Process of Dying

At the moment of death the following things take place. If the person is impious and quite sinful, the messengers of Yamaraja, called the Yamadutas, fierce, horrible looking persons with twisted features, copper red flaming hairs that stand on end, black in complexion and frightening to behold, appear at the deathbed of the person in question and drag him forcibly from his body with ropes and chains. This scene so frightens the person that he literally dies of fright. They then pack up the subtle body of the person in a bag, where they take the soul, now covered only by the subtle body of mind, intelligence and false ego, to the abode of Yamaraja for judgement. He is taken over long stretches of hot, dry sands, and along the way he is insulted in various ways by other horrible creatures and bitten by dogs. He is suffering terribly on this journey and he wishes it would end.

(The movie "Ghost" presented a world that included ghosts, psychic powers, Yamaduta-like evil spirits, and an effulgent heavenly realm. See also the real-life stories below.)

However, when it does end he is taken before Yamaraja, the fierce demigod in charge of death and punishing the sinful. He is forced to accept a position of suffering according to his sins in one of the hells which exist at the bottom of the universe, just above the Garbhodaka Ocean. In this hellish region called the Naraka, there are approximately 27 hellish places.

As an example of this a person who has engaged in the slaughter and eating of other innocent animals will enter into Krimibhojana, wherein he will exist as a worm who is eating the tail of another worm as that worm is eating his tail. There are many such hells just according to the crimes committed. One may find the complete description in the last chapters of the 5th canto of the SB.

After such intense and horrible forms of suffering the living being is thrown again into the lower species of life just suited according to his sinful desires in his human life.

However, most persons are not quite that sinful and therefore they may expect a more normal departure from the body. At the time of death, death is denoted as the moment when the spirit soul departs from the material gross body. At that time the soul, covered by the subtle body of mind, intelligence and false ego, leaves the body. The subtle body always travels with the soul wherever he goes within this material world and therefore the living entity has a continuity of material experience throughout his different lifetimes.

Death may come from a variety of causes, but when it actually happens the first thing that a person experiences is total blackness. All is dark, but this lasts only for a moment. The Supersoul, situated right next to the soul, illuminates a hole which appears to the soul to be a light at the end of a tunnel. In fact the darkness which appears is the body but now that it is dead it is devoid of consciousness and now we are seeing it from the inside for the first time.

There are some 118 different passageways through which one might depart from the body. One may only go through one of these at the time of death. These passageways are called nadis, or channels of consciousness. According to Garuda Purana 1.67 death occurs when both main (spine) nadis, Ida and Pingala, are at work. Under normal conditions they switch. One might understand them to be the major nerve channels of channels of energy flow within the body, but the exact medical synonym is not available to us at this time. In any case one will depart from one of these nadis to his next destination. We do know that one who departs from the anus or genital goes to the lower regions, wherein one who departs from the upper portion of the body goes to the higher regions. Those who depart from the top of their skulls, from the hole known as the brahma randhra, the place where the three bones in the skull meet, will attain the regions of Brahman.

The Supersoul illuminates only one of these passageways according to the karma of the soul. He selects the passageway just according to the previous activities of the living entity and as soon as it is illuminated the soul naturally wants to move towards the light. As soon as he is out of the body, he feels relieved of the burden of the material frame and starts to move, naturally drawn towards his next form. At that time he will experience the world from the point of view of the subtle body and will see things much clearer than they are seen through the present body. Just try to imagine how much more beautiful the world must be when seen through spiritual eyes!

He then enters into the womb of a new mother as it is being impregnated by the father and awaits the time until the new body develops itself sufficiently to maintain consciousness. When the embryo is about seven months of age it is sufficiently developed to support consciousness and the baby awakens in his new body and immediately moves, sometimes kicking the mother from within in a vain attempt to get out of the horrible entanglement that he has found himself in.

If he is pious, this horrible condition of having the arms and legs jammed into the chest as one is bent over in the foetal position, causes the soul to pray to the Lord as follows, "O Lord, this condition is terrible. Please save me from this situation and get me out of this womb immediately and I promise to serve You in this lifetime for sure." However, as soon as he takes his birth he becomes too much attached to all the attention and service being rendered him by mother and family members and he forgets all about serving the Lord a

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=18818

“Pray for my brother” was the plea of a teary-eyed Nanda Gopaul Kishundyal, as devotees of the Hare Krishna Movement flocked to the outside of the Georgetown Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit yesterday morning.

Inside the facility, nursing a gunshot wound to his abdomen, lay 21-year-old devotee Chaitanya Kishundyal. Unresponsive to treatment from medical professionals, the man was wheeled into the Accident and Emergency Unit, after which he was treated and transferred to the Intensive Care Unit. His condition is listed as critical.

On Wednesday night, Kishundyal, described as a peaceful person with no known enemies, was attacked and shot by a lone gunman as he closed his gate at Lot 28 First Street, Swamp Section, Rosehall, Corentyne.

Police are looking for the assailant who escaped after shooting the man, but the man’s brother claims that the gunman was one of four men who were at his brother’s home, based on video footage recovered after the incident.

Source: http://brihadmrdanga.com/2016/02/guyana-devotee-shot-in-critical-condition/

For Youth – By Youth - Europe Summer Youth Events #ISKCON50
Kumari Kunti: Summer-time fun all over Europe. Mark your calendars and get your sunglasses out - #ISKCON50 youth events are inviting you to come party with Krishna!
In honour of the 50th birthday celebrations of Founder-Acarya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada’s International Society for Krishna Consciousness, we will be offering two events this summer in Europe for youth. 
July 18 - Aug 19 
Euro Bus Tour - Remembering Srila Prabhupada
Krsna consciousness travelling kirtaniya youth trip around Europe! This year we are going to Greece (and back). This is the 3rd annual Euro Bus Tour and is for youth aged 16-30 (space for only 30 people so sign-up quick)! We already have youth from Australia, US, UK and EU registered. 
For more information
www.youthbustour.com
Fb: www.facebook.com/EuroBusTour 
September 1-4, 2016
Youth Mela - Connecting to Srila Prabhupada 
Europe-wide youth in Leicester Temple, UK. This is a youth convention for workshops, inspiration, sanga, kirtan and empowerment in ISKCON’s movement for the next 50 years. This is an ISKCON youth Europe & Pandava Sena initiative that should not be missed! Youth aged 15-35 are invited. 
For more information:
www.youthmela.org
Fb: www.facebook.com/YouthMela 
Ys Kumari Kunti
ISKCON Youth Ministry Europe Voluntee

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=18833

By Nandarani Devi Dasi

In ISKCON Sri Lanka, the Gita program was initiated last year. The program started with a short advert on newspaper and 25 people enrolled for the program. This program consists of 12 classes and was conducted on basis of 2 classes per week. The participants of the program were interested in the content and on the matters discussed in the class. At completion of the program all the participants were tested on their knowledge on Gita. Further certificate of completion of the program was issued to 15 participants who attended all the classes of the program and showed their full commitment towards the program.

The certificates for these 15 participants were issued by the Hon. Minister Mr. Mano Ganesan (Minister of National Co-existence, Dialogue and Official Languages) on the event of the 25th Anniversary celebrations of Hare Krishna Music & Dance School at Ramakrishna Mission Hall on the 24th of January 2016.

This is good start for this program as the temple receives new inquiries from new people to enroll for the program.
Message from:
Nandarani Mataji
Secretary – ISKCON Sri Lanka

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=18831

Premvilas das: 2nd Annual North American ISKCON health care professionals retreat will be held in Gita Nagari from September 22-25th, 2016. 
It is open to any professional in the health care field and retreat is meant to promote collaboration and networking among health care professionals in North America. Students/residents/fellows currently in the health care field or simply aspiring to choose health care as a professional are welcome as well. 
Mission statement: To connect and inspire all devotees within the medical profession; to improve our practice of Krishna consciousness; to assist one another to improve our service to Srila Prabhupada: and to expand Krishna consciousness amongst medical professionals
Vision Statement: 1. To create a forum for all physician devotees and those within the medical field to meet annually and have fellowship.
2. Through association, to become better devotees and better medical professionals.
3. To equip physicians, medical professionals and students to blend their devotional life with their professional pursuits.
4. To understand how to meet the challenges within their profession as well as maximize their opportunities.
5. To develop Plans and Strategies how together medical practitioners can best serve ISKCON’s mission, Srila Prabhupada and the body of ISKCON devotees within North America.
6. To unite together in effective ways to increase the number of medical professionals who take up sadhana bhakti.
7. Establish a forum to get to know one another and network with one another on many levels throughout the yea
To register or to be added to the group for future notices and events, simply send an email to medicalretreat@gmail.com

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=18829

I looked at my watch as I stepped out of the show room in Agra. It was 9.30 in the night. I winced. It would take us more than an hour to reach Vrindavan. We had to get up for mangala arati again the next morning.

By Suvyakta Narasimha Dasa

We had come to Agra to pick up some things for the upcoming project in Vrindavan, since they were not available there. Things were going on at a frenetic pace and devotees were working over time. We were compelled to come to Agra even though it was late. But I had not expected it to become so late in returning.

As we walked up to the car, Prahlad Prabhu, who had accompanied me, called out to the driver to start the car. Suddenly, in the dim light cast by the pole in the corner of the parking lot, I noticed that the front tyre of the car was pretty low. My heart sank. O Krishna! Not this now! I called the driver out. He had one look at the tyre & said that it was flat. But there seemed to be still some life in the tyre. I looked around and saw a petrol bunk a few buildings away. “Let us drive there”, I said to the driver, getting into the car, hoping that it was only an air leak & refilling the tube would do the job. The driver carefully navigated the car to the petrol bunk and we drove in. To our dismay, there was no power at the bunk.

We asked a few people where the next bunk was. Receiving no proper reply, we decided to drive along the Delhi Agra highway until the next bunk. The driver then drove the car gingerly along the highway, keeping to the extreme left as other vehicles sped past us. After about 2 kilometers or so, we found a petrol bunk & we drove in. Fortunately, things were in order here. We tried pumping in air, but the tyre wouldn’t hold any. We had to change the tyre.

The driver parked the car to a side just along the edge of the bunk, facing the highway. He then got down and unloaded the spare tyre and the jack. He placed the jack underneath the wheel and then we found that we did not have the handle to turn the jack. I looked around and saw one of the bunk staff standing next to us. I approached him and requested for a spare handle from one of their vehicles I saw parked at the other end of the bunk. He then walked back and got one for us. I sighed in relief. We wouldn’t be stuck for the rest of the night. As the driver got down to brass tacks, I turned around to watch the highway. It would take at least another half hour before we could get going.

And then it happened.

As I looked on, I saw two trucks, one behind the other, speeding at about 60 to 80 kilometers per hour along the highway. Unseen to me – and probably to the truck driver too – was an autorickshaw, just ahead of the trucks, loaded with people and going at its own snail’s pace. The three-wheeler had no tail lights and its black colour accorded it near zero visibility. The first truck rammed into the three wheeler from behind, with full momentum and with full force. There was a tremendous screech as steel met steel with high impact.

The truck’s momentum catapulted the three wheeler into the air, with all its occupants. The three wheeler did a cartwheel and landed on its wheels. Aided by the suspension, the three wheeler spun into the air higher than it did previously – to about 6 feet in the air. It did another cartwheel & again landed – miraculously enough – on its wheels, right below a street light pole which had a fused bulb.

The trucks sped on, unheeding, and disappeared into the darkness of the night. Silence reigned supreme. I looked on, my mind numbed and my feet rooted to the ground. The three wheeler’s engine had shut down. The head lights had gone off. Only one of the side lights still glowed.

As I looked on, stunned and aghast, a man stepped out of the vehicle – or what was left of it. He staggered out and then clutching his shoulder, he collapsed. Next out stepped a lady, with a hand bag clutched in one hand and a traveling bag in the other. She was probably returning from somewhere, I guessed. She staggered out and towards the petrol bunk. Behind her came one more man. As the two came forward, a few men from the bunk approached them, attending to them. I realized that there could be some one seriously in need of help still stuck within the vehicle.

I rushed toward the vehicle and as I approached it, I gingerly looked into the mangled remains of the vehicle. I was relieved. There was no one inside. I then looked down and saw the man who had collapsed earlier. He was moaning, holding on to his right shoulder. A few men stood by looking on, doing nothing. I shouted at them, “Help him! See if he needs any urgent medical help. Don’t stand there doing nothing.” My words seemed to transform them for they then walked toward the fallen figure.

It was then that one person said to me, “What about that man?”. My gaze followed his pointing finger. To my horror, in the middle of the road lay a figure, still and unattended, clothed in black. In the dim light which softly bathed the area, I could realize that it was the body of a young man. He was lying on his stomach and his head was turned away from me. From his head to the edge of the road, I could distinctly make out a stream of a dark fluid. Blood – the word rushed to my mind.

I looked back at the other man. He was still moaning and wriggling. Another man, bent over him stood up and said, “He seems to be OK. No danger to life. Probably some broken bones.” I turned my gaze once again to the prostrate figure. Thoughts raced to my mind. I felt sickly. But I quickly brushed them aside. The situation demanded action. My first concern was to protect the body from onrushing vehicles. I was afraid some vehicle would run over him. If he was still alive, that would be his end. I quickly barked orders to the crowd which had started milling around. “Wave your hands at approaching vehicles. Ensure that nobody runs over him.” The men responded immediately. An onrushing car slowed down, seeing the frantically waving crowd, moved over to the far right of the road and passed by without harming the man lying there.

I turned around and rushed to the bunk. The ambulance had to be called right away. As I reached the telephone booth in the bunk, I saw a man already yelling the location of the accident into the instrument. I was relieved. Help would be on the way soon. I returned to the site of the accident. I stood there, thinking what I could do next. Since we all had to do nothing but wait till the ambulance arrived, I decided that I had better chant Hare Krishna to the man lying on the ground. But I did not have the courage to go forward next to him, since I was afraid of what I would see. The last thing I wanted to see was a mangled face. I stood about 3 feet away from the man & started chanting Hare Krishna loudly, for the benefit of the soul. I chanted a few times then moved away as the crowd had started gathering quite a bit.

After an agonizing wait of over 20 minutes, the ambulance arrived. The medico from the ambulance inspected the person lying on the ground and declared that he was dead and that the body could not be removed till the police arrived. With that they drove away.

By now, our car was ready. Seeing that there was nothing more we could do, we got into the car and left for Vrindavan. As we drove away, I remembered a verse from the Srimad Bhagavatam:

“For one who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord, everything becomes easier. Indeed, even crossing the great ocean of nescience (bhavämbudhi) is exactly like crossing the hoofprint created by a calf (vatsa-padam). For such a devotee, there is no question of remaining in a place where every step is dangerous.”

This material world is indeed a place of danger, where at every step, death stares at our face. But no one takes notice of this fact. Everyone of us goes around blissfully unaware of this. At every place – at home, at work or out in the street – death is lurking. But how many of us take cognizance of this fact? Practically none. We don’t think about it, we don’t discuss about it and we don’t meditate on it. Whenever we see an accident, we sympathize with the victim, but little do we realize that we could well be in the victim’s shoes at any moment.

Nothing is as sure as death. But is there a way to escape it? As indicated in the above verse, only a person who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna can do so. As Lord Krishna mentions in the Bhagavad Gita, mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. Only one who takes shelter of Lord Krishna’s lotus feet can escape from the clutches of material nature, which takes its toll in the form of death. This is because Lord Krishna is the master of material nature. As Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, Mayädhyakñeëa prakåtiù süyate sacaräcaram: “Under My direction only is material nature working, and thus are all things moving.”

Since Lord Krishna is the master of material nature, He alone can save a soul surrendered unto His lotus feet from the cycle of repeated birth and death. So it behooves an intelligent person to take shelter of Lord Krishna and save himself from repeated birth and death, before an unforeseen accident takes away his life.

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=18835

Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu is always free from politics and institutional bashing or promotion. Just simply nectarean Krishna Katha! 

View ebook

‘I AM NOT A HERO, BUT I’m happy I was able to help somebody.’ Brave Filip Čargonja jumped into the river Sava and rescued a man who wanted to commit suicide.
(Translated automatically)
I’d like to talk to this man, I hope you will take advantage of a second chance for life, says Philip Čargonja, from Rijeka living in Zagreb
I sat on the stairs along the Sava. I put the glasses, drank in the sun and meditated. Suddenly I heard a 'plop’.
I thought someone threw garbage into the water. The bridge is noted laughing girl, but there was no panic and I thought someone was playing. But in the middle of the riverbed saw my leg to be fidgety. It was an older guy in a black suit, who did not bother to swim. I told him 'Come on, man, swim! Enough kidding! ’ I encouraged him, and when I realized that there is no intention to swim, passed me the creeps. His head is no longer out on the surface - recalled the rescue Filip Čargonja (34), from Rijeka to Zagreb address, filmography and a member of the Hare Krishna movement, which is January 27, around 15.50 hours bravely jumped into the cold river and rescued the man planned to kill himself. Since the river carried the man, so the Čargonja moved along the edge, and when he reached for his cell phone from confusion failed to think of the number of emergency. Seconds seemed to him like an eternity, a blessing in disguise is that the river is man dragged to his side of the coast.
There wife and son
- I was hoping I’d catch him at the railway bridge. But Sava was fast but is still floating. I took the bag, ran into the water to his waist and grabbed her arms to suit. His head was blue. I have not managed to completely get away because the big man and the coast is steep. I’m banging his chest, gave him mouth-to-mouth, but in vain. Clogged his nose and blew air is to breath. I held his tongue 15-20 minutes that is not choked and cried walkers on the bank to call an ambulance - recalled more Čargonja your venture. Soon came the doctors of the ambulance, the police, or the wife and son of the unfortunate man, a former defense attorney.
Life is precious
Čargonja is not considered a hero.
- I am pleased that I helped someone. At home they took me to the police because I was wet. His wife did not know what to think when she saw my wet clothes after I came home. And with this man I’d like to talk. I know that life can be so difficult that you can not see out, but I hope that this man take advantage of a second chance at life and realize how precious life is and a great opportunity for the development of the soul - concludes brave and humble Čargonja.
Source: http://goo.gl/QtRRAV

By: Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News on Feb. 5, 2016

The books on display at MOSA, Radhadesh

The Museum of Sacred Art (MOSA) in Radhadesh, Belgium, has just published two lusciously illustrated books for devotees to feast their eyes on: “Illuminations from the Bhagavad-gita” and “Prabhupada Meditations.”

Illuminations From the Bhagavad-gita

On Sunday January 24th, MOSA Director Mahaprabhu Das presented “Illuminations…” to the murti of Srila Prabhupada at ISKCON Radhadesh.

MOSA Director Mahaprabhu Das (right) presents Illuminations From the Bhagavad-gita to Srila Prabhupada

The book is in fact the fourth edition of the classic 1980 work by artist Kim Waters and Chris Murray, after the original by Harper and Row, and two in the 1990s and 2000s by Mandala.

Kim’s gorgeous, colorful, and completely charming paintings inspired by Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is and illuminated with verses from the ancient text remain, as do the original introduction by Satsvarupa Das Goswami and preface by musician Donovan.

One of the beautiful images from Illuminations

But at 184 pages, the new edition is expanded to nearly double the size of previous ones with extra material. There are more drawings by Kim. There’s a new text  by scholar Satyaraja Das recounting how the work came to be, and how Srila Prabhupada met and encouraged Kim and Chris. And there are photos of Srila Prabhupada viewing the illustrations on two different occasions in New Vrindaban, West Virginia and Potomac, Maryland.

Chris recalls on the book’s back cover: “After a pause, Prabhupada said to us – and this is verbatim: “You are introducing a new art form to this country.” And then he added, “You will get great rewards for this.” And actually, that’s when I said, “Prabhupada, we’re trying to get this published with a big publisher in New York, Harper and Row.” And he turned to us and emphatically uttered the following words: “Do it.” Like that, just, “DO IT!” And then he walked away. We just stood there. It was as if Kim and I were in a timeless transcendental moment.”

Flipping through Illuminations From the Bhagavad-gita

Illuminations From the Bhagavad-gita is now available from Bhaktivedanta Library Services in Europe, and will be picked up by other distributors around the world over the next two months.

An exhibit featuring all the original paintings will start on May 28th at the MOSA Gallery in Radhadesh. The opening will be attended by the Ambassador of India, authors Kim Waters and Chris Murray, members of the Hindu community, and the ISKCON congregation. It will include a cultural program with music, dance, and a prasadam meal.

“We will also inaugurate a Bhagavad-gita Walk in the forest, with big boards showing the paintings and verses from the Bhagavad-gita, along with translations in Dutch, French and German,” says Mahaprabhu.

Prabhupada Meditations

The following weekend, during the Radhadesh Mellows Festival on Saturday January 30th, Mahaprabhu presented another new book, “Prabhupada Meditations,” to Srila Prabhupada.

Yadunandana Swami browses the Prabhupada gallery

The book, well-timed to coincide with ISKCON’s 50th anniversary, features 59 beatiful portraits of its beloved Founder-Acharya in color and black and white by Mayapur-based artist Anuradha Dasi.

It also includes an introduction by Satsvarupa Das Goswami on the 26 qualities of a devotee, as well as accounts by a host of Prabhupada disciples about how Srila Prabhupada imbibed each of these qualities. Among the contributors are Krishna Ksetra Swami, Yogesvara Das, Anuttama Das, Jayabhadra Dasi, and Nikunja Vasini Dasi.

The cover of Prabhupada Meditations by Anuradha Dasi

An exhibit of Anuradha’s Prabhupada portraits was launched at MOSA along with the book. Around 80 devotees attended, browsing the galleries and also taking in Patita Pavana, a new abstract dance performance by the Samadhi Dance Company.

“All the devotees were very happy, and enjoyed the show – we sold about sixty copies of the book over the weekend,” says Mahaprabhu. 

A scene from the dance 'Patita Pavana'

Source: http://iskconnews.org/devotees-feast-eyes-on-new-prabhupad-and-gita-books,5375/

Preaching Krishna Consciousness in a largely atheistic, impersonal and demigod worshiping society who shun organised religion is a special skill. Devotees in the province of Taiwan are yielding positive results with a well- established and easily digestible approach.

The pioneers in this field have determined that success will surely reach the inner core of the population with the regular distribution of lunch boxes, spiritual books and Harinama. However, particularly by offering Hatha-yoga classes, the devotees experience a high success rate and respectful reciprocation with the people. Divya Purusha dasa also makes tangible devotional inroads in this area by offering popular courses on Astrology twice a year.

Several yoga classes each week take place at the largest Iskcon centre in the country, which is located in Taichung. The practice is followed by melodious call and response Hare Krishna mantra meditation. Many participants move on to more involvement in spiritual life.

Presiding Deities Sri Sri Gaura Nitai oversee a group of enthusiastic devotees in a large, well-maintained fourth floor area of an office building which includes an impressive restaurant space.

The highlight of our trip to Taiwan was the visit to the local prison to minister to the convicts. One of the devotees, Payee (who spent a month at New Govardhana one year ago) works in the hospital there dispensing medicine.

Six hundred shaven-headed, grey-clad men filed into a huge auditorium and listened intently as dynamic temple president Jahnava devi dasi expertly delivered her very wise system of preaching, ‘in like a needle and out like a plough’. She was accompanied by Niranjana Maharajah and local devotees who soon had the inmates clapping and chanting.

Taiwanese devotees are most kind and welcoming and are always keen to hear philosophical discourses from overseas visitors.

Taiwan temple authorities are considering a group tour for at least 10 devotees to visit New Govardhana in the not too distant future. We look forward to their spirited association and offer them a very warm welcome.

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=18805

Famous Iranian actress visits New Govardhana.
Kisori Devi Dasi: An internationally famous, multi award-winning Iranian actress recently visited New Govardhana along with an Australian-award winning film-maker, Faramarz-alKahder. Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, one of the most significant actresses of Iranian cinema, came to Brisbane in early December to attend an award ceremony. Fellow Iranian Faramarz, who now lives in Australia, decided to show Fatemeh the sights. He contacted his friends Mandakini devi dasi and Aravinda dasa, who are involved in the film industry, and have known Faramarz for 10 years. Fatemeh, nicknamed Simin, along with being a famous actress, is an activist in Iran for the preservation of culture and has spiritual and charitable inclinations. She carries around in her handbag a dainty little trinket box which has a cover picture of Radha-Krsna and is broad-minded about spiritualism. She is also very well-known in India and has rubbed shoulders with the Dalai Lama and the Iranian President. After having a lovely prasadam meal at Mandakini and Aravinda’s home, they visited New Govardhana and she was enchanted by it. Kirtana was going on inside the temple and they absorbed the peaceful atmosphere. Simin expressed a strong desire to return to New Govardhana and plans to return and rent a cabin on the farm for a few weeks. Movies Simin has starred in include, Here Without Me, Nabat, Tales and The Blue-Veiled.

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=18807

We always start a new year at Kanhas with an increased focus on mantra meditation. This year we did some innovative crafts to get the children more excited about chanting the holy names. We especially love decorating bead bags. Once decorated the bead bag becomes a personalised item that the child is eager to use. These exciting crafts will get children chanting happily in no time!

Tie Dye bead bag decoration:

Material needed: White bead bag, rubber bands, sketch pens/texters/markers – any will do but thick tipped ones are more suitable

Take a plain white beadbag. Ask the child to roll it as tightly as they can. Put rubber bands at 1-2 inch width around the roll. Older children can manage this step on their own but younger ones will need help with the rubber bands.

Get the child to colour between the rubber bands. Encourage them to use different colours and let them colour for as long as they want.

Unroll the bead bag. Voila! Beautifully coloured bead bags looking as if they have been tie dyed! Put the beads in and get ready to chant!

Holy name decoration:

Write the word Hare, Krishna or Rama in large, thick width letters on paper. Let the children decorate the letters with colourful pompoms! We used 10 mm pompoms and my students loved putting one drop of glue and sticking one pompom to it. They filled the page. It was great for fine motor work and alphabet recognition too!

Some children are impatient and may not enjoy using pompoms. You can use dot markers, stickers, paint or even glitter to make it more interesting for everyone.

Counters:

You can use medium sized wooden/ plastic beads and shoe laces/beading wire to get the children to make their own counters. It is a fun beading and counting activity.

Holy name bracelets:

If you have alphabet beads you can use them with beading wire to make Hare Krishna bracelets. Help the children spell and find the correct letters among the beads. Then let them bead to make lovely bracelets.

More holy name crafts I have posted elsewhere:

Bead Bag Stamping

Holy names on canvas

Sorce: http://kanhasgarden.com.au/holy-name-crafts/#sthash.7GbBRT9x.dpuf

Mark Twain says 'The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.' When we are born is past Information, to know why we are born will bring Transfromation.

Learn the essence of Life & Gita in 6 sessions of "Journey of Self Discovery Course" Quench your Quest & Enjoy this Journey towards Stability, Wisdom & Bliss !!

This course contains the essence of a study on the text and the principal religious ideas within the Bhagavad Gita. Bhagavad-gita is the most famous spiritual book in India, spoken by Lord Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra 5,000 years ago. In this course, we have considered the Bhagavad Gita and tried to establish the main themes it pursues in its teachings, thereby seeking to identify the full significance of this famous scripture.

This course has been designed for the students of Vedanta, spiritual seekers, and all who wish to live a life of quality and perfection.

This on-demand online course provides the flexibility of studying at your own convenience without causing any disruption of home and work life. You progress at your own rate,taking one video at a time, so that it suits your schedule.

Journey of Self-Discovery (English)

Journey of Self-Discovery (Hindi)

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, May 2010, Simhachalam, Germany, Nrshima Caturdasi)

Our movement did well in the beginning with strictness but sometimes lacked in human kindness. Now, in the Iskcon of the new millennium, we have more kindness but have lost our strictness. Before, because of a lack of kindness there was fanaticism but now, we are missing the strictness that will keep us away frommaya and keep us making progress. So we need to come to a situation of strictness with kindness.

Source: https://www.kksblog.com/2016/02/42234/

A Lecture by Giriraj Swami
Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.4.22
December 2, 2007
Juhu, Bombay

We read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Four, Chapter Four: “Sati Quits Her Body.”

TEXT 22

naitena dehena hare krtagaso
dehodbhavenalam alam kujanmana
vrida mamabhut kujana-prasangatas
taj janma dhig yo mahatam avadya-krt

SYNONYMS

na—not; etena—by this; dehena—by the body; hare—to Lord Siva; krta-agasah—having committed offenses; deha-udbhavena—produced from your body; alam alam—enough, enough; ku-janmana—with a contemptible birth; vrida—shame; mama—my; abhut—was; ku-jana-prasangatah—from a relationship with a bad person; tat janma—that birth; dhik—shameful; yah—who; mahatam—of the great personalities; avadya-krt—an offender.

TRANSLATION

You are an offender at the lotus feet of Lord Siva, and unfortunately I have a body produced from yours. I am very much ashamed of our bodily relationship, and I condemn myself because my body is contaminated by a relationship with a person who is an offender at the lotus feet of the greatest personality.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Lord Siva is the greatest of all devotees of Lord Visnu. It is stated, vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh. Sambhu, Lord Siva, is the greatest of all devotees of Lord Visnu. In the previous verses, Sati has described that Lord Siva is always in a transcendental position because he is situated in pure vasudeva. Vasudeva is that state from which Krsna, Vasudeva, is born, so Lord Siva is the greatest devotee of Lord Krsna, and Sati’s behavior is exemplary because no one should tolerate blasphemy against Lord Visnu or His devotee. Sati is aggrieved not for her personal association with Lord Siva but because her body is related with that of Daksa, who is an offender at Lord Siva’s lotus feet. She feels herself to be condemned because of the body given by her father, Daksa.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

We have been reading the conversation between Sati and her father Daksa, who had blasphemed Lord Siva in the sacrificial arena. Sati is the wife of Lord Siva, and later, after hearing about the offense, she decided to approach her father to try to persuade him to give up his offensive mentality. But Daksa was unable to appreciate Sati’s good instructions. It is common that a parent considers himself to be in a superior position to a child and therefore does not take the good advice of the child seriously. But a learned person or a noble person will take good instructions from anyone. He can take gold from a dirty place, and he can also take good instructions from anyone.

After serving in India for three years I became very sick. At the time, none of Prabhupada’s disciples would leave India, because they knew that Prabhupada wanted them all to stay and serve in India. So I never even considered leaving India an option, but I was unable to recover my health, and eventually Srila Prabhupada himself said that as long as I remained there I would not be able to recover. So I went to Los Angeles, and after some days Srila Prabhupada came there from India. At first I couldn’t even come to his room to hear him speak, because I was so weak, but gradually I did recover.

Once, I was in his room in the afternoon when he would make himself available to meet people, and Hrdayananda dasa Goswami’s mother came to meet Srila Prabhupada. He began to tell her about Devahuti and Kapila—that Devahuti was Kapila’s mother but that because Kapila was an elevated spiritual personality, Devahuti took instruction from him. Thus Srila Prabhupada told Hrdayananda Maharaja’s mother that she should be prepared to take instruction from her son, because he was spiritually advanced. Of course, she was seeing her son in her own way. One of the first things that Srila Prabhupada said to her was “Your son is very intelligent,” and she replied, “Yes, Howard always was a good student.” In any case, Srila Prabhupada spoke the truth, and she heard it.

Sati was trying to give some good instruction to her father, but because he was so polluted by envy and offensiveness towards Lord Siva, he could not appreciate it. Therefore she felt condemned by her relationship with Daksa, her father, and decided to give up her body, because her relationship with him brought her so much distress. In the next verse she will explain that sometimes her husband, Lord Siva, would refer to her as Daksayini, the daughter of Daksa, and that thinking of Daksa, all of her happiness would disappear, because she would be reminded of Daksa’s offensiveness toward Lord Siva, who was not only her husband but also a great soul (mahatam). She repudiated her relationship with her father because he was mahatam avadya-krt, an offender against great personalities. All devotees are great personalities (mahats, or mahatmas). Anyone who surrenders to Krsna (Vasudeva) is a great personality (sa mahatma su-durlabhah). And, as Srila Prabhupada quotes in the purport, among all of them, Lord Siva is the greatest (vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh). So to be an offender against Lord Siva is very serious, and thinking of Daksa’s offensiveness made Sati feel very bad.

Earlier, Sati had said that because she had heard blasphemy of Lord Siva she should give up her body. Actually, if one is able, when one hears blasphemy of a great soul, of a Vaisnava, one should cut out the tongue of the offender, kill him, and then give up one’s life. But because Daksa was Sati’s father, she thought it inappropriate to kill him. She considered, “Instead of killing him, I will kill that part of his body that belongs to me—that is, the body that I got from him.”

What is the body? The body is just a bag of chemicals. In and of itself, the body has no value. Sati knew the process of yoga. Great yogis can leave their bodies at will. So she had decided to give up her body, which was contaminated by her relationship with an offender against great souls, by the process of yoga.

Why is Lord Siva considered the greatest Vaisnava? Because he is always absorbed in thought of Vasudeva (Krsna). The state in which one can always be absorbed in Krsna consciousness, in thought of Vasudeva, is called vasudeva, or suddha-sattva, a state transcendental to the material modes of nature. When one is completely freed from the influence of material nature, he comes to the stage of suddha-sattva, or vasudeva, in which Vasudeva, or Krsna, is revealed. Vasudeva is also the name of Krsna’s father, and in a very literal, transcendental way Krsna (Vasudeva) appears from His father (Vasudeva). This fact is explained, and elaborated on in a profound purport by Srila Prabhupada, in the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Chapter Two: “Prayers by the Demigods to Krsna in the Womb.”

TEXT 18

tato jagan-mangalam acyutamsam
samahitam sura-sutena devi
dadhara sarvatmakam atma-bhutam
kastha yathananda-karam manastah

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, accompanied by plenary expansions, the fully opulent Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is all-auspicious for the entire universe, was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to the mind of Devaki. Devaki, having thus been initiated by Vasudeva, became beautiful by carrying Lord Krsna, the original consciousness for everyone, the cause of all causes, within the core of her heart, just as the east becomes beautiful by carrying the rising moon.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

As indicated here by the word manastah, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was transferred from the core of Vasudeva’s mind or heart to the core of the heart of Devaki. We should note carefully that the Lord was transferred to Devaki not by the ordinary way for a human being, but by diksa, initiation. Thus the importance of initiation is mentioned here. Unless one is initiated by the right person, who always carries within his heart the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one cannot acquire the power to carry the Supreme Godhead within the core of one’s own heart.

When Vasudeva was sustaining the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within his heart, he appeared just like the glowing sun, whose shining rays are always unbearable and scorching to the common man. The form of the Lord situated in the pure, unalloyed heart of Vasudeva is not different from the original form of Krsna. The appearance of the form of Krsna anywhere, and specifically within the heart, is called dhama. Dhama refers not only to Krsna’s form, but to His name, His form, His quality, and His paraphernalia. Everything becomes manifest simultaneously. Thus the eternal form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead with full potencies was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to the mind of Devaki, exactly as the setting sun’s rays are transferred to the full moon rising in the east.

Commenting upon this verse, Sri Viraraghava Acarya writes, vasudeva-devaki jatharayor hrdayayor bhagavatah sambandhah. The Supreme Lord’s entrance into the womb of Devaki from the heart of Vasudeva was a heart-to-heart relationship.

COMMENT

When a devotee comes to the stage of vasudeva, as was the case with Krsna’s father Vasudeva, he acquires the power to carry the Supreme Personality of Godhead within his heart. Not only the form of the Lord but His associates, His pastimes, His abode—everything—is manifest in the heart of the pure devotee. When the pure devotee has the power to carry the Lord within his heart, he also has the power to transfer the Lord to the heart of another devotee who is qualified, and that transferring of Krsna from the heart of the pure devotee to the heart of, in fact, another pure devotee, is called diksa (initiation)—a very deep process.

Such statements naturally give rise to the question, How do we know if someone is in the vasudeva status, if he has the power to carry Krsna in His heart and thus give Krsna to us? Now, that may be a difficult question to answer, because, as Srila Prabhupada writes in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, there are different ways of seeing the spiritual master. One is the objective way, and the other is the subjective way. “There are two kinds of instructing spiritual masters. One is the liberated person fully absorbed in meditation in devotional service, and the other is he who invokes the disciple’s spiritual consciousness by means of relevant instructions. Thus the instructions in the science of devotion are differentiated in terms of the objective and subjective ways of understanding. The acarya in the true sense of the term, who is authorized to deliver Krsna, enriches the disciple with full spiritual knowledge and thus awakens him to the activities of devotional service.” (Cc Adi 1.47 purport) The subjective way is a little difficult—because it is subjective. We are dealing with things we may be unable to see. The objective way is easier, because we are dealing with things that we can perceive directly with the senses, even senses that are not completely purified.

Srila Prabhupada has said in many places that we can recognize someone as a bona fide spiritual master if he repeats the message of Krsna; he gives relevant instructions which if followed can elevate the disciple to the level of Krsna consciousness, to the stage of vasudeva. Thus, Srila Prabhupada said that the spiritual master is like a peon. He just delivers the message of Krsna. A peon, personally, might be a poor man, but he can deliver a parcel with a crore of rupees, with a million dollars, to you. And if he delivers a crore of rupees to you, you will be very happy. You won’t criticize the peon—“Oh, you are just a poor man. You get a thousand rupees a month.” You will think, “Oh, you have brought me a crore of rupees. I am very grateful.” Similarly, whatever the preacher’s personal assets may be, if he delivers the message of Krsna purely, as it is, he is giving you the greatest gift, and if you follow the instructions of Krsna that he delivers, you will eventually be purified and come to the vasudeva platform.

nitya-siddha krsna-prema ‘sadhya’ kabhu naya
sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya

“Pure love for Krsna is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens.” (Cc Madhya 22.107) Such pure love of Godhead is already there within the heart. It is not something to be gotten from someone else. It just has to be awakened. And the process by which it is awakened is hearing about Krsna from devotees.

Srila Prabhupada gives the example that fire is in a match, although it is not manifest. But if you strike the match, the fire will come out. In the same way, love of Godhead is already there within the heart. We just have to strike the heart, and that love of Godhead will come out. The process of striking the heart is hearing and chanting about Krsna in the association of pure devotees.

Anyone can deliver the message of Krsna purely—as it is—and anyone can receive the message and follow the process and thus come to the stage of vasudeva. That was Prabhupada’s mood—that each and every one of us should follow and preach and thus become guru.

yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa
amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa

He would tell us, as originally instructed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, “On My order, you become a guru.” “How do I become a guru? I don’t know anything.” “Yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa: whomever you meet, you just repeat the instructions of Krsna as they are found in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is a very simple business.”

Of course, one must practice as well as preach. One must at least chant sixteen rounds, follow the regulative principles, and repeat the message of Krsna as it is. If one does so, one’s preaching will be effective. In one purport (Cc Antya 4.103), Srila Prabhupada confirms the basic qualifications of guru. “Sanatana Gosvami clearly defines herein the bona fide spiritual master of the world. The qualifications expressed in this connection are that one must act according to the scriptural injunctions and at the same time preach. . . . The members of the Krsna consciousness movement chant a minimum of sixteen rounds a day, which can be done without difficulty, and at the same time they must preach the cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu according to the gospel of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. One who does so is quite fit to become a spiritual master for the entire world.” These are the qualifications, and one can observe them objectively.

But in the verse and purport from the Tenth Canto, Srila Prabhupada is speaking in the subjective way, about the internal qualification of a person to carry Krsna within his heart. Such a person must have reached the exalted position of suddha-sattva, completely beyond the modes of material nature. He must be a completely liberated, pure devotee—a maha-bhagavata, uttama Vaisnava. To him, Krsna is revealed within the heart. Dhama. Everything about Krsna is fully revealed, and therefore we can get Krsna more easily or more fully from him. Still, the process is through transcendental sound, through instruction (upadesa) and through mantra.

When someone is on the platform of suddha-sattva, he is completely filled with suddha-sattva. He emanates it, and one can pick it up from him in any way—from his glance, from just being in his presence. Many devotees have remarked that the first time they saw Srila Prabhupada their hearts immediately melted and they began to cry. Often they first saw Srila Prabhupada when he arrived at an airport, and many devotees have reported that upon seeing Srila Prabhupada, ordinary people—not devotees or disciples—would bow down. They would bow, and tears would flow from their eyes. They would have experiences like they had never had before. There are some devotees who hadn’t decided to surrender but because of some association with devotees, or maybe just out of curiosity, they went to the airport to receive Srila Prabhupada. And then they experienced such changes in their consciousness, such transcendental ecstasy—just by seeing or being close to him—that they decided to surrender to him.

That is the power of a pure devotee who can really carry Krsna within his heart. That suddha-sattva spiritual energy actually permeates the person’s whole being. As described in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, suddha-sattva-visesatma: one’s whole being is infused with suddha-sattva, beginning in the stage of bhava.

Srila Prabhupada has given the example of iron in fire. If you put an iron rod in fire, it will gradually become hotter and hotter until finally it becomes red-hot. And when it is red-hot, it no longer acts as iron but acts as fire; it glows with heat. It becomes as good as fire. In the same way, if we place ourselves in Krsna, in Krsna consciousness, through the process of hearing and chanting and remembering Krsna, we gradually become more and more Krsna-ized until finally we become fully Krsna-ized, fully spiritualized. Then, even though we are still in the physical body, the body no longer acts materially; it acts spiritually, only in service to Krsna, because it is completely infused with suddha-sattva.

Paraphrasing the suddha-sattva verse from the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, which describes bhava-bhakti, Srila Prabhupada has written in The Nectar of Devotion (Chapter 17): “At that time one’s heart becomes illuminated like the sun. The sun is far above the planetary systems, and there is no possibility of its being covered by any kind of cloud; similarly, when a devotee is purified like the sun, from his pure heart there is a diffusion of ecstatic love which is more glorious than the sunshine.”

When we associate with a devotee in the vasudeva state, we can catch the rays of the sun of ecstatic love that emanate from the devotee’s heart. The pure devotee who carries Krsna in his heart carries within him the sun of ecstatic love, and the rays of that sun emanate and can touch anyone—and when one is touched, one can be transformed.

There were people who got a glimpse of divine love in Prabhupada’s presence and were permanently transformed. They took up the process of bhakti-yoga, and they will eventually come to the stage of pure love for Krsna. But there were others who experienced the potency of the pure devotee but didn’t really take up the process, or who took it up briefly but didn’t stick to it. Why this difference? The answer is that not only must the guru be qualified, but the disciple must be too. Not only was Vasudeva qualified to carry Krsna and transfer Him; Devaki was qualified to receive Him and hold Him. So both the guru and the disciple must be qualified. Devaki was qualified to receive Krsna from her husband Vasudeva, from his heart into her heart, and she was able to bear Krsna within herself until eventually He emerged in His manifest form, which everyone could see, and thus began krsna-lila.

So the recipient, or disciple, must also be qualified, and so Srila Prabhupada sometimes gave the example of conception. For conception to take place the male must be potent and the female must be fertile. Similarly, for the transmission of transcendental knowledge to take place, the speaker must be bona fide and the audience must be sincere—eager. Both must be qualified.

It is very interesting, because here in the Tenth Canto we are dealing with something that resembles conception but is actually completely spiritual. Srila Prabhupada, to explain the spiritual process of the transmission of transcendental knowledge, brought it down to the example of conception, which is something we can understand. If the preacher or spiritual master is potent—if he can present the message as it is—and if the audience or disciple is receptive—able to accept the message as it is within the heart and follow the instructions—then the genuine transferal of spiritual knowledge can take place.

Often we think, “Who is qualified to give me transcendental knowledge?” But we should also ask, “Do I have the necessary qualifications to receive transcendental knowledge?” In the twenty-fourth chapter of the Madhya-lila of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructs Sanatana Gosvami to compile a book (which he did compose, Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa), and in it to describe the characteristics of the spiritual master (guru), the characteristics of the disciple (sisya), and the mutual testing (pariksana) between the spiritual master and the disciple, so that each can be assured of the position of the other. In his purport, Srila Prabhupada quotes the qualifications for a disciple, and if you read them you will conclude that to be qualified as a disciple one has to be a pure devotee. The qualifications for the disciple are so high. To even be considered eligible to be a disciple, you have to be a pure devotee.

That is the highest level of spiritual master and disciple. The spiritual master is a pure devotee, maha-bhagavata, and the disciple is also a pure devotee. That is the bhagavata-parampara—the spiritual masters are pure devotees and the disciples are pure devotees. But especially now, as Kali-yuga is progressing, we don’t always find such qualified spiritual masters and disciples as Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, or Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji, or Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, or Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Srila Prabhupada. They were all maha-bhagavatas. But still, as Srila Prabhupada writes, also in the Madhya-lila, as long as a devotee, even a neophyte, has faith that the holy name of Krsna is Krsna, he can awaken Krsna consciousness in others—because ultimately we are talking about bhakti, different stages of bhakti. Sadhana-bhakti, bhava-bhakti, and prema-bhakti are ultimately but different stages of development of one entity: bhakti. And bhakti begins with faith (adau sraddha). So if someone has genuine faith (sraddha), he can give faith to, or awaken faith in, someone else. And that person whose genuine faith has been awakened by the association of a devotee who has genuine faith, will nourish the seed of that creeper of devotion (bhakti-lata-bija) by hearing and chanting about Krsna, and the plant will grow and grow and eventually pierce the coverings of the universe, take shelter at the lotus feet of Krsna, and bear the fruits of love for Krsna (prema-phala).

So even though we might not be so qualified as gurus and sisyas, as instructors and students, the process itself has sufficient potency, as long as it is kept pure, to awaken love of Godhead. As long as our sraddha is pure, we can preach, and we can hear the message of the preacher, accept the instructions in our hearts, and follow—and we can all go back home, back to Godhead, together. It really is a process. Nitya-siddha krsna-prema: love for Krsna is already there within the heart. Sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya: it has only to be awakened by the process of hearing and chanting. Therefore Srila Prabhupada had faith that he could establish centers of Krsna consciousness all over the world and invite people to associate with devotees—associating with devotees means associating with the process of hearing and chanting about Krsna—and thus they would make spiritual advancement and ultimately go back to Godhead. As Srila Prabhupada said, he didn’t want ISKCON to become a personality cult. He wanted it to be a vehicle for presenting a message and a process that anyone can follow and anyone can repeat. And if we follow the process purely and present the message purely—if we don’t make changes, don’t allow compromises, don’t entertain mixed motives—if we do it purely even if we are not completely pure, if we present the message as it is and if we act in the mood of selfless service, then our efforts as preachers will have effect and our efforts as recipients of the message will also bear fruit. That was Prabhupada’s faith, his firm conviction. And we should have faith in him.

Sometimes disciples or others would raise the question of acarya with Srila Prabhupada: “Who will be the acarya after you leave?” Srila Prabhupada said, “Anyone who follows can become leader.” And in the same mood he said, “We don’t require one acarya. We require thousands of acaryas.” So that is the legacy that Srila Prabhupada left us—every one of us: we should accept the instructions of Krsna, follow the process of Krsna consciousness, and repeat the message of Krsna—distribute it for the benefit of others.

That is what we are doing now, in the December marathon. We are giving the message of Krsna directly from Srila Prabhupada in the form of Bhagavad-gita As It Is and other books. We are giving people direct association with Prabhupada. What greater gift can we give? And the people who receive the books, by reading and following the instructions in the books, can have their faith awakened. They can become devotees and make further progress. And the books themselves will guide them to associate with devotees. First people awaken faith (adau sraddha), and then they associate with devotees, sadhus (tatah sadhu-sango). So we should be proper sadhus. A sadhu abides by the scriptures (sadhava) and acts as a perfect gentleman. And as followers of Srila Prabhupada, we should also preach. We should be merciful (karunika) and preach—follow the process as it is and repeat the message as it is. It is very easy, if we keep pure, without duplicity or ulterior motives. “It is simple for the simple, but very hard for the crooked.” Otherwise, anyone can do it. It is very easy. And the result will be that we will all go back home, back to Godhead. And as Prabhupada said, “There will be another ISKCON in the spiritual sky.”

Hare Krsna.

Are there any questions or comments?

Mahanidhi Swami: You said the spiritual master places Krsna in the heart. I thought that Krsna was already in the heart as Paramatma. But your presentation seems to indicate that the heart is empty, that there is no Krsna within the heart. Can you explain?

Giriraj Swami: Mahanidhi Swami, as a perfect devotee, is asking a question not for his sake but for the sake of others. In the purport, Srila Prabhupada said that a pure devotee has the power to carry Krsna in his heart and that he can transfer Krsna into the heart of a proper recipient. So someone could wonder, Does that mean that Krsna is not already in the heart?

Of course, Krsna is in the heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati: the Supreme Lord is in the hearts of all living entities. But for conditioned souls He is covered. In dealing with transcendence, the same subject can be described in different language, from different angles of vision, to help us understand a reality that is beyond our direct perception. In the verse nitya-siddha krsna-prema, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu uses the word udaya, which means “awakens.” Love for Krsna is there, dormant, and when we purify the heart by hearing and chanting, it awakens. So, Krsna is in the heart, but our consciousness of Him is dormant. And when we awaken to Krsna consciousness—when we come to the stage of suddha-sattva—Krsna is revealed without any covering.

sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam
yad iyate tatra puman apavrtah
sattve ca tasmin bhagavan vasudevo
hy adhoksajo me namasa vidhiyate

[Lord Siva said:] “The condition of pure goodness [suddha-sattva], in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead is revealed without any covering, is called vasudeva. In that pure state the Supreme Godhead, who is beyond the material senses and who is known as Vasudeva, is perceived by my mind.” (SB 4.3.23 as Cc Adi 4.66)

When we talk about transferring Krsna from the heart of the pure devotee, we are really talking about awakening consciousness of Krsna, who is everywhere. Srila Prabhupada said, “Just as Krsna is all-pervading, Goloka Vrndavana is all-pervading.” So Krsna—His form, His qualities, His pastimes, His associates, His abode (dhama)—in other words, the whole of Goloka Vrndavana, is all-pervading. It is in the heart. But we have to purify our consciousness to be able to perceive Krsna. And the purified devotee to whom Krsna has been revealed can give us instructions by which we too can come to the stage in which Krsna is revealed. In that sense, the devotee is giving us Krsna.

Amiyavilasa Swami: I would like to understand what you meant when you said that ISKCON is not a personality cult. Can you please explain?

Giriraj Swami: In a personality cult, one worships someone independent of Krsna and parampara. There are many figures, some of whom have institutions, who are worshiped, but they are not authorized by Krsna; they do not come in disciplic succession (parampara). By contrast, Srila Prabhupada is coming in a parampara, the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya line, and he has predecessors and successors. It is not just Prabhupada. Prabhupada followed his predecessors, and Prabhupada’s successors are following him. And thus the line continues. A personality cult is all about the person, as if he came out of nowhere. There is no line that descends from Krsna and continues on. But parampara means there is a process, there is a message, and the process and the message continue—eternally. They begin with Krsna, and they are passed from one to the next. Parampara means “one after the other.” The message and the process are passed from one to the next—from Krsna to Brahma to Narada to Vyasa to Madhvacarya, and so on, Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Rupa Gosvami, and then Bhaktivinoda Thakura to Gaurakisora dasa Babaji to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to Srila Prabhupada and then to us. We all repeat the same message, and the people who hear it from us also repeat it, and it continues. It is eternal. That is parampara. And a personality cult means someone gets a flash, realizes the truth, and propounds some new method; he becomes the latest avatara, latest incarnation, latest savior. There is no proper line of predecessors and successors who ultimately derive their authority from Krsna. It is all concocted, based on a personality who is imperfect. It is not based on the supreme, perfect authority, God, or Krsna. Parampara means that ultimately the message comes from Krsna. Krsna-upadesa: we just follow and repeat Krsna’s instructions.

Amiyavilasa Swami: Isn’t the institution only as good as the people in it?

Giriraj Swami: True. An institution involves persons. Just walking through the gates of the temple doesn’t guarantee that you are going to become Krsna conscious. That was Srila Prabhupada’s point. He wanted the centers of Krsna consciousness to be places where people can associate with pure devotees and hear the message of Krsna. Although people benefit from seeing the Deity, the Deity worship should be accompanied by speaking about Krsna. Then, if people come and see the charming forms of the Lord and hear the discussions of Krsna in the temple, they can get the seed of devotional service, water it by more chanting and hearing with devotees, and grow in Krsna consciousness. Certainly ISKCON doesn’t mean a Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations. It means devotees who are following Srila Prabhupada’s orders and repeating his message. What you said is certainly true. Thank you.

Devakinandana dasa: Thank you, Maharaja, for a wonderful class. I have two questions. One is, you were talking about the subjective and objective ways of seeing. Now, is the subjective way of seeing on a higher level, raganuga-bhakti or something like that, and is the objective way of seeing like sadhana-bhakti? When Prabhupada came and they saw him and were crying tears—was that seeing in the subjective way or the objective way?

Giriraj Swami: In general, we hear about kanistha-bhaktas, madhyama-bhaktas, and uttama-bhaktas. But Srila Prabhupada was much more than even an uttama-bhakta, or maha-bhagavata. He was a saktyavesa-avatara. In other words, there may be maha-bhagavatas, completely pure devotees who have come to the stage of bhava or prema but who don’t have the same potency as Prabhupada. What Srila Prabhupada exhibited is so extraordinary that it is practically unprecedented. I don’t know if any acarya in the history of the sampradaya has exhibited that kind of potency and that kind of mercy, to be able to affect such fallen souls in such a powerful way. So in the case of Srila Prabhupada, we are not just talking about a maha-bhagavata. We are talking about a saktyavesa-avatara, an empowered personality who did things that no one before him had ever done.

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

“The fundamental religious system in the Age of Kali is the chanting of the holy name of Krsna. Unless empowered by Krsna, one cannot propagate the sankirtana movement.” (Cc Antya 7.11)

What happened in Srila Prabhupada’s presence was so dramatic, so powerful, that almost anyone could see and feel it. But even then, one’s perception depends on one’s openness of heart. Even some of Prabhupada’s godbrothers attributed his success to the fact that he was a good businessman. They didn’t recognize the obvious fact that he was an empowered Vaisnava. With “ordinary” maha-bhagavatas—and maha-bhagavatas are not ordinary at all—the effects of their association will not necessarily be as dramatic as the effects of Srila Prabhupada’s. And so it could be easier to misunderstand the position of such a maha-bhagavata.

To give an example, there are many devotees who believe that Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja was a maha-bhagavata. They saw things in him that convinced them that he was a maha-bhagavata. But when he was present, there was controversy about him. To a large extent the controversy may have been caused by some of his disciples, because of the way they conducted themselves. But still, he was not universally recognized as a maha-bhagavata when he was here. In a GBC meeting once, the members were considering the responsibilities of a spiritual leader. Different members were proposing different responsibilities, and someone was writing the list on the board. Srila Gour Govinda Swami raised his hand and said, “To give Krsna.” Now, that answer, “to give Krsna,” somehow didn’t fit in their conception of what they wanted for the list. (Maybe it was too subjective.) So they didn’t write it down. But he insisted, “No, you must write it down. His responsibility is to give Krsna. You must write it down.” They didn’t want to write it, because it didn’t fit their conception. “You write it down,” he insisted. “He must give Krsna.” Eventually, they wrote it down.

The point is that in the case of Prabhupada, his position was so clear that unless someone was really envious or covered, the person could appreciate his exalted Krsna consciousness. But in the case of an “ordinary” maha-bhagavata—and I cited Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja because so many advanced devotees believe he was a maha-bhagavata—it may not be that easy to see. He wasn’t that universally recognized, because the perception of his internal position was subjective. People saw him in different ways, and nobody could prove that he was a maha-bhagavata or wasn’t a maha-bhagavata—it was subjective. But if someone is repeating the message of Krsna as it is, you can observe it. Prabhupada often remarked, “Krsna says, ‘Surrender to Me,’ and the bona fide spiritual master says, ‘Surrender to Krsna,’ so there is no difference.” You can test the person. You can hear what he says. You can see what he does. Is he repeating the message as it is? Is he following the process as it is? Is he chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra? Is he following the regulative principles? Is he following the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita? Is he teaching others to do the same? Barring someone who is a cheater, a cunning rascal who is trying to fool people, we can see and judge. That is objective. You see that he is getting up, going to mangala-arati, chanting his rounds, and preaching, and that what he says comes from Srila Prabhupada, from the parampara, and from sastra. It is objective.

But what you said first could also be true. The objective instructions may relate to one’s external activities performed with the present senses, in sadhana-bhakti. And the subjective instructions may relate to one’s internal relationship with Krsna, in raganuga-bhakti. But if we properly follow the regulative principles of devotional service in practice (sadhana), we will eventually come to the purified stage of perfection (siddha) and awaken to our eternal relationship with Krsna. Either way, we reach the ultimate goal, krsna-prema.

Devakinandana dasa: Second, it seems unfair that Sati had to give up her body.

Giriraj Swami: If you identify with the body, then it is a big thing to have to give it up. From the spiritual point of view, hearing blasphemy is also blasphemy; it means that you are implicated in sadhu-ninda, vaisnava-aparadha, which has very serious consequences. Now, if you give up the body, which is just a dress that covers the soul, what is the big thing? Spiritually, you can continue in the next life from where you left off. You can make progress. But if you keep that offense with you—if you don’t deal with it—then your spiritual life will be disturbed, and the reactions may carry into the next life. So, from the spiritual point of view, the devotee may think, “Okay, this dress got soiled. I’ll just change my dress and carry on.” But if you keep wearing the same contaminated dress, it can affect your consciousness, and you can go down.

Thank you very much. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Hare Krsna.

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=18763