(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2005)

So in this way, there is a natural choice. It is said that Krishna – He looks very fresh and old, and young, but he is the oldest of the oldest! He is the oldest and at the same time – he is the original person:

'Govindam adi-purusham',

So, the more we find out about him, the more theologically it also begins to make sense, and in this way our knowledge is growing and growing. The more we hear – the more our faith is also deepening, and the more we say:

" Well maybe…maybe there is something to it after all".

Then when we say:

"Alright let me try the experiment, and I'll start doing some devotional service".

So when we do that, then the result is that Krishna becomes attracted by our service, and the result is that He begins to reciprocate. He begins to take the initiative towards us.

So now it's no longer just book knowledge – no longer just hearing, but now it also begins to happen. There is practical experience, and there is actually realization coming, that Krishna is a reality – a part to deal with… a part to play with, and in this way people develop stronger faith in Krishna! In this way, eventually they will get very serious about it.….because sometimes you wonder:

"What is it that tips the balance? That makes people do it?"

But that's what it is, to actually get some practical experience of Krishna!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, March 2011)

The best is to simply glorify Krsna and that's what Prabhupada did. He didn't care about such things like, where he was, or who the audience was. He would just glorify Krsna, and that's the essence, because the purity is the force – not intellectualism, if we are intellectually try to cater for the audience.  Prabhupada said:

"In our preaching, we are not trying to please audience, but we are trying to please Krsna. That's an important point!"

We are faithful to pleasing Krsna. We are not trying to present ourselves in such a way that the audience will be pleased. No! If we are in our speech we are trying to please Krsna, then automatically people will be attracted, because purity will be there – that is guaranteed.  So we should simply please Krsna!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radhadesh, May 2011)

Vaisnavas must develop relationships with one another of trust, of accepting each other.  Trust and acceptance – acceptance with our shortcomings, with our faults, knowing well that everyone has them and how difficult it is to come to pure devotional service.  How much effort it takes to become more and more purified – more and more effort!  And with that, we need to be more together.  We need to be much more together.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Durban – South Africa, April 2011)

We are not just a movement where all the energy goes into itself.  There is a danger that we become a group, and the group spends all its time keeping the group alive, and the group cooks for the group, and the group does plays for the group, and the group has kirtan, get-togethers for the group and so on.  That is of course, nice, but that's not enough.

We must always think, how can we flood the world?  How can we touch the world?  There is such a need – I don't have to tell you.  Everyone can see, everyone can see what a crazy world it is.  And everyone knows that only Krsna Consciousness is the solution.  No-one else has any solution, and people are looking for the solution – many people!  And if we present it nicely, in a reasonable manner, we will be surprised how many people will begin to listen.  And even if they're not ready to listen, still try.  Prabhupada was like that, always trying.

So this is something that is part of our movement – that we think in that mood of generosity, that mood of giving, because Krsna is suhrdam sarva-bhutanam, the well-wisher of all living beings.  We cannot see who lives on the other side of the hill, but Krsna can.  Krsna knows what every living being thinks.  Krsna is waiting for every living being to return back to Godhead.  That's His desire, there's no doubt about it.  So if we are the servant of Krsna, then we must do something, and we can do something in a way that is inspiring to us and inspiring to others.

From Heidelberg Maharaja went up north to Cologne, where he stayed for two days to attend the weekly Sunday program.After that he went east to Weimar to give a house program there. The program was small but it created a family atmosphere and was therefore really nice. Most time of the program was spent on bhajanas and Maharaja gave some short Krsna Katha in the end.

If you cannot view the slideshow below, please visit flickr.

(Kadamba Kanana swami, October 2010, Sydney, Australia)

One should not go backwards; if we have committed to something even if you
haven't signed a contract, still one shouldn't go backwards in spiritual life. That is
part of spiritual culture. If we just make that a rule, 'I don't go backwards, I just go
forwards,' then that is quite a good vow.

From Leicester Maharaja went to King's Cross in London to take a train to Radadesh, Belgium. Those were sunny and relaxed days, perfect to prepare for the upcoming Ratha Yatra.

Then, after three days, it was off to Heidelberg in Germany, where a very nice Ratha Yatra festival took place. Although it was a small Rathe Yatra cart, with small Jagannatha Baladeva and Subadra deities from Harinamadesh, it was perfect to take the procession through the shopping street in the inner city of Heidelberg. In this way the devotees, throughout the whole Ratha Yatra, proceeded through crowded streets and made lots of people hear the holy name of the Lord. The Harinama was powerful, led by glorious devotees like Bhakti Vaibhava Swami, Kadamba Kanana Swami, Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu and Vidya Vicaspati Prabhu. Enjoy!

If you cannot view the slide show below, please visit flickr.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2005)

In the spiritual world, the body is made of pure consciousness – pure spirit – there is no difference between the self and the body. Here there is the self and the body. Prabhupada did these kind of exercises, such as asking the most intelligent boy in the school program to come forward. So this one boy comes forward, with little round glasses and his hair is parted in the middle with some brylcreem in there – its all glued onto his head…nicely parted. He looked very intelligent…and he is about 12 or 11 years old.

Prabhupada asks him if he can ask him a question. The boy said:

"Yes….yes"

So Prabhupada points at his nose and he says:

"What is this?"

And the boy looks at him like totally incredulous and thinks:

"It cannot be true, that he is asking me this question! He's asking me a question as if I am a five year old. What is this?"

Prabhupada again, prods him and asks:

"What is this?"

Whilst in Prabhpupada's presence he said:

"The boy must point".

So the boy said whilst pointing:

" My nose….my chest…..my arm". And he goes like that around the body. Prabhupada said:

"Then where are you?"

Then he appeared to look lost, so Prabhupada said:

"Ok, now you can sit down."

It's like there is a total tension in the class. Everyone is shocked…you know! The genius of the class has just been smashed! And it's just like – he lost it, and everyone is in total suspense and thinking:

" What's going to happen next?"

Then Prabhupada is establishing that if the self is not the body, then who are we? He begins to introduce the concept of the spirit soul. So here in this world we are separate from the body. It s very dramatic the way Prabhupada did it!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Durban – South Africa, April 2011)

How to become attracted to Krsna?  It comes naturally if we start to serve.  And serving means giving – giving ourselves, giving ourselves not for our own profit, our own gain, but for Krsna's interest and the interest of His devotees.  As soon as we start to act for Krsna's interest and the interest of His devotees, then after a short while, the higher taste in Krsna Consciousness begins to develop.  It comes automatically.

And that's what we see in those who simply take up devotional service selflessly and put other things aside, all other agendas aside.  They automatically become attracted to Krsna, and then comes even the amazing thing, and that is that Krsna becomes attracted to the devotee, because it is said that pure devotional service is Sri Krsna akarsani – it can attract Krsna!  Not only that we become attracted to Krsna, but that Krsna becomes attracted to the service of His devotee.  Then there is no question of feeling that Krsna is far away.  Then there is no question of feeling separated from Krsna.  Then one is with Krsna at all times and one lives in one's service to Krsna.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2005)

At one point all the little attachments to Krishna, just begin to take over. It's just like certain games where you gradually fill up the whole board – like 'Go'…don't know if you have ever played 'Go', but you have the black and white pieces, and you put on more and more pieces. Eventually you fill up the whole board – well almost the whole board. So something like that, where the whole attachment is getting more and more dense! Just our whole life begins to be made up of attachments to Krishna:

'Sandra nandana vishaya satmanah'

And the attachment begins to intensify…deeper and deeper! So this is the purpose! So we begin in a humble way. Rome wasn't built in a day! It's a fact when they say:

"Rome wasn't built in a day!"

But have you seen Rome? Have you really seen Rome? It's something else. Come on….you know that Amsterdam is just a crummy City….New York is just glass and light…..just glass, steel, light and some stones! But what is there really? But with Rome – my God! Rome have their mosaics, and they are so fine that you cannot see any joints! Not just on the ceiling, but on the wall, and the mosaic panels are made of little coloured pieces of stones, glass and God knows what! But they are so intricately made that you cannot see any joints….that's not easy. So Rome wasn't built in a day, without a doubt!

So, we just begin humbly, and we begin to develop some attachments for Krishna, that's the idea – some attachments, and we do some – and how do we do it? By doing a little service without asking anything in return. That's exciting, and give it your best! You are giving it your best without anything in return, and that's when the devotion comes out and there is some taste in that – we develop a little attachment. You come to do it again……..and you do it again, so it becomes like:

"Yeah the taste is there!"

You begin……you continue, and it then begins to grow! So you do more of it……more and more!

'Sandra nandana vishyaya satmanah'

Until the whole 'Go' board is full of pieces and gradually it is covered with attachments to Krishna in different ways! So we are working towards that goal!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Durban – South Africa, April 2011)

The more we are chanting the maha-mantra, the more we are becoming freed from the sinfulness of Kali, and that is of course the first benefit of chanting – that one becomes freed from the influence of ignorance and darkness.  One meaning of the name Krsna – 'Krish' is dark and 'na' means no – no more darkness.  So 'Krsna' means that we become free from the influence of ignorance in the material world.  Then comes the other translation of the word 'Krsna', which means – 'Krish' for a person or the one who can attract, and 'na', for ananda, for happiness.  Then we come to (Sanskrit) the higher taste in Krsna Consciousness, where we become attracted to Krsna.

(Transcribed by Yamuna Devi Dasi)

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, March 2011)

In one of the first 'Back To Godhead' – on the front page there was a picture of a butcher, who was attacking a cow with an axe.
Prabhupada said:

"What is this?"

"Well…it's an article against meat eating".

So Prabhupada said:

"We are not against anything. We are for Krishna! So, it is not our business to be against this and against that! No, it is our business to be for Krishna, and for Krishna means no meat, because Krishna doesn't accept meat."

But, we are not singling out so many things – we are against this, and against that. No Prabhupada said:

"We are for Krishna".

Our standard is simply for the desire of Krishna. Whatever Krishna desires, and that is in the Bhagavad Gita, where he makes his desires clear!

Also when dealing with Kali Yuga, we cannot just spend all our time saying:

" How horrible people are, how degraded people are, how corrupted people are and so on".

That will take us away from Krsna. If we talk the whole day about how bad the Kali Yuga is, then how much will we talk of how wonderful Krsna is?

In that way you become what you deal with! That's very dangerous! Therefore, we should simply focus on our own business, and that's the strength of our movement! We are simply going to glorify Krsna everywhere and always!