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A simple sign of life

By Kadamba Kanana Swami 

Ayurveda

There's not much going on externally. It's a health retreat. Confined by bodily limitations. So there are no travels, no programs but rest, some exercise, diet and lots of ayurvedic medicine – better than steroids though.

But Krsna is always there. Prabhupada was describing how the devotees had become transformed into jubilant, dancing peacocks. What a nice statement! The spiritual world is on our mind…

Today, no walk outside. There was a huge thunderstorm at 11 am and since then it has been raining the whole day. It doesn't matter; I'll chant indoors.

Govindam adi purusam

I am not productive at the moment but I am hearing various tapes and chanting Hare Krsna. I am worshipping Govinda, the primeval Lord, who kindly lives with me.

Govindam adi purusam tam aham bhajami

Please maintain me as Your servant.

A meeting with Dr. Robert Charles Powell

Last week Dr. Robert Charles Powell came and visited Durban. He has studied the care program of the Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai and came to see the hospice in Durban. I found in Dr. Powell, a pleasant gentleman of very sharp intelligence. We had an enlivening discussion. Dr. Powell is interested in starting an educational program to train Hindu Chaplains. Chaplains are providing pastoral care; counseling services in hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, assisted living, clinics, industries, schools, prisons and so on.  At this point, there are thousands of chaplains in the world from Christian or Jewish backgrounds and maybe five from a Hindu background.

Devotees with a bachelor degree would be eligible to enter in to the chaplaincy program. It would offer an opportunity for devotees to make a professional career and maintain their devotional identity. I am very interested in this project and think some devotees with the appropriate nature will find a very good engagement in this. The Radhadesh College students may also take note of the program. Ravindra Svarupa is in regular contact with Dr. Powell.  I would like to find some devotees in South Africa from an African background, who are interested in the program. I think that would be a real asset to our movement in South Africa.

Conquering the heart

Tamal Krsna Maharaja used to keep this picture in his house in Vrndavana. Prabhupada is so blissful and Tamal Krsna Maharaja is taken aback by the power of that happiness.

Devotional service is susukham kartum avyayam, joyfully performed.

And then the rain of flowers showered by the devotees is a symptom of love and respect. That loving exchange is the basis of Lord Caitanya's sankirtana movement. Prabhupada gave so many wonderful gifts of devotional service and the devotees took up that devotional service with so much sincerity.

Last summer in Radhadesh, Bhakti Caru Maharaja came. He told us about the final months with Srila Prabhupada in Vrindavan, when his health was not good.  At one point, Prabhupada asked Bhakti Caru Maharaja for some orange juice.  After ten minutes or so Prabhupada's bell was ringing intensely. It was clear that he urgently wanted the attention of the servant. So Bhakti Caru Maharaja quickly went in and Prabhupada was fuming. "I asked you to make orange juice and how long does it have to take?" he exclaimed. Bhakti Caru Maharaja made excuses, but nothing could satisfy Srila Prabhupada, who called him incompetent and finally sent Maharaja away. Bhakti Caru Maharaja immediately made orange juice and brought it to Srila Prabhupada, who only became more angry and chastised him again. "Take it away," he said, "I don't want it anymore!"   Bhakti Caru Maharaja however tolerated all the chastisement and admitted that he deserved it. But he didn't let it discourage him. He simply offered Prabhupada the orange juice again and said, "Please take it. It is good for your health."  Prabhupada had previously showered Bhakti Caru Maharaja with so much mercy and love, that he had purchased him and therefore he was able to tolerate all the chastisement.  When Bhakti Caru Maharaja endured the burning flames of Prabhupada's angry words and even when Prabhupada told him to go away with his orange juice, he didn't go, but offered the orange juice to him again on the pretext of his health. This purchased the heart of Srila Prabhupada, who accepted the orange juice and said, "Sometimes in my old age I get a little grumpy."

In this way, in spiritual or loving exchanges one must mutually conquer the heart.

Books! Books! Books!

The devotees are out on the Book distribution marathon.

Have a look on you tube: Book Distribution – HG Vaisesika Prabhu – 7th Gosvami 101

There are several other longer videos as well. One is showing him in action in Boston on July 4th. Yesterday, I watched it with great pleasure.

I hope that more devotees will go out just for a day or on the weekends. It all makes a difference to the people out there and for us in coming closer to Krsna.

You can also check www.distributebooks.com and also www.iskconbookdistribution.com

If you can't distribute books, then buy books and give them away or leave one in the doctors waiting room!

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“Shower me with your mercy!”

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 21st November 2012, Cape Town, South Africa)

There is a kund, a very nice one with stone steps and so on. That kund is dedicated to surrender. That is where the gopis completely surrendered everything to Krsna. So, I decided that since I'm not so surrendered by nature, many times my mind has been like, 'Do I really have to do this?' You know what the mind can do! So, I decided to jump in that kund and some others did it also… almost a whole bus (load of people), we all jumped in, that was nice!

In Vrndavan, one can do such things in a hope to get some mercy, in a hope that one's surrender will increase. This mercy is so available and we need it. So, one has to strive for mercy, one has to go after it… go find it! Some devotees are really good at it; like Bhurijan Prabhu is good at it. He heard that somewhere there was a chadaar that had been used by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura. So he decided, 'I have to have that chadaar!' He fixed his mind on it, 'I have to have it.'

And he went there and he gave donations and he got that original chadaar of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura! Then do you know what he did with it? You won't believe this. He took scissors and cut it into pieces. Some of you will go, 'Oh no, mahā-aparādha!'

He cut the whole chadaar in pieces and then he made little cardboard frames. He put little pieces of chadaar into that, then he went all the vaisnavas and he begged them. He said, 'I have here a little piece of the original chadaar of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura. Please accept this gift and shower me with your mercy!

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Caught in two worlds

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 3 October, Sydney, Australia, Bhagavad-gita class)

Freedom from material hankering begins when we turn to Krsna. We are not completely free from material hankering but a little free! You know that when we stop at the temple, it means that we are not totally materialistic but we are also a little interested in spiritual life. Then, when we see Radha Gopinatha, we feel something and we see that they are wonderful and have such a powerful presence!

Meanwhile, we are not free from material desire but you have a taste and sit in kirtan. Next week, you are having a twelve-hour kirtan with Madhava and Sacinandana Maharaja, both of them do very nice kirtans! Oh, so sweet… so nice… so deep… and other times, when you are in Pitt street (famous shopping street in Sydney) and you find that also exciting.

Yah… so what to do!? Caught between both worlds but there is attraction to Krsna and there is taste but it is not very deep yet. But gradually, by serving Krsna we become purified and then the attachment grows and taste goes deeper and deeper until the taste becomes so strong that it just takes over! Everything else looks meaningless and bleak and you let it go. You want only Krsna: kecit kevalaya bhaktaya vasudeva parayanah…

Only Krsna, only vasudev… everything else, no thanks… you want some chocolate, no! Just give me some of that mahaprasadam burfi because that is pure consciousness! Some chocolates from some factory… I am not really sure if Srila Prabhupada is really in favour of the chocolate, so forget it… only mahaprasadam, like that!

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