ContinuiContinuing with the series focusing on the five A's in chanting Japa - Mahanidhi Swami Maharaja gives some nice advice and realisations on the subject of Attentionng with the series focusing on the five A's in chanting Japa - Mahanidhi Swami Maharaja gives some nice advice and realisations on the subject of Attention

2. Attention
Attention means steady application of the mind, or focusing the consciousness on a particular subject. Whatever one focuses his attention on becomes deeply impres

This newness is something everybody is hankering for in the material world. You see in the store, on the packages-New! Newest! The daily newspapers tell you what's new, what's the latest. What is new is news. Something you don't know yet, something that's new for you, something that is inexperienced.

So people go to great lengths not to get bored. Some TV show maybe gets top rat

ISKCON strives to bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler, more natural way of life. Here are some quotes and proverbs on Simplicity.

Purity and simplicity are the two wings with which man soars above the earth and all temporary nature. - Thomas a Kempis

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. - Hans Hofmann

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius—and a

THE SPEAKING TREE

True Love Knows No Fear

Damodara Pandita Dasa

One day in Vrindavan, Srila Prabhupada allowed a morning darsana in his room, but some of the important devotees were absent. When he asked where they were, he was told that some of the devotees were cleaning the temple.

Prabhupada was surprised. "Cleaning the temple? We can employ people to clean the temple, but one thing you cannot employ people to do is to preach. So they should hear from me when I am speaking, or how will they preach?"

Lecture by His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

The Undercover Avatara

itthaṁ nṛ-tiryag-ṛṣi-deva-jhaṣāvatārair lokān vibhāvayasi haṁsi jagat pratīpān dharmaṁ mahā-puruṣa pāsi yugānuvṛttaṁ channaḥ kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo ’tha sa tvam

So here is a very specific statement about Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is avatāra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the same Supreme Personality of Godhead, but He’s channa. Channa means c

Why do you worry without cause?

Whom do you fear without reason?

Who can kill you?

The soul is neither born, nor does it die.

Whatever happened,

happened for the good;

whatever is happening,

is happening for the good;

whatever will happen,

will also happen for the good only.

You need not have any regrets for the past.

You need not worry for the future.

The present is happening...

What did you lose that you cry about?

What did you bring with you,

which you think you have lost?

What did you produce,

which you thin

The demons are delivered by getting killed by the Lord and then they are given moksha. They merge into the light of the Lord. The devotees of the Lord are given His shelter, and the achieve Vaikunta.

But in the incarnation of Caitanya Ma

Lord Shiva is a great devotee of Supreme Lord Krishna and he wanted to join the rasa dance, but he was stopped, because he had a male body. He needed a gopi body for this. He became very sad and started to meditate on the bank of Brahma-kunda, crying. He wanted to become a gopi. He stopped eating, sleeping, was only crying and crying.

Finally Srimati Vrinda-devi felt pity for him and she gave him her blessings. She said: "Go to Mana-sarovara and take a bath there."

He went there and took a bath.

Shrines and Memorials

Srila Prabhupada’s followers built several shrines in his honor. These include his samadhis (tombs) and memorials at places where he stayed.

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Vrindavan Samadhi

Vrindavan Samadhi

Srila Prabhupada’s body is buried here, in Vrindaban, India, adjacent to ISKCON’s Krishna-Balarama temple. At this temple Srila Prabhupada spent his final days with devotees, absorbed in thought of Krishna. The samadhi is a beautifully designed, marble-clad building.

Mayapur Pushpa Samadhi

Mayapur Puspa S

The Rat who got liberation

Once, a rat was running on the altar of a Vishnu Deity, just at a time when one of the ghee lamps was about to go out. The rat thought that the flame might be some foodstuff, so he stuck his whiskers in it. The dying flame caught on to the rat's whiskers, and the fire flared up, catching on to the unused portion of the wick. In this way, by the rat's foolish sacrifice, the flame on Vishnu's altar continued to burn nicely. And for his service to Krishna, the rat went to

Prabhupada was annoyed when devotees in Vrindavan repeatedly walked in and out of his room and left the door open behind them, letting in flies.

"Why are you leaving the door open?" he yelled. It is a contagious disease." And then he told a story.

An employer advertised for an opening in his firm and received many applications. Based on these, he selected two men and asked them to come for an interview. The employer then observed each man carefully during the interview. When the first man entered