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A noble mission

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28.55)

All of our services are serving that noble mission of that noble Lord. Because the service is noble, it is easy to perform. Because it touches the heart, it is easy to do. If there is a noble cause then we feel called for it. If we can save the whales, then yes, we are ready for it. Let us go and save the whales and knock on the doors and say, 'Please give for the whales.'

But to really save the whales takes more than just a knock on someone's door and collecting some money because the whales have to be saved from themselves. You think that you are going to save him by knocking on the door with a list and say, 'Please give a donation to save the whale?'

You think that money will solve all problems. Prabhupada said, 'It is your Western disease. When you have a problem; you throw some money at it and you think you solved the problem.' But that does not really solve the problem because the problem is deeply rooted in the heart.

The whale is impure; the whale is hard-hearted; the whale is wallowing in selfishness; roaming around in selfishness – that is the nature of the whale. If we really want to take up this mission, to deliver all living beings of the universe, then you got something to do therefore you will never feel a lack devotional service, never!

Even when we have been around for years, we will always struggle deep down in our heart; we will still have resistance until the day comes when we take up this noble mission. Until we appreciate this noble mission, until we really start to think about it – it's really wonderful that Krsna is trying to deliver all the living beings in this in world and that I can also help a little bit in this mission.

That is where devotional service suddenly becomes inspiring. That is the thing that can capture our heart! Nothing else can do it actually. Nothing else can make us into a servant no matter how much we act; yes, we may act like a butler, "Yes Krsna, here is your salt, here is your garland and fresh water with tulasi devi grown for you in the greenhouse with this special warm lamps… for you, for your pleasure Krsna."

But we are still looking for our own pleasure also, again and again. But when we get so absorbed in taking up that noble mission then whatever little bit of comfort we are taking is simply there to keep us going. It is simply there to keep us going in this mission because the mission is so great that one can exhaust all one's energy in this mission!

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The pain of detachment

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28.55)

The living being is by nature pleasure seeking and this is so deeply intrinsic to his nature that once he is seeking for pleasure, he can't give up. Once he becomes misdirected, that drive for pleasure is so strong that he just doesn't give up. He keeps on looking because Krsna's material energy is the reflection of the spiritual energy which is endless. So there is so much endless varieties. So he thinks that, 'Well, maybe one of these days, it will work.'

So this is how maya captures the living being, feeding on that fundamental nature of the soul, for the soul is pleasure seeking. So one has to cut (this drive) with intelligence, one cannot wait till the point where one is tired of it! That was Rajneesh, later also known as Osho, who had the philosophy: You just indulge in sense gratification to a point where you become sick of it! But you never really got sick of it, just sick of it for a few days but then you try again.

Srila Prabhupada said, 'If that would be true then the pigs would be the biggest yogis!'

But we have this idea, 'I'll stop when I'm exhausted with material things.'

But we'll never become exhausted but we have to, at one point, on the strength of knowledge say, 'This doesn't make sense, this is not intelligent. I'm going to stop.' You are cutting it now and it is a little painful. So this initial cutting has to be done otherwise we won't take to spiritual life!

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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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