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A Week in Amsterdhama

After the whole month of recovering in South Africa Kadamba Kanana Swami ventured out to the north and stopped for a week in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. With temperatures below -5 maharaja kept us warm with his inspiring presence and interesting classes. Due to his recovering health he took it easy  the first few days. He did not give class everyday, but during the week the amount of classes increased.

After his arrival on friday morning he attended the regular sunday feast in the Amsterdam temple. And it was packed with people from all over europe. Some devotees came especially from Croatia and Germany to hear maharaja speak on Srimad Bhagavatam and the other scriptures.

The sunday feast was a blast with easy going bhajans, a super nice class, kirtan by Sadbhuja prabhu and a lovely vegetarian Krsna feast cooked by Vani dd et al. Maharaja spoke about the vaisnava's and how our faith needs to be established and that we need to develop love, because faith is not enough. Being in goodness is desirable but we need to extend beyond that. After the sunday feast everybody left home happy.

Audio Classes

During the week that followed maharaja gave a few classes on Srimad Bhagavatam and Caitanya Caritamrta. You can listen to them below or download for later.

Friday 12 Jan 2013

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.30.50-51
KKS_SB-4-30-50-51_12-jan-2013_Amsterdam_nl

Sunday 13 Jan 2013

Sunday Feast Bhajans & Class

KKS-Sunday-Feast-bhajans_13-jan-2013_Amsterdam_nl

KKS_Sunday-Feast_13-Jan-2013_Amsterdam_nl

Tuesday 15 Jan 2013

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.31.2
KKS_SB-4-31-2_15-jan-2013_Amsterdam_nl

Wednesday 16 Jan 2013

Jaya Radha-madhava
Jaya-Radha-madhava_16-jan-2013_Amsterdam_nl

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.31.3 – "Our Chanting is Where we Live"
Srimad Bhagavatam 4.31.3 16-jan-2013_Amsterdam_nl

Caitanya Caritamrta – A highlight on Ragunnatha das Goswami
KKS_CC-Raghunatha-das-goswami_16-jan-2013_Amsterdam_nl

Friday 18 Jan 2013

Jaya Radha-madhava
KKS_Jaya-Radha-madhava_18-jan-2013_Amsterdam_nl

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.31.6 – "Unless…"
KKS_SB-4-31-6_18-jan-2013_Amsterdam_nl

Bhajan Evening with Maharaja
KKS_Bhajan-evening_18-jan-2013_Amsterdam_nl

Videos

Sunday Feast 13 jan 2013. Visit youtube if video does not display.

Tuesday 15 Jan 2013. Visit youtube if video does not display.
Srimad Bhagavatam 4.31.2

Wednesday 16 Jan 2013. Visit youtube if video does not display.
Srimad Bhagavatam 4.31.3

Photos

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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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