The average person spends 23 days a year on the phone. Ironically, we seldom use them for the purpose they were invented – to audibly speak to people. Messaging, social media, browsing and entertainment apps have officially taken over. It’s another development in the impersonalism of the information age; not only are our interactions faceless, but also speechless! It’s no surprise then, that people are fast forgetting the art of having a good conversation. Look around and observe people talking – often, they are disconnected, disinterested and disengaged, and even when they manage to draw each other in, nothing valuable or productive is really generated from all the natter. Knowing how to have a good conversation is clearly an under-developed life skill.

But the potential is huge. The most profound truths of existence were revealed in conversations. 5000 years ago, when the valiant Arjuna was thrown into an existential crisis, he desperately began questioning life, the universe and everything. A penetrating conversation with Krishna ensued, and the Bhagavad-gita (“song of God”) was born. The contents of this conversation are profound, but so too is the manner in which it was conducted. Let’s take a closer look at conversational skill of Krishna and Arjuna:

Attention – Despite the fever-pitch intensity of the battlefield, Arjuna managed to shut everything out and give his undivided attention to Krishna. Attention, they say, is the rarest and purest form of generosity. It pays to be fully present in any dialogue, since your counterpart will willingly work overtime to reciprocate with your investment.

Openness – Arjuna was open to suggestion. “I am student,” he said,“I wish to learn, and want to know your opinions.” That’s progressive. If you enter a conversation fixated on what you’ll say and what you want to hear, you paralyse the process of discovery. Let the person give what they want, and be ready to wholeheartedly receive. Set aside your personal opinion and let your perspective be challenged.

Spontaneity – Arjuna was baffled and bewildered, looking for answers but lacking clarity and structure. Krishna patiently responded to his every inquiry, taking the hour-long conversation through twists and turns, and full circle! Good conversations go with the flow. Often times it’s more valuable to ditch the planned route in your head, and instead talk about what is lingering deep within the person. Then we get to the heart of the issue.

Honesty – Arjuna lays all the cards on the table. He has doubts, questions, disagreements and issues, and he eventually reveals it all. Krishna responds to his honesty with gem-like insights. When you are real with people, they’ll be real with you, and then it gets ‘real interesting.’ Superficiality is the breeding ground of the most uninteresting interactions.

Humility – Hearing Arjuna’s request for guidance, Krishna is reluctant. Even after Krishna offers his flawless advice, He states this it’s merely “His opinion” and encourages Arjuna to “do as he wishes to do.” Krishna’s humility is indeed amazing. Conversations are not a platform for self-promotion or proving ourselves. Putting our own pride and vanity aside allows us discover wisdom and truth. In a conversation, don’t simply listen so you can reply, but listen to genuinely understand.

… a few random thoughts on having a good conversation. Maybe we can discuss sometime?

Source : http://iskconnews.org/good-to-talk,5771/

Manidhara Prabhu: It is the blessing of the 1960s and 1970s that people were doubting everything.
Srila Prabhupada challenged and debated with his disciples. He did not like them to accept things blindly.
When asked about to what say to Christians, Srila Prabhupada would make the point that they are not following the Bible. The Bible says ‘thou shall not kill’ but the Christians are killing so many animals.
We have answers for all questions in Krishna consciousness.
In Sweden, schools would visit the temple because they have a conception that people should be informed about everything. So we would sometimes have three schools a day. I would always ask them for questions. It was a challenge for them because they are not taught to inquire.
When people understand that we are not escapists but are providing a viable alternative, they will take it seriously.
I was talking to a lady who was suffering very much. I said to her, “Suppose you are not your body?” She was happy just to consider that. We cannot eliminate suffering but we can understand the reason for suffering, and we can elevate our consciousness so we can tolerate the suffering.
Srila Prabhupada told a paralyzed person that his condition was a blessing as another person may be in illusion thinking he can enjoy, but being paralyzed he could very soon understand this is an illusion.
Every second must be used in Krishna consciousness.
People say that I have to do this and that, and I have no time to hear about Krishna. But whatever our situation, we can try to always increase our hearing.
Srila Prabhupada said we do not need temples. We must simply create a situation for people to hear and chant of Krishna.
Taking care of cows is hard work, but it also provides facility to remember Krishna.
We have hard work in Krishna consciousness, but it is work that benefits. We are not working to produce useless products.
In Germany the philosophy is that you have to work. Why? To eat. And why to eat? So you can work.
They took people from the villages to work in the city so they could make money to go to the villages for vacation.
We go from village to village and chant Hare Krishna on padayatra. What do we do for vacation? This is our vacation.
In Slovenia devotees would use motorbikes to go to remote regions of the country. People would buy whole sets of books because they were so impressed people came to visit them. That developed into padayatra. On the padayatra, people would use bicycles to visit remotely located people, and they were so happy to encounter the devotees again.
Padayatra gets devotees together. That is an important part of it.
One devotee said I did 15 years of book distribution and 25 years of management. What can I do now? You could do padayatra. Even on wheelchairs, you could do padayatra.
The spirit of this movement is: “I got something. I should give it to others.”
We know people are not interested in philosophy. On padayatra, they see the oxen and chanting and the dancing. We give people a visual presentation, and they wonder, “What is this?”
We should not be old devotees who are sour. This means something is wrong. We are identifying with our body. Srila Prabhupada was the most old and the most poor, but he was the most ecstatic.
We have to accept Krishna consciousness as it is and share it with others.
As the Bhagavad-gita says this process is “su-sukham” (very joyful). If it is not that way for us, then we are doing something wrong.
One devotee told me that after being Srila Prabhupada’s servant for three months, he slept for three weeks.
Srila Prabhupada once said, “Don’t ask if I am sick. I am always sick.”
Srila Prabhupada was so transcendental, he extracted his own tooth once in a airplane.
A body is like a time bomb. It is just a matter of time before it will explode.
We have a padayatra calendar with photos of people enjoying our festivals. We should not lose this spirit.
We may not consider ourselves preachers, but our lifestyle is itself preaching.
My former artist friends were so shocked that I became a devotee that they began chanting Hare Krishna.
In German our opponents would have different mantras, “Get a job.” And we would come up with responses, “But I am working.”
We can practice Krishna consciousness in different situations. Our only obstacle is ourselves.
As devotees we have to be introspective and be situated properly. If we are not situated properly, if other things are there, we still will not be satisfied.
Sometimes we are so absorbed in this body, we are not aware of how to best operate this body.
As a youth I was so conscious of death that I had very few friends because no one wanted to talk about it. When I met the devotees, they would talk about death, which I appreciated. Although they talked of death, they were happy. Thus I was very curious.
Vedic culture means to be satisfied with what you have. Village life in the West was closer to Vedic culture. People had problems, but they were local problems. Previously people in general did not travel. Only the sannyasis and the brahmacaris traveled. Now we have global problems. In my own life, I experienced as I moved from the city to the village, my mind became more peaceful.
Sometimes people challenge the widespread distribution of Bhagavad-gita because Krishna says it is not for nondevotees, but we should not question Srila Prabhupada’s order.
Srila Prabhupada was proud that people could not longer identify his disciples as Americans.
Things seem to be miracles to us but they are not miracles to Krishna.
There are three types of people. Innocent people have nothing against Krishna consciousness. They simply have not heard. Then there are others who are spontaneously inimical. We tried to hide by wearing wigs, but people could identify us anyway. The German police advised people to capture Hare Krishnas. They could be identified by their bright countenance.
Krishna promises to preserve what we have and supply what we lack. What insurance company can promise that?
We have to engage our body, mind, and words in Krishna’s service.
Srila Prabhupada did not want us to tell new people about Krishna’s pastimes. We should simply explain how the soul is different than the body and about reincarnation.
It is Krishna’s mercy we do not remember all our frustration in previous lives. We would commit suicide as children otherwise. We take birth as optimistic babies.
We should give Bhagavad-gita only as far they can understand.
Once Srila Prabhupada said to a reporter, “We will not discuss God [a surprise for the reporter]. We will only talk about how we are not the body.”
Krishna spoke Bhagavad-gita on the battlefield to Arjuna, a professional soldier, while he spoke Uddhava-gita to Uddhava, a brahmana in the forest.
Sometimes people ask who forbade us to engage in intoxication, but no one forbade us. I can go into a pub and drink anytime I want, but I do not want to.
If we explain the combination of man and women is simply meant for insemination, the women understand it but the men don’t.
They are many problems caused by illicit sex, like AIDS, fear, lamentation, but how many problems are caused by celibacy? Still because people are lusty they cannot give up the habit.
After the revolution, there was propaganda against vegetarianism but not now.
When discussing vegetarianism, I offer to a meat-eater, “Here is a knife. Chase after an animal. Kill it. Take out the intestines.” But they would never do it.
In my town, there was riot, but the people would not have rioted unless they were intoxicated.
People worry how they will live without meat, but I never saw devotees dying of starvation. More likely there is the opposite problem.
We should never stop giving Krishna consciousness to others, in any circumstances, following Srila Prabhupada’s example.
We do not have to worry about renunciation. By nature’s way, as we age, we naturally become more renounced. We just have to be determined not to become more foolish.
The worries of old age and death are minimized for the devotee who has given up trying to enjoy the material world.
For the materialists to do the equivalent of padayatra would be very difficult. The people are not fully trained, they come and go, they have primitive facilities, etc.
If someone asks how do you organize ISKCON, the actual answer is no one knows. Krishna is in the heart of everyone, and He is the main manager. Krishna inspires people in the heart. If we were completely in Krishna consciousness, our activities would be completely harmonized.
I was too sick to distribute books and Bhakti Bhusana Swami invited me to travel with him. We would go door-to-door, open the door, and say, “We are here,” and we would come in and present Bhagavad-gita. People were shocked. Our tour ended in Berlin, where we had a hundred and twenty guests at the Sunday feast. There was just Maharaja, me, and two brahmacaris. We would alternate between lecture and prasadam till 4 a.m. During the year we were they there, thirteen new people became devotees due to Bhakti Bhusana Swami’s expert preaching.
Krishna consciousness is never static. If we do not endeavor, we will go backward. It starts by preaching to yourself to get up in the morning.
I lived in a temple where the temple president removed the hot water tap. This is external. We have to understand the meaning of our austerities. If we have warm feet and we can distribute more books, then it is better.
Even if people are crazy we do not hold that against them, because if they remain engaged in the practice seriously, they will ultimately attain perfection.
I was given the craziest people on my book distribution party. They would get in fights in the van, and I would alternate speeding and breaking to get them to stop.
One devotee was so crazy they told me to take him and not bring him back. He could not even chant the Hare Krishna properly. He had the good quality of being willing to hear. By distributing the books, he came to the point of being almost normal on the streets, and he could eventually chant the mantra properly.
Srila Prabhupada stressed that purity and simplicity were our qualifications.
The devotee has nothing to lose. He has lost everything already. We just have Krishna to give. Simple people can understand.
If someone begins the practice of Krishna consciousness, that is really quite high. We prepare the people for that point. That is also preaching.
People see we are not acting in the standard way, and they begin to ask questions of their own accord.
It is good we were not blackmailed in the media in Czech as we experienced in Germany.
We give people a practical alternative way to live.
Srila Prabhupada was happy seeing the next generation coming because with each succeeding generation, Krishna consciousness is more natural.
In Moravia, the devotees bought a pub and turned it into a temple. This is happening and will happen more and more.
When the switch is turned off on our technology, we will still have the cart and cows.
We have good cooks here in Czech. Srila Prabhupada liked to encourage local talent.
At the last visit to Bhaktivedanta Manor, it was guru puja, and Srila Prabhupada raised his hands indicating to speed up the kirtana, and in seconds it became most ecstatic.
Srila Prabhupada did not criticize the conditioning of his students but engaged them for their purification.
Our German book distribution party was number one, and we were told Srila Prabhupada wanted to see us. We had two groups the Nrsimha group, who were very heavy, and the Govinda group who were more peaceful.

Source : http://m.dandavats.com/?p=23842

They are known for their vegetarian restaurants and appearances in the city, dancing and singing in their robes, but there is far more to the Hare Krishnas.

Officially they are the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Founded in New York City in 1966, the movement has now spread around the world.

The ISKCON temple in the Perth hills lit up last week to celebrate not just the annual festival for their God Krishna’s birthday, but also the 50th anniversary of the creation of the modern movement.

From little things

The Hare Krishna movement reached Perth 33 years ago, starting in a rented terrace house.

“At that point some Hare Krishnas from Adelaide had been sent to Perth, pioneering things over here,” Shree Radha Raman said.

“I was a young surfer travelling and I met them at the first centre in West Perth in 1983.”

There are now 500 families who are members of the Perth ISKCON temple.

Many, but by no means all, are of Indian background.

Plans are underway for much a larger temple in Kalamunda, to accommodate the crowds that can swell to over 4,000 on Krishna’s birthday — the Hare Krishna equivalent of Christmas, when celebrations continue until well after midnight.

Surviving the hippy years

Taking part in last week’s celebrations were Jagattarini Dasi and Bhurijana Dasa.

The pair joined the movement at the height of the counter culture of the late-1960s.

“We were young and those were hippy days,” Ms Dasi said.

Prior to becoming a Hare Krishna, Ms Dasi was a young Australian actress that went by the name Janne Wesley and starred opposite Mick Jagger in the 1970 film Ned Kelly.

She said a visit to a temple in Los Angeles changed the course of her life.

“Something was deeply moving for me at that point and I decided that I wanted to explore what the teachings were and what the lifestyle was,” she said.

“I stepped into another realm.”

Every year a child is dressed as baby Krishna at the Hare Krishna temple, symbolising that the Lord is exists in a personal form.

Ms Dasi turned her back on acting and agreed to marry fellow devotee Mr Dasa — a man she only met only two hours before the ceremony.

Ms Dasi’s mother, living in Australia, found out by reading a TV Week billboard stating: “Weird cult forces famous actress to marry Japanese monk”.

“My uncle and aunt quickly came to visit,” she recalled, laughing.

She said it was not something she regretted but admitted it was a radical move.

“It was a different time, the early ’70s,” Mr Dasa said.

“Nowadays people are more inclined to continue their regular lifestyle and adopt Krishna consciousness practises systematically, rather than massive jumps.”

Friday night happiness

Indeed, young people continue to be attracted to the modern movement’s messages, including Kirtanananda Caitanya Das.

He said being a Hare Krishna simply made him happy.

“I joined in 2012. Since then I have never stopped coming,” he said.

“Every Sunday feast, I am here.

“I like to do devotions service for the lord, that attracts me the most — and the evening singing in the temple.

“Everybody is happy, that gives me happiness too.”

He is often among the group that goes into the city centre to sing and dance.

“We especially go on Friday nights because well, people are happy on Fridays. That’s the reason,” he said.

The kitchen religion

Practising Hare Krishnas are typically vegetarian.

The movement has affectionately been dubbed “the kitchen religion” thanks to their fondness for feeding people and spreading their sanctified meals.

“Mostly all Hare Krishnas are vegetarian, because of the violence involved in killing,” Ms Dasi explained.

Hare Krishnas love feeding people vegetarian food.

Shree Radha Raman was only the fifth person to join Perth’s Hare Krishnas in 1983.

She said they opened their first restaurant in 1985 on Barrack Street.

“Back then we were the only ones doing vegetarian food,” she said.

“It’s quite different today.

“We are quite famous for our food.”

Before making their offering, each person is daubed with the Tilak, made of a clay paste.

“We just like to feed people. It makes us so happy,” Bhurijana Dasa added.

Source: http://goo.gl/zBWV4a

The first-ever Pencil Shading book in ISKCON released by Rupa Raghunatha Vani Publications!
The acarya of the Golden Age was offered to Srila Prabhupada on his Sri Vyasa-puja by His Holiness Jayapataka Swami on this auspicious Fiftieth Anniversary of the incorporation of ISKCON!
About this unique book, His Holiness Jayapataka Swami said, This book will give wonderful meditation on Prabhupada to kids and make them Prabhupada-conscious!
How will The acarya of the Golden Age benefit this and the future generations of kids? It will bring out their innate creative abilities and enable them to develop into talented artists who can be positively contributive to Srila Prabhupadas ISKCON and humanity at large.
The acarya of the Golden Age has three levels of Pencil Shading: 1) sketching, 2) basic shading, and 3) advanced shading. The Pencil Shading skill is doubtless a little demanding; but with constant practice, any kid can perfect himself/herself. When a kid is able to get up to the first-level of Pencil Shading successfully, we should appreciate his/her efforts. We should definitely fan kids interest in something so rewarding as Pencil Shading artwork for Krishna . Such encouragement will reward ISKCON with numerous artists and much artwork in the near future.
Last but not least, Rupa Raghunatha Vani Publications hopes to please all of our ISKCON devotees through its endeavor to give kids of ISKCON devotees a gift of artistic talent, besides hoping that devotees worldwide will allow their kids to take advantage of our humble offering to Srila Prabhupada on this holy Fiftieth Anniversary of the incorporation of ISKCON: The acarya of the Golden Age. 
For further information, please write to us at: ruparughunathavani@gmail.com
Now The acarya of the Golden Age book is available in ISKCON, Sri Mayapur Dham Sankirtana Shops - to get your copies please contact us.

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30948

Vyasa-puja offering 2016 read in the Warsaw temple for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada.

Krishnakshetra Swami: O Master at whose feet all masters sit, O Srila Prabhupada, here is one of your students - by no means a master - bowing at your feet and begging to remain seated there, among my many masters, your followers.
It has been fifty years since you officially established your mission in the form of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. This year we celebrate a half-century of your enduring mission, and I pray to always have a place in your Society for the remainder of my life and beyond.
This year we celebrate your Society’s perdurance, and one aspect of celebration is reflection on successes, but also reflection on challenges, weaknesses, and failures, individual and collective. We do so, always with the aim of reaffirming and better comprehending your vision of Krishna consciousness.
You often expressed your vision in terms of a “movement,” the “Krishna consciousness movement.” With your blessings, I wish to reflect on your notion of the Krishna consciousness movement, as an appreciation of your vision for the world and as a challenge for us, your followers, to perpetually renew and deepen our comprehension of this vision.
In the Preface to your 1971 unabridged edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, you refer several times to the Krishna consciousness movement. In one passage there you write, “Our Krishna consciousness movement is genuine, historically authorized, natural and transcendental due to its being based on Bhagavad-gita As It Is.” These four qualifications - authenticity, historical grounding, naturalness, and transcendence - outline the features of this movement that you wished to emphasize; and each of these features you locate as originating in the teachings of Lord Krishna as given in the Bhagavad-gita as delivered through a proper teacher-student relationship (“as it is”).
To say that the Krishna consciousness movement is “genuine” is to contrast it with other, apparently similar, movements which are in one or more ways lacking in authenticity, hence not facilitating proper training in how to serve the Lord. As you wrote (SB 7.9.17 purport), “Humanity must be trained to engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. That is the purpose of the Krishna consciousness movement.” We should note that acknowledging that the Krishna consciousness movement is genuine does not preclude the possibility that there are other movements of a similar nature which are similarly authentic, or that other missions or organizations than ISKCON might be part of the same Krishna consciousness movement.
To affirm the historical grounding of the Krishna consciousness movement is to set aside misperceptions that it is a “new religious movement,” calling attention to its pedigree by virtue of disciplic succession. And in case one might express scepticism about the purity and consistency of the message thus delivered (after all, Krishna himself admits in the Gita that the message gets lost in course of time), you point to its “natural” quality: since it is the nature of all beings to serve, and since all beings are part of the Supreme Being, it follows that it is natural for all to serve the Supreme Being. As long as this basic truth is recognized, we can be assured that the essential teaching to be on course.
Finally, you point to the “transcendent” nature of the Krishna consciousness movement. Here you may be referring to its connection to Krishna as the transcendent Lord, and by virtue of this connection you are contrasting this movement with so many social, political, or cultural movements, all of which are tethered to worldly motivations, ideas and ideals. However exalted they may be in their aims, such movements are, at best, limited in their potential to spiritually uplift humanity.
You write optimistically of the Krishna consciousness movement: “It is gradually becoming the most popular movement in the entire world, especially amongst the younger generation.” Just how one might measure such popularity might be a matter of contention; yet your optimism suggests to me that the “movement” aspect of the Krishna consciousness movement may be perceived on many levels, in unexpected places and by cultural trends that one might not necessarily register as being directly associated with Krishna consciousness as we presently understand it.
For me, this raises the question how to conceive the Krishna consciousness movement in the broadest terms, aligned with and grounded in your and the previous acaryas’ teachings, yet truly transcendent in being ever respondent to and fostering solutions to the perceived needs of all kinds of people in the world today. How can we serve and promote the Krishna consciousness movement as a movement, unfettered by self-imposed limitations that accompany the various forms of unhealthy reification that typically creep into missionizing organizations and institutions? The admittedly vague yet dynamic term “spirituality” may be of help in this reflection.
In her essay “Approaches to the Study of Christian Spirituality,” Prof. Sandra M. Schneiders defines spirituality as “the experience of conscious involvement in the project of life-integration through self-transcendence toward the horizon of ultimate value one perceives” (Schneiders p. 16 in Blackwell Companion to Christian Spirituality, Arthur Holder, ed., Blackwell, 2005). This is clearly a very broad, inclusive definition, with the advantage that a wide spectrum of people could accept it and see themselves included in it. Understanding spirituality in this way, she notes, allows us to recognize that spirituality is “ontologically prior to its specification by history and theology.” The point for us is that, as you, Srila Prabhupada, have said about the Krishna consciousness movement, transcendence is an essential feature: as a movement of spirituality, Krishna consciousness is meant to be manifest in the world, in history; but as a movement of spirituality, Krishna consciousness always resists containment by the world.
What does this mean for members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness? To me it suggests that we keep alert for opportunities to engage with the world in a spirit of service, to help everyone, in whatever position they are in, to become more deeply “consciously involved” in their own “projects of life integration,” with respect to whatever they perceive as ultimate value. It means that we remain faithful to our own conviction that Krishna , as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the sum and substance of ultimate value, but that we can appreciate and honor others’ convictions regarding ultimate value as well. It means that we resist the temptations of sectarianism and constantly stretch ourselves to see the Lord’s presence in all sincere efforts by people to deepen their spiritual lives. In this spirit we may affirm your aspiration to “respiritualize” (Path of Perfection, ch. 1) the whole world through the Krishna consciousness movement, and we may thus position ourselves, individually and collectively, as members of ISKCON, in such ways as we can positively advance the Krishna consciousness movement throughout all spheres of human society.
My prayer, on this day and in this year of ISKCON’s 50th anniversary celebration, is that I may be an instrument - an agent - in whatever small way I can, in the advancement of your mission to foster a truly spiritual movement, one that brings all people together in service to the Lord of all, recognizing and celebrating how indeed everyone follows His path in all respects.

Your aspiring servant,
Krishnaksetra Swami

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30953

Sadhana-bhakti is like the Ganga. When we take bath in the Ganga, in Mayapur then on the side of the river, the water is not moving very much – it is slow. If you want to move in the water then you have to swim on your own strength but you go a little further into the river, you do not have to swim on your own strength, the current will just grab you and take you along.

So it is like this. Only in the beginning of bhakti is it depending on our endeavor until we get swept up in the current of attraction to Krsna. That attraction is very natural because Krsna has so many genuinely amazing qualities.

Source : https://www.kksblog.com/2016/08/swim-for-it/

This is an excerpt from a poem I wrote for Srila Prabhupada:

Srila Prabhupada, by all adored

A true follower of the lord

He toiled hard with every limb

Around the world were signs of him

There was no person so very great

No power in heaven could master fate

Caitanya’s message, he answered the call

He gave the mercy to one and all

Srila Prabhupada was the modern day saint who lovingly saved so many from the grip of maya. His Vyasapuja is celebrated after Krsna Janmastami in all ISKCON temples around the world.

Source : http://www.ramaiswami.com/srila-prabhupada-vyasapuja-3/

 International Group Registration
   Final date:  30th October

Dear devotees of Lord Jagannath, with great excitement we invite you again to join the international party at Sri Ksetra Puri Parikrama.

Puri Parikrama is a four day pilgrimage organised by ISKCON Mayapur for the last 12 years! In the occasion of the 10th anniversary more than 10 thousand devotees joined! It is a lifetime experience to be among so many vaishnavas from different parts of the world.

Last year was the first time, after 10 years that the organisers had a special international group exclusive in English Language (with simultaneous translation to Russia and other languages). Not only the language was a concern but also the accommodation, the Katha, the Kirtan and the prasada which was non spicy. Everything according to the needs of the international devotees aim to help them take full advantage of the pilgrimage and the katha! No other concerns! The result was a great success! We had many devotees from India as well, those who speak English are very welcome. Spanish, Chinese and Russian devotees will have special translation arrangements.

Most of the katha was giving by HG Madhavananda prabhu, who is a very enlighten and expert speaker of Jagannath lila, which made the devotees specially happy!

HH Lokanath Swami, HH Jayapataka Swami, HH Bhakti Purushottama swami and HG Ananga Mohan prabhu were also there. This year we are planning to have an even more exciting event, with kirtaniyas joining us from different places.

Please see videos, pictures and testimonials here: www.puriparikrama.com

Registration:

The price will be only 600 hundred rupees if you already have accommodation. If you don’t have accommodation, the full package is 3000 (three thousand) rupees or 47 (forty seven) dollars,  including everything for one person (registration, prasada, accommodation and pilgrimage).

Please register now here: http://puriparikrama.com/register/

Lecture : Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.19
August 22, 1972, Los Angeles

So to become Krsna conscious means immediately -- that is the test --
immediately he will become free from lust and greediness. If he's not
free from lust and greediness, he is making a show; he's not Krsna
conscious. This is the test. If one is actually advanced in Krsna
consciousness, then these two symptoms will be visible in his
character: no more lusty, no more greediness. He should be satisfied
with one wife or one husband. Why hankering after others? That is
lusty. That means it is not on the stage of Krsna consciousness; it is
in the material platform. These are the test. Therefore we advise our
students, "Voluntarily, you try or you become free from these things:
illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling." Because
indulging in these four things, you'll remain in darkness.

Sometimes he laughs, sometimes he weeps, sometimes he cries out very loudly, sometimes he sings, and sometimes he dances

One who understands perfectly the process of devotional service in love of Godhead becomes intoxicated in its discharge. Sometimes he becomes stunned in ecstasy and thus enjoys his whole self, being engaged in the service of the Supreme Self. 

Purport : 
How one becomes intoxicated in devotional service is very nicely described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.2.40): 
evaḿ-vrataḥ sva-priya-nāma-kīrtyā 
jātānurāgo druta-citta uccaiḥ 
hasaty atho roditi rauti gāyaty 
unmāda-van nṛtyati loka-bāhyaḥ 
"A person engaged in the devotional service of the Lord in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness automatically becomes carried away by ecstasy when he chants and hears the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. His heart becomes slackened while chanting the holy name, he becomes almost like a madman, and he does not care for any outward social conventions. Thus sometimes he laughs, sometimes he weeps, sometimes he cries out very loudly, sometimes he sings, and sometimes he dances and forgets himself." These are the signs of becoming intoxicated in devotional service. This stage, called the ātmārāma stage, is possible when the Lord bestows His mercy upon a devotee for his advanced devotional activity. It is the highest perfectional stage because one cannot reach it unless one has attained pure love of God. 
Neither formal religious rituals, economic development, sense gratification, nor liberation can compare with this sweet stage of perfection of love of Kṛṣṇa, love of the Supreme Lord. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 7.97) describes this stage of ecstasy and intoxication as being far above the ecstasy of realizing oneself as Brahman, or the supreme spirit. Lord Caitanya says that the ecstasy of bhakti (love of Godhead) is so vast that it is like an ocean compared to the drop of pleasure derived from understanding oneself as one with Brahman. In all Vedic literature, the highest perfectional stage is said to be the state of intoxication of devotional service. It is not achieved by ordinary persons, the nondevotees. 

Source : http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.in/2015/06/sometimes-he-laughs-sometimes-he-weeps.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/krsna+(Krishna-Bhakti+Yoga)

This morning I was reading from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad Bhagavatam:

…Any living being, if he terrifies other living beings, is a most wretched subject, and the king should at once kill such a disturbing element. As the wild animal is killed when it creates disturbances, similarly any man who unnecessarily kills or terrifies the jungle animals or other animals must be punished at once. By the law of the Supreme Lord, all living beings, in whatever shape they may be, are the sons of the Lord, and no one has any right to kill another animal, unless it is so ordered by the codes of natural law. The tiger can kill a lower animal for his subsistence, but a man cannot kill an animal for his subsistence. That is the law of God, who has created the law that a living being subsists by eating another living being. Thus the vegetarians are also living by eating other living beings. Therefore, the law is that one should live only by eating specific living beings, as ordained by the law of God. The Īśopaniṣad directs that one should live by the direction of the Lord and not at one’s sweet will. A man can subsist on varieties of grains, fruits and milk ordained by God, and there is no need of animal food, save and except in particular cases.(from purport SB 1.17.10-11)

Full text and purport

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Canto One, Chapter 17, Text 10-11

yasya rāṣṭre prajāḥ sarvās
trasyante sādhvy asādhubhiḥ
tasya mattasya naśyanti
kīrtir āyur bhago gatiḥ

eṣa rājñāṁ paro dharmo
hy ārtānām ārti-nigrahaḥ
ata enaṁ vadhiṣyāmi
bhūta-druham asattamam

yasya—one whose; rāṣṭre—in the state; prajāḥ—living beings; sarvāḥ—one and all; trasyante—are terrified; sādhvi—O chaste one; asādhubhiḥ—by the miscreants; tasya—his; mattasya—of the illusioned; naśyanti—vanishes; kīrtiḥ—fame; āyuḥ—duration of life; bhagaḥ—fortune; gatiḥ—good rebirth; eṣaḥ—these are; rājñām—of the kings; paraḥ—superior; dharmaḥ—occupation; hi—certainly; ārtānām—of the sufferers; ārti—sufferings; nigrahaḥ—subduing; ataḥ—therefore; enam—this man; vadhiṣyāmi—I shall kill; bhūta-druham—revolter against other living beings; asat-tamam—the most wretched.

TRANSLATION

O chaste one, the king’s good name, duration of life and good rebirth vanish when all kinds of living beings are terrified by miscreants in his kingdom. It is certainly the prime duty of the king to subdue first the sufferings of those who suffer. Therefore I must kill this most wretched man because he is violent against other living beings.

PURPORT

When there is some disturbance caused by wild animals in a village or town, the police or others take action to kill them. Similarly, it is the duty of the government to kill at once all bad social elements such as thieves, dacoits and murderers. The same punishment is also due to animal-killers because the animals of the state are also the prajā. Prajā means one who has taken birth in the state, and this includes both men and animals. Any living being who takes birth in a state has the primary right to live under the protection of the king. The jungle animals are also subject to the king, and they also have a right to live. So what to speak of domestic animals like the cows and bulls.

Any living being, if he terrifies other living beings, is a most wretched subject, and the king should at once kill such a disturbing element. As the wild animal is killed when it creates disturbances, similarly any man who unnecessarily kills or terrifies the jungle animals or other animals must be punished at once. By the law of the Supreme Lord, all living beings, in whatever shape they may be, are the sons of the Lord, and no one has any right to kill another animal, unless it is so ordered by the codes of natural law. The tiger can kill a lower animal for his subsistence, but a man cannot kill an animal for his subsistence. That is the law of God, who has created the law that a living being subsists by eating another living being. Thus the vegetarians are also living by eating other living beings. Therefore, the law is that one should live only by eating specific living beings, as ordained by the law of God. The Īśopaniṣad directs that one should live by the direction of the Lord and not at one’s sweet will. A man can subsist on varieties of grains, fruits and milk ordained by God, and there is no need of animal food, save and except in particular cases.

The illusioned king or executive head, even though sometimes advertised as a great philosopher and learned scholar, will allow slaughterhouses in the state without knowing that torturing poor animals clears the way to hell for such foolish kings or executive heads. The executive head must always be alert to the safety of the prajās, both man and animal, and inquire whether a particular living being is harassed at any place by another living being. The harassing living being must at once be caught and put to death, as shown by Mahārāja Parīkṣit.

The people’s government, or government by the people, should not allow killing of innocent animals by the sweet will of foolish government men. They must know the codes of God, as mentioned in the revealed scriptures. Mahārāja Parīkṣit quotes here that according to the codes of God the irresponsible king or state executive jeopardizes his good name, duration of life, power and strength and ultimately his progressive march towards a better life and salvation after death. Such foolish men do not even believe in the existence of a next life.

While commenting on this particular verse, we have in our presence the statement of a great modern politician who has recently died and left his will, which discloses his poor fund of knowledge of the codes of God mentioned by Mahārāja Parīkṣit. The politician was so ignorant of the codes of God that he writes: “I do not believe in any such ceremonies, and to submit to them, even as a matter of form, would be hypocrisy and an attempt to delude ourselves and others… I have no religious sentiment in the matter.”

Contrasting these statements of a great politician in the modern age with those of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, we find a vast difference. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was pious according to the scriptural codes, whereas the modern politician goes by his personal belief and sentiments. Any great man of the material world is, after all, a conditioned soul. He is bound by his hands and feet by the ropes of material nature, and still the foolish conditioned soul thinks of himself as free to act by his whimsical sentiments. The conclusion is that people in the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit were happy, and the animals were given proper protection because the executive head was not whimsical or ignorant of God’s law. Foolish, faithless creatures try to avoid the existence of the Lord and proclaim themselves secular at the cost of valuable human life. The human life is especially meant for knowing the science of God, but foolish creatures, especially in this age of Kali, instead of knowing God scientifically, make propaganda against religious belief as well as the existence of God, even though they are always bound by the laws of God by the symptoms of birth, death, old age and disease.

Source : https://theharekrishnamovement.org/2016/08/28/animal-rights/

Ever since I was a small child, I have been attracted to the statue of Buddha. Don’t know why, but I had a statue of Buddha in my bedroom, and it was a Christian home. I didn’t really know about Krishna then or who the Buddha was…but I was so attracted to everything Eastern. As I learned latter in life Buddha was actually an incarnation of Krsna. “From the Bhāgavatam we understand that Lord Buddha is the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa who appeared when materialism was rampant and materialists were using the pretext of the authority of the Vedas.” (from purport Bg 4.7)

The Four Noble Truths & The Eightfold Path

The Four Noble Truths

The Buddha’s first sermon after his Enlightenment centered on the Four Noble Truths, which are the foundation of Buddhism. The truths are:

The truth of suffering (dukkha)
The truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya)
The truth of the end of suffering (nirhodha)
The truth of the path that frees us from suffering (magga)

Let’s look at one truth at a time.

1 The Truth of Suffering

The First Noble Truth often is translated as “Life is suffering.” Many people new to Buddhism tune out as soon as they hear this. But the Pali word dukkha also refers to anything that is temporary, conditional, or compounded of other things. Even something precious and enjoyable is dukkha, because it will end.

Related to the nature of life is the nature of self. Are we not also temporary, conditional and compounded of many parts? We can understand that life is impermanent but are we, also, impermanent? The Buddha taught that before we can understand life and death we must understand the self.

2 The Truth of the Cause of Suffering

The Second Noble Truth teaches that the cause of suffering is craving or thirst (tanha). We continually search for something outside ourselves to make us happy. But no matter how successful we are, we never remain satisfied.

The Buddha taught that this thirst grows from ignorance of the self. We go through life grabbing one thing after another to get a sense of security about ourselves. We attach not only to physical things, but also to ideas and opinions about ourselves and the world around us. Then we grow frustrated when the world doesn’t behave the way we think it should and our lives don’t conform to our expectations.

The Buddha’s teachings on karma and rebirth are closely related to the Second Noble Truth.

3 The Truth of the End of Suffering

The Buddha’s teachings on the Four Noble Truths are sometimes compared to a physician diagnosing an illness and prescribing a treatment. The first truth tells us what the illness is, and the second truth tells us what causes the illness. The Third Noble Truth holds out hope for a cure.

The Buddha taught that through diligent practice, we can put an end to craving. Ending the hamster-wheel chase after satisfaction is enlightenment (bodhi, “awakened”). The enlightened being exists in a state called Nirvana.

4 The Truth of the Path That Frees Us From Suffering

In the Fourth Noble Truth, the Buddha as physician prescribes the treatment for our illness: The Eightfold Path. Unlike in many other religions, in Buddhism there is no particular benefit to merely believing in a doctrine. Instead, the emphasis is on living the doctrine and walking the path.

The Eightfold Path

The Eightfold Path of Buddhism is the means by which enlightenment may be realized. The historical Buddha first explained the Eightfold Path in his first sermon after his enlightenment.

Most of the Buddha’s teachings deal with some part of the Path.You might think of it as an outline that pulls all the Buddha’s teachings together.

The Eightfold Path is:

1 Right View or Right Understanding, insight into the true nature of reality.
2 Right Intention, the unselfish desire to realize enlightenment.
3 Right Speech, using speech compassionately.
4 Right Action, ethical conduct; manifesting compassion.
5 Right Livelihood, making a living through ethical and non-harmful means.
6 Right Effort, cultivating wholesome qualities; releasing unwholesome qualities.
7 Right Mindfulness, whole body-and-mind awareness.
8 Right Concentration, meditation or some other dedicated, concentrated practice.

More on Lord Buddha from the vedic perspective:

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Canto One, Chapter 3, Text 24

tataḥ kalau sampravṛtte
sammohāya sura-dviṣām
buddho nāmnāñjana-sutaḥ
kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati

tataḥ—thereafter; kalau—the age of Kali; sampravṛtte—having ensued; sammohāya—for the purpose of deluding; sura—the theists; dviṣām—those who are envious; buddhaḥ—Lord Buddha; nāmnā—of the name; añjana-sutaḥ—the son of Añjana; kīkaṭeṣu—in the province of Gayā (Bihar); bhaviṣyati—will take place.

TRANSLATION

Then, in the beginning of Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Añjana, in the province of Gayā, just for the purpose of deluding those who are envious of the faithful theist.

PURPORT

Lord Buddha, a powerful incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, appeared in the province of Gayā (Bihar) as the son of Añjana, and he preached his own conception of nonviolence and deprecated even the animal sacrifices sanctioned in the Vedas. At the time when Lord Buddha appeared, the people in general were atheistic and preferred animal flesh to anything else. On the plea of Vedic sacrifice, every place was practically turned into a slaughterhouse, and animal killing was indulged in unrestrictedly. Lord Buddha preached nonviolence, taking pity on the poor animals. He preached that he did not believe in the tenets of the Vedas and stressed the adverse psychological effects incurred by animal killing. Less intelligent men of the age of Kali, who had no faith in God, followed his principle, and for the time being they were trained in moral discipline and nonviolence, the preliminary steps for proceeding further on the path of God realization. He deluded the atheists because such atheists who followed his principles did not believe in God, but they kept their absolute faith in Lord Buddha, who himself was the incarnation of God. Thus the faithless people were made to believe in God in the form of Lord Buddha. That was the mercy of Lord Buddha: he made the faithless faithful to him.

Killing of animals before the advent of Lord Buddha was the most prominent feature of the society. People claimed that these were Vedic sacrifices. When the Vedas are not accepted through the authoritative disciplic succession, the casual readers of the Vedas are misled by the flowery language of that system of knowledge. In the Bhagavad-gītā a comment has been made on such foolish scholars (avipaścitaḥ). The foolish scholars of Vedic literature who do not care to receive the transcendental message through the transcendental realized sources of disciplic succession are sure to be bewildered. To them, the ritualistic ceremonies are considered to be all in all. They have no depth of knowledge. According to the Bhagavad-gītā (15.15), vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ: the whole system of the Vedas is to lead one gradually to the path of the Supreme Lord. The whole theme of Vedic literature is to know the Supreme Lord, the individual soul, the cosmic situation and the relation between all these items. When the relation is known, the relative function begins, and as a result of such a function the ultimate goal of life or going back to Godhead takes place in the easiest manner.

Unfortunately, unauthorized scholars of the Vedas become captivated by the purificatory ceremonies only, and natural progress is thereby checked.
To such bewildered persons of atheistic propensity, Lord Buddha is the emblem of theism. He therefore first of all wanted to check the habit of animal killing. The animal killers are dangerous elements on the path going back to Godhead. There are two types of animal killers. The soul is also sometimes called the “animal” or the living being. Therefore, both the slaughterer of animals and those who have lost their identity of soul are animal killers.
Mahārāja Parīkṣit said that only the animal killer cannot relish the transcendental message of the Supreme Lord. Therefore if people are to be educated to the path of Godhead, they must be taught first and foremost to stop the process of animal killing as above mentioned. It is nonsensical to say that animal killing has nothing to do with spiritual realization. By this dangerous theory many so-called sannyāsīs have sprung up by the grace of Kali-yuga who preach animal killing under the garb of the Vedas. The subject matter has already been discussed in the conversation between Lord Caitanya and Maulana Chand Kazi Shaheb. The animal sacrifice as stated in the Vedas is different from the unrestricted animal killing in the slaughterhouse. Because the asuras or the so-called scholars of Vedic literatures put forward the evidence of animal killing in the Vedas, Lord Buddha superficially denied the authority of the Vedas. This rejection of the Vedas by Lord Buddha was adopted in order to save people from the vice of animal killing as well as to save the poor animals from the slaughtering process of their big brothers who clamor for universal brotherhood, peace, justice and equity. There is no justice when there is animal killing. Lord Buddha wanted to stop it completely, and therefore his cult of ahiṁsā was propagated not only in India but also outside the country.

Technically Lord Buddha’s philosophy is called atheistic because there is no acceptance of the Supreme Lord and because that system of philosophy denied the authority of the Vedas. But that is an act of camouflage by the Lord. Lord Buddha is the incarnation of Godhead. As such, he is the original propounder of Vedic knowledge. He therefore cannot reject Vedic philosophy. But he rejected it outwardly because the sura-dviṣa, or the demons who are always envious of the devotees of Godhead, try to support cow killing or animal killing from the pages of the Vedas, and this is now being done by the modernized sannyāsīs. Lord Buddha had to reject the authority of the Vedas altogether. This is simply technical, and had it not been so he would not have been so accepted as the incarnation of Godhead. Nor would he have been worshiped in the transcendental songs of the poet Jayadeva, who is a Vaiṣṇava ācārya. Lord Buddha preached the preliminary principles of the Vedas in a manner suitable for the time being (and so also did Śaṅkarācārya) to establish the authority of the Vedas. Therefore both Lord Buddha and Ācārya Śaṅkara paved the path of theism, and Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, specifically Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, led the people on the path towards a realization of going back to Godhead.

We are glad that people are taking interest in the nonviolent movement of Lord Buddha. But will they take the matter very seriously and close the animal slaughterhouses altogether? If not, there is no meaning to the ahiṁsā cult.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was composed just prior to the beginning of the age of Kali (about five thousand years ago), and Lord Buddha appeared about twenty-six hundred years ago. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Lord Buddha is foretold. Such is the authority of this clear scripture. There are many such prophecies, and they are being fulfilled one after another. They will indicate the positive standing of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is without trace of mistake, illusion, cheating and imperfection, which are the four flaws of all conditioned souls. The liberated souls are above these flaws; therefore they can see and foretell things which are to take place on distant future dates.

Source : https://theharekrishnamovement.org/2016/08/28/happiness/

Below is the transcription of a lecture Srila Prabhupada gave on September 18, 1969 in London, on the occasion of the appearance anniversary of Srimati Radharani.

Prabhupāda: (chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers) Today is birth, appearance day of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, Rādhāṣṭamī. Fifteen days after Kṛṣṇa’s birth, Rādhārāṇī appeared. (pause) Rādhārāṇī is Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure potency. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktiḥ.

The Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has got varieties of energies, as it is confirmed in the Vedic literature. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. The Supreme Lord has nothing to do personally. Na tasya kāryam. He has nothing to do. Just like here in this material world we find some very big man, political head or business head; personally, he has nothing to do. Because he has got so many assistants, secretaries, that personally he hasn’t got to do anything. Similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full with six opulences, why He will have to do something? No. He has got many assistants. Sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādas tat. In the Bhagavad-gītā: “He has got everywhere His hands and legs.” You’ll find Kṛṣṇa, He has nothing to do. He’s simply engaged in enjoyment with gopīs and Rādhārāṇī. He’s not engaged in killing the demons. When Kṛṣṇa kills the demons He’s Vasudeva Kṛṣṇa; He’s not original Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa expands Himself. First expansion is Baladeva. From Baladeva—Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Vāsudeva. So by the Vāsudeva feature He acts in Mathurā and Dvārakā. But Kṛṣṇa in His original feature, He remains in Vṛndāvana. One of the greatest fiction writers in Bengal, Bankimchandra Chatterjee, he misunderstood Kṛṣṇa that Kṛṣṇa of Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa of Dvārakā, and Kṛṣṇa of Mathurā, They’re different persons. Kṛṣṇa (is) the same, one, but He can expand Himself in millions and trillions of forms. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam (Bs. 5.33). Advaita. Although ananta-rūpam, still, He’s ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam, advaita. There is no such distinction.

So this Kṛṣṇa, when He wants to enjoy, what kind of enjoyment He will have? That has been discussed by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman. Brahman, Paramātmā, then Paraṁ Brahman. Absolute Truth, three different features. Someone is realizing the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman. Jnanis, those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by mental speculation, by dint of his own knowledge, he’s realizing the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman. And those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by meditation, yogis, they realize the Absolute Truth as Paramātmā. Paramātmā is situated in everyone’s heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati (Bg. 18.61). That feature, Paramātmā feature. Aṇḍantara-sthaṁ paramānu-cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. That Paramātmā feature is one expansion of Kṛṣṇa. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, athavā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna ekāṁṣena viṣṭabhyāham. Ekāṁṣena. When Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna was trying to understand about different potential existence of Kṛṣṇa, so He explained in the Twelfth Chapter, “I am this. Amongst them, I am this. Amongst them…” Like that. And He concluded that “How far I shall go on? Better try to understand that only one plenary portion of Me, by entering this universe, the whole cosmic manifestation is existing.” Ekāṁṣena sthito jagat. Jagat. This material world is existing on one plenary portion of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa enters, aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ paramānu-cayāntara-stham, He enters within this universe. Without His entering, this universe cannot exist. Just like without the spirit soul’s entering within this body, this body cannot exist. As soon as the spirit soul goes out, immediately the body’s useless. However the body may be prime minister or anything else, as soon as the soul is out of this body, it is not worth even a farthing. Similarly, because Kṛṣṇa enters within this universe, therefore the universe has value. Otherwise it is simply a lump of matter; it has no value. Ekāṁṣena sthito jagat.

So try to understand Kṛṣṇa. And when Kṛṣṇa want to enjoy, what kind of enjoyment that shall be? Try to understand this point. Kṛṣṇa is so great; God is great, everyone knows. So when the great wants to enjoy, then what quality of enjoyment that should be? That is to be understood. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa… Therefore Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī has written a verse, rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtiḥ. The loving affairs of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa is not ordinary, these material loving affairs, although it appears like that. But one who cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ. Mūḍha, rascals, fools, they understand Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man. As soon as we take Kṛṣṇa as one of us… Mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritāṁ, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. These rascals, they do not know paraṁ bhavam. They try to imitate Kṛṣṇa’s līlā, rāsa-līlā. There are many rascals. So these things are going on. There is no understanding of Kṛṣṇa. To understand Kṛṣṇa is very difficult.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ (Bg. 7.3)

Out of millions of persons, one may try to make his life perfect. Everyone is working like animal. There’s no question of perfection of life. The animal propensities: eating, sleeping, mating and defending… So everyone is engaged like animals. They have no other business, just like animal, hogs, dogs, whole day and night working: “Where is stool? Where is stool?” And as soon as he gets some stool, gets some fat, “Where is sex? Where is sex?” No consideration of mother or sister. This is hog’s life.

So human life is not meant for hog civilization. So modern civilization is hog civilization, although it is polished with shirt and coat. So, we shall try to understand. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for understanding Kṛṣṇa. For understanding Kṛṣṇa, it requires little labor, austerity, penance. Tapasya brahmacāryeṇa śamena damena ca. Tapasya. One has to undergo tapasya; brahmacārya, celibacy. Tapasya. Brahmacārya means stopping sex life or controlling sex life. Brahmacārya. Therefore Vedic civilization is, from the very beginning, to train the boys to become brahmacārī, celibacy. Not that modern days, the schools, boys and girls, ten years, twelve years, they’re enjoying. The brain is spoiled. They cannot understand higher things. The brain tissues are lost. So without becoming brahmacārī, nobody can understand spiritual life. Tapasya brahmacāryeṇa śamena damena ca. Śama means controlling the senses, controlling the mind; damena, controlling the senses; tyāgena; śaucena, cleanliness; tyāga, tyāga means charity. These are the processes for understanding oneself, self- realization. But in this age it is very difficult to undergo all these processes. Practically it is impossible. Therefore Lord Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa Himself, has made Himself easily available by one process:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā (Adi 17.21)

In this age, Kali-yuga… Kali-yuga is considered to be the most fallen age. We are thinking that we are making very much advance, but it is the most fallen age. Because people are becoming like animals. As the animals have no other interest than four principles of bodily necessities—eating, sleeping, mating and defending—so in this age people are interested with four principles of bodily want. They have no information of the soul, neither they are prepared to realize what is soul. That is the defect of this age. But human form of life is especially meant for realizing himself, “What I am?” That is the mission of human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This life is meant for inquiring about Brahman. Brahman, Paramātmā, Bhagavān. These inquiries should be there. Jijñāsu. They are called jijñāsu, brahma- jijñāsa, jijñāsu, inquiry. As we inquire every morning, “What is the news today?” Immediately we pick newspaper. That inquisitiveness is there. But we are inquiring very base things only. There is no desire to inquire about the highest possibility, brahma-jñāna. That is the lack of this modern civilization. Inquiring how to earn money: divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā (SB 2.1.3) Not only in this age… In this age it has become the principal factor, but in this material world everyone is engaged simply for these bodily necessities of life. Nidrayā hṛiyate naktam: at night they sleep very sound sleep, snoring. Or sex life. Nidrayā hṛiyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ (SB 2.1.3). In this way they’re wasting time. And at daytime, divā cārthehayā rājan… And during daytime, “Where is money? Where is money? Where is money?” Artha ihāya. Kuṭumba- bharaṇena vā. And as soon as one gets money, then how to purchase things for family, that’s all. Shopping, storing. This is the engagement of materialistic life. Out of that, one who is actually intelligent… Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (Bg. 7.3). Out of many such foolish persons engaged in sleeping, mating, earning money, and providing family with nice apartment and food… This is the general occupation. So out of many thousands of men like that, one is inquisitive how to make perfect this human form of life. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye.

Siddhaye. Siddhi means perfection. So this life is meant for perfection. What is perfection? Perfection means that we do not want miserable condition of life, and we have to get out of it. That is perfection. Everyone is trying to get out of miserable condition of life. But they do not know what is the actual position of miserable life. Miserable condition of life: tri-tāpa-yantanaḥ. So this is called mukti, or liberation, from the misera… Ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛttiḥ. Duḥkha, duḥkha means distress. So everybody is trying to get out of distress. But he does not know what is the ultimate goal of getting out of distress. Na te viduḥ. They do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha- gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). One can be out of distress when he approaches Viṣṇu. Tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padaṁ sada paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. The Viṣṇu planet… Just like here in the material world they’re trying to go to the moon planet, but these foolish people do not know what they’ll gain even they go to the moon planet. It is one of the material planets. Kṛṣṇa has already said in the Bhagavad-gītā, abrahma-bhuvanāl lokān. What to speak of this moon planet—it is very near—even if you go to the topmost planet, which is known as Brahmaloka… That is in your front, you can see every day, every night, how many lokas and planets are there. But you cannot go there. You are simply trying to go to the nearest planet. That is also failure. So what is your scientific improvement? But there is possibility. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokān. You can go. The material scientists’ calculation is that if one goes forward for forty thousands of years in the light speed, light- year speed, then one can approach the topmost planet of this material world. So at least in the modern scientific calculation, it is impossible. But one can go; there is process. That we have tried to explain in our small booklet Easy Journey to Other Planets. By yogic process one can go any planet he likes. That is the yogic perfection. When a yogi becomes perfect, he can go to any planet he likes, and the yoga practice goes on, unless the yogi thinks himself that he has made himself perfect to travel to any planet he likes. That is perfection of yoga practice.

So, these are the perfection of life, not that teeny, floating sputnik. (laughter) They do not know what is perfection of life. You can go anywhere. A living entity’s name is sarva-gaḥ. Sarva-gaḥ means “one who can go anywhere he likes.” Just Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni can travel anywhere he likes, either in the spiritual world or in the material world. So you can also do that. There is possibility. There was a Durvāsā Muni, great yogi. Within one year he traveled all over the universe and went to Viṣṇuloka and again came back. That is recorded in the history. So these are the perfections of life. And how these perfection can be attained? By understanding Kṛṣṇa. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam eva vijñātaṁ bhavanti. The Upaniṣad says, if you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then all these things can be understood very easily. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is such a nice thing.

So today, this evening, we are talking about Rādhāṣṭamī. We are trying to understand the chief potency of Kṛṣṇa. Rādhārāṇī is the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa. As we understand from Vedic literature, Kṛṣṇa has many varieties of potencies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate. Just like the same example, as a big man has got many assistants and secretaries so that he hasn’t got to do anything personally, simply by his will everything is done, similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has got varieties of energies, and everything is being done so nicely. Just like this material energy. This material world, where we are now living… This is called material energy. Bahir-aṅga-śakti. The Sanskrit name is bahir-aṅga, external energy of Kṛṣṇa. So how nicely it is being done, everything in the material energy. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (Bg. 9.10) “Under My superintendence the material energy is working.” The material energy is not blind. It is… On the background there is Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ (Bg. 9.10). Prakṛti means this material energy. Similarly… This is external energy. Similarly, there is another energy, which is internal energy. By the internal energy the spiritual world is being manifested. Parās tasmāt tu bhavaḥ anyaḥ (Bg. 8.20) Another energy, parā, superior, transcendental, the spiritual world. As this material world is being manipulated under the external energy, similarly, the spiritual world is also conducted by the internal potency. That internal potency is Rādhārāṇī.

Rādhārāṇī…, today is Rādhārāṇī’s appearance day. So we should try to understand Rādhārāṇī’s feature. Rādhārāṇī is the pleasure potency, hlādinī-śakti. Ānandamayo ’bhyāsāt. In the Vedānta-sūtra the Absolute Truth is described as ānandamaya, always in pleasure potency. That ānandamaya potency… Just like ānanda. When you want ānanda, pleasure, you cannot have it alone. Alone, you cannot enjoy. When you are in the circles of friend or family or other associates, you feel pleasure. Just like I am speaking. The speaking is very pleasing when there are many persons here. I cannot speak alone here. That is not ānanda. I can speak here at night, dead of night, nobody here. That is not ānanda. Ānanda means there must be others. So because Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth, is ānandamaya, therefore eko bahu syām, He has become many. We are also Kṛṣṇa’s part and parcel, to give pleasure to Kṛṣṇa. And the chief pleasure potency is Rādhārāṇī.

rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api bhuvo (purā) deha-bhedo-gatau tau caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptaṁ rādhā-bhāva-(dyuti)-suvalitaṁ naumi kṛṣṇa-svarūpam (Cc. Adi 1.5)

So Kṛṣṇa is Param Brahman, as you know from the Bhagavad-gītā. When Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā, he affirmed Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (Bg. 10.12) So Kṛṣṇa is Param Brahman. So in this material world we see that a great, saintly person, simply to enjoy brahmānanda, he gives up everything of material enjoyment. He becomes sannyāsī. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Just to understand that he is in Brahman realization. So if one has to give up everything material for Brahman realization, do you think that Paraṁ Brahman, the Supreme Brahman, can enjoy anything material? No. Kṛṣṇa’s enjoyment is nothing material. This point should be understood. For Brahman realization we are giving up everything material. And how Paraṁ Brahman can enjoy anything material? This question has been very much nicely discussed by Jīva Gosvāmī.

So when the Param Brahman… First of all, the Param Brahman information is not there in this material world. Little Brahman information is there. Or little Paramātmā information is there. But not Param Brahman, or Bhagavān, information. Therefore it is said, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (Bg. 7.3). Siddhaye means to understand Brahman or Paramātmā. But out of many such persons who have realized Brahman and Paramātmā, hardly a person can know Kṛṣṇa. And that… First of all… [break] …what we can understand about Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure potency? If I want to know some big man. That is one process. And without knowing that big man, how I can understand about his internal affairs? Similarly, if we do not understand Kṛṣṇa, how we can understand how Kṛṣṇa is enjoying? That is not possible. But the Gosvāmīs, they’re giving us information what is the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa. That is Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

So we have described about the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa loving affairs in our Teachings of Lord Caitanya in page 264. If you have got this book, you can read it, how the reciprocation of loving affairs of Rādhā- Kṛṣṇa is there, transcendental. So our today prayer to Rādhārāṇī… We pray to Rādhārāṇī because She is the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means “all-attractive.” But Rādhārāṇī is so great that She attracts Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive, and She is attractive (attractor) of Kṛṣṇa. So what is the position of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī? We should try to understand this day and offer our obeisances to Rādhārāṇī. Rādhe vṛndāvaneśvarī.

tapta-kāñcana-gauraṅgī rādhe vṛndāvaneśvarī vṛṣabhānu-sute devī pranamāmi hari-priye

Our business is “Rādhārāṇī, You are so dear to Kṛṣṇa. So we offer our respectful obeisances unto You.”

tapta-kāñcana-gauraṅgī rādhe vṛndāvaneśvarī vṛṣabhānu-sute devī pranamāmi hari-priye

Rādhārāṇī is hari-priyā, very dear to Kṛṣṇa. So if we approach Kṛṣṇa through Rādhārāṇī, through the mercy of Rādhārāṇī, then it becomes very easy. If Rādhārāṇī recommends that “This devotee is very nice,” then Kṛṣṇa immediately accepts, however fool I may be. Because it is recommended by Rādhārāṇī, Kṛṣṇa accepts. Therefore in Vṛndāvana you’ll find all the devotees, they’re chanting more Rādhārāṇī’s name than Kṛṣṇa’s. Wherever you’ll go, you’ll find the devotees are addressing, “Jaya Rādhe.” You’ll find still in Vṛndāvana. They are glorifying Rādhārāṇī. They’re more interested, worshiping Rādhārāṇī. Because however fallen I may be, if some way or other I can please Rādhārāṇī, then it is very easy for me to understand Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise,

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (Bg. 7.3)

If you go by the speculative process to understand Kṛṣṇa, it will take many, many lives. But if you take devotional service, just try to please Rādhārāṇī, and Kṛṣṇa will be gotten very easily. Because Rādhārāṇī can deliver Kṛṣṇa. She is so great devotee, the emblem of mahā-bhāgavata. Even Kṛṣṇa cannot understand what is Rādhārāṇī’s quality. Even Kṛṣṇa, although He says vedāhaṁ samatītāni, “I know everything,” still, He fails to understand Rādhārāṇī. Rādhārāṇī is so great. He says that… Actually, Kṛṣṇa knows everything. In order to understand Rādhārāṇī, Kṛṣṇa accepted the position of Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa wanted to understand the potency of Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa thought that “I am full. I am complete in every respect, but still, I want to understand Rādhārāṇī. Why?” This propensity made Kṛṣṇa obliged to accept the propensities of Rādhārāṇī, to understand Kṛṣṇa, Himself.

These are, of course, very transcendental, great science. One who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and well conversant with the śāstras, they can understand. But still, we can discuss from the śāstra. When Kṛṣṇa wanted to understand Himself, He took the tendency of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. And that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalitam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa, but He has accepted the propensities of Rādhārāṇī. As Rādhārāṇī is always in feelings of separation of Kṛṣṇa, similarly, in the position of Rādhārāṇī, Lord Caitanya was feeling separation of Kṛṣṇa. That is the teachings of Lord Caitanya, feelings of separation, not meeting. The process of devotional service taught by Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His disciplic succession is how to feel separation from Kṛṣṇa. That is Rādhārāṇī’s position, always feeling the separation.

The Gosvāmīs, they also, when they were in Vṛndāvana, they never said that “I have seen Kṛṣṇa.” Although they were the most perfect, they never said that “I have seen Kṛṣṇa.” Their prayers were like this: he rādhe! vraja-devīke! he nanda-suno! kutaḥ. He rādhe, Rādhārāṇī, he rādhe! vraja-devīke! ca. Rādhārāṇī does not remain alone. He (She) remains always with His (Her) friends, vraja-devī, Lalitā or Viśākha and other damsels of Vṛndāvana. So the Gosvāmīns are praying, in their mature stage, when they were living at Vṛndāvana, they were praying in this way, he rādhe! vraja-devīke! ca lalite! he nanda- suno! kutaḥ: “Where, Rādhārāṇī, where You are? Where are Your associates? Where You are, Nanda-suno, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa? Where you are, all?” They were searching after. They never said, “I have seen Kṛṣṇa dancing with the gopīs. Last night I saw.” (laughter) This is sahajiyā. This is not mature devotee. This is called… They are called sahajiyā. They take everything very cheap—Kṛṣṇa very cheap, Rādhārāṇī very cheap—as if they can see every night. No. The Gosvāmīs do not teach us like that. They’re searching after. He rādhe! vraja-devīke! ca lalite! he nanda-suno! kutaḥ, śrī-govardhana-pādapa-tale kālindī-vanye kutaḥ: “Are you there under the Govardhana Hill or on the banks of the Yamunā?” Kālindī-vanye kutaḥ. Ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau. Their business was crying like this, “Where You are? Where You are, Rādhārāṇī? Where you are, Lalitā, Viśākha, the associates of Rādhārāṇī? Where You are, Kṛṣṇa? Are You near Govardhana Hill or on the bank of the Yamunā?” Ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure. So throughout the whole tract of Vṛndāvana they were crying and searching after Them, khedair mahā-vihvalau, as if madman. Khedair mahā-vihvalau. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu- yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.

So we have to follow the footprints of the Gosvāmīs, how to search out Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī, Vṛndāvana, or within your heart. That is the process of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s bhajana: feeling of separation, vipralambha, vipralambha-sevā. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, feeling the separation of Kṛṣṇa, He was falling down on the sea. He was coming out of His rest room or His bedroom and going out at dead of night. Nobody knew where He has gone. So that was His searching. This process of devotional service is taught by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Not that very easily, “We have seen Kṛṣṇa or seen Rādhārāṇī in rāsa-līlā.” No, not like that. Feel the separation. The more you feel separation from Kṛṣṇa, you should understand that you are advancing. Don’t try to see Kṛṣṇa artificially. Be advanced in separation feeling, and then it will be perfect. That is the teachings of Lord Caitanya. Because with our material eyes we cannot see Kṛṣṇa. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa- nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [BRS. 1.2.234] With our material senses we cannot see Kṛṣṇa, we cannot hear about Kṛṣṇa’s name. But sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. When you engage yourself in the service of the Lord… Where the service begins? Jihvādau. The service begins from the tongue. Not from the legs, eyes, or ears. It begins from the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. If you begin service through your tongue… How? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Use your tongue. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And take Kṛṣṇa prasādam. The tongue has got two business: to articulate sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa; and take prasādam. By this process you’ll realize Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: Haribol!

Prabhupāda: Don’t try to see Kṛṣṇa. You cannot see Kṛṣṇa with your material eyes. Neither you can hear about Him with your material ears. Neither you can touch. But if you engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, then He’ll reveal Himself to you: “Here I am.” That is wanted. So feel separation of Kṛṣṇa just like Rādhārāṇī, as Lord Caitanya teaches us, and engage your tongue in the service of the Lord; then, one day, when you are mature, you’ll see Kṛṣṇa eye to eye.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Haribol! All glories to His Divine Grace! (offer obeisances) (end)

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=13070

It was first time Janmastami was celebrated at Gaya Gandhi Maidan. More than 10,000 people attended the festival, from 5 PM to night 2 AM. Prasadam was distributed profusely to all the attendants. Hg Rambhadra Prabhu, (Director, IYF- Bihar & Jharkhand) delivered a  lecture. He highlighted Lord Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead quoting from scriptures such as Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. 

 A drama entitled ‘Advent of Lord Krishna’ was performed. It was followed by aarti, abhishek etc. 136 ekadasi bhoga was offered to Lord though it was planned to offer 108. District Magistrate Gaya- Mr. Kumar Ravi, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Operation Gaya- Manoj Yadav were the guests of honor. 

There was a significant support provided by Mr Ramchandra Yadav, Director of Sri Krishna Janmastami Mahotsav Committee, in organisation of the festival.

Photo Gallery Click here

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30885

Bhaktivedanta Manor’s spectacular Janmashtami festival attracts over 70,000 pilgrims to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna on earth 5000 years ago. The festival demonstrates the spiritual variety of India’s ancient Vedic culture in all its glory.
On arrival, visitors walk through the newly completed ‘New Gokul’ complex, Europe’s largest cow protection project, as they make their way to the colourful festival site. At the site, the main marquee stages cultural dances and musical extravaganzas. Over 50,000 pilgrims also eagerly queue in anticipation to greet Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda, the temple Deities, in the Manor’s exquisitely decorated shrine. Even the queue itself is a spiritual experience, as it makes its way along a flowered walk-way around the Manor’s lake, with pilgrims admiring the illuminated displays of Krishna’s pastimes.
Throughout the day, kitchen staff is working solidly, preparing no less than 50,000 plates of prasadam (sacred vegetarian food) that is distributed freely to all pilgrims. A dedicated children’s area features a mini ‘main marquee’ where children perform carefully prepared shows and dances. An array of stalls and exhibits display spiritual art and literature, while there are also themed marquees providing lifestyle tips, such as a cruelty-free diet and a reduced environmental footprint.

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30836

Attention! Don’t go down to the banks of the Yamuna and hear Krishna’s flute!
The Flute Player of Vrindavan: Srimati Radharani, the eternal divine consort of Sri Krishna, is known as the Queen of Vrindavan. Vrindavan is where Krishna loves to be, because of Her love – and the love of all those who live there.
Vrindavan is at the center of the lotus of the spiritual world – no place is sweeter or more beautiful because it is saturated in the purest, most intimate love for Krishna. It is there that every word is a song, and every step is a dance. And the flute is Krishna’s constant companion.
As we approach Radhastami we can relish Vrindavan and Radharani’s love for Krishna and be inspired to seek shelter and inspiration there. It is asked – As Krishna plays the flute to call Radharani, why is He still playing His flute on the altar if Radha is standing beside Him. Who is He calling? It is answered that He plays the flute to call all of us.
Don’t go down to the banks of the Yamuna
and hear Krishna’s flute
for your life will never be the same
The bamboo flute causes rivers to flow backwards,
stones to melt, and animals to stand still,
Some tunes call the cows home and others,
especially the fifth note, pulls the hearts of the gopis
to the dark forest, to meet their Lord
and they dance and dance until the sun comes up
and then curse the sun and run home
brimming with love and happiness
The flute calls all of us
If we listen, if we allow ourselves to hear
It is softer than breath, and quieter than a heartbeat
It is hidden deep within the sacred names of Krishna,
Just try to hear yourself chant sincerely, Prabhupada said
Trust the mantra to lead us to the right place
To bring us to life – in love, in service, in essence
In relationship with Krishna.

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30834

Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON after Fifty Years

Srila Prabhupada’s disciple Dhananjaya Dasa told me that at his initiation Srila Prabhupada said, “Dhananjaya means ‘winner of wealth,’” and added, moving his arms all around, “Money is flying in all directions—you simply have to learn the art of catching it.”

The next morning, Dhananjaya raised a question related to a purport he had read in Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.12.33):

“Maharaja Marutta: . . . [He] conducted one sacrifice called Sankara-yajna by which the Lord was so satisfied that He was pleased to hand over to him the charge of a mountain peak of gold. This peak of gold is somewhere in the Himalaya Mountains, and modern adventurers may try to find it there.”

“Srila Prabhupada,” Dhananjaya asked, “Is it true that there is mountain peak in the Himalayas made of solid gold?”

“Yes, there is such a peak.”

“Do you know where it is?”

“Why do you want to know?” Prabhupada asked.

Dhananjaya perceived that ISKCON was not doing well financially, and so he said, “Well, if you tell me where it is, I’ll get a rucksack [back pack] and a special hammer and chisel and go to the top of that mountain, hack away at the gold, fill up the rucksack, and come down, and then we can use that gold in Krsna’s service. So would you let me know where that mountain peak is?”

“No,” Prabhupada replied.

“Why not?” Dhananjaya asked.

“That would become too controversial,” Prabhupada said. Then he added, “Actually, more valuable than gold are devotees. You should make devotees.”

Dhananjaya took that instruction to heart and has always tried to make devotees—and along with making devotees, keeping devotees. Naturally, if we gain some wealth, we don’t want to lose it—we want to preserve it and increase it.

As Srila Prabhupada wrote, “It is better to maintain a devotee than to try to convince others to become devotees. It is the duty of the GBC to maintain the devotees, keep them in the highest standard of Krishna consciousness, and give them all good instruction, and let them go out and preach for making more devotees. Your first job should be to make sure that every one of the devotees in your zone of management is reading regularly our literatures and discussing the subject matter seriously from different angles of seeing, and that they are somehow or other absorbing the knowledge of Krishna consciousness philosophy. If they are fully educated in our philosophy and if they can get all of the knowledge and study it from every viewpoint, then very easily they will perform tapasya, or renunciation, and that will be their advancement in Krishna consciousness. So first thing is to instruct all of your temple presidents and the other devotees to read daily, just as we have done in our morning class in Los Angeles . . . reading one sloka each morning in Sanskrit and reciting it all together and then discussing it thoroughly by seeing different new things. So you introduce this system and train the devotees first. Don’t be too much concerned for the time being with nondevotees. Now we must fix up what devotees we have got in the knowledge of Krishna consciousness; then we will succeed. What good are many, many devotees if none of them are knowledgeable?” (Letter to Satsvarupa, June 16, 1972)

In a similar vein, Srila Prabhupada wrote, “So I want you leaders especially to become very much absorbed in the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and become yourselves completely convinced and free from all doubt. On this platform you shall be able to carry on the work satisfactorily, but if there is lack of knowledge, or if there is forgetfulness, everything will be spoiled in time. So especially you must encourage the students to read our books throughout the day as much as possible, and give them all good advice how to understand the books, and inspire them to study the things from every point of view. In this way, by constantly engaging our tongues in the service of the Lord, either by discussing His philosophy or by chanting Hare Krishna, the truth is that Krishna Himself will reveal Himself to us and we shall understand how to do everything properly. Now we have got so many students and so many temples, but I am fearful that if we expand too much in this way we shall become weakened and gradually the whole thing will become lost. Just like milk. We may thin it more and more with water for cheating the customer, but in the end it will cease to be any longer milk. Better to boil the milk now very vigorously and make it thick and sweet, that is the best process. So let us concentrate on training our devotees very thoroughly in the knowledge of Krishna consciousness from our books, from tapes, by discussing always, and in so many ways instruct them in the right propositions.” (Letter to Hansaduta, June 22, 1972)

Srila Prabhupada has a disciple named Tusta Krsna Dasa, who had been a follower of Sai in Hawaii and had joined ISKCON when Sai, along with other followers, had come to surrender to Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada initiated Sai as Siddhasvarupa Dasa, and Tusta Krsna eventually came to serve in Bombay, where he met and engaged with Mr. Nair, who eventually tried to cheat Srila Prabhupada and committed many grievous offenses against him, the Deities Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari, and the devotees. In response to a letter from Tusta Krsna, Prabhupada wrote,

“Your next question, after leaving this material realm does the devotee remain forever with his spiritual master? The answer is yes. But I think you have got some mistaken idea in this connection. You speak of pure devotee, that he is saktyavesa avatara, that we should obey him only—these things are the wrong idea. If anyone thinks like that, that a pure devotee should be obeyed and no one else, that means he is a nonsense. We advise everyone to address one another as Prabhu. Prabhu means master, so how the master should be disobeyed? Others, they are also pure devotees. All of my disciples are pure devotees. Anyone sincerely serving the spiritual master is a pure devotee; it may be Siddhasvarupa or others, a-Siddhasvarupa [the Sanskrit prefix a means “not”]. This must be very clearly stated. It is not that only your Siddhasvarupa is a pure devotee and not others. Do not try to make a faction. Siddhasvarupa is a good soul. But others should not be misled. Anyone who is surrendered to the spiritual master is a pure devotee—it doesn’t matter if Siddhasvarupa or non-Siddhasvarupa. Amongst ourselves one should respect others as Prabhu, master—one another. As soon as we distinguish here is a pure devotee, here is a non-pure devotee, that means I am a nonsense. Why you only want to be in the spiritual sky with Siddhasvarupa? Why not all? If Siddhasvarupa can go, why not everyone? Siddhasvarupa will go, you will go, Syamasundara will go, all others will go. We will have another ISKCON there. Of course, Mr. Nair must stay.” (Letter to Tusta Krsna, December 14, 1972)

Another ISKCON in the spiritual sky—what would that be like? The supreme spiritual planet has different sections. In one, Sri Krsna Caitanya’s pastimes are taking place, and in another, Lord Krsna’s pastimes. “This Krsna consciousness movement is for approaching Radha-Krsna,” Srila Prabhupada said, “to be associated with the Supreme Lord in His sublime pleasure dance. That is the aim of Krsna consciousness, . . . to enter into the dancing party of Radha-Krsna.” (Lecture on the song Nitai-Pada-Kamala, December 21, 1968, Los Angeles)

In his letter to Tusta Krsna, after saying that we will have another ISKCON in the spiritual sky, Srila Prabhupada added, “And if somebody does not go, then I shall have to come back to take him there.” In other words, every one of Srila Prabhupada’s followers is meant to meet him in the spiritual sky and serve him eternally; and when we do meet him, we’ll find that his other followers are also there, and thus our relationships with one another are also eternal, through Srila Prabhupada.

Later, another of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples, Upendra Dasa wrote him, “There are times when I take all my relationships within ISKCON and the pleasures and difficulties as something like a dream only. I am reminded of the time you explained to me that there is no reality in this world save and except the Divine Name and service to Him. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam I have also read that all this having to do with past, present, and future is a dream only. I am understanding, ‘Yes, even these relations as my wife, my children, or my friends or close godbrothers in Krsna consciousness, ISKCON, are like sticks meeting in a stream, to be separated in time, but with the same end of krsna-bhakti, back to home, or the ocean—that they are still part of these past, present, and future of the measuring temperament, though the devotional service and sentiments therein are eternally developing or lasting.’ It was raised that ‘No, our relationships formed here in ISKCON with one another are eternal in themselves in addition to the service, that ISKCON and we members as we are known now shall be known there.’ All this I was unable to support scripturally, and lest I make an offense and direct error, I place this before you.”

Srila Prabhupada replied, “As to your question concerning whether relationships between devotees are eternal, the answer is ‘yes.’ This is confirmed by Sri Narottama dasa Thakura: cakhu-dan dilo yei, janme janme prabhu sei—‘He is my lord birth after birth.’ In this way you have to understand, by studying carefully the philosophy.” (Letter to Upendra, January 7, 1976)

Once, at the opening of a bank, Srila Prabhupada quoted the saying that “money attracts money,” that wealth attracts wealth, but where did the original wealth, the devotees in ISKCON, come from initially?

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Antya 2.6) explains the mood and method of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: ‘loka nistariba’—ei isvara-svabhava: “‘I shall deliver the fallen souls.’ This statement characterizes the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” A few verses later (Antya 2.13–14), we find a description of His method for delivering people who could not meet Him personally:

ta-saba tarite prabhu sei saba dese
yogya-bhakta jiva-dehe karena ‘avese’ 

ei jive nija-bhakti karena prakase
tahara darsane ‘vaisnava’ haya sarva-dese

“To deliver people in regions throughout the universe who could not meet Him, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally entered the bodies of pure devotees. Thus He empowered living beings (His pure devotees) by manifesting in them so much of His own devotion that people in all other countries became devotees by seeing them.”

This passage describes how Lord Caitanya empowered Srila Prabhupada, who elaborates on this principle in his purport:

“As stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta (Antya 7.11):

kali-kalera dharma—krsna-nama-sankirtana
krsna-sakti vina nahe tara pravartana

Unless one is empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, one cannot spread the holy names of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra throughout the world. Persons who do so are empowered. Therefore they are sometimes called avesa-avataras, or empowered incarnations, for they are endowed with the power of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”

The first devotees in ISKCON were inspired and engaged by Srila Prabhupada—or by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu through Srila Prabhupada. And following Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Prabhupada manifested the same mood: loka nistariba—“I shall deliver the fallen souls.”

In our line, in ISKCON, we are meant to receive mercy and to distribute it, to taste Krsna consciousness and to share it with others—by the grace of Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga.

To distribute the mercy and message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Prabhupada translated many books, with full faith in his spiritual master—Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura—and Sriman Mahaprabhu. He wrote,

“It is to be admitted that whatever translation work I have done is through the inspiration of my spiritual master, because personally I am most insignificant and incompetent to do this materially impossible work. I do not think myself a very learned scholar, but I have full faith in the service of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. If there is any credit to my activities of translating, it is all due to His Divine Grace. . . . He was very fond of seeing many books published to spread the Krsna consciousness movement. Therefore our society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, has been formed to execute the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.” (Caitanya-caritamrta, Concluding Words)

In 1971, one of our early life members in Calcutta, Shyamsunder Maheshwari, approached Srila Prabhupada when I happened to be in the room. He said, “So many spiritual organizations begin well, in the presence of the founder, but after the founder dies, the institutions break apart because the followers fight over the material assets of the institution. What will happen to ISKCON after you leave?”

Srila Prabhupada replied, “That will not happen in ISKCON, because these American and European boys and girls have had enough of material opulence and enjoyment, from before they came to Krsna consciousness. In fact, they have given up their material wealth and facilities to join ISKCON, so they will not fight over these things.”

In 1973, Srila Prabhupada was invited to be guest of honor at a series of lectures and discussions to be held at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Girgaum Chowpatty, South Bombay, on the subject of how the Bhagavad-gita could solve the world’s problems. The president of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Lilavati Munshi, was eager to meet Prabhupada, and she extended a personal invitation for him to join her for tea in the library of her quarters, also in the Bhavan building, just before the conference. And so Srila Prabhupada, accompanied by Syamasundara, Srutakirti, and me, went to meet Mrs. Munshi.

Several other conference presenters—sadhus, swamis, and political figures—and other important persons were also there to meet Srila Prabhupada, but even within this group of esteemed leaders, everyone accepted Prabhupada as the leader.

As soon as Prabhupada was seated, everyone started praising him for the wonderful work he had done in spreading Indian culture throughout the world. Mrs. Munshi in particular was astonished by Prabhupada’s success. “How did you do it?” she kept asking. “How did you get them to shave their heads? How did you get them to wear dhotis and kurtas and tilaka? How did you get the girls to wear saris?” Prabhupada explained that although there had been many editions of the Bhagavad-gita, it had not been presented “as it is” and there had not been any programs to train students to follow its principles. Although there were so many branches and institutions of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan—both within and outside India—and although they were disseminating books, there was no program for training young men and women to become followers of Vedic culture. Books were required, and training was also required. And he had given both.

Then Mrs. Munshi brought up a point that was on many people’s minds. “Quite often when the founder of a mission is present,” she said, “the mission is very successful—it’s flourishes and prospers—but after the founder leaves, things deteriorate. So what will be the future of your movement after you go?”

“The future of my mission is very bright,” Srila Prabhupada replied, “as long as my disciples follow my instructions. Just like Gandhi—he had so many programs, but after he left, his followers changed everything. He wanted village organization, he wanted the economy to be based on agriculture, and after he left, Nehru and others changed the whole program. They wanted to industrialize India and imitate the West. So, he had his program, but after he left his so-called followers changed everything and everything became spoiled. So in the same way, if I leave and my followers change what I’ve given, what can I do?” By saying this, he challenged us, his followers, with the responsibility of remaining faithful to his instructions.

Krsna consciousness, or bhakti-yoga, begins—and progresses—with faith (adau sraddha). This sraddha, faith and attraction, matures and intensifies into prema, pure love of Godhead, and ultimately maha-bhava, the most exalted stage of ecstatic love for Krsna.

ISKCON is built on the foundation of Srila Prabhupada’s faith in his guru maharaja and Krsna:

yasya deve para bhaktir
yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthah
prakasante mahatmanah

“Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.” (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23)

Srila Prabhupada’s faith in his spiritual master and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is manifest in every aspect of ISKCON and is the cause of its success. He wrote, “We took up the mission of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Bhaktivinoda Thakura to preach the cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu all over the world, under the protection of all the predecessor acaryas, and we find that our humble attempt has been successful. . . . ‘To one who has staunch faith in the words of the spiritual master and the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the secret of success in Vedic knowledge is revealed.’ The Krsna consciousness movement is being propagated according to this principle, and therefore our preaching work is going on successfully, in spite of the many impediments offered by antagonistic demons, because we are getting positive help from our previous acaryas. . . . The success of the ISKCON party, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, which strictly follows guru and Gauranga, is increasing daily all over the world. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura wanted to print as many books as possible and distribute them all over the world. We have tried our best in this connection, and we are getting results beyond our expectations.” (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 12.8 purport)

And in his last year with us, Srila Prabhupada explained, “Now, I’ll say from my practical life . . . It is not pride. Actually everyone knows that my guru maharaja had thousands of disciples. So out of thousands of disciples, practically I am a little successful. That everyone knows. Why? Because I firmly believed in the words of my guru. That’s all. There may be many other godbrothers, maybe very learned and very advanced, favored, whatever it may be. . . . So I think sometimes that ‘Why this wonderful thing has happened to me?’ So I search out. I search out only that I cent percent believe in the words of my spiritual master. That’s all, nothing else. Guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete koriya aikya, ara na koriho mane asa. Don’t think any nonsense. Simply execute what your guru has said. That is success.” (Conversation, Bhubaneswar, January 28, 1977)

Faith in Srila Prabhupada and his line is our greatest treasure. If we lose that, then everything is lost. In the same conversation in Bhubaneswar, a disciple gave the translation of guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete koriya aikya—“My only wish is to have my consciousness purified by the words emanating from his lotus mouth”—and Prabhupada responded, “Then he’s safe. And as soon as he manufactures—finished. So don’t do it. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau, tasyaite kathita. This is the secret of spiritual success.”

I can only pray to develop such faith, and to remain in the association of devotees who have that faith, whether in this realm or that, in ISKCON here or in the spiritual world.

Hare Krsna.

Srila Prabhupada’s aspiring servant eternally,

Giriraj Swami

Source : http://www.girirajswami.com/?p=11347

This year on Janmastami day, ISKCON – Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi Mandir received 5 lakh devotees. The temple was decorated using flowers from India and elsewhere along with several Jhakis depicting the pastimes of the Lord.

The temple also featured prominently the theme of ’50th Anniversary’ along with posters informing the visitors of ISKCON’s activities. The dress that the Lordships wore this time was designed by a high-end fashion designer who also designs the clothes of the Royal family of Morocco and Luxembourg.

By the coordinated efforts of all the devotees several prominent Politicians,Bureaucrats, Businessmen, Judges of several different courts visited the temple for darshan of Their Lordships and later met Sripad Gopal Krishna Maharaja who spoke to them about ISKCON’s contributions in the last 50 years to bring about a spiritual and cultural revolution in the hearts of the people.

The dignitaries included:

Mr L.K Advani – Former Deputy Prime Minister of India

Mr Arvind Kejriwal – Chief Minister of Delhi

Mr Giriraj Singh – Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Industries

Mr Sudarshan Bhagat – Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Animal Husbandry

Hon. Ted Baillieu – Former Premier of Victoria State, Australia

Mr Manish Sisodia – Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi

Dr. Ashutosh Sharma – Secretary, Union Ministry of Science & Technology

Mr Krishna Chaudary – Director General, Indo-Tibetean Border Police

Mr VSR Murthy – Addl Director General, Indian Coast Guard

The exhaustive lists also included Additional Secretaries, Joint Secretaries from several government ministries such Home Affairs, Petroleum, Chemicals & Fertilizers, Defence all of whom spoke highly of ISKCON and its devotees.

On the appearance day of Srila Prabhupada, Dr. Karan Singh (former Prince of J&K, Governor, Union Minister and a Vedic Scholar) visited the temple to glorify and recollect his memories of Srila Prabhupada who had stayed at his house twice and wrote to him several times. Dr. Singh spoke of how Srila Prabhupada transformed the whole world within a span of 11 years, which was beyond imagination and quoted extensively from the Bhagavad Gita.

Sripad Gopal Krishna Maharaja while offering his vote of thanks recollected Srila Prabhupada’s struggles and thanked Dr. Singh for his life-long friendship and support for ISKCON.

Photo Gallery Click here

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30843#prettyPhoto

65 000 guests gathered to celebrate 25th Sri Krishna janmasthami at ISKCON Salem. Celebration started early morning 4.30 am and went ‘till 2 am in the morning next day. Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai alankara was “Kalpa-Vrksa”, surrounded by 108 delicious offerings made by devotees. The darshan queue was way out on the main road. HG Hari-pada Prabhu and HG Phalini Mataji were the chief guests. They lead most ecstatic kirtans, and Prabhuji gave inspiring lectures much appreciated by locals. Program consisted of eight lectures, eight hours bhajans, two dramas (at noon and at evening performed by Srila Prabhupada Theatres from Chennai) and maha-abhishek.

The 50 years of ISKCON’s glories and achievements were showed at the 24x 12 feet LED screen continuously throughout the event.

5 lakhs worth of Srila Prabhupada’s books were distributed and of course free prasadam throughout the day: Chole subji, Vegetable rice, Dal, Naan, Puri, Aloo Bonda, Kesari and Boondi were distributed to 65 thousand visitors.

Srila Prabhupadas Vyasa puja was also celebrated in great manner and thousands participated in hearing Srila Prabhupada’s glories. After the abhishek followed pushpanjali and arati. The celebration ended with feast prasadam coming right from Sri Ranganatha Swami temple.

Photo Gallery Click below

http://www.iskcondesiretree.com/photo/albums/celebration-of-krishna-janmasthami-at-iskcon-salem-2016

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Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30857

ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary was commemorated in style in Sydney, Australia from August 19 to 21 with a weekend of celebrations.

The weekend’s events started on Friday night with Bhakti Film Fest and a patron’s dinner. The highlight of the weekend was a theatrical, musical, and multimedia performance at the iconic Sydney Opera House with 800people attending two performances. In attendance were Rachael Kohn from ABC Radio’sSpirit of Things program, the New South Wales Indian Consul General, as well as representatives from Multicultural New South Wales, the Hindu Council of Australia, and the Catholic Church. Numerous dignitaries sent their best wishes, including: the Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore; New South Wales Premier, Mike Baird; Australia’s Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten; and India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

Sri Prahlada Das recounted to the audience a time some years ago when he was performing in a Harinama outside the Opera House, where the devotees were told by authorities to “Move on.” Sri Prahlada related that he “remembered thinking: ‘One day we will perform kirtan inside the Opera House.’ Today that day has come.”

The production interwove performances of significant events in Srila Prabhupada’s life with Krsna lila drama enacted by devotees from Melbourne. Damodara Pandit Das related that, “A big part of the show has been telling the story of Srila Prabhupada.” Highlights included special guests Mukunda Goswami, Syamasundara Das, Malati Devi Dasi, Bhakti Caru Swami, and the GBC for Australia, Ramai Swami, who all spoke about Srila Prabhupada and the early days of ISKCON in an interview with Mahotsaha Das. A dramatic portrayal of Srila Prabhupada’s voyage on The Jaladuta, and a heartfelt singing of Srila Prabhupada’s Jaladuta Prayers by local kirtaneer, Tribuvanesvara Das captivated the audience.

The Odissi dance group The Natya Shakti, performed a number of dances with expertise and grace in various scenes to the accompaniment of the soulful chanting of Mohini Murti Devi Dasi. New Govardhana Bhaktivedanta Gurukula students delighted the audience with Vedic chanting, and musical group The Gulab Jammin comprised of youth from New Govardhana, performed an energetic rendition of Boy George’s Bow Down Mister. A portrayal of the hippies who joined in with Srila Prabhupada’s ecstatic singing and dancing in Golden Gate Park provided comic relief and evoked much laughter from the audience. Mohini Mohan, a musical duo comprising local kirtan artists Kalyani Devi Dasi and Isha Ram Simpson performed Damodarastakam prayers, with innovative expertise. The performance reached a crescendo when Grammy nominated kirtan band, Bhakti Without Borders, led by Madi Das, engaged the audience in kirtan and dancing. A stunning backdrop of multimedia images on the stage enhanced the devotional mood that the performances evoked.

Sunday’s celebrations included screenings ofthe filmJoy of Devotionand a buffet lunch at Govinda’s. In the afternoon, the event’s special guests again captivated the audience with a three-hour sadhu sanga where they recounted pastimes with Srila Prabhupada and the Beatles, and this was followed by aJourney Within kirtan concert.

The event’s production team comprised Pratapana Das, Jayasri Devi Dasi, Deva Gaura Hari Das, and Damodara Pandit Das. ISKCON Communications Australia Director Bhakta Das, and Bhakti Devi Dasi assisted in organising, and many other devotees worked hard to ensure the success of this historic event.

Photo Gallery Click here

Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=30816