By Karnamrita Dasa • April 15, 2011

There are three consecutive verses in the Bhagavad-gita which delineate austerity of the body, speech, and the mind. They are considered in the mode, or quality, of goodness, and are thus favorable for the practice of spiritual life. Within these verses favorable practices for a spiritually balanced life are outlined.

"Austerity of the body consists in expressing devotion to Godhead, the brahmanas, the spiritual teacher, and superiors like the father and mother, and in cleanliness, simplicity, celibacy and nonviolence."

"Austerity of speech consists in speaking words that are truthful, pleasing, beneficial, and not agitating to others, and also in regularly reciting Vedic literature."

"Satisfaction, simplicity, gravity, self-control, and purification of one's existence are the austerities of the mind" [Bhagavad-gita 17.14-16]

Austerity is also one of the qualities attributed to the brahmanas, the traditional Vedic teachers insociety:

"Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom, and religiousness — these are the natural qualities by which the brahmanas work." [Bhagavad-gita 18.42]

And finally, austerity is considered one of the four basic principles of spirituality given in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. They consist of austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness. Although these principles can be considered as corollary factors which support the most important practices of devotional life, they are essential principles which promote a pure lifestyle.

Although sometimes Srila Prabhupada would say that human life is meant for austerity, on the path of devotion, we don't engage in greatly difficult and austere practices like the traditional yogis do. From our perspective such austerities can make the heart hard, while bhakti is about softening the heart through loving Krishna. Our austerity is the natural austerity which comes in relationship to service to Krishna. For example eating (or honoring) the sanctified vegetarian food, although enjoyable, is also an austerity, as one doesn't eat food that cannot be offered to Krishna. Alcohol and meat are some of the foods that cannot be offered to Krishna as they are considered impure and polluting. Once we become attracted to Krishna and center our life on his service, many activities fall away that we used to think nothing about doing. Some would call this austere, but for a devotee it becomes a source of joy. Such natural austerities help us fix our minds and hearts on Krishna and make spiritual progress.

Austerity is source of joy for a devotee!

---

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

KKSblog.com - No limit to spiritual advancement

"He knows most who says he knows least."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some thoughtful Quotes for Life!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GarbhaDhana Samskara-Very Important consideration for Grihasthas...

From Srila Jiva Goswami's commentary on Bhakti Rasämåta Sindhu

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

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

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

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

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

Hardening of the heart