Photos of the week!

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

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Everything is good in Krishna Consciousness

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Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

Krishna consciousness is the primary necessity of human existence. However, the question in front of us is how the Krishna conscious programs should be conducted so that living entities get inspired and take up the process very lovingly. Srila Prabhupada mentioned in one of the lectures on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 1.5.11 says, "The swanlike men will come to centers of Krishna consciousness, where everything is clear, where there is good philosophy, good transcendental food, good education, good intelligence — everything good, whereas crowlike men will go to clubs, parties, naked dance shows, and so many other such things. So the Krishna consciousness movement is meant for swanlike men, not for men who are like crows. But we can convert the crows into swans. That is our philosophy. Those who were crows are now swimming like swans. That is the benefit of Krishna consciousness."

1. Good Philosophy:
a. There should be definitely some good preaching based on Guru, Sadhu and shastras.
b. The philosophy should be practically applied in our day to day lives or otherwise it will not reach the people. It should be completely practical and not based on mental concoction.
c. The preacher should study nicely and repeat the words of acaryas and Srila Prabhupada, combined with his own realizations and self-assimilated experiences – svaanubhava.
d. Our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj says, "Good philosophy should be interesting and instructive."

A good philosophy leads to good education.

2. Good education: The philosophy has to educate the people so that spiritual education will give them strength to tolerate the various tribulations of material existence which is natural and inevitable. As our Maharaj says, "The good philosophy in the program is your capital for the rest of the week to undergo the whole torture under the grinding machine. Material existence is a grinding machine. It grinds you for the whole week and you are just relieved by coming to Krishna conscious programs. This is the best way to put your mind at rest. Otherwise you are always agitated. There is no Krishna as soon as the material existence is there. All the material things are in front of us and they are all agitating. They are anti-human existence. We have to do our maintenance no doubt, but at the same time the goal of human existence is to carry on devotional service throughout day and night. This way even when the troubles come you will be happy." This education will give them the strength to withstand the material onslaught and never to get discouraged as we really understand the nature of the material world.

3. Good Intelligence: With a good education we get good intelligence. Real intelligence is to spiritualise our material activities as instructed lovingly by our Gurudev and therefore not get bound in this material world. Maharaj says, "Do you work nicely. Whatever work you are doing please be very careful that you do it very honestly. Don't look to the salary you get. Doesn't matter what fruits you get. But be very careful to perform these activities very carefully so that you are completely satisfied after your work also. And satisfaction gives you happiness. As you are happy, then you can understand these things very nicely. Whatever anguish you may be having, minds are always troubling us and material existence, situations are all after us to trouble. Please come to Krishna conscious programs and get relieved for sometime at least and take this."

4. Good Transcendental food: Most of us who have taken up devotional service, will definitely say that we got the taste for bhakti simply by honouring prasadam. That is the power of transcendental food. Transcendental food nourishes the soul and body.

a. Nourishment of the soul: Nourishment of soul is through kirtan, chanting, preaching etc. By this process we experience the Lord. Once the soul is nourished, then the automatic detachment from material things happen simultaneously without any endeavour as confirmed in this verse. (SB 11.2.42)

bhaktih pareshaanubhaavo viraktir
anyatra caisha trika eka-kaalah
prapadyamaanasya yathaashnatah syus
tushtih pushtih kshud-apaayo 'nu-ghaasam

"Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other things—these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the same way that pleasure, nourishment and relief from hunger come simultaneously and increasingly, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating."

b. Nourishment of the body: Transcendental food does not mean 100 or more varieties, but few items cooked and offered to Supreme Lord with love and devotion. This can fully nourish the body. Kitchadi with all vegetables will suffice.

If we conduct our programs like this based on the previous acaryas words, with our nice examples then everything in the program is good. Therefore I pray to our Gurudev, Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krishna to give me the mercy to try to abide by this governing principles of Srila Prabhupada while executing devotional service.

Thank you very much.
Your humble servant,
Sajjanapriya Krishna das
Abudhabi.

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

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Kamada Ekadasi - cleanses the consciousness

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Kamada Ekadasi

Sri Suta Goswami said, "Oh sages, let me offer my humble and respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Hari, Bhagavan Sri Krishna, the son of Devaki and Vasudeva, by whose mercy I can describe the fast day that removes all kinds of sins.

It was to the devoted Yudhisthira that Lord Krishna glorified the twenty-four primary Ekadasis, which destroy sin, and now I shall recount one of those narrations to you.

Great-learned sages have selected these twenty-four narrations from the eighteen Puranas, for they are truly sublime.

Yudhishthira Maharaja said, 'Oh Lord Krishna, Oh Vasudeva, please accept my humble obeisances. Please describe to me the Ekadasi that occurs during the light part of the month of Chaitra [March-April].

What is its name, and what are its glories?'

Lord Sri Krishna replied, 'Oh Yudhishthira, please listen to Me attentively as I relate the ancient history of this sacred Ekadasi, a history Vasishtha Muni once related to King Dilipa, the great-grandfather of Lord Ramachandra.

King Dilipa asked the great sage Vasishtha, "Oh wise brahmana, I wish to hear about the Ekadasi that comes during the light part of the month of Chaitra.

Please describe it to me."

Vasishtha Muni replied, "Oh king, your inquiry is glories. Gladly shall I tell you what you wish to know. The Ekadasi that occurs during the light fortnight of Chaitra is named Kamada Ekadasi. It consumes all sins, as a forest fire consumes a supply of dry firewood. It is very purifying, and it bestows the highest merit upon one who faithfully observes it.

Oh king, now hear an ancient history which is so meritorious that it removes all one's sins simply by being heard. Once, long ago, there existed a city-state named Ratnapura, which was decorated with gold and jewels and in which sharp-fanged snakes would enjoy intoxication. King Pundarika was the ruler of this most beautiful kingdom, which numbered many Gandharvas, Kinnaras, and Apsaras among its citizens. Among the Gandharvas were Lalit and his wife Lalita, who was an especially lovely dancer. These two were intensely attracted to each other, and their home was full of great wealth and fine food.

Lalita loved her husband dearly, and likewise Lalit constantly thought of her within his heart.

Once, at the court of King Pundarika, many Gandharvas were dancing and Lalit was singing alone, without his wife. He could not help thinking about her as he sang, and because of this distraction he lost track of the song's meter and melody. Indeed, Lalit sang the ending of his song improperly, and one of the envious snakes who was in attendance at the king's court complained to the king that Lalit was absorbed in thinking of his wife instead of his sovereign. The king became furious upon hearing this, and his eyes turned crimson with rage.

Suddenly he shouted, 'Oh foolish knave, because you were lustfully thinking of a woman instead of reverently thinking of your king as you performed your court duties, I curse you to at once become a cannibal! Oh king, Lalit immediately became a fearful cannibal, a great man-eating demon whose appearance terrified everyone. His arms were eight miles long, his mouth was as big as a huge cave, his eyes were as awesome as the sun and moon, his nostrils resembled enormous pits in the earth, his neck was a veritable mountain, his hips were four miles wide, and his gigantic body stood a full sixty-four miles high. Thus poor Lalit, the loving Gandharva singer, had to suffer the reaction of his offense against King Pundarika.

Seeing her husband suffering as a horrible cannibal, Lalita became overwhelmed with grief. She thought, 'Now that my dear husband is suffering the effects of the kings' curse, what is to be my lot?

What should I do? Where should I go?'

In this way Lalita grieved day and night.

Instead of enjoying life as a Gandharvas wife, she had to wander everywhere in the thick jungle with her monstrous husband, who had fallen completely under the spell of the king's curse and was wholly engaged in terrible sinful activities.

He wandered fitfully across forbidding region, a once-beautiful Gandharva now reduced to the ghastly behaviour of a man-eater.

Utterly distraught to see her dear husband suffer so much in his dreadful condition, Lalita began to cry as she followed his mad journeying.

By good fortune, however, Lalita came upon the sage Shringi one day.

He was sitting on the peak of the famous Vindhyachala Hill.

Approaching him, she immediately offered the ascetic her respectful obeisances.

The sage noticed her bowing down before him and said, 'Oh most beautiful one, who are you?

Whose daughter are you, and why have you come here? Please tell me everything in truth.

Lalita replied, 'Oh great age, I am the daughter of the great Gandharva Viradhanva, and my name is Lalita.

I roam the forests and plains with my dear husband, whom King Pundarika has cursed to become a man-eating demon.

Oh brahmana, I am greatly aggrieved to see his ferocious form and terribly sinful activities.

Oh master, please tell me how I can perform some act of atonement on behalf of my husband.

What pious act can I perform to free him from this demonic form, Oh best of brahmanas?

'The sage replied, 'Oh heavenly maiden, there is an Ekadasi named Kamada that occurs in the light fortnight of the month of Chaitra.

It is coming up soon.

Whoever fasts on this day has all his desires fulfilled.

If you observe this Ekadasi fast according to its rules and regulations and give the merit you thus earn to your husband, he will be freed from the curse at once.'

Lalita was overjoyed to hear these words from the sage.

Lalita faithfully observed the fast of Kamada Ekadasi according to the instructions of the sage Shringi, and on Dvadasi she appeared before him and the Deity of Lord Vasudeva and said, 'I have faithfully observed the fast of Kamada Ekadasi.

By the merit earned through my observance of this fast, let my husband be free from the curse that has turned him into a demoniac cannibal.

May the merit I have gained thus free him from misery.'

As soon as Lalita finished speaking, her husband, who stood nearby, was at once freed from the king's curse.

He immediately regained his original form as the Gandharva Lalit, a handsome heavenly singer adorned with many beautiful ornaments.

Now, with his wife Lalita, he could enjoy even more opulence than before.

All this was accomplished by the power and glory of Kamada Ekadasi.

At last the Gandharva couple boarded a celestial airplane and ascended to heaven.

Lord Sri Krishna continued, 'Oh Yudhishthira, best of kings, anyone who hears this wonderful narration should certainly observe holy Kamada Ekadasi to the best of his ability, such great merit does it bestow upon the faithful devotee.

I have therefore described its glories to you for the benefit of all humanity.

There is no better Ekadasi than Kamada Ekadasi.

It can eradicate even the sin of killing a brhmana, and it also nullifies demoniac curses and cleanses the consciousness.

In all the three worlds, among movable and immovable living entities, there is no better day'

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

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Charity, sense control and performance of sacrifice, are meant for the householders -BG#16.04

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Bhagavad-gita As It Is | Part [BG.16.04]

(Purport to 16.01-16.03 continued)

The next item is charity. Charity is meant for the householders. The
householders should earn a livelihood by an honorable means and spend fifty
percent of their income to propagate Krishna consciousness all over the
world. Thus a householder should give in charity to institutional societies
that are engaged in that way. Charity should be given to the right receiver.
There are different kinds of charity, as will be explained later on—charity
in the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. Charity in the mode of
goodness is recommended by the scriptures, but charity in the modes of
passion and ignorance is not recommended, because it is simply a waste of
money. Charity should be given only to propagate Krishna consciousness all
over the world. That is charity in the mode of goodness.

Then as far as dama (self-control) is concerned, it is not only meant for
other orders of religious society, but is especially meant for the
householder. Although he has a wife, a householder should not use his senses
for sex life unnecessarily. There are restrictions for the householders even
in sex life, which should only be engaged in for the propagation of
children. If he does not require children, he should not enjoy sex life with
his wife. Modern society enjoys sex life with contraceptive methods or more
abominable methods to avoid the responsibility of children. This is not in
the transcendental quality, but is demoniac. If anyone, even if he is a
householder, wants to make progress in spiritual life, he must control his
sex life and should not beget a child without the purpose of serving
Krishna. If he is able to beget children who will be in Krishna
consciousness, one can produce hundreds of children, but without this
capacity one should not indulge only for sense pleasure.

Sacrifice is another item to be performed by the householders, because
sacrifices require a large amount of money. Those in other orders of life,
namely brahmacarya, vanaprastha and sannyasa, have no money; they live by
begging. So performance of different types of sacrifice is meant for the
householders. They should perform agni-hotra sacrifices as enjoined in the
Vedic literature, but such sacrifices at the present moment are very
expensive, and it is not possible for any householder to perform them. The
best sacrifice recommended in this age is called sankirtana-yajna. This
sankirtana-yajna, the chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna
Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, is the best
and most inexpensive sacrifice; everyone can adopt it and derive benefit. So
these three items, namely charity, sense control and performance of
sacrifice, are meant for the householder.

Translation and commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada
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Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com

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The path of auspicious destination

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The path of auspicious destination

via kksblog.com by hina on 4/1/12

(H H Kadamba Kanana Swami, Prague, Czech Republic, 18th March 2012) Lecture: SB.4.9.8

By acting in and voluntarily accepting the restrictions of dharma we become gradually lifted to the transcendental platform. So therefore the devotee must be very patient. We cannot expect that we will always feel completely inspired. We must understand that we are on a path – the path that is leading to an all auspicious destination. Sometimes the path maybe very inspiring, and the other times the path maybe very austere, just like when we go for a walk. You may walk past a very nice area such as the beautiful countryside and then you go over the hill and there is an ugly factory or something like that, but we just walk on. We don't say:

'Oh no, we've come to the ugly part. We cannot go any further.'

So in spiritual life one has to keep the goal in life. That is why it is mentioned that 'Vāsudeva para-gati' – Vāsudeva is the ultimate goal of life. So we have that goal in mind. If we are meditating on Krishna and on the mercy we are getting from Krishna then all right on the way we can take some austerity. Ultimately, already in the present there is a lot of inspiration. It is not that in devotional service the reward comes at the end, and that it is only a process of austerity, because already now we can connect with Krishna! And already now we can see how in the worship of Krishna we gain natural satisfaction. So many nice things are there: beautiful or very enthusiastic singing; other times wild dancing; interesting stories that express human nature.