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Growing with responsibility
February 3, 2012
“It’s easier to dodge our responsibilities but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.” Josiah Charles Stamp, British Economist (1880-1941)
Responsibility has more to it than doing an assigned job nicely. In its true sense it refers to our ability to choose our responses to challenging and provocative situations. ‘Response- Ability’ – the ability to make a choice, and respond based on correct principles, help
Although we are conditioned within the material world, by the mercy of the Supreme Lord we are awarded a human body, which possesses distinct senses, such as the eyes, ears, tongue, nose and skin. Generally the conditioned souls use these senses in a false attempt to exploit the material nature for sense gratification. But our material senses and their objects are temporary, and it is not possible to become peaceful or happy in the attempt to gratify our temporary senses with the temporary sense
A Krishna conscious person is completely satisfied. He does not depend on anything external for his happiness. He is satisfied simply by the opportunity to serve Krishna. And Krishna can be served in any time and in any circumstance through any one of nine different processes such as: hearing, chanting, remembering, offering prayers, etc. All we really need to practice Krishna consciousness is the strong desire to do so. Krishna will then give us everything else we need in order to fully devote
Go Hatya
Prabhupada: If you follow Bhagavad-gita, then everything will be followed very nicely. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam [Bg. 18.44]. And go-raksya, this is recommended in the Bhagavad-gita. So if you follow Bhagavad-gita, then naturally go-raksya will be there. And if you read Bhagavad-gita for some political reason, then slaughterhouse go on. That's all. Instead of go-raksya, go-killing. This is going on. Every politician is reading Bhagavad-gita, but g
A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the gem of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open.
He was late for office so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. His wife, preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot the matter. The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle fascinated by its color and drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous
He was late for office so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. His wife, preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot the matter. The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle fascinated by its color and drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous
Formerly leaves and twigs were growing from this dead tree.. Why are they not growing now? Can the scientists answer this question? Scientists say that the chemicals are the cause of life. But all the chemicals that were there when the tree was living are still present. And life energy is also there. There are thousands of microbes in the tree, and they are all living entities. No one can claim that life energy is lacking in the body of this tree.
The living force is individual, and the particul
The living force is individual, and the particul
Why is a highly posted government officer given better facilities for a comfortable life than an ordinary clerk? The answer is very simple: the important officer has to discharge duties of a more responsible nature than those of an ordinary clerk. Similarly, the human being has to discharge higher duties than the animals, who are always busy with filling their hungry stomachs. But by the laws of nature, the modern animalistic standard of civilization has only increased the problems of filling th
Alexander, the great Greek king, after conquering many kingdoms, was returning home. On the way, he fell ill and it took him to his death bed. So, the mighty conqueror lay prostrate and pale, helplessly waiting to breathe his last.
He called his generals and said, "I will depart from this world soon, I have three wishes, please carry them out without fail." With tears flowing down their cheeks, the generals agreed to abide by their king's last wishes. "My first desire is that," said Alexand
He called his generals and said, "I will depart from this world soon, I have three wishes, please carry them out without fail." With tears flowing down their cheeks, the generals agreed to abide by their king's last wishes. "My first desire is that," said Alexand
Using you back burner means allowing your mind to solve a problem while you are busy doing something else.
The back burner of your mind works in the same way as the back burner of a stove. While on low heat, the cooking process mixes, blends, and simmers the ingredients into a tasty meal. The way you prepare a meal is to put various ingredients into the pot, mix them up, and leave them alone. Often the less you interfere, the better the result.
In much the same way, we can solve many of life’s pro
The back burner of your mind works in the same way as the back burner of a stove. While on low heat, the cooking process mixes, blends, and simmers the ingredients into a tasty meal. The way you prepare a meal is to put various ingredients into the pot, mix them up, and leave them alone. Often the less you interfere, the better the result.
In much the same way, we can solve many of life’s pro
Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a prosperous country. One day, he went for a trip to some distant areas of his country. When he came back to his palace, he complained that his feet were very painful, because it was the first time that he went for such a long trip, and the road that he went through was very rough and stony. He then ordered his people to cover every road of the entire country with leather carpet.
Definitely, this would need thousands of cows’ skin, and would cost a hug
Definitely, this would need thousands of cows’ skin, and would cost a hug
There was a farmer who sold a pound of butter to the baker. One day the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting a pound and he found that he was not. This angered him and he took the farmer to court.
The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure. The farmer replied, "Your Honor, I am primitive. I don't have a proper measure, but I do have a scale."
The judge asked, "Then how do you weigh the butter" The farmer replied "Your Honor, long before the baker started buying b
The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure. The farmer replied, "Your Honor, I am primitive. I don't have a proper measure, but I do have a scale."
The judge asked, "Then how do you weigh the butter" The farmer replied "Your Honor, long before the baker started buying b
Perth was famous for its abundance of very large, fragrant roses. When Srila Prabhupada returned to the house after his walk, Amogha offered him an enormous garland of them that reached down to his knees. Each rose was over 15cm wide, with an exquisite perfume, and Prabhupada appeared very pleased.
"I have never seen such big roses. You have collected, so nice service you have done." Srila Prabhupada asked Amogha if he had stolen the flowers. Amogha explained sheepishly that he had ta
Wednesday, 7 May 1975
A notable feature of Prabhupada's visit to Perth was his animated morning walk conversations. During these lively discourses, Srila Prabhupada demonstrated that philosophical analysis need not be a dull, abstruse affair, but could be a dynamic cutting edge into every sphere of life. Nothing could escape Prabhupada's keen intellect, deep spiritual insight and uncommon wit. Rejecting superficial and dogmatic thinking, he edified, challenged, cajoled, charmed and en
Srutakirti asked Amogha to prepare lunch. He quickly cooked -- eggplant with tomatoes, potatoes and cauliflower, rice, mung bean dal and cut fruit -- while Prabhupada bathed. Prabhupada found it tasty. "Everything is very nice," he said. Along with remnants from Prabhupada's meal, the three young devotees eagerly ate a tiffin-full of mahaprasadam delicacies brought from the Bombay temple. They were touched to hear from Srutakirti that bringing the prasadam was Srila Prabhupa
Tuesday, 6 May 1975 - Perth, Western Australia
Srila Prabhupada arrived at Perth airport at 11.45am from Bombay, accompanied by Srutakirti, his servant, and Paramahamsa Swami, his secretary. Vigilant Western Australian quarantine officers -- amongst the strictest in Australia -- confiscated some choice mangoes the devotees had brought with them from India. Srutakirti asked them why they allowed dried meat but didn't allow mangoes. The men told them that according to Australia'
Although it was legal for devotees to distribute books in many Australian cities and towns, some authorities still objected. A few vehemently opposed. On 23 December 1974, a party of book distributors was arrested in Darwin, the capital city of the Northern Territory, lying on the shore of the Arafura Sea in the tropical "top-end" of Australia. Their books and money were confiscated, they were jailed and then, finally, unceremoniously thrown out of the city.
Two days later, on C
Madhudvisa Swami enthusiastically pursued all opportunities to purchase the property on Danks Street as the new ISKCON Australian headquarters. But again there were problems. The Catholic Church was expressing the same reservations at selling the property to the devotees as they had with the beachside convent. Not only that, but another private buyer was bidding for the place. To Madhudvisa's great disappointment, despite ISKCON's firm offer, the Church soon sold the pr
Prabhupada's extensive preaching directly after his life-threatening illness demonstrated that he was totally transcendental to the state of his health. He soon took up active correspondence, particularly with Madhudvisa Swami, about the on-going business of whether or not to purchase the massive beachside convent in Melbourne.
Just weeks after Srila Prabhupada had seen the place, towards the middle of August, the church authorities had given Madhudvisa Swami a decisive
After another three weeks of travel in the US, Srila Prabhupada returned to India. But the opening of the Krsna-Balarama Temple in Vrndavana, scheduled to take place on Janmastami in mid-August, did not take place. Srila Prabhupada was disappointed to find that the temple construction was just not ready; and so the opening was postponed until the 1975 Gaura Purnima festival.
Srila Prabhupada remained in Vrndavana, but soon fell sick. August and September 1974 became a period of ser
