All Posts - Blog - ISKCON Desire Tree

Lack of devotion short of Perfection

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on September 22, 2010 at 1:45pm

Lack of devotion short of Perfection

The Mundaka Upanisad (3.2.2) confirms the statements of this verse: kaman yah kamayate manyamanah sa karmabhir jayate tatra tatra. "Even a thoughtful renunciant, if he maintains any worldly desires will be forced by his karmic reactions to take birth again and again in various circumstances." Philosophers and yogis work hard to become free from birth and death, but because they are unwilling to surrender their proud independence, their meditations are devoid o

Volunteer

Bewildered by false ego.

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on September 22, 2010 at 1:44pm

Bewildered by false ego.

Bhagavad-gita 16.18

TRANSLATION

Bewildered by false ego, strength, pride, lust and anger, the demon becomes envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in his own body and in the bodies of others, and blasphemes against the real religion.

PURPORT

A demoniac person, being always against God's supremacy, does not like to believe in the scriptures. He is envious of both the scriptures and of the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is caused

Volunteer

Srila Prabhupad on Dogs

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on September 22, 2010 at 1:42pm

Srila Prabhupad on Dogs

He said there is nothing lower than a dog, yet even dogs have one good
quality -- faithfulness. And he told me a story about a man, a dog and a
baby: The man had to leave his house for a few minutes, so he placed his
baby on a bed and left his dog in the room to guard it. When he returned a
short while later, the room was empty. He was horrified to find a trail of
blood leading out into the garden. Following it, he suddenly came upon the
dog running out from the bushes, its mout

Volunteer

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Real Retirement

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on September 22, 2010 at 1:41pm

Real Retirement

After breakfast Giriraja prabhu discussed with Srila Prabhupada the requirements for men who desire to live with us after they retire.

Prabhupada said the main thing is that they may not live with their wife and they must attend our programs. "Retirement does not mean everything nil. It means to retire from material life to increase spiritual life." He offered his own example of becoming more and more active in preaching work after his retirement. So anyone who wishes to come and l

Volunteer

Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 7 Text 6

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on September 22, 2010 at 1:41pm

Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 7 Text 6
dharmasya daksa-duhitary ajanista murtyam
narayano nara iti sva-tapah-prabhavah
drstvatmano bhagavato niyamavalopam
devyas tv ananga-prtana ghatitum na sekuh

dharmasya -- of Dharma (the controller of religious principles); daksa -- Daksa, one of the Prajapatis; duhitari -- unto the daughter; ajanista -- took birth; murtyam -- of the name Murti; narayanah -- Narayana; narah -- Nara; iti -- thus; sva-tapah -- personal penances; prabhavah -- strength; drstva

Volunteer

All are not Pure Devotees

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on September 22, 2010 at 1:40pm

There are different types of men in this world, not all of them pure devotees. Some are karmis, desiring to acquire vast wealth. There are also persons who are only after reputation. Some desire to be elevated to the heavenly planets or to go to Dhruvaloka, and others want to please the demigods to get material profits. Herein it is recommended by Maitreya that every one of them can hear the narration about Dhruva Maharaja and thus get their desired goal. It is recommended that the devotees (aka

Difference between self realisation and God Realisation?

Posted by lalit singh on September 22, 2010 at 10:43am

Hare Krishna devotees, I want to know if there is difference between self realisation and God realisation ? If yes, what is that ? How does a God realised person differed from Self realised? which comes first - self realisation or God realisation?

Book Distribution in Taiwan

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on September 22, 2010 at 8:01am

I usually keep some small books like "Perfection of Yoga" and "Beyond birth and death" in my bag. I try to distribute them to anyone who seems a little favorable. Taxis are pretty commonplace in Taiwan and I do take them quite often. When it's time to get off, the driver usually extends his hand towards the back seat and then I put a book in his hand. Sometimes they take it and I say they can donate the taxi fare, which is usually NT$ 70 or 100 ie US$2 or 3.

This afternoon when I was leavin

Volunteer

Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 6 Text 43-45

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on September 21, 2010 at 4:09pm

Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 6 Text 43-45
aham bhavo yajna ime prajesa
daksadayo ye bhavad-adayas ca
svarloka-palah khagaloka-pala
nrloka-palas talaloka-palah
gandharva-vidyadhara-caranesa
ye yaksa-raksoraga-naga-nathah
ye va rsinam rsabhah pitrnam
daityendra-siddhesvara-danavendrah
anye ca ye preta-pisaca-bhuta-
kusmanda-yado-mrga-paksy-adhisah
yat kinca loke bhagavan mahasvad
ojah-sahasvad balavat ksamavat
sri-hri-vibhuty-atmavad adbhutarnam
tattvam param rupavad asva-rupam

aham -- myself (Brahmaji);

Volunteer

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Bathing in Radha Kunda

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on September 21, 2010 at 2:52pm

Bathing in Radha Kunda

Stressing that everything depends on obedience to the guru's instruction, he pointed out, as he had done so effectively in Teheran, that we have a choice. "You can become independent, nobody can check you. Everyone is independent. Yathecchasi tatha kuru. But one who wants to be regulated, he has to surrender. That is voluntary. And those who are surrendered souls, they will wait for the instruction of guru and do accordingly. Even if I say that you do not do it, you are ind

Volunteer

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Order of reading books

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on September 21, 2010 at 2:47pm

Order of reading books

Acyutananda Swami suggested that even Prabhupada's description of rasa-lila in his Tenth Canto summary study, Krsna, should not be narrated in public.

But Prabhupada told him, "No, why? Krsna book must be there, in the book must be there. But you should go gradually. You first of all understand Krsna, then Krsna-lila. If you have not understood Krsna, then you'll think Krsna's rasa-lila is just like we mix with young women, and that becomes as polluted. Because they do not u

Volunteer

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Interactions with Dr.Patel

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on September 21, 2010 at 2:46pm

Interactions with Dr.Patel

August 16th, 1976

Prabhupada took his walk on the roof again this morning. When Dr. Patel arrived, they sat for a while in the open air and discussed vairagya, detachment. Prabhupada told him that if one has bhakti, detachment automatically comes. "Now, 'I have got some bhakti and some material desire also.' That is not bhakti; that is markata-vairagya [monkey renunciation]. That does not mean that I shall stop bhakti. No, you take bhakti to the regulative principle, the

Volunteer

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Bodyguard

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on September 21, 2010 at 2:45pm

Bodyguard

Late in the evening Harikesa Swami and I met with Srila Prabhupada about the possibility of him being attacked by the Communists. Since our arrival several reports have appeared in the newspapers indicating that in Delhi the Communists are instigating the government to investigate our Society. A tabloid-style paper, obviously appealing to the lower class, carried a report saying that the Mayapur scheme was "fishy."

We discussed whether Srila Prabhupada should have a body guard, debating

Volunteer

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Personal medication

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on September 21, 2010 at 2:45pm

Personal medication

Prabhupada is attempting to treat his disease by adjusting the spicing in his diet. In the morning he instructed Palika to soak black pepper and cumin seed and then grind them into a paste. He had her do the same with tumeric. She cooked his lunch using this spicing, carefully mixing the paste with the required amount of water and adding it to his lunch preparations. Then this evening he called her in and had her make two parathas and a potato and eggplant subji. We were delig

Bell Is Mightier Than The Bomb!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on September 21, 2010 at 2:45pm

Bell Is Mightier Than The Bomb!

"One time Prabhupada was saying that the 'BELL' of the priest in the temple, when he performs the arati ceremony ringing the bell, that bell is more powerful than the nuclear weapon...the atomic bomb, because the bomb will blow up people's bodies and destroy vegetation and will make a hole in the ground and everything. But the bomb doesn't change spiritually, the situation that's happening with any of those souls, with any of those spiritual beings! Again they stil

Volunteer

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Read with proper understanding

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on September 21, 2010 at 2:44pm

Read with proper understanding

There was no darsana this afternoon, although Srila Prabhupada did go up onto the roof to sit for a while with a few devotees. Then it began to rain so he returned to his sitting room. There he met with Giriraja and Nitai prabhus to discuss requirements for a library for the new building. Nitai has been given Rs. 4,000 by the temple to purchase books for it. Srila Prabhupada said the library should contain all his own books, those of all the acaryas, as well as the

Volunteer

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - We are always dependent

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on September 21, 2010 at 2:44pm

We are always dependent

Today is Indian Independence Day, so at noon some of the karmis who live on our land assembled in the modest park in front of Srila Prabhupada's building. They stood in silence for a minute before a small statue of Gandhi before holding their celebration.

As I gave Prabhupada his massage on the balcony adjoining his bedroom he made some practical observations about it. "Where is the question of independence?" he asked. "We are all dependent at every step on Krsna's mercy. I

Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus

Posted by _ghanshyam das on September 20, 2010 at 9:43pm

Dear Prabhujis and Matajis,
Hare Krishna. Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila
Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

This mail is in continuation of the offering on the topic "Lessons from the
Twenty-four Gurus" wherein we were meditating on the valuable lessons that were
learnt by the avadhuta brahmana from his various spiritual masters. In this mail
let us hear from avadhuta brahmana the lesson that he learnt from his next
spiritual master - Python. Interestingly the example of pyth

ISKCON Guyana Celebrates Deities' 25th Anniversary

Posted by ISKCON desire tree on September 20, 2010 at 6:00pm

ISKCON Guyana last weekend celebrated the 25th Anniversary of their first installed Deities, Sri Sri Nitai Chaitanya Chandra, on September 11th and 12th at the Gaura Nitai Ashirvad Mandir, Crane Village, located two miles west of the capital city of Georgetown. The occasion was marked with a Ratha-yatra parade down the main public road, from Pouderoyen Village to the Hare Krishna Temple at Crane Old Road—through the thoroughfare that on every other day of the year is reserved for traffic and bus

Spiritual Purchasing Power!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on September 20, 2010 at 12:42pm

SPIRITUAL PURCHASING POWER

"Every human in the world is a potential customer (for taking up Krishna Consciousness). There are no restrictions due to caste, color, creed, gender or age. Everyone is a potential customer. Whoever has the proper 'money' can buy the goods.

The currency is described as being the pure desire to serve the Lord. Any mixture with other motives create a counterfeit situation. Counterfeit money means that when the customer chants the holy name of Krishna, he will not be able

Blog

All Posts (36151)

Lack of devotion short of Perfection

Bewildered by false ego.

Srila Prabhupad on Dogs

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Real Retirement

Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 7 Text 6

All are not Pure Devotees

Difference between self realisation and God Realisation?

Book Distribution in Taiwan

Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 6 Text 43-45

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Bathing in Radha Kunda

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Order of reading books

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Interactions with Dr.Patel

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Bodyguard

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Personal medication

Bell Is Mightier Than The Bomb!

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Read with proper understanding

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - We are always dependent

Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus

ISKCON Guyana Celebrates Deities' 25th Anniversary

Spiritual Purchasing Power!

Note: this page contains paid content.