(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2004)

Rupa Goswami's prayer:

"I have no love for Krishna! Nor the causes for developing love for Krishna. Mainly hearing and chanting in the process of bhakti yoga, in which one is always thinking of Krishna, and fixing His Lotus Feet in the heart is also lacking in me. As far as philosophical knowledge or pious words are concerned, I don't see any opportunity for me to execute such activities. Above all, I'm not even born of a nice family. Therefore I must simply pray to you – Gopijana-vallabha.

Krishna the maintainer and the beloved of the gopis. I simply wish and hope that someway or other I maybe able to approach Your Lotus Feet, and this hope is giving me pain, because I think myself quite incompetent to approach that transcendental goal of life!" (N.O.D.ch18)

"The purport is that under this heading of 'asa-bandha', one should continue to hope against hope that some way or other he will be able to approach the Lotus Feet of the Supreme Lord." (N.O.D.ch18)

Hope against hope – so this 'asa-bandha' is very important, and we live on this 'asa-bandha'……and our whole movement is based on this 'asa-bandha'. We are not very good in this 'asa-bandha' (in the one sense) because we are not very good in the sādhana-bhakti. We don't do a very good job!

 (Kadamba Kanana Swami, Sweden, 2010)

Transcribed by Madhumati Devi Dasi

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains that the 'jiva' is empowered by the 'cit' and  'ananda'  – the potency of the Lord.  It is logical that the spirit soul which is in the spiritual world is in the condition of 'sat cit' and 'ananda' – meaning that it is full of eternity, bliss and knowledge.

In this material world the eternal aspect is not attained, as we are in a temporary situation of the body. But the other two full of bliss, and full of knowledge can be attained within this material body, so that one becomes empowered with the knowledge and bliss potency. First to a limited degree and then it is increasing and then there is no limit to that. It is there that we find our freedom in the unlimited knowledge and unlimited happiness in devotional service.

In that way, as our knowledge for Krishna is increasing, in the same way our desire to serve Krishna will increase, because everything that we find out about Krishna is wonderful and is touching to the heart, since Krishna is bringing out different moods of the devotees!

This is a wonderful class held by H.H.Kadamba Kanana Maharaja, in which he speaks about finding the right balance in Krsna consciousness. The class is in both, German and English and it is held in the temple in Cologne one day after the great Cologne Ratha Yatra. It's a test-run – the class is not edited – but still: Enjoy the nectar!

S.B. 1.5.14
Su, 07.08.2011
Cologne, Germany

If you cannot listen to the class, please click here for the download.