktsel gang we had a clear and direct view of Mount Kailash’s beautiful, awe-inspiring southern face. All the devotees lay down on the ground for a few minutes of rest. Already exhausted by the high altitude I began to wonder if I could carry on, especially when I saw the trail ahead. From where we were, it entered the glacial Lha Chu valley, a flat, rocky wasteland that wound along vast scraggly mountain slopes.

The silence of the party was broken by the ringing of Saradiya Rasa’s cell phone. When she hung up, her face was pale and had a worried look.

“Alexey is in critical condition.” she said. “He has pulmonary edema, the worst-case scenario in high-altitude sickness. Our guide has taken him to the hospital.”

“We need to act quickly,” I said. “Pulmonary edema can be fatal in a matter of hours. The golden rule is to get the patient to a lower altitude as quickly as possible.”

“But that’s the problem,” said Saradiya Rasa . “We’re on the Tibetan plateau and there are no lower altitudes. Our guide says the doctors are trying to stabilize him with oxygen and some medication, but he’s not responding. He is unconscious, his extremities are cold, and he’s shaking like a leaf.”

Everyone was dazed by the news. I stood up quickly. 

“OK,” I said. “We’re aborting the pilgrimage. We have to turn around and go back to Darchen to assess Alexey’s situation. Let’s move now.”

“It’s serious, but surely not all of us have to go,” one devotee said. “Maybe one or two of us can go and work with the doctors. We can break into two groups and meet along the trail tomorrow. We don’t all have to break the kora.”

“Forget the kora!” I said loudly. “No kora is as important as a devotee’s life. We need to go back to Darchen as a team. We’ll have kirtan together and pray that Krsna protect Alexey.”

Everyone stood up and we began following our tracks back to Darchen, passing many pilgrims who looked at us quizzically as if to say, “You’re going the wrong way.”

All the way back Saradiya-Rasa was on the phone with our main guide, who suggested that we put Alexey in a car and drive him several hundred kilometers south where the attitude was slightly less.

“It’s not enough!” Saradiya rasa shouted. “He’s in critical condition! We have to get a helicopter in to take him to Kathmandu.”

Even as she said it, I knew it wouldn’t be possible. The only helicopters in Tibet were used by the military. The officials would never give permission for a helicopter to fly in from another country to rescue someone who, for them, was just a tourist. I had read extensively about the region before our journey began, and I knew there were risks attached to the Kailash kora because the place is so remote. Our guide had privately told me that over thirty pilgrims, mostly Indians, had already died on the kora this year, almost all from high-altitude sickness. The situation looked bleak at best.

But by the time we reached Darchen three hours later, Saradiya rasa was making things happen. She had contacted both the Russian Embassy and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing to ask for assistance. She had also contacted a private helicopter service in Kathmandu. She was a miracle worker.

“The Russian Embassy called the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and told them to get into action,” she told me. “The Ministry has called the local Darchen police station and told them they have one hour to get Alexey into an ambulance and start driving him to Kodari, a small village on the border with Nepal, about two hundred kilometers south of here. Once we make it to Nepal, there will be a helicopter from Kathmandu to pick Alexey up and fly him straight to the hospital. It’s a five-hour flight, with one stop for refueling.”

The only ambulance in Darchen was broken down, so Saradiya Rasa quickly arranged a private car. In the meantime, the rest of us visited Alexey in the hospital, which was nothing more than a few rooms with some beds and oxygen canisters. The nurses and doctors all seemed capable, despite the lack of facilities.

Alexey opened his eyes when he heard us enter his room. He spoke a few faint words of greeting.

“Much of the water has receded from his lungs,” his doctor said.

“It could return without warning, though. His condition is very, very serious.”

A few minutes later, the hospital staff helped us move Alexey into the car. Saradiya Rasa and her husband, Sukanta das, were to travel with him as far as the border, and Rasika Mohan das would accompany him all the way to Kathmandu. As they sped off leaving a small cloud of dust in their wake, Nrsimhananda das, Nicolae, Mahavan das and Varsana-rani dasi waved goodbye. Rama Vijaya das stood nearby on his cell phone arranging a bank transfer of thousands of dollars from his account in the United States to pay for the helicopter. 

The next morning at 6:15, I received a call from an exhausted Saradiya Rasa. I had been up most of the night chanting and waiting for news. 

“The mafia was waiting for us at the border,” she said. “They demanded a fifty-thousand-dollar cash payment to allow Alexey to cross into Nepal. They had weapons with them, but I got out of the car and was arguing with the leader when my phone rang. It was the Russian Embassy following up on our progress. I told them where we were and handed the phone over to the mafia leader. Within moments he and his gang were gone. A representative of the helicopter company was waiting halfway across a rope bridge swinging over a river between Nepal and Tibet. We helped Alexey and Rasika Mohan to the halfway point on the bridge and left them in the care of the man from the helicopter company. They all disappeared into the night. As soon as it was light, the helicopter took off for Kathmandu. The doctor on board called me to say we had gotten Alexey out just in time and with proper medical care he should be OK in a week or so. We’re on our way back now.”
After Saradiya Rasa’s call I collapsed in bed, but a few short hours later I was awoken by Chaturatma das knocking on my door.

“Maharaja, let’s go. Back on the kora. We have to walk fourteen kilometers today.”

The weather was changing for the worse and we didn’t want to lose time, so we rode in jeeps to where we had stopped the day before. After walking for an hour I realized how physically and emotionally exhausted I was from the events of the previous day. I asked one of our guides if he could arrange a horse for me. Bada Haridas and Ram Vijaya also asked for horses. The guide found horses to rent further down the valley for all three of us.
We rode and the others walked at different paces, braving the high altitude. We all chanted and absorbed ourselves in the remarkable beauty of the scenery. The mountains were beyond description. I remembered a quote from the Ramayana:

“There is no mountain range like the Himalayas, for this range contains both Kailash and Manasarovar. As the dew is dried by the morning sun, so our sins are dried when we gain sight of the Himalayas.”

As we moved through the valley a strange sight caught my eye: a flat area a little above the plains was draped with Tibetan flags flying majestically in the wind, and many large vultures were sitting and flying about.

“What is that?” I asked my guide. “A special temple?”

“No,” he replied, “it’s a sky burial site. In our Buddhist tradition we don’t bury or burn the dead. We lay their bodies out in the open for vultures to eat. That might sound repugnant to you, but you Westerners bury your dead in the ground and worms eat the body. Worms or vultures, it’s the same principle. The only difference is that in a sky burial, family members watch the vultures feast on their loved ones while priests chant mantras.”

“Wow!” I said.

“Yes,” he said. “It allows us to confront death and understand the impermanence of earthly life, and it helps us appreciate the importance of searching for the eternal life of the spirit.”

By late afternoon all the devotees reached Diraphuk, our campsite for the night. The yaks, which had carried all our paraphernalia up the day before, were waiting for us. Situated at about 5,000 meters, the site allowed us a view of the soaring, resplendent north face of icy Mount Kailash. I prayed for the eyes to see the spiritual beauty of Kailash, which is described by Srila Prabhupada as a celestial place, quite different from the cold icy granite mountain I was now seeing:

“It appears from these verses that Kailash is situated near the residential quarters of Kuvera. It is also stated here that the forest was full of desire trees. In the Brahma-samhita we learn about the desire tree, which is found in the spiritual world, especially in Krsnaloka, the abode of Lord Krsna. We learn here that by the grace of Krsna such desire trees are also found in Kailash, the residence of Lord Siva. It thus appears that Kailash has a special significance. It is almost like the residence of Lord Krsna.” [ Srimad Bhagavatam 4.6.28, purport ]

It was the closest we would come to the mountain itself. 

“Could we walk a bit closer?” I asked the guide. “I would like to take a small stone from the face of the sacred mountain. I want to worship it as tadiya, (something connected to a holy place and the pastimes that take place there).

“Not possible” he said, without a moment’s hesitation. “The government no longer allows pilgrims to come closer to the mountain than we are now. They used to issue permits for the “inner kora” along a path that runs close to the mountain, but too many pilgrims were killed by landslides. Plus, the area immediately surrounding Kailash has high velocity winds. Many times pilgrims just disappear from there without a trace.”

Exhausted from the day’s walk, we all settled down for a good night’s rest. But sleep was difficult at such an altitude, and temperatures plunged well below freezing during the night. The accommodations were austere. We slept on wooden beds in huts made of concrete without insulation or heating. The toilet was a hole in the ground outside and a bucket of ice-cold water. There was no facility for bathing.

At 2:00 a.m. I crawled out of my sleeping bag to answer the call of nature. I couldn’t find my flashlight, so I stumbled outside and made my way along by the light of a full moon. I looked up at Mount Kailash and was amazed at the sacred mountain’s beauty in the moonlight. The moon’s rays gave the snow a shimmering luminous effect and made the whole mountain glow silver in the darkness. I stood there dumbfounded as if seeing a mystical vision, unable to take my eyes away from the mountain.  

Suddenly, one of the yaks appeared from around the corner of a small building and began to charge at me. Its aggressiveness broke my meditation and I ran for the shelter of our room. I made it inside just in time. So ended our first day of the kora, our day of purification.

We began our second day—the day of departure (from the false ego) — after a breakfast of hot porridge. Nobody ate much, as the fire of digestion is not strong at such altitudes. The second day proved the greatest challenge of the kora. We had to walk (or ride) more than ten kilometers upwards to the highest point of elevation on the kora, a pass called called Drolma-la, at 5,630 meters. It would take approximately seven hours. Before leaving I sat down in a quiet place and meditated on beautiful Mount Kailash. I took out my notebook and read several verses from Srimad Bhagavatam trying again to see the sacred mountain through the eyes of scripture:

“The abode known as Kailash is full of different herbs and vegetables, and it is sanctified by Vedic hymns and mystic yoga practice. Thus the residents of that abode are demigods by birth and have all mystic powers. Besides them there are other human beings, who are known as Kinnaras and Gandharvas and are accompanied by their beautiful wives, who are known as Apsaras, or angels.” [ Srimad Bhagavatam 4.6.9 ]

Again we made our way in small groups at different paces. Clouds moved in at mid-morning and rain began to fall. The storm we had feared was upon us. Several hours later, cold winds picked up and the rain turned into sleet and snow. Everyone, including our guides and horses, moved at an agonizingly slow and painful pace, our faces whipped by little drops of ice and freezing cold droplets of water. Each step took an immense amount of strength, and I could see everyone gasping for oxygen in the rarified atmosphere, except the Tibetan pilgrims, who walked past us, one group after another, at a steady pace, eventually disappearing in the distance.

I was wearing many layers of clothes, but I was chilled to the bone. The protection of my layers was no match for the harsh weather. As I was contemplating the severity of the cold, a jeep with an open cab and several somber-faced policemen inside rumbled down the rough terrain towards us. When it passed by, I gasped at the sight of a dead man lying face up in the back of the cab, his ankles and wrists tied with rope. He was fully clothed for doing the kora and had apparently died while doing it. I glanced over at one of our guides. He shrugged his shoulders as if to say, “No big deal, it happens every day.” My lamentation about the cold melted away. I was grateful I was still alive.

Because Bada Haridas, Rama Vijaya, and I were on horseback, we moved faster than the others and ended up far ahead of them. After some time, my horse took me so far ahead that I could see no one behind me or ahead of me. I was alone on the mountainous track, which had begun to ascend so steeply that I had to hold on to my horse to keep from sliding off backwards. 

Eventually I came to a small plateau. A passing pilgrim told me it was the famous Shiwa-tsal charnel ground, named after a place of cremation at Bodh Gaya in India. Pilgrims undergo a symbolic death at Shiwa-tsal. It is traditional to leave an item of clothing or a bodily part such as hair, teeth or blood to represent the renouncing of life. In fact, what is being renounced is the false ego—the false identification with the material body—in favor of a true spiritual identity. For followers of the Vedic tradition, such renunciation means giving up all temporary bodily designations such as race, nationality, family, name, fame, beauty, and all material attachments and realizing oneself as a pure spirit soul, a servant of God.

It is said those who are close to that goal of self realization immediately leave their bodies while passing through the Shiwa-tsal charnel ground. I left a favorite hat as a sign of renunciation and prayed to Lord Siva to help me realize that I am an eternal servant of Krsna, but I didn’t leave my body. Disappointed, I mounted my horse again and continued up the steep pass. I was encouraged though, when an old sadhu I had never seen before loudly greeted me, “O Kailash-vasi!” (“O Resident of Kailash!”) I took it to mean that although I
had a long way to go in spiritual life, Lord Siva was pleased with my humble prayers at the Shiwa-tsal charnel grounds. 

We continued on for another two intense hours— I, my horse, and my guide. At one point, the guide and the horse both stopped abruptly, exhausted from the steep climb. 

“White Lama,” my guide said to me after he caught his breath, “If you are fortunate you will see a yeti. Sometimes lamas see them.”

“What is a yeti?” I asked.

“You Westerners call them abominable snowmen. But your people have little faith in such things. Your countrymen live in mundane lands devoid of the mystics, sages, and rsis we have here in our sacred mountains. Nothing out of the ordinary happens in lands where your people dwell.”

I gazed at the mountains.

“Have you ever seen a yeti?” I asked.

“No,” he replied. “But my father and uncle have seen them many times, much higher up in the mountains. They are very large. Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay, reported seeing large human-like footprints at 22,000 feet as they ascended Mount Everest for the first time. The footprints are several
inches shorter but at least four inches wider than a human’s. Other mountaineers in the Himalayas have photographed such footprints.

“Hundreds of years ago there was an entire village of yetis near here. It is said that during a feast many became intoxicated and practically killed each other off. Only a few families remain, hidden in the vast mountains and valleys of our Himalayas. They live a very long time because of the medicinal herbs that are found in the fertile valleys of these mountains.”

“It’s all very interesting,” I said. “But I have not come here looking for yetis. I’ve come to receive the mercy of Lord Siva, who can help to destroy my false ego and show me the path back home to Vraja.”

“I understand,” said my guide with a smile. “And if you are fortunate you may even see Lord Siva. But if you are even more fortunate, he will see you.”

We finally reached Drolma-la pass which was festooned in prayer flags. My horse had put in hours of strenuous effort. I marveled at his strength and agility on the rough surfaces, which were steep and strewn with boulders. My guide told me that Genghis Khan used the same species of horse (more of a large pony than a horse) to conquer the known world.

Though I had ridden and not walked up the steep path, I was exhausted from the harsh atmosphere, the altitude, and the cold. A posted sign read, “5,630 meters.” Because of the extremely high altitude, pilgrims are warned not stay there longer than ten minutes.

While we rested I reflected on how fortunate I was to have a horse to navigate my way down the precariously steep side of the mountain. But I was in for a big surprise. My guide broke my thoughts. 

“You have to get off the horse and walk for five kilometers now,” he said. “The incline down is too steep for the horse to carry you. We will meet you at the bottom of the mountain.”

Standing alone on top of Drolma-la, I wondered whether I could make it down. I could feel my heart beating fast, and I felt nauseated and  increasingly disoriented. A snow flurry descended on the pass and the thought crossed my mind that I might die there at Mount Kailash. 

A few moments later, Bada Haridas arrived at Drolma-la and relinquished his horse too. We waited for Ram Vijaya, but it got colder and colder and we decided we had better start walking. Picking my way down the steep slope, I was unsure where I was going. The high altitude was finally catching up with me. I fell behind and lost Bada Haridas. No other pilgrim appeared on the trail. 

I managed to walk fifty meters farther before resting on a boulder. I thought about lying down for a short sleep, but something inside me resisted the idea. Chaturatma later told me that when he had reached the summit of the pass a few hours after me, he actually did lie down and felt himself drifting off. A passing Tibetan pilgrim shook him violently to wake him. “Don’t do this!” he shouted. “You will never wake up again!”

Navigating my way down the steep ridge, I saw to my right a beautiful turquoise-green lake that I had seen in photos. It was Gauri Kunda, the lake of compassion. The lake is the bathing place of Parvati, Lord Siva’s consort, and the site of numerous pastimes between them. It was here that Parvati performed austerities to win Lord Siva as her husband. Devout followers of the Vedic tradition bathe in the frigid waters to become free from sin. I resisted the temptation. Watching two pilgrims struggle to get down the jagged hill to bathe in the kunda, I reflected on how simple and sublime the path of Krsna Consciousness is compared to other paths, which encourage great austerities and penance. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krsna says,

raja-vidya raja-guhyam
pavitram idam uttamam
pratyaksavagamam dharmyam
su-sukham kartum avyayam

“This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.” [ BG 9.2 ]

What, then, could I say to critics who challenged me and our group for undertaking the austerities and risks of the Kailash kora? I would again quote the Lord in the Bhagavad Gita:

dyutam chalayatam asmi
tejas tejasvinam aham
jayo ’smi vyavasayo ’smi
sattvam sattvavatam aham

“I am also the gambling of cheats, and of the splendid I am the splendor. I am victory, I am adventure, and I am the strength of the strong.” [ BG 10.36 ]

Real adventure is to be found in service to the Lord and His representatives. This is why we were on the kora trying to attain the blessings of Lord Siva. There are, however, easier ways to get his mercy. 

At the beautiful and sacred site of Gauri Kunda, I offered full dandavats and took several serious vratas (vows) which I had been planning to take while on the kora. Generally, a Vaisnava does not reveal his vratas, but for the benefit of my disciples I will share one of the vows I took on that day: that for the rest of my life I would not watch, read, or listen to any mundane media: no internet news sites, no newspapers, no magazines, no movies. I imagined the demigods calling out: “Bhisma! Bhisma!” (“How horrible! How horrible! What a horrible vow!”), but I realized that I, as a person in the renounced order of life, should have had the determination to give up mundane news long ago. As Lord Caitanya said to Ragunatha das Goswami,

gramya-katha na sunibe, gramya-varta na kahibe
bhala na khaibe ara bhala na paribe

amani manada hana krsna-nama sada la’be
vraje radha-krsna-seva manase karibe

“Do not talk like people in general or hear what they say. You should not eat very palatable food, nor should you dress very nicely.

“Do not expect honor, but offer all respect to others. Always chant the holy name of Lord Krsna, and within your mind render service to Radha and Krsna in Vrndavana.” [ Caitanya Caritamrta, Antya-lila, chapter 6, verses 236 – 237 ]

One reason for going on pilgrimage to holy places is that in the sanctity of the dhama one gets the inspiration and strength to take courageous steps forward in spiritual life.

Soon after I moved on from Gauri Kunda, I heard the voice of Rama Vijaya behind me. He had been trailing behind me without his horse, but had managed to catch up. He was a welcome sight. The trail was becoming more and more treacherous. Even the Tibetan pilgrims were slipping. Some of them even slid part way down the dangerous slope.

I was struggling with the descent, so Rama Vijaya went in front of me and extended his hand to steady me, but then his bootlace came undone. The slope was so steep that he couldn’t let go of my hand to retie it. Two young Tibetan men made their way toward us and bent down to tie Ram Vijaya’s bootlace. It was typical of the Tibetan people. They were friendly, helpful, and courteous to us without exception. Because I was always in my sannyasi robes they treated me with great respect. Even the poorest pilgrims would offer me money. 

After several hours, Bada Haridas, Rama Vijaya, and I finally reached the valley at the bottom of the mountain where our horses were waiting for us. The three of us felt we couldn’t go another step, but our guide told us we still had another ten kilometers to go. We rested half an hour, and then mounted our horses for the final leg of our second day on the kora. We found ourselves in the midst of a terrible storm. Our walking team members caught up with us and we all trudged along shivering through sheets of cold, driving rain.

When we reached our campsite, we found the same rudimentary facilities as those of the previous night. Once our packs were brought off the yaks, I changed into dry clothes and jumped into my sleeping bag to try to warm up. Later that evening as I was dozing off in the freezing cabin, I wondered if the second day on the kora—the day of departure—had had any tangible effect on me. I once again prayed to Lord Siva to help destroy my material attachments and grant me eternal residence in Sri Vrindavan dhama.

We awoke to a sunny morning on the last day of the kora, the day of renewal. “Renewal” means that having gone through so much austerity on the kora, the pilgrim would be purified of sin so that his or her spiritual nature would shine forth. When I looked in the mirror that morning, all I saw was an unclean, bearded, disheveled person. But in my heart I had the feeling I had become purified. That morning I chanted my japa with extra attention and relish.

But the kora was not over by any stretch of the imagination. We still had twelve kilometers to trek until we reached our original starting point, the village of Darchen. The path wound up and down several gorges that run along the Indus River (in ancient times called the Sindu).  The gorges were so steep that they were unsuitable for the horses. When we were one hour into the trek that morning, the Tibetan family that had rented the horses to us appeared from nowhere to reclaim them. All that kept us going from that point on was the thought that by evening we could take our first shower in days.

Clouds once again darkened the sky. I looked for a sign that we had achieved the mercy of the Lord’s greatest devotee, that Lord Siva had noticed our endeavor. On a hillside, I saw an interesting formation of rocks that bore distinct impressions.

“What is this?” I asked our guide. 

“This is where Siva and his bull Nandi come down to congratulate saintly people on the completion of the kora,” he said. “These marks are the impressions of Nandi’s hooves and Siva’s feet.” As I reached out to touch the impressions, the sky cleared for a moment and the sun burst through, giving the atmosphere a golden hue for just a brief moment. When I finished touching the stones, the clouds covered the sky again.

Perhaps it was just the beauty of material nature shining forth. But maybe, just maybe, it was a sign from above that we had received the mercy of Lord Siva. Certainly, such signs are not unusual in a sacred place that, as my guide had said with such confidence, is inhabited by mystics, sages, and rsis.

Aspiring devotees may also receive and experience such divine mercy. In Bhagavad Gita, Krsna is encouraging non-devotees, not pure devotees, when He says famously:

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” [ BG 18.66 ]

It was late afternoon when we walked out onto the open plain and into the village of Darchen. Our kora was officially finished. We all prostrated ourselves on the ground in the direction of Mount Kailash and paid our final obeisances. I stayed on the ground for a long time, reflecting on the journey and all that I had undergone. It had been an adventure, but having completed the Kailash kora, I would not recommend it as an adventure for most Vaisnava devotees. The risks are too great.  But I indeed felt I had become a different person, reborn, purified, and cleansed. While walking the path of the kora, I felt I had also journeyed further along on the path of bhakti. 

I got up and took a last glance back at the arduous path we had traversed. Then, without looking back again, I walked forward toward my next service for my spiritual master. But wherever that service takes me, part of my heart will always remain in the mountains and valleys of Mount Kailash. I pray that all the mystics, sages, and rsis who reside there, and, most important, Lord Siva himself, will truly accept me as a Kailash-vasi, a resident of Kailash, that mysterious and sacred abode.

www.travelingmonk.com
indradyumna.swami@gmail.com
Audio Lectures: www.narottam.com

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=33156

Radha Mohan das delivered a thought-provoking presentation and answered questions at a public seminar on the subject of science and religion. Other panellists included Revd Prof Nick Goulding PhD, Prof Polina Bayvel FREng FRS and Barney Leith OBE and the event was organised by the Revd Canon Dr Tim Bull from the famous St Albans Cathedral in Hertfordshire, UK.

“Like most youth of my generation and many previous on the whole I was brought up to believe in God” explained Radha Mohan das in his presentation. “But also like many others, by the time I reached about 14 years old I had delved into science text books and the secular narrative influenced my world view: The Theory of Evolution, the vast age of the earth and the Big Bang.

“But after a few years of being a staunch teenage atheist, I realised there was something important missing. A cold, dark, largely empty universe with no apparent meaning did not at all satisfy me internally.

I needed something outside of the box.

At one point I got into Eric Von Daniken. Famously, he wrote controversial books such as Chariots of the Gods- was God an astronaut?

His main narrative, basing it on archaeology, was that ancient cultures, including their religions, have been influenced by extra-terrestrial visitors. Effectively, he suggested interplanetary travellers had turned ape-men into the modern human form we recognise today. I found that idea fascinating because it accounted for evolution’s ‘missing links’.

But then I reasoned that the belief that there is humanoid life across the universe is incompatible with the Theory of Evolution. Where did the aliens come from then? So God was back in the picture, but never-the-less hiding somewhere in the background.

Around that time I was also a fan of Carl Sagan, the American presenter and astronomer back in the 70s and 80s. He once said “Science is compatible with spirituality. It is a profound source of spirituality when we recognise our place in the immensity of space and time. There is a sense of elation and humility combined, that is surely spiritual…”

Inspired, my search continued.

My following phase included various forms of Eastern spirituality. The books that described the Ultimate Truth as an energy rather than a person was also quite attractive to me at the time, because that approach appeared more compatible with science.

But then I came across books by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, a senior Vaishnava-Hindu holy man and scholar. He spoke of a personal, loving God. I liked his translation and commentary on the Bhagavad Gita. His books The Science of Self Realization and Life Comes from Life were great. I had found my theological home.

Still, during my transition, I had the pressing need to be convinced that there was a sound basis for it in the modern scientific world.

So how could the “religion verses science problem” be bridged? So I delved into the works of Dr Richard Thomson, a Phd at Harvard and a disciple of Bhaktivedanta Swami. Thomson’s first book was “Mechanistic and Non-mechanistic Science” which concluded that according to the law of probability, life coming about purely by chance could not have happened. (For example, one only need to look into complex DNA coding to be quite convinced of that).

Thomson also published books about Forbidden Archaeology: Exposing the suppression of findings that don’t fit into mainstream theories. His other works tried to prove that some of the ancient Sanskrit text of India- – far from being mythological, actually contains advanced scientific knowledge. For example: descriptions of huge time spans- – periods of millions and billions of years as mentioned in the Puranas is compatible with modern estimates of the length of earth’s history. The Bhagavat Purana includes measurements of concentric rings in space which match the modern figures for the planetary orbits of this solar system.

There are also ancient verses describing a stage by stage description of the development of the foetus in the womb. The list goes on.

My point here is that religious scriptures, although serve a different function, do not necessarily have to be in conflict with modern science. The two disciplines just sometimes take difference approaches.

For example, astro-physics and biology are 2 separate subjects but you can’t say one is correct and the other is irrelevant. To receive a broader sense of reality , one should be reasonably open to different ways of looking at things.

In its method, I suggest modern conventional science starts from the bottom and explore its way up. The ascending process of finding answers. Religion, on the other hand, tends to work the other way round: – from the top down. It is inclined to accept information from ‘above, from a higher authority’. This is a descending process. It places humankind in a humbler position.

Lets face it: we are tiny tiny organisms on a speck of dust we call the Earth which floats in the unimaginatively vast realms of space. Can we really work it all out on our own? In cosmic terms, are we not like ants?…And, can an insignificant insect ever be able to comprehend human politics?

So how can humankind be absolutely sure there is no cosmic hierarchy, beyond what our tiny brains are able to perceive, or our eyes, telescopes and microscopes can see?

But to be fair science doesn’t claim it has Absolute Knowledge. Rather it is a process…BUT that process focuses largely on observable matter, detectable by our imperfect senses, or instruments we invent.

I argue that spirituality is a type of science which has methods and results which go beyond matter and our traditional five sense experience.

The basis of most religious faith is the acknowledgement of the Inner Self, consciousness, the soul, the atma…call it what you wish. This is something different from the body: It is not made of matter.

We know consciousness exists. Yet conventional science cannot sufficiently explain it.

Now, the Bhagavad gita describes the soul as eternal, primeval , cannot be dissected, not slain when the body is slain and invisible to our mundane eyes.

Why do scientists not take more time to study the difference between a dead body and a live one? Chemically there seems to be very little difference between a body that is dying, and, moments later, the same body that is dead. Most religions say that the difference is non-physical- – The soul has left.

Where are the university science courses on such a subject?

Perhaps, though, science has no obligation to focus on spiritual things. It is what it is. Fine. It leads to inventions which helps us live in this world. But can it really deal with ALL of human society’s challenges?

So let’s offer homage to both science and spirituality. Both are needed for an holistic view of life. Neither of them explain EVERYTHING. For example, there is so much supernatural phenomenon that cannot be explained by conventional science.

But for many that point alone is not enough to invite God back onto the stage.

But can God, the Original Quantum Observer be metaphorically described as the Supreme Scientist, and this world part of a computer program within His cosmic computer? This offers our existence more meaning.

I maintain there is a pressing need to turn more attention to the spiritual development of society. With the right dosage, it promotes restraint and inner development rather than external development. After all, there is enough for everyone’s need on this planet, but NOT enough for everyone’s greed. Our superficial, consumer-based society is not at all sustainable in the long term. That is scientific fact.

But simplicity , piety, forgiveness, renunciation, meditation, the arts, a counter-balance to materialism… And not forgetting love for one another, love for all things.These historically have religious roots.

Science and religion are opposed like the thumb and forefinger are opposed. Yet they are joined at the hand. If you use the two together: Then and only then can you truly grasp things- – both physical and non-physical. This is how we can find a balance, between practicality and inner happiness in our lives.

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=33182

One thousand Russian devotees, friends of Krishna and Indian community members gathered to celebrate Diwali in spectacular style in Moscow on Saturday October 29th.

The crowd packed out a rented auditorium in ISKCON Moscow’s Kuusinena Street building, just ten minutes’ drive from the Kremlin.

The afternoon was a cultural event to commemorate welcoming Lord Rama and his wife Sita Devi, the heroes of the epic Ramayana, back to their capital Ayodhya.

As guests arrived at 3pm, they entered a foyer decorated with colorful chalk mandalas on the floor, where they could offer lamps to Lord Rama.

Since it was the sacred month of Kartik too, they also offered lamps at a beautiful altar of Lord Damodar and mother Yashoda, while a recording of the Damodarastakam bhajan played.

At 4pm the program onstage in the auditorium began with an inauguration by local dignitaries and officials. A local dance group then performed multiple different types of classical Indian dance.

These included Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi dance, and Kuchipudi.

One of the highlights of the event was a highly professional drama about Lord Rama victoriously returning to a warm welcome in Ayodhya, after killing the demon Ravana and saving his wife Sita.

Performed by Mathura, a renowned Russian devotee drama group, the play featured Rama, his brother Lakshman, wife Sita and vanara servant Hanuman in astonishing outfits lit up by LED lights.

Hanuman, played by Jagat-Pati Das, was a particular crowd favorite. In an incredibly realistic costume, he jumped into the crowd, involving the audience. He also invited all the children onto the stage to participate in fun games with him.

The Diwali show also featured a fancy dress competition by children aged 3 to 7, whose creative outfits wowed the crowd. Each spoke in character about their part in Rama’s pastimes, whether they were dressed as the ten-headed demon Ravana….

…Sita Devi….

…Hanuman…

…or Sravan Kumar, whose parents cursed Rama’s father Dasarath that he would lose his son.

Afterwards, all the children received prizes of traditional Russian toys and puzzles.

Around seventy students from different schools, including the Embassy of India school in Moscow, also participated in a drawing competition. All the kids produced beautiful drawings of Lord Ramachandra and His pastimes, and again received prizes of toys, games, and Krishna story books.

Meanwhile, there were performances of Indian classical songs and bhajans, as well as Sri Radha Dasi and her band performing English language songs from Jahnavi Harrison’s album with acoustic guitar accompaniment.

The program conluded with a dramatic firework display in the courtyard outside. To the delight of hundreds of children, Hanuman was the technician, setting off the fireworks and executing acrobatic leaps in character in between each one.

“The Russian devotees are very creative, and all the guests very much appreciated their efforts,” says Moscow temple president Sadhu-Priya Das.

Source:http://iskconnews.org/iskcon-moscow-lights-up-devotees-hearts-at-diwali,5910/

When I was around 17 or 18 years old, I had a desire to join the army and represent India in that way. I wanted to be a Jawan and fight for India. I don’t think I would have been selected in the Army since I have flat feet and wear glasses.

My fledgling Indianism or one can call it patriotism gradually changed after I read Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita As it Is. Because, for Srila Prabhupada India was not just a boundary on a map. He transcended sectarian India and made the real Bharata Kanda available to one and all. The Bharata kanda Srila Prabhupada represented is universal, all-inclusive and a liberal state.

I have not given up my Indian roots but in fact made it deeper by embracing values of the original Bharata kanda!

Udaara charitaanaam tu vasudhaiva kutumbhakam||
For the broad-minded, the entire planet is but a family||

Hare Krishna

Source:http://servantoftheservant-ananda.blogspot.in/2016/11/vasudhaiva-kutumbakam.html

Goddard family to present archives of Leicestershire architect Joseph Goddard to ISKCON

When: Monday 14th November 2016

Where: ISKCON Leicester, 31 Granby Street, Leicester (Entrance on Bishop St)

Time: 10.30am-11.30am

The archives of famed Leicestershire architect Joseph Goddard are to be handed over to ISKCON in a ceremony on Monday 14th November, at 10.30am.

Tony and Joe Goddard, the great grandchildren of Joseph Goddard, the architect of Leicester’s Clock Tower and the grade 2* listed former bank on Granby Street, will sign over archives and their copyright to the care of ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, in the presence of members of Leicester City Council, and representatives from The Victorian Society, The Heritage Lottery Fund, and University of Leicester.

The archives will be placed in a newly built Heritage Room at the ISKCON Centre to benefit schools, colleges, universities, and the general public.

Joseph Goddard designed and built the grade II* listed heritage property at the heart of Leicester City Centre in 1874 as the headquarters of the Leicestershire Banking Company. The spectacular gothic building which is now an ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple has long been acknowledged as a landmark in Leicester’s Victorian architecture. The building is set to contribute to regeneration, engagement and a place of a multi-variety of activities to suit the needs of all people.

Commenting on the gifting of the archives, Tony Goddard, an architect himself said:

“The Goddard family are delighted that the archive of their papers and drawings, a record of the family’s architectural endeavours over the past 160 years, are to finally find a long term home in one of Joseph Goddard’s best known buildings, the original Leicestershire Banking Company’s building on Granby Street, and now the new home to ISKCON. The archive will now be properly catalogued, and available for public access.”

About ISKCON Leicester
The former bank is in the process of being developed into a multi-purpose city centre hub with features including a Heritage Room, Meditation Hall, Restaurant, and Library. ISKCON is dedicated to the practices of spiritual life based with a focus on mantra meditation, cultivation of spiritual wisdom and working in devotion, and welcomes everyone to join the many programmes, festivals and celebrations held around the City. 
www.iskconleicester.org

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=33188

On this day lord Sri Krishna became a qualified cowherd. Before this day, he was a keeper of the calves.

The Killing of Dhenukasura:

“Thus Sri Krishna, along with His elder brother Balarama, passed the childhood age known as kaumara and stepped into the age of pauganda, from the sixth year up to the tenth. At that time, all the cowherd men conferred and agreed to give those boys who had passed their fifth year charge of the cows in the pasturing ground. Given charge of the cows, Krishna and Balarama traversed Vrindavana, purifying the land with Their lotus footprints.”

It is stated in the Kārtika-māhātmya section of the Padma Purāṇa:

śuklāṣṭamī kārttike tu

smṛtā gopāṣṭamī budhaiḥ

tad-dinād vāsudevo ‘bhūd

gopaḥ pūrvaṁ tu vatsapaḥ

“The eighth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kārttika is known by authorities as Gopāṣṭamī. From that day, Lord Vāsudeva served as a cowherd, whereas previously He had tended the calves.”
The word padaiḥ indicates that Lord Kṛṣṇa blessed the earth by walking on her surface with His lotus feet. The Lord wore no shoes or other footgear but walked barefoot in the forest, giving great anxiety to the girls of Vṛndāvana, who feared that His soft lotus feet would be injured.

Krsna said at that time that the cows are worshiped even by the demigods, and He practically demonstrated how to protect the cows. At least people who are in Krsna consciousness should follow in His footsteps and give all protection to the cows. Cows are worshiped not only by the demigods. Krsna Himself worshiped the cows on several occasions, especially on the days of Gopastami and Govardhana-puja.

Sri Krishna drinks milk like refreshment;
Sri Krishna loves butter to contentment;
Sri Krishna and cows a relation of attachment;
Sri Krishna’s musical flute becomes Cow’s nourishment;
Everyone searches corners of Vrindavan like a bird;
One day we may see Sri Krishna among the cowherd.

Source:http://www.iskconvrindavan.com/gopashtmi/

The idea that we should not try to see God but act in such a way that he feels pleased to look our way is one of the main philosophical contributions of Srila Prabhupada’s guru, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. He always made it clear that we are not the seers (that we cannot see God) but that we are the seen (that we can be seen by God). 

Imagine an ant crawling over your book while you read. It cannot see you from its position – you’re something the ant cannot understand because it is too small. But you can see the ant very well. In much the same way we, who are so limited and conditioned, cannot really hope to see God – but we can act in a way that he sees us. 

I would like to inspire you for a meditation: Try to imagine that Krishna looks at you at this very moment. What would he see? I’m not thinking of your hairstyle or dress, but when Krishna would look into your heart, what would he see at this moment? On the path of bhakti we want to stop as often as possible and ask ourselves, “What does Krishna see now? What does Krishna see when I’m dealing with a certain situation or making certain decisions? Is Krishna satisfied with the way I’m acting? Is Krishna satisfied with the way I’m thinking? Is Krishna satisfied with my plans?” The moment you ask these questions you will immediately see an improvement in your life.

I know this because whenever I visit devotees, it always looks so orderly. Everything is in the right place. Because they ask themselves “What will Sacinandana Swami see when he comes to my home?” It is a normal inclination that we all have – when we have someone who is dear to us as our guest we want to be seen at our best. I think if you introduce this meditation or thought into your life – “What will Krishna see?” – you will very quickly grow in your Krishna consciousness by leaving behind those things which don’t please Krishna and doing those things which please him. 

From a lecture by Sacinandana Swami, 2016

Source:http://iskconofdc.org/being-seen/

The day before the start of a three day festival native to India, Clifford Chance LLP hosted their very first employee Diwali celebration; probably the first across any global Law firm. Over 75 top lawyers and business services staff congregated at the Headquarters in Canary Wharf, London on 27th October to understand and extract spiritual wisdom from the pastimes of Lord Rama.

Clifford Chance LLP is a multinational law firm headquartered in London, and a member of the “Magic Circle” of leading British law firms. It is one of the ten largest law firms in the world measured both by number of lawyers and revenue. It has 36 offices across 26 countries and approximately 3,300 lawyers. In 2013/14, Clifford Chance had total revenues of £1.36 billion, the highest of any firm in the Magic Circle in that year. Clifford Chance’s main practice areas include Corporate, Banking and Finance, Capital markets, Real estate, Tax, Pensions and Employment amongst others.

The ‘Clifford Chance DNA’ embeds core elements that make up a unique culture across the law firm.

Amongst the eight Clifford Chance Principles ‘strength through diversity’ is one which helps people succeed according to their merits. The story of Diwali resonates the theme of success but one which is achieved through the meritocracy of righteousness where good prevailed over evil. To share and make relevant the pastimes of Lord Rama, His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami was invited to deliver a debut keynote speech.

Narind Singh, Executive Partner at Clifford Chance who specialises in financial services M&A and regulatory advice, opened the event. After sharing his lifelong experience of the Diwali festival, Narind spoke on the importance to understand the message beyond the rituals and celebrations. In expressing his excitement to host the very first Diwali event, Narind introduced His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami and thanked him for taking time out of his busy schedule to deliver the keynote speech.

After echoing his gratitude for the opportunity to address the assembly of lawyers, His Holiness described how the central theme of Diwali is derived from the historical Ramayana text, appended to the Vedic scriptures and written in Sanskrit by the Indian poet Valmiki. Composed in 24,000 poetical verses, the Ramayana literally documents the ‘Journey of Rama’ to exemplify ideal character and virtues in some of life’s most difficult challenges.

His Holiness explained that although an ancient historical episode, the messages of Diwali continues to be relevant to this day. Rama, was the eldest of the four sons of the monarch King Dasharath of the city of Ayodhya. Being a delight to all, the eldest son was thus named Rama. In his early teens, Rama was popular amongst his father’s subjects due to his treatment of equality and love to all walks of life regardless of colour, religion or orientation. On the eve of his coronation, Rama honoured the request of his stepmother to accept the life of a mendicant by going into exile for 14 years so that his younger sibling may be coronated instead. Knowing that the state treasury was still in safe hands, Rama illustrated his readiness to transfer responsibilities providing wealth is preserved. For exile he was joined by his wife Sita the embodiment of wealth and younger brother Lakshman unmatched in service. Through this voluntary act of selflessness, Rama begins the epic of Diwali by showing how to detach oneself from life’s comforts and embrace hardships rather than struggle in misery. Most importantly however, was his example to remain truthful, co-operative, honest and respectful towards the world around us. Despite the intense feelings of separation from his subjects and family, little did the world know that the hardships which Rama will pursue during the following 14 years in exile will usher for many thousands of years to come. With faith in his character sought from following the path of righteousness, Rama showed how to bring harmony to economic conditions, satisfy ones desires with gifts of nature, manage expectations through changes in living conditions, award those who are selfless and care for those who are selfish. These virtues were continuously put to test and perfectly followed by Rama even during times of crisis most notably when the envious dictator Ravana kidnapped his wife by deceit and continued to exercise such evil throughout the world. Ravana was obsessed with the desire to gain and exploit the possessions of others and anything attractive in this world. Ravana was ultimately defeated by a single simple mendicant in exile due to the strength of Rama’s moral dedication to righteousness and devotion to his wife. This victory coincided with the end of Rama’s 14 year exile after which he journeyed home to the city of Ayodhya in North India to mark the first celebration of Diwali. Since they arrived in the dense darkness of the lunar new moon night, the city was lit by a ‘row of lamps’ (Dipa+vali) to help receive the embodiment of devotion.

In detailing the saga of Diwali, His Holiness provoked thought on how the pastimes of Lord Rama can be used to guide and add value to conduct in the workplace and attitude as custodians of Law. Event organiser Ashika Patel closed the event commenting: “Through the expert rendition of the story of Diwali, His Holiness has demonstrated how ancient spiritual values can be used to improve and uplift people even today. It has been an honour to host His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami and we would like to thank him for spending the afternoon with us.”

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=33124

On the sacred day of Govardhan Puja, Bhaktivedanta Manor hosted a gathering at London’s House of Lords at the Palace of Westminster to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the incorporation of ISKCON.

The House of Lords is the upper house of the UK Parliament and was built to advise the Crown Imperial since 1295. With the kind permission of the Lord Speaker, the event was hosted in the Principal State Room for an incredible yet intimate gathering of profiled guests renowned in their own disciplines.

The peer sponsor, Lord Dholakia welcomed the gathering by recollecting on the challenging yet exciting journey of ISKCON in UK through Bhaktivedanta Manor.

Temple president, Srutidharma dasa, described the significance of the 50th anniversary of the incorporation of ISKCON and how it is being celebrated in the UK. The president announced the start of a new chapter in its history as this year saw the ground-breaking ceremony for the long awaited Shri Krishna Haveli building which was led by (now former) UK Prime Minister David Cameron.

Managing Director, Gauri das, presented the journey in finally receiving planning permission to build the Shri Krishna Haveli and played a video to illustrate the new project.

Bhakti Charu Swami travelled in from India to present the keynote speech and reflect on the objective behind ISKCON and the many sacrifices made by Srila Prabhupada in its establishment. Member of Parliament, Shailesh Vara, closed the evening by describing the unique contribution that ISKCON brings to society and the importance of its message.

Source:http://iskconnews.org/iskcon-50th-celebrated-at-house-of-lords-with-bhakti-charu-swami,5908/