Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, dhyaayato vishayaan pumsah / sangas teshupajaayate
Please accept my humble pranams! All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev!
The following is in continuation of the transcription of the wonderful class by our beloved God brother HG Devakinandan prabhuji on 28-04-2011 in Abudhabi on Aila Gita. In the last offering we saw that King Pururava sat down to contemplate on his condition and Devaki prabhuji went on to explain the way we should also contemplate on our condition seriously.
In Bhagavad Gita Krishna says in 2.62 and 2.63
sangaat sanjaayate kaamah / kaamaat krodho 'bhijaayate
krodhaad bhavati sammohah /sammohaat smrti-vibhramah
smrti-bhramshaad buddhi-naasho /buddhi-naashaat pranashyati
This verse must be translated into positive. How does the verse start? "While contemplating the object of the senses…." Maharaj said, "While contemplating on the words of Bhagavatam, the devotee develops attachment for Bhagavatam." This is the practical application of the verse. The secret is actually in the verse. Bhagavad Gita tells that when we contemplate on the object of senses, we develop attachment for them. So Maharaj said, "If you want to develop attachment for Bhagavatam and Krishna, you please contemplate on Bhagavatam and Krishna as the object of the senses. That is the five minutes difference between the advancing devotee and struggling devotee. What is the object of our senses? Is it Urvashi or is it Krishna? Is it Pururava or is it Bhagavatam? So the same two verses, you just change them. When you develop attachment for Bhagavatam, lust will fly out of the window and true love is settled in the heart." See the difference and in Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells us that when there is lust, there will be anger. This is because lust means, we cannot satisfy our desires, so we get angry. When anger comes from lust, we become frustrated. When there is frustration, there is delusion. When there is delusion, there is bewilderment of memory. We forget what we are, we forget where we are and we just counteract. When someone insults us, we counteract.
Today I was just remembering one story Maharaj told about Buddha. Buddha was walking on the road and suddenly what happened was one man came up to Buddha and he said, "Whatever you are talking is nonsense. Whatever you are preaching is nonsense. Whatever you say, you do not practice." He insulted him like anything. He then inquired, "What do you have to say?" Buddha looked at him and he asked him, "When someone buys and gives a gift for another person, and if the person rejects the gift, whose property is the gift?" The man thought about it. First he thought it is a funny question from a man whom he had just attacked. Then he thought about the answer. "If someone I am giving a gift to, does not want it, it still remains my property." So Buddha smiled and said, "You want to transfer your insult to me. That is very nice, but I do not want your insult. I do not want to counteract. So to whom does the insult belong to?" It belongs to the man who started the insult. So Buddha said, "You keep the insult and let me be peaceful." Maharaj said that this is how we escape from "I and mine". No counteraction. The moment we counteract the material energy, we will lose. The moment a devotee says something that has nothing to do with Krishna, we will lose. Our relationships will go out of the window. That is why Maharaj said, "We tolerate like anything. We have to tolerate. We have to do only two things in spiritual life. We adjust and we tolerate. We tolerate and we adjust. The whole life is about that." This is the expert way in which we stop "I and mine". "I and mine" is much deeper than just saying, 'this is not mine.' It is much deeper.
1. The story of Pururava and Urvashi is not for other people, but it is for all of us. That is why Bhagavatam speaks about it. The question comes back to what Pururava asked, "Whose property is the body?" Now Pururava has come to the end of his journey. He is a frustrated man. He is a lonely man. But now, something has come to his heart as he sat down. What is that? Renunciation. Why? Very simple. He got slapped over and over again. Face is black and blue. Nowhere to turn. Better start becoming yogi, because bhogi days are over and now he must become tyagi. Otherwise he cannot become bhakta. So this is the way maya adjusts and tolerates us. She will adjust us in such a way that the slaps will come. Maharaj says, "When the slaps come on your faces, do not transfer the slaps to others. Then you lose. Accept the slaps and sit down and contemplate seriously about your condition. Gajendra contemplated after 1000 years of fighting with the crocodile. You and I do not have 1000 years to contemplate. Today after Bhagavatam, we may just die. Better we contemplate NOW about our condition." So Pururava sat down and he said, "For so many years, I enjoyed bodily pleasures. So many years I tried to enjoy, but I was not satisfied by the enjoyment - Just like you pour more and more ghee into the fire thinking that the ghee will douse the fire, more and more I tried to enjoy with Urvashi, the more I tried, the more frustrated I became." Maharaj says, "The more you try to exploit a devotee, the more you try to put yourself above others, the more frustrated you will become. When you are frustrated in your life, it is because you are exploiting what is given to you by Krishna. If you renounce that, you will become peaceful." Such an amazing formula to be free of frustration.
2. Pururava says what is the use of all the big education, all the great austerities, all the renunciation, what is the use of studying revealed scriptures and living in solitude and silence, if after all that, the mind is stolen by the object of one's desire? What is the use? Maharaj said, "We may read Bhagavatam till the cows come home, we may write so many slokas and study them but tomorrow if we cannot walk away from the object of our desire, then what is the point of all that?" This we should ask ourselves seriously.
3. What is the value of this human body? This is the key now. What is the value? He said, "How can I blame Urvashi for my trouble?" Actually Maharaj says, "When you renounce, you stop blaming others. When you renounce, you blame yourself. It is only when you attach, you blame everyone else. It is a very important point. Those who blame others, they are not renounced. But those who look to themselves and say, 'It is my fault', it ends there, they become renounced. Buddha never counteracted. He became completely renounced. He took the insult and he said, 'This is your gift. You keep it. I do not want it.' So when we are also insulted by devotees, or by so called devotees, we should not insult back. We should not behave in a counteractive fashion. We should absorb, tolerate, adjust and we become renounced. We become free. The problem is that the ego comes in the way and we say, "He has said something. Now I must take a stand and this is my stand." What stand you have? Your only stand is you are supposed to be the servant of the servant of the servant. Servant does not have a stand. Servant bows. He does not stand." See how nicely Maharaj put the point. So Pururava then says, "Why am I to blame Uravshi? It is my fault. I was attached to my body and everything that gave enjoyment to my body, I wanted for myself. When I did not get it, I became like a madman. So I must stop this."
Prabhuji went on to explain the further realizations of Pururava and the same shall be transcribed and offered in the next mail, Krishna willing.
Thankyou very much,
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev,
Vaijayantimala devi dasi,
Abudhabi.
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From: Dr Satish Gosain (Sri Krishna Hari Das)
Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble pranams! All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev!
The following is in continuation of the transcription of the wonderful class by our beloved God brother HG Devakinandan prabhuji on 28-04-2011 in Abudhabi on Aila Gita.
In the last offering we saw that King Pururava sat down to contemplate on his condition and he had a lot of wonderful realizations. Here we continue the same.
Pururava then said, "What is the value of this polluted body anyway? It is only made up of bile, pus, stool, urine and blood. Actually it has no value." Krishna tells Uddhava that thinking this way, Pururava attained renunciation in his heart and by sitting down and meditating, he became remorseful. Once he became remorseful, he became repentant and then he sat down to meditate on Krishna and not on Urvashi. Finally because of renunciation, he became a peaceful man. Maharaj said of all the 24 gurus that the Avanti Brahmana sings, the one guru we should remember in relation to this story is the hawk.
The hawk flew into the sky after getting a piece of meat and he thought he can eat very peacefully. The piece of meat was the object of his senses and he wanted to satisfy the senses. The moment he got the meat, 10 other hawks came and attacked him in the sky and they wanted the piece of meat. That became the object of everyone's desire. So they all attacked the object and the hawk kept thinking how am I going to get away from this? There is no peace. How to eat? Then he decided there is only one solution. He dropped the meat like a ton of weight. The moment he dropped it, all the hawks ran after the meat and this hawk became free and in that freedom, he became peaceful. In the renunciation, he became elevated. You know what Prabhupada says about renunciation in Bhagavatam. He says, "We renounce not because we are losing. We renounce because we are winning". Think about it. A devotee renounces something to get something better. We have renounced material life because spiritual life is much sweeter, but the whole world thinks we are renouncing because we are losers. That is why we are renouncing. So a true devotee renounces for something higher. So the hawk could fly higher without the meat and he found another piece of meat. Whilst the other hawks were fighting, he sat down peacefully and he ate and he became free.
So whenever the object of our desire becomes the object of our frustration, Maharaj says, JUST DROP IT and leave. I remember at this point Vaishnava seva prabhu and myself, 5-10 years ago, Maharaj told us to go to Jamnagar and start preaching and we went there, looked around, found a nice man and he had a nice land. So we started cultivating him and his land was there and we were thinking if this land comes to us, we can build a beautiful temple for Krishna. So that way we went on and on and we kept telling Maharaj, "Please come and meet this man so that we can get the land." Maharaj kept telling us "Time is not there. It is okay. I'll wait. You continue". So like that we were building up and building up and one day, Maharaj came to Jamnagar and we went to the land and did nice kirtan and everything. We were ready and we were saying that definitely this nice gentle man will give Maharaj the land. Now at the point that the gentle man showed us all the positive views that the land is going to be ours, finally when Maharaj sat down with him, Maharaj asked him a straight forward question. "Are you interested in giving the land for us?" He said, "Actually I have to consult my mother. I am not sure whether my mother will say 'Yes or No.'" Before he could finish his sentence, Maharaj got up and said, "Keep the land. We are going." He got into the auto and Vaishnava prabhu and myself ran after Maharaj and said, "Maharaj, you convince him. What are we doing?" Maharaj said, "This land is not the object of our desire. This land should be used for Krishna. Krishna does not want because this man is hesitating. We should walk away." We said, we worked so hard to get the land. Maharaj said, "It's all about you. It's not about the land. That is why you are frustrated. In the guise of bhakti you wanted fame. You wanted credit. You thought this land will be big achievement and it was exactly the opposite." Maharaj just walked away from the land and Maharaj said, "When Krishna does not want to give something, you must renounce it. When there is even slightest hesitation over something, please drop it like a ton of weight. When something is going to cause you agitation, please walk away from it." Maharaj perfectly showed it in his life. He just walked away from the land and he told us, "You just wait and see. Krishna does not want the land. So we do not want the land. Krishna wants something bigger than that land. So we want what Krishna wants. Now go back and read Bhagavatam and become peaceful."
The day Dwaraka project finished, myself and Vaishnava seva prabhu thought we will have two days holidays. So we went up to see Maharaj upstairs in Dwaraka and we said, "Maharaj, program is finished. All the guests have gone. Everything is done. Myself and Vaishnava prabhu are thinking that we will just stay in Dwaraka for 2 or 3 days and do some nice chanting." Maharaj said, "Rascals, you stop this nonsense. Now it is 11 am in the morning. You take the 2 pm train to Rajkot". We thought we had just finished our program. But Maharaj said, "Go immediately to Rajkot, sit on the land and start kirtan. Now we have to start building a temple in Rajkot". We said, "Maharaj don't you want to spend a few days here in Dwaraka?" Maharaj said, "I am leaving in the afternoon. My work is done. Why should I sit around with this now? We have done something, offered it to Prabhupada. Now we walk away from it. It is not ours". That is when we realized what Maharaj meant. If we think a program is ours, if we think a land is ours, if we think that devotional service is ours then it becomes material. But if we believe that a program is actually Krishna's, that it belongs to our spiritual master, then we will never be attached to the program but we will be attached to the service we must render when we go to the program and more importantly we will never be attached to the result of the service that is done. Materially it will look like it is successful, or it is a failure, but that result is not in our hands. Maharaj taught us that it is in Krishna's hands.
Before Maharaj left this world, he gave us direction that, "You build a beautiful temple." He said, "I can finish the temple actually before I leave". But you need to have some engagement. So you build the temple and after you build the temple, Devaki, you just offer it to Prabhupada because I wanted to offer it to Prabhupada. All of you offer it to Prabhupada on my behalf and I will be very happy. Now once you finish that, you just pack up and you walk away, you find a tree, sit under the tree and you read Bhagavatam and you be peaceful. It is done. If the authorities allow you to continue in the temple, please continue. If the authorities say Bhagavatam should be read in this temple, continue. If authorities say, 'we are not interested in Bhagavatam, we want to collect money for temple', you please pack up your bags and say 'Haribol', take your Bhagavatam, go under a next tree and you start reading there and that tree will become a temple." So Maharaj taught us a very powerful point and this is Aila Gita. Whose property is your body? It is the property of your spiritual master. That is the answer to this question. It is the property of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Prabhuji went on to explain what should be our behavior once we know that this body is the property of the spiritual master and the same shall be transcribed and offered in the next mail, Krishna willing.
Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev,
Vaijayantimala devi dasi
Abudhabi.
[granthraj] Just Drop It - Part 6
Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, naaham ninde na ca staumi / sva-bhaava-vishamam janam bhutair aakramyamaano 'pi /dhiro daiva-vashaanugaih
Please accept my humble pranams! All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev!
The following is the concluding part of the transcription of the wonderful class by our beloved God brother HG Devakinandan prabhuji on 28-04-2011 in Abudhabi on Aila Gita. In the last offering we saw that in order to keep up our spiritual unity we should remember and follow the following verse from Srimad Bhagavatam 7.13.42
eteshaam shreya aashaase / utaikaatmyam mahaatmani
This should be our prayer for every devotee. This should be the way we act with every devotee. Everyone is different. Accept it. Krishna created this world so that each one is different. Imagine if we have 200 persons of the very same nature in the house, we will become mad. Nobody can tolerate more than one person of the same nature. Krishna is very merciful. He makes one person with one type of character and another person is different. Otherwise we cannot tolerate. It is a fact. If we accept everyone is different there is no fighting because we just accept his nature. Only we have to adjust with each other. The more we tolerate, the more we adjust. The more we adjust, the more we tolerate. It is not our business to condemn anyone. No. No condemning. Maharaj said, "If you do not like a person, you do not have to praise him either but you do not have to condemn him also. You just have to accept him and you just have to serve him. As long as the person is with Krishna, what is there for us to complain?" That is how Maharaj solved 90% of our problems. So Maharaj said, "By seeing the hand of Krishna, do not make small things into big things. Mind's nature is very small thing; It will tell, 'It is a very serious problem. We have a crisis.' There is no crisis. The only crisis is we have forgotten Krishna and we are inventing a crisis in our head."
Our sadhana is not good. We are not with Bhagavatam. Let us improve ourselves. Then all problems go away. The moment we think we can use a material solution to solve a material problem, our material solutions will become worse than our material problems. Prahlada Maharaj says, "dukhaushadam tadapi duhkham" (SB 7.13.42) is the spiritual way to see the hand of Krishna in everything. This is the royal road. This is the way to go. We take the verse, photocopy it, make it big, we put it in front of our phone because we have to talk to the devotees. So every time a devotee is talking to us and we are really getting angry, we should repeat to ourselves loudly, "Different people are of different mentalities." Of course the person on the other end may think we are mad, that he is saying something and we are saying something, but it will save the day. Maharaj said, "The next time you get angry with anyone please turn to Srimad Bhagavatam 7.13.42. While you are thinking you are very great, tolerating others, do not forget others are equally great, tolerating you, because you also have a different mentality." This way Maharaj gave us the royal road.
He was with us and he was not with us. He loved all of us but at the same time he tolerated everyone. He was very happy with us. Sometimes he was really fed up with us. But in both situations, he loved us and he served us. As a true father, for him everyone was part of his family. As sons and daughters we must carry that flag, put aside our egos, our different mentalities and come together. Just adjust. Just fall at each other's feet and adjust. I asked Maharaj, "this devotee is always causing me harassment. What to do?" Maharaj said, "Harassment is not coming from him. The following verse answers the question. SB - 11.7.37."
tad vidvaan na calen maargaad /anvashiksham kshiter vratam
So that is the key. Mother earth, she gave the best lesson amongst the 24 gurus. She says these living entities are being harassed by the modes of material nature. So when a devotee comes to us and he talks nonsense, please remember this verse. It is not him. So do not blame him. Because we are not in devotional service, the modes of nature affect us. In the morning, we are in goodness, by afternoon we are passionate, by night we are totally in ignorance. In one day we are in three modes. Sometimes in one hour, we can be in three modes. Isn't it true? Sometimes we talk to a devotee. He is very nice. Next day you feel like slapping him. Third day he feels like slapping you. What has happened? Because we are not devotees. We are under the modes.
So Bhagavatam tells us, "You become dhirah. Become sober like how Pururava became sober. Understand this is because of daiva. This is because of the hand of Krishna." Then we understand - 'tad vidvaan' - use knowledge – transcendental knowledge and never be deviated from the path. 'na calen maargaat' - Do not be deviated from bhakti. Mayadevi will try to infiltrate into the congregation. She will try to create enmity. She will try to create separation. She will do it when we are weak in our saadhana. But when our saadhana becomes strong and our spiritual master is in the centre, Mayadevi will just sit outside with folded hands and become very quiet. She will not touch us. The question is whether we want to follow spiritual master or we want to follow our ego. That is the only question we have. Pururava started by following his ego and it became, "I and mine." But he ended his life by dropping the "I and mine" and surrendering to Krishna. This is the royal road to peace and happiness.
Do not be caught up in groupism. There is only Krishna and His devotees. There are no groups. That is all and nothing else. Even in the spiritual world, where there are gopis and gopas, Maharaj said, "Krishna adjusted. He tolerated and he just adjusted. He just adjusted and he tolerated, so that is how we have to live our lives." Till the day we die, we tolerate, we adjust. We adjust and tolerate. We can only adjust and tolerate if we have Bhagavatam in the centre. Otherwise there is no strength to tolerate. So Maharaj said there is no 'ism'. Maharaj said, "Did you see Dhruva Maharaj having any ISKCON life membership? Did Prahlad Maharaj say his prayers and then tell Narasimhadeva, 'You have to hear because I happen to be a life member of ISKCON and I joined in Dwaraka?' There is no mention of any life membership. There is no mention of a particular society." Prabhupada said he only built the society so that people should read Bhagavatam and be peaceful. So if we are not reading Bhagavatam and we are not peaceful, it does not matter if we are life member, does not matter if we call ourself ISKCON devotee, but for Krishna and Srila Prabhupada we are just disqualified by our behaviour or the lack of it.
Let us remember these things. We are victims of these tendencies every day. So let us please remind each other of these things and help each other.
Our heartfelt thanks to HG Devakinandan prabhuji for sharing these pearls of wisdom provided by Maharaj, which are very vital for our life.
Thank you very much,
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev,
Vaijayantimala devi dasi,
Abudhabi.
[granthraj] Just Drop It - Part 8
From: Abirami Nagalingam
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.
evam sambhasya bhagavaan / naarado vaasavi sutam
aamantrya veenaam ranayan / yayau yaadrcchiko munih
aatma vashyair vidheyaatmaa / prasaadam adhigacchati
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Sudarshana devi dasi.
[granthraj] Freedom
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.
kshapana kathaamrtaabdhim avagaahya tapaamsi jahuh
kim uta punah sva dhaama vidhutaashaya kaala gunaah
parama bhajanti ye padam ajasra sukhaanubhaavam
Names and topics of Krishna are "jagat pavitram" and only by taking shelter of these we will be able to get rid of all our bad habits. Many a times we have doubt whether it is possible for devotional service to wean out the bad habits from the root. The answer is that if we are careless about the bad habits, then we will not be able to get rid of it. But when we sincerely want to get rid of those habits, accept our inability and sincerely pray to Krishna and endeavour to get rid of them, then the all-merciful Lord, washes away all our sins and help us to experience uninterrupted bliss.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Sudarshana devi dasi.
[granthraj] Do Not be Callous about Bad-Habits
Posted: 31 Jul 2011 02:05 PM PDT (Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2011) "From 66 to 99". In the 66 we are all going back to the spiritual world and if you look at the 'Back to Godhead' magazine, and it's just one success after another….and here's our new temple in this country and that country…they are preaching everywhere…it is growing and growing! It's all blissful and Prabhupada is in the centre of it all. So in '66' we are all going back to Godhead, then: In 99 if your Guru is a parama-puruṣārtha then theoretically it is possible that you could go back to Godhead in this lifetime, although it never really happens. Therefore prepare yourself that it is going to take many many births. You know, you may as well therefore be honest…. Prabhu! Well since '99' quite some years have passed. It is now 2011. We have seen that when we pursue too much; when we get too psychological; too much concerned with my nature, my needs…then at the end of the day what will still be done for Krishna? Then you get temples were there are more deities than devotees! Then you wonder: "Well is this really how it was meant to be?" So therefore the good old spirit of sacrifice….it's old fashioned… I know, since some may say: " Old fashioned and old fascist". Whatever it is, it works! It really does work. I think that we cannot make it any softer than it is. Without sacrifice it will not really be possible to break through to the more advanced stages of devotional service. Not that it was done with harshness in the past. When leaders were calling for sacrifice in the mode of passion. They were in the mode of passion and were pushy and sometimes inconsiderate! They were driving people into sacrificing without considering that there were also personal needs – that is not good! Boundaries are required but if our mediation is not sacrificed then it will be hard to rise above these strong material desires, and then the question is: "How do you conquer sex desire?" Again and again the question comes up: "What about sex desire? What about it?" The only answer is: "Get really absorbed in devotional service!" That is the only answer…there is no other answer! |
Posted: 31 Jul 2011 10:07 AM PDT Here are the links to recent lectures given by Kadamba Kanana Maharaja in Radhadesh, Belgium: Srimad Bhagavatam: 5.1.19- 30 July 2011 (Go to www.radhadesh.com if link does not work) |
KKSblog.com - Back to Godhead?
KKSblog.com - We Belong In The Holy Dham
His preaching efforts were very succesful and managed to convert many to Krishna Consciousness. Srila Prabhupada was said he sung like a "gandharva" (celestial musician), and that "he can make the whole world chant Hare Krishna". Srila Prabhupada loved his kirtans and often expressed appreciation for their purity and also his musical skill.
Vishnujana Swami left our mortal vision in 1976.
Born on June 2, 1948, in San Jose, California. At the age of seventeen he moved to San Francisco along with his long-term girlfriend, who he married in 1966. It was also in 1966 that Vishnujana first came into contact with the Hare Krishnas, and by 1968 he had received initiation from Srila Prabhupada and was a full-time member of the movement. On July 20, 1970, Srila Prabhupada had awarded Vishujana the order of sannyasa.
Vishnujana was especially well known within ISKCON for his singing voice, and skill at playing instruments, such as the Harmonium and Mrdanga. Musical recordings of Vishunjana would later be released in 1995 and are still popularly distributed within ISKCON today. Recordings of his lectures and singing are included in the official audio archive collection of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
In 1973, Vishnujana Swami headed up a team of devotees traveling on a bus across the USA which became famous within ISKCON as one of its most successful preaching parties. The team was named after the deities which travelled with them in the bus, called Radha-Damodara. This bus, filled with ISKCON devotees, would travel from city to city, performing sankirtan, and distributing Srila Prabhupada's books. Vishujana Swami continued, last year with his close associate Tamal Krishna Goswami travelling with the Sankirtan Party in this way until 1976.
In 1976, during the Gaura Purnima festival in India, Vishnujana Swami mysteriously disappeared. Some believe that he chose to leave his body at the confluence of several sacred rivers at the Ganges. During a walk some days earlier it is believed he had mis-heard a general statement by Prabhupada concerning the duty of a sannyasi which could have led to him taking his own life, but as Vishnujana is not recorded to have disclosed his thoughts to anyone before disappearing it is not known for certain if this was the case.
Viṣnujāna Swāmi ISKCON'S first Kirtan legend
About Padyavali
Starting chanting the Maha-mantra Hare Krsna on my own, (with no beads) and following the regulative principles because of a book I was given in a park at a very young age "The Teachings of Queen Kunti" what a marvelous way to surrender to complete dependence on the almighty! The perfection of poetic expression! I thought, and just the right book for me to be able to digest...
At this time I still didn't know that devotees had a center around there, actually very close to Chapultepec park and close to the zoo also where I was given the book. this great soul mataji, after learning I didn't have any money, she still let me have it.
(One section of Chapultepec park is now a holy dhama since Srila Prabhupada was there and devotees chant japa regularly there too)
Until one glorious day, when I finally met the devotees in Harinam... Me and my friends where hanging around in the streets, like most days, no particular place to go and not a productive thing to do really, just barely living and at the same time thinking what a great life this is!
It was mumbled at first, due to the everyday roar of downtown in the biggest city in the world (in that time) Mexico City... I kept on following this sound, thinking: 'I know I've heard this before somewhere' but still barely making out the words in the crowded streets... soon it began to make sense, little by little, yes, those were the words I have been chanting all along! only this time they were accompanied with a very particular and catchy tune... lala lala, lala lala etc... And then they were, flying sikhas in all their splendor! saffron robes, colorful saris, and mrdangas! Wow! what a sound!... I've always liked percussions, drums was my thing! (my sister is a concertist)
I immediately joined the party, before the bewildered eyes of my young friends that were hanging out with me... they surely thought I've had gone mad for sure this time, just by the look on their faces, and I'm thinking: "this is highly embarrassing for them" but since they've always thought I was a weirdo anyways, I knew I had nothing else to loose anymore...
Poor kids! They've been putting up with my eccentric personality for way to long: always reading 'weird' books instead of the usual: pop and magazines I supposed... countless hours secluded in a library while I see them playing outside and taping on my window so I can come out and play... and even tolerated my recently acquired habits: new diet, new philosophy, and the most unusual habit of all, the habit of always repeating this strange combination of foreign words: hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare. hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare... and now THIS!... it was to much to bare for their young minds... they were truly; mortified...
Seeing me jumping up and down in front of the "Palace of the Fine Arts" El Palacio de las Bellas Artes in Spanish (frequented mostly by intellectuals) in downtown Mexico City and surrounded by all these saffron sheet-wearing-weirdos putting on the most unique dance show and surrounded by all these people that by now they were already pointing at me, laughing at me (perhaps thinking I was high on something)... I had to admit; it was quite socking... and it was indeed to much, to much for them to bare!
So they inconspicuously tried their best to withdraw themselves from me as not to be identified or been alienated with me... to late... devotees stop them faster than they could run and started dancing around them too... it was quite a sight to see how their faces turned very rapidly from pale to red in a split second... they had their share of mercy too, only they didn't know it yet
After kirtan, I was invited to go visit the temple and since I didn't want to lose anymore time I handed out my bike to my friend and jumped in the Harinam van with my backpack, before the now bewildered devotees... they were just looking at each other not knowing what to do with me, and then I've noticed that at one point they all looked at a very tall figure holding a saffron stick... (I was hoping he won't beat me with it) but this very tall devotee (Guru Prasad Svami) simply smiled at me, and I knew then I got away with it... (GPS, I later found out, had just came back from Brazil where he had just taken sannyasi) something about him made me feel extremely comfortable and peaceful and I knew right away he was a very special person and that I was safe. (Later on, he became my well-wisher and the only father I've ever known, took me under his wing and played a big role in me staying in the ashram at such a young age)
So, at this point, I told my friends I was coming back soon (a white lie) but they knew me better than that, so they went and told I had 'run away with a bunch of shaved heads, (pelones in Spanish) wearing sheets.'
When I arrived at the temple, for the first time in my life! and I was able to see the magnificent beauty of Sri Sri Radha-Madana-Gopal; I knew right there and then, that I had found my real home... I stayed for the evening programs, ate prasadam, and remain in the temple room even after all other visitors were gone.
Brahmacaris didn't know what to do with me and directed me to the head Sankirtana mataji that was living for the ashram and she let me stay in the ashram that night - probably thinking I was a homeless child (there are plenty in such a big city as Mexico city.)
And I was indeed; literally homeless, I didn't have a home, I choose not to... I wasn't living with my family anymore, my situation at home was unbearable and recently run away, I stayed with different people that I found in different schools of thought, (I went to plenty) anywhere from spiritualism, mediums, healers, mysticism etc., that kind of thing...
That is why it was so easy for me to understand Srila Prabhupada's book of "The Teachings of Queen Kunti' because she describes so many pains and tribulations, indeed, my own language...
I stayed in the ashram that night... and the night after... and the next... and never left for the streets again or back home... I was fourteen at the time... young body, old soul...
I take the dust of the feet of all those Sankirtan and Harinam devotees that no matter what, always go out there and deliver these souls day after day with determination and full compassionate heart... I humble myself to these great souls.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Biography of HG.Padyavali Devi Dasi - Inspiring!!!
Lord Krsna told Arjuna,those who are My direct devotees are actually
not My devotees,but those who are the devotees of My servant(devotees)
are factually My devotees-CC.Madhya 11.28
Devotees of My Devotees are My Real Devotees-Lord Sri Krishna
A Continuous Dedication in Devotional Service Posted: 28 Jul 2011 12:43 PM PDT (Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2011) Later, the focus of our movement shifted somewhere in the mid eighties to a more individual based movement. I sometimes compare it to the renaissance, because in the renaissance people came out of the middle ages, where you were told to think in a certain way. In the renaissance people broke out and began to think along individual lines. Well some thing like that happened in Iskcon in the mid eighties. Everyone started to think: "Well in my spiritual life how am I experiencing it….how am I feeling it and what is my propensity? How should I express my bhakti?" Things like this became very relevant and that has kind of survived into the present day, which is still there. Whereas in the earlier era of Iskcon the spirit was, simply to get involved and take up service, which was a sign of advancement. Anyone who was dragging his feet was in maya and he was also told that! So one's Krishna Consciousness was directly linked to how much service one was doing. Nowadays, it may not always be seen like that. There was an element of truth in that earlier approach, because that leads to spiritual advancement. It is not automatically that one who takes on a lot of responsibility is spiritually advanced because some take responsibility (and we found out about that) out of material motives…for name fame and glory, and ambitious people… people with material ambition can sometimes do service for quite a while, and then they run out of steam. So it is not necessarily that it is fuelled by spiritual advancement, but it is a fact that if one keeps on dedicating himself to devotional service in this movement, then one will become spiritually advanced, and I do want to make this point that there is a need for devotees in this day and age to come forward to take some service! |
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KKSblog.com - A Continuous Dedication in Devotional Service
Krishna knows us better than our knowledge of our own self.Becoz we
cant remember what we were doing the same time a week ago.How can v
remember the pain v underwent in our mother's womb.Simply Becoz we
forgot the experience does nt mean we didnot undergo pain in
birth.Forgetfulness is a nature's gift.Otherwise,the present also
becomes miserable with the thoughts of the past. Thats why it is
said,Time is the best healer.Becoz over a period of time we'll forget
things.Krishna also gives the remembrance2do actions that v desired
however abominable it be!
Also in our previous births, we might have been in the body of a hog
and if we remember that now, it becomes difficult to go on with our
normal day to day activities.
Forgetfulness is a nature's gift!
To diminsh the difficulties in Krishna Consciousness? Posted: 27 Jul 2011 12:44 PM PDT (Kadamaba Kanana Swami, February 2011) 'Now I will be relieved from all this struggle!" But that is not a fact since the struggle continues just as hard. Some people really come with that motive: They will be confronted with the hard reality that in devotional service we are also dealing with the material energy. In fact, sometimes even to a greater extent, because in devotional service we have a principle known as 'just surrender!' I experienced this on several occasions: One year I came to New York, and had just arrived, and Romapada Swami from the GBC came out of the office. He looked around and asked: "Is there anyone who can drive?" Then he looks at me and asks: "Can you Drive?" Well what do you say? Those are the moments where you want to say 'No!' I said: "Well yes". "Great…great! We've got a driver….phew!" They had a driver. They took me and there was no such thing as saying: "But I had hardly slept last night because I was flying throughout the night". I was now the driver. We were walking they gave me the key to the car, and when we we were coming around the two blocks, I then saw that the vehicle which was a big yellow truck with a flat back…I didn't even have a licence for that, but everyone was so eager: "You're the driver!" Somehow or other I just became overpowered. In the next moment I was driving a big yellow truck with the kirtan party in the back, through New York and my guide was a non driver! Non drivers they tell you: "Turn right here!" Instead of saying: "Pull up towards the right, and then we turn right". I cut the traffic in New York. It was intense and suddenly police cars came from all sides and I saw myself in jail! They didn't come after me but they went after a shoplifter, who did put his hands against the wall, and several police cars were there. The craziest situation and I thought: "If I would have just listened to my father, and just stayed nicely in the material life, then this would never have happened to me!" I would have just got a job according to my education and my whole life would be lived nicely – a decent life. Instead the madman that I was, I joined the Hare Krishna movement, and see what came of it! I went through a moment like this. So it is certainly not the case that in spiritual life automatically our life will become easier! No, not at all! 'But shouldn't we experience some relief from the pains of the material existence?' "Maybe the grass is greener on the other side?" When there is overwhelming problems in Krishna Consciousness to deal with – then that is our saving grace because it totally absorbs the mind and then after serving Krishna…. and doing that for Krishna, then one day we will find that our material desires are diminished! They have just automatically diminished simply by engaging in this devotional service and that is how it works! |
KKSblog.com - To diminsh the difficulties in Krishna Consciousness?
- A trip through Germany
- Captured!
- Krishna is everywhere
- The prayer of a pure devotee
- For The Pleasure of Krsna
Posted: 26 Jul 2011 01:07 PM PDT After an ecstatic Summer Camp in Serbia, Maharaja traveled by plain to Germany. He arrived at the Munich temple just in time to give the Sunday feast lecture where he spoke on the five different kinds of worship. The topic is complex but due to his depth of realization and understanding, Maharaja was able to explain such subject matters at a level that resonated perfectly with the audience. He spent a further two days at the temple to rejuvenate in preparation for the upcoming Ratha Yatra in Berlin. On the way to Berlin, Maharaja stopped-over in Leipzig where he had pleasant stay at the highly enthusiastic temple dominated by saffron-clad, stalwart book distributors. He has been a great source of inspiration to the resident devotees and continued doing so by giving daily morning and evening classes. But during this visit, his teachings extended beyond the Vyasasana when he entered the kitchen and demonstrated how to make the perfect chapati! Maharaja arrived in Berlin on Friday, the eve of Ratha Yatra. Their Lordships Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subadra, the presiding Deities of the Berlin temple, were gifted by the King of Orissa. Take note of Their outstanding beauty! On Saturday morning, Jaganatha mounted His chariot adorned by colourful floral arrangements and massive speakers to carry the Holy Name through the inner city of Berlin. The kirtana star cast featured HH Janananda Maharaja, HH Sacinandana Maharaja and HH Kadamba Kanana Maharaja. After the procession, followed a stage program that included dance, theatre, choir and a grand finale lead by HH Sacinandana Maharaja and HH Kadamba Kanana Maharaja. It was the perfect end to a joyful day. Enjoy the photos! If you cannot view the slide show below, please visit flickr. |
Posted: 26 Jul 2011 12:28 PM PDT (Kadamba Kanana Swami, Stockholm, June 2011) Krsna reciprocates with His devotees. It's not only that Krsna is the Supreme Controller and, pleased with the service of His devotee, is then bestowing some benediction. Like the worshippers of the demigods are worshipping for some benediction. But Krsna is not like that. Krsna becomes captured! (Sanskrit) Krsna is saying that He is always in the heart of the devotee, and the devotee is always in His heart. So Krsna becomes emotionally involved with His devotee. He becomes captured by His devotee, and therefore Krsna reciprocates with His devotee. That is something extraordinary. That is an understanding of the nature of the Supreme Lord which is not found so clearly in other concepts of the Lord. Here Krsna Consciousness stands out. There are many God concepts and religious understandings, and in this religious understanding, yes, the omnipotent and the omniscient features of the Lord are understood. That is understood, but it is not understood that the Lord becomes very personally emotionally involved with His devotee and becomes captured by that devotee as a well-wisher, and gives Himself completely, and therefore becomes very intimately involved with His devotee. |
Posted: 26 Jul 2011 10:54 AM PDT (Kadamba Kanana Swami, February 2011) The conditioned soul may look up at the sky and the luminaries in the sky and wonder what is out there? He may consider: 'What is out there in the universe?' But the pure devotee is not having any such questions. He is seeing Krishna and how everything originates from Krishna as well as everything is simply emanating from Krishna. He sees everywhere Krishna's energy and in this way he is not for a moment bewildered by this material energy. He rather see Krishna. The material energy may show different features. Features of extraordinary beauty and ghastly features! And whenever a conditioned soul sees a form of beauty he melts (or she melts). He melts immediately and develops a desire to enjoy this particular object. That is the nature of material contemplation! But such contemplation doesn't arise in the pure devotee. It is not that he is living in a constant battle by seeing the temptation of the all attractive material energy and saying: "No I choose Krishna!" That is the position of the sādhaka who his engaging in the process of pure devotional service, but who within his heart may still be confronted with remnants of material attachments. But one who is truly absorbed in appreciating Krishna…..absorbed in appreciating that service to Krishna is the only activity, and who is always from moment to moment thinking about devotional service to Krishna – such a devotee has no interest in the material energy! |
Posted: 26 Jul 2011 04:08 AM PDT It is the mercy of the devotees that we are looking for because they have pleased Krsna. So they have credit with Krsna. Well in this world it also works like that; if someone has very good relationships with a big person, well that's very helpful to have such a connection because that will open many doors! It's who you know in this world they say. Well you know, Prabhupada knows Krsna very well! Quite close! And he also knows Lord Caitanya who is extremely merciful and very connected! So when Prabhupada prays, it helps a lot. When Prabhupada says, 'please accept these devotees who chant 16 rounds and follow 4 regulative principles,' that helps a lot! And that is the whole principle of Lord Caitanya's movement, it is based on that mercy; it is based on the pure devotees who are praying. (Kadmaba Kanana Swami, Preoria, South Africa, 2011) |
Posted: 26 Jul 2011 03:17 AM PDT
My first big festival in the temple was Gaura Purnima and I was celebrating that in the Bhaktivedanta Manor and I had just returned from India. They had a very big room, much bigger than this one, and we- brand new devotees- our service was to roll sweet balls the whole day and we were fasting and it was just too much for my mind! Sitting with an ocean of sweet balls and the whole room was filling up and we were sitting in an ocean of prasadam while fasting! And I was thinking, 'what kind of movement is this? They are fasting and then the whole day they are in the kitchen cooking and busy with prasadam and all kinds of preparations. What is this process?' I thought it was strange because I was self-centered and I was thinking it's all austerity that we are performing for our own purification. I didn't understand for one day, for one day it is the day of Krsna and on this day instead of worrying of our own senses, as we usually do, 'oh yes, let's put some extra cheese on the pizza! And would you like a chilli on your pizza? And what would you like with the pizza? What kind of ice cream shall we take out of the deep freezer so that it becomes a little soft- the mango one, the strawberry one or the chocolate crunch?' Like that we are busy with all kinds of arrangements and the 'butter paneer masala! Our favorite! It must be there together with the kachori!' Like this these ways in which we think how we are going to have a good weekend. And then it's that one day, a special festival and we put all our own sense enjoyment aside. There will be no arrangements made for our sense enjoyment. All the arrangements are made only for Krsna's pleasure- everything! The residents of Vrndavana do that everyday! (Kadamba Kanana Swami, Pretoria, South Africa, 2011) |
KKSblog.com - A trip through Germany
Fact a day!
"The Pupil of the eye expands as much as 45% when a person looks at something pleasing"
It is because of this reason that Lord Jagannath has His eyes expanded and so big. We can also see this normally among people when they are excited at looking something very important, pleasant. But the Lord is so potent that the extent of His Love is also so big, unlimited and hence the symptoms of ecstasy that He experiences are also unlimited. Not only the pupils get enlarged when in ecstasy but also the limbs of the body and the hands that go inside and the whole body becomes like a boneless skin as in the case of Lord Chaitanya when He was caught by the fisherman. The fisherman thought Lord Chaithanya to be some Ghost by seeing Him.
These extreme symptoms are not common among ordinary living beings but only for exalted beings who have surpassed the sense enjoyment and who experience the spiritual bliss that is beyond the touch of material nature.
--
Yours
Dinesh
Symptoms of Ecstasy?
There's no disease so destructive as lust, no enemy like infatuation,
no fire like wrath, no happiness like Spiritual knowledge-Chanakya
Pandit
Words of Wisdom
Women have hunger two fold, shyness four fold, daring six fold, lust
eight fold as compared to men-Chanakya Pandit
Women Vs Men
As is the desire of providence,so functions one's intellect.One's
activities are also controlled by providence and by the will of
providence,one is surrounded by helpers-Chanakya Pandit.
But one has to understand that becoming a devotee of Krishna is open
to all regardless of the current karmic influence. Not that if Krishna
desires i'll become a devotee. Krishna wants everyone to be relieved
of this world.
Situation will change according to our karma but How we react to the
situation matters.
Our intellect is also Ctrld by providence.
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