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Maya’s most powerful weapon

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 16 July 2012, Modra, Slovakia)

Maya is in so many ways infiltrating our lives. Maya is everywhere. Who is maya? They say maya is a witch. For the male, she takes a female form and for the female, a male form. In this way, maya the illusory energy, has only one purpose, to bind the living beings. Different chains are being used; chains of greed, chains of anger but the strongest chain of all is known as, 'mayy āyuṅktām anugraham,' (SB. 3.14.11) the chain of sex, that is maya's most powerful weapon because that makes us think that the material world is a place to enjoy.

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Blessed in the West

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 4 January 2013, Ladysmith, South Africa)

Prabhupada's disciple Govinda Dasi, planted tulasi in the West. She brought seeds from India and managed to sprout them and the first tulasi plants in the West started to grow. Prabhupada was so happy! He said, 'You brought tulasi from India to the West; this is wonderful! You have been blessed for this forever!'

And such a service she did. Govinda Dasi is remembered for the one who brought tulasi to the West; it was quite something. Now of course, everywhere we have tulasi but again, it was through Prabhupada, it was Prabhupada's disciples! Prabhupada brought us all these things; that is our shelter. If we never walk around tulasi, then that's not so auspicious. By walking around tulasi devi:

'yani kani cha papani
brahma-hatyadikani cha
tani tani pranashyanti
pradakshinaha pade pade,' (Sri Tulasi Pradaksina Mantra)

By circumambulating (tulasi), step-by-step we are being purified from so many sinful reactions and even serious offences. Even the most serious offence like the killing of a brahmana - couldn't be more serious than that – but even from that one can become purified by circumambulating tulasi devi. So all these things are just part of our life and yes, everywhere we keep tulasi and water tulasi. So there is our vaisnava culture. Every devotee must take care of tulasi!

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To be perfectly situated

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 9 December 2011, Durban, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 11.22.6)

One time I was in Sridham Mayapur talking to Jananivasa, the head pujari, and he was saying, "It is very difficult for us to become brahmanas."

I looked at him, "If it's difficult for you, than what about me?"

To be perfectly situated in the mode of goodness maybe difficult for us. It may not happen in this lifetime but that is also not our objective. Our objective is simply to serve Krsna and become attached to serving Krsna, and the more we become attached to serving Krsna, the more everything else disappears. Then the more it begins to look bleak, not magically, 'Hocus, pocus, all my sinful thoughts are gone!' No, not like that, but, "It's just not worth it." Sinful thoughts may come but one comes to a point and says, "No, it's just not worth it, to pursue these lower desires, it's not worth it!"

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A confession

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 December 2012, CapeTown, South Africa, Ratha Yatra Lecture)

The real purpose of these yoga exercises, in traditional vedic culture, was to get some control over the body and then some control over the mind. The primary aim of these yoga asanas is mind control because the mind is very difficult to control. The mind is very restless and is like a little boat on the waves and the waves tend to take away the mind; there is wind and on some days, there is a storm. I mean, at the Cape, we know very well what it is like!

You know, this is the Cape of Good Hope! This name was given by sailors who were hoping that the currents and waves will not be too strong so that their tiny little ships would not be blown away or thrown by waves in deep waters. So things like that, therefore Cape of Good Hope!

The mind is like a tiny ship which is easily blown away by so many things and we don't even have it in our language to describe it, "Oh, I was totally blown out! My mind just blew me away." So, sometimes in metaphor, we use this kind of language because the mind is so easily controlled by the material energy. That is why people in traditional times were practicing these exercises to control the mind but it is very difficult.

You know, I will confess to you! I also bought a yoga mat; yes I did! Not because of any high ideals but because I was spending too much time behind the computer. I also felt like I needed to do something for my back. They say that you have to strengthen the belly muscles and there are three levels of muscles that you have to work on. And I had my yoga mat and I lifted my legs and pulled one up and the other one and so on. Breathe in, breathe out! I did it all for three days! After three days, I never looked at the yoga mat again. But, you know, it is so austere. Some people who are good at it, like it. People who are naturally elastic, they love to bend over.

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