The municipality of Bombay had denied permission to allow construction of a temple on the grounds that kirtana in the temple would be a "nuisance". Giriraja brought this news to Prabhupada's attention at the official end of the festival.
The devotees, now enthusiastic and rejuvenated, prepared to return to their respective temples around the world. It was decided, however, that some of them be encouraged to stay on and hold massive kirtana programs in Bombay to convince residen
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The municipality of Bombay had denied permission to allow construction of a temple on the grounds that kirtana in the temple would be a "nuisance". Giriraja brought this news to Prabhupada's attention at the official end of the festival.
The devotees, now enthusiastic and rejuvenated, prepared to return to their respective temples around the world. It was decided, however, that some of them be encouraged to stay on and hold massive kirtana programs in Bombay to convince residen
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In the chilly, pre-dawn hours, the devotees were fortunate to accompany Srila Prabhupada on his long morning walks down Chatikara Road, while in the evenings devotees would gather to hear Prabhupada, sometimes in his newly constructed rooms and other times at nearby Phogala Asrama.
One night in his room, Amogha presented Srila Prabhupada with an exquisite framed photo of Sri Sri Radha-Vallabha in Melbourne. Krsna was dressed in loose-fitting gold and lavender pants with matching tur
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Buddhimanta, a prime mover in establishing the first major thrust of book distribution in Australia, inspired many of the Australian devotees. By the time he returned to America, his association had left a deep impression on his Godbrothers and Godsisters in Australia.
Caru: It's hard to say a lot about Buddhimanta, because he wasn't a very complicated person. But one thing was sure. His enthusiasm to distribute Prabhupada's books was outstanding. It seemed unlimited, and
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On 29 October 1973, Tusta Krsna telegrammed Srila Prabhupada in a mood of recompense:
DEAR SRILA PRABHUPADA,
PLEASE ACCEPT MY HEART AT YOUR FEET. RECEIVED YOUR LETTER AND TELEGRAM TODAY. TEMPLE WILL NOT BE SOLD. ALL PAPERS TO BE SIGNED OVER TO YOU. NEVER INTENDED TO CLAIM PROPERTY OR MONEY AS MY OWN. DETAILED LETTER FOLLOWS. PLEASE FORGIVE ANY CONFUSION OR ANXIETY MY BLUNDERS HAVE CAUSED YOU -- YOUR SERVANT, TUSTA
And at the end of the first week of November 1973, Srila P
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Far more serious than the closure of the Brisbane temple, however, was the news that the Auckland temple had also been influenced by Siddha Svarupa's philosophy. Tusta Krsna Swami had been, and still remained, very close to Siddha Svarupa. On hearing of Siddha's radical departure from ISKCON, Tusta had joined him in Hawaii and given the devotees under his care in Auckland the choice of either staying or joining him there. Many had agreed to join him.
The double-decker bus, full of chanting devotees, pulled up outside the stately Town Hall in the centre of downtown Sydney. The melodious kirtana party proceeded up the elegant sandstone steps, crossed the open terrace and entered the cavernous main hall.
Flowers and garlands decorated the temple vyasasana that was set up on stage before the gigantic pipe organ. A large flower show had finished just that afternoon, and since the organisers had not yet removed all the potted plants
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In the course of performing their daily, and nightly, service to the Deities in the temple, Srila Prabhupada's second-initiated pujaris, would regularly have to miss out on Prabhupada's classes and outside engagements.
Ambika dasi, assigned the task of cooking the evening offering, was feeling a little depressed. She would miss Prabhupada's Sydney Town Hall lecture. She had just completed the arati when Srutakirti entered the kitchen.
Another major public speaking engagement was booked for Prabhupada at night -- at the Sydney Town Hall. Many posters advertising the event had been mounted all around town, and devotees were hopeful of a big turnout. As he prepared to leave, Srila Prabhupada asked, "What is that sound?" Although unfamiliar to Prabhupada, the local devotees knew very well what it was. Living so close to the local race track, they had grown accustomed to the amplified bugle sound, followed by the combined
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During morning class, Srila Prabhupada mentioned how the Fifth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam described a variety of different punishments for sinful acts. Nature's laws, he stressed, were very strict, and one could not claim ignorance as an excuse. In question-time, someone asked how long it took for the soul to enter its next body after death.
Prabhupada replied that it depended upon the individual. Usually it was quick -- a matter of minutes -- but if a ma
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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 3 Chapter 4 Text 20 sa evam aradhita-pada-tirthad adhita-tattvatma-vibodha-margah pranamya padau parivrtya devam ihagato 'ham virahaturatma
sah -- so myself; evam -- thus; aradhita -- worshiped; pada-tirthat -- from the Personality of Godhead; adhita -- studied; tattva-atma -- self-knowledge; vibodha -- understanding; margah -- path; pranamya -- after saluting; padau -- at His lotus feet; parivrtya -- after circumambulating; devam -- the Lord; iha -- at this place; agatah --
Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 3 Chapter 4 Text 19 ity avedita-hardaya mahyam sa bhagavan parah adidesaravindaksa atmanah paramam sthitim
iti avedita -- thus being prayed to by me; hardaya -- from the core of my heart; mahyam -- unto me; sah -- He; bhagavan -- the Personality of Godhead; parah -- Supreme; adidesa -- instructed; aravinda-aksah -- the lotus-eyed; atmanah -- of Himself; paramam -- transcendental; sthitim -- situation.
TRANSLATION
When I thus expressed my heartfelt desires unto the Supreme PersRead more…Volunteer
Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 3 Chapter 4 Text 18 jnanam param svatma-rahah-prakasam provaca kasmai bhagavan samagram api ksamam no grahanaya bhartar vadanjasa yad vrjinam tarema
jnanam -- knowledge; param -- supreme; sva-atma -- own self; rahah -- mystery; prakasam -- enlightening; provaca -- said; kasmai -- unto Ka (Brahmaji); bhagavan -- the Personality of Godhead; samagram -- in sum total; api -- if so; ksamam -- able; nah -- unto me; grahanaya -- acceptable; bhartah -- O my Lord; vada -- say; anjasa
Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 3 Chapter 4 Text 17 mantresu mam va upahuya yat tvam akunthitakhanda-sadatma-bodhah prccheh prabho mugdha ivapramattas tan no mano mohayativa deva
mantresu -- in consultations; mam -- unto me; vai -- as either; upahuya -- by calling; yat -- as much as; tvam -- Your Lordship; akunthita -- without hesitation; akhanda -- without being separated; sada -- eternally; atma -- self; bodhah -- intelligent; prccheh -- asked; prabho -- O my Lord; mugdhah -- bewildered; iva -- as if it
karmani -- activities; anihasya -- of one who has no desire; bhavah -- birth; abhavasya -- of one who is never born; te -- your; durga-asrayah -- taking shelter of the fort; atha -- thereafter; ari-bhayat -- out of fear of the enemies; palayanam -- flee; kala-atmanah -- of He who is the controller of eternal time; y
snigdha -- gentle; smita-avalokena -- by a glance with a sweet smile; vaca -- by words; piyusa-kalpaya -- compared to nectar; caritrena -- by character; anavadyena -- without flaw; sri -- fortune; niketena -- residence; ca -- and; atmana -- by His transcendental body.
TRANSLATION
He was there in His transcendental body, the residence of the goddess of fortune, with His usual g
Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 3 Chapter 3 Text 19 bhagavan api visvatma loka-veda-pathanugah kaman siseve dvarvatyam asaktah sankhyam asthitah
bhagavan -- the Personality of Godhead; api -- also; visva-atma -- the Supersoul of the universe; loka -- customary; veda -- Vedic principles; patha-anugah -- follower of the path; kaman -- the necessities of life; siseve -- enjoyed; dvarvatyam -- in the city of Dvaraka; asaktah -- without being attached; sankhyam -- knowledge in Sankhya philosophy; asthitah -- be
