Welcoming calamities as an opportunity to remember Krsna

Constantly remembering the lotus feet of the Lord means preparing for liberation from birth and death. Therefore, even though there are so-called calamities, they are welcome because they give us an opportunity to remember the Lord.

 

One who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord, which are accepted as the most suitable boat for crossing the ocean of nescience, can achieve liberation as easily as one leaps over the holes made by the hoofs of a calf. Such persons are meant to reside in the abode of the Lord, and they have nothing to do with a place where there is danger in every step.

 

This material world is certified by the Lord as a dangerous place full of calamities. Less intelligent persons prepare plans to adjust to those calamities without knowing that the nature of this place is itself full of calamities. They have no information of the abode of the Lord, which is full of bliss and without trace of calamity. The duty of the sane person, therefore, is to be undisturbed by worldly calamities, which are sure to happen in all circumstances. Suffering all sorts of unavoidable misfortunes, one should make progress in spiritual realization because that is the mission of human life. 

 

A man may see a tiger swallowing him in a dream, and he may cry for this calamity. Actually there is no tiger and there is no suffering; it is simply a case of dreams. In the same way, all calamities of life are said to be dreams. If someone is lucky enough to get in contact with the Lord by devotional service, it is all gain. Contact with the Lord by any one of the nine devotional services is always a forward step on the path going back to Godhead.

 

- Srila Prabhupada ki Jay!

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Jyoti Pahuja's Facebook Notes using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

 

 

 

 

 

 

Always A Three Way Relationship

Krsna is the Supreme Lord (Sanskrit). Therefore, whatever you do, we must do for him: Whatever we eat, we eat for him: Whatever we offer, we must offer for him, or to him, and so on. And the more we connect everything we do - every actions, the more it becomes potent.

You see there are always a few parts in us …….Let's say now I'm travelling with Aatish, and Aatish is travelling with me. My cameraman. We're travelling and now, I can do things for Aatish. Aatish can do things for me, and that's ok;
"Are you comfortable? Do you have what you need, that we can do while we travel? Do you need some of this? Do you need some of that?" That we can do to each other the whole day. That's what you do when you are travelling together. "You want some water? You want some of this? You want some of that? Do you want some nuts?"

Like that, one could do things for each other. But there is a third person there, in the relationship – Krsna! And then when we act, then we can do things for each other. That's ok we can do things in any relationship that we have, but it should always be an offering to Krsna! ...Krsna is always part of it. Always a three way relationship. Never a two way relationship.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, August 2010)

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to KKS Blog using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vaishnava

A Vaishnava has to be someone with a heart, not just:
Someone who chants so many rounds – "That's wonderful"
or
Someone who knows so many slokas – "That's wonderful"
or
Someone who is always getting up really early when the whole world all sleep – "That's wonderful"
But that person if in spite of all those wonderful things doesn't show a heart and doesn't have a heart:
"Then he is not a complete Vaishnava"

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 11th, SA, Newcastle 2010)

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to KKS Blog using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nama Hatta

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2010, South Africa)

So the whole concept of Nama hatta is very nice, because if at least once a week if you go… you get your dose but what do you do for the rest of the week!
Something…something is better than nothing!
And that is true -something is better than nothing, but then again it's not good enough.
One of the attitudes of a Vaishnava when looking at another person is to appreciate the smallest service done by them and to offer appreciation for that
and the other aspect of the nature of a Vaishnava is when looking at our own performance, is to consider it not good enough.
It's not like being negative but just saying :
'There is room to improve!...


and one must think like that, that there is room to improve because otherwise we will not improve.
It begins with contemplation, everything begins with contemplation
Before the action comes the thought…in most cases! In some cases there is the opposite! But that's not so recommended , you know what I mean. There should be a thought before an action. So first contemplation, on what to do, how to do and whether one should do it? And then yes …just do it.
So in this way we must start thinking about improving our devotional service, if we want to be part of the Mahatmas, the great transcendental souls. And I think that everyone is meant to be like that, not a few:
'We have a few pure devotees, how nice, how nice, how nice!'
No, everyone must be a pure devotee. Everyone, no exception. So what can we do about it? At least try.
Well what can individuals do about it…put quality in our chanting, put quality in our sadhana , quality in reading and then we can take on service:
so Nama Hattas are interesting entities. Because Nama Hattas are self-contained entities, it's like a group that is designed to enliven the members of the group and all the activity goes into the group – the members are basically busy with each other to arrange the programme which they can have with the group, so some sort of self sustainable entity, like a closed-circuit.
You go to the Nama Hatta for inspiration and then you do service for the Nama Hatta, which creates the atmosphere of inspiration and you get your inspiration and like that……that's ok. It's a nice thing and a Nama hatta can go on like that for many years. I've seen many Nama Hattas that did well in this regards, but….
Lord Caitanya wanted more, the Lord wanted us to preach Krsna consciousness.
It is a sannyasi's duty to disturb people. When everyone is happy and satisfied to say; 'Sorry that's not good enough, that's not good enough!', 'In a way it is an inbred culture, when a group is only concerned how it functions itself – then it is becoming a very dry, dry thing. Then we will not taste the nectar of compassion, of giving Krsna consciousness to others. We have to do something to expand this movement. We have to maybe organise events, maybe some public festival… we had a great BBT conference a long, long time ago and it was so inspiring. Some of you went and some of you heard about it, it was great and everyone thought it was wonderful, there were speakers from all over, telling the glories about book distribution and "I love : "stories about the glories of book distribution""
But since that time I have not seen that much change in terms of book distribution. So I feel that we should do something in South Africa about book distribution, so I'll come back in the month of December for that purpose to join you in book distribution! Because it is supposed to be a marathon – but if I go everyone had to go –that's the deal! That's how it is. That's why I brought the camera-man- ladies and gentlemen, you're on the film! So let us all try to distribute some books for Srila Prabhupada's pleasure.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2010, South Africa)

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to KKS Blog using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve Made It Now Get Fat And Sit Back.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Lenasia , Radhastami 2010)

Just when the Gopis thought in the Rasa dance, Krishna is under our control…whoosh He was gone. That is the nature of devotional service. One can never ever think:
"Now I have surrendered, now I have made it, now I have made it."
In this world it is like that:
'I've worked hard, now I'm rich I've made it and now all I have do is get fat and sit back!"...


No, it's not like that in spiritual life. One has to again and again conquer the heart of Krishna. That is the secret of devotional service and that is what we really see in these pastimes and that is what we can take out of it and we can realise for ourselves on our own level - we are not on the level of the eternal residents but on our own level, we also have to again and again conquer Krishna. Everyday again, Every time again.
Sometime after we have done our best and served Krishna to our best ability, Krishna may bestow some mercy upon us and we actually feel something extraordinary and we are really inspired and we reay feel Krishna is very close, but after a little while He is then so far away…and then we are suprised, we ask:
'How is it that He was so close to me and now so far from me?"
It is amazing how that happens to us- and then we have to conquer Him again – again we have to conquer Him again and again.

No one can take Krishna for granted.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Lenasia , Radhastami 2010)

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to KKS Blog using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites