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Funeral Realizations

The other day I had gone to attend the funeral of a friend’s father.As usual, I observed that except for really close friends and relatives, most of the visitors were interested in anything but the passing away of the concerned person. The majority had come there simply to observe social etiquette…and nothing else. The conversation though hushed, ranged from the current political situation to the stock market to even Bollywood! Even the ‘brahmana’ who was to perform the last rites was heartily p
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Onion Free Upma

I had been avoiding consumption of onions and garlic long ago, since 1984 (onions , as I myself also found, tend to excite the mind, some substance in onions penetrates the blood-brain barrier, causing some "excitement" in the brain, which maybe liked by some, may not be liked by some, depending on their disposition). As a practicing Vaishnava, it is best to avoid Onions and Garlic.I love to eat Upma for breakfast, but after I gave up onions, I was at a loss to understand how to get to make Upma
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2514393547?profile=originalIt was Sir Isaac Newton who observed that in Nature, every action causes an immediate and opposite reaction in response to the former. This became famously known as his Third Law of Motion.Little did he realize that this Law also applies to day-to-day situations in our lives!Our Prarabdh or Fate puts us in situations depending upon our past Karma. Once exposed to a particular situation or environmental stimulus, we react to it immediately and helplessly, without thinking, according to the impuls
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LIBERATION

What is this Liberation?Is it just freedom from pain?Freedom from the cycle of birth and deathsought after by holy menSince time immemorial we passthrough lifetiimes of misery,84 lakhs species without respite,going around in a giant wheel moving fast...The human birth is very rare,The topmost rung of the ladder,One step down goes to the lower species,And one step up leads to liberation.But for one who is surrendered,With devotion to the Supreme Lord,Liberation stands with folded hands,At his doo
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Jai Jai sri guru gauranga gandharvika giridhari ki jaiSimply out of the world ...on the lap of the divine.I could see the spirit of Srila AC Prabhupada string the whole congregation just as the thread strings flowers offered to the Lord.The Devotees are simply intoxicated with the divine Ambrosia of Hari Nam.Contrary to other spiritual institutional congregations I could see that the devotees here were only in awe and reverence of Srila Prabhupada and absolutely passionate about the movement.The
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Change of Heart

As long as we are in the material world our mind will be showing alternatives for us to have sense gratification. To engage in un-deviated and un-motivated devotional service, we should be capable of saying no to these material impulses.At the initial stages of devotional service, we may say no to these impulses externally. But to say no these impulses whole heartedly, our desires has to be nullified or changed or in other words change of heart is required.By regular attendance in classes on the
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Hare Krishna,I just thought I should share one of my favourite stories from the Puranas with you...

Once the great sage Narada was intrigued by a doubt. He was sure that Lord Vishnu would clear it for him. He proceeded to the Ocean of Milk and found his Lord reclining on the giant hooded serpent-bed Shankarshana, His beautiful consort, Lakshmi devi beside Him.Sage Narada made his obeisance to Lord Vishnu and put his question to Him.“Oh Lord, what is the value of Vaishnava Satsang, the Association
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It is not an easy path, association makes it easier.In the days of the past, saints meditated for years to arrive at the conclusion that Lord Krishna is indeed the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Today we have the possibility to learn from those conclusions, and all we need to do is clean our heart, let in the light emanating from Krishna. We are always looking at bright objects (computer screens, mobile phone screens,headlights of cars, etc etc) but the soothing light of Krishna cannot be seen
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Work…towards a Supreme Goal :)

I watched my client leave my shop after thanking me for a job well done. Then as usual I got puffed up and felt proud of what I had done. Then also as usual, Krishna put me in the right place by sending me the next client, a dissatisfied one, who went on complaining about something or the other. That put me off for a while.But it also set me thinking…Why do we work at all? (By work here, I mean occupation; the answer to the question “So…what do you do in life?”)More often than not, one performs,
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New Album Release - ILLUMINIZEHare Krishna Prabhus/MatajisPlease accept our respectful obeisances.All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. All Glories to Guru & Gauranga!Just wanted to let you know that, by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON Gurus and Vaisnavas, my wife Bhaktin Vanita and I have officially pre-launched our first album under the banner Supersoul Records, called ILLUMINIZE, on 09-09-09.We would like you to visit www.illuminize.com, which is LIVE now. The album theme is based on the Dam
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How to overcome the greatest enemy - Lust

This blog is more of a question, than an answer.There is danger of a pitfall even after one starts chanting regularly. This danger is from the enemy called LUST. It will use all sorts of tricks to pull you back into maya. Repeating the same mistake and then chanting to nullify that mistake is an offensive form of chanting, and should be avoided. Chanting the name of the Lord is as good as associating directly with the Lord, and after such association, if we fall back to old habits, it can be ver
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(This wonderful story was sent to me by a friend. It’s so beautiful, I thought I should share it with everyone)

An old Vaishnava Devotee lived on a farm in the mountains with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Bhagavad Gita. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.One day the grandson asked, 'Grandpa! I try to read the Bhagavad Gita just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do unde
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Importance of Spiritual Master

All scriptures stress the importance of Guru (a Spiritual Master) for our spiritual advancement. This is an humble attempt to present the importance of Spiritual Master.In our daily life we will come across many things and incidences, some things we are aware of it and some we will learn from others depending on our interest and from what they know. When we come to spiritual scenario, the perspective seems to be complicated even though it is not. Spiritual Master is the one who gives us the perc
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Divine Deception!.......A Realization

There and yet...Not there!

A friend and I were discussing about the Bhagavad Gita the other day. We were wondering, what is the most amazing thing about that Book. Now I know, everything about it is amazing, but one aspect about it never fails to astound me whenever I think about it.Srila Prabhupada writes in his introduction in the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Lord Krishna is mentioned on every page as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. On almost every page, He declares Himself to be God. THE God wh
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Authority...what Authority?! (humor, satire)

A humorous look at Authority then and now...

Life was so much simpler a few hundred thousand years ago. Agreed, there were Demons and Rakshasas and what have you, (not that there aren't any walking around today; it's just that they resemble humans more closely! :-D), but there was a very clear idea about Authority. And the Vedas were the last word in Authority.The Vedas said this was how Creation took place and everyone accepted it.The Vedas said this was the way schooling should be done, marriag
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Portable Happiness

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Out of His love for us, God manifests Himself as His holy name. The Padma Purana declares: abhinnatvam nama naminoh “There is no difference between the name of God and God Himself.” So the holy name is no ordinary sound; it is God Himself.
Here’s an example to illustrate how a thing can be much more valuable that what it appears to be. A mother tells her four year old child to tear and throw into the dustbin all paper that he finds fallen on the ground in their bedroom. The child gleefully gets

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New website for Kumbh Mela 2010

Here is anew pOster of the Kumbhamela comming on next year Feb to April inHaridwar. Please print this at every center and publish for the benefit ofyour congregation.Also visit our new WEBSITE ate "www.iskconkumbh2010.com" and publish thistoo or give link in your all local web sites.
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Krishna and Mahabharata : Historical realityBy Desh (Aug. 31, 2009)Dr Manish Pandit, a nuclear medicine physician from UK is making a movie onKrishna as a historic figure. Pandit has based his movie on dates andtimelinescoming out of scientific based research by credible evidence based onArcheology, Astronomy and Linguistics, apart from Oral evidence from Indiantradition.Mahabharat War started on November 22, 3067 BC. This comes out ofastronomicalevidence. And the astronomical juxtapositions are
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Why Big Bang?

Big Bang a scientific theory, developed from observations of the structure of universe and from theoretical considerations. Everybody knows that the theory of big-bang generally refers to the idea that the "universe has expanded from a primordial hot and dense initial condition at some finite time in the past, and continues to expand to this day.”..If we closely observe the theory of big bang there are certain things which remain unexplained or certain things that are not considered while postul
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Kanyakubja* Revisited... A short story

The Resident Medical Officer on duty in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Sardar Patel Memorial Hospital, Delhi, had just finished writing his notes. He looked up and found the young staff nurse looking at something behind him, lost in thought. He turned around to follow her gaze. He then turned back and smiled at her. Nurse Sheela blinked and noticed the doctor looking at her. She smiled back wanly and sighed.‘I’d give him until tomorrow morning. Afternoon, tops.’ The doctor turned back agai
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