On coming Sunday, the 22nd of Feb we will conduct a very special program in connection with the Institute for Spiritual Culture.

It will begin in the afternoon, at 4:45 pm in the open area of the Goshala in Mayapur.

PLEASE COME AND JOIN US IN

CELEBRATING THE GLORIES OF OUR MOTHERS!

As we know, out of our seven mothers five of them are human:

- the physical mother
- the wife of a brahmana
- the wife of Guru (including Siksa Guru)
- the wife of a king
- the nurse

And within spiritual culture they are highly respected and honored.....

Highlights of the program

* Hear enlightening words of wisdom
* Hear realizations of our mothers
* Watch humerous skits and role plays
* Chant in Kirtan
* Take prasadam

Chief Guests:
* HH Sivarama Maharaja
* HH Candramauli Maharaja
* HH Bhakti Purusottama Maharaja
* HH Bhakti Vaibhava Maharaja will lead the final kirtan We look forward to receive you in Vaisnava hospitality.....!

The program will also be broadcast on Mayapur.TV

Your servant, Devaki dd

His Grace Jnanagamya Prabhu (John Partin) has left this world from Sri Dhama Mayapur this morning, February 17th 2015 at 9 am. Very devoted Prabhupada Man! Please join us in prayers for him.

Jnanagamya Prabhu had joined Srila Prabhupada’s Hare Krishna movement in 1972. He had served in numerous ways, from leading sankirtan parties, maintaining and designing temples, producing graphics, exhibits, supervising construction, teaching to cooking chapatti. He was engaged in the production of a film about the process of becoming a devotee of Krishna called MONKS IN MANHATTAN (Everything You Never Wanted to Know About the Hare Krishnas). For more details about the movie project - www.monksinmanhattan.com

Audio lectures - www.iskcondesiretree.info

Videos - YouTube.com - ISKCON Desire Tree channel

Leave your tributes - here (only for desire tree members)

Sravan Utsav ended on 15th Feb. There was 8 hour of daily katha from 12th to 15th February 2015. Many sanyasis like HH Bhakti Charu Maharaj, HH Bhakti Vighna Vinasa Narasimha Swami, HH Jay Pataka Maharaj, HH Radhanath Maharaj and HH Sacinandana Maharaj gave lectures during the event. The lecture topics included pastimes of Lord Gauranga and Nityananda, Harinaam sankirtan and also topics that are normally not heard. For instance, HH Bhakti Charu Maharaj gave lectures on Brihat Bhagavatammritam. HG Radhika Ramana Prabhu came from USA especially for the event and gave lectures on Sad Sandharbhas (his PhD topic at Oxford University). Today, HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami thanked him during morning announcements for his visit.

There was an enthusiastic response from the audience despite warm weather. Here are some of the Pictures of Sravan Utsav 2015 at Mayapur

tokanam pitarau bandhu drsah paksma striyah
patih patih prajanam bhiksunam grhy ajnanam budhah suhrt

TRANSLATION
As the father and mother are the friends and maintainers of their children, as the eyelid is the protector of the eye, as the husband is the maintainer and protector of a woman, as the householder is the maintainer and protector of beggars, and as the learned is the friend of the ignorant, so the king is the protector and giver of life to all his subjects. The trees are also subjects of the king. Therefore they should be given protection.

PURPORT
By the supreme will of the Personality of Godhead, there are various protectors and maintainers for helpless living entities. The trees are also considered prajas, subjects of the king, and therefore the duty of the monarch is to protect even the trees, not to speak of others. The king is duty-bound to protect the living entities in his kingdom. Thus although the parents are directly responsible for the protection and maintenance of their children, the duty of the king is to see that all parents do their duty properly. Similarly, the king is also responsible for overseeing the other protectors mentioned in this verse. It may also be noted that the beggars who should be maintained by the householders are not professional beggars, but sannyasis and brahmanas, to whom the householders should supply food and clothing.

_________________________________________

HH Radhanath Swami

(Pranama Mantras)

I am very grateful to be given this opportunity to serve you today. I’ll try to speak something from Srila Prabhupada’s purport in Srimad Bhagavatam. We are reading from the fourth chapter of the sixth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. We have heard from previous speakers what brings us to the verse today.

The King Pracinabarhi was a descendent of Dhruvha Maharaj. He was a very religious man, but was attached to the materialistic aspects of religion. Still, he had the intelligence to know that in order for his children to be proper leaders, they had to perform tapasya and get the mercy and blessings of the Lord.

He sent his ten sons, the Pracetas, into the wilderness. Eventually, they performed tapasya to Lord Vishnu under the guidance of Shiva. They did this under the water of the ocean. They were powerful yogis. Meanwhile, Narada muni came and gave really extraordinary instructions according to time, place, and circumstance, to their father, the King.

Narada Muni knew that if he came right out and told the King, “You are in maya. You are wasting your life,” that the King was very cultured and would have respectfully listened, but would not have heard a word that he said. As a genuinely compassionate preacher, Narada Muni started talking about another king, and how he was in maya. King Pracinabarhi was very enthusiastic to listen to this. It was a very elaborate story about King Puranjana.

Eventually, King Pracinabarhi realized that they were talking about him. By the time he understood that, his heart was completely transformed. That’s called preaching according to time, place, and circumstance. He gave the most powerful medicine of the siddhanta of renunciation with the anesthesia of apparently talking about somebody else. It was a successful surgery, and the king left home to give his one hundred percent total attention to pure bhakti, worshipping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, knowing that Krishna will take care of everything else.

Lord Vishnu appeared to the Pracetas and personally gave the sons of King Pracinabarhi His blessings. He told them that, “I am very pleased with your affectionate, friendly, relationships that you have with each other.” When the Pracetas came out and it was their time to rule the world, they saw what happened when there was no king at all.

The natural quality of material existence, like the laws of gravity, is that everything is pushed down. If I’m not holding this item, it falls. We are now looking at the TOVP. Those who are the architects and builders, structurally their main meditation is how to counteract the laws of gravity. The tendency of everything is to collapse. Therefore they have to organize a structure to keep the building up. Unless, over the generations, people keep restoring it and renovating it, it will definitely fall down.

Especially in this age of Kali, the natural energy of this world is to get to a lower and lower state of consciousness of passion and ignorance and to get us to speak and act in useless ways.

nashta-prayeshv abhadreshu
nityam bhagavata-sevaya 

Therefore it’s important that every day we hear from Srimad Bhagavatam. Srila Prabhupada wrote in one purport that maya is very strong. Unless one is carefully and attentively chanted ones sixteen rounds every day, one can fall victim to maya at any moment. Only by the shelter of the Lord can we maintain our spiritual integrity.

daivi hy esha guna-mayi
mama maya duratyaya

Material nature is very strong. Only if we take shelter of Krishna, can we make progress. Otherwise, if we are not making progress, we will be smashed down.

So when the Pracetas came out, because there was no king organizing the world, trees and weeds grew everywhere. Because there was an absence of any organizational development, what happened is that there were no agricultural fields for food to grow. When the Pracetas saw this, out of duty and compassion on behalf of Krishna to all of the citizens, they became very angry. They reacted. By their yogic powers the caused very high wind and fire to blaze from their mouths. They were burning every tree in the world.

At that time Soma, the great deva, came to try to give them some deeper wisdom. It’s interesting to understand this principle. Even though the Pracetas are very highly realized souls, still, they were living according to natural human tendencies. It’s natural to be an extremist. We like black and white. Either all trees or no trees. Sometimes in situations where things are not right, we react in a very extreme way. Prahlada Maharaj describes how without sober Krishna Consciousness, the solutions to our problems are often creating bigger problems than the original problem.

So Soma taught them a balanced approach. There should be forests and their should be agricultural paths. He based this balanced approach on the spirit of compassion. That if we are Krishna Consciousness, if we understand our own eternal soul and our relationship with Krishna:

vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah 

We will recognize that every living being is part of Krishna and everything that exists is Krishna’s property. That consciousness is the only state of mind that can bring true and complete compassion. When one is Krishna Consciousness in this way, compassion becomes so natural.

Some examples: as a mother or father protects their child. When a little baby is in danger, the mother will instinctively do anything to protect the child. She doesn’t have to start looking in the scriptures to find out if she should help her child or not. There is a sense of love, a feeling of identity with that child in that love.

This next example is very interesting. As the eyelid protects the eye, unless the eyelid moistens the eye, the eye dries up. When was the last time you had to intellectually make a plan that, “My eyelid is feeling a little dry. I should blink it at least twenty-eight times every thirty seconds.” Suddenly a wind comes and do you think that you have to close your eyes? No, it closes instinctively. When we are Krishna Consciousness our compassion for others has that same spontaneous nature.

Srila Prabhupada is explaining here how the King’s duty is by his example and by the decisions that he makes to actually make sure that everyone is protected. That those who are supposed to protect others are performing their service. What is the result? Srimad Bhagavatam tells the story of Rantideva. He was fasting for so many days until he and his whole family were on the verge of death. He was in some distant forest and somebody brought a big plate of prasadam and some water to save their lives. Then a brahman came and said, “Give me food. I’m hungry.” So many people started coming. One man came with a pack of dogs and said, “I’m hungry and all of my dogs are hungry. Feed us.” He fed them all. And he fed his family, too. But he didn’t take anything himself. All that was left was a single cup of water to keep him alive. And a chandala came, a most sinful type of person. He said, “King, I’m thirsty. Give me water.”

If he gave that water, he would die. He offered a prayer to Krishna. Rantideva prayed, “My dear Supreme Personality of Godhead, I do not ask from you the benediction for great material wealth, or mystic siddhis, or even liberation from this world. I only ask one benediction. In every birth I take, let me give up my life in compassion for others. By giving this chandala my water, I will never find hunger, thirst, moroseness, or lamentation ever again. And he gave the water. Then all of these different personalities who came to him reappeared as demigods. They gave him nice prasad. We just wanted to show the world what a real King, a real leader is. Sukadeva Goswami says that because of King Ranti’s compassion and great devotion to the Supreme Lord, everyone in the kingdom was a great devotee.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura told our Srila Prabhupada on their first meeting that without Krishna Consciousness, the problems of the world cannot be solved. If we water the root of the tree, we solve the problems of water for all parts of the tree. So a devotee sees this whole picture in every situation. This is the single message of Srimad Bhagavatam

sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati

The supreme purpose of life is loving devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Such loving devotion to Krishna must be unmotivated by selfishness or egoism and uninterrupted by ever changing circumstances to actually satisfy the self.

We heard from HH Badrinarayan Maharaj that we cannot control circumstances all of the time. But we have the free will to control how we respond. We heard from HG Vaisesika Prabhu that we should be humble and forgiving. He gave us that mantra that, “I live to be corrected.” I felt a little corrected by listening to your class.

Krishna, in Srimad Bhagavatam, teaches through so many examples this principle - Prahlad, Ambarish, the Pracetas, Pariksit Maharaj. Even in the most difficult circumstances, they maintained this vision, because of their deep remembrance of Krishna.

samsiddhir hari-tosanam

The perfection of whatever we do is that it please Krishna. The only way to know what pleases Krishna is to hear from Krishna. Parampara is where Krishna reveals to those loving devotees what pleases him. Sri Caitanya Mahaprahu is Krishna himself in the mood of Sri Radha to teach the world how to please Krishna.

Srimad Bhagavatam is the incarnation of Krishna. Lord Caitanya is the Srimad Bhagavatam personified, teaching us how to understand the Srimad Bhagavatam.

susrusoh sraddadhanasya
vasudeva-katha-rucih
syan mahat-sevaya viprah
punya-tirtha-nisevanat

While we serve great souls, those who love Krishna, great service is done. And then by Krishna’s being pleased by being servant of the servant, He awakens within us the taste for hearing about Him. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was living in Navadvip Dhama, Lord Gauranga, He taught us this lesson very profoundly in the lila I’m going to narrate.

Lord Gauranga was walking with some of His devotees. They were in the area of Kuliya near Vidyanagar. They heard the most famous speaker of Srimad Bhagavatam giving his narration. His name was Devananda Pandita. Devananda Pandita was completely pious. All his life he controlled his mind and senses. He was a very staunch brahmacari. He was a learned scholar. When he spoke from Srimad Bhagavatam he mesmerized people. They came to learn from him.

When Lord Caitanya heard it, He became angry. You see, anger has its great purpose when it’s used in Krishna’s service. He screamed out quite loudly, “This rascal has no right to speak from Srimad Bhagavatam. He has no devotion. He’s not speaking of devotion to Krishna. Simply karma and jnana.”

Srimad Bhagavatam is the essence of all the vedas. Lord Gauranga said that the four vedas are like yogurt. Srimad Bhagavatam is butter, the essence. Sukadeva Goswami is the one who churned that butter. And Pariksit Maharaj relished it and was nourished by it. The essence of all vedas is pure unalloyed devotional service to Sri Krishna. He is not giving this to anyone. Therefore he has no right to read this Srimad Bhagavatam. I will tear up his book. He ran to do it. But devotees stopped him.

Devananda Pandita heard this but he couldn’t understand because he had years before created an aparadha to a devotee, Srivas. Because he had offended a devotee he had displeased Krishna, even though he was reading the same verses we read. He couldn’t understand what it meant.

One time, Lord Caitanya was walking with His devotees in that area. They came by a tavern where people were drinking and getting drunk. Lord Caitanya smelled the alcohol and he entered the mood of Balarama and said, “Varuni! I will go in!” Srivasa said, “No, no you can’t go in there.” Lord Caitanya said, “I’m going in!” Srivasa said, “If you go in, nobody will understand this.” Lord Caitanya said, “I’m going in!” Srivasa said, “If you go in, I will drown myself in the Ganga.” Lord Gauranga gave up His Balarama mood and said, “I will not go in.”

Actually, He was going in to deliver the people inside. But just by His desire, someone looked outside and saw Him. As soon as they saw Lord Caitanya they said, “Hari Hari. You dance so nice, and you chant so nice.” That person started to chant, “Hari.” He became so intoxicated with Hari. All of the other drunken people in that bar thought that they want to be drunk like this. They all left the bar and started having sankirtan. Following Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu they became completely sober from all material attachments and were intoxicated with chanting Krishna’s holy names. Lord Caitanya smiled. Srivasa Thakura, seeing the nature of His compassion, cried.

The next moment, they saw Devananda Pandita walking down the road. Lord Caitanya just gave such mercy to these rascal, immoral, drunkards. Now here was this learned, pious, brahman, brahmacari. Lord Caitanya chastised him. “You have offended Srivasa. You don’t understand anything about the Srimad Bhagavatam. You are useless. You are cheating.” Devananda was confused, but embarrassed.

Soon after that, Lord Caitanya took sannyasa. In order to reach the whole world in Krishna Consciousness. After many years of traveling around South India and living at Jagannatha Puri, he decided to go to Navadvipa. It is described by Vrindavan Das Thakura that when Lord Caitanya left Navadvipa to go to Puri, the river Ganga was flowing very enthusiastically in separation to merge into the ocean so that she could serve Him in Puri. Lord Caitanya was longing to go to Navadvipa to see the Ganga. This is the love between the Lord and His devotees. He came to Vidyanagara to Vidya Vachaspati’s home. He is the brother of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. It’s a long story, but I’m going to have to go really fast and make it short.

When He came there Vidya Vachaspati was so happy. He said, “My Lord, my home, this whole life, everything belongs to you.” Lord Caitanya said, “Just keep me here secretly.” But when the sun rises, it’s hard to keep it secret. So all of the people of Navadvipa heard that Lord Caitanya has returned. He had made so many people devotees, but still there were so many people who were offensive or indifferent to Him. But after He took sannyasa, all of the people realized, “What have we done? We lost the opportunity of the lifetime.” Millions of people were rushing to beg forgiveness and receive the mercy of Lord Caitanya.

It is described that the roads were filled with hundreds of hundreds of hundreds of thousands of people. But nobody else could fit on the roads so they started going through the forests. Then the forests were totally filled with people. Ultimately they came to the river Ganga. They were so enthusiastic to see Lord Caitanya that even though thorns were ripping them, they didn’t even feel it. They had no wounds.

Now my experience, even today, is that there are very few people in India who know how to swim. Sometimes we take people on yatras and there will be a big river that’s flowing. I say, “How many people know how to swim?” Out of thousands of devotees, there’s usually not more than about twenty who know how to swim.

When they came to the Ganga and they had to cross it to get to Vidyanagara, they were so enthusiastic. There were big boats and small boats. Within seconds, thousands of people were on each boat. The boat man was saying, “No, no! It’s already full! No more people!” They just kept coming and coming and coming and the boat just fell apart. They were so enthusiastic that in this laulyam, this eagerness some of them were just grabbing a clay pot to hold between their arms and float across the Ganga. Others took a trunk of a banana tree and started using that to cross the river. People were so enthusiastic to serve the Lord that they forgot that they didn’t know how to swim. So they swam across the whole Ganga.

Now there were millions of people around Vidya Vachaspati’s house. According to our sastra, thousands were going on a single tree to be able to see the Lord. None of the trees fell. Hundreds of people were crowded on a little straw roof of a hut, and the hut remained. Everyone was so eager to see the Lord that they were loudly chanting the holy names Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare! Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came out of the house. Everyone was offering their dandavat obeisances from the trees. Lord Caitanya smiled upon them.

They were all crying out from their hearts, “Please forgive us. We offended your devotees. We offended you. We offended so many people. We want to surrender.” Lord Caitanya said, krsneti o matih,

Always keep your mind fixed on Krishna. Chant Krishna’s names. Worship Krishna. Hear about Krishna’s qualities and holy names. Krishna is your life. Krishna is your wealth. Krishna is your very soul.” In this way, there was a beautiful kirtan.

Then Lord Caitanya disappeared. Even Vidya Vachaspati didn’t know what happened. He was looking everywhere. Lord Caitanya was gone. Vidya Vachaspati was in total separation looking at the sky crying. Everyone was in the same condition. There were people coming to him saying, “I’m all alone. Just bring me to see the Lord. We know He’s hiding in your house.” Others were saying, “I’m so sinful. I’m so fallen. I must have His mercy. I won’t tell anyone. Just let me in.” He kept saying, “I don’t know where He is.” People were so eager. The word started spreading. Soon all of these millions of people were thinking “Vidya Vachaspati is deceiving us! He’s keeping the Lord for himself only. A devotee is supposed to be compassionate and merciful to others! Even an ordinary man, if he has a whole pile of sweets, he doesn’t eat them all himself. He shares them. But this Vidya Vachaspati is lying to us. He’s deceiving us just so he can have Lord Caitanya for himself.”

Vidya Vachaspati was confused. Then a brahman whispered in his ear, “Lord Gauranga has gone to Kulia.” Vidya Vachaspati said, “Our Lord has gone to Kulia! Everyone, let us go to Kulia!” But they had to cross the Ganga again. By this time the crowd was thousands of times bigger because the word was spreading. It was mad, you couldn’t even see the Ganga. All you could see were humans. Some were with boats. Some were with pots. Some were with trunks. Some were swimming. The scripture tells us that not a single person drowned.

Now they are in Kulia. But Vidya Vachaspati didn’t know where Lord Caitanya was. Lord Caitanya knows the heart of his devotees. He sent a messenger to Vidya Vachaspati. Vidya Vachaspati offered beautiful prayers to Lord Caitanya. He said, “Now everyone is against me. They think I’m a liar. They don’t believe I’m a brahman anymore. Please, at least for one second show Yourself so that they know I was not hiding You.”

The Lord was in someone’s house. He heard literally millions of people crying out the holy names. Along with Lord Nityananda, He appeared before all of them. He raised His long, golden arms. In seeing these countless people all with such eager and humble hearts crying out Krishna’s names, He became so happy. Simultaneously there were thousands of kirtan parties. Lord Gauranga was going to different kirtan parties and dancing with the common people. By His all attractive, inconceivable potency, everyone could see Him dancing. Everyone could see tears of love and compassion like the Ganga flowing from His lotus-like eyes. In this way, the entire universe was trembling with the joy of nama sankirtana.

After this kirtan, Lord Caitanya sat down. So many people came who had offended Lord Caitanya in the past, and who had offended the devotees, came to beg for His mercy. Among them was Devananda Pandita. He offered his obeisances, and from a distance he just stood there.

Now, I’m going to briefly tell what happened in the life of this person. Because he had offended Srivasa, neither faith in Lord Caitanya or the path of bhakti could awaken in his heart, even though Srimad Bhagavatam was the only scripture that he read or spoke from. But after Lord Caitanya took sannyasa, he was shaken.

One day, he met a great devotee, Vakresvara Pandita. He was so attracted by the compassion and devotion of Vakresvara Pandita that he wanted to serve him. He invited Vakresvara Pandita to live in his ashram. When Vakresvara Pandita would perform kirtan, he would stand with a stick to make sure that nobody crashed into him or disturbed his dancing. When Vakresvara Pandita in ecstasy would fall, he would catch him. He would clean his body with his own hands.

Because he was deeply appreciating the qualities of a Vaisnava, his heart was transformed. Lord Caitanya saw him standing and said, “Devananda, come. Sit beside Me. Because you have appreciated and served Vakresvara Pandita, I forgive you for all of your offenses and I give you all of My blessings. Krishna always lives in the heart of Vakresvara Pandita. Wherever he chants and dances, Krishna is dancing. Wherever he goes, all of the holy places are present. Because you have served My beloved servant, I forgive you of all of your offenses. I accept you.” Devananda Pandita offered prayers and said, “Please instruct me. How should I speak from the Srimad Bhagavatam?” Lord Caitanya told him, “From the beginning to the middle to the end of Srimad Bhagavatam only speaks of one essential subject. Prema bhakti.

Pure, unalloyed, loving, devotional service to Sri Krishna. It is the culmination of all dharmas. It is the very essence of life. Therefore, whenever you speak Srimad Bhagavatam, in every sentence you should glorify the path of pure, loving, devotional service to Sri Krishna.” Devananda Pandita became such a great devotee that we even celebrate every year on the Vaisnava calendar his relationship with Lord Caitanya.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught us this. What the essence of Srimad Bhagavatam is and how to actually realize it. He is Krishna who has come to taste the sweetness of Radha’s love and to give that love freely without discrimination of who is fit or unfit. Simply live a life in the mood of the servant of the servant of the servant without envy. Live with this character, please the Vaisnavas and chant the holy names, and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has promised to give us this crest jewel of all treasures, prema bhakti. Srila Prabhupada had total faith in His mercy. Fifty years on this year, 2015, we are celebrating Srila Prabhupada boarding Jaladuta in Calcutta. On Friday, the 13th of August 1965, Srila Prabhupada boarded the Jaladuta to sail across the world with the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There will be a glorious festival on that day and before and after in Calcutta. We invite you to please come if possible.

He came with this message. In his prayers he was quoting Srimad Bhagavatam. He wrote that by loving devotional service, by Krishna’s grace, one can rise above the passion and ignorance of this world. Only through pure devotion can one actually be happy. Srila Prabhupada personified the very essence of what Lord Caitanya exemplified as the essence of Srimad Bhagavatam, which we are reading about in today’s verse. He was compassionate to every living being. Even to the trees. He gave us all a chance to be a part of that great mission of Mahaprabhu’s by coming together in Mayapur and inspiring one another in the true essence of the gift of Lord Caitanya. By reading these beautiful books of Srila Prabhupada together, by chanting the holy names together, and by sharing this message, we can attract the unlimited monsoon rainstorm of Krishna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s blessings.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! Gaura Premanande Haibol!

VERSE 10
yuyam ca pitranvadista deva-devena canaghah praja-sargaya hi katham vrksan nirdagdhum arhatha

TRANSLATION:
O pure-hearted ones, your father, Pracinabarhi, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead have ordered you to generate population. Therefore how can you burn to ashes these trees and herbs, which are needed for the maintenance of your subjects and descendants?

VERSE 11
atisthata satam margam kopam yacchata dipitam pitra pitamahenapi justam vah prapitamahaih

TRANSLATION:
The path of goodness traversed by your father, grandfather and great-grandfathers is that of maintaining the subjects [prajas], including the men, animals and trees. That is the path you should follow. Unnecessary anger is contrary to your duty. Therefore I request you to control your anger.

PURPORT:
Here the words pitra pitamahenapi justam vah prapitamahaih depict an honest royal family, consisting of the kings, their father, their grandfather and their great-grandfathers. Such a royal family has a prestigious position because it maintains the citizens, or prajas. The word praja refers to one who has taken birth within the jurisdiction of the government. The exalted royal families were conscious that all living beings, whether human, animal or lower than animal, should be given protection. The modern democratic system cannot be exalted in this way because the leaders elected strive only for power and have no sense of responsibility. In a monarchy, a king with a prestigious position follows the great deeds of his forefathers. Thus Soma, the king of the moon, here reminds the Pracetas about the glories of their father, grandfather and great-grandfathers.

____________________________________________________________________________

HH Badrinarayan Goswami:(Pranama Mantras)

We're actually going to read the purport to verse eleven. But I want to say something about verse ten.

I was on a morning walk with Srila Prabhupada in Chicago. I forget the year. We were walking in Lakeshore Park, Lake Michigan. Srila Prabhupada swung his cane and said, "What is this, fruit or flower?" Everyone else was silent. I knew a little bit about gardening. I said, "Prabhupada, that's called a Holly bush. It makes a little red berry that the birds can eat." He walked a little bit further, swung his cane, and said, "What is this, fruit or flower?" I said, "Prabhupada, that's a Camellia. It has a nice flower, but no fragrance." Prabhupada said, "A flower with no fragrance is like a handsome man with no good qualities." Prabhupada began walking again, swung his cane and said, "What is this, fruit or flower?" I said, "Srila Prabhupada, it's useless." Srila Prabhupada said, "No, you're useless." Which was true on many levels. Prabhupada said, "The plant has a use. You just don't know it." He said that every plant has a use. Krishna doesn't want to waste. Either it's used for fuel, for food, it is medicinal or it creates a fruit or flower. It has a use. So Srila Prabhupada said, "The plant ;does have a use. You don't know the use so you're the one that's useless."

Now, for text eleven, let's read the purport.

(Read purport above)

So we have a theme today. "We have a choice". We each have a choice. We can choose what kind of world we live in, how we see the world, how we experience the world. We have a choice. As we know, there are different factors in action. There is the sanction of Super Soul, Krishna. We cannot always control the circumstances. Prabhupada says we are being tossed, kicked like in football, soccer. We cannot control, ultimately, the circumstances. We have full control over how we react to circumstances. We have a choice.

We also have a choice about the world we live in, the external world. Picture for a moment, a bucket of water and the water line, halfway up the bucket. If I put my hand in that bucket, what happens to that waterline? The waterline goes up. What happens when you take your hand out? The waterline goes back to the exact same place.

Now should we live in the same way in this world? If we take up some space on planet Earth, we take up some oxygen. Srimad Bhagavatam says that dogs and hogs discharge some semen to maintain and families. When we die, which is inevitable, six months after we die maybe five or six people on the planet remember us if they have a photograph. Is that all that life is about?

We have a choice. We can just be neutral, static, carried like flotsam and jetsam through the world--or we can make a difference. We have a choice.

The verse begins by talking about the path of goodness. But goodness can be defined relative to one's situation. I could be a member of Doctors Without Borders, fighting Ebola in West Africa. I swear to you I got this in the mail as a fundraising appeal. "Save the pregnant penguins." So all of those are relative, different types of goodness.

Krishna describes to Nanda Maharaj for the Govardhana lila that there's a difference between an activity performed in ignorance and an activity performed in knowledge. Srila Prabhupada tells an instructive story. There are two boys in a family, an older boy and a younger boy. The older boy was very sick. Therefore he was on a strict diet of only barley water. You can imagine, anyone who knows young boys, they are always hungry. They want to eat. The older boy got nothing sweet, nothing nice. The younger boy loved his older brother. So the parents went out for a short errand. They asked the younger boy to please keep an eye on his older brother. They'd be back soon. The parents went out and immediately the older boy said, "Get me something sweet to eat!" The younger brother who loved his older brother and wanted to satisfy him immediately got some gulabjamans, rasgula, whatever, and shoveled it into his older brother. The older brother almost died. So motive and intent are not enough. One has to act in knowledge.

In the verse, it's talking about the blinding force of anger. We know from Bhagavad Gita the sequence that from contemplation attachment develops, from attachment comes lust, from frustration of lust comes anger. And of course then comes bewilderment of memory, loss of intelligence, and one falls into the material pool.

I want to talk just for a minute about the setup and sequence from that contemplation and attachment. The underpinnings of that dynamic that leads to anger are that we expect the world to go our way. We think that the default mood of this material nature is that, "I should be enjoying." There are still in this world a few hippies. Vaisesika Prabhu gave us a an example that in San Francisco, hippies exist. They're an endangered species, but they're still there. Who knows? Along with the appeal for pregnant penquins, I may get a fundraising appeal some day to save the hippies.

I was at one of our temples. The archetype hippies showed up with bells and long hair in a pony tail. It was a husband and wife, couple. The wife's name was Wish. His name was Comet. So naturally I asked, "Where did you get those names?" They said that they gave them to themselves. So naturally I asked why. The wife said, "Because I'm always saying that I wish I had this, I wish I was there, I wish, I wish, I wish." So naturally I asked the husband, "Where'd you get the name Comet?" He said, "I'm flying around the world this way and that way, trying to fulfill her wishes." I thought here you go. I'm wishing I had this, I wish I had that. And we're flying like a comet zipping around, I wish, I want, I need, I have to have.

Talking about choice, and different ways to see the world. I was sitting in the room and Srila Prabhupada said, "You have your plan. I have my plan. And Krishna has His plan." Guess who's plan happens? Instead of our trying to push material nature into a form, it's described in the Srimad Bhagavatam that this material world is a river of names, only. As the Buddhist say, "Nothing is certain, but change." So we're wishing, flying around like a comet, trying to push material nature into a permanent form. How many things are wrong in this picture?

Srila Prabhupada talks about the peace formula. bhoktaram yajna-

tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram (BG 5.29)
In connection to that verse, Srila Prabhupada was in his car looking out the window and he saw an advertisement for Allstate Insurance. The advertisement has cupped hands with the house, the wife and two kids, and in America, the faithful dog, Fido. Srila Prabhupada said yoga-ksema vahamy aham BG 9.22. Krishna is the master of all mystics. He's the sarva-loka-mahesvaram, suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. Krishna is maintaining all the unverses. He won't maintain us?

Suppose I'm climbing up a steep hill. It's a matter of vantage point. Just picture yourself walking up a hill. There are so many bushes. It's a steep hill. I can only see what's immediately in front of me. There's some bush, there's some rock. Only as I move incrementally do I see little by little what's in front of me. Picture yourself on top of the hill, looking down. One who is looking up can only see the immediate foreground. But if you're at the top and looking down, you can see the whole field, the whole area. Thus, we don't know whether to go left or go right. There is some canyon, there is some crevice, there is some snake, there is some cactus. We don't know. But the one who's looking down can say, "No, no. Go to the left, don't go to the right." They can easily guide you up the hill.

As it says here, he's taking the advice of his forefathers. One professor said to Srila Prabhupada, "As far as I knowi Well, as far as I know." Finally, Srila Prabhupada said, "That's my point. How far do you know?" So how far do we actually know?

Let us think for a moment about our place in the universe. Srila Prabhupada quotes Canakya Pandit. He says that as soon as the child comes out of the womb, the mothers breasts fill with milk. Jesus Christ says, "Behold the lilies of the field. They spin not, nor work." The point is that Krishna is maintaining every living entity perfectly. It should give assurance. It should give us support. It should give us shelter.

Back to the trees and the plants in our previous verse. Just see Krishna's intelligence. He takes sinful, rascal, living entities. Like if you have a miscreant child you say, "Just sit down." So He takes sinful living entities and puts them stationery in plants, bushes, and trees. Even though they are prisoners who are meant to suffer, they are also providing service: roots, flowers. So one purpose is fulfilled and yet they are also serving so many other purposes. We should have faith that Krishna is in charge and that He knows what He is doing. Therefore, being like Wish and Comet, who are flying around trying to find happiness, is simply a waste of time.

Srila Prabhupada was on a morning walk. This was in Detroit. They were under a street light. It was summertime so there were so many bugs at night flying around the light. The bugs had been flying around the light and had died. There was a pile of bugs. Should we live our lives like that? We're active and at the end you get swept up and thrown in a dump.

I was at a funeral with one of our devotee priests. They were having the eulogies where they spoke about the dearly departed. They were kept saying that whenever you needed him, you could reach out and call him. They were saying that you could call him in the middle of the night and he would answer. You could call him from the hospital and he would answer. You could call him from the far corners of the world and he would answer. Just then, in the middle of everyone speaking, there was a phone ringing. Everyone was looking around. Turns out that the ringing was coming the coffin. They had dressed the dead body in his favorite suit and the man's cell phone was in the suite pocket. rom a phone in the dearly departed's. I was thinking, "That's one call he's not getting. He's out of range." We will all come to that stage.

Suppose you go out to your mailbox once a month. There's a thousand dollar check in the mailbox. It's coming anonymously. You don't know who it's from. Every month on the first of the month there's a thousand dollars in the mail. Anyone with a brain would think, "Where's it coming from? Is there any obligation? By taking this money, am I somehow becoming indebted to whomever is sending it?"

We can't even make a drop of milk. We can't even make a square inch of fresh air. My father used to joke, but he was serious, "Buy real estate. They're not making any more of it." We are dependent at every moment. Krishna is providing. What is our obligation?

It talks in these two verses about the duty to give protection, the duty to give shelter. People are suffering. There is no question about it.

The devotees in Washington, DC, in the USA, were doing motel Gita. They get sponsors and then they put Gitas in different motels in the US. The devotees went to see one motel owner and he was not interested. He was quite cool and distant. Finally the devotees asked if they could just put a few Bhagavad Gitas on the reception desk. Practically, just to get rid of them, the man agreed.

A few days later, the same motel owner called the devotees. He said, "I want three cases of Bhagavad Gita. Bring them today." The devotees said, "Are you the same man we met a couple of days ago? Do you have a twin brother? What's going on here?" The now very humble and soft spoken hotel owner told them this. Yesterday, a business man checked into my motel. He was distracted and not very friendly. He was absorbed in his own thoughts. He saw the Bhagavad Gita on the counter and asked if he could take it.

The next morning that same man, when he checked out, apologized for being so cold and impersonal. Actually he had checked into the motel to commit suicide. While he was waiting for the room to fill up with gas, carbon monoxide, he started reading the Bhagavad Gita. The man said, "Wait, there's truth, there's meaning, there's beauty. I'm not crazy. The world is crazy." He shut off the gas and kept reading. This kind of life saving event repeats itself again and again around the world.

We're talking about a choice and what we do with our lives. They have a saying that we are just about as happy as we choose to be. When I give class, I am expected to least one joke. Here we go. But my point is: what do we do with our life? "Arthada"--this valuable artha human form of life can give us the greatest benefit.

There was a mean, old man. He kicked dogs and triped old ladies. He stole out of the church box. He was a real skunk. So one day, the man steps across the street, is hit by a bus, and dies. In America, in many places, after they bury the man, the family gathers together and tries to say something nice. Some solace to the wife and family. They say some sweet words. But in this man's case nobody could think of a good thing to say. It was an awkward silence. Everyone was looking around at the guy next to him saying "think of something". The priest said, "Come on now, somebody say something." Still no one could think of a thing. Finally one guy in the back said, "His brother was worse!"

When we die, which is inevitable, they say we are not remembered for what we have. We are remembered for what we gave. Have you seen the trailer for that acharya film by Yadubara and Vishaka? I have a hard heart. But even I almost cried. We have a chance to change the world. Vaisesika Prabhu told me that Bhaktivinode Thakura writes that these people are doing so many sinful things. When you open the door it's, "Oh my God, what are they doing in there?" But in the core of their heart, they are thinking, "What is this empty life?" They are looking out their window and down the street, and they're wondering, "When will Lord Caitanya's devotees come and save me?" We have been given a choice to live a life like Wish and Comet, to take up space on this earth and then be swept up like bugs and thrown in the dust bin. We have a choice.

The sewer line under the brahmacari ashram in San Diego broke. The entire brahmacari ashram underneath was deep in raw sewage. Liquid beauty, fully manifest. We called a plumber. He had to climb under the house to find the leak. So you know devotees were trying to save money. They asked for an estimate first. This man climbed under the house through that raw sewage and I heard swear words that I have never heard in my life. Unique combinations that I'd never heard. It came out like a storm. He managed to extricate himself covered in the stuff and told us "Six thousand dollars, minimum." So the devotees said, "Too much, can't pay."

So we sent a surrendered, humble, saintly named Rupa Goswmi, who is also a plumber, under the house. He also verbally expressed his grief. The difference was that he was calling out "Oh Govinda, Oh Keshava, Oh Shyamasundar." He practically chanted Vishnu sahasranamam. The point is, same circumstance, completely different reaction.

Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita that what is night for the conditioned soul is a time of awakening for the self realized. We can live petty, putrid, pale, pernicious, paltry lives. We can live lives of darkness and despair, or we can live a life of light and happiness and compassion. Srila Prabhupada said his disease is "I cannot think small." This ISKCON is not meant for small things. Our life is not meant for small things. If we take up the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we can and will change the world. In the course of that surrender, instead of spending our time haggling over the petty details of life, if we have confidence that Krishna will maintain me, we will live a life of happiness and light. The choice is ours. Thank you very much. Hare Krishna.

[Kindly transcribed by Sarasvati Priya DD]

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From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir
Date: February 11, 2015
Speaker: HG Vaisesika Das
Verse: SB 6.4.5

drumebhyah krudhyamanas te tapo-dipita-manyavah 
mukhato vayum agnim ca sasrjus tad-didhaksaya

TRANSLATION: Because of having undergone long austerities in the water, the Pracetas were very angry at the trees. Desiring to burn them to ashes, they generated wind and fire from their mouths.

PURPORT: Here the word tapo-dipita-manyavah indicates that persons who have undergone severe austerity (tapasya) are endowed with great mystic power, as evinced by the Pracetas, who created fire and wind from their mouths. Although devotees undergo severe tapasya, however, they are vimanyavah, sadhavah, which means that they are never angry. They are always decorated with good qualities. Bhagavatam (3.25.21) states:

titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva-dehinam
ajata-satravah santah sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah

A sadhu, a devotee, is never angry. Actually the real feature of devotees who undergo tapasya, austerity, is forgiveness. Although a Vaisnava has sufficient power in tapasya, he does not become angry when put into difficulty. If one undergoes tapasya but does not become a Vaisnava, however, one does not develop good qualities. For example, Hiranyakasipu and Ravana also performed great austerities, but they did so to demonstrate their demoniac tendencies. Vaisnavas must meet many opponents while preaching the glories of the Lord, but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends that they not become angry while preaching. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given this formula: trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna/ amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. adi 17.31]. “One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.” Those engaged in preaching the glories of the Lord should be humbler than grass and more tolerant than a tree; then they can preach the glories of the Lord without difficulty.

HG Vaisesika Das: (Pranama Mantras)

Here the Pracetas have performed severe austerities for thousands of years within the water. After emerging from the water, they became angry at the trees that have taken over the Earth planet. Out of anger, and by the power of their austerities, they began to burn the trees. We find a few verses hence that Soma comes to intervene and stop the Pracetas from burning the trees. He tells them that they should see that they are actually related to the trees and that the trees are also divine beings that come from the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

There is a way in which to perform tapasya in order to control the senses. It is a kind of combat between the practitioner and the desires and emotions within. But after all, we are sentient beings, which means we have emotions and we have desires. Therefore, the abject denial of desires and emotions can make the heart hard. From a hard heart, anger may arise. Therefore, we as Vaisnavas, perform yukta vairagya. That is, we perform austerities by rejecting anything that cannot be used in the service of Krishna.

In the prosecution of the Krishna Consciousness movement, practically everything can be used in the service of Krishna. Srila Prabhupada states in this verse about the kinds of austerities devotees perform. The result of those austerities is that their hearts become more forgiving. There are different qualifications for taking to various paths to enlightenment.

In the eleventh canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, Krishna tells Uddhava that there are three paths - jnana, karma, and bhakti. He says that those who are nirvinna, who are disgusted with the material world, take to the path of jnana. Those who are anirvinna, which means that they are not disgusted at all with the material world, they take to the path of karma. But those who are yad drcchaya mad-katha jata, they have awakened their faith by hearing about Me, Krishna says. They are neither disgusted with the material world, nor are they attracted to it, and are qualified to take to the path of bhakti.

In the process of bhakti, specifically following in the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, our mood is giving. When we give Krishna Consciousness to others, our heart grows larger. In the attempt to give Krishna Consciousness to those who may not be fully interested, we also grow. One’s heart becomes refined. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said that the spiritual body is nourished by spiritual blood. In the process of teaching Krishna Consciousness to others, one will be opposed, misunderstood, and neglected.

When people come up to me now and say, “How are you doing?” I’ll say, “I’m misunderstood, opposed, and neglected. How are you?”

One who desires to fulfill the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to communicate Krishna Consciousness to others, may at first be misunderstood. But with a sincere desire, one refines ones vocabulary and ones message so that it may be understood by those who he or she is speaking to. When one is opposed, one becomes stronger. It is in the tension of opposition that we actually grow.  As we go from one person to the next introducing Krishna Consciousness, we will learn how to present it in the face of opposition.  In my service of book distribution, I often met people who told me something that I didn’t know how to answer. They say, “I’m all right. I’m good.” How does one answer this opposition? So I asked a superior authority, Vijaya Prabhu, the sankirtana minister. I said, “When people say, ‘I’m all right, I’m good.’ what do you say?” He said, “I know you’re good. You can always be better, right?”

When one is neglected, one learns to be vimanyava, without false ego, prestige. In the Bhagavad Gita Krishna says amanitvam adambhitvam ahimsa ksantir arjavam. He begins enumerating the path of knowledge by saying that one must be without false prestige. In the fifteenth chapter of Bhagavad Gita Krishna says nirmana-moha jita-sanga-dosa. He says one must be without this false prestige.

In America we have a saying, “You’re the man.” Or sometimes when people are very conceded, like great athletes, they’ll say, “I’m the man.” Nirmana means don’t be the man.

I was once distributing books in San Francisco. In a very difficult place along the downtown strip. I approached one man and he walked by me like I didn’t exist. It wasn’t that he said no or was rude to me. He just acted like I didn’t exist. Complete neglect. I actually felt it very deeply. At first my feelings were hurt. Then I looked down to see if I actually existed. In justifying what had happened, I grew stronger thinking that I have no right to be recognized when I approach people. They have every right to have their privacy.

One also sees miracles when one approaches people to give them Krishna Consciousness. These miracles sustain the heart of the bhakta. Every living entity in this world is a miracle. Ashcharya vat pashyati kaschit enam. In the Bhagavad Gita Krishna says that the soul is amazing. And throughout his writings, Srila Prabhupada commonly uses the word tabernacle when he describes the body of the living entity. This word tabernacle is a biblical word. Originally it comes from Latin. It means tent, a temporary dwelling.

However, in the religious sense it’s meant to house the holiest of all holy documents and articles. Tablets that contain the teachings of Moses, for instance. Mormons, Catholics, Jews, they all have tabernacles, movable shrines. Now think of the point of view of Srila Prabhupada when he translates the word dehe, meaning the physical body, into the word tabernacle. It means that he’s seeing everybody as a shrine which is holding the holiest of all holy within. Therefore, one who participates in the austerity of spreading Krishna Consciousness, comes in contact regularly with the divine within everyone, and sees that although they may be overcome by the spell of the modes of material nature, by the sound of the mahamantra, or by reading the literary kirtan in books, they may be awakened. Sometimes even immediately. It is in using everything to connect these living entities with Krishna, that we perform our greatest tapasya.

Once in Tokyo, I was participating in a nagar harinam sankirtan party. We distributed books and sang the holy name in public. I noticed that we had stopped right next to a butcher shop. As we chanted outside, I saw that someone came to the window and looked outside. A couple of minutes later someone came out and stood right in front of the harinam sankirtan. I thought that maybe he wants us to stop. But he asked if we had any literature. I gave him an “Easy Journey to Other Planets.” He went back in the butcher shop. I wondered what he was doing in there. I went in and looked and he was sitting behind the counter reading this “Easy Journey to Other Planets.” I was amazed. That from any environment, a soul can become attracted to Krishna.

In this purport Srila Prabhupada says that our austerity must make our heart soft. We must become more forgiving. What does it mean to be forgiving? There are three ways of seeing people. One way is according to their past. This is the most conservative. Such and such has sinned in the past therefore they are not qualified. Someone more liberal might look at someone only in the present. They may say to forget the past. What is he doing now? But the most liberal person sees the future potential of the living entity. Those who know the miracle of distributing the holy name and the literary kirtan of the holy name written down on pages to people all over the world believe in the power of this literature and the names of God. Therefore they become forgiving of what has been done in the past or even what they are doing right now.

Sukadeva Goswami says kirata, to believe it that anyone from any section of society, even the most degraded, can come to the topmost position because of the power of Lord Vishnu that comes through his devotees.

Now we will take reflections. Reflections mean one thing that you heard that stuck in your mind. One thing that if you walk out of this building and someone grabs you by the arm and asks, “What was that guy talking about in there?” One thing. Dravida Prabhu. Now we need someone very expert at running the microphone because we’re running out of time and the mobile microphone which is somewhere in this building, must manifest now. Please. And until it does and a fast runner passes it around, I’ll repeat. Please go ahead.

Dravida Das: What stuck out in my mind was your reaction when someone neglected you; how for a moment you felt that you had to check with yourself to see if you really existed. But that you got through that and you tolerated it and when on distributing. I got from that that they didn’t say no. They weren’t rude. They didn’t even recognize your existence. I inferred from that that the other reactions would be easier to tolerate. But being totally neglected is the most difficult. Then I thought that Srila Prabhupada had to go through so much of that also. But he persevered. I see you carrying on that position to continue even though you were being neglected.

Vaisesika Das: Thank you Dravida Prabhu. Just one follow up comment. We are experimenting with our consciousness as we go through this life, under the guidance of Bhagavad Gita and the great acharyas. What other lesson is there in neglect? What is it that I’m neglecting Krishna? That inattention actually hurts when you’re speaking with someone else you divert your attention even for half a second. It makes a difference and it hurts the exchange.

Following the theme I brought up about cid-rakta, cit-sarira that is that you get spiritual blood for your spiritual body by being opposed, neglected, and misunderstood. In Bhagavad Gita Krishna says

atmaupamyena sarvatra samam pasyati yo 'rjuna
sukham va yadi va duhkham sa yogi paramo matah

The supreme yogi, the highest yogi, is one who has empathy for others happiness and distress. They feel for others. They actually hurt when others hurt.

One of the great lessons of the material world is sensitivity training. The question is always, “Well, how do you like it?” The devotee has a mantra. I learned this mantra recently and I’m going to pass it on to you. It will change your life forever if you use this mantra. Should I say what it is? “I live to be corrected.” Everyone please repeat. Now the next time you have an argument with your spouse or significant other, try this mantra and see how it works. The point is that being misunderstood, opposed, and neglected sensitizes us to how it feels when we do to others. It makes us more refined in our practice of devotional service.

Prahladananda Swami: I was reflecting on how you said that after your reflection when he neglected you, you thought how he has his right to privacy. The very fact that Krishna gives everyone free will is very significant. Mostly we think that we are the doer and that everyone should respond as we demand or as we desire. But Krishna is actually the doer. He’s manifesting the whole creation. Although we have a desire, and it may be a sincere desire, to help the person, even to give them the highest benediction, we have to appreciate that Krishna gives everyone free will. We should also allow others free will and not become overly involved in the creation to the point that we think everything should go on to make us happy rather than simply do our service to Guru and Gauranga. It was beautiful. Thank you very much.

Vaisesika Das: In that regard, I’d like to enter the following passage into evidence. From the Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi Lila, Chapter 7, text 99. Sri Caitanya has met the Mayavadi Sannyasis at Benares. In doing so, he took a very humble role sitting in the lowest place possible amidst all the other sannyasis.He was very unaggressive in his approach. In that regard, Srila Prabhupada writes the following:

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, however, as a preacher, turned the minds of the Mayavadi sannyasis. They were melted by the sweet words of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and thus became friendly and spoke to Him also in sweet words. Similarly, all preachers will have to meet opponents, but they should not make them more inimical. They are already enemies, and if we talk with them harshly or impolitely their enmity will merely increase.  CC, Adi Lila, 7.99

Devotee: Hare Krishna. Thank you, Prabhu. There were many things that you spoke about that inspired me and that I’ll take away, including the ones that you were just discussing about neglect and treating people with indifference. What I’ll take away in particular is that when you how every time you approach a person to deliver Krishna Consciousness, a miracle happens.

Vaisesika Das: Thank you very much.

Badrinarayana Swami: Actually, I appreciate many things. I appreciated the mantra you gave us. Now I was using a different mantra and getting a different response, so I’m glad you cleared it up for me. Would you like to know the mantra that I’ve been using, unsuccessfully? “I live to correct others!” It’s been a real disaster.

Naveen: Hare Krishna. You spoke about forgiveness. On sankirtan we are fortunate because we are forced to accommodate people. In our own sanga, personally speaking, I am less accommodating than when I’m on the street. The expectations are more. Especially towards seniors, one has very high expectations. What is the cause of this and how can I overcome this?

Vaisesika Das: Sankirtan is holistic. It’s not meant only for when we go out. Our mood of accommodation, communication, and giving must start within our own circle.

Therefore, Srila Prabhupada says that our organization spreads by giving. Giving grows. It’s the best occupation that you can get. Don’t try and see what you can get or give from the world or others, but see what you can give them. Changing that one perspective changes the world immediately. If we have that wherever we live, then we can export it externally. Otherwise it becomes artificial. We can utilize everything in the service of spreading Krishna Consciousness and tax our brains to see how to engage as many people as possible is the best tapasya.

I will end with a story that touched me, personally. In San Francisco, I went with a group of devotees to chant Hare Krishna and distribute books and prasadam downtown. It was the most busy day of the year, called Black Friday. If anyone’s heard of Black Friday, please say Haribol.

In a crowd of people coming down the street who were watching the Harinam Sankirtan, I saw a couple, a young man and a young woman together. They were dressed like the hippies of old. As soon as they saw the Sankirtan party they stopped, as if mesmerized. They just stared and did not move.

I went over and introduced them to the Bhagavad Gita. They were so interested that they sat down right on the sidewalk in the middle of the whole crowd. They began to go through the Bhagavad Gita. I suggested at one point that they keep the book and asked if they could give a donation. When someone gives some hard earned money in return for a book, it qualifies them to read the book.

They searched up and down the many pockets that they had in their clothes. They couldn’t find any money at all. The man pulled out a blue cigarette lighter and he looked at me and said, “You don’t want this.” I said, “Yes I do, give it to me.” It turned out that it was their most valuable possession. They needed it to.

I realized how important it was about a half an hour later when some of their friends came up to me. They said, “My friends are over there but they sent us over here because we need a light.” But it made me realize that they had given up something very important to them.

So I took that blue lighter home. And I cleaned it more than I’ve ever cleaned any item before. I keep it with my puja paraphernalia. Every day when I light a ghee wick or an incense to offer to the Saligram or to Giriraja, I think of that couple. I pray that their service will be accepted.

So all over the world we have opportunity to see how we can engage everyone, including ourselves first, in this process of Krishna Consciousness. If we keep this mantra on our lips, we will be open to every circumstance. Every opportunity. I live to be corrected.

Gaura Premanande Haribol!

Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 04 Chapter 12 Text 15 Awakening from our Dreams by HH Niranjana Swami on 12 Jan 2015 at Kharkov

(His Holiness Niranjana Swami was born on December 10, 1952, in Lowell, Massachusetts, USA. In 1972, his spiritual search took a turning point when he saw a Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, on the counter of a bookshop in Washington, DC.)

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Lecture on Fight Kali with the Holy Name by HG Ananda Krishna Prabhu on 22 Jan 2015

(HG Ananda Krishna Das was born in 1980 in Austria and joined 2002 in Vienna. He is initiated by HH Bhakti Bushana Swami Maharaja. He lived as a brahmacari in Vienna (Austria), Portland (USA), Berlin (Germany) and Simhachalam (Germany).)

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Lecture on Real Importance of Mahabharata is Krishna Katha by HH Bhakti Charu Swami on 26 Aug 2008 at Ujjain

(Bhakti Charu Swami is from a Bengali family and spent most of his early childhood in urban Kolkata. He met with Srila Prabhupada at the end of 1976 after a long and intense search for a spiritual teacher. This initial meeting resulted in Bhakti Charu Swami being assigned to translate the books of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust into the Bengali language.)

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Lecture on Acorns In the Field Pumpkins In The Trees by Indradyumna Swami at Auckland on 10 April 1992
(Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 04, Chapter 30, Text 42)

(Indradyumna Swami is a disciple of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), a Sannyasi traveling preacher, and a guru or spiritual teacher in the Chaitanya Vaishnava tradition. Each year Indradyumna Swami circles the globe teaching the message of the Bhagavad Gita and introducing people to kirtan chanting of the Hare Krishna maha mantra.)

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From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir
Speaker: HG Hari Vilas dasa
Date: 9 February 2015
Subject: Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Appearance day

So I am very humbled to be here in front of so many exalted Vaisnavas, my Godbrothers and Godsisters, and of course Srila Prabhupada, especially today, on the appearance day of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada.

Today I am going to talk about of course Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and his glorious disciple Srila Prabhupada and read some things that Srila Prabhupada has written about his wonderful Gurudeva. Srila Prabhupada has quoted part of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura's pranama mantra:

rupanuga-viruddhapasiddhanta-dhvanta-harine

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was strict follower, integral follower of Srila Rupa Gosvami.  He wouldn't tolerate anything that deviated from his instructions.  And Prabhupada says that he strictly followed the rupanuga principle.  That principle Prabhupada says, Srila Rupa Goswami write in the Bhakti Rasamrtasindhu - you somehow engage people in Krishna consciousness. yena kena prakarena manah krsna nivesayet

So he (Srila Prabhupada) says that, "Some of our friends criticize that I have done this or I have done that.  Swami Maharaja, he is doing like this he is doing like that."

Prabhupada says, "Yes, we are doing everything but our main business is just to inspire people to take to Krishna consciousness. That is the secret you have to inspire people. Then even if there is some discrepancy in the rules and regulations it does not matter.  Rupa Gowami has said,

sarva vidhi nisedha syur etayor eva kinkarah

So he means that somehow or other you bring people to Krishna consciousness. Some things can be changed Prabhupada says according to desa, kala, patra- the place, the time, the circumstances.  But the principle is phalena pariciyate, we must judge from the result whether one has become Krishna conscious or not.  Then we say that is what we want, this is the rule.  Once you become Krishna conscious then we can say -this is the rule, so you do things like this, you don't do things like that.

Prabhupada has said that in the beginning one must be very tolerant, but as people begin to understand Krishna consciousness you tighten the screws.

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam visvaksena-kathasu yah notpadayed yadi ratimsrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8)

That is that even if you follow all the rules and regulations at the end you don't become Krishna conscious it is useless.

When Prabhupada came to the United States in the beginning nobody knew what a pure devotee is, no one knew how to treat a genuine guru.  But he established his authority not by dictate.  He didn't come with a paper and say, "I am guru.  You have to listen to what I say."

He established his authority by affection and love:

dadati pratigrhnati guhyam akhyati prcchati ( Nectar of Instruction Verse 4)

He exchanged things with his devotees, giving and receiving prasadam, giving and receiving gifts and sharing endearing thoughts about Krishna.

Prabhupada says in the beginning there are many difficulties because we go to places where people's behavior, people's culture, is completely opposite to Krishna consciousness.  But we have to find a means, a strategy to bring them to Krishna.  Prabhupada says that is my first business.  That is the secret.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura also followed strictly Rupa Goswami. He introduced that a sanyasi can go begging in a motorcar.  He introduced that sanyasi can even live in a palatial building.  But Rupa Goswami lived under a tree!  But we cannot imitate that.  Therefore here in Mayapur there are palatial buildings and devotees are going around in buses and nice cars and preaching Krishna consciousness.  In Vrindavana there are many babaji's they just have a little loin cloth on, but many of them are doing nonsense.

Prabhupada said imitation is not required.  The real thing is required.  So he says, what is the purpose of a goswami?  Somehow or other engage people in Krishna consciousness.  Prabhupada said, "That is my Guru Maharajaa. That is my Guru Maharaja's gift.  He first of all stated that there is no need to go to Vrindavana and imitate the Goswamis.  You can live in big cities, you can live in palatial houses, but preach Krishna consciousness. So therefore give the people a chance to understand Krishna.  He opened many centers in big cities."  (He is speaking about his Guru Maharaja). He says, "We are also doing that because we are strictly following the principles of Rupa Goswami."

Prabhupada said, "Somehow or other everything is coming out successfully. Krishna consciousness should be pushed forward according to this principle or rupanuga principle."

On Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's Thakura's appearance day in 1975 Prabhupada said:

"In front of Lord Caitanya and by the grace of Lord Krishna and in the presence of my Guru Maharaja you are chanting Hare Krishna.  You are chanting Hare Krishna maha mantra very seriously.  So my Guru Maharaja will be very very pleased upon you.  He will bless you with all benefits.  He wanted this.  It is not that he is dead and gone.  That is not spiritual understanding.  Even an ordinary being doesn't die.  Na hanyate hanyamane sarire.  What to speak of such an exalted authorized personality like Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhuapda.  He is seeing you."

Prabhupada now says, "I never felt that I am alone. When I came to United States like a pauper, like a poor man, no friends, no money but I was full of faith that my Guru Maharajaa is with me.  I never lost this faith."

I have an experience of this.  In France we were very poor also. So Prabhupada wanted us to open a temple.  So somehow or other by a miracle we opened a temple.  And we invited him to come.  So first he went to Moscow from India and then from Moscow he came to Paris.  The day before he came I was in deep, deep anxiety.  We didn't have any money, we couldn't buy flowers, we couldn't buy bhoga, we didn't have a car, we couldn't even renta taxi.  That night I could hardly sleep.  I woke up very early in the morning, went down to the temple room, I started chanting.  I was thinking what are we going to do?  We are going to hitchhike to the airport, but we can't hitchhike back with Prabhupada!  Now this is a true story.  I am not making anything up, I am not elaborating it or. . . .

While chanting I noticed there was a brown bag in the temple room.  It was a brown paper bag.  So I picked it up, I looked inside it was full of money. More money than I had ever seen in my life!  So immediately I put it under my arm and covered it with a chadar. (claps) and I started to sweat thinking what will I do if someone comes looking for the bag? (laughter)  So I just started chanting, we had mangala arati.  It wasn't really a temple room, it was a room with a very small little altar, with small picture of Panca tattva and few pictures of the parampara.  By 11 o'clock in the morning no one had asked me for the bag.  We had to pick up Prabhupada at 1 o'clock in the afternoon.

So I accepted this as Krishna's mercy.  I gave people money to buy flowers, to buy bhoga, we got a taxi, and we went to the airport.

vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana (BG 2.41)

One must have resolute unflinching faith in the spiritual master and in Krishna.  Somehow or other by the goodwill of Krishna everything will work out.

Srila Prabhupada has written a letter to a bhakta.  He said:

"The spiritual master is present wherever his sincere devotees are trying to serve his instructions.  This is possible by the mercy of Krishna.  In your attempt to serve me with your sincere devotional sentiments I am with you just as my Guru Maharajaa is with me.  Always remember this."

So in this way we have to have faith

Guru mukha padma vakya cittete kariya aikya

My only desire is to have my consciousness purified by the words emanating from the lotus mouth of my guru.

'sraddha'-sabde - visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya (CC Madhya 22.62)

You must have faith but faith means you believe in something sublime, you may not see it but you know it is there. Prabhupada said, "My Guru Maharajaa is with me.  I never lost that faith."

There is vani, the words of the guru, and there is vapu the physical presence, Srila Prabhupada said the physical presence will disappear but the vani will stay.  If we keep the vani the words of the guru and spiritual master then we remain fixed up.  Just like the Bhagavad Gita was spoken five thousand years ago but if you keep the words of Krishna then it is always fresh.  It will guide you.  Then you should know that Krishna is present with you.  That means spiritual realization.  It's not a mundane history.

So in 1996 for Prabhupada's centennial I organized a program in San Jose, California.  The guest speaker was Govinda Maharaja, the disciple of Sridhar Maharaja.  And he said, "Today my dear friends I have come to make a confession.  I think in your religion you make confession, is it not?"  He said, "My Guru Maharajaa and I were sitting in Navdvipa.  And we were getting news that your Gurudeva, your Swami Maharajaa, was succeeding in the United States in spreading Krishna consciousness.  We could not believe it!"

Now the question is why did they not believe it?

Because in 1933 Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura sent his best man, the most eloquent, the most refined, the most intelligent member of the Gaudiya Math to preach in England and the Gaudiya Math sent him every month 700 Rs, which might be like I don't know, 7000 dollars or something today.  After four years he called him back to Calcutta.  He wasn't able to make one devotee and when he met him, the ultimate insult was, he said to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, "Your process doesn't work!"

That was an insult!

Two weeks before Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura disappeared Prabhupada sent him a letter and he said - "Gurudeva, is there any service I can do for you?" r And Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura immediately replied, "Yes it will be very nice for you, you try to preach this gospel amongst the persons who speak English."

So Prabhupada said, "Sometimes I was dreaming that my Guru Maharaja was coming to me and calling and saying that I must leave my home and follow him, leave my children, leave everything and follow him.  My Guru Maharaja wants me to give up my home, give up my family and take sannyasa.  So I was thinking, Oh, this is horrible!  How can I leave my home!  That is maya!"

Guru Maharaja, Prabhupada said, made me or obliged me to give up my home life.  But his order and plan I gave up everything. I gave up a few children but now Krishna has given me thousands of children."

And he came to the West and proved that his Guru Maharaja's process works because he had absolute faith in the words of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

So when I was young devotee, I think it was 1973, I came for the first time to India and it was the time of Janmastami and then Guru [Vyasa] Puja.  And on the occasion of Guru Puja the guest speaker, the honoured guest was the same person who had gone to England and failed.  At that time the temple was not built yet.  It was a construction site.  I was sitting on a sand pile. There was no running water yet. You had to draw water from a well.  But we were happy because we were with Prabhupada.

On that day Prabhupada was sitting on his vyasasana and we were trying to glorify him and four sanyasis came from Mayapur.  And one of them got up to speak, Gargamuni, and he said, "Prabhupada is the only disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura who had so much faith in his guru that he was willing to risk everything, his life, his health, everything to please his guru.  Not one of his Godbrothers was able to do this."

I was a little embarrassed when he said it, I was looking at the honored guest.  I was thinking why is he speaking so strong like this, it's embarrassing.  But the honored guest did not bat an eyelash. But when I looked at Prabhupada he was smiling, he was very happy. (laughter)

Gargamuni said, "Prabhupada did what his Guru and all the  parampara of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas wanted:

prthivite ache yata nagaradi-grama?sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama

Again I looked at the guest, again he was stoic, he didn't bat an eyelash, I looked at Prabhupada, he was beaming.  Then I thought in my heart one day I want to speak like that to glorify Prabhupada.

And then the guest was given a chance to speak and he said, "We cannot but accept the fact that your Swami Maharaja has done great service."

Now we know how much Prabhupada loved Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said, "Even at the expense of all the properties of the Gaudiya Math, all the temples, all the mathas, all that I have, if I could convert even one person into a pure devotee, my mission would be fulfilled."

Prabhupada is that one devotee, the absolute pure devotee who fulfilled the prophecy of Lord Caitanya.  He fulfilled the prophecy of Bhaktivinoda Thakura, that one day the white brothers from the West will come to Sridhama Mayapur and dance with their Indian brown brothers in harinama sankirtana. These two prophecies plus the fact that the message of Lord Caitanya is spread all over the world.

So we cannot imagine how much Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is smiling right now.  When Bhaktivinoda Thakura disappeared he went to see his mother and he was late so his father had already been cremated.  His mother said, "Before your father departed he offered you many blessings. Bhaktivinoda Thakura repeatedly mentioned that your firm faith in suddha bhakti is fixed. And he instructed that you should serve Sridhama Mayapur and propagate the message of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu."

A few weeks before Bhaktivinoda Thakura had disappeared he expressed his mano abhista, his heart felt understanding that he wanted to convey to his son Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.  He said number one, establish daiva varnasrama, preach suddha bhakti, develop Sridhama Mayapur and publish Vaisnava writings.  He said most people commit many offenses against pure Vaisnava's due to their false pride.  He said the means to rectify this is to institute daiva varnasrma.

In 1956 Srila Prabhupada wrote an essay called 'Gita Nagari Village'.  And he outlined a four point process to spiritualize the whole world.  The first point was harinama sankirtana.  The second point was deity worship and establishing temples.  He called these points movements.  He said the third point was initiating devotees and training them to be pure Vaisnavas.  And the fourth point was establishing daiva varnasrama so that there will be a classless society.

How it can be classless when you have varnas and asramas?  Because if it is done correctly all the varnas and asramas will cooperate with each other and will become a classless society.  No one will be in a ? situation.  Everyone will attain the perfection of life by cooperating with each other.

In the beginning of time Krishna sent forth generations of men and demigods and gave them sacrifice for Lord Visnu.  And he said by performance of these sacrifices you will receive all desirable things to live peacefully happily and prosperously.  And at the end of life you will all go back to Godhead. This is the program for the Krishna consciousness movement.  It was the point one of Bhaktivinoda Thakura, his mano abhistam, his heart felt realizations that he wanted to communicate to his son Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

Second point was due to the the lack of preaching what pure bhakti is, all types of bad theories and instructions are being called devotion by false sampradayas like the sahajiyas.  He said crush these anti-devotional conceptions by preaching what pure bhakti is.  And always manifest the highest standard of Vaisnava sadacara by your behavior.

And he said begin the parikrama of Sridhama Mayapur as soon as possible then everyone in the universe will receive Krishna bhakti.

Then he said, diligently endeavor that service to Sridhama Mayapur becomes permanently established and more resplendent everyday.

So actually in the Padma Purana it says:

naham tisthami vaikunthe yoginam hrdayesu va
yatra gayanti mad-bhaktah tatra tisthami narada

"Narada, I am not in Vaikuntha, (Lord Visnu is speaking to Narada) I am not in the heart of the meditating yogis, and but whenever My devotees are chanting My glories, speaking about My katha, describing My form, My pastimes, that's where I am."

This is what Mayapur is all about.  In Mayapur you will see the best and the worst because everything is amplified here.  But our motto should be "Take the best and leave the rest!"

This is not a place for nonsense.  This is a place where you can actually become a pure devotee.

tasmat sarvesu kalesu mam anusmara yudhya ca
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir mam evaisyasy asamsayah (BG 8.7)

"At all times Arujna think of Me and do your duty with your mind and intelligence fixed on Me I guarantee you, you will come back to Me."

So why are we here?  We are here because thousands and thousands of people are coming here almost every day and it will be millions when this temple is built. This is perhaps the greatest place in the world to preach.  This is where Lord Caitanya preached, this is where Lord Nityananda preached, Srivas Thakura, all of the greatest devotees in the history of the world, they were preaching here.  This is not a place for visayis, for sense gratifiers. This is a place where you can actually attain Krishna prema and share it with hundreds and thousands and millions of people.  When we actually take that seriously Srila Prabhupada becomes very pleased. That's why he went through so much trouble to build this place.

So I will finish with one letter that Srila Prabhupada wrote.  He wrote this to his devotees in 1967.  He says:

"I always think of you because you are my heart and soul.  I am so pleased in your association.  I am always thankful to my spiritual master Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, for his favor by sending you to me, such sincere representatives of him to help me in my missionary activities in this part of the world.  I consider you all as representatives of my Guru Maharaja to help me in my helpless condition.  My Godbrothers did not help me but my spiritual master helped me.  So I do not think that I can ever forget you even for a moment.  I pray to Krishna for your more and more advancement in Krishna consciousness.  Be happy and execute more and more service for Krishna and Krishna will accept you in His association."

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada ki jaya!
Sridhama Mayapur ki jaya!
Gaurpremanande Hari Haribol!

Devotee: Could you please give the fifth point from this book "Gita Nagari
Village". You mentioned four.

HG Hari Vilas Prabhu:  There are four points.  Fifth point is everyone will become happy and go back to Godhead.

Ekalavya Das:  Hare Krishna Prabhu.  Thank you for a wonderful class. Prabhu you quoted one sloka from Padma Purana which states that "I am not in the heart of the yogis but I am where My devotees are chanting My glories."So Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto (BG 15.15), that "I am in everyone's heart."  So what is it meant by this Padma Purana verse.

HG Hari Vilas Prabhu:

namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis
atrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah
etadrsi tava krpa bhagavan mamapi
durdaivam idrsam ihajani nanuragah (Siksatakam )

That Krishna has so many names Krishna, Govinda.  He is present in His names. All His potencies are in His names.  And there are no hard and fast rules for chanting that.  We have to understand what Lord Caitanya did.  He did something unbelievable.  Hinduism was ensconced in a lie.  catur varnyam maya srstam guna karma vibhagasah, this is what Krishna says.  But the Hindu Brahmans were saying catur varnyam maya srstam janma karma vibhagasah. So they created this false caste system.  And it caused havoc.

So Lord Caitanya He did not come to be a politician that creates friends and enemies.  He came and in a very wonderful way elevated everyone regardless of their caste, regardless of their birth, they could be Muslims, they could be Jain, they could be Buddhist, they could be atheists, doesn't matter. They can all join the sankirtana movement and become purified.

And there are three methods to this yoga system: chanting, dancing and feasting.  You don't have to be a rocket engineer to do it.  A child can do it and a person on a death bed can do it.

Now the 50th anniversary of ISKCON is coming up.  We should cause a tsunami of the holy name.  We want minimum one million people in Calcutta on harinama sankirtana for the 50th anniversary, we want minimum half a million people in Delhi, half a million people in Bombay and in Washington DC we want at least a hundred thousand people.

Let's do this!  Let's glorify Lord Caitanya!  Let's glorify Prabhupada! Let's have Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura smiling.  The entire sampradaya and gurus should be smiling.  You can do this!  Let's work together!

Hare Krishna!
Thank you very much!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Lecture on Glories of Maharaj Ambarish by HG Nitai Sevini Mataji at ISKCON Vizag

(H.G.Nitaisevini Devi Dasi was born in Mumbai in a Gujarati Business family, conventional followers of the Pushtimarg. Later she with her family shifted to Hyderabad in 1984, since then she was closely connected to ISKCON Secunderbad.)

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Lecture on Journey of Self Discovery Day 01  by HG Kamallochan Prabhu on 22 Sep 2014

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Lecture on BG 05.09 Contact of senses-Sense objects is not the problem infatuation with the contact is  by HG Chaitanya Charan Prabhu on Jan 2015

(HG Chaitanya Charan Prabhu is a celibate spiritual teacher (brahmachari) at ISKCON, Pune. He has done his Electronics & Telecommunications Engineering from the Govt College of Engg, Pune. He is a member of ISKCON's topmost intellectual body, the Shastric Advisory Council, which offers scriptural advise to the GBC)

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Lecture on Honesty is the Best Policy by Indradyumna Swami at Perth on 17 Feb 1992
(Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 04, Chapter 30, Text 42)

(Indradyumna Swami is a disciple of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), a Sannyasi traveling preacher, and a guru or spiritual teacher in the Chaitanya Vaishnava tradition. Each year Indradyumna Swami circles the globe teaching the message of the Bhagavad Gita and introducing people to kirtan chanting of the Hare Krishna maha mantra.)

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 Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, the guru of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, appeared in Sri Ksetra Dhama.(Jagannatha Puri) on 6 February 1874 as the son of Srila Sacidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura. In his childhood he quickly mastered the Vedas, memorized the Bhdgavad-gita, and relished his father's philosophical works. He became known as "The Living Encyclopedia" for his vast knowledge.

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