Radha Damodar Das has been following in Srila Prabhupada's footsteps since almost 40 years, and his path has not been an easy one. He first heard the Maha-mantra in 1979 and began chanting right away. He soon became one of the leaders of the ISKCON movement, which was then illegal in the Soviet Union. In May 1983, he was arrested and imprisoned for his faith. While in prison, he had to work in dangerous conditions, which included using a poisonous glue. He also suffered from malnutrition. Nevertheless, Radha Damodar continued to follow the principles of Krishna Consciousness and to preach. His health suffered, especially his lungs. Today, it is the lungs that have been affected by a dangerous disease. 

In 1987, the repressions against the devotees have ended, and since then, Radha Damodar das has become the leader of the Movement in the USSR and later in Russia. For many years, he has also been the leader of ISKCON Communications in Russia. Many important contacts have been established and many wonderful projects were carried out under his guidance. His latest project is a book, which is dedicated to ISKCON 50.  All those who know him are impressed with his stability, goodwill and his never-changing good mood. He has helped many, and today he is in need the devotees’ prayers.

Radha Damodara Das back in the 80s.

On August 20th, Bhakti Vijnana Goswami published an appeal to the Russian Vaishnavas with a request to pray for Radha Damodara Das's health.

On August 27th, the Fund for Moscow Vaisnavas Support published an update on Radha Damodara's health. It said that Radha Damodar das is receiving medical treatment in Moscow and that there is a team of devotees that takes care of his needs and diet. Radha Damodar continues to associate with devotees and chants japa. He is optimistic, follows all the instructions of the doctor and is ready to fight the disease and come back to his service, which is of no surprise to those who know him as a very determined devotee.

On September 1st, there will be a yajna in the Sri Sri Dayal Nitai Sacisuta temple in Moscow for Radha Damodara Das’s recovery.

Russian devotees are asking the international devotee community for their kind blessings and prayers.

Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON Minister of Communications adds:

“Radha Damodar prabhu has been a steady, mature leader of the Russian yatra and of the Communications Department in Russia for many years. He is a thoughtful person, a kind person, and a true Vaishnava gentleman. I request the devotees around the world to please say a prayer to Lord Krishna on behalf of Radha Damodar prabhu and his family, so that Radha Damodar may recover from this health challenge and continue his excellent service to the Lord and the Russian yatra.”

Source : http://iskconnews.org/radha-damodar-das-one-of-the-first-devotees-in-the-soviet-union-is-gravely-ill,5778/

Central to the concept of avatar is the idea of crossing over from one realm to another. In its original Sanskrit philosophical context, avatar refers to the Absolute Truth descending from the spiritual world to the material world. The divine’s existence beyond this world is called transcendence, whereas his existence in this world is called immanence. The question of how the transcendent can become immanent has intrigued many thinkers throughout history. To get a sense of the question’s profundity, let’s look at the digital, Christian, monistic and bhakti conceptions of avatar.

Digital avatar

The Sanskrit word avatar has become mainstream in English due to both a Hollywood blockbuster and computer role-playing games. In contemporary usage, avatar refers to an icon representing a person in digital arenas such as video games and Internet forums. In such usage, the crossing over implicit in avatar is from the physical world to the digital world. Our digital avatar is a step-down from the reality of who we are. Even if our video game avatar is expert at doing many things, still it has no consciousness. Its apparent consciousness results from the projection of our consciousness into it through the game’s interfacing mechanism. So, when we refer to something unconscious as our avatar, we conceive ourselves in reduced terms.

Such a reduction is revealing, for it points to two distinct thought-trains: A mechanistic conception of the self which makes us think that we can be represented by a digital profile that is as unconscious as the electrons that comprise the digital world. A longing for crossing over to some reality other than our present mundane reality with all its inanity.

Though the word avatar traditionally refers to the Absolute Truth’s descent to this world, the word’s contemporary usage refers to the self, not the Absolute. Still, the problems of crossing over associated with the notion of avatar surface when applied to the self too.

 Christian incarnation

Avatar is frequently translated in English as incarnation. This English word is intricately associated with Abrahamic conceptions about how the divine manifests in this world. In Christianity, the word “incarnation” refers usually to Jesus, who is conceived of as God descended in flesh as a human being. Jesus was born in a Jewish tradition that was heavily messianic, driven by the longing for a future messiah who would deliver people from their various problems.

Based on Jesus’s teachings and miracles, his followers thought of him as the messiah. This notion was falsified for some by his crucifixion, but it was reinforced for others by his claimed resurrection. For nearly four centuries thereafter, the identity of Jesus was a matter of vigorous, even acrimonious, debate in the Christian community. Eventually, the Nicene Creed elevated Jesus from messiah to Incarnation.

The Creed resolved that the divinity of Christ had manifested in the humanity of Jesus, who was therefore both fully human and fully divine. But the ascription of full divinity to him was problematic, given the relatively recent and undeniable historical memory of Jesus’ life as a human. The Bible itself compounded the problem through statements such as “My Father is greater than I.” (John 14:2) While some quotes support the oneness of the Father and the Son, the Bible also indicates implies that his “oneness” with God is not exclusive to him – it can be achieved by others too: “As You and I are one, let them also be one in Us.” (John 17:21)

This blurring of the human-divine boundaries in conceiving the identity of Jesus reflects a larger blurring of the material-spiritual boundaries in Christian philosophy. The Bible refers to the soul, but doesn’t clearly describe it or categorically differentiate it from the body – it is frequently used as a metaphorical reference to our non-material essence. With such ontological ambiguity about the soul, the notion emerged that all faithful believers would receive bodily resurrection, as had Jesus. Here again we see how conceptions of the divine are intertwined with conceptions of the self.  

Monistic avatar

Monists hold that reality comprises ultimately only one substance. Technically, materialists who hold that matter is all that exists are also monists – they are materialist monists. But conventionally, monist refers to spiritualists who hold that one spiritual substance is all that exists. For such monists, the material world with all its variety is ultimately an illusion. They also hold that our self-conception as individual beings is also an illusion. They believe that liberation means merging into the non-differentiated oneness of the Absolute.

For monists, matter is just an illusion; spirit is all that exists, and it is a non-differentiated oneness. So, in the monistic worldview, there exists no material world to cross over to and no supreme spiritual being to cross over. Monists try to resolve such problems in their philosophy by granting provisional reality to matter – matter is seen as real as long as people are in material consciousness or, in other words, in illusion.

They hold that avatar too is such a provisional reality – the impersonal absolute temporarily becomes personal during the period of descent. Avatar is thus treated as a helpful illusion that can aid us in resisting the harmful illusions of material existence: the many sense objects that allure us towards worldly pleasures. When we focus our consciousness on the avatar, we can become detached from sense objects and situated in the relatively elevated mode of goodness. Still, no matter how helpful, avatar is deemed ultimately an illusion – an illusion that needs to be transcended for attaining liberation. Thus, monism treats avatar not as a spiritual truth, but as a convenient fiction useful for spiritual growth.  

Bhakti avatar

Whereas Christianity holds that the incarnation is somehow both material and spiritual, and monism holds that the avatar is material, bhakti explains that the avatar remains spiritual even while being in the material world. To grasp how this is possible, we need to first understand how bhakti envisions the relationship between matter and spirit. The Bhagavad-gita in its second chapter outlines a radical matter-spirit duality. Spirit is said to have none of the attributes of matter – the soul is neither born nor dies (02.20) and is immutable, being beyond fragmentation, incineration, dissolution and desiccation (02.24-25).

Yet the Gita balances this radical duality with an organic unity in its seventh chapter, where it declares that both matter and spirit are energies of the same one Absolute Truth (07.04-05). That spirit is the energy of the Absolute implies that the Absolute is situated not just on the spiritual side of the material-spiritual divide, but is situated at the summit of spiritual reality. The Gita (10.12) reveals this Absolute Truth to be Krishna, declaring that he is not just brahma (spirit) but param brahma (supreme spirit). Srimad-Bhagavatam (8.3.4), another prominent bhakti text, reiterates this position of the Absolute by declaring him as parat parah, which the pre-eminent modern bhakti teacher, Srila Prabhupada glosses as “he is transcendental to transcendental, or above all transcendence.”

With this metaphysical background, we are better prepared to understand how the avatar remains spiritual even in the material world. To illustrate, Srila Prabhupada would sometimes give the example of electricity: it is one energy that can manifest through a room heater as heat and through an air conditioner as cold.

Consider a device that can, by the flip of a switch, heat and, by another flip, cool. The controller of that device can, at will, get the same electrical energy to heat or cool. If all of existence is like a device, Krishna is like its controller. By operating the switch of his omnipotence, he can prevent the material energy from acting materially on him even when he manifests in the material world.

Though the Bhagavad-gita doesn’t use the specific word avatar, it talks about the descent of the divine in its fourth chapter (04.06-10). The Gita begins this discussion (04.06) by asserting that Krishna remains the imperishable Lord of all living beings even when he enters into his material nature. This declaration implies that he doesn’t come under the control of material nature, which sentences all embodied beings through time’s inexorable flow to bodily deterioration and destruction. The eternal transcendence of avatar underscores a subtle difference between avatar and its common English translation incarnation.

Etymologically, “incarnation” means “to come in flesh”; the root “carna” is seen in words such as carnivorous animals (flesh-eating animals) and carnal desires (desires to enjoy the flesh). Krishna, however, doesn’t descend in a form of flesh; he remains transcendental. Nonetheless, bhakti teachers frequently introduce contemporary audiences to the concept of avatara with the English rendition “incarnation”. In so doing, they avoid burdening us with a double unfamiliarity: both an unfamiliar term and an unfamiliar concept. Terms are verbal handles for mental concepts.

By first giving us a familiar handle to grasp an unfamiliar concept and then explaining the concept’s unfamiliar dimensions, they help us move towards comprehension, one step at a time. When Krishna descends and performs his pastimes in this world, he transforms this world from a stage for the display of illusion to a stage for the display of the highest spiritual reality: the loving pastimes between him and his devotees.

The Gita (04.09) states that those who become attracted to Krishna’s appearance and activities, understanding his transcendental position, don’t take rebirth – they attain his eternal abode.   Trailer and trail The pastimes that the avatar performs serve an extraordinary double role: as a trailer and a trail. Trailer: Love is our deepest aspiration; we all desire to love and be loved. However, due to the temporary nature of things in this world, our longing for love is frustrated – inevitably and repeatedly. Krishna’s pastimes are enactments of the love that is never frustrated – pure spiritual love between the all-attractive Supreme and his devotees that goes on eternally in the spiritual world.

When Krishna descends to this world, he performs some of those pastimes here, giving us tantalizing glimpses of an arena where our longing for love can be eternally and perfectly fulfilled. Thus, his pastimes serve as trailers meant to attract us to his abode. Trail: Those with superficial understanding of Krishna’s pastimes think of them as stories meant for entertainment. But those who understand these pastimes in truth know that they are not meant to entertain; they are meant to be entered into – they occur in that eternal spiritual reality to which we as souls, parts of Krishna, belong. To enter that reality, we need to redirect our heart from the world to Krishna. For this redirection, his pastimes provide charming and purifying subject matter that we can contemplate, churn, recollect and relish.

The more we thus think about Krishna, the more our heart becomes attracted to him and the more we progress on the path towards him. By providing us substance for turning our heart to him, Krishna’s pastimes comprise the trail that leads to him. Overall, avatar demonstrates the centrality of love in spiritual growth. It is Krishna’s love for us that inspires the transcendent to become immanent, and it is our love for him that enables us to cross over from matter to spirit, to realize our trans-material identity and become situated in spiritual reality. 

Source : http://iskconnews.org/avatar-digital-christian-monistic-and-bhakti-conceptions,5780/

Hunger in our mouths
Comes from emptiness in our stomachs.

Hunger in our senses
Comes from emptiness in our hearts.

The mouth can fill a stomach’s emptiness
But can the heart’s emptiness be filled through the senses?

The heart’s emptiness
Is best filled by her close friends: the mind and words.

If you hear the right words
And think about them deeply, feelingly.
You will never again go hungry.

Hear about All-Attractive, All-Delighting Krishna-Rāma.
And contemplate what you hear, deeply… feelingly.

Source : https://vicd108.wordpress.com/2016/09/02/the-emptiness-in-you/

Einstein, Emerson, Thoreau, Huxley, Hesse… I was amazed that this list an intellectual who’s who from recent world history was actually a list of thinkers who had appreciated the Gita.

As I had been born and brought up in India, the place where the Gita was spoken millennia ago, I was familiar with it as an ancient Hindu text. I had even memorized some of it for verse recitation contests. But I had no idea that its contents were of interest to the modern mind, much less praised by some of the greatest modern minds.

Reading such appreciations of the Gita motivated me to study the text seriously. After reading several Gita commentaries, by well-known spiritual teachers, I came across the rendition of the Gita that I found most relevant: the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, by Srila Prabhupada, the founder-acarya of ISKCON. Studying that text in the association of Krishna devotees initiated for me an intellectual adventure that continues till this day. That adventure has involved studying the commentaries of many illustrious saintly teachers from the past, discussing the Gita with contemporary devotee-scholars, memorizing and relishing its verses, and choosing to dedicate my life to sharing Gita wisdom. All this intellectual engagement with the Gita has helped me understand it better. It has also helped me better understand just how much there is still to understand in it.

Now, with the holistic understanding of the Gita that the bhakti tradition provides, when I look back at those appreciations of scholars and intellectuals, I can see how they help elucidate the glory of Gita wisdom.

Insights on Essential Questions

“When I read the Bhagavad-gita and reflect about how God created this universe, everything else seems so superfluous.” – Albert Einstein, Noble Laureate German Scientist

We live amidst a degree of information overload that makes us susceptible to a particular sort of intellectual malfunction an inability to contemplate life’s essential questions. Through newspapers, TV, and the Internet, data on hundreds of subjects from hundreds of sources swamps us daily. Much of this information is irrelevant to our core concerns; knowledge about the favorite food of a popular actor, and similar information, makes no difference to our lives in any practical sense.

The Bhagavad-gita (13.12) leaves just this sort of intellectual superficiality far behind by explicitly declaring that spiritual knowledge is the most important among all branches of knowledge. Significantly, it doesn’t let spiritual knowledge remain in the realm of remote abstraction. It brings that knowledge to bear on issues that lie at the heart of our existential dilemma: who we are, what our role in the world is, and how we can find real happiness. Gita wisdom underscores the fact that we are not just physical bodies but spiritual beings. Our purpose is to harmonize ourselves with the underlying order that pervades the universe, which can be achieved by learning to love the Supreme Being, Krishna, who can grant us supreme fulfillment.

The Gita’s sophisticated theistic framework, as evident, for example, in its delineation (Gita 9.510) of Krishna’s relationship with the world, provides us with the exciting possibility to reconcile age-old conflicts between science and religion. The mainstream scientific worldview implies that the cosmos functions as an impersonal mechanism, governed by universal and immutable laws. Conventional religion implies that such laws can be superseded by a personal God who bestows grace and intervenes in the lives of His worshipers for their greater benefit.

In this conflict, those who side with science usually have to settle for some kind of deism. But this reduces God to a mere first cause, a passive observer unable to intervene in the world He set in motion, on behalf of His devotees or a otherwise a notion unacceptable to the religious mind nourished by God’s independent desire to be merciful. Those who side with religion frequently have to settle for a God who arbitrarily works miracles a notion unpalatable to the scientific mind that thrives on the sort of orderliness that characterizes the universe.

How does the Gita help resolve this conflict?

By outlining a profound theistic framework wherein God, Krishna, plays a fascinating double-role. It presents a multi-level conception of God as both a neutral overseer (Paramatma) and a reciprocal giver and receiver of love (Bhagavan). The understanding of God as a neutral overseer provides room for the universe to function as a mechanism governed by natural laws. The simultaneous parallel understanding of God as a reciprocal giver and receiver of love provides room for divine intervention.

No doubt, the conflict is philosophically complex and the two level conception of God is theologically intricate. So, this article won’t give a comprehensive presentation of either; it intends rather to serve as an introduction to the impressive scope and depth of Gita wisdom. This same principle applies to the other complex issues addressed in the remaining sections.

Systematic Guidance for Spiritual Evolution

“The Bhagavad-gita is the most systematic statement of spiritual evolution of endowing value to mankind. It is one of the most clear and comprehensive summaries of perennial philosophy ever revealed; hence its enduring value is subject not only to India but to all of humanity.” Aldous Huxley, English writer

Perennial philosophy centers on two vital principles: understanding philo the perennial, the function of the head; and loving the perennial, the function of the heart. Gita wisdom boosts both the head and the heart in their voyage towards the eternal.

For the head, the Gita explains that reality comprises three levels: the arena of material forms, which is temporary; the arena of formlessness that lies at the threshold of eternity; and the arena of spiritual forms that lies at the heart of life in eternal reality. We can visualize these three levels in a graphical representation of reality as a continuum along the y-axis. The lower, negative side of the axis represents material reality. The upper, positive side refers to spiritual reality. And the zero point refers to the transition where matter ends and spirit begins. These three levels can also be alternatively referred to as material personal, impersonal, and spiritual personal or trans-personal.

Thus the Gita provides an inclusive framework for contextualizing and integrating notions of reality that have emerged in various traditions throughout the world. Its nonsectarian understanding of the Absolute Truth is evident in its declaration that Krishna is the father of not just all human beings but of all living beings. (14.4) The same universal spirit is manifest in the Gita’s declaration (10.8) that Krishna is the source of everything.

For the heart, the Gita offers a positive role for emotions: they can be reinvented as roads to spiritual perception instead of being rejected as roadblocks in spiritual life. It first underscores that material emotions act as roadblocks because they distort our vision, making worldly things seem desirable when they are in fact the source of suffering. So it repeatedly (Gita 2.38, 9.28, 12.19, for example) urges us to evolve spiritually and grow beyond the grip of our emotions.

But the Gita wisdom refuses to let the material realm have a monopoly on emotions. It indicates that spiritual emotions emotions of the soul for Krishna, and of the soul through Krishna for other souls are our original, natural emotions of which material emotions are pale shadows. The Gita (15.19) declares that the ultimate spiritual reality is personal and lovable, and can be approached with devotional affection. (10.10 bhajatam pritipurvakam) Thus it celebrates spiritual emotions as roads to reality. In fact, it deems love for Krishna to be the pinnacle of reality, life’s crowning achievement. (4.10)

Overall, the Gita presents spiritual perfection not as oneness or as an emotionally barren void, but as an emotionally fertile arena of endless love shared between Krishna and all living beings.

East-West Theistic Synthesis

“The Bhagavad-gita is an empire of thought and in its philosophical teachings Krishna has all the attributes of the fullfledged monotheistic deity and at the same time the attributes of the Upanisadic absolute.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, American philosopher

The Western conception of a personal God is emotionally appealing but intellectually unappealing. The Eastern conception of an impersonal absolute is just the opposite intellectually appealing but emotionally unappealing. The Gita’s revelation of God as Krishna is both intellectually and emotionally appealing. Here’s why.

Emotionally, the idea of a personal God who protects and guides us appeals to our innate need for relationships and reciprocation. Without them, existence becomes an emotional wasteland. Yet most notions of a personal God in the Western theistic traditions can’t survive serious intellectual scrutiny.

Intellectuals like to go beyond appearance to substance, to the first principle, to the root cause of all things. So they often consider anything that has form and personality to be superficial and external. They feel impelled to go beyond to some deeper underlying universal truth. Thus, for example, the notion of God as an old man with a long beard who sends thunderbolts to cast the sinful into the fires of hell for eternal damnation strikes rational people as primitive and parochial.

To those who wish to go beyond appearance to substance, the Gita offers an arena of non-differentiated oneness known as Brahman, the impersonal conception of the Absolute. But it also urges such intellectually minded seekers to probe deeper and recognize transcendental individuality and variety within spiritual homogeneity. The Gita indicates that the transcendental person, Krishna, resides in His full glory beyond the Brahman effulgence (Gita 4.27). He is the support of Brahman and is the ultimate spiritual reality. In the supreme spiritual arena, He eternally reciprocates love with all those who choose to love Him. This vision of the supreme spiritual arena as a world of endless love is eminently emotionally fulfilling.

Thus by revealing a personal absolute who exists beyond all the sectarian categories that characterize the world of matter categories that intellectuals wish to transcend the Gita offers an understanding of God that is a synthesis of East and West and that appeals both emotionally and intellectually.

The Blossoming of Philosophy into Religion

“The marvel of the Bhagavad-gita is its truly beautiful revelation of life’s wisdom which enables philosophy to blossom into religion.” The bane of most modern philosophy is its divorce from any transformational methodology for experiential verification. Most modern philosophers, no matter how brilliant, reign largely in the arena of armchair speculation. Philosophy divorced from transformational methodology loses its social relevance and becomes the shrunken domain of ivory tower intellectuals who agonize over semantics. In popular culture, philosophy is superseded by pop psychology, wherein self-help platitudes gain center-stage and wisdom is recast in soothing sound bites. People futilely turn to self-help without looking for the self.

Gita wisdom shows us the way out of this plight. It couples philosophy and religion into an integrated whole that serves as a potent tool for self-transformation and God realization. The Bhagavad-gita (9.2) indicates that it offers the king of all knowledge (raja-vidya) that can be verified by direct personal experience (pratyaksavagamam). Thus the Gita’s approach to exploring reality is bold, inviting, and scientific. It presents theoretical propositions about the nature of reality we are souls who have an eternal loving relationship with the all-attractive Supreme, Krishna. And for personal verification of its theory it presents the experimental methodology centered on the yoga of love, bhakti-yoga.

The Gita’s philosophy, far from being a matter of armchair speculation, focuses on the issue closest to our hearts love. Gita wisdom explains how life’s driving force is existence’s crowning reality the love that activates us in our daily life when purified and re-directed towards Krishna becomes the supreme reality, to which even the Supreme submits in His world of endless love.

And the Gita’s religion is far removed from conventional religions that ask followers to pray, pay, and obey. It invites devotee-seekers to analyze, utilize, and actualize its wisdom through personal practice practice that Krishna rewards proportionally with divine revelation, as indicated in the Gita (4.11) Thus, the philosophy of love blossoms into a religion of love, wherein all our daily activities, whether religious or secular, become integrated into a magnificent master plan. This plan aims for our purification and restoration in the eternal world of love to which we actually belong and for which we subconsciously long.

Comprehension through Spiritual Tuning

“In order to approach a creation as sublime as the Bhagavad-gita with full understanding it is necessary to attune our soul to it.” Rudolph Steiner, Austrian social reformer

The Bhagavad-gita indicates that its mystery is revealed to those who have tuned their hearts with the Absolute through devotion. (4.3) What the Gita offers is not just a different worldview for intellectual titillation but a different world to view for emotional transformation. A blind person can speculate endlessly about the nature of an elephant, but such speculation can never provide the understanding available through surgical restoration of vision. Analogously, the Gita indicates that those who are stuck at the material level due to their attachments are blind to spiritual reality. (Gita 5.1011) Those who break free from the fetter of matter by diligent practice of yoga and raise their consciousness to the spiritual level become healed of this blindness; they perceive spiritual truth with the eyes of knowledge (jnanacaksu). The most complete spiritual cognition comes, as the Gita (11.5354) indicates, to those who cultivate a heart of devotion.

This devotional tuning characterized the words, the actions, indeed the life of Srila Prabhupada. When George Harrison asked him how one could recognize an authentic teacher of the Gita, Srila Prabhupada replied in essence that the Gita was a call to love Krishna, so an authentic proponent of the Gita had to be a lover of Krishna.

Through his personal example and his philosophical exposition, Srila Prabhupada unleashed the supremely transformational power of divine love. He thus opened for millions worldwide the door to not just intellectual comprehension of Gita wisdom but also to devotional realization of Krishna’s love. By this appealing spiritual egalitarianism, he “transformed hippies into happies,” changing aimless people with self defeating habits into purposeful and joyful devotees of Krishna dedicated to the service of humanity.

Hope amidst Hopelessness

“When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad-gita and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day.” Mahatma Gandhi

Life is a battle, filled with regular obstacles and occasional reversals. Maintaining our morale amidst these stresses and distresses is often difficult, sometimes impossible. When we become demoralized, we lose the battle before we begin to fight, for we lose the will to fight at all.

We can best preserve the will to fight by linking ourselves with a transcendent reality that is forever secure, far beyond the threats and tribulations of material existence. Gita wisdom reveals that world to be Krishna’s world of love. The link to that world is loving remembrance of Krishna, remembrance especially of how He tirelessly prepares the way for us to reach that world, no matter what may be the hazards along the way.

Gita wisdom solaced and strengthened Arjuna in his worst crisis, when in the face of the most important battle of his life, his emotions went on over-drive and dragged him into an abyss of confusion and dejection. Meditation on the Gita’s verses has the power to heal and thrill, as testified by one of its first conveyors, Sanjaya. (18.7677)

The Gita’s potential to empower beckons each one of us. By contemplating its wisdom, we can guide our thoughts beyond the immediate to the ultimate, beyond the circumstantial to the eternal, beyond matter to Krishna. Thus, we can find the supreme shelter, the supreme strength, the supreme satisfaction. That is the Gita’s greatest gift and life’s ultimate achievement.

Source : http://www.iskcondelhi.com/the-glory-of-gita-wisdom/

One time a saint observed a candala walking along the road was sprinkling water on the path to purify before his every step. This was kinda strange and so the saint approached him and asked the reason. The Candala told its sinful to walk along the path where an ungrateful person has walked over. Even a candala feels he gets sin to touch the earth that was walked over by an ungrateful person. 

The following is quite impersonal but is ultimately about connecting to the nature and the creator indirectly. 

"From The Secret Daily Teachings Mobile App 

Begin your day by feeling grateful. Be grateful for the bed you just slept in, the roof over your head, the carpet or floor under your feet, the running water, the soap, your shower, your toothbrush, your clothes, your shoes, the refrigerator that keeps your food cold, the car that you drive, your job, your friends. Be grateful for the stores that make it so easy to buy the things you need, the restaurants, the utilities, services, and electrical appliances that make your life effortless. Be grateful for the magazines and the books that you read. Be grateful for the chair that you sit on, and the pavement that you walk on. Be grateful for the weather, the sun, the sky, the birds, the trees, the grass, the rain, and the flowers. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

May the joy be with you, 
Rhonda Byrne" 

Source : http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.in/2015/04/the-ungrateful-heart-is-not-so-great.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/krsna+(Krishna-Bhakti+Yoga)

Extracted from an article "With Krsna in the Peaceable Kıngdom"

By Ravindra Svarupa Das

The material body of every living being is animated by a spiritual soul, who is the eternal offspring of Krsna. Each souls individual history of good or bad deeds causes him to become fastened into a higher or lower body, yet all souls remain in essence equal as children of God. God never forgets them, and a godly person, Krsna tells us, sees all animate beings as spritually equal sparks of the divine (Bg.5.18).

But if we forgt God and consequently develop eclipsed material vision, the transcen- dental unity of the eludes us. Once we have become estranged from Krsna, we become estranged from all other living beings-even those of our own kind. thesymptom of our divorce from God is our inability to sustain peaceful, harmonious, loving realtions with others. We incessantly make war upon our fellow humans, and we wantonly prey upon innocent animals, needlessly slaughtering them for food. At the same time we feel a need to rectify all our reationships—within our own families and communities, among races and nations, and between humans and subhumans.

Yet the disorder that has invaded all our relations is a symptom of one central enduring dislocation—our severance from God. Only when that is repaired will the disruption between ourselves and all other beings be healed.

Source : http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.in/2015/04/disorder-has-invaded-all-our-relations.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/krsna+(Krishna-Bhakti+Yoga)

Reversals teach you lessons!

Source : http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.in/2015/05/reversals-teach-you-lessons.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/krsna+(Krishna-Bhakti+Yoga)

Nourishment is what the soul seeks
A moment of attention to grasp the music 
A moment of concentration to sink into the holy name
A moment that unknowingly becomes minutes
Minutes if not hours of being engulfed
Love? Peace? Contentment?
Pale in comparison to - bliss
Bliss of Hari-nama 

So dear mind! Why?
Why the mindless clapping with a vacant expression?
Why the trek through mountains of thought?
Allow that music to float across your ears
Once the boat of music enters the shores of your ears
The passenger - the holy name enters the mind
Enters the intelligence
Enters my whole being

All it takes is a moment of attention
Dear dear Gaura, bless my mind
Steady attention is all I ask....

"So this concentration of mind isvery difficult in this age because mind is so agitated. Therefore force them to hear Hare Krishna . Even they have no mind to hear, you chant loudly Hare Krishna . They will hear. Their mind will be dragged. It is so nice thing. He hasn't got to (chuckling) concentrate. I'll force him. You see? So as soon as he hears "Krishna," oh, he advances immediately one step." - Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968

Source : http://walksatdawn.blogspot.in/2015/05/attention.html

The process of Krishna consciousness brings about a very dynamic and ongoing transformation – a transformation of our life and ourselves. Spiritual life is ever increasing – there are always new insights to gain and new discoveries to make.

Lord Chaitanya compares a devotee to an expert gardener, who cultivates the Bhakti Lata with care and attention throughout his entire life to one day harvest the fruit of pure love to Krishna. For our Bhakti Lata to grow healthy and strong it is of the greatest importance to regularly turn towards sources of nourishment and fresh inspiration in order to deepen our faith in the process of devotional service. It is like the fertilizer, which the expert gardener regularly adds to the soil.

And a source of such nourishment and inspiration is provided by the Bhakti Sangam Festival, where devotees come together and develop relationships on the basis of hearing Krishna Katha from advanced Sadhus, and chant the Holy Name together.

In CC, Madhya 3, 203 Srila Prabhupada is giving us the direct instruction to conduct such festivals:

“If one has the proper means and wealth, he should occasionally invite the devotees of Lord Caitanya who are engaged in preaching all over the world and hold a festival at home simply by distributing prasadam and talking about Krishna during the day and holding congregational chanting for at least three hours in the evening. This procedure must be adopted in all centers of the Krishna consciousness movement.”

The annual Bhakti Sangam Festival is surely the most amazing event on this planet, with so many Maharajas and preachers sharing their realizations in seminars, and the evenings are spent in most sublime kirtans. Each seminar block has six presentations running parallel in various venues. Since there is such a huge crowd of devotees many topics can be offered by a variety of speakers to suit everyone’s needs and attractions.

For Photo Gallery Click here

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30995

Extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence

‘World Holy Name Week’ is a festival held by devotees worldwide to commemorate Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the West.  Devotees celebrate it by chanting and distributing the holy names to everyone. It helps us remember that it is by the causeless mercy of Srila Prabhupada that we have received the holy names and what was once a one day celebration, became a weeklong celebration, then a 10 day celebration and this year a two week celebration starting on July 28th and ending on August 14th.

Sankirtana is the heart of padayatra. Wherever we walk, whenever we enter a village or conduct house programs we chant the holy names with every soul in attendance dancing along with us. It’s not a surprise to us since we are traveling with sankirtana eka pitaro, the father ofsankirtana Himself, Lord Caitanya. Lokanath Swami said, “Celebrating the ‘World Holy Name’ festival is like celebrating the victory of the holy names all over the world param vijayate sri- krishna sankirtanam. The world is on fire, let us chant more and extinguish the fire of this material existence. So, propagate the holy names.” We took these words to heart and held different programs during these two weeks  of ‘World Holy Name’ celebrations.

We were in Kurur on July 28th the first day of this celebration, which also coincided with the day of the incorporation of ISKCON in New York. During the

three days we stayed there we distributed about 250 maha big books. We held kirtana in the streets and had many house programs all over the city. Thereafter we travelled to the village of Manlamedu where we experienced the miracle of a cowslaughterer becoming a cow worshipper.  (This amazing story has already been posted on the padayatra website)

Risking our lives to give the holy names in a riotous city

On August 6th we travelled to the city of Dindugal. We noticed that there were many churches and masjids (mosques) and very few hindu temples. Our party forged ahead but before we could enter the city we were stopped by some policemen. We tried to explain to them our purpose –to spread the holy names- but they wouldn’t listen and refused us entry.  At this point we were at a loss as to where we were going to spend the night, so the police told us to camp at the outskirts of the city 2 kilometers away. The police officials were kind enough to send two police constables to remain with us while we were there, They were concerned for our safety, since there had been some conflicts in the community.

The next day we continued with our regular morning program of mangala arati, chanting,Bhagavatam class on the theme of the glories of the holy names and prasadam. We were happy to see that the police constables also got up and attended the morning program. They even asked us, “Can we also chant ?”, and requested  japa beads. We told them, “Yes of courseharinama is for everyone” and gave them beads to chant on. While getting ready to go onsankirtana we noticed a few Muslims gathering nearby checking out our padayatra cart. It appeared to us that they thought we were some ‘anti-social’ group, so we went up to them and spoke to them about our aim- to propagate the holy names. After explaining and assuring them that we had no other objectives they realized we were harmless;  yet still we were not allowed to enter the city.

Sometime later a police official in charge of the city approached us. We pleaded with him to allow us into the city but he explained that the rules here are different and therefore, he could not do so. He may not have been able to let us into the city at this point but he was certainly interested in padayatra –he stayed with us for two hours, first taking darsana of the Lord and then having prasadam with us. The whole time we were still trying to convince him to let us into the city, even saying that we would enter at our own risk. We explained our mission again, ‘We want to spread the holy names wherever we go. The holy names are not just for Hindus whoever hears the holy names gets spiritual benefit. We are chanting for love and peace dina hina yata chilo hariname udharilo (the holy names delivers all those souls who are lowly and wretched).’ Finally after all this persuasion he agreed on the condition that while in the city we would be under constant police protection. He told us that there were riots in the city between Muslims and Hindus during ganpati utsava.  The people celebrating were drinking alcohol and playing loud music and because of the disturbance there were some conflicts in the city. We said to him, “Don’t worry, ours is spiritual kirtana which the Lord Himself has sent to Earth and which is soothing for every soul.”

As we entered the city 4 police vans travelled in front of our party and 4 more travelled behind us. We held a grand kirtana with some of the people joining us and many more coming to honorcarnamrta which we had begun distributing. We were very surprised indeed. Our party moved through the city without hindrance despite there being traffic –the police officials co-operated with us and we moved ahead. ‘Who could stop the Lord if He wants to go to His children and give them darsana?,’ I thought. This was how all the Hindus, Muslims and Christians were blessed by seeing the Lord and hearing the holy names.

The police officials were astounded; they couldn’t believe that there were no divergences or violence while we were in the city. In fact they told us “Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar are very merciful, but you, Their followers, are even more merciful. You risked your lives to give the holy names to each and every person in this city. All glories to you!” I replied, “The Lord is the doer and protector and we are just instruments in His hands.” The police constables who were accompanying us were so inspired that they asked the official in charge whether they could continue staying on duty with us, ‘sadhus’, explaining that they wanted to be with us. They enjoyed being in the association of devotees – such is the power of the holy names -and as a result the police officials protected us right up until we left the Dindugal district.

Param vijayatre sri krishna sankirtanam

On August 12th we travelled to the village of Vaiyampatti which has a namahatta centre. The devotees there, hearing of our arrival, happily welcomed us and organized a pandal program and nice prasadam.  We were pleased to see many local residents attending the program. I took the opportunity to speak to the crowd about the vital importance of chanting the holy names in kaliyuga, and quoted Srila Prabhupada, “Sankirtan is the only cure.” We stayed here for two days doing sankirtana with the namahatta devotees in the main squares of the village.

Our next stop was on August 14th in the village of Malayandipatti. We held sankirtana with many of the locals joining us while relishing the holy names. That day marked the 50thanniversary of the first public harinam sankirtan in the western world and also the last day of ‘World Holy Name Week’, but for us it seemed like just the beginning since whatever we did these days inspired us more and more.

It was thus, by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and our beloved Padayatra Ministry leader, Lokanath Swami, that we were able to celebrate ‘World Holy Name Week’.

ISKCON Golden jubilee ki! Jai!

World Holy Name Festival ki! Jai!

Quotes about the holy names to inspire you too:

The holy name is the most precious jewel in the Lord’s treasure house

(Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura –Sri Hrinam Cintamani)

The Lord’s holy name is compared to medicine it’s the only cure for the material disease

(A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, ISKON’s founder acarya)

Golokera prema-dhana

Harinam sankirtan

Translation : The Hare Krishna mahamantra has descended from Goloka Vrindavan

(Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura –Hari Hari Biphale)

1 Sri Siksastakam – Eight Instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

2 A center in every Muslim community where members of the Islamic faith gather to pray.

3 Hari Hari Biphale (Prayer to One’s Beloved Lord) by Narottama Dasa Thakur

4 A festival held in honor of Lord Ganesh

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31006

The three biggest fears in life: exams, public speaking and death. Of them, the final is probably the most acute. As that fateful hour approaches, everything we worked so hard for is snatched away, throwing our entire sense of identity and purpose into question. On a subtle level, however, we are regularly subjecting ourselves to this disturbing experience. How so? The world teaches us to base our sense of identity and self-worth on transitory, external and artificial considerations. When we identify with our abilities, facilities and positions of responsibility, then we set ourselves up for crisis. Why? Because the undisputable nature of this world is that such things will almost always fade away over time. 

We pride ourselves in our ‘unique’ abilities – but then we witness our own ineptitude, or find someone far more qualified and competent. Painful. We find comfort in karmic gifts like beauty, physique, learning and wealth – but the waves of time callously cause them to eventually crumble. Painful. We feel valuable because of our reputation, influence and position in society – but everyone has their day, after which we all have to make way. Painful. Constant change is the underlying theme of the material phantasmagoria – its unstoppable (cannot be checked), unpredictable (will happen at any time) and uncontrollable (could occur in any way). Thus, we suffer a subtle ego death every time we falsely identify with the temporary.

Thus, wisdom teachers continually remind us to focus on our eternal, unchanging, ontological identity. As spiritual beings, our true ego lies in being a selfless servant. Everything we receive in the journey of life is simply a facility and detail in pursuance of this, with any given situation always offering a unique opportunity for selfless service. In such spiritual consciousness, all anxieties, fear and dissatisfaction disappear. You may have the experience of coming home in the evening after a day ‘in the world.’ Surrounded by our closest family and friends, we can kick back, relax and be ourselves - no artificiality, no acting, no masks. Here we feel completely comfortable, safe and natural. Imagine the satisfaction, joy, and sense of fulfilment we can experience if we live each day with the clear consciousness of who we really are... spirit souls and selfless servants. That’s the ultimate in 'being yourself.'

Source : http://sutapamonk.blogspot.in/2015/05/ego-death.html

"To get vaccination from the sense gratification is to absorb in transcendental ecstasy. To do that we need to have a strong desire. In a few days, months, years, if you are determined and if somehow you could convince Lord Nithyananda, "I don't have any other desire but to get back to You. You should please give me that little drop of mercy." 

For Lord Nithyananda prabhu is very merciful. He doesn't see whether a person is qualified or not qualified. He is very liberal in giving that mercy. If someone has a desire for the mercy, then Lord Nithyananda is known to give. So it is very promising if we put our faith in Lord Nithyananda. If we put our aspirations at His Lotus Feet for that mercy, and if we get that, after that it is smooth sailing. Material happiness seem very insignificant. 

All we need to do is avoid association with materialists, who bring us into a clouded condition where we forget our spiritual perspective and start acting mechanically on the material platform. We have to avoid that type of situation, continue engaging in devotional service with that little drop of nectar. That is what all devotees pray for. 'Kripa bindu Diya'- Give me that drop of mercy – that drop of mercy, which is the mercy of Lord Nithyananda. 

HH Jayapataka Swami 
From the book: Vaishnava Vani 
Courtesy: Mathuradesh 

Source : http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.in/2015/05/transcendental-vaccination.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/krsna+(Krishna-Bhakti+Yoga)

ISKCON Govardhan Eco Village (GEV, www.ecovillage.org.in) a 100 acre sustainable farming community and retreat center, based near Mumbai, India received the 2016 Green Apple Awards for Built Environment & Architectural Heritage Award for it’s Green Building initiatives from the Green Organization, UK, at a special ceremony on Monday August 8, 2016 at The Crystal, London Docklands – regarded as the most sustainable events venue in the UK. Radha Mohan Prabhu from the Bhaktivedanta Manor, on behalf of ISKCON GEV, received this award from the hands of Dr. Paula Owen, Chief Fun Officer of Eco Action Games.

During that same ceremony GEV was also honored as the International Green World Ambassadors. This recognition comes as a result of the environmental success of their GEV SYMBIOTIC DEVELOPMENT MODEL Project which won a Green Apple Environment Award, presented at Westminster Palace in November last year.

As a result of that success, they are having their winning paper published in The Green Book, the world’s only annual work of reference on environmental best practice that is distributed to environment professionals, universities and libraries around the world by The Green Organisation.

The award judges commented: “As a model to demonstrate sustainable living, this village is a prime example. Rural farming communities such as this are ideally placed to find alternative avenues for what would usually be waste and they have combined traditional use of animal power with 21st century solar power to create a community which lives in harmony with its environment.”

The winning paper now goes forward for further judging and entry into The Green World Awards for the Environment; the campaign to find the “greenest” organisation in the world. This presentation takes place in Seoul, South Korea in October.

The Green Apple Awards began in 1994 and have become established as UK’s major recognition for environmental endeavor among companies, councils, communities and countries. The Green Apple Awards are supported by the Environment Agency, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the Chartered Institution for Wastes Management and other independent bodies. The Green Apple Awards campaign was one of the first to be accepted by Britain’s RSA Environmental Awards Forum as meeting the high standards and criteria to be approved as an automatic conduit into the Brussels-led European Business Awards for the Environment.

The awards are organized by The Green Organization, established in 1994 as an international, independent, non-profit, non-political, non-activist environment group, dedicated to recognizing, rewarding and promoting environmental best practice around the world. The Green Organization work for various environmental causes including the Green Earth Appeal and The United Nations to plant trees where they will do most good in the world and is having various environment initiatives of its own as well.

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30963

Temple life is a little bit like a pressure cooker! Out in the world, there are some outlets – when there is lots of frustration, you can just get drunk one night and get rid of that frustration!.

But as a devotee, all that you can do is eat lots ofprasadam; take shelter in that since you cannot drink, smoke or do anything like that. For sex, you have to be married! There is no sexual recreation, it is just for the sport!

In this way, sometimes we may get into a pressure situation in the temple but you just have to tolerate. In a pressure situation, you brought your false ego and someone else has brought his and these two false egos really clash nicely!

So yes, it is very difficult. Lord Caitanya understands, he understands where we come from; he knows that we are not pure; he knows we are full of false egos. So, he knows that in the beginning, sometimes it gets out of hand. I have seen all kinds of cases – I have seen the skinny mataji strangle the fat one…

Lord Caitanya understands that in the beginning, we are going to be a little rough around the edges, and maybe there will be some sparks flying. He does not take it very serious but when we get really envious, “I am going to destroy this guy!” This is vaiṣṇava-aparādha, this is when it really gets to vaiṣṇava-aparādha if you just go after someone.

‘tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror api sahiṣṇunā,’  (Siksastaka, verse 3)

Be more humble than a blade of grass and more tolerant than a tree but if we just go after someone, that is envy and then you get strong reactions. But the little rough dealings between new devotees are not so serious, are not taken so serious. If you keep on doing it, it will destroy some taste!

Otherwise, what chance would we have? Because everybody comes from different background than a pure devotee. You cannot act like a pure devotee overnight. We should try, it is about trying. Sometimes we fail, but we should keep on trying to be more tolerant than a tree, to be respectful!

Source : https://www.kksblog.com/2016/08/fine-tuning/

Tips for Steady Chanting.
Ananda: How can I find the strength to be steady in my spiritual practice of chanting the holy names of even when uncertainties in life come my way?
I believe this is a gradual process. In the beginning, we will come back to that relationship with the holy name after a prolonged time. Then, gradually, we will notice that we are always a little absent in our relationship when life gets tough. And we will grieve about it. We will ask ourselves: “Why am I always turning to Krishna very late – why not earlier?” and based on that realization we will slowly learn to wake up and turn to Krishna earlier.
There will always be uncertainties in life. Everything will always work our differently than we planned it. Once a clever person said: “Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.” How true. The nature of this life is that we are like fish out of water. The earlier we return to the wonderful fresh water of Krishna consciousness, the less we suffer. 
To realize this may take time, but it is necessary for us. Just give your best and trust that Krishna will help. Gradually you will be able to change this unfortunate habit. So, practice, practice, practice…and eventually you will learn the secret of steadiness in your spiritual life.

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30976

Last week, a large number of devotees celebrated Krishna Janmashtami, the day that marks his birth, across China. (HT/Sutirtho Patranobis)

The cult of Krishna is growing in officially atheist China.

Numbers are difficult to compile and often anecdotal in nature, but the philosophy of love and devotion as symbolised by Krishna, one of Hinduism’s popular deities, is evidently attracting many Chinese in urban areas. 

Last week, a large number of devotees celebrated Krishna Janmashtami, the day that marks his birth, across China in big and small groups, at yoga centres and among family members. 

Celebrations were mostly marked by chanting of “Hare Krishna”, singing devotional songs, readings from the Bhagavad Gita and distribution of sweets including laddoos. 

 

One of the larger celebrations was held at the International Buddhist Items and Crafts Fair in Dongguan city in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong.  “At the Dongguan fair, we presented the idols of Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra as three international angels of auspiciousness and distributed 3,000 packages of sweets,” a devotee who identified himself as Gaudiya Das told HT. 

“There were congregational chanting and we took the three idols on a vehicle around the entire fair, distributing foods like laddoos, chapatis, sweet rice and even (traditional Chinese food) moon cakes,” he said. 

The day was also celebrated in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Harbin and the province of Wuhan, said Das, a trained practitioner of Bhakti yoga. 

Das was careful not to describe the Krishna following as a “movement” because of the sensitivity of the word in Communist China.  “We do not want any trouble with the government. The programmes were unofficial.” 

“It is not about any religion. You do not have to believe in Hinduism to celebrate Krishna’s birthday. It is like Christmas: the whole world celebrates, everyone is happy.”

Some of the organisers were from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) group. 

The Chinese like traditional culture and that’s why Krishna and his teachings are gaining in popularity, he added.

Tradition, however, is not the only reason for this, said Yang Fenggang, director, Centre on Religion and Chinese Society at Purdue University in the US, adding that the Krishna following in China began with yoga. 

“They started with encouraging the practice of yoga. They might not have realised about the religious dimension or nature of the ‘cultural’ practices. Given the prevailing dominance of militant atheism in religious affairs, I think it's more likely than not that the authorities may try to block further such developments.” 

At the same time, more Chinese will be attracted to religion. 

On China’s “atheism”, he said: “In the last three to four decades, many religions have revived and grown. It is no longer accurate to say ‘atheist China’ even though atheism continues to be the official orthodoxy of the Communist Party of China and indoctrinated in schools and universities.” 

He said there are CPC officials who are more “open towards religion and want to follow the constitutional principle of religious freedom. But such individuals are in weaker positions.”

Sarah Cook from the Washington-based Freedom House said the CPC “has been fairly consistent about crackdown on religious or spiritual groups that garner a large following seemingly outside party control.”

“The largest and most severe such example is the eradication campaign launched against Falun Gong in 1999 after it grew to have 100 million followers, which was more than the number of CPC members,” said Cook, whose US government-funded NGO works on democracy and political freedom.

Source : http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/krishna-s-popularity-rising-in-communist-china/story-sc2ZprhO7eUe4kEje0KUzL.html

We’re back on the road, traveling the country for the next four months. Every town has its flavour, and every day is unique. It’s quite a task to stop someone in their tracks, cut through the myriad of thoughts, penetrate the bubble of their life and begin a dialogue about deeper subject matter. Some people naturally tune in to the concept of ancient wisdom, while others are sceptical, uninterested and otherwise-engaged. Either way we always have a laugh, a smile and learn something from each other!

Every day we experience a small miracle. Last week, on our way to Torquay, the driver lost his bearings and we accidently parked up in Paignton, a small neighbouring town. As we got onto the high street, we realised we were in the wrong place! I rushed to the car park to fetch the van while the rest of the team waited on the street corner. One of our budding monks, Nikhil, was convinced we had come there for a reason (he was the driver who brought us to the wrong place!). In his two-minute ‘window of opportunity’ he decided to approach the first pedestrian and explain what we were doing. 

As he turned to a random passer-by, the man stopped almost instantaneously. “We are the monks, traveling the country and teaching people about meditation and spirituality” Nikhil said. With a sparkle in his eye and a look of disbelief the man replied: “Amazing! I’ve been looking for you guys!” He went on to explain how he had received one of our books, read it cover to cover, and begun practicing mantra meditation… all by himself. He has never had any contact with a Hare Krishna community, temple, or practicing devotee. He simply read the book, became convinced and proceeded to string his own beads. Now he carries those beads with him everywhere he goes, quietly whispering the Hare Krishna mantra to himself.

So there was indeed a reason why we stopped in Paignton that day. A miraculous meeting, likely orchestrated by providence. Here’s a short interview with James, without doubt a very special soul:

Source : http://sutapamonk.blogspot.in/2015/05/miraculous-meetings.html

There's a number of quotes from acharyas, you can find which is supporting your own view. If you are feminist, you can see quotes that are supportive to your views and if you are anti-feminist you can see the quotes that fits your perspective. If you put a red glass everything you see appears red. It's easy to manipulate the quotes of Acharyas in one angle and conclude biased opinions.

Woman reporter: What about women who do not have children?

Prabhupada: Well, that is also another unnatural thing. Sometimes they use contraceptives. They kill children, abortion. That is also not very good. These are all sinful activities. These are sinful activities, to kill child in the womb.

Prabhupada: Yes, that is a fact. In the history there is no woman who is a big philosopher, a big mathematician, big scientist, big educationist. We don’t find. They were all men.

Disciple: Women’s liberation has become successful because man is now the servant of woman.

Prabhupada: It is not successful. That I was pointing out. It has caused the disaster because the whole women become dependent on the welfare gift of the government, and the government has to raise tax heavily for this purpose. The tax is given by the general public, but it is going for one individual person, and I have heard that government is embarrassed.

Prabhupada: By nature’s way, if the husband takes care of the wife and children, this problem is solved immediately. But the man takes advantage. He goes away after making the woman pregnant. And the woman is embarrassed and the government is embarrassed.

Disciple: And the child grows up to be a criminal.

Prabhupada: Yes.

(Television interview with Srila Prabhupada, July 9, 1975, Chicago)

Reporter: Are men regarded as superior to women?
Prabhupada: Yes, naturally. Naturally, woman requires protection by the man. In the childhood she is protected by the father, and youth time she is protected by the husband, and old age she is protected by elderly sons. That is natural.
Female Reporter: That goes against the thinking of a lot of people in America now. Do you know that?
Prabhupada: No… America, maybe, but this is the natural position. Women require protection.
Female Reporter: Who decides who’s natural? And what’s natural?
Prabhupada: Natural means just like in psychology it is said that woman, the highest brain substance of woman is thirty-six ounce, whereas the highest brain substance of man is sixty-four ounce. So there is difference by nature, of the brain.

(News Interview with Srila Prabhupada, March 5, 1975, New York)

Source : http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.in/2015/06/are-men-regarded-as-superior-to-women.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/krsna+(Krishna-Bhakti+Yoga)

MM 47: What person, even if most sinful, has ever said aloud the blessed name Narayana and failed to fulfill his desires? But we, alas, never used our power of speech in that way, and so we had to suffer such miseries as living in a womb. 

Source : http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.in/2015/06/we-had-to-suffer-such-miseries-as.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/krsna+(Krishna-Bhakti+Yoga)