The Sahayadri Varnasrama College (SVC) is now accepting applications from male candidates for its one-month course to be given from January 6 to 31, 2016 on the campus at Sahayadri Sri Krishna Balarama Ksetra (SSKBK) located near the small town of Hebri in the district of Udupi, Karnataka.
On-going since 2009, the courses offered during this year will focus on land, cows and Krishna. Experienced faculty members will cover the courses as mentioned in the brochure attached.
In addition to practical courses in the mornings and theory classes in the afternoon, students will also get the opportunity to take field trips in neighboring areas to observe the richness of the Sahayadri Mountain range described as one of the rare bio-diversity hot-spots on the planet.
In keeping with the Vedic educational system of Gurukula, the courses are offered without fees but students are requested to honor the practice of dakshina. Filled applications [attached] can be send to rayaramananda@yahoo.co.in. Shortlisted students for the course will be informed by phone or mail.

For more information on courses contact:
Rayaramanada das – 9900458902
Krishna Chandra das – 9448784302
Sundarananda das – 9880233968

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17962

By Lila-shuka das

This project was made with the sole purpose of inspiring all devotees to perform more Harinama Sankirtana.

In addition, this project shows the activity of Harinama Sankirtana around the world.

When you enter the website ( www.harinammap.com ) you can see the world map and the menu.

The Map shows the activity of Harinama Sankirtana around the world.

The Menu gives you some features of how to use the map.

You can see 3 filters there… 1) By status 2) By team 3) By devotee

By status:

Upcoming – this shows upcoming Harinamas

Old – this shows past Harinamas

By team:

Choose any team and you will see their activity

By devotee:

Particular devotee who puts Harinamas to the map on behalf of Yatra, team or temple.

Choose any and you will see his/their yatra activity.

In order to prevent chaos on the map, we don’t give for everyone rights to add Harinamas. We only give this to a person who we know as a responsible person for Harinamas in his city, yatra, team etc. By choosing any devotee from the list you can see which Harinamas he has put on the website.

Colors of the circles on the map

Color is going from red to blue (red, reddish, orange, yellow, green, and blue) with different tones

Red – this place is very active in making Harinamas (fired up)

Blue – long time there wasn’t any Harinamas here

From red to blue the color means the intensity of activity in a particluar place. Orange color means medium intensity in making Harinamas.

Numbers in the circles:

Number shows how many Harinamas were performed in that particular place.

Menu in the left:

Example 1.10.2015 – this is is the date of Harinama

[11:00] – time when the Harinama will be performed, according to the time of the place where it will take place

Under date and time is mentioned the place where it is performed (Example: London, England)

ALL HARINAMS – Harinamas added by devotees

*MY HARINAMS – here you can add Harinamas and view your added Harinamas

* field for Admins, Moderators, Teams

We hope this project all the devotees around the world will find useful.

Your servants in Sri Harinam Mandir

Source: http://harinammandir.com/

Krishna has many energies or potencies, which have three main categories. The first is his “internal energy”, which manifests as the spiritual world and his most confidential associates who always reside there. Chief among these is Radharani, who is Krishna’s eternal consort. She is the female aspect of the Supreme, and from her come many other consorts who are known as “gopis”, Krishna’s unmarried lovers, and as his married queens. The internal energy is also known as Yogamaya, a female personality who brings us closer to Krishna when we try to serve him.

His second energy is the “marginal potency”, which consists of the innumerable jivas or souls. We are called marginal as we can come under the influence of either the internal energy or the third of Krishna’s potencies, the external energy known asmahamaya. This is the material world and indeed the illusion of being the material body, separate and independent of God. Such is the condition we find ourselves in right now, and Krishna therefore acts in various ways to bring us into his association, as mentioned above. The name Krishna actually means ‘all-attractive’ and by coming to this world he reveals that attractiveness in order to draw us toward him.

Simply by hearing about Krishna and his divine pastimes from authorised scriptures such as the Vedas we can become attracted to him. There is no other way of gaining knowledge about God. He is beyond the material senses and the philosophers are correct when they say he cannot be encompassed by thought. Certainly no process of speculation will arrive at perfect knowledge of God, but he can reveal himself to us if he chooses, and we accept the Vedas as such revelation.

Ultimately God is a person who wants to be known and loved by us all. Those who have approached him say that he is the most wonderful personality, the one for whom we are all searching, unlimitedly qualified with all transcendental attributes. We get a glimpse of this by studying texts such as the Bhagavad-gita, but if we want to fully appreciate his greatness then we must follow the process it describes.

And the result? In Srila Prabhupada’s words, “Your life will be sublime.”

Source: http://www.krishnadharma.com/the-supreme-person/

This brings us to the second level of God realisation in Vedic theology, known as the Paramatma or Supersoul. This is an expansion of God who is found in the heart of every living being and also within every atom of the creation. It is the all-pervasive aspect of the Supreme, but in a personal form rather than impersonal energy.

The Bhagavad-gita describes the Supersoul as the “overseer and permitter” within this world. In other words, he is witnessing all our deeds and is awarding us the results. He gives us free will to act, but within the constraints of our karma for past acts. It is also said that he is the source of knowledge, remembrance and forgetfulness. He is thus in complete control of all living beings, but the Vedas emphasise that he never interferes with our free will. However, if we commit sinful acts he naturally obliges us to accept the result. He also ensures we get the results of our more pious acts, but we tend to have less issues with this side of things.

It is said that God as the Supersoul resides in the heart, right next to the soul, and is aware of the soul’s desires in the same way that a person “smells the aroma of a flower.” He thus reciprocates with our desires in accordance with what we deserve. And when he detects in us a desire to know him rather than to pursue material pleasures, he brings us closer to him. He will direct us to spiritual teachings or a spiritual master, which are also said to be “external manifestations” of the Supersoul. In this way he is always making himself and the path to liberation available. It is up to us to make the right choice, but he is always ready. There is no question of him being aloof and apathetic.

The Bhagavad-gita explains it as follows, “I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.” Srila Prabhupada also explains further, “The Lord, as the Supersoul, guides the living entities who are conditioned by the physical atmosphere. He gives the living entity the intelligence with which to improve his position so that he may return home, back to Godhead, or if he does not want to go back to Godhead, the Lord gives him the intelligence with which to improve his material position.”

And this brings us to the third and final level of God realisation, referred to by Prabhupada as “Godhead”. This is known as Bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

RELATING WITH GOD

Bhagavan is the “last word” in God realisation in Vedic theology. This is God’s original, personal form. The word Bhagavan means “one who possesses all opulence” and Vedic scriptures say this means Krishna. The Bhagavad-gita says he is the source of everything, material and spiritual.

The three levels or phases of God realisation are compared to seeing a hill from a distance and then going closer. At first when we are far away it may seem like a cloud. Then as we get closer we see that it is in fact a hill. And when we get closer still we see a village on the hill with different buildings and activities going on. In the same way our first understanding of God is his Brahman feature, then the Paramatma, and finally Bhagavan. They are all the same reality, but perceived differently by different observers according to their level of realisation.

Bhagavan or Krishna is thus the highest level of understanding. He is described as the cause of all causes, the “one without a second”, the creator, maintainer and destroyer of everything. His nature is knowledge, eternity and bliss, a nature that we as parts of him also share. He is also described as the “reservoir of pleasure”, and this pleasure is fully realised when we become conscious of him.

Followers of all traditions have described the ecstasy of God realisation. The Christian mystic Thomas Traherne, said in his Centuries of Meditations, “All appeared new, and strange at first, inexpressibly rare and delightful and beautiful…my entrance into the world was saluted and surrounded with innumerable joys. My knowledge was divine… Everything was at rest, free and immortal.”  The Sufi Al-Junayd spoke of a “wondrous and ecstatic grace,” and the thirteenth century Franciscan hermit Angela of Foligno wrote, “I beheld in all things naught but the divine power, in a manner assuredly indescribable…the whole world is full of God!”

The highest ecstasy is realised at the level of Bhagavan, when one awakens a loving relationship with God. According to the Bhagavad-gita it is the supreme goal of yoga practise. Krishna says, “Of all yogis, the one with great faith who always abides in me, thinks of me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to me is the most intimately united with me in yoga and is the highest of all.”

Throughout many Vedic texts Krishna is repeatedly declared to be the Supreme Person from whom everything emanates. He is found in the eternal spiritual world, where he is forever enjoying loving pastimes with his devotees. The supreme goal of yoga is therefore to enter those pastimes, relating with God in one of four main moods: as either his servant, friend, parent or conjugal lover.

Source: http://www.krishnadharma.com/the-supreme-person/

In its most recent survey on the subject of God, the National Centre for Social Research found that some ninety percent of us claim to be believers.  One in five even said they had no doubts about God’s existence. Such statistics are perhaps surprising, given that education today tends to steer us toward more atheistic notions such as the’ Big Bang’ and evolution. Surprising also in the face of the widely touted suggestion that religion is the cause of most conflicts, a suggestion seemingly reinforced by the ferocity of some of the more fundamentalist believers seen of late. Plainly, in spite of everything, faith in the divine is an enduring feature of the human mindset.

Although by its very definition belief in the supramundane cannot be proven by normal scientific methods or logic, for the faithful there are compelling enough reasons to accept God’s existence as fact. Many of the principal arguments were put forward by the Catholic theologian, Thomas Aquinas, who himself had borrowed from the Greeks (who in turn are said to have borrowed from India).

These arguments included the famous “argument by design”, which argues that things within this world tend toward certain goals and, like an arrow shot by an archer, must therefore have a designer who set those goals. Another shade of this argument is that anything we see in this world that exhibits complexity has been designed and indeed made by an intelligent person. A motor car, for example, will never come about by the chance combination material elements, it requires an intelligent manufacturer. Similarly the highly complex bio-system we see all around us could not have created itself.

Then there is the “original cause” argument, which argues that since we see nothing in existence that does not have a prior cause, it makes sense to assume that there must have been a first cause, i.e. God. Or the “goodness” argument, which posits that as we see relative degrees of goodness in this world, it is reasonable to say that there is a supreme good or God. And so on.

Srila Prabhupada also gave a number of arguments for God’s existence, such as realising that we are bound within a system of universal laws – e.g. we must grow old and die – and as we have no experience of any laws without lawmakers and upholders, we can reasonably assume there is a supreme lawmaker. He also pointed out that we have a propensity to love, that we are always trying to find somewhere to repose that love, and that there must therefore be an ultimate repository for all love in the form of God.

In the end, though, Vedic knowledge tells us that arguments are insufficient, and indeed we will find refutations of all the above from various philosophers. Therefore if we want to ascertain God’s existence beyond any doubt we must follow a spiritual process. We can then gain personal experience, which the Bhagavad-gita calls “direct perception” of God.

IS GOD A PERSON?

What then is God’s nature? What are we looking for in our spiritual practise?  After all, unless we know the destination of a journey, how will we know when we have arrived? We must have some confirmation that our experience is genuine and not just some hallucination, as atheists will be quick to suggest.

There are widely varying concepts of the Supreme Being. While many people may speak of God, it is by no means certain that they are thinking of the same thing. For example, Einstein often referred to God, but this was not the omnipotent and omniscient person generally accepted by theistic believers. His was more of a pantheistic idea that followed from philosophers such as Spinoza, who suggested that God “reveals himself in the harmony of all being.”

Einstein and Spinoza’s grasping at some concept of God is not uncommon. Naturally as we try to contemplate the infinity of all existence our minds are baffled. This has led some people to suggest that God cannot be understood or conceived of in any way at all. But if we are following a spiritual path with God as our goal, then we must have some concept of that God.

One idea we frequently encounter is that God is an impersonal energy. This theory holds that everything has always existed as some spiritual, formless energy, and the totality of this energy is what we call God. This suggestion is often accompanied by the belief that our conception of form and individual personality is an illusion that has to be dispelled, whereupon we will realise our divine nature as a part of the supreme, formless ‘One’. This view has increased in acceptance in recent years, often forming the basis of New Age beliefs. Today there are many yoga and meditation groups that will speak about reaching a level of universal consciousness where we see ourselves as God.

Followers of various traditions have apparently propagated this view. Here for example is a quote from the Christian mystic Meister Eckhart, “I must become God, and God must become me, so completely, that we share the same ‘I’ eternally. Our truest ‘I’ is God.”

Another great Christian, Maximus the Confessor, taught, “The whole man should become wholly God.”

The renowned Islamic mystic Munsar al-Hallaj was famous for saying, “I am the truth! I am God.” The Jewish theologian Philo Judaeus also said, “He who thinks God has any quality and is not the one, injures not God but himself.”

Indian philosophy has long had a school of thought subscribing to this view. Its most famous proponent was the eighth century mystic Sankara. He instructed his followers that any concept of the self as something different from the absolute is an illusion. Sankara taught that we should cultivate the spiritual vision of “you are that,” always understanding that everything we see, including ourselves, is a part of the Supreme Spirit, or Brahman as it is called in Sanskrit.

While Vedic theology accepts that we are all a part of Brahman, it denies that we are in any way its totality, or God. This ought to be obvious with a little thought. Prabhupada told a story of one Indian Swami who claimed that he was God, but who one day had a toothache and had to visit the dentist. “If he is God then where is his supreme power?” asked Prabhupada. “Can God be forced to suffer?”

Another point is that if we are supreme then how have we come under illusion in the first place? That makes illusion more powerful than us, calling into question our so-called supremacy. Furthermore, how can there be an impersonal existence independent of a person? Only a person can be impersonal. If a person turns his back on us he is being impersonal. Can impersonality stand alone, bereft of a person?

The Bhagavad-gita unequivocally declares God to be a person from whom everything has emanated.  “I am the source of all things, material and spiritual.” It discounts the suggestion that some impersonal existence lies beyond a personal God by stating the opposite. “The less intelligent think that I was impersonal before and have now assumed this personality. Due to their flawed understanding they do not know my higher nature as the imperishable Supreme Person.”

The Vedas say that God does have an impersonal aspect that can be realised by yoga practice, but it is said to be the “glowing bodily effulgence” of a personal God, and this is Brahman. Seeing this is only the first stage of God realisation, which goes much further, to the point of realising God’s personality.

Perhaps it is God’s effulgence to which mystics sometimes refer when they speak of our oneness with God, as the souls are of the same divine energy as this effulgence.

The Unmoved Mover

Another idea of God, not far removed from the impersonal conception, is that he is supremely aloof. This was held by the Ancient Greeks, most notably Aristotle, who posited the existence of an “Unmoved Mover”, a God who was the first cause of everything, but who existed in a state of perfect stillness. Aristotle’s God could not act without compromising his perfection and thus his supreme position. From this great being, nevertheless, all things including us have emanated.

For Aristotle, God was indifferent and possibly even unaware of the material creation, which has simply sprung from him as a necessary effect of his existence. Man is effectively set loose within the world, with an innate attraction to God that will eventually draw him back to his divine source. Man’s duty, according to Aristotle, is to purify his intellect and thus become immortal and divine.

Why all this should happen, one is only left to guess. Aristotle offers no insight into God’s pure mind, probably because he ascribes to God no thinking process, as to him this implies change and undermines God’s supreme unchangeable perfection. The ancient Greeks used the word apatheia, which needs no translation, to describe God’s attitude toward the creation. For them God was serene, impassable and invulnerable. No feelings could move him; he was beyond all emotion.

This kind of thinking leads ultimately to atheism, for what use is a God who is not interested in our plight, or worse, doesn’t even know of it? We therefore find in more recent times the French philosopher Diderot saying, “Whether God exists or does not exist, he has come to rank among the most sublime and useless truths.”

Diderot was not an atheist in that he declared a belief in God, but he could not understand God’s relevance to the world. It seemed to him that matter and the world were moving independently, that God took no part in it. Like the Ancient Greeks before him, he felt that the only way to account for the miserable condition of the world was to somehow make God apart from it all.

Similar thinking is found today even in mainstream religious thought in the idea that the universe has been created by God ex nihilo, out of nothing. It is somehow made separate from God, who then retires to a safe distance and lets us get on with it. Again, he is aloof and even apathetic, which once more is seen as being the only way to explain suffering and God’s apparent lack of intervention.

For Vedic theists the question of suffering is answered by the concept of karma, of our receiving the natural consequences of our own freely chosen acts. But one could still question God’s involvement. Where is he and does he care about what is happening to us?

Source: http://www.krishnadharma.com/the-supreme-person/

By Srila B.R Sridhara Maharaja

In his last days for some time he told us his heart was damaged and then some sort of treatment, by a Kaviraji and other party that was arranged. But gradually he became weaker and weaker. Then October of ’36 he went to Puri along with some of us to Purusottama Math on the Catak Parvat. There is one sandhill, hillock there and he lived there in his bungalow and so many of us also went with him.

He was very fond of hearing that sloka of Dasa Goswami, nijane katim vasam . . . Every day that was sung before him, that and sri-rupa-manjari pada se mora sampada. This song was sung by Yajavara Maharaja. And then after a month he came back to Calcutta. Then we left with a party for Kataka for some collection. But then we got information that his health was breaking down day by day. So we came to Calcutta. Then while coming back to Calcutta we found that it was a very stingy winter and treatment was going on. In spite of that, his health did not improve. We performed our duty at his sickbed. I was also among them. My duty was from two o’clock at night to four o’clock morning, and just twenty-four hours before his departure he called for me and asked me to sing a song, sri rupa manjari pada se mora sampada, this famous song which is supposed to be the highest realization of any Gaudiya Vaishnava devotee.

Then after twenty-four hours—the 1st of January— early in morning he left the world. He was lying and slight jerking, thrice, like hiccup, slight hiccup thrice, and everything was calm. Then of course we arranged a special train from Calcutta to Krsnanagara. We carried his holy body from the Bagh Bazaar Math in Calcutta to the train station, and from there that special train went to Krsnanagara. At Krsnanagara he was taken on the roof of a bus to the ghat. From there we crossed the Sarasvati River and then again we carried him on our shoulders to the Math and his place of samadhi. In the morning we left and it took the whole to come from Calcutta to Caitanya Math, where we arrived at about seven or eight o’clock at night.

Then the digging of the grave was begun, and we were engaged in that ourselves. Early in the morning he was placed there. I still remember his dignified figure. He sat in a very dignified position. His complexion was fair. He was seated for twenty-four hours on an asana, the dignified position of an acarya. He was tall and fair and thin, his body very soft. Then the salt was given around but when the salt and earth came up to his neck I came out. I could not stand to cover his head. I came out, and then I returned and covered him. A tulasi plant was put there and we all circumambulated with some song and some reading of Bhagavatam. I requested we chant the poetic conclusion of his Caitanya-caritamrta commentary. Prabhupada had his Anubhasya, a commentary on Caitanya-caritamrta. And in the conclusion he composed a poem, very sweet and in a temperment filled with lamentation. I asked that this poem be read and it was. Then the story of the passing of Haridas Thakura from Caitanya-caritamrta was also read. Then we circumambulated his Samadhi and the tulasi plant seated there. And one gentleman requested me to chant the same Sri Rupa Manjari Pada that Prabhuapda has asked me to chant two days earlier. He requested and I sang. I sang that song and then everything finished.

Thursday before sunrise, one or two hours before sunrise, he disappeared. Friday we took him to that math and everyone fasted without drinking even a drop of water until Saturday at about nine or ten o’clock when we took something. At that time so many disciples from outside flocked together, all pale and weeping, the entire small area was filled with crying, weeping. In this way in ’36 went away and ’37 began.

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17932

Hidden Treasures (10 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: This final video of our Kartika parikrama 2015 consists of highlights of the many places in Sri Vrindavan dhama that we visited. No doubt all devotees who participated hold memories of that month very dear to their hearts. We are grateful to Ananta Vrindavan dasa for capturing the special moments of the parikrama on video. No doubt so are the many Vaisnavas around the world who eagerly followed our sacred journey around Vrindavan through his work. We invite all such devotees to join our parikrama next year! Sastra speaks unequivocally about the importance of visiting the places of Lord Krsna’s pastimes:
“Certainly no means of perfection is superior to the worship of Sriman Madan Gopala’s lotus feet. That worship yields results far beyond what one could expect. It should be performed mainly through nama-sankirtana, along with reverence and affection for the many places of Sri Gopala’s pastimes, places which one should regularly visit.”
[ Sri Brhad Bhagavatamrta, Volume Two, Chapter One, Texts 104 – 105 ]

Source: https://goo.gl/xr3Ohn

Valmiki Ramayana mentions that Dashratha desired to go to the forest with Rama. He wanted to take all the royal resources with him, as conveyed in his desire to make “the forest into Ayodhya and Ayodhya into the forest” with the forest-like Ayodhya left for Kaikeyi to enjoy.

But Kaikeyi opposed him rabidly, saying that when he had promised her the kingdom, it meant the kingdom with its resources. She accused both Dashratha and Rama of underhandedly going back on their word.

Rama was pained to see her accuse his venerable father and so decided to honour Dashratha’s word by departing for the forest immediately. Dashrath hoped fervently till the last moment that he could somehow avoid Rama’s exile, by requesting him to stay for at least one more day during which he would offer his beloved son all royal luxuries.

But Rama, not wanting to prolong the agony of the unavoidable bereavement, started to leave immediately. He asked the minister of Ayodhya, Sumantra, who was his charioteer to drive him swiftly. Despairing Dashrath ran after the chariot, calling Sumantra to slow and stop. Seeing Sumantra slowing, Rama told him not to prolong the agony. And as the chariot speeded, Dashrath trying to catch up fell to the ground and watched in dismay as the chariot became a speck in the horizon and then disappeared.

His anguished courtiers raised him and took him to his room for rest. Dashrath never came out of that room, because he passed away during his sleep that night.

Source: http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2015/12/why-did-dasharatha-not-follow-ram-into-his-14-year-exile/

What is Gratitude?
Radhanath Swami: Gratitude is a divine virtue that is so important that other divine virtues could not exist without it. Spirituality grows like seeds within our heart. The goodness of our lifestyle protects that seed. Our spiritual practice of chanting God’s names, reading scriptures, doing seva for God and others waters that seed. But gratitude is what makes the ground fertile so that all these other virtues will actually have its maximum effect. A fertile soil allows the seed to have deep roots and grow very strong and for that a grateful heart is essential.
Gratitude is to see beyond the immediate circumstances that comes upon us. But to actually seek the essence of that situation, which is real wisdom, we need to see every situation as a beautiful opportunity to grow if we are to be grateful. All the dualities in life, success or failure, honor and dishonor, are all opportunities to learn something, to become better and grow. Ultimately, in every situation there is an opportunity to take shelter of the higher power of God and in doing so we find that life has inconceivable treasures in every moment. Therefore, to seek the essence means to look for the hand of God in every situation. This is the spiritual definition of success.
If we simply lament when things go wrong nothing is accomplished. But if, in a difficult situation, we really sincerely take shelter of the Lord and with our God given ability try to fix and improve that situation, then we can reverse a curse into a blessing. The story of the greatest success in life often involves a person who hits rock bottom only to discover something so beautiful and precious that if they didn’t go through it they would have lived just a mediocre spiritual life and not have accomplished much within.

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17946

“The more progress is made in devotional service under the guidance of the Bhagavatas, the more one becomes fixed in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. The messages of the book Bhagavata, therefore, have to be received from the devotee Bhagavata,and the combination of these two Bhagavatas will help the neophyte devotee to make progress on and on.” (Srila Prabhupada, SB 1.2.18)

Source: http://mayapurvoice.com/svagatam/importance-of-guidance-in-spiritual-life/

When the vedas was first spoken by Lord Brahma (the first created being of this universe), it was understood by his sons in different ways. Later, Mahamuni Vyasa took birth to translate these esoteric timeless sound into text format especially favoring kali yuga residents. Vyasa also wrote the succinct version of the vedas by taking its conclusions and coding it in short texts called the sutras. Because it contained the conclusive truths in coded form, it was called vedanta sutra.

Later, a great saint some 2000 years ago by name Adi Shankaracharya wrote a commentary on the vedanta sutras called the sariraka bhasya. Today, most if not all of hinduism follows this version of the vedanta sutra. Western scholars who study hinduism define hinduism based on the interpretation of Shankara's sariraka bhasya commentary. The philosophy pushed forward by Shankara is called Advaita vada where in the ultimate sense, everything is one called brahman. The varieties we see in this world is simply an illusory transformation of that non-distinguisgable brahman. Hence, one can adhere to any ishta-deva and still attain the same destiny as anyone else in brahman. Later, famous people such as Ramakrishna, Chinmoy, Vivekananda, Aurobindo etc and the likes basically presented their flavor of Adi Shankara's sariraka bhasya. This is the understanding of hinduism today by hindus and non-hindus.

The fact, and the more serious students must be aware, is that there are more sophisticated commentaries than sarirak bhasya presented by Ramanuja and later by Madhwa. Unfortunately, their commentaries of the vedanta sutras are not as popular as the Advaita vada of Shankara. Srila Prabhupada's teachings come in the line of these two saintly people. In this teaching, the ultimate reality is dual - Supreme Being Ishvara or God and the subordinate being jiva or soul. As per the dualistic philosophy (dvaita vada), Vishnu or Narayana is the Supreme. He is a Person with attributes. He is the creator, maintainer and destroyer in the ultimate sense. All other devas, and the universes are subordinate to His ordain.

The dualistic commentary of the vedanta sutra is a natural commentary as opposed to the massaged commentary of Shankara. It is natural because it is harmonious with the world around us and has no contradictions. Anyone interested in hinduism in a real way should study dvaita vada commentary of vedanta sutra and understand the religion in that way.

Hare Krishna

Source: http://servantoftheservant-ananda.blogspot.in/2015/12/dvaita-vada-as-hinduism.html

When the students at the school in India (where I was Principal) wanted me to switch on the AC, they would pull this card – We are followers of AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It’s bonafide! Clever boys. But the essential point is correct. When you have a solid spiritual practice you have to tools to stay cool no matter what life throws at you.

Here are 5 ways to beat the burning heat of living life:

1. Pull back inside – When you feel some pressure building, remind yourself of who you are, and it’s not the body or the mind. Just like we go inside when it’s too hot, pull back to the self that is not of this world. Be an observer and let the moment pass.

2. Water the seed of devotion – Water brings growth, strength, and the ability to survive the heat. Watering the seed of devotion means to regularly hear about Krishna and chant His names. So many of our health problems come from lack of water. The same is true of spiritual problems. Don’t forget to hear and chant.

3. Assume good intentions – We often spend mental energy making assumptions about others’ intentions. What a waste of time. Even if something is bothersome or hurtful, assume good intentions and respond to the problem from that platform. Then the heat of our rising anger, indignation, or anxiety will be quickly cooled.

4. Kamala dala jala – My favorite metaphor. Our life is tottering like a drop of water on a lotus petal. We all will die sometime; it could be at any moment. Don’t sweat the small stuff as that keeps you completely tied to the heat of the day. Remember that drop of water on the lotus petal. Pull your mind and heart to Krishna, and be at peace.

5. See Krishna’s hand in everything – When we are feeling hot and bothered, overworked or underpaid, or vulnerable, sad or alone, try to connect with Krishna and take shelter. He is as cooling as millions of moons. He is like the beautiful rainbow in the cloudy sky – a reminder that Krishna’s always there, no matter what. You just have to look for Him.

Source: http://iskconofdc.org/5-ways-to-stay-cool/

It is an odd development of the modern world that being excessively anxious about our children is considered a virtue. We consider ourselves good parents if we make life easy for them, reward them for the smallest achievement, and are anxious for their safety and well being at all times.

There is, however, a hidden message in all of this anxious attention and it’s not good. As a teacher and school principal for 20 years, I saw all kinds of kids and all kinds of parents. For those who had confidence in their child, their child did great. Those who worried, who expressed that worry regularly, who tried to ‘fix’ every challenge the child had – their children had a weak sense of self. The hidden message was clear – “My parents are worried because they think I am not competent, I’m not capable.”

Being a mother is not easy. But it’s not that hard either. It is said that if a child has a self-assured and guiding adult in their life, they will grow up to be self-assured and self-guiding adults. Mothering means being there, but also not being there. It is patience, it is trusting that the child will figure it out, and it is watching from a distance as they do so.

There are many aspects to good mothering, but this one is key. We have to give our children the skills and emotional strength to make it through life by letting them experience and learn through real life. And that means letting them experience their own struggles. If we smother them, if we overly fret and protect, then we extinguish the fire of trust and competence. It’s a fine line, but we need to have the maturity and wisdom to make the call.

Watch the excellent job this mother does:

This famous poem can also inspire us be the balanced and stable parents our children need us to be:

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

– On Children by Kahlil Gibran

Source: http://iskconofdc.org/mothers-and-kids/

When Srila Prabhupada, the founder-acarya of ISKCON, was recorded in a morning japa practice with his disciples, at one point on the tape we can hear him admonish someone – “Sit properly!” His voice is strong and makes us all sit up. It’s a reminder that how we do our chanting practice is as important, if not more important, that just doing it.

When we chant we are inviting Krishna into our day, our moment. It’s a big deal, a big opportunity to connect with the source of all life and to allow his divine name to permeate our consciousness. For many people, the early morning cup of coffee brings them to life. They feel recharged, clear headed and ready to move into the day. For devotees of Krishna, early morning japa is like that – it can completely energize us, fill us with a deep sense of true self, and put everything in our life into a healthy perspective.

That, of course, is if the practice is done properly. An essential element is how we sit. A simple yoga pose with back straight and legs crossed is a good place to start. If you can’t sit on the floor, find a good sitting chair. Sit on the chair with feet planted firmly on the ground, hip width apart, and a straight back. The more we are attentive to sitting correctly, the more attentive we can be to our chanting.

Although there are no hard and fast rules for chanting it’s important we find what best works for us. When I sit for chanting, I try to keep myself as still as possible as I find this helps me hear the name better. It almost feels like I am quietly sipping the sacred as nothing is moving but sound. Sometimes our teachings describe that chanting is like drinking the nectar of the holy name – something sweet, refreshing, and full of taste. We want to be able to chant with that experience – that we are hearing something beautiful, receiving the incredible energy of life itself, and ultimately connecting with the supreme person, Krishna.

I heard recently someone quip that in their understanding the word ‘sadhana’ (spiritual practice such as japa) means painful. If chanting is a daily grind for us, start with adjusting how we sit. Practice with good posture and less movement. Japa meditation is an art – as in a skill acquired by experience, practice, and observation. Be a conscious and reflective chanter. Don’t settle for less. Work hard to create the best japa conditions for receiving Krishna’s sacred name. The name itself will do the rest.

Source: http://iskconofdc.org/sit-properly/