His loving mercy

Posted by dinesh

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 24 February 2019, New York, United States of America, Bhagavad-gita 7.7)

In the tenth chapter of Bhagavad-gita, ahaà sarvasya prabhavo mattaù sarvaà pravartate (Bhagavad-gita 10.8), we can see that Krsna is the origin of all that is spiritual and all that is material, and the wise who notice this, they perfectly worship Him with love. That is ultimately where we want to come. Because we are seeing how kind Krsna is… how unlimitedly kind He truly is! He is the Supreme, the topmost personality, all powerful, all beautiful, all perfect, yet He takes interest in insignificant creatures like us. He specifically notices our individual existence and that is something special. Every living being means something to Krsna and thus Krsna takes a personal interest in every single living being. That is something extraordinary! Suhrdam sarva dehinam (bhutanam) (Bhagavad-gita 5.29) – heartfelt suhrdam, heartfelt friend and well-wisher of every living being. So to think about that, that is the most amazing thing! And I meditate on things like this and can only imagine how kind Krsna really is. In this way, we can appreciate Krsna consciousness and when we leave this temple, we can look everything we see with a fresh perspective because we can see how Krsna is actually manifesting all these things for us and how He is behind everything. Everything is simply an arrangement of His kindness; sometimes aimed to frustrate us and sometimes aimed to encourage us. But nevertheless, it is all by His loving mercy. That is Krsna!

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Moving forward

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, March 2018, Durban, South Africa, Human Relationships Lecture)

Krsna is always showing us the next step in our spiritual lives. So if it is clear that the next step is that you should be doing more, then we should take that step. If you feel, “Krsna is showing me that the next step is to develop love for him“, then do it!

You have these karate movies where the young karate character come out and makes all these moves and he is going really fast on all sides. But then an old Kung-Fu master comes out and does not make all these moves, but instead just has this one concentrated move. And then all of a sudden, everyone is flying in all directions and gets knocked out. (laughter) So in the beginning, we are like these young karate guys trying to run around, but we lack depth and we lack the real concentration and focus. We are trying to be busy for Krsna, trying to always chant, read and so on. But what we really need to work on is to deepen ourselves through our relationships and go deeper in our commitment to Krsna. This is the beginning step and it helps us in making Krsna the real priority. After all, he is the Supreme!

Nothing is really important except Krsna. We must truly understand this. Even in our relationships – our marriage, our friends and our families – if it does not help us go deeper in our relationship with Krsna, then what is the point of it!? Otherwise, we are just creating a beautiful illusion for ourselves, which is totally meaningless. If we are not trying to make our children Krsna conscious, then what is the point of having them? If we want to give our children Krsna consciousness, we cannot do it by dictation. We cannot do it by rules, “You must do this. You must not do that.” Such harshness will not work in the long run. Instead, we must pass Krsna consciousness through inspiration, by setting an example. Kids never do what you say, but they do what you do. So we must attempt to the best of our ability to be a devotee and conquer them with devotion; only then they will be amazing devotees.

If somebody has nice qualities, it impresses us. A thousand lessons from a book about moral behaviour would not work as much as the impressions from an inspiring person would. Relationships are a big thing! So if you are looking to engage in relationships and starting a family, you have to aspire to be spiritually advanced.

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The nature of friendship

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 08 March 2015, Stockholm, Sweden, Srimad Bhagavatam 3.1.4)

Transcribed by Nama-rupa dd

Question: Guru Maharaj, you mentioned that in the material world, there is no love. I am thinking about friendship, is there friendship in this material world and what is the nature of friendship?

Love, friendship, society, togetherness, one-for-all and all-for-one, does not exist. Kavi Karnapura describes friendship in the Caitanya Candrodaya Nataka and he points out that for friendship to exist, there is a need for certain conditions to be met.

First, one has to receive the mercy of the Lord so that he gets in touch with transcendental knowledge, Krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 19.151). You have to get in contact with devotees otherwise where else is there real friendship!?

Materialistic friendship is always mixed with some material motive, some personal motive so real friendship must be based on receiving the mercy of the Lord. When you receive the mercy of the Lord then you come into the association of devotees and attachment to devotees must develop, and from being in that association, gradually you evolve.

Then Kavi Karnapura explains the next level that you get – it is the level of thoughtfulness and discrimination. You begin to kind of reflect on the meaning of life and in that way, you mature as a person and you don’t just respond with outbursts and this and that. NO! You respond more thoughtfully and in a deeper way. Then you get to the non-envious platform.

After this thoughtfulness and discrimination becomes strong, in the association of devotees, then you get equanimity – a state of mind which becomes balanced. You become balanced in the mind. At that state, you can realize non-envy and it says that then you can actually be a friend. Then friendship is possible!

Kavi Karnapura explains it like that. So it is interesting; he gives conditions before real friendship can develop and to the degree that these conditions are not met, to that degree we are lacking in friendship.

Sometimes even when you are married, you wonder, “Is this person actually my friend?” You are married but you are wondering, “Are we friends? Are we at least friends? What to speak of love! I mean friends! Is this person actually my friend, through-and-through, you know, through thick and thin… Is this person really my well-wisher??”

There are different Sanskrit definitions for friendship. Maitri is a word used which is more general. Another word that is used is suhrit, close to the heart. That gives a higher aspect, very intimate. So among vaishnavas, it must become like that.

But before we can have friendships, we have to go through these stages: we need the mercy of the Lord, we need to develop attachment to serving the devotees, and we need to be with devotees in proper etiquette. Then we become thoughtful and then we get discrimination from these devotees.

In this verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.1.4), it says sadhu-vada, things approved by the learned circles, so that we understand what is approved by saints and sages and then it becomes our second nature. It is happening. Like certain foodstuffs are obviously not approved by saints and sages, and we don’t even think of touching them. We don’t have to tell ourselves, it becomes a part of our second nature.

So this discrimination and thoughtfulness becomes a part of our nature, and when we have absorbed it to that extent then you have non-envy and equanimity, a balanced state of mind. Then, you can be a friend all the time!

Like that, friendship takes some time. When you are dealing with someone under the modes of nature, today he is your friend and tomorrow not so much because tomorrow he is the friend of his mind. Tomorrow he is controlled by his senses, tomorrow he is riding on the back of that inner boar and then he is maybe not your friend.

When I had a Vedic marriage, it was done by Bhavananda and he made us promise, he said to me, “You must always bring your wife to devotional service, to Krsna.” And he said to her, “But when he deviates then you become like a lion, like a tiger and you just somehow or other pull him back.” So that was something I remembered.

So friendship also means that with our weaknesses, we are still trying to help each other and that is nice but Kavi Karnapura takes it to a higher level for friendship to really flourish.

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Creating friendships

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 April 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, Lecture at House Program)

In a small temple, with predominately congregational devotees – that means devotees who are maintaining a life outside the temple and who have limited time and energy – I think we should appreciate the time spent together and maintain relationships. Because especially in a congregational gathering, more than ever, we need friendship. You know, it is like if you have a little military army living in a temple and all are on a mission. Even if there is no such friendship, still all are together in the same mission. But when you do not have that kind of driving energy then the only reason to come together is for friendship. So that is a big challenge but I think that is the key.

Like, we are here tonight, at somebody’s house and that is very nice, that is how it should be. If devotees have not been in your house for a while then you must start thinking about it and arrange for them to come. Even if your house is small, it does not matter – squeeze in somehow or other – because bonding is important. So we need to stay close and in an congregational setting, friendship is a big element, if you want to be with people. If you do not really want to be with them then you are not going to be with them. In the temple, whether you want to be together or not, you have to be for mangala aarti. But in a congregation, if you do not want to be together then why would you be? You only go to programs that you want to.

In friendship, you have to conquer people, do something to win them over. You have to do something that touches their heart, and then we have real friendships. Friendship can never be taken for granted and it is not cheap, but that is what we need. I guess, you can say big things about friendship but you can also make it very simple. In one way, a very simple approach is to not give each other a hard time – sort of, make it easy for each other and it counts for everybody, even at home! You know, friendship begins at home, if we just sort of try and make it easy for each other, that would help.

Devotee: Maharaj, does that not defeat the high thinking society ideal?

It depends on what you call easy. I did not mean that we should lose the purity but we should accommodate each other a lot and be sensitive to each other’s needs, that is what I meant. Making it easy for each other means that we should think of everybody’s needs, and not just of our own, then that creates friendship. So we try to think of the needs of others.

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THE LIGHT OF LIFE

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THE LIGHT OF LIFE

By Sacinandana Swami

Once there was a guru who wanted to train his two disciples by giving them a practical task, "Take 100 Rps each of you" he said "and use it to fill up your rooms with whatever you are able to purchase. In five days´ time I will return to inspect your work."

When he returned and visited the room of the first disciple, he saw it had been filled up with rags. That disciple had thought that by hook or by crook he had to, somehow or other, fill up the room, and since rags were the cheapest items to purchase, he had chosen them. The guru was duly shocked.

When the guru came to inspect the second room, he saw that it had been filled up - not only once, but twice and his disciple returned 80 Rps back to him and said, "Guru Maharaja, I only needed 20 Rps to fill the room twice."
He had lit a ghee lamp in the middle of room, along with an incense stick. Light and fragrance were spreading everywhere, from top to bottom, from left to right, from the front to the rear.

The delighted guru said, "You have truly understood. Life is very much like an empty room. It should be filled with the light of knowledge and the fragrance of service, and not with the discarded filthy things of this world.

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THE POWER OF PRAYER - THE STORY OF JAI SINGH

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THE POWER OF PRAYER - THE STORY OF JAI SINGH

By Sacinandana Swami

Once there was a King named Jai Singh, who was a great devotee of the Lord. During the reign of Jai Singh the Mongols were conquering India. One by one, they attacked the small kingdoms of the country. At the same time, even between those battles there were many other conflicts. It was a time of war and instability. Jai Singh´s kingdom was very beautiful and opulent. Being desirous of that opulence the king of the neighboring kingdom tried to conquer Jai Singh´s kingdom again and again. But whenever he met Jai Singh´s army he found it to be undefeatable. Also the Mongols tried to defeat Jai Singh many times, but they too were unsuccessful. In this way Jai Singh, who always personally led his army in battle, stayed true to his name, "victory to the lion".

One day the neighboring king thought to himself, "If I cannot conquer him by fair means, I have to employ unfair means." Thus he sent his spies to find out about Jai Singh´s habits. The spies soon returned with this message: Every morning Jai Singh personally worships his deity, Shri Radha Raman. He starts punctually at 8 a.m. and finishes the worship by 9 a.m. No one was to disturb him during that time. So the neighboring king decided to attack at this time. In this way, one morning, exactly one minute past eight he started his surprise attack.

Jai Singh was before Radha Raman. He prayed, "My Lord I have given a vow to worship you. I cannot go and defend my people now." There was a loud knock at the door. The prime minister´s voice shouted from outside, "King you have to lead your army! I brought a qualified priest with me, he can do the worship!" Jai Singh answered, "Yes, but you know that I have given this vow to Radha Raman that I will always worship him personally." "We are lost", said the distraught minister, who then went to the king´s mother for help. She came to jai Singh and said to him "My son what do you think the Lord appreciates more? - If you protect his devotees or if you dress him in a doti! As your mother I order you - lead your army!" Jai Singh said "No mother, I´ve given a promise to Radha Raman." "Is this all you have to say to your mother? Our soldier will be slaughtered. Some of the women will be violated and all the citizens will be made slaves." "I cannot break my promise," was Jai Singh´s final word. The mother said, "So be it, then we women of this palace will all burn our bodies to ashes so that the enemy will not lay his hand on us!" the king prayed, "My dear Lord, please protect me. Please protect my people. My Lord, I have said no to my mother because I want to be true to my promise to you. Now you are the only one that can save us."

At this moment something wonderful happened. Jai Singh had a war horse which was extremely powerful and almost as big as an elephant. Jai Singh was the only person who could ride it. Suddenly the servants at the barn of the king´s horses saw a warrior running up to the barn with great speed and force. He wore the armor of the king, his covered and he yelled, "Make the horse ready!!!" The warrior had a sward in both of his hands and immediately began cutting himself through the army of the enemy. However, everyone who encountered the warrior became supremely blissful, even when they fell to the ground by his sword. Jai Singh´s army enthusiastically shouted again and again, "Jai Singh ki jay! All glories to Jai Singh!"

Meanwhile Jai Singh sat before Radha Raman, continuing his prayer for protection while he dressed the deity. When he wanted to give earrings to the Lord he saw that there was only one although he was sure that he had brought two. At that time the enemy´s army was slain. Soon the prime minister found Jai Singh in the temple and started to praise him for fighting the battle single-handedly. "I was not fighting at all", said the surprised Jai Singh. "I was doing my puja (worship) here." - When the minister finally took him to his war horse to show him that it was exhausted from the battle, Jai Singh understood: Radha Raman had fought the battle. Later, Jai Singh found the missing earring of Radha Raman on the battle grounds and built a temple at that place. The earring is still being worshiped there today.

This is the power of prayer. The king prayed with sincerity for the Lord´s protection and the Lord took care of everything.

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Be an instrument

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Kadamba Kanana Swami, Vrindavan India 4 April 2019, SB 8.17.25-27

Ekalavya, on his own, was trying to perfect the way of archery and appeared to be even better than Arjuna. But as a result his thumb was taken by Dronacarya. So we are not becoming Ekalavya – no. We cannot imitate Krsna; we can only serve Krsna. We cannot imitate Arjuna either. Arjuna is Krsna’s eternal associate, and we are simply following in the footsteps. Our path is not anukāra – imitation; it is anusārataḥ – to follow.

Anusārataḥ means to follow in the footsteps. We cannot imitate anyone; we simply have to be ourselves and follow in the footsteps of the previous Vaisnavas. We should know that every person has unique attributes, unique qualities and Krsna has a purpose with each one of us. We are instruments and each of us has a particular quality that will come out over time. So be yourself. You are valuable and you are meant to utilise what you have – everything!

What will repression accomplish? We are not going to repress our nature and imitate someone else. Be who you are but purify. Kavi Karnapura says, “Be natural, but purified nature.” Purify your nature and then the characteristics that we have, become perfect. And how do we become purified? By anusārataḥ – by following in the footsteps.

Even Krsna is acting by example. In Chapter Seventy of The Krsna book Krsna’s daily activities are nicely described. Krsna gives charity to the brahmanas. He sees statues of cows and other auspicious things in the morning. So one can follow in the footsteps of Krsna and of the Vaisnavas.

The article " Be an instrument " was published on KKSBlog.

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The Six Waves of Time –part 1

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Vrindavan India 4 April 2019, SB 8.17.25-27)

So the Lord is described as kāla-srota – waves of time. It is very interesting these waves of time. We see how it is described as the ṣaḍ ūrmayaḥ – the six waves. Actually everything comes into being, it grows, flourishes, and it gives off some by products. It begins to dwindle and then it ceases to exist. So these are also known as the six transformations – the ṣaḍ-vikāra. So the waves of time they follow a script which is the script of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All living beings are first too small and then growing. Then rising in power and then cannot wait to take the wheel. Finally they are there at the peak of their power, then it is downhill from then on. The downhill part is long. The other parts of flourishing and rising are quick but the downhill part of aging and losing it is long. It is as if the ball is thrown up only to be smashed.

For a moment we are rising to glory and fame and then we are smashed by time, because time takes everything away. Little by little we lose it all. First little things like you do not have the same energy level like you used have. I remember that I ate a date, and with the date I ate my tooth that is one less – there still is a gap there. What to do? Little by little we lose everything. We lose our strength – and as we understand the ability of man is simply a gift of the Supreme Lord. That is all. Just like we write in a book, ‘This book is in the care of.’ And then we write our name. We do not write, ‘This is my book.’ Everything is just in the care of. We have a certain amount of intelligence and it will be put into our care because it will be taken away. Intelligence is defined as including memory. Memory is fading very quickly. The influence of time is intrinsic to material life.

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The Six Waves of Time – part 2

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Vrindavan India 4 April 2019, SB 8.17.25-27)

In the Eleventh Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam there is a chapter entitled the Bhumi Gita – the song of the earth. The earth is explaining, “So many have tried to possess me, to control me, lord it over me. And now what remains of them? Only names.” So we see that influence of time which destroys everything and takes everything away. It is painful to lose one’s influence, to lose one’s power. It is painful to become old, but there also is an advantage, if one is engaged in devotional service. In material life there is not much advantage – one gets some grey hairs, one gets a little experience. One can say a few wise words, before one starts mumbling and goes senile. In India sometimes they say, “He went into samadhi.” Some do go into samadhi but some also lose it over time. That is the nature of time.

But in spiritual life it is different. In spiritual life we are gaining over time. Time means more devotional service and more benefit from devotional service. That is one thing. Also, this dynamic of time that destroys everything eventually makes us detached. At first we try to hold on, but it does not work and then we let go. At one point we give up and say, “Forget it.” The influence of time is taking away our opportunities to be involved in so many things in this world, and one becomes aloof. This platform of being aloof is very important.

In the Fourth Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam we see the pastime of Dhruva Maharaja. Dhruva wanted to climb onto the lap of his father and it was not only his step-mother who stopped him; it was also her son, Uttama. Uttama was already sitting on his father’s lap and pushed him down. So Dhruva was not only upset with his step-mother; he was angry with both and that anger was burning. He performed his austerities and became self-realised and came back totally aloof. He met his step-mother who could see that Dhruva harboured no ill feelings towards her and she was amazed. He offered obeisances to her and she blessed him. But then we also see by the arrangement of the Lord that his step-mother dies somewhere in a forest fire, and Uttama is killed by the Yaksas. Dhruva’s anger emerges again and this time it may be slightly nourished by guilt feelings, because he was the one who desired that his brother is punished. He feels a little responsible and to sort of wash off the guilt feeling, he punishes all these Yaksas, killing them the celestial weapons. He is about to wipe out all the Yaksas.

Then it is said that the two elders who are normally completely aloof appear. One of them is Svayambhuva Manu and the other is Kuvera. These two elders on exceptional occasions get involved in the material affairs. Normally they do not, since they are detached and aloof and absorbed in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They give Dhruva good advice and instruct him to stop the killing. It is very potent, because they are very deep and constantly concentrating on the Supreme Lord. So it is very valuable when in one’s old age one becomes detached. And if in one’s old age one has not become detached, then one should, because at that detached stage one can focus and absorb on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is not only beneficial for the individual but beneficial for society at large – and not only beneficial, it is essential.

Original post: https://www.kksblog.com/2019/04/the-six-waves-of-time-part-2/

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The Essence is Transcendence

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 August 2018, Vrindavan, India, Bhagavad-gita 4.9)

Sometimes I feel that the temple is transcendental, the Bhagavad-gita is transcendental, the holy name is transcendental, and the devotees are transcendental. Everything is transcendental expect me; I am not transcendental. But to some extent we are elevated to the transcendental platform, because we are chanting Hare Krsna, taking Krsna prasadam and engaging in devotional service.

So the transcendental energy is working through us at times, and then we are on a transcendental platform. At other times, when we are not on the transcendental platform, we return to the mode of goodness. In this way we are between transcendence and the mode of goodness. Sometimes we are in one and at other times we are in another.

In the mode of goodness we are looking from a philosophical perspective. In transcendence we are simply absorbed in loving service to Krsna, in relishing that service and in relishing the descriptions of Krsna:

vayaṁ tu na vitṛpyāma

uttama-śloka-vikrame yac-chṛṇvatāṁ rasa-jñānāṁ svādu pade, (SB 1.1.19).
tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ
śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam (SB 5.5.1).

It is said that at that stage, hearing about Krsna becomes thoroughly enjoyable at every step and at every moment. It is just an ongoing experience of enjoyment. We have moments when we feel inspired and feel that Krsna consciousness is very enjoyable.

Then we have moments when we experience Krsna consciousness as an austerity. At that time we come down to the level of the mode of goodness.

As Ṛṣabhadeva told his son, then it becomes tapo divyaṁ, or austerity for a divine purpose.

But at other times it is just premāmṛta-mahāmbudhe, when we are just absorbed in theocean of transcendental nectar. The essence of this movement is the ocean of transcendental nectar.

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To increase our inspiration

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 August 2018, Vrindavan, India, Bhagavad-gita 4.9)

In The Nectar of Devotion there is a reference to ‘sāndrānanda-viśeṣātmā,’ that we must make devotional service more dense. One of the symptoms of bhava is avyartha-kālatvam (Cc. Madhya 23.18-19) – not to waste a moment. In theCaitanya-caritamrtait is said that while the associates of Caitanya Mahaprabhu were taking prasadam they were chanting the holy name in between bites. So they were not wasting a moment; their devotional service was very dense.

It is also said that devotional service must be ahaituky apratihatā – it must be uninterrupted and unmotivated (SB 1.2.6). But our devotional service is interrupted, “That was hard work; now I can take some rest.”

One hour later, “Okay, a little more devotional service.”

A little later, “Oh, now I can take a break. Now I can play with my phone.” Somehow or the other we are constantly interrupting our service.Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, “If we want to overcome this then we have to increase our chanting as an attempt to make this service more dense. Or we should increase our preaching.” We see from Srila Prabhupada’s example that the emphasis is more on preaching than on bhajan; he was constantly preaching at every moment. That is what it means to make it more dense – to somehow increase our engagement by hearing and chanting, in the nine processes of devotional service and in preaching Krsna consciousness. Then that breakthrough will come by deep attachment.

It is said that whatever fruits of love of God we have got, when we distribute them then we will get more than we had before. So we can increase our daivi-sampad, our spiritual wealth, and then the inspiration will increase. That is our process – to somehow or the other increase. It is interesting that in a material field any work that you do in the beginning is difficult and you have to work hard. But after a while you become very expert and then your work requires less effort. But in spiritual life it is the opposite. As time goes on it takes more effort. In the beginning we may not make such an effort, but in time the eagerness increases for more; sāndrānanda-viśeṣātmā, we have to make it more dense.

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“SURRENDER-LOKA” IN DALLAS

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"SURRENDER-LOKA" IN DALLAS

In the early 1980s at Radha-Kalachandji dhama in Dallas, Goswami Maharaja spoke every morning for about a month about surrender from the Sixth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, the story of Ajamila. Many young, exuberant devotees were joining at that time, fusing with a powerful group that included remnants of the Radha Damodara party and senior book distributors like Praghosa dasa and Tripurari Maharaja, who were attracted to serve in the Texas preaching field under the strong leadership of Tamal Krishna Goswami.

Goswami Maharaja kept asking the devotees, "If you were the only devotee left alive in the world and you didn't even have Prabhupada's books, because they were all destroyed, could you spread Krishna consciousness all on your own, based on your knowledge, faith, and realization?" He kept drilling into the devotees how important it was to know Srila Prabhupada's books, to distribute the books, preach, and recruit new devotees. The mood of surrender was extremely intense during that entire time.

Every evening during that month, everyone would gather in Goswami's darsana room for wonderful kirtanas in a sweet, early evening Bengali melody. Goswami Maharaja played the mrdanga and traded leading the kirtanas with Dhrstadyumna Maharaja. Every night for a month the devotees would come together and chant this same melody for nearly an hour. Krishna Kripa remembered, "No one ever got tired of that melody. All morning we would hear about surrender to Krishna from Srila Gurudeva and during the day we would surrender on sankirtana. Then, in the evening Gurudeva led that beautiful melody, which continued the theme of surrender. At that time he called his Texas preaching field Surrender-loka. We were all surrendered, simply trying to please Srila Gurudeva and Srila Prabhupada, just trying to contact the fallen souls to bring them in. In later years those ecstatic kirtanascame to be widely known as the Surrender-loka kirtanas."

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You claim, "This is my hair." You cannot count even your hair.

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"Material world means there are innumerable universes. Just like you cannot count the stars and planets. You are every day you are seeing, at least at night you see, but can you count it? No, that is not possible. So this is only one universe, the universe in which our planet, this earthly planet, is situated. It is teeny planet. Out of many millions of planets this is one of. So we cannot even calculate this one planet in which portion, which direction, which country is there, how many population, what is there. We have no calculation. This is God's creation. Anything you take... You cannot count even your hair. You claim, "This is my hair." Can you count it? No. That is God's creation. Everywhere God is present, and everything is innumerable, beyond our counting capacity."

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Your life is a Day!

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What you do in a day, you would repeat for weeks, months, years. It's all the small things that accumulate to become bigger in the future. For instance, you keep throwing emptied water bottles to the rear of your car every time you finish drinking, after a few months you would see a garbage of water bottles piling up at your rear side of the car. Same goes true with your diet, formation of habits.

Once they are formed as a pattern in your mind, they are very hard to break in the future. We have to constantly assess ourselves of our actions through the eyes of scriptures, Guru and Sadhu to be able to make steady progress in our spiritual life.

Even the vast ocean is made of little drops of water. So let's not forget that and make efforts to fix our actions when it is small. Every small action counts. Because this our situation in life.

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An instrument of Krsna

Posted by dinesh

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 22 April 2016, Radhadesh, Srimad Bhagavatam 7.8.14-16)

It is said sometimes that anger is the younger brother of lust. First, there is our desire to control. We want a world according to our desires and if people interfere with that then we become angry!

But it is not that people just interfere because you have to see Krsna behind it. So devotees accept, “Alright, so Krsna did not want this for me. Krsna has another plan for me. This is not destined to be.” One has to accept being an instrument of Krsna!

This is difficult. I know it is difficult. Tell me all about it. I find it very difficult also. But, when everything goes wrong, and you are sort of standing on shaky legs then we say, “Okay Krsna, I’m yours!” This is sort of how it is.

Source: https://www.kksblog.com/2018/12/an-instrument-of-krsna-2/

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From shallow to profound!

Posted by dinesh

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 January 2018, Brisbane, Australia, Govinda’s Program Lecture)

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

This mahamantra is our best friend. In fact, it is a very close friend of all living entities. The mantra is always there for us, whereby whoever wants it is able to turn to it wherever they are and whenever they want to. It does not discriminate. It is always available at our command and it does not cost anything either. So if we desire, we always have our friend, the mahamantra. And if we do not desire, the mantra will still come anyway. Sometimes the mantra rolls through the streets and some people cover their ears but then we sing even louder!

Sometimes when we are out on harinama, there are a lot of positive reactions but every once in a while, there may be a really negative/aggressive reaction, and we wonder, “Why? What is the problem? We are just singing this nice mantra.” Maybe it is because those people associate the mantra with an angry and punishing God, one who is up there, ready to send down thunderbolts, “Thou sinners shalt repent!” No! Our mantra is joyful, it is blissful, it is meant to be fun and happy, something good that brings out the best of everything. This mantra is not just a sound or some words. It is a manifestation of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and in this way, we are never alone. Through this mahamantra, Krsna is always with us and in this way the mahamantra is our best friend as it is non-different from Krsna. This may be difficult to understand initially but it pulls you in, it starts to all make sense and this way, the mantra will bless us.

Through this mantra, everything starts to become clear. For instance, there is nothing wrong with alcohol, it is a perfectly okay substance. The only thing is that it is meant for the outside, not the inside! Once we start to understand that it is to be used as a disinfectant instead of drinking it, it all starts to make sense how we are supposed to use alcohol! (laughter) By chanting the mantra, we get the intelligence and the understanding of the purpose behind everything. Like it is said in the Srimad Bhagavatam, the purpose of everything is to be understood in respect to its relationship with Krsna. So in this way, through the mahamantra, it all starts to become crystal clear little by little. Without the mahamantra, everything is shallow but with the mahamantra, a shallow life becomes profound!

What do you do when your loved one dies or leaves you? It is totally heart-breaking and rips you apart. Where is your shelter then? It is the mahamantra.

What do you do when you are in your car and suddenly the tyre squeaks and you can see the wall coming towards you? You know there is trouble coming, so where do you go? You go to the mahamantra.

What do you do at the end of your life, when you know and feel that life is slipping away? There is the mahamantra.

So in such ways, the mahamantra is always there for us whenever we call for it, and that is wonderful!

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Love follows

Posted by dinesh

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 13 May 2015, Melbourne, Australia, Lecture: Mindfulness and Meditation)

Love will follow when we are attracted; when we admire; when we see amazing qualities; when we see a wonderful nature; when we see mercy, kindness and compassion; when we see strength; when we see beauty… Love will follow. Love will follow naturally. Love cannot be pushed, "You have to love!" You have to love your country. Well I don't, I am sorry, I like it but I don't love it. In Sydney there is this plaque and it says, "The greatest good a man can do is to give his life for his country." Well I don't think so; I am not convinced about that.

Yes, so love, love will go where there is admiration; where we see great qualities; where we see great kindness, great compassion, mercy, determination; where we see an incredible example, where we see someone who is just greater than we are… then love will automatically awaken, it is not difficult! Then love will come there.

Best Regards,

Dinesh

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Defining love

Posted by dinesh

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 03 May 2016, Vrndavana, India, Bhagavad-gita 3.34)

It is interesting that when speaking of prema (pure love for Krsna) in the Srimad Bhagavatam, the example is given of the intermediate devotee, the madhyama-adhikārī. Not the kanishta-adhikārī (the neophyte), but of the madhyama, someone a bit more advanced, a devotee who has shown determination. It is provided: īśvare tad-adhīneṣu bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu ca prema-maitrī-kṛpopekṣā yaḥ karoti sa madhyamaḥ (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.2.46). This says that for the madhyama-adhikārī, he has prema for isvara (Lord), friendship for the devotees and indifference for the envious. So it is interesting that the word prema has been used for the madhyama-adhikārī. Now, prema comes at the end of the ladder of the nine stages of bhakti, from sraddha (faith) to prema (pure love for Krsna). So how is it that the madhyama-adhikārī can already have prema, considering it is the uttama-adhikārī who is the advanced devotee. This is because prema is not like flicking a light switch that can suddenly be changed from the darkness of ignorance to "I love Krsna"! There is a lot in between where that Krsna prema is developing and growing.

So our movement is operating on this goal of attaining love for Krsna. Prabhupada was very generous in that regard. For instance, we may remember the famous story that Srutakirti prabhu told us about massaging Prabhupada. It started with a large group of devotees receiving Prabhupada at the airport. Since they had not seen Prabhupada in a very long time, everyone was crying when Prabhupada arrived, except for Srutakirti. He had dry eyes with not a single tear. So when he was massaging Prabhupada later that day, he expressed to Prabhupada, "I am such a fallen soul Prabhupada. Everyone was crying at the airport when they saw you, because they were full of love for you. But I am just cold, and I have no feeling in my heart. No love at all. What do I do?" Prabhupada responded with absolutely nothing. The next day however when it was time for the same massage, Prabhupada finally gave the answer to Srutakirti, "This is love. This service that you are doing, this is also love."

Therefore, Prabhupada was very generous in such ways. There are other pastimes of intimate servants of Prabhupada whose minds were still not always aligned, and wanted to do something else, even while they were serving Prabhupada, a pure devotee. Now we can say things like, "Prabhupada is a unique personality who did the greatest work of bringing this movement forward for all of us."But his servants, meanwhile, were also after a while, ready to do something else. So imagine how this point counts for all of us. We are engaging in devotional service and yet our mind may sometimes desire some other activity. This is possible. We may think to ourselves while chanting, "Do I really have to do it again? This is not even pure love." But Prabhupada did not look at it in that strict sense, because even if it is not manifesting as pure love, regardless, it is still love.

Best Regards,

Dinesh

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I love you, today

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 September 2003, Radhadesh, Belgium, Lecture)

In this material world, everything is so gross and cheap. Here, when there is a meeting between lovers then within no time, it is the full embrace – that is what it is all about… Right down to the action! The main thing! Let us not waste any time! Acceleration from zero to a hundred in two seconds, right!? That is the material experience. Very quick and very shallow and with strong exchanges.

But in spiritual loving exchanges, things are very different. In spiritual loving exchanges, everything is so meaningful that slight little exchanges are performed again and again, and give so much satisfaction.

When Srimati Radharani becomes aware that Krsna has left, has left her alone and that she is faced with separation then she faints… boom! She falls unconscious and as she hits the ground, just there on the ground, there are flowers of which the scent reminds her of Krsna. Krsna wears those flowers on his garland. The scent enters her nostrils and immediately she jumps off the ground in ecstasy! So, again, inconceivable! Inconceivable intensity!

So here, we have our dull loving exchanges in the material world, "Yes, I love you…" This is our level of material exchange. I love you today, and tomorrow I love someone else, because how deep is the loving experience in this world? Very shallow!

Best Regards,

Dinesh

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Real father is God!

Posted by dinesh

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like every spirit soul is son of God, but materially we think that some..., somebody as father. But real father is God. That is stated in the

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ

tāsāṁ yonir brahma mahad

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

This mahat-tattva, this material world, just like a child, a child is born, the father gives the seed and mother develops the body. The child's body is developed... Actually all, all of us, we have got this body from mother. Therefore we have got very natural affinity with mother. The child can forget his father, but he cannot forget his mother. Mother's relationship is so intimate.

Lecture on BG 1.44 -- London, July 31, 1973: Actually, everyone is our svajanam, because if God is father, as Kṛṣṇa claims, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, if He is the supreme father... Not only He claims, at least, any fine religious system claims, "God is the original father." That's a fact. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvam pravartate (BG 10.8). Everything has come from Him. He is the supreme father. So if Kṛṣṇa is the supreme father, He is father of everyone. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). In all species of life, in all forms of life, they are all our svajana, kinsmen. How it cannot be? Because Kṛṣṇa is the original father. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore a devotee of Kṛṣṇa does not want to commit a little harm to any living entity. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

The living entities are combinations of the material nature and the spiritual nature. Such living entities are seen not only on this planet but on every planet, even on the highest, where Brahmā is situated. Everywhere there are living entities; within the earth there are living entities, even within water and within fire. All these appearances are due to the mother, material nature, and Kṛṣṇa's seed-giving process. The purport is that the material world is impregnated with living entities, who come out in various forms at the time of creation according to their past deeds.

From prakṛti, or material nature, come so many varieties of living entities, including aquatics, plants, trees, insects, birds, animals, human beings and demigods. prakṛti is the mother, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the father (ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4)).

The different forms of these living entities are only their external dresses. Every living being is actually a spirit soul, a part and parcel of God.

The conditioned souls, who are residents of the material world, are put in the womb of mother earth in the same way the seed of a child is put by the father in the womb of the mother. This conception of the Lord and the earth as father and mother is explained in Bhagavad-gītā (14.4). Conditioned souls are devoted to the motherland in which they take their birth, but they do not know their father. The mother is not independent in producing children. Similarly, material nature cannot produce living creatures unless in contact with the supreme father, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In Bhagavad-gītā (14.4) material nature is clearly mentioned as sarva-yoniṣu. This means that of all varieties of species—demigods, human beings, animals, birds and beasts (whatever is manifested)—material nature is the mother, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the seed-giving father.

Plants, trees, insects, aquatics, demigods, beasts, birds and all other living entities are sons or parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, but because they are struggling with different mentalities, they have been given different types of bodies (manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7)).

in the form of Mahā-Viṣṇu that the Lord manifests the material universes. Just as a husband and wife combine to beget offspring, Mahā-Viṣṇu combines with His wife māyā, or material nature. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (14.4), where Kṛṣṇa states:

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ

tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

"It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father."

Viṣṇu impregnates māyā, the material nature, simply by glancing at her. This is the spiritual method. Materially we are limited to impregnating by only one particular part of our body, but the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa or Mahā-Viṣṇu, can impregnate by any part. Simply by glancing, the Lord can conceive countless living entities in the womb of material nature.

No one but the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be kind to everyone. Therefore the Lord's name is Kṛṣṇa, "all-attractive." As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (14.4), Kṛṣṇa is the kind father of everyone. In every species of life (sarva-yoniṣu), He is the original father, the seed-giver (bīja-pradaḥ pitā). How, then, can He be unkind to any living entity? One may be a man, an animal or even a tree, but the Lord is kind to everyone. That is God's qualification.

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People who are too full of themselves are empty

Posted by dinesh

Egoistic people think and talk only about themselves: “I went here, I achieved this, I experienced this, I am so great.” Even if others talk about something else, that just activates their autobiography narration mode, and they start speaking about themselves, on and on. They think, consciously or subconsciously, that others exist primarily for serving as their receptive, admiring audiences. By their self-centeredness, they annoy and alienate others, though others may conceal such emotions as long as the egoists have power.

The Bhagavad-gita (16.04) states that such self-obsession characterizes the ungodly.

Their arrogance keeps them in ignorance – they are so full of themselves that they can’t think of anything bigger than themselves, leave alone focus on that higher reality. Thus, they stay unaware and deprived of the sublime joy of connecting with the ultimate reality, Krishna, the reservoir of all happiness.

However much they inflate their ego, their heart remains empty, bereft of fulfilling reciprocation with both Krishna and others. Sooner or later, as time’s inexorable force starts taking away the things that fueled their egomania, their inner emptiness starts becoming undeniable and unbearable.

How can we avoid such a fate? By changing the basis of our fullness – instead of being full of ourselves, we can strive to become full of Krishna. Rather than delighting in our own glories, we can learn to delight in Krishna’s glories. Whereas our glories are temporary and finite, his glories are eternal and infinite. How do we taste Krishna’s glories? By practicing bhakti-yoga which trains and equips us to focus on Krishna, instead of on ourselves. Moreover, bhakti wisdom helps us to re-envision whatever good we have: it has come from Krishna and is meant to take us towards him.

By steady bhakti practice, when we become full of Krishna, we become joyful, eternally joyful.

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