---

• To attract mercy
• Making a special advancement
• A lecture about the month of Kartika

To attract mercy Posted: 12 Oct 2011 03:59 PM PDT (Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, October 2011) In Kartika we will try for pure devotional service. In this month one can take vows to perform some special service! Because this month is the month of Srimati Radharani who is especially noticing this service that we render. When she recommends us to Krishna, then Krishna will also be inclined towards us and she is very compassionate and soft hearted. Therefore, this month is especially a very favourable time to try and attract mercy!

Making a special advancement Posted: 12 Oct 2011 03:43 PM PDT (Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, October 2011) There is a chance during this month to make a special advancement. Especially whoever goes to Vrindavan during the months of Kartika is very fortunate. It is said because in Vrindavan, during Kartika one can make many times more advancement under normal conditions – it's a thousand times more! Therefore, being in Vrindavan during Kartika is very, very special. Not all of us have the opportunity or the time to just leave everything and go to Vrindavan for Kartika, but one can at least go in consciousness, because sometimes the acaryas – Srila Jiva Gosvami are pointing out that: "Mathura is not a place, it's a state of consciousness" So the consciousness of Mathura (or Vrindavan) is what really transports us there! Therefore we can also invoke that atmosphere from wherever we are, and in that way one can reside in Vrindavan by remembering Vrindavan, because remembrance on the spiritual platform is as good as being there, and we simply remember the spiritual world. So it is a month to meditate on Krishna!

A lecture about the month of Kartika Posted: 12 Oct 2011 04:12 AM PDT This is a lecture on the topic of the month of Kartika, given by HH Kadamba Kanana Swami on the 11 October 2011 at a home program in Melbourne, Australia. In the lecture Maharaja explains the importance and meaning of Kartika. He especially emphasises the immense benefit one can make in this month, simply by taking on vows, which then should be kept throughout the whole month. To download the lecture, click here.

KKSblog.com - To attract mercy

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient(s), please reply to the sender and destroy all copies of the original message. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, dissemination, forwarding, printing or copying of this email, and/or any action taken in reliance on the contents of this e-mail is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.

Ice Breakers - TREE SHAPING- unique tree stems. Amazing!

There is no limit to the increase of material desires. This is how it works: if one obtains a desire, then he gets poked by the thorn of disappointment. By that he is forced to look forward to still another desire, and in this way one keeps on continuously moving on and on from one desire to the next.

There is no limit to the increase of material desires.

What is the use of material happiness, distress or fearfulness? What will you gain by considering everything in terms of "I" and "mine"? What is the use of an insignificant victory or defeat, anger, envy, or hatred towards other living entities?

 

 -Selected Texts from Gitavali by Bhaktivinoda Thakura

What is the use of an insignificant victory or defeat, anger, envy, or hatred towards other living entities?

O living entities! You have become entangled in the network of illusion, so that you are always engaged in useless activities. Your life may end at any moment. Just consider this once. You have been wandering in this world, under the control of your material desires. But what kind of happiness are you looking for? Who are you? Where were you before this lifetime? Why have you come here? What have you accomplished and where will you go after death?

-Selected Text from Gitavali by Bhaktivinoda Thakura

You are always engaged in useless activities. Your life may end at any moment! Just consider this once

Making the movement grow! Posted: 11 Oct 2011 04:17 PM PDT (Kadamba Kanana Swami, Helsinki, Finland, 2011) Devotee: To have children is also a way of making the movement grow! Maharaja: You can see that the Muslims are doing well. They have twelve children, and the Muslim population is growing everywhere. So therefore, having children in Krishna Consciousness is all right. One can try to make these children into devotees. It is not always easy because they also have a mind of their own! One cannot make it the all in all. The female tendency is that once the child is there and then it's like the whole universe is centred around the child! So in everything its: 'The child…..the child…….the child' But Krishna should stil be more important than the child! The universe should continue to be centred around Krishna. So that's an adjustment, which takes a little bit of an effort to return it, and that is okay. We can understand that it is all about giving the children Krishna, and then you do what you can for your children but you are also a little detached. You also seem like: "Well let's see what they will become. So it's all through a little independence. These children are placed under my care for sometime by the Supreme Lord. Their souls are on their own way, and for a little while, I can try to give them with as many benedictions as possible……and that's what I am doing with these children. They are really not like expansions from me……and it's not really like, I am living in my son! Or a little piece of me is living in my son!" No! These are simply spirit souls who are placed in our care for a little while, and we have the opportunity to give them mercy as much as possible – that's all and then we are a little detached with the result of Krishna!

Helsinki – Introductive Talk Posted: 11 Oct 2011 03:00 PM PDT Below is a link to the Introductive talk given by Kadamba Kanana Swami earlier this year in Helsinki, Finland. Helsinki – Introductive Talk

--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com/

KKSblog.com - Making the movement grow!

Karthik Month - Offer a Lamp

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: dinesh <dineshkrishna108@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 06:42:32 -0400
Subject: Someone has sent you a message from Vaisnava Families Resources
To: dineshkrishna108@gmail.com

Message from sender:
/Good one about perception and reality../
Published on /Vaisnava Families Resources/
(http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org [1])
Home [2] > Blogs [3] >
karnamrita.das's blog
> "Subjective Reality" in Relationships
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
======== "SUBJECTIVE REALITY" IN RELATIONSHIPS ===============================

By /karnamrita.das/ Created /May 23 2008 - 19:09/
There are different opinions regarding social issues or spiritual philosophy.
Any perspective, side of an issue, or point can be carried to an extreme in
relation to others.

I tend to me on the middle of most issues, much to the chagrin of those who
strongly advocate different perspective or causes. I do have strong opinions
on certain issues, yet I am usually not on the front lines of confrontation.
Ideally, even when I disagree I try to see the other perspective, and
understand why the person holds the conviction they do. In India the
traditional way of establishing philosophical or spiritual conclusions
(siddhanta) is to support one's experience or understanding from the Vedic
revealed scripture. First one presents ones thesis with appropriate Vedic
texts. Then one argues in favor of the opposing argument, and then "defeats"
it (although the term "defeat" is not very useful for happy married life). I
take this part of siddhanta as really trying to understand the "other" side,
or walk in the other persons shoes.

Seeing and appreciating both sides is very useful in couples counseling,
where we often have two very different interpretations of past activities, or
even current communication. Usually the truth is somewhere in the middle.
In any case, whether one person is "right" and another person "wrong", my
wife and I try to impress upon the couple the conception of "subjective
reality". Sometimes we have to say to a couple, "Do you want to be right, or
in love (or stay married)?" Each spouse has to respect the other, and their
different views on issues or perspectives on the KC philosophy.

Subjective reality means that each one of us understands things according to
our particular psychological "filters" (our past conditioning and
experience). This is the meaning of the "new age" saying that "perception is
reality" (not ultimate reality, but personal reality). Some
people---including devotees---have a very hard time with this. This can be
especially the case when their subjective reality has become dressed in the
"clothes" of spiritual philosophy, and therefore must be right.

An example of our subjective reality "being dressed in spiritual clothes"
might be when we come to a spiritual or religious path with strong views
about---lets say certain social considerations---and then find some
statements supporting them (or that COULD support them). Then we might be
unwilling to accept another view even if supported by scripture and/or
practical experience or considerations.
As scientists have a "knowledge filter" by beginning with the idea that life
comes from chemicals, or that evolutions is true, and then only accept
"evidence" that supports this view, and person with strong opinions can also
have knowledge filters regarding their cherished view, theory, or application
of philosophy.

In regards to a marriage or a relationship, whatever view a person has
regarding social issues if their spouse or potential spouse has a different
view, then those differences have to be discussed and at least harmonized and
respected. In premarital counseling, we often see how different each persons
views can be on many different issues: from roles of men and women, household
duties, earning money, education, child raising philosophy etc.
Some people fanatically stress the traditional roles, while others stress
that couples should do whatever works for them considering the unique natures
of both persons and their type of conditioning and education, etc.(and some
devotees fall somewhere in the middle).

These differences can usually be worked out if each person has flexibility,
sufficient compatibility, and desire for spiritual and personal growth as the
ultimate goal. However, these perspectives are best worked out before
marriage. Otherwise they are sure to become problems for the couples during
their marriage. Couples also have to explore and share their expectations for
their marriage, and genuinely and continually appreciate their life partner's
unique perspective and nature.

It is interesting that often a person just before marriage, or newly married,
expects their spouse to be a mind reader and know them without discussion, or
they just assume their spouse thinks like they do. That type of thinking is a
recipe for disaster.

To conclude, we all need to understand the nature of subjective reality in
all our relationships, whether as spouse, parent, leader, business partner,
guru, monk, disciple, student, employee or whatever our position is. Then we
can have meaningful and more respectful communication in all our dealings
with others, despite differences.

*To borrow from Steven Covey, "Seek first to understand, then to be
understood".***

* different views [4]
* marriage [5]
* premarial counseling
* relationships [6]
* roles of men and women.

Vaisnava Families Resources | Login [7]
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA
RAMA HARE HARE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Source URL:*
http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/blog/subjective-reality-relationships
[8]

[1] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org
[2] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/
[3] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/blog
[4] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/category/free-tag/different-views
[5] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/category/free-tag/marriage
[6] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/category/free-tag/relationships
[7] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/user
[8] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/blog/subjective-reality-relationships

--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com

Message from Vaisnava Families Resources

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: dinesh <dineshkrishna108@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 06:42:32 -0400
Subject: Someone has sent you a message from Vaisnava Families Resources
To: dineshkrishna108@gmail.com

Message from sender:
/Good one about perception and reality../
Published on /Vaisnava Families Resources/
(http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org [1])
Home [2] > Blogs [3] >
karnamrita.das's blog
> "Subjective Reality" in Relationships
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
======== "SUBJECTIVE REALITY" IN RELATIONSHIPS ===============================

By /karnamrita.das/ Created /May 23 2008 - 19:09/
There are different opinions regarding social issues or spiritual philosophy.
Any perspective, side of an issue, or point can be carried to an extreme in
relation to others.

I tend to me on the middle of most issues, much to the chagrin of those who
strongly advocate different perspective or causes. I do have strong opinions
on certain issues, yet I am usually not on the front lines of confrontation.
Ideally, even when I disagree I try to see the other perspective, and
understand why the person holds the conviction they do. In India the
traditional way of establishing philosophical or spiritual conclusions
(siddhanta) is to support one's experience or understanding from the Vedic
revealed scripture. First one presents ones thesis with appropriate Vedic
texts. Then one argues in favor of the opposing argument, and then "defeats"
it (although the term "defeat" is not very useful for happy married life). I
take this part of siddhanta as really trying to understand the "other" side,
or walk in the other persons shoes.

Seeing and appreciating both sides is very useful in couples counseling,
where we often have two very different interpretations of past activities, or
even current communication. Usually the truth is somewhere in the middle.
In any case, whether one person is "right" and another person "wrong", my
wife and I try to impress upon the couple the conception of "subjective
reality". Sometimes we have to say to a couple, "Do you want to be right, or
in love (or stay married)?" Each spouse has to respect the other, and their
different views on issues or perspectives on the KC philosophy.

Subjective reality means that each one of us understands things according to
our particular psychological "filters" (our past conditioning and
experience). This is the meaning of the "new age" saying that "perception is
reality" (not ultimate reality, but personal reality). Some
people---including devotees---have a very hard time with this. This can be
especially the case when their subjective reality has become dressed in the
"clothes" of spiritual philosophy, and therefore must be right.

An example of our subjective reality "being dressed in spiritual clothes"
might be when we come to a spiritual or religious path with strong views
about---lets say certain social considerations---and then find some
statements supporting them (or that COULD support them). Then we might be
unwilling to accept another view even if supported by scripture and/or
practical experience or considerations.
As scientists have a "knowledge filter" by beginning with the idea that life
comes from chemicals, or that evolutions is true, and then only accept
"evidence" that supports this view, and person with strong opinions can also
have knowledge filters regarding their cherished view, theory, or application
of philosophy.

In regards to a marriage or a relationship, whatever view a person has
regarding social issues if their spouse or potential spouse has a different
view, then those differences have to be discussed and at least harmonized and
respected. In premarital counseling, we often see how different each persons
views can be on many different issues: from roles of men and women, household
duties, earning money, education, child raising philosophy etc.
Some people fanatically stress the traditional roles, while others stress
that couples should do whatever works for them considering the unique natures
of both persons and their type of conditioning and education, etc.(and some
devotees fall somewhere in the middle).

These differences can usually be worked out if each person has flexibility,
sufficient compatibility, and desire for spiritual and personal growth as the
ultimate goal. However, these perspectives are best worked out before
marriage. Otherwise they are sure to become problems for the couples during
their marriage. Couples also have to explore and share their expectations for
their marriage, and genuinely and continually appreciate their life partner's
unique perspective and nature.

It is interesting that often a person just before marriage, or newly married,
expects their spouse to be a mind reader and know them without discussion, or
they just assume their spouse thinks like they do. That type of thinking is a
recipe for disaster.

To conclude, we all need to understand the nature of subjective reality in
all our relationships, whether as spouse, parent, leader, business partner,
guru, monk, disciple, student, employee or whatever our position is. Then we
can have meaningful and more respectful communication in all our dealings
with others, despite differences.

*To borrow from Steven Covey, "Seek first to understand, then to be
understood".***

* different views [4]
* marriage [5]
* premarial counseling
* relationships [6]
* roles of men and women.

Vaisnava Families Resources | Login [7]
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA
RAMA HARE HARE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Source URL:*
http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/blog/subjective-reality-relationships
[8]

[1] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org
[2] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/
[3] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/blog
[4] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/category/free-tag/different-views
[5] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/category/free-tag/marriage
[6] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/category/free-tag/relationships
[7] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/user
[8] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/blog/subjective-reality-relationships

--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com

Someone has sent you a message from Vaisnava Families Resources

An āśrama is a place where spiritual culture is always foremost

The absolute truth

via kksblog.com by hina on 10/10/11

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Helsinki, Finland, 2011)

I grew up in a family where the house was a big thing. My father always wanted a bigger house. We had nice house. There were three of us kids, and we all had our own room. There was also a guest room. So I thought:

"It was fine".

There was a nice garden with fruit trees…..basically it was a nice house!

But no, we had to have a bigger house and anybody who came, got the full tour of the entire house, which took twenty minutes at least:

"And here we have the Italian marble wall……..and there is an empty table, and that mirror is also two hundred years old……….and then we are going upstairs. This is the study……and this is the bedroom, and this is the room for the dog!"

It was just a waste of time (as far as I was concerned) since so much energy was going into the house. So much thinking:

"The house….the house, the house!"

So this is not a vaisnava's business. So devotees will also recognise within themselves the same tendencies………………………………………The Bhagavatam is the absolute truth which is holding up the mirror to us, and we have to just look at it like that:

"Well, I guess that I also have these tendancies".

The absolute truth

Looking for strength

via kksblog.com by hina on 10/10/11

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Helsinki, Finland, 2011)

I have one more thing to say about men and women. A lot of fuss has been made about women wanting to be equal to men. But in most cases, the truth of the matter is that men have become equal to women – that's actually the situation. That's actually where we are at in society.

In a sense that men are also weak, and they are also inclined towards the senses and not inclined towards a higher goal. The men are supposed to be strong by saying:

"No!"

By going for the spiritual goals in life, but the men are very weak, and the whole culture is like that. Everyone is a slave to the senses, and everyone is full of good intentions but cannot live up to it, because this is the situation. When we take to spiritual life, then we fix ourselves:

"Yes I'm going to do this".

And we don't do it, because as we are getting confronted with the three modes of material nature – we find ourselves weak, because we find that we do not having enough strength to do so! So men are meant to be strong but in this age the men are also weak! That is why I said:

"When we say men and women become equal".

Yes, that has already happened – the men became like the women. So that is the whole population, which is very much inclined towards the mind and the senses – that is the situation.

Therefore, we see now that sometimes some women are spiritually stronger than men, where the wife is the driving force in the family and the men is sort of flaky, and half there by not following all of the principles……….falling back into smoking dope. I know so many cases like this, but the truth of the matter is that, that is Krishna's arrangement, and Srila Prabhupada is making a point here:

"Because women were especially created by the Lord to give service to men!"

A woman is looking for strength in a man. A woman wants to feel protected, and wants to feel supported and is looking for a man who is actually stronger than she is, since then she will actually feel inspired and follow the man…………and together she can also do it. Therefore, in the Bhagavatam it is stated:

"If one wants to be husband, then one has to be of a very high calibre. One has to be practically as good as a spiritual master".

So where do we find such husbands? Mostly the husbands are struggling and weak, then the women become restless and not satisfied. We don't understand these things when we come from the west. We don't understand that deep down there is this expectation, since the woman expects the man to spiritually be the example. That is the kind of man that she really wants – a the first class man!

Looking for strength

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

The Most Chaste

After the Kirtan festival ended I got to stay an extra day at Ananda ashram. I grabbed the opportunity for some extra lake time. To sit, to chant, to think, to play violin, to sail across - there's nothing like a good lake!

Every time I come to one, all my lake memories float up - fishing for tadpoles after school at Bhaktivedanta Manor; skimming flat stones across Bala Lake in north Wales as bats screeched overhead; swimming in lily filled Canadian ones on the Krishna youth summer tour; early morning talks with dear friends before the water, blanketed with summer mist in upstate NY.

The one here took me back to Vrindavan - to Govinda Kund, the sacred lake where Sri Gopal would visit Madhavendra Puri, a great saint. Acting like a normal village boy, he would bring him nourishing pots of milk, saying 'No one goes hungry in my village!' It's a story I have always loved - so sweetly illustrating Krishna's loving kindness and totally personal care.

I experience that care every day. Somehow no matter how confused I get about whether I'm doing the right thing in the right way, I continue to learn and be blessed. I spoke to a new friend about this today who shared with me that she has learned to appreciate those blessings especially which come in the form of the hardest life lessons - those which strip you from your husk and mash you, because as she put it - 'You are worthy - you are meant for something great so your struggles must be great. Krishna only sends you what he knows you can handle.' Knowing the life she's had, it was humbling to hear and I can only hope that I can reach a similar point of gravity and gratitude as I traverse my own path.

This is my new lake meditation.

[New post] Lady of the Lake