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• No limit to spiritual advancement
• Secret agents of mercy
• First Kirtan Mela 2011_ by the mercy of Sacinandana Swami
• The ever increasing ocean of love of God…
• Krsna sees Srimati Radharani everywhere…
• Ratha Yatra and initiation in Leipzig / Radhastami in Berlin

No limit to spiritual advancement Posted: 07 Sep 2011 01:24 PM PDT (Kadamba Kanana Swami, Berlin, September 2011) It is very interesting how selfless the love of Srimati Radharani and the gopis is, and she is of course, the topmost.  I find this image of her love being a mirror reflecting the qualities of Krsna and then eternally discovering more qualities – I find it very interesting because it just shows how one eternally makes spiritual advancement.  No limit to it, never! It's very profound.  This of course, does not just apply to Srimati Radharani.  It applies to all devotees, and especially to all the eternal associates of the Lord, and even to us.  We are also discovering, little by little, more and more about the nature of Krsna, the qualities of Krsna.  At this stage our love is not very developed, but some attraction is there.  It's unavoidable, because Krsna is Bhagavan. Srila Jiva Goswami explains one definition of the word Bhagavan.  He breaks it up in three syllables.: Bha, Ga, and Va.  He says Bha stands for Bhajanya, Ga for Guna, and Va, for Vasistha.  Bhajanya Guna Vasistha means that Krsna is irresistible – you have to worship Him. So this is the situation.  Therefore there is no question of not coming to the point of loving Krsna.  Sooner or later, even demons are transformed.

Secret agents of mercy Posted: 07 Sep 2011 12:00 PM PDT (Kadamba Kanana Swami, Finland, 2011) We can give people prasadam. We can at work and even in hospitals! One can slip it in…slip in some prasadam…a little maha water in there…within the water. We must become secret agents – 007, and somehow or other become agents of mercy. We should always think about it like that! In my family they were always a little bit reserved about prasadam. If you would bring sweet balls, then they kind of didn't like it! But if you disguised it like a dutch apple pie. Make some dutch apple pie and offer it all to Krishna. "Wow! Did you bake that?" Dutch apple pie with cream….well you know, then they would all take prasadam. So somehow or other we must have this consciousness of giving mercy!

First Kirtan Mela 2011_ by the mercy of Sacinandana Swami Posted: 07 Sep 2011 10:02 AM PDT By: Kadamba Kanana Swami The holy name was bouncing of the walls continuously, at night it continued in our dreams, at times I woke up and just started kirtana. It bounced against the wall of our false ego, making cracks and gradually breaking it. In the Caitanya Bhagavata it is described how Lord Nityananda engaged a group of young boys for one month in continuous kirtana, they didn't  even stop to eat or sleep and at the end the boys in their ecstasy ripped  entire trees out of the ground. During the Kirtana Mela, sometimes the kirtanas were wild and intense,other times mellow and meditative, an ocean of so many rasas, so many different types of taste. Some danced the whole week. Then  we sang and  danced while pulling the chariot of Lord Jagannatha through the streets of Leipzig and still there was more festival to come the next day, Radhastami, the appearance day of Srimati Radharani. Remembering the pure loving devotional service of Srimati Radharani.   Her love is like a mirror reflecting the unlimited qualities of Krsna and she continuous to discover newer and newer amazing qualities in Krsna and in this way her love is increasing eternally. That love is touching Krsna, who also feels His love for her increasing and increasing. There is no end to the pleasure in the spiritual world.   The Mayor  from Limbach, the village where the Kirtana Mela was held,  personally visited the festival and enjoyed the festival and prasadam. The Mayor is a theologian with a keen spiritual interest and came across very favorably in a newspaper artikel; "We are a town open to the world and I find it fantastic, that people from the entire globe came to be our Guest. Generally speaking  in connection  with the Globalization a stronger effort should be made toward dialogue between various cultures." "Such festivals with their impressive atmophere are very suitable toward realizing that objective and can have more impact on the consciousness then Seminars and speeches on the theme of Global Culture",  he added. "He would welcome the festival if it would again take place in Limbach in 2012." Meanwhile here in the material world, there is now a moment of peace and quiet,ki jaya, a moment of rest, and after catching up on some good sleep, we can try and catch up on some good japa and read the sastra. Hearing, chanting and remembering, sabde pare ca nisnatam, always bathing in transcendental sound continues also at a time of rest.  Now may be also the time has come to reflect, how deeply can we become aborbed in chanting  Krsna's holy name. The Padma Purana has established that the name is non-different from Krsna, Himself, but we are not yet actually perceiving it in that way. We look at the chanting like  a yajna, a sacrifice to attract the mercy of Krsna for our purification. We also look at the chanting as just fun when famous, powerful kirtan leaders such as Lokanatha Maharaja, BB Govinda Maharaja, Madhvava, Sacinandana Maharaja and many others are leading and we don't forget the extra dimension to that fun of the eternal benefit that we have gained from the chanting. Then we flooded Leipzig with the ecstasy of  Ratha Yatra and our heart became inundated more. On Radhastami started our reflection on pure devotional service of which Srimati Radharani is the emblem and we prayed to her for service knowing that no one can please Krsna the way that she can. Now everyone has gone home! Where is my home? My home is with the devotees, who are my real friends, I am at home with them and visit them all over the world.

The ever increasing ocean of love of God… Posted: 07 Sep 2011 06:55 AM PDT  | Delete | Show original The love of Srimati Radharani, who is the personification of the hladhini shakti, is just eternally increasing and that brings about a reaction in Krsna. So Krsna is not just sitting there watching His energies and, 'just see My amazing glories and My amazing energies, just see…just see…' No, that love of Srimati Radharani is equally bringing out love out of Krsna. And then we understand that Krsna, in His exchanges, with all His associates, all His devotees, is just increasing His transcendental love, the premamrtambho- that ocean of transcendental love is eternally increasing  in the heart of Krsna and in the heart of all His devotees. Therefore it is said that although Krsna is completely absorbed in this transcendental love and just can't practically think of anyone else because it is just an overwhelming experience. But still there is another side of Krsna, which feels something lacking when there are living beings who are not part of that. Therefore Krsna comes into the material world to bring us also to that ever increasing ocean of love of God… (Kadamba Kanana Maharaja, 6 September 2011, Berlin)

Krsna sees Srimati Radharani everywhere… Posted: 07 Sep 2011 06:50 AM PDT Here Srila Krsnadas Kaviraja has captured that point how Krsna is everywhere seeing Srimati Radharani. When Krsna is coming to Vrndavana all of Vrndavana is simply engaging in the service of Krsna. Every aspect of Vrndavana is serving Krsna. Nature in Vrndavana is simply serving Krsna. The water plants in the Yamuna are collaborating with Krsna. When Krsna places His lotus feet in the water of the Yamuna, the plants quickly wrap around His foot so that He cannot pull it out! And the Yamuna stops flowing and then the water just gets still and then suddenly little whirlpools appear due to ecstasy from holding onto Krsna's feet. The trees are blossoming, whether it is season or not. Whenever Krsna is coming pass the trees start to blossom and the wind immediately takes advantage to carry the fragrance to Krsna. Therefore when Krsna sees these flowers as offering of the trees, immediately He is thinking of utilising these flowers in His exchanges with Srimati Radharani. Therefore everything reminds Him of Srimati Radharani, everything is aimed at that… (Kadamba Kanana Maharaja, 6 September 2011, Berlin)

Ratha Yatra and initiation in Leipzig / Radhastami in Berlin Posted: 07 Sep 2011 04:45 AM PDT After five days of tasting the full nectar of the Holy Name, manifested by various great kirtaneers in the Kirtana Mela, the festival continued in the nearby inner city of Leipzig. There the devotees, charged by the intense chanting, pulled the Lord in His form as Jagannatha through the streets of Leipzig. Kadamba Kanana Maharaja was the first to lead the kirtana, followed by Lokanatha Maharaja and Sacinandana Maharaja. It was the biggest Krishna concious event that ever took place in Leipzig. The procession ended in the Clara Zetkin Park, where different programs took place, like bhajanas and a theater. Jayadvaita Maharaja inspired everyone by tirelessly answering all kind of questions in the Q&A tent, whereas Kadamba Kanana Swami rocked the stage in a final kirtana. The next day an initiation ceremony took place in the Leipzig temple. As Maharaja mentioned in his talk, it has been a rare occasion, since both, Kadamba Kanana Swami himself as well as his spiritual master Jayadvaita Maharaja were present. Both of them have given a talk before the diciples received their new names. One devotee from Finnland received the most auspicious name Nityananda Dasa, while one local mataji was named Akuti, which means 'she who hankers for perfection'. After the ceremony, Kadamba Kanana Maharaja went on to the Berlin temple to celebrate Radhastami on the following day. There he led the bahajanas, which accompanied the bathing ceremony of the deities, and gave the morning and evening classes together with Kavichandra Maharaja. Can't view the slideshow? Visit flickr!

KKSblog.com - No limit to spiritual advancement

"He knows most who says he knows least."

(Confucius, Chinese philosopher, 551-479 BC.)

"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are."

(Attributed to Anais Nin, French-born American writer,1903-1977.)

"Do not worry if others do not understand you. Instead worry if you do
not understand others."

(Confucius, Chinese philosopher, 551-479 BC.)

"A great man is hard on himself; a small man is hard on others."

(Confucius, Chinese philosopher, 551-479 BC.)

"The wise man puts himself last and finds himself first."

(Attributed to Lao Tsu, aka Lao Zi, legendary Chinese Taoist
philosopher, supposed to have lived between 600-400BC.)

"A dwarf standing on the shoulders of a giant may see farther than the
giant himself."

(attributed variously to Marcus Annaeus Lucanus,aka Lucan, Roman poet,
AD39-65, and to DidacusStella, aka Diego de Estella, Spanish
theologian,1524-78, and others since including Samuel Coleridge and
Isaac Newton.)

"The higher my rank, the more humbly I behave. The greater my power, the
less I exercise it. The richer my wealth,

the more I give away."(Sun Shu Ao, Chinese minister from the Chu
Kingdom, Zhou Dynasty, c.600BC.)

"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time
on earth - and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up, we
will then begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only
one we had."

(Dr Elisabeth Kubler Ross, 1926-2004, psychiatrist,humanitarian,
teacher, author, and pioneer of bereavement and hospice care. With
acknowledgements to www.ekrfoundation.org and
www.elisabethkublerross.com.)

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

Some thoughtful Quotes for Life!

Samskara means "*purificatory rite*." To make their child Krishna conscious,
the grihastha couple joyfully imparts the Vedic samskaras, right from
his/her birth and thus helps the child to eventually attain the spiritual
platform. In fact, purification of a human being starts even before his
birth and this samskara is called Garbhadan (or Garbhalambanan) samskara. If
one is not purified by the process of the seed giving ceremony, or
garbhadhana samskara he is immediately classified amongst the sudras because
only the sudras do not undergo this purificatory process (Krsna book, II
p.236).

Though the vedic samskaras may be considered secondary activities because
they are discarded when one passes from the material body and society, they
are important because they sanctify and prepare the body and mind for the
primary activities of devotional service. Though there is no qualification
for taking to devotional service other than faith, one who has undergone the
samskaras in proper manner and also has faith will have some advantage in
the progress of his sadhana. Therefore the acaryas have emphasised the
importance of undergoing all of the samskaras. It is to be concluded that
while conceiving a child one's mind must be very sober and devotional. For
this purpose the garbhadhana samskara is recommended in the Vedic scriptures
(SB 3.16.35).

The union of man and wife should take place neither during the day nor
during the sandhyas (daybreak and twilight). Daytime is of course the time
when man should carry out his duties: waking bathing, meditating,
worshipping the Supreme Lord, studying scripture, chanting japa, serving the
deity, carrying out household duties, welcoming guests etc. Sandhyas
should only be utilized for chanting gayatri mantra and meditating on the
Lord. As well, Prasnopanisad says that a man reduces his life span by having
sexual relations during the day. One who performs during the night is
considered to be brahmacari (ie he maitains his strength).

Lord Sri Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita 7:11. *"I am the strength of the
strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to
religious principles, O lord of the Bhäratas [Arjuna]."* "Sucinäm Shrimatäm
gehe. So this child is born of a devotee father and devotee mother. Now
he'll again begin from the point where he lost last life. Suppose Krishna
consciousness he executed fifty percent. So he'll begin from this life
fifty-one percent. That fifty percent was in his stock. But ordinary
karmis—cent percent lost. He has to begin another chapter of life according
to his karma." (Srila Prabhupada. 17th July 1971. Lecture in Detroit.)

"Any grhastha (householder) who copulates with his own wife only when it is
time for conception is called brahmacari or celibate. There are sixteen
nights for conception of the woman from the day of the discharge of
menstruation. Among them, the first four nights are rejected and very much
criticized (by scripture). Of whatever days are left, on the even numbered
days, one produces a son and on the odd numbered days, one produces
daughter. Sexual union during the odd days of the menstrual cycle will tend
to produce a female body in the child, whereas union performed on an even
dhinam will bring forth a male body. So those purified souls who wish to
beget a putra (a son who can liberate one from the hell known as Pu) should
try to conceive on the even days (dhinam) of this cycle.

According to Ancient Vedic scriptures, the first four days are asuchi
(impure) due to blood flow, therefore abstainance is required lest bad
repercussions for the yajumans will be invoked. Therefore, all sane people
avoid the first four days. By the performance of this samskara, the physical
contact between a man and a woman is sanctified. Also intelligent, pious and
God-conscious children are born by the strength of performance of Garbhadan
samskara. This is the most important samskara which Srila Prabhupada has
emphasised in all his purports on the subject. Grihastas should produce
children as a sacrifice to Lord Vishnu. Grihasthas give birth to children to
make them Krishna conscious and liberate them.

As soon as the wife is pregnant, no more sex life until the child is born
and is grown up at least for six months. After that one may have sex life
on the same principle. If one does not want more than one or two children,
he should voluntarily stop sex life. One should not use any contraceptive
method and at the same time indulge in sex life. That is very much
sinful.(letter from Srila Prabhupada, San Fransisco, Sept 20, 1968)

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

GarbhaDhana Samskara-Very Important consideration for Grihasthas...

From Srila Jiva Goswami's commentary on Bhakti Rasämåta Sindhu

uttaratas tu tayor anugatau doñäntaram ity äha yad ubhe iti. käöhinya-hetutvaà ca nänä-väda-nirasana- pürvaka-tattva-vicärasya duùkha-sahanäbhyäsa- pürvaka-vairägyasya ca rukña-svarüpatvät. tarhi sahäyaà vinottarottara-bhakti-praveçaù kathaà syät? taträha bhaktéti. tasya bhakti-praveçasya hetur bhaktir éritä. uttarottara-bhakti-praveçasya hetuù pürva- pürva-bhaktir evety arthaù.

There is a fault in following the paths of jïäna and vairägya in that these two make the heart extremely hard. The reason for this hardness within the heart is that the practice of jïäna requires one to examine the absolute truth by defeating various philosophies, whereas the philosophy of vairägya requires the tolerance of various types of sufferings. Both these paths are by their nature dry and hard. However, one may doubt as to how one can enter into bhakti without assistance from these two? The answer is that in the ultimate analysis, one enters into bhakti by bhakti alone. It is bhakti that was executed in previous lives that leads one to enter into the advanced stages of bhakti in the current life.
nanu bhaktir api tat-tad-äyäsa-sädhyatvät käöhinye hetuù syät taträha sukumära-svabhäveyam iti çré- bhagavan-madhura-rüpa-guëädi-bhävanä-mayatväd iti. tasmäd bhagavati nija-cittasya särdratäà kartum icchunä bhaktir eva käryeti bhävaù. prädhänyena ca tathoktaà çré-prahlädena —
naite guëä na guëino mahad-ädayo ye sarve manaù-prabhåtayaù saha-deva-martyäù
ädy-antavanta urugäya vidanti hi tväm evaà vimåçya sudhiyo viramanti çabdät
tat te 'rhattama namaù-stuti-karma-püjäù karma-småtiç caraëayoù çravaëaà kathäyäm
saàsevayä tvayi vineti ñaò-aìgayä kià bhaktià janaù paramahaàsa-gatau labheta.

atra karma paricaryä, karma-småtiù lélä-smaraëaà. caraëayor iti bhakti-vyaïjakaà tac ca ñaösv apy anvitam. tathä saàsevayä vineti vairägyädikam api nädåtam.

Someone may object again, "Even bhakti consists of a rigorous path called sädhanä. Won't that make the heart hard?' The answer is that bhakti is definitely not a hardening path. Rather, it is an extremely tender path, since all its activities are centered around meditation upon the Lord's sweet form, qualities, etc. Therefore, bhakti should be performed with the intention of softening one's heart in relationship to the Lord. The great devotee Prahlad Maharaja especially mentions this in the Çrémad Bhägavatam as follows:
"Neither the three modes of material nature [sattva-guëa, rajo-guëa and tamo-guëa], nor the predominating deities controlling these three modes, nor the five gross elements, nor the mind, nor the demigods, nor the human beings can understand your Lordship, for they are all subjected to birth and annihilation. Considering this, the spiritually advanced have taken to devotional service. Such wise men hardly bother with Vedic study. Instead, they engage themselves in practical devotional service. Therefore, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, the best of all persons to whom prayers are offered, I offer my respectful obeisances unto you because without rendering six kinds of devotional service unto you — offering prayers, dedicating all the results of activities, worshiping you, working on your behalf, always remembering your lotus feet and hearing about your glories — who can achieve that which is meant for the paramahaàsas?" (Çrémad Bhägavatam 7.9.49-50)
In these verses, the word karma means worshiping the deity of the Lord, and the word karma-småtiù refers to remembering the pastimes of the Lord. The word caraëayoù indicates the devotional nature of Prahlada Maharaja, and also specifies the six kinds of devotional service mentioned in the verse. By the words saàsevayä vineti, the great devotee Prahlada Maharaja has shown a disapproval of the subordinate processes of jïäna, vairägya, etc. ·

Courtesy: KK Bindhu, Issue No. 259
--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com

Hardening of the heart

Wheel.......
Wheel existed for eons but the English men created an idea by their education such that wheel was invented by them. We had chariots in the vedic tradition since time immemorial. But the impression thats rooted in our minds is we(our culture) is backward and the westerners or the English men are of advanced culture.It's actually the other way around. This language itself is not very rich. It's the language of the low class people. The whole idea of introduction of English education was breaking the vedic culture..And
it has already broken....Sanskrit is the language of the Gods and Godly people.

The very phrase "Re-inventing the Wheel" which we commonly use is therefore incorrect and a false claim. Only the wheel of time should unveil the truth. Actually not many are
interested in truth in the Kali yuga(where only little truth is still prevailing)...if we talk the truth, people are coming to beat us.. if we do some word jugglery and cheat people they really welcome that.

Wheel was a discovery, not an invention!

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• Controlling the mind
• To give Krishna to others!
• Radhastami lecture in Berlin Part II
• It's all spiritual
• Looking for glorification
• No depression
• No Krsna=Misery

Controlling the mind Posted: 06 Sep 2011 06:40 PM PDT (Kadamba Kanana Swami, Finland, 2011) Contaminated thoughts come up in the mind. The mind is strong, but we must perform austerities of the mind! The austerity of the mind is…… one is when sinful thoughts come up, then we cut, and we do not allow what we would call, 'the train of thought'. One thought…next thought….next thought…..No! Cut…and if it goes in the wrong direction than stop immediately. So in this way we do have a duty to control the mind, since we cannot just let the mind go in whatever direction it wants to go. We have to steer it back to Krishna. Soon as the mind is going in the wrong direction….back to Krishna!

To give Krishna to others! Posted: 06 Sep 2011 03:34 PM PDT (Kadamba Kanana Swami, Finland, 2011) Srila Prabhupada said: "For fifty books, its $250!" A set of books in those days….a set was not big then, because they didn't have much books. So a set of books in America was maybe fifty books and they were available for $250. And Prabhupada said: "For fifty books, it's $250. Somehow or other we should take, $250 off everyone and we should put a set of Srila Prabhupada's books in every house on the planet!" This morning I was remembering and just imagining how a devotee would appear in front of the window here, with books in a remote house like this. This mediation – to give Krishna to others! To do good for others….that is required. It may not necessarily be like that for everyone. But everyone goes on the street with books, and when we do it than we should know that there are very great blessings there, because there's no doubt that that was so pleasing to Srila Prabhupada! That was the one thing that would give him enthusiasm, in life when his health was not very good.

Radhastami lecture in Berlin Part II Posted: 06 Sep 2011 03:29 PM PDT Here is an evening class, given by His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami, on Radhastami (05.09.2011) in Berlin, Germany. In this lecture Maharaja tells further pastimes about Krishna and Radharani, and explains how Radharani's love for Krishna is like a mirror, reflecting His unlimited qualities. Enjoy the nectar! If you want to download the class, please click here!

It's all spiritual Posted: 06 Sep 2011 01:49 PM PDT (Kadamba Kanana Swami, Vrndavana, 2003) Every atom and every particle is Krsna's energy, and then Krsna enters again into that energy.  So it was already Krsna's energy – it's not that matter is material and then Krsna changes it by entering it.  It's just his energy.  It is said that (Sanskrit)… like a boy playing with His own energy, Krsna is simply able to experience His own energy. There is nothing else outside Krsna's energy.  That's why its spiritual.  It's all His energy, so how can it be anything but spiritual?

Looking for glorification Posted: 06 Sep 2011 06:00 AM PDT (Kadamba Kanana Swami, Finland, 2011) If we are not absorbed in glorifying Krishna, then we will look to be glorifying ourselves. So also in chanting we have this tendency. We are the first one up and already chanting and everyone can hear, and the mind goes: "I'm the first one up…I'll chant a little louder so everyone can hear!" I saw someone who had not sixteen counting beads but sixty four. So then we can see immediately what kind of chanting that is. That is not being absorbed in just glorifying Krishna. That is being absorbed in being glorified ourselves. So how much devotional service are we actually doing to be glorified? "I'm leading the kirtan….. I'm playing the kartals ………I'm playing the mrdanga!" So how much is done for show? And how much are we doing it for show? Because we are addicted. Addicted to this glorification. We are always looking for this glorification. It comes out of a type of insecurity maybe. Some fear of rejection and we are just constantly looking for recognition. So one has to become very sober in chanting of the Holy Names!

No depression Posted: 06 Sep 2011 03:03 AM PDT If we become depressed then we can understand that we have really made a wrong choice. And you can of course start soul searching- 'which choice was it? I don't know! I can't think of anything! And now I feel even worse!' You can do that exercise but that's not required. Just from now on start making the right choices because the opportunity will come again and again to choose for Krsna. So it means that we didn't choose for Krsna, that's why we are depressed. Start choosing for Krsna now and the depression will go. Depression is not really a vaisnava sport- wrestling, swimming is but not depression. People in the world suffer from depression but devotees should not have that problem. But if they do have that problem it means that they are not choosing for Krsna. Depression may be normal for a conditioned soul but not for us. It's not part of our life…you just have to choose for Krsna. (Kadamba Kanana Maharaja, August 2010, Sweden)

No Krsna=Misery Posted: 06 Sep 2011 02:53 AM PDT Any relationship where we forget that Krsna is also a part of it, then it leads to misery… Krsna is always there and every situation has to be offered to Him and no exceptions. It's not that some things are to be offered to Krsna and some things not- 'some thing's are my private affairs' no, no there is no private affair, everything is Krsna's affair. He governs every aspect of our life. (Kadamba Kanana Maharaja, August 2010, Sweden)

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

KKSblog.com - Controlling the mind

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• To simply be what we are!
• Breaking free from Karma
• Radhastami lecture in Berlin

To simply be what we are! Posted: 05 Sep 2011 05:10 PM PDT (Kadamba Kanana Swami, Finland, 2011) One must go before Krishna in the form of His name in a state of humility. In one sense we can say that humility begins with honesty. It begins with simply being with what we are, and by not pretending! Not pretending to be anything more than what we are. Always trying to create some impression. No! To simply be what we are! That is humility. So humility and honesty are very closely related, and by being thoroughly honest one automatically is thoroughly humble! Because we are not in control and as soon as we become honest, then we will stop pretending that we are!

Breaking free from Karma Posted: 05 Sep 2011 04:24 PM PDT (Kadamba Kanana Swami, Finland, 2011) Sometimes we go upwards in this universe and sometimes downwards in this universe, which is all based on our karma! In that way everything appears to be predestined! But there is one way that one can break out of this predestined situation, and that is by taking up service to the Supreme Lord, because if one does so then one immediately gets the choice. One immediately becomes free from this destiny. Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita: 'sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ' (Bg. 18.66) 'Don't fear I will liberate you from all this 'pāpebhyo' from all these sinful reactions'. So if we do all the surrendering to Krishna, then He will remove the sinful reactions!

Radhastami lecture in Berlin Posted: 05 Sep 2011 06:03 AM PDT Here is a class on the Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi Lila, Chapter 4, verses 142-145, given by H.H. Kadamba Kanana Swami together with H.H. Kavichandra Swami in Berlin, Germany, on the most auspicious day of Radhastami (05.09.2011). The lecture nicely explains the beautiful exchanges between Radha and Krishna and Their appearance as Caitanya Mahaprabhu as well as the significance of Gaura-Gadadhara. If you want to download the lecture, please click here!

KKSblog.com - To simply be what we are!

Radhastami Darshan 2011, Sri Dham Mayapur!!!

There are many in the movement who wants everyone else to surrender to
them first,rather than surrendering to Guru or Krishna.Only by
inspiring others by our own personal example,can we change the
hearts&not by intimidating or dramatic means.It'll never work but will
only create disputes&hatred.Before we can tell someone to do something
we should have perfected ourselves in that thing.When humility&soft
heartedness is exploited,that creates hatred,untrust,hard heartedness.

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

Humility&Soft heartedness are never meant for exploitation but to spread&feel the Love!

Overcoming thoughts of sense gratification

Radhashtami

Posted by krishnasmercy on August 27, 2009

"O Radha, you are dearer to me than my life even and I am like the same to you. There has been no point of separation or difference between us. Both of us have one and the same form." (Lord Krishna speaking to Radha just prior to their advent on earth, Brahmavaivarta Purana, Krishna-Janma Khand)

Radhashtami is the appearance day celebration of Shrimati Radharani, the eternal consort of Lord Krishna. Just as we take our spouse to be our partner for life, God has a life partner in His eternal consorts. Though He has different forms and incarnations such as Rama, Narasimha, Varaha, etc., according to the Brahmavaivarta, Vishnu, and Bhagavata Puranas, Krishna is the original form of God. Krishna's immediate expansion and pleasure potency is Radharani, often referred to just as Radha.

Radha is known as Krishna's pleasure potency, hladini-shakti. Krishna is the energetic and Radha is His energy, similar to the way wives are referred to as the better-half of their husbands. She is completely engrossed in thoughts of Krishna, loving Him purely and perfectly. Actually, it is not possible for one to love Krishna more than Radha does, for out of all the gopis, she is Krishna's favorite. Just as there are various forms of Krishna, so there exist many expansions of Radha. All the great demigoddesses and the various Lakshmis are all considered to emanate from her. Radhashtami is celebrated because it marks the anniversary of when she took birth on this earth some five thousand years ago.

Just like Krishna, Radha is eternal, so she technically doesn't take birth in the material world. For this reason, the occasion of her birth is referred to as her appearance day. According to the different Puranas, there are several versions of the story relating to the circumstances of her appearance. The reason for this is that God reenacts His pastimes on earth over and over again in the different kalpas, or creations. The general story is that Radha, Krishna, and their associates were enjoying their pastimes on the spiritual planet of Krishnaloka, when a misunderstanding arose between Radha and Krishna's friend Shridama over Krishna's playing with one of the gopis. As a result, Shridama cursed Radha to appear on earth and be separated from Krishna for one hundred years. This coincided with Krishna's appearance on earth, the purpose of which was to kill the demon Kamsa and to deliver His dependents. Naturally whenever God comes to earth, He brings His closest associates with him.

Radharani appeared fifteen days after Krishna did, as the daughter of Vrishabhanu and Kirtida.

"The birth of Radharani was not from the womb of any human being. She was found by her father in the field. While father was plowing, he saw one little nice child is lying there, and he had no children, so he caught it and presented to the queen, 'Oh, here we have got a very nice child.' 'How you got?' 'Oh, in the field.' Just see. Radharani's janma is like that." (Shrila Prabhupada, Lecture, Montreal, Aug. 30, 1968)

As the tradition goes, Radha actually didn't open her eyes for the first few days, a fact which worried her parents. They were concerned that she might be blind, so they invited the venerable Narada Muni to come and assess the situation. He was immediately taken aback after seeing Radha, for he knew she was no ordinary child. He advised Vrishabhanu not to worry and to hold an elaborate feast and invite Nanda and Yashoda, the foster-parents of Krishna. When baby Krishna came over, He crawled to Radha's crib to look at her.  When she finally opened her eyes, Krishna was the first person she saw.

In their youth, the two enjoyed many wonderful pastimes in Vrindavana, but sadly the Lord would have to leave and finish His pastimes in Mathura and Dvaraka. Radha and the other gopis were left in Vrindavana always pining for the Lord. Such a separation may seem like a bad thing, but it actually brings about a pleasurable feeling. Worshiping the Lord in the mood of separation was the process recommended by Lord Chaitanya, for it is very blissful and arouses feelings of Krishna prema. Radhrani's separation anxiety was very great and she even declared that no one except Sita Devi, Lord Rama's wife, knew what she was experiencing.

"This type of grief was known either to Sita or to me. Compared to me, there is no one else in the three worlds whose mind is so painful. Can any woman believe in my pain after looking at me? Oh son Uddhava, what other women have faced such a type of grief? Among women, there is no one who is so badly suffering like Radha, who is suffering from separation from her Lord and is devoid of fortune and is completely grief-stricken. There is no one else among the damsels feeling more painful at heart than Radhika. In this universe the husband who happens to be the kalpavriksha (wish-fulfilling tree) was achieved by me, but I have been deprived of the same because of cruel destiny. With one look at His lotus-like feet as well as His moon-like face and His costumes, my birth and my life have become successful. With the hearing of whose name all the life airs become activated and sprout like flowers and the soul is filled with affection, the one who touched me at the time of conjugal pleasure and with that I enjoyed the glory of the three worlds. How can I forget such a lord by getting any amount of riches?" (Radharani speaking to Krishna's friend and envoy Uddhava, Brahmavaivarta Purana, Krishna-Janma Khand)

There is no difference between God and His name.  Merely thinking of Him and reciting His name means we are in direct association with Him. In this way, there is actually never any separation between the Lord and His devotees. Devotees typically fast until noon on Radhashtami and then have discussions about Radha and Krishna. The best way to celebrate the grand pair is to always call chant their holy names found in the maha-mantra: "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare". Krishna is the original name of God and Hare refers to the Lord's energy in the form of Radha. Jai Shri Radhe!

When She finally opened Her eyes, Krishna was the first person She saw!!!