remembrance - Blog - ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT2024-03-28T22:09:56Zhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/remembranceIn our memory by Kadamba Kanana Swamihttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/in-our-memory-by-kadamba-kanana-swami2022-03-19T13:08:19.000Z2022-03-19T13:08:19.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><blockquote>
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<p>When we remember Krsna, that is also mercy. Krsna is choosing to appear in our memory!</p>
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<p id="block-aba19b8b-5ff8-4a32-98eb-0f4978b0f8af">When we remember Krsna, that is also mercy. Krsna is choosing to be in our memory! When we think of Krsna, He is appearing in our thoughts. In this way, we have to learn to see Krsna in every aspect of our life.<br /> </p>
<p>Watch the full lecture below or on our YouTube channel here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-C_6ZzNXTY" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-C_6ZzNXTY</a></p>
<p><strong>Source: </strong><a href="https://www.kksblog.com/2022/03/in-our-memory/%C2%A0">https://www.kksblog.com/2022/03/in-our-memory/ </a></p></div>Forgetfulness & Remembrance by Kadamba Kanana Swamihttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/forgetfulness-remembrance-by-kadamba-kanana-swami2021-01-13T11:47:49.000Z2021-01-13T11:47:49.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8418728892,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8418728892?profile=RESIZE_584x" width="450" />It is said that the spiritual world is the tripad vibhuti (three-quarters of the manifestation) and the material world is ekepad vibhuti (one-quarter of the manifestation). And it is said that only one-tenth of the living entities are living in the material world whereas nine-tenths are in the spiritual world. So there are many more devotees who are eternally engaged in loving exchanges with Krsna. In the spiritual world, Krsna is playing His flute and causing the peacocks to dance as a result. The peacock offers Krsna a peacock feather, which is the most valuable thing he has, and that is why Krsna always wears a peacock feather. So all of this is going on in the spiritual world.</p>
<p>But we are here in the material world in separation from Krsna. We have developed desires to be separated from Him and that is difficult, because Krsna is actually everywhere and everything is Krsna. All the energies that exist are Krsna, so really how can we be separated from Him? It is simply not possible to be separated from Krsna. The item we are sitting on right now is Krsna, we are breathing Krsna, everything is Krsna. Even the fasting from prasadam we do is Krsna! (laughing) So there is not even a moment that we can be separated from Krsna. Therefore, Krsna says, sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham (Bhagavad-gita 15.15). He is saying that He is seated in everyone’s heart and from Him comes remembrance and from Him comes forgetfulness also. So Krsna arranges this forgetfulness of Him also.</p>
<p>When Srila Prabhupada was asked why he came to America, he said that it was to teach us what we have forgotten. This consciousness of ours is covered by the illusory energy, which is also Krsna’s energy and therefore now we are in a state where we do not know Krsna. We only know maya! What to do? And Krsna is atmarama, what does He need? Nothing! The atmaramas are self-satisfied and all the atmaramas are attracted to Krsna. But Krsna is the original self-satisfied person! He is fully self-satisfied, yet He is lacking something. What is it? The living entities which remain in the material world. Krsna is thinking, “How can I carry on with My pastimes without those living entities? Of course, I cannot stop my eternal pastimes. That is not possible and I will never do that. These eternal ecstasies are continuing but how can I do it without them?” So Krsna decides that He will appear so that we can get a taste. He gave us this incredible taste by performing His extraordinary pastimes!<br /> <br /> <strong>Source: </strong><a href="https://www.kksblog.com/2021/01/forgetfulness-remembrance/">https://www.kksblog.com/2021/01/forgetfulness-remembrance/</a></p></div>Remembrance of His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Maharajahttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/remembrance-of-his-holiness-bhakti-charu-swami-maharaja2020-07-07T11:17:35.000Z2020-07-07T11:17:35.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img class="align-center" src="https://i.imgur.com/khqpVfI.jpg?profile=RESIZE_584x" width="450" alt="khqpVfI.jpg?profile=RESIZE_584x" /></p>
<p><strong>By Bhakti Bhringa Govinda Swami</strong></p>
<p>“It’s a sad day to be joining a ceremony dedicated to the remembrance of Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj.</p>
<p>I think that now is the time for us to really take those instructions that we read in Srila Prabhupada’s offering in the Shrimad Bhagavatam to his spiritual master to heart. And that instruction is that he lives forever by his instructions and his disciples and followers live with him. And this is the case for His Holiness Bhakti Charu Maharaj as well. Although it is a great misfortune that we will not have his personal association, his instructions and his example will live for us to get forever. And for myself, Bhakti Charu Maharaj was always an example of intense affection and intense dedication to Srila Prabhupada. I saw that exhibited the first time I had a personal interaction with Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj, and that was in the summer of 1977 in Vrindavan when we were all serving here, and Srila Prabhupad was bringing his pastimes in this world to an end. Many times while sitting in Srila Prabhupada’s room, I would observe how when Prabhupad heeded some comfort, when Prabhupad need somebody to speak to very closely and when Prabhupada wanted to hear the loving words of his disciples, he would call Bhakti Charu Maharaj and they would sit and speak very sweetly and intimately in the Bengali language.</p>
<p>On August 28, 1977, this was the evening when His Divine Grace left Vrindavan to go for his last preaching tour in the West. We know that Srila Prabhupada only made it as far as London and then he returned to India. So Srila Prabhupada left that evening and took his car to Delhi to take the flight out. And the next morning I went to clean Srila Prabhupada’s kitchen and when I walked inside, I found Bhakti Charu Maharaj. He was sitting in the kitchen with his head in his hands, and he was just crying and crying and crying… I asked him, “What is the problem?” And he explained to me how he had been meant to travel with Srila Prabhupada, but unfortunately, his passport wasn’t ready, so he couldn’t travel. And I can really see in this devotee, how much dedication, how much feeling of love and desire to serve he had for His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. I saw that same dedication and that same spirit of serving for the next 43 years. Sometimes when I tell him that I felt challenged by something, Maharaj would say that if Lord Krishna gives this mercy even an ant can become a Brahma. And I saw how he had that mercy of Srila Prabhupada and how he had that mercy of Krishna. He did so many glorious things for our society and for individual devotees. He made so many sterling first-class disciples throughout the world, many of whom I can say are some of my closest friends.</p>
<p>I think something that will come up time and time again is that Bhakti Charu Maharaj was a perfect gentleman. I don’t know if it has been written, but when I was young, I heard that Srila Prabhupada said that the definition of a Vaishnava is that he is a perfect gentleman. And that was Maharaja’s nature. He always lived in Vaishnava sadachara, he always acted in Vaishnava sadachara. When you were with Maharaj, you felt like all the time in the world had come to a stop and you felt like you were the most important person in this world because he was giving you so much true undivided attention, care, and affection. I might say that in the 43 years that I knew Maharaj, he was always very kind and very compassionate to me. I, along with the rest of ISKCON will deeply miss having Maharaja’s association, having him cast his smile upon me, having him giving me one of his big embraces, having him invite me for prasadam in his room that was always an event that we looked forward to all year long.</p>
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<p>I pray that one day I will be reunited with Maharaj, that I can see him, serve him and learn from him again. And for me in a situation like this, an important message comes through that we are surrounded by a galaxy of wonderful advanced Vaishnavas in our ISKCON society, and we see the wonderful exemplary activities that they perform, and many times we never express our appreciation for them. It just like now I think, “Gosh who knew that Bhakti Charu Maharaj would be finishing his activities in this world and going back to join Srila Prabhupad, and engaging according to Krishna’s desire.” Certainly, if I have known, I would’ve told him how much I appreciate him and how much I love him. In the same way, I think all of us should start getting into the habit of not waiting until Vaishnav leaves this world, but we should start showing our appreciation and showing our love in advance. We should learn how to pay it forward and really let the Vaishnavs know that we care and we love them for the wonderful sacrifices that they’ve made in the service of Srila Prabhupada.</p>
<p>Thank you all very much. I am sure that many wonderful rememberings of Bhakti Charu Maharaj will come forward this evening, and we should relish those remembrances and keep them close to our hearts, and let them give us inspiration in the development of our faith in our spiritual masters and in our ongoing devotional service to Radha and Krishna.</p>
<p>I pray for Bhakti Charu Maharaj’s mercy, and I pray for the mercy of all assembled Vaishnavas. His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj Ki Jai!”<br /> <br /> <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=87165">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=87165</a></p></div>Source of all opportunities by Kadamba Kanana Swamihttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/source-of-all-opportunities-by-kadamba-kanana-swami2019-12-22T10:01:36.000Z2019-12-22T10:01:36.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}3781674458,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="400" alt="3781674458?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></p>
<p>Krsna is described as the source of all opportunities. This is a fact. Krsna says: sarvasya caham hrdi sannvistho mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham (Bhagavad-gita 15.15). He says that He is in the heart of all living beings and from Him comes remembrance and from Him comes forgetfulness.</p>
<p>Srila Prabhupada explains that Krsna helps us to remember Him and Krsna also helps us to forget Him. So the opportunities are entirely in our hands. We can decide what we want to be. We can decide if we want to live like an animal or if we want to live like a human being or if we want to live like a demigod. It is entirely up to us to decide whether we want to be in the mode of ignorance or mode of passion or mode of goodness or go to the path of pure transcendental devotional service. All these opportunities are there, so never is there a moment that we do not have an opportunity from Krsna. No one can say that they are exempt from devotional service; that is simply not possible.</p>
<p>There is no condition when we do not have an opportunity. May be someone cannot chant, at least not through the mouth but they can chant in the mind. Maybe someone can worship the Lord in the mind. It is there in our scriptures that this is entirely possible. It is possible in any condition to be Krsna conscious. Never can we say that, “I cannot”. It is always a challenge; even if we have everything, there is still going to be a challenge. Even if our hand is in the bead bag, it is still hard to move the beads. It is still difficult to open the mouth and to speak the mahamantra. It is hard because the mind is unwilling; because we are unwilling. We always find a reason to decline the opportunity to be Krsna conscious.</p>
<p><strong>Source: </strong><a href="https://www.kksblog.com/2019/12/source-of-all-opportunities/">https://www.kksblog.com/2019/12/source-of-all-opportunities/</a></p></div>