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"Planet ISKCON" - 28 new articles
H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 1544:58 A.M.Sri Harinama Cintamani (spoken by Haridasa Thakura to Lord Caitanya and written by Bhaktivinoda Thakura): Symptoms of a sadhu in a few words: One who has fully surrendered to the Lord Krishna will naturally only chant Lord Krishna’s name, thus such a person is entitled to be called a sadhu, by the Lord’s grace. Only devotee of Lord Krishna is eligible to be respected as a sadhu and none other. If anyone else proclaims himself a sadhu he is but a charlatan and a braggart. One who constantly says he is a poor soul surrendered to Lord Krishna and who constantly chants Krishna’s name is a real sadhu. He considering himself lower than a blade of grass and more tolerant than a tree offers all respects to others without expecting anything for himself. The holy name of Krishna grants such a sadhu divine love of Godhead. This is a succinct definition of a sadhu. The absolute emphasis is placed on chanting Lord Krishna’s name. Unless he chants Hare Krishna he cannot be considered a sadhu, but charlatan. And he should chant the holy names in the humble state of mind. A Vaisnava fixed in the name is the real sadhu: When I hear a sadhu chant the holy name I offer my respects to him, knowing him to be a perfect Vaisnava. A Vaisnava is the spiritual master of the world, a true friend of every being; always an ocean of compassion, anyone who criticizes a Vaisnava goes directly to hell and suffers untold pains birth after birth. The doors of bhakti are closed to this offender because the devotional service is the merciful gift of a Vaisnava to the living entities. A Vaisnava is an abode of Lord Krishna’s spiritual potencies; others receive krishna-bhakti only by his confidential association The chanter of the holy name is the sole protector and giver of mercy of hari-nama to the world. One should approach him as a disciple and receive the great benefit. If one criticizes the Vaisnava he ruins his spiritual life. One can find chanting available anywhere, as in a printed book, but it has to be received through confidential service to pure devotee. This morning I did better, I slept until after 2 A.M. and got up at 2:30 for chanting. I chanted with medicine to prevent sleepiness, and I then accumulated my rounds quickly and with attention. I had twelve rounds done by 4:45 and began to welter by that time. The confidential relisher
H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: Prabhupada MeditationsPrabhupada and Krishna When all is said and done, I’m confident that Prabhupada will claim his devotees as long as we turn to him. He has specifically instructed us about the time of death. He said the same thing that Bhagavan Krishna says: Think of Krishna at the end of life and “surely you will come to Me, without doubt.” This time-of-death meditation will carry us to the spiritual world. And Krishna will note the brand of our meditation, as the followers of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada personally meditated on Lord Krishna until the last breath, while residing in Krishna-Balarama Mandir, while urging his disciples never to give up preaching. There is no conflict between thinking of Prabhupada and thinking of Krishna. Even when we feel we are most in tune with Krishna directly, by His words in Bhagavad-gita or in His beautiful Form in the arca-vigraha, even then we are gratefully aware, “Srila Prabhupada, I am doing what you told me and as always, you were right-Krishna is so nice.” According to Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy, the spiritual master leads the devotee into his eternal rasa with Sri Sri Radha-Krishna in Vrndavana. And just in case we have not done so well, it’s Srila Prabhupada who will stand between us and the Yamadutas’ fierce punishments. H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: I Can Write a PoemI can write a poem
I can write a poem about
I can write a poem about
I can write a poem about
I can write a poem about
I can write a poem about Krishna
H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: “Gopi Gita”Free Write I turned at random to Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 3, Chapter 27, text 30: “When a perfect yogi’s attention is no longer attracted to the by-products of mystic powers which are manifestations of the external energy, his progress towards Me becomes unlimited, and thus the power of death cannot overcome him.” Purport: “Yogis are generally attracted to the by-products of mystic yogic power, for they can become smaller than the smallest or greater than the greatest, achieve anything they desire, have power even to create a planet, or bring anyone they like under their subjection. Yogis who have incomplete information of the result of devotional service are attracted by these powers, but these powers are material; they have nothing to do with spiritual progress. As other material powers are created by the material energy, mystic yogic powers are also material. A perfect yogi’s mind is not attracted by any material power, but is simply attracted by unalloyed service to the Supreme Lord… A devotee’s attention is concentrated only upon the eternal loving service of the Lord, and therefore the power of death has no influence over him. In such a devotional state, a perfect yogi can attain the status of immortal knowledge and bliss.” We are reading the chapter of gopi’s songs in separation from Krishna, it is sometimes called the “Gopi-gita.” It was very beautiful and crafted poetry. Prabhupada titles the chapter “Songs by the Gopis.” One gopi said, “Since You have taken Your birth in the land of Vrajabhumi everything appears to be glorious. But it is only we who are unhappy because we have been searching for You, and we can not see You by our greatest effort. Our life is completely dependent upon Yours truly, therefore we request You again come to us.” This chapter is particularly lacking for those who do not know how to sing it in Sanskrit. It has exact metric count and melody. Each verse is a separate experience by a gopi making her words into a beautiful song. They are repeatedly expressing their desire to see Krishna. They are speaking to Him directly, but they are unable to see Him. They do not only want to see Him but they want to touch Him and embrace Him and have Him embrace them in return. When we had our 1969 ISKCON press meeting with Prabhupada in Boston (in Needham, to be exact, on a snowy evening in a Massachusetts cottage). Prabhupada cautioned us that Back to Godhead writers and editors should not indulge in the pastimes of Krishna and the gopis embracing. But when we asked him if it should be forbidden, he said: “It is not that we have taken a vow to boycott the gopis. They are our worshipable deities.” He said that when that portion of the Bhagavatam occurs in the Tenth Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, then we should treat it. He mentioned something about a pharmacist, and that how you do not go into the pharmacy and ask for “any medicine” but it has to be prescribed by the expert pharmacist for the particular treatment. So here it is. The gopis are gathered at the Yamuna and yearning for Krishna and expressing themselves in romantic metaphors. “O Krishna, when You return from the pasturing ground with the animals, we see Your face covered by Your curly hair and dusted by the hoof dust of the cows. We see Your mildly smiling face, and our desire to enjoy You increases. O dear Krishna, You are the supreme lover, and You always give shelter to surrendered souls. You fulfill everyone’s desire; Your lotus feet are worshiped even by Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe. On whoever worships Your lotus feet, You without a doubt always bestow Your benedictions. So kindly be pleased with us and keep Your lotus feet on our breasts and thus relieve our present distresses. Dear Krishna, we are seeking Your kisses, which You offer even to Your flute. The vibration of Your flute enchants the whole world and our hearts also. Kindly, therefore, return and kiss us with Your mouth of nectar.” When Lord Krishna finally reappeared among the assembled gopis, He looked very beautiful, just befitting a person with all kinds of opulences. He had been watching them from the forest and relishing them and creating an increase in their love for Him by having them chant the “Gopi-gita.” In the Brahma-samhita it is said, ananda-cin-maya-rasa-pratibhavitabhih: Krishna alone is not particularly beautiful, but when His energy–especially His pleasure energy, represented by Radharani–expands, He looks very magnificent. The Mayavadis’ conception of Absolute Truth without potency is due to insufficient knowledge. Outside the exhibition of His different potencies, the Absolute Truth is not complete. Krishna is always surrounded by many thousands of goddesses of fortune. The gopis are all goddesses of fortune, and Krishna takes their hands in His hand by the bank of the Yamuna. The gopis spread their cloth on the ground and give Him a place to sit, the ultimate goal of their perfect desire was attained, and they felt there was no other desire to be fulfilled. The gopis were fully satisfied with Krishna, but to experience some suppressed anger that they had been separated from Him (and to increase the nectar of Their relationship) they asked Him some questions as to what kind of lover He was. They said there are three kind of lovers, one class simply receives, another class reciprocates favorably, even if the lover is very contrary, and the third lover neither acts contrary nor favorably in dealings. So out of these three classes, the gopis asked, “Which do You prefer and which do you call honest?” Krishna answered their questions specifically and indirectly and you can read them in the Krishna book (pages 212–213) but finally He asked the gopis not to find fault with Him by thinking of Him as an ordinary lover. “Because you consider Me so dear to you, kindly excuse Me if I have done anything wrong. I cannot repay your continuous love for Me, even throughout the lifetimes of the demigods in the heavenly planets. It is impossible to repay you or show enough gratitude for your love; therefore please be satisfied by your own pious activities. You have displayed exemplary attraction for Me, overcoming the greatest difficulties arising from family connections. Please be satisfied with your highly exemplary character, for it is not possible for Me to repay My debt to you.” The University of Oregon Ducks football team has an unbeaten record, they have only the championship game left to play. The pro football teams don’t have an undisputable victor. It is only the 6th of December and the Christmas trees and lights aren’t brought out yet but lots of shopping has been done, even more than last year. I’m having a birthday party on December 18th at Haryasva’s temple in Philadelphia. It’s the third year in the row I’ve done it there. About thirty-five or forty people will come on the Saturday. A few will stay over for a second meeting on Sunday. On Saturday morning I’ll give a talk (I don’t know on what topic) and maybe the awkward business of asking the disciples to speak homages. They like to do something from the heart. But it’s embarrassing to allow them and ask them to do it. Some years I’ve skipped it. Romapada Swami said there is a “trade-off” if you don’t do it. You gain something (modesty) but you lose something (openheartedness). ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Practicing Spiritual EconomicsSome time ago I attended a Mayapur Institute of Higher Education (MIHE)
seminar series that really challenged my preconceptions.
The seminars demonstrated how daivi-varnashrama is underpinned by an
economy based on giving - in contrast to our consumer society that
is based on taking.The facilitator, Dhanesvara Dasa, was writing a
book on the subject that he has now published. You may find it
interesting.
ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana
ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Dina Bandhu PrabhuSrimad Bhagavatam 11.28.1 - Material world is 'Hot Burn!'. Do not touch. Japa Group: Developed A Real Taste For Chanting
Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: Beware of Mayavadi interpretationsIndian man (2): ...of anecdote where gopis, you know? When gopis' dress were taken by Krsna, He wanted these gopis to give away all their humility and humbleness, to show everything. "Then only, unless you surrender to Me, you cannot have any salvation." So when they took out all their dress and then went prayed before Him without any dress, then only they have become muktas. Like that Draupadi also. When Duhsasana... Prabhupada: That is Mayavadi interpretation. Indian man (2): No, that is what I... Prabhupada: Why should you interpret? Gopis prayed Krsna and all the Katyayani devis that "Let Krsna become our husband." So Krsna fulfilled their desire because a woman can become naked only before husband. That is the purport, no other interpretation. Hare Krsna. Krsna, when that so many gopis called, "So you wanted Me as your husband? All right, I become your husband." That's all. Because for a woman there is no shame before husband. So this was acceptance of husband. And so far renouncing everything, they had already done that. Therefore we take everything, sastra, as it is, no interpretation. Then, simply by making oneself naked, he would have gone to Vrndavana. They interpret. These Mayavadis, they interpret in so many ways just to make the statement of Bhagavata story. This is their real purpose. Hare Krsna. Jaya. (Hindi) Without being liberated, can anyone expect to become wife of Krsna? They were already liberated. These interpretation are there only to minimize the value of Krsna and the value of gopis. Mayavada bhasya sunile haya sarva nasa. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has warned, "If you hear the comments by the Mayavadis, then you are finished." >>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- November 11, 1975, Bombay Srila Prabhupada's Letters1967 December 6: "Your journey is important for your touring in Europe. We cannot expect any tangible help from her. She is not my godsister but a disciple of my godbrother. The best thing will be to start a center independently." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1969 December 6: "As different light bulbs take different amounts of energy depending upon the capacity of the bulb, similarly, according to one's sincere desire to render devotional service, the Lord responds accordingly to enlighten such devotee." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1974 December 6: "So the guru is not on the scene. He has fled away and nobody knows where he is, but the Krishna consciousness program is going on. So that was also going on during the time of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1974 December 6: "Sometimes we may differ, but Krishna is the center. Just like there is Radharani's party and there is Candravali's party. So even there is competition in Vrindavan, they will coincide in Krishna." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1974 December 6: "Our aim is to create men of ideal character. And, if our men are distributing books on this account, they are doing the best service. The end justifies the means. We have to give them even they do not want it. That is our duty." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1974 December 6: "I blindly follow my Guru Maharaj. I do not know what is the result. So I am stressing book distribution. He told me this personally. You are intelligent boys, you should judge the desire of my Guru Maharaj and help me." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1974 December 6: "I will come but I must be back in India by mid March. No, I have not stopped traveling. I am trying to go on like a young man, but sometimes the health does not allow. That is beyond my jurisdiction." Srila Prabhupada's Letters1975 December 6: "I said from the very beginning that we should not move, but you proposed moving, so now you are proposing staying. So that is all right, stay and develop there." Dandavats.com: A Book Marathon MessageBy Giriraj Swami Glorification of Krsna is complete when many devotees participate. Also, complete glorification means glorifying not only Krsna's name but also His form, His qualities, His pastimes, His entourage, His paraphernalia--everything related to Him. Distribution of Srila Prabhupada's books is complete glorification of Krsna because Srila Prabhupada's books glorify Krsna fully--His name, form, qualities, pastimes, and so on Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: 24 Hour Harinam Sankirtan in Mississauga ki Jaya!Param Vijate Sri Krishna Sankirtan!
The stats: ~ Over 230 books sold! ~ over 24 hours of non stop Hare Krishna maha-mantra kirtan. ~ The Maha-mantra chanted over 5,760 times is so many different voices. ~ Hundreds of "newbies" exposed to Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. ~ Japa chanted by hundreds, many for the 1st time ever. ~ 10 plus families that knew ISKCON from India, etc. but did not realize we had a temple here! ~ Many families that knew temple but didn't realize we had a Brampton/Mississauga branch. ~ 0 (zero) the number of japa beads left in the temple room and on the book table. ~ 0 (zero) the number of Krishna books left. (Other titles sold out as well). ~ Indresh
Credits: ~ Ramanand Roy das & family for organizing ~ Shastriji & the management of the temple for being so accommodating ~ Vijay Patel Prabhu because it is Vijay Prabhu and he boosts us all up ~ All the Prabhus & Matajis on the book table and Toronto Sankirtan Team for organizing ~ All the dedicated devotees who did kirtan even at "slow" times as well as Gaura Shakti Group Ananda Subramanian, Iowa, USA: Brahman's big bangAccording to modern scientific knowledge, the beginning of material universe is traced back to elementary particles, gases and high temperature/pressure. In other words, the beginning of what we call life is “matter”. This is not surprising because “matter” can be measured and hence scientists state what they collect as physical evidence. This is what we study in school as “truth”. According to Vedic scientific knowledge, the beginning of material universe is traced back to “false ego”. The Srimad Bhagavatam states that because of “false ego” or "ahankar", Vishnu who is lying on the causal ocean started this creation to satisfy the “false ego” of the individual atomic souls. False ego or ahankar is an indication of spirit (Brahman). According to Vedic science, life is defined as “Brahman” or “spirit soul”. The presence of false ego means the presence of Brahman. In actuality, the spirit soul (Brahman) has an original identity which is the “real and true” ego. But because the spirit soul wants to enjoy without superior order, it is placed in a make-believe world and obtains a make-believe identity. This make-believe identity is what we call false-ego or false-identity. From the creation standpoint, the false-ego of the spirit soul is the beginning of our material universe which also implies “life”. Therefore, from a Vedic perspective, the beginning of time was “life/spirit” and not necessarily “matter”. The modern scientists are missing the clue that “matter” also implies “life” because matter cannot manifest on its own. For example, the concept of dark matter is mythology if one validates it on physical evidence. But physicists accept dark matter as fact although there is no physical evidence to prove its existence. This is because dark matter impacts things around it and that impact is measurable. So by way of impact, scientists argue there is something that is causing “impact”. Using the same logic, we can argue that matter, explosion etc cannot happen without unlimited energy. Where does that energy come from? What is its source? From our daily experience, we can get a clue to this question. We know that matter in itself does not emit energy. When a body of matter is set in motion by external force creates momentum releases energy for sustained movement. Once the force is stopped, energy dies, body of matter eventually stops. This means that something "living" has to exert force and not something "dead" or "inert". This "living" which creates force is called "brahman". Similarly, if we extrapolate this idea to the universal scale, there has to be something "living" to assert force on such massive scale to release such massive energy for creation to take place. This explanation is more realistic and grounded in reality versus the complicated models scientists create. The nature of "brahman" is opposite to the nature of "matter". Matter is visible and measurable. The opposite would mean "brahman" is invisible and not measurable. Therefore, in one sense, brahman represents everything matter does not, so we can also call brahman "anti-matter". But how do we realistically explain the existence of anti-matter? Just as we concluded that dark matter exists by way of its environmental impact it creates, similarly we can conclude the existence of brahman or anti-matter by the force it creates for creation to happen. Therefore creation begins with brahman or anti-matter! Hare Krishna Akrura das, Gita Coaching: NOT INSPIREDYou are not inspired because you do not have clear goals. Akrura das, Gita Coaching: INSPIRATIONWho inspires you most in Krsna consciousness? H.H. Sivarama Swami: Bhima dasa from Vancouver asks a short, but loaded question “What do you see in the future?”Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Quilted Pastry BarsWhile a French pastry chef I am not, a fridge of leftover this n’ thats inspired me to come up with something a little different, a little divine, a little buttery and a lot perfect. This delicate pastry is subtle and sweet, flaky and fabulous, rich and relishable. I didn’t write up any recipe, but I will surely revisit this in the future, as it was such a hit with the family. Eggless dairy and full vegan recipes to come! Tagged: baking, breakfast, dessert, food, pastry, sweet ravioli, vegetarian Japa Group: How Can We Keep That Spark Bright?
Radhanath Swami: We eat to gain strength. And it’s not that you just eat on Monday and comeback the next Sunday to eat again. You have to regularly nourish yourself, or else you get weak. Similarly, regular association with people who uplift us is all important, and regular connection with the Lord of our heart is very important for maintaining our spiritual strength. Chanting God’s names everyday, reading through the scriptures everyday, offering sincere prayers regularly, associating with people who inspire us regularly—if we make these our priorities—spiritual life becomes very simple and very happy. Otherwise, it’s very difficult, because there is a lot of opposition to leading a pure life in this world. That's a very bright and beautiful teaching from Maharaja to us, may all of us understand and put into practice his wise words. your servant, Aruna devi ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Dina Bandhu PrabhuSrimad Bhagavatam 11.27.49-55 - Srila Prabhupada impressed the residents of Vrndavana. Vraja Kishor, JP: The Seed of Divine LoveThe seed of divine love is the confidence that pleasing God is the best thing I could do for myself. Having gotten that seed by hearing the emotions and thoughts of a person who was in love with God, I eventually took up a sense of responsibility to cultivate it, care for it, and see that it grew into something strong. I planted that seed in the soil of my heart, where it took root. I poured my desire to love Krsna on the seed always, and the seed it grew into a vine climbing throughout my mind. This vine spread leaves into all of the senses of my body. Thus, like an alchemist, she transformed my entire being from the iron of selfish materialism to the molten gold of pure spirituality. Eventually, I myself became like a bumble bee maddened to taste the honey of her flower: the ecstatic experience of divine loving affairs with the all-attractive Godhead, Krsna. Gouranga TV: Subala Prabhu bhajan – ISKCON Lisbon Kartik 2010Subala Prabhu bhajan – ISKCON Lisbon Kartik 2010 More Recent Articles |
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