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Bhakti Yoga-Devotional Service to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna

Bhakti Yoga-Devotional Service to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna
Gopis performing Devotional Service to the Lordships Sri Sri Radha Krishna

Ice Breakers - TREE SHAPING- unique tree stems. Amazing!

 

TREE SHAPING- unique tree stems. Amazing !

 

You might find this interesting, if you haven't already seen it.

Peter and Becky of Australia have mastered the art of Tree Shaping. 
Pooktre, as they have called it, has perfected a Gradual shaping method, which is the shaping of trees as they grow along predetermined designs. 
Designing and setting up the supporting famework are fundamental to 
the success of a tree. Some are intended for harvest to be high quality. Indoor furniture and others will remain living art. 
  

 

 

 

 

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--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com


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There is no limit to the increase of material desires.


There is no limit to the increase of material desires. This is how it works: if one obtains a desire, then he gets poked by the thorn of disappointment. By that he is forced to look forward to still another desire, and in this way one keeps on continuously moving on and on from one desire to the next.
                  - Selected Texts from Kalyana Kalpataru by Bhaktivinoda Thakura
--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com


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What is the use of an insignificant victory or defeat, anger, envy, or hatred towards other living entities?

What is the use of material happiness, distress or fearfulness? What will you gain by considering everything in terms of "I" and "mine"? What is the use of an insignificant victory or defeat, anger, envy, or hatred towards other living entities?
 
 -Selected Texts from Gitavali by Bhaktivinoda Thakura
--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com


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You are always engaged in useless activities. Your life may end at any moment! Just consider this once


O living entities! You have become entangled in the network of illusion, so that you are always engaged in useless activities. Your life may end at any moment. Just consider this once. You have been wandering in this world, under the control of your material desires. But what kind of happiness are you looking for? Who are you? Where were you before this lifetime? Why have you come here? What have you accomplished and where will you go after death?
-Selected Text from Gitavali by Bhaktivinoda Thakura

--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com


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KKSblog.com - Making the movement grow!


Posted: 11 Oct 2011 04:17 PM PDT
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Helsinki, Finland, 2011)

Devotee: To have children is also a way of making the movement grow!
Maharaja: You can see that the Muslims are doing well. They have twelve children, and the Muslim population is growing everywhere. So therefore, having children in Krishna Consciousness is all right. One can try to make these children into devotees. It is not always easy because they also have a mind of their own!
One cannot make it the all in all. The female tendency is that once the child is there and then it's like the whole universe is centred around the child! So in everything its:
'The child…..the child…….the child'
But Krishna should stil be more important than the child! The universe should continue to be centred around Krishna. So that's an adjustment, which takes a little bit of an effort to return it, and that is okay. We can understand that it is all about giving the children Krishna, and then you do what you can for your children but you are also a little detached. You also seem like:
"Well let's see what they will become. So it's all through a little independence. These children are placed under my care for sometime by the Supreme Lord. Their souls are on their own way, and for a little while, I can try to give them with as many benedictions as possible……and that's what I am doing with these children. They are really not like expansions from me……and it's not really like, I am living in my son! Or a little piece of me is living in my son!"
No! These are simply spirit souls who are placed in our care for a little while, and we have the opportunity to give them mercy as much as possible – that's all and then we are a little detached with the result of Krishna!
Posted: 11 Oct 2011 03:00 PM PDT
Below is a link to the Introductive talk given by Kadamba Kanana Swami earlier this year in Helsinki, Finland.

Helsinki – Introductive Talk






--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com/


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Karthik Month - Offer a Lamp

Please find the lamp offerings attached!

--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com


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Message from Vaisnava Families Resources

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: dinesh <dineshkrishna108@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 06:42:32 -0400
Subject: Someone has sent you a message from Vaisnava Families Resources
To: dineshkrishna108@gmail.com

Message from sender:
/Good one about perception and reality../
Published on /Vaisnava Families Resources/
(http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org [1])
Home [2] > Blogs [3] >
karnamrita.das's blog
> "Subjective Reality" in Relationships
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
======== "SUBJECTIVE REALITY" IN RELATIONSHIPS ===============================

By /karnamrita.das/ Created /May 23 2008 - 19:09/
There are different opinions regarding social issues or spiritual philosophy.
Any perspective, side of an issue, or point can be carried to an extreme in
relation to others.

I tend to me on the middle of most issues, much to the chagrin of those who
strongly advocate different perspective or causes. I do have strong opinions
on certain issues, yet I am usually not on the front lines of confrontation.
Ideally, even when I disagree I try to see the other perspective, and
understand why the person holds the conviction they do. In India the
traditional way of establishing philosophical or spiritual conclusions
(siddhanta) is to support one's experience or understanding from the Vedic
revealed scripture. First one presents ones thesis with appropriate Vedic
texts. Then one argues in favor of the opposing argument, and then "defeats"
it (although the term "defeat" is not very useful for happy married life). I
take this part of siddhanta as really trying to understand the "other" side,
or walk in the other persons shoes.

Seeing and appreciating both sides is very useful in couples counseling,
where we often have two very different interpretations of past activities, or
even current communication. Usually the truth is somewhere in the middle.
In any case, whether one person is "right" and another person "wrong", my
wife and I try to impress upon the couple the conception of "subjective
reality". Sometimes we have to say to a couple, "Do you want to be right, or
in love (or stay married)?" Each spouse has to respect the other, and their
different views on issues or perspectives on the KC philosophy.

Subjective reality means that each one of us understands things according to
our particular psychological "filters" (our past conditioning and
experience). This is the meaning of the "new age" saying that "perception is
reality" (not ultimate reality, but personal reality). Some
people---including devotees---have a very hard time with this. This can be
especially the case when their subjective reality has become dressed in the
"clothes" of spiritual philosophy, and therefore must be right.

An example of our subjective reality "being dressed in spiritual clothes"
might be when we come to a spiritual or religious path with strong views
about---lets say certain social considerations---and then find some
statements supporting them (or that COULD support them). Then we might be
unwilling to accept another view even if supported by scripture and/or
practical experience or considerations.
As scientists have a "knowledge filter" by beginning with the idea that life
comes from chemicals, or that evolutions is true, and then only accept
"evidence" that supports this view, and person with strong opinions can also
have knowledge filters regarding their cherished view, theory, or application
of philosophy.

In regards to a marriage or a relationship, whatever view a person has
regarding social issues if their spouse or potential spouse has a different
view, then those differences have to be discussed and at least harmonized and
respected. In premarital counseling, we often see how different each persons
views can be on many different issues: from roles of men and women, household
duties, earning money, education, child raising philosophy etc.
Some people fanatically stress the traditional roles, while others stress
that couples should do whatever works for them considering the unique natures
of both persons and their type of conditioning and education, etc.(and some
devotees fall somewhere in the middle).

These differences can usually be worked out if each person has flexibility,
sufficient compatibility, and desire for spiritual and personal growth as the
ultimate goal. However, these perspectives are best worked out before
marriage. Otherwise they are sure to become problems for the couples during
their marriage. Couples also have to explore and share their expectations for
their marriage, and genuinely and continually appreciate their life partner's
unique perspective and nature.

It is interesting that often a person just before marriage, or newly married,
expects their spouse to be a mind reader and know them without discussion, or
they just assume their spouse thinks like they do. That type of thinking is a
recipe for disaster.

To conclude, we all need to understand the nature of subjective reality in
all our relationships, whether as spouse, parent, leader, business partner,
guru, monk, disciple, student, employee or whatever our position is. Then we
can have meaningful and more respectful communication in all our dealings
with others, despite differences.

*To borrow from Steven Covey, "Seek first to understand, then to be
understood".***

* different views [4]
* marriage [5]
* premarial counseling
* relationships [6]
* roles of men and women.

Vaisnava Families Resources | Login [7]
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA
RAMA HARE HARE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Source URL:*
http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/blog/subjective-reality-relationships
[8]

[1] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org
[2] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/
[3] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/blog
[4] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/category/free-tag/different-views
[5] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/category/free-tag/marriage
[6] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/category/free-tag/relationships
[7] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/user
[8] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/blog/subjective-reality-relationships

--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com
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Someone has sent you a message from Vaisnava Families Resources

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: dinesh <dineshkrishna108@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 06:42:32 -0400
Subject: Someone has sent you a message from Vaisnava Families Resources
To: dineshkrishna108@gmail.com

Message from sender:
/Good one about perception and reality../
Published on /Vaisnava Families Resources/
(http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org [1])
Home [2] > Blogs [3] >
karnamrita.das's blog
> "Subjective Reality" in Relationships
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
======== "SUBJECTIVE REALITY" IN RELATIONSHIPS ===============================

By /karnamrita.das/ Created /May 23 2008 - 19:09/
There are different opinions regarding social issues or spiritual philosophy.
Any perspective, side of an issue, or point can be carried to an extreme in
relation to others.

I tend to me on the middle of most issues, much to the chagrin of those who
strongly advocate different perspective or causes. I do have strong opinions
on certain issues, yet I am usually not on the front lines of confrontation.
Ideally, even when I disagree I try to see the other perspective, and
understand why the person holds the conviction they do. In India the
traditional way of establishing philosophical or spiritual conclusions
(siddhanta) is to support one's experience or understanding from the Vedic
revealed scripture. First one presents ones thesis with appropriate Vedic
texts. Then one argues in favor of the opposing argument, and then "defeats"
it (although the term "defeat" is not very useful for happy married life). I
take this part of siddhanta as really trying to understand the "other" side,
or walk in the other persons shoes.

Seeing and appreciating both sides is very useful in couples counseling,
where we often have two very different interpretations of past activities, or
even current communication. Usually the truth is somewhere in the middle.
In any case, whether one person is "right" and another person "wrong", my
wife and I try to impress upon the couple the conception of "subjective
reality". Sometimes we have to say to a couple, "Do you want to be right, or
in love (or stay married)?" Each spouse has to respect the other, and their
different views on issues or perspectives on the KC philosophy.

Subjective reality means that each one of us understands things according to
our particular psychological "filters" (our past conditioning and
experience). This is the meaning of the "new age" saying that "perception is
reality" (not ultimate reality, but personal reality). Some
people---including devotees---have a very hard time with this. This can be
especially the case when their subjective reality has become dressed in the
"clothes" of spiritual philosophy, and therefore must be right.

An example of our subjective reality "being dressed in spiritual clothes"
might be when we come to a spiritual or religious path with strong views
about---lets say certain social considerations---and then find some
statements supporting them (or that COULD support them). Then we might be
unwilling to accept another view even if supported by scripture and/or
practical experience or considerations.
As scientists have a "knowledge filter" by beginning with the idea that life
comes from chemicals, or that evolutions is true, and then only accept
"evidence" that supports this view, and person with strong opinions can also
have knowledge filters regarding their cherished view, theory, or application
of philosophy.

In regards to a marriage or a relationship, whatever view a person has
regarding social issues if their spouse or potential spouse has a different
view, then those differences have to be discussed and at least harmonized and
respected. In premarital counseling, we often see how different each persons
views can be on many different issues: from roles of men and women, household
duties, earning money, education, child raising philosophy etc.
Some people fanatically stress the traditional roles, while others stress
that couples should do whatever works for them considering the unique natures
of both persons and their type of conditioning and education, etc.(and some
devotees fall somewhere in the middle).

These differences can usually be worked out if each person has flexibility,
sufficient compatibility, and desire for spiritual and personal growth as the
ultimate goal. However, these perspectives are best worked out before
marriage. Otherwise they are sure to become problems for the couples during
their marriage. Couples also have to explore and share their expectations for
their marriage, and genuinely and continually appreciate their life partner's
unique perspective and nature.

It is interesting that often a person just before marriage, or newly married,
expects their spouse to be a mind reader and know them without discussion, or
they just assume their spouse thinks like they do. That type of thinking is a
recipe for disaster.

To conclude, we all need to understand the nature of subjective reality in
all our relationships, whether as spouse, parent, leader, business partner,
guru, monk, disciple, student, employee or whatever our position is. Then we
can have meaningful and more respectful communication in all our dealings
with others, despite differences.

*To borrow from Steven Covey, "Seek first to understand, then to be
understood".***

* different views [4]
* marriage [5]
* premarial counseling
* relationships [6]
* roles of men and women.

Vaisnava Families Resources | Login [7]
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA
RAMA HARE HARE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Source URL:*
http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/blog/subjective-reality-relationships
[8]

[1] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org
[2] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/
[3] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/blog
[4] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/category/free-tag/different-views
[5] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/category/free-tag/marriage
[6] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/category/free-tag/relationships
[7] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/user
[8] http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/blog/subjective-reality-relationships

--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com
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An āśrama is a place where spiritual culture is always foremost

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.7.2

sūta uvāca

brahma-nadyāḿ sarasvatyām
āśramaḥ paścime taṭe
śamyāprāsa iti prokta
ṛṣīṇāḿ satra-vardhanaḥ

SYNONYMS

sūtaḥ — Śrī Sūta; uvāca — said; brahma-nadyām — on the bank of the river intimately related with Vedas, brāhmaṇas, saints, and the Lord; sarasvatyām — Sarasvatī; āśramaḥ — cottage for meditation; paścime — on the west; taṭe — bank; śamyāprāsaḥ — the place named Śamyāprāsa; iti — thus; proktaḥ — said to be; ṛṣīṇām — of the sages; satra-vardhanaḥ — that which enlivens activities.
 
TRANSLATION

Śrī Sūta said: On the western bank of the River Sarasvatī, which is intimately related with the Vedas, there is a cottage for meditation at Śamyāprāsa which enlivens the transcendental activities of the sages.

Purport
 
For spiritual advancement of knowledge a suitable place and atmosphere are definitely required. The place on the western bank of the Sarasvatī is especially suitable for this purpose. And there is the āśrama of Vyāsadeva at Śamyāprāsa. Śrīla Vyāsadeva was a householder, yet his residential place is called an āśrama. An āśrama is a place where spiritual culture is always foremost. It does not matter whether the place belongs to a householder or a mendicant. The whole varṇāśrama system is so designed that each and every status of life is called an āśrama. This means that spiritual culture is the common factor for all. The brahmacārīs, the gṛhasthas, the vānaprasthas and the sannyāsīs all belong to the same mission of life, namely, realization of the Supreme. Therefore none of them are less important as far as spiritual culture is concerned. The difference is a matter of formality on the strength of renunciation. The sannyāsīs are held in high estimation on the strength of practical renunciation.--
 

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The absolute truth

 
 

Sent to you by dinesh via Google Reader:

 
 

via kksblog.com by hina on 10/10/11

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Helsinki, Finland, 2011)

I grew up in a family where the house was a big thing. My father always wanted a bigger house. We had nice house. There were three of us kids, and we all had our own room. There was also a guest room. So I thought:

"It was fine".

There was a nice garden with fruit trees…..basically it was a nice house!

But no, we had to have a bigger house and anybody who came, got the full tour of the entire house, which took twenty minutes at least:

"And here we have the Italian marble wall……..and there is an empty table, and that mirror is also two hundred years old……….and then we are going upstairs. This is the study……and this is the bedroom, and this is the room for the dog!"

It was just a waste of time (as far as I was concerned) since so much energy was going into the house. So much thinking:

"The house….the house, the house!"

So this is not a vaisnava's business. So devotees will also recognise within themselves the same tendencies………………………………………The Bhagavatam is the absolute truth which is holding up the mirror to us, and we have to just look at it like that:

"Well, I guess that I also have these tendancies".


 
 

Things you can do from here:

 
 

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Looking for strength

 
 

Sent to you by dinesh via Google Reader:

 
 

via kksblog.com by hina on 10/10/11

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Helsinki, Finland, 2011)

I have one more thing to say about men and women. A lot of fuss has been made about women wanting to be equal to men. But in most cases, the truth of the matter is that men have become equal to women – that's actually the situation. That's actually where we are at in society.

In a sense that men are also weak, and they are also inclined towards the senses and not inclined towards a higher goal. The men are supposed to be strong by saying:

"No!"

By going for the spiritual goals in life, but the men are very weak, and the whole culture is like that. Everyone is a slave to the senses, and everyone is full of good intentions but cannot live up to it, because this is the situation. When we take to spiritual life, then we fix ourselves:

"Yes I'm going to do this".

And we don't do it, because as we are getting confronted with the three modes of material nature – we find ourselves weak, because we find that we do not having enough strength to do so! So men are meant to be strong but in this age the men are also weak! That is why I said:

"When we say men and women become equal".

Yes, that has already happened – the men became like the women. So that is the whole population, which is very much inclined towards the mind and the senses – that is the situation.

Therefore, we see now that sometimes some women are spiritually stronger than men, where the wife is the driving force in the family and the men is sort of flaky, and half there by not following all of the principles……….falling back into smoking dope. I know so many cases like this, but the truth of the matter is that, that is Krishna's arrangement, and Srila Prabhupada is making a point here:

"Because women were especially created by the Lord to give service to men!"

A woman is looking for strength in a man. A woman wants to feel protected, and wants to feel supported and is looking for a man who is actually stronger than she is, since then she will actually feel inspired and follow the man…………and together she can also do it. Therefore, in the Bhagavatam it is stated:

"If one wants to be husband, then one has to be of a very high calibre. One has to be practically as good as a spiritual master".

So where do we find such husbands? Mostly the husbands are struggling and weak, then the women become restless and not satisfied. We don't understand these things when we come from the west. We don't understand that deep down there is this expectation, since the woman expects the man to spiritually be the example. That is the kind of man that she really wants – a the first class man!


 
 

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Steve Jobs 1955-2011

 
 

Sent to you by dinesh via Google Reader:

 
 

via Indradyumna Swami's Facebook Notes by Indradyumna Swami on 10/5/11

 "I didn't have a dorm room," he [ Steve Jobs ] said in his Stanford speech, "so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned Coke bottles for the 5-cent deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the seven miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on."

 

"He returned to Silicon Valley in 1974 and took a job there as a technician at Atari, the video game manufacturer. Still searching for his calling, he left after several months and traveled to India with a college friend, Daniel Kottke, who would later become an early Apple employee."

 

[ Steve Lohr, The New York Times,  October 5, 2011 ]

 

As devotees, we are greatful for his Apple creations which in so many ways facilitate our services to Lord Krsna.

 


 
 

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The Most Chaste

 
 

Sent to you by dinesh via Google Reader:

 
 

via Indradyumna Swami's Facebook Notes by Indradyumna Swami on 10/9/11

"Sita first placed a straw between her and Ravana, as a symbol of her unwillingness to contact him directly. Then she gently replied, 'You should withdraw your mind from me and remain contented with the numerous consorts you already possess. You will never be able to have me, just as a sinful man fails to achieve perfection. I was born in a noble family and was married according to religious principles. I will never do anything contrary to righteousness, and there is no hope of your ever gaining my favor.'"

 

[ Sita, wife of Lord Ramacanda, from Sundara-kanda, Ramayana ]

 

Sita devi, the wife of Ram.


 
 

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[New post] Lady of the Lake

Lady of the Lake

by jahnavi

After the Kirtan festival ended I got to stay an extra day at Ananda ashram. I grabbed the opportunity for some extra lake time. To sit, to chant, to think, to play violin, to sail across - there's nothing like a good lake!

Every time I come to one, all my lake memories float up - fishing for tadpoles after school at Bhaktivedanta Manor; skimming flat stones across Bala Lake in north Wales as bats screeched overhead; swimming in lily filled Canadian ones on the Krishna youth summer tour; early morning talks with dear friends before the water, blanketed with summer mist in upstate NY.

The one here took me back to Vrindavan - to Govinda Kund, the sacred lake where Sri Gopal would visit Madhavendra Puri, a great saint. Acting like a normal village boy, he would bring him nourishing pots of milk, saying 'No one goes hungry in my village!' It's a story I have always loved - so sweetly illustrating Krishna's loving kindness and totally personal care.

I experience that care every day. Somehow no matter how confused I get about whether I'm doing the right thing in the right way, I continue to learn and be blessed. I spoke to a new friend about this today who shared with me that she has learned to appreciate those blessings especially which come in the form of the hardest life lessons - those which strip you from your husk and mash you, because as she put it - 'You are worthy - you are meant for something great so your struggles must be great. Krishna only sends you what he knows you can handle.' Knowing the life she's had, it was humbling to hear and I can only hope that I can reach a similar point of gravity and gratitude as I traverse my own path.

This is my new lake meditation.

20111010-215131.jpg



--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com


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No one before you has ever seen this Universal Form of Mine-Lord Sri Krishna


Bhagavad-gita As It Is | Part [BG.11.32] 

TEXT 48:

na veda-yajnadhyayanair na danair
na ca kriyabhir na tapobhir ugraih
evam-rupah sakya aham nri-loke
drashtum tvad anyena kuru-pravira

 

TRANSLATION:

O best of the Kuru warriors, no one before you has ever seen this universal form of Mine, for neither by studying the Vedas, nor by performing sacrifices, nor by charity, nor by pious activities, nor by severe penances can I be seen in this form in the material world.

 

PURPORT:

The divine vision in this connection should be clearly understood. Who can have divine vision? Divine means godly. Unless one attains the status of divinity as a demigod, he cannot have divine vision. And what is a demigod? It is stated in the Vedic scriptures that those who are devotees of Lord Vishnu are demigods (vishnu-bhaktah smrita devah). Those who are atheistic, i.e., who do not believe in Vishnu, or who recognize only the impersonal part of Krishna as the Supreme, cannot have the divine vision. It is not possible to decry Krishna and at the same time have the divine vision. One cannot have the divine vision without becoming divine. In other words, those who have divine vision can also see like Arjuna.

 

The Bhagavad-gita gives the description of the universal form. Although this description was unknown to everyone before Arjuna, now one can have some idea of the visva-rupa after this incident. Those who are actually divine can see the universal form of the Lord. But one cannot be divine without being a pure devotee of Krishna. The devotees, however, who are actually in the divine nature and who have divine vision, are not very much interested in seeing the universal form of the Lord. As described in the previous verse, Arjuna desired to see the four-handed form of Lord Krishna as Vishnu, and he was actually afraid of the universal form.

 

In this verse there are some significant words, just like veda-yajnadhyayanaih, which refers to

studying Vedic literature and the subject matter of sacrificial regulations. Veda refers to all kinds of Vedic literature, such as the four Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva) and the eighteen Puranas, the Upanishads and the Vedanta-sutra. One can study these at home or anywhere else. Similarly, there are sutras-Kalpa-sutras and Mimamsa-sutras—for studying the method of sacrifice. Danaih refers to charity which is offered to a suitable party, such as those who are engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord—the brahmanas and the Vaishnavas. Similarly, "pious activities" refers to the agni-hotra and the prescribed duties of the different castes. And the voluntary acceptance of some bodily pains is called tapasya. So one can perform all these—can accept bodily penances, give charity, study the Vedas, etc.—but unless he is a devotee like Arjuna, it is not possible to see that universal form. Those who are impersonalists are also imagining that they are seeing the universal form of the Lord, but from Bhagavad-gita we understand that the impersonalists are not devotees. Therefore they are unable to see the universal form of the Lord. 

Translation and commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada


--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:
http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com


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KKSblog.com - Detach from bodily identification Part




Detach from bodily identification Part 2

Posted: 09 Oct 2011 01:04 PM PDT


(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Helsinki, Finland, 2011)

I brought up the point of the child because it is very deeply belonging to the female body. Like generally in this world, men get married because they want a woman. Most of the times when a woman gets married it is because she wants a child, or at least a man and a child. So that element is there.

I saw a film on a plane somewhere, and it was interesting, because it showed a man who fell in love with this woman, and then they were getting married. She was then expecting. Then the camera went down to the child level. The camera was suddenly on the height of the child's eyes. The child was there and the lady was wearing all these baggy dresses. She didn't look very beautiful anymore – not like she used to look. Then there were these children and toys all over the house! And you saw this man thinking:

"What happened? What happened to you?"

So it was interesting, because it showed the dynamics of the material world: A man wants a princess and what does he get? He gets all these little kids and toys and the whole universe like that.

So the ladies in spiritual life, they have to (as much as the men) detach from the bodily identification. The tendencies are very strong. We see that at a certain time of the year, the birds start building nests, and it's just wired in, in nature. In the same way, when the woman when she gets to a certain age, there it is:

'We need………..we need the house………….we need a place to stay somewhere because it's time for these things'.

That's fine in the gṛhastha-āśrama it should be like that, but one should solve this tendency to somewhat renounced spirit:

'vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga
śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ,'
[Cc.Madya 6.254].

It is said that 'vairāgya' – is the fundamental principle of Lord Caitanya's movement. In other words that we are solving our material needs in a simple way and we do not allow all these things to take over.

Detach from bodily identification Part 1

Posted: 09 Oct 2011 06:58 AM PDT


(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Helsinki, Finland, 2011)

It is true that any child will give happiness and distress. So what is the point in desiring to having a child?

If you think about it logically, it doesn't make sense, actually………because here's this child, who is going to give you happiness and distress. Why would you get involved with things that give happiness and distress, from a spiritual point of view. If one could simply think like:

"Well my aim is to get back to Godhead and while I'm in this material world I will try to avoid dealing with the material energy as much as possible. I will only deal with the material energy in the service of the Lord".

Then you are taking a purely transcendental stand…………just like the tortoise, who withdraws it's limbs in the shield…….and it only puts them out when it is favourable within spiritual life. But because we are winding up in certain bodies, then there are desires with these bodies…………………………………..For example in the Caitanya Bhagavad, there is an instance where Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was performing programs in the house of Srivas Thakur at night. Some ladies were also there. Some devotees said:

"Ladies……here?"

And Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said:

"Yes they are not women. They are vaisnavis!"

So that's different, then one is dedicated to the transcendental. But one must understand that the dictates of the body may go into the opposite direction, and with the body it also includes the mind……….that is the most difficult part. The body perceives the world through the ten senses…………………………………………………. These senses are getting us entangled. They dictate, and until these senses are purified and become attached to Krishna, they will constantly dictate us to engage with the material energy. The mind equally so will dictate us to engage with the material energy.

For the sake of chanting Hare Krsna

Posted: 09 Oct 2011 03:34 AM PDT

We are trying to simplify our life for the sake of chanting Hare Krsna. There is no other reason. We can have everything- we can have the biggest house in the street, no problem! We can have 5 cars in front of the door if we want to- one for every family member! It's not forbidden for a devotee. The only problem is when you have all that, where is the time to chant Hare Krsna….?

(Kadamba Kanana Maharaja, 9 October 2011, Melbourne, Australia)




--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:
http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com


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Narada Muni's opinion on Noble Qualities

There was a king of the kuru dynasty named Suhotra who once went to
visit some great rishis. While returning home, he happened to meet
another king named Shibi, traveling on the road in the opposite
direction. The road was too narrow for both chariots to pass and
becuase they were both equals in terms of age and other
qualifications, neither Shibi nor Suhotra would move.

Narada Muni then appeared on the scene and asked what was the matter?

Suhotra and Shibi replied, "Devarshi it is proper ettiquette that one
should give the right way to superiors. However because we are equal
to one another in all respects, none of us are willing to move."

Narada Muni said I will recite some verses from shastra and also give
you my opinion on the matter.

-Wicked persons behave harshly even toward superiors, wheareas those
who are elevated conduct themselves very mildly, even while dealing
with those who are sinful. Since a noble person behaves virtuosly,
even toward those who are degraded, why he should not do so in
relation to those who are good?
- An exalted person regards another person's qualities and the
services rendered by him to be one hundered times greater than they
actually are. In this way he only sees good in others."
- The way to conquer a mean minded person is to give him charity. A
liar is won over by truth, a sinful person is conquered by
forgiveness, and a dishonest person's heart is softened by honesty.

My dear Suhotra, aside from this, you should know that Maharaja
Shibi's greatness exceeds yours. My dear Kings, since you both are
very large hearted, one of you should volunatrily move aside, giving
up all sense of false pride.

Suhotra then moved his chariot off the roas giving Shibi the right way
and while doing so, he priased him highly.

- Stories from Mahabharat (Vana Parva - Markendya Rsi to Yudhistar Maharaj)
--

--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com


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Picture of the day!

~~~~~~~~~~Please find the picture attached~~~~~~~

--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com


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What is Life?

                                              What is Life?(click here to listen in youtube)
by George Harrison

What I feel, I can't say
But my love is there for you anytime of day
But if it's not love that you need
Then I'll try my best to make everything succeed

Tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

What I know, I can do
If I give my love now to everyone like you
But if it's not love that you need
Then I'll try my best to make everything succeed

Tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side
Tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

What I feel, I can't say
But my love is there for you any time of day
But if it's not love that you need
Then I'll try my best to make everything succeed

Tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side
Oh tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

What is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

(fade:)
Oh tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me who am I without you by my side
 
 
 
Replace you - You (Krishna). Of course if one Loves Krishna, he naturally Loves everyone regardless of the body, culture, caste, colour!
The relations in this world have no meaning without connecting us with Krishna.
--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:
http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com


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What is Life?


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