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Always a well wisher!

(HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, Pretoria, South Africa, 15th September 2012) Lecture: Initiation talk

There  was a disciple of Srila Prabhupada's who came in the very beginning and later he was not so strict any more.  He wasn't following all the rules and so on.  Once on a telephone call the secretary, Tamal Krishna Maharaja, was speaking to this senior devotee who was not following all his vows.

So Prabhupada told Tamal Krishna Maharaja:

'Tell him that if he doesn't follow the vows then I will reject him!'

Tamal Krishna Maharaja was shocked, and said to the devotee:

'Prabhupada said that if you don't follow the vows, then he will reject you!'

When he put the phone down, Tamal Krishna Maharaja asked Prabhupada:

'Would you have really rejected him?'

Prabhupada said:

 'Of course not.  I just said that to scare him.'

Because Prabhupada was  ever a well wisher – always a well wisher, always.  Like, as a parent, sometimes you tell your son:

'If you don't shape up then ship out.  I don't want to see your face again.'

But you don't mean it since he's your son!

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Just by our tongue…

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 30 September 2012, Sydney, Australia)

How to worship Krsna? Very simple! Have you ever seen these big, big oil tankers? Huge, heavy oil tankers! Enormous ships- 1km long sailing down! Imagine you drive one of those? I mean driving a truck would be something but driving a ship of 1km and steering it…! And that enormous ship, is controlled by a tiny little piece of metal, namely the rudder. That rudder is determining the destiny of that ship which is so hard to move. That little rudder is just moving that whole enormous ship!

So in the same way we also have a rudder and that is our tongue. It is very small, a very tiny little piece in our body is called the tongue. But that tongue has the power to determine our destination. And simply, if we engage the tongue in glorifying Krsna, in chanting the name of Krsna, then we can so easily attain that spiritual world and quickly it will turn from a dream into reality. And when we are using the tongue for all kinds of other talk then so easily it takes us away from Krsna into the material world and we become like clowns, who are playing with so many things and taking it so seriously. Just the tongue, the vibration of the tongue makes all the difference. Just that tiny little piece of flesh can determine our destiny just as the rudder of a huge oil tanker can set the course for that large ship. If somehow or other we engage the tongue in glorifying Krsna, then everything will become easy and before we know it, we will be in the spiritual world…!

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Devotees are not ordinary

(HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, Canberra, 2011, SB 9.4.57-59)

Transcribed by HG Yamuna devi dasi

If one has committed an offence to a devotee then even Lord Vishnu will not pardon them. Therefore, we must always be careful when dealing with devotees as devotees are not ordinary people. They must always be respected!

 This is position of the vaisnava, who will take humble position and in that humble position he gains the favour of the Lord. It is only possible to gain the favour of the Lord through humility.

 It is said that the tree which is laden with many fruits naturally bows down. In the same way, the man who has many good qualities will naturally bowl down.

We must be careful! We can always find source for pride, but vaisnavas remind themselves that: No, I have no qualification! And even if we have ability, some talent, then we always remember that this is a gift from the Lord. It's not our own qualification!

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The anti-climax

(HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, Pretoria, South Africa, 15th September 2012) Lecture: Initiation talk

If you want to summarise the Bhagavad-Gita in one sentence, then that is, 'We are eternal spirit soul and the eternal servant of Krsna!'

 So, understanding that, this initiation is meant to formally change our priorities in life.  Of course, although we come out as a new person, we still in many ways look quite similar to the one that we looked like when we sat down for the yagña.  It's not that the initiates will stand up in their spiritual bodies and be all effulgent.  No, they will continue  also in their material identities – they will continue with their lives.

In one way nothing changes.  This is the anti-climax.  There is a big ceremony and you are going through the whole thing and you get a new name, then the anti-climax is that life is still the same after that in one sense.  So yes, that is there, that materially life is still the same – still at the same address, still the same bills to pay, the same life and the same issues.

But what has distinctly changed is that Krsna has now formally become the first and foremost priority in our life.

At this point, yes, we'll take care of the material things, of course.  That is to be done, but that is secondary.  This doesn't mean that that it's not important – of course it is important.  Similarly we can say, 'The house is more important than the garden.'   Because we live in the house after all.  We can have a very good garden but still if your garden begins to look like a jungle, it's not that important.

In other words the soul is more important than the body!  Therefore the interest of the soul is now coming to the forefront, more than it has ever been! Therefore initiation means we must make changes in our life.  If after the initiation nothing changes, then something is not right.  Something is meant to change!

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