Chant Hare Krishna and Be Happy

utsahat nischayat dhairyat

2011-07-26T04:03:00.000-07:00

Something has dropped in the water, in the river. You cannot see the things dropped within the water by agitating the water. Just stand still for some time. As soon as the water is settled up, you’ll see the things as they are. So as soon as our enthusiasm is agitated, it is better to sit down in any temple suitable and chant Hare Krishna. There is no question of being disappointed. After all, we commit so many mistakes. That is human nature. To err is human. That is not fault. But try to rectify with cool head – Srila Prabhupada, Calcutta, January 27, 1973

Sri Varaha Dvadasi

2011-07-26T03:59:00.000-07:00

Shri VarAha Dvadasi________________________________________The Most Holy Appearance Day of Lord Varahadev.The pregnancy of Diti Jaya and Vijaya cursed by the four Kumaras Theappearance of Lord Varaha The victory of Hiranyaksha and his death at thehands of Lord Varaha.From: Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 3.After describing the appearance of the white Boar Incarnation that hadappeared during the Svayambhuva devastation, Maitreya next described the redBoar Incarnation that had appeared during the Chakshusha devastation.Maitreya related these pastimes to Vidura in the same manner in which he hadheard them long ago when Lord Brahma had narrated them to the demigods.Once upon a time, at sunset, Kashyapa, the son of Marichi, was offeringoblations to Lord Vishnu into the sacrificial fire. At this time, his wife,Diti, approached him due to being greatly afflicted by sex desire. Withouttrying to attract him gradually by her bodily expressions, the beautifulDiti frankly begged her husband, "O learned one, Cupid is forciblydistressing me with his arrows, just as an elephant troubles a banana tree.I want to have sons like my co-wives and so you should be merciful to me.""My father, Daksha, had separately asked each of his daughters, whom wepreferred to marry. Then, after understanding our intentions, he handed overthirteen of his daughters to you, and we have been faithful to you eversince that time. O lotus-eyed one, when someone in distress approaches agreat person, his pleas should never go in vain."The hen-pecked Kashyapa could have strongly refused his wife, but because hewas also sexually inclined, he tried to pacify Diti, who had become verypoor-hearted and talkative, due to the contamination of lust. Kashyapa said,"O afflicted one, I shall soon gratify your desire. It is only due to havinga good wife that a man like me can cross over the great ocean of materialexistence. Indeed, a wife is so helpful that she is called the better halfof a man's body. Just as a military commander can easily conquer invaderswhile remaining protected within a fort, so a man can conquer his senses bytaking shelter of a good wife. For this reason, a man could never repay hiswife for all the benefit that he derives from her, even if he were to try todo so during his entire lifetime, or even after death.""My dear Diti, although I cannot sufficiently repay you, I will satisfy yoursex desire for the purpose of begetting children. I only request you to waitfor a few minutes so that I may not become subject to criticism. The presentmoment is most inauspicious because at this time Lord Shiva rides upon hisbull carrier, accompanied by his horrible ghostly companions. He gives suchghosts the chance of getting a gross material body by placing them into thewombs of women that indulge in sexual intercourse during this forbiddenperiod. Lord Shiva is your sister's husband, and with his three eyes, hewill see your forbidden act."In spite of receiving such good instructions from her husband, Diti was sooppressed by sex desire that she caught hold of Kashyapa's clothes just likea shameless prostitute, and thus she practically forced him to gratify herlusty urge. After offering obeisances unto worshipful fate, Kashyapa laydown with Diti in a secluded place. After finishing the forbidden act,Kashyapa purified himself by bathing and once again sat down to chant theGayatri mantra, while meditating upon the impersonal aspect of the Absolute.Meanwhile, after having gratified her lust, Diti came to her senses. Withher head lowered in shame, she approached her husband and said, "My dearbrahmana, please insure that my embryo is not killed by Lord Shiva, becauseof the great offense that I have committed against him."Diti then prayed for Lord Shiva's mercy in a very clever manner: "Let meoffer my obeisance unto the angry Lord Shiva. He is so great that he canimmediately destroy my embryo, but at the same time he is so merciful andforgiving. Lord Shiva is known as the lord of all women, who are excusedeven by uncivilized hunters, and therefore I beg him to spare me from hiswrath."As Diti stood before him, trembling due to fear of his anger, Kashyapa said,"Because of your polluted mind, the improper time, your disobedience, andyour neglect of the demigods, your conception will produce two abominablesons who will create havoc within the world by killing innocent persons,torturing women, and enraging the great souls. As a result, the Supreme Lordwill incarnate to kill them, just as Indra smashes mountains with histhunderbolt."Diti replied, "O my husband, it is a great relief for me to know that mysons will be killed by the all-merciful Supreme Lord, rather than the wrathof the brahmanas. One who offends the brahmanas or causes fear to others isso condemned that even those who are already in hell, or who are of thedegraded species in which he will later on appear, feel no compassion towardhim."Kashyapa then informed Diti, "Due to your repentance and firm faith in theSupreme Lord, as well as your adoration for Lord Shiva and myself, one ofyour grandsons will be a greatly exalted devotee whose fame will rival thatof the Lord Himself. Because of his great devotion for the SupremePersonality of Godhead, others will follow in his footsteps, and because ofhis having satisfied the Supreme Lord, everyone will become pleased withhim. As a first-class devotee, your grandson will be able to see the SupremeLord, within and without; he will be a reservoir of all good qualities; andhe will feel very pained to see the suffering of the conditioned souls inthis material world."After hearing about the glories of Prahlada, Diti became very pleased. But,because she could understand that her sons would cause great disturbances tothe demigods, she continued to bear the powerful embryos for one hundredyears without giving birth. Still, the force of Diti's pregnancy disturbedthe entire universe, and the light of sun and moon became impaired.After observing this fearful condition, the demigods approached Lord Brahmaand submitted, "O lord, just see this darkness that is expanding in alldirections. O sustainer of the universe, who knows the intentions of allliving entities, Diti's pregnancy has caused this great disturbance, andthus our work has become suspended. Please be merciful unto us, for we havefallen into a very miserable condition."In response, Lord Brahma informed the demigods of what had happened longago. After having travelled all over the material creation, the four sagesSanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumara, entered the spiritual sky,wherein the Vaikuntha planets are situated. They were able to do this due tobeing freed from all material contamination. In the abode of Lord Narayana,the residents have forms similar to that of the Supreme Lord, and everyoneis engaged in His unalloyed devotional service. There are many forests fullof desire-trees, and throughout all seasons they are filled with fruit andflowers.While flying in their airplanes, along with their consorts, the inhabitantsof Vaikuntha eternally sing of the character and pastimes of the SupremeLord. Although the consorts that crowd the airplanes have large hips andbeautifully smiling faces, they cannot stimulate the passion of theresidents of Vaikuntha. This means that in Vaikuntha there is the enjoymentof the association with the opposite sex, but there is no sexualrelationship, because everyone is fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness.When the king of bees hums in a high pitch, singing the glories of the Lord,the cuckoos, cranes, chakravakas, swans, parrots and peacocks temporarilystop their singing to listen. Although flowers, such as the champaka,bakula, parijata and lotus are transcendentally fragrant, they are stillconscious of tulasi's austerities, and of how the Lord prefers to garlandHimself with her leaves. The ladies of Vaikuntha are as beautiful as thegoddess of fortune, and yet they are sometimes seen cleaning the marblewalls, just to receive the grace of the Supreme Lord, even though there ispractically no dust.Upon reaching the outskirts of Vaikuntha, the four Kumaras felt anunprecedented transcendental happiness. Then, after easily passing throughsix gates, the sages saw two doormen at the seventh gate that had similarbodily features and carried strong maces. They were four-armed and of bluishcomplexion, and due to their arched eyebrows, discontented nostrils andreddish eyes, they appeared somewhat agitated. The four Kumaras had openeddoors everywhere without any conception of "ours" and "theirs", and so theyinnocently began to pass through the seventh gate. The sages, who hadnothing to cover their bodies but the atmosphere, looked just likefive-year-old boys, although they were the oldest created beings, next toBrahma.Due to possessing a disposition quite unpalatable to the Lord, the twogatekeepers rudely blocked the Kumaras' entrance with their staffs. The Lordis always anxious to serve great sages, and thus the Kumaras were never tobe prohibited from entering Vaikuntha. The boy-sages had been very eager tosee the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and so upon being checked by theLord's two chief doorkeepers, they immediately became agitated. Their eyesred with rage, the Kumaras exclaimed, "Who are these persons who areengaging in the Lord's service and yet have developed a discordantmentality? They must be imposters, and so they suspect others to be justlike themselves. In Vaikuntha there is perfect harmony between the SupremeLord and the other inhabitants. These two persons are dressed like theresidents of Vaikuntha, but where has this seed of disharmony come from?Because of seeing duality, they have become contaminated. Therefore, theyshould be put into the material world, where everyone is conceived of asbeing either a friend or an enemy."When the gatekeepers realized that they were being cursed by the brahmanas,they at once became very afraid. After falling down at the Kumaras' feet,they begged, "You are correct in punishing us for having neglected suchgreat souls as yourselves. Still, in consideration of our repentance, wepray that you mercifully insure that the illusion of forgetting the SupremePersonality of Godhead will not overwhelm us as we fall down."Just at that moment, the Supreme Lord, having learned of this incident, camethere on foot accompanied by the goddess of fortune. Thus, the four Kumarassaw Lord Vishnu before them, Whom they had formerly seen only within theirhearts while being absorbed in the ecstatic trance of meditation.The Lord's beautiful blackish body was dressed in bright yellow cloth, andaround His neck hung a garland of fresh flowers that was encircled byhumming bees. While resting one of His hands upon Garuda's shoulder, theLord twirled a lotus flower in another. Indeed, His beauty was so excellentthat it defeated the pride of the goddess of fortune, and thus the Kumaraslooked at Him with unsated eyes.As the Kumaras joyfully bowed their heads, the breeze that carried the aromaof tulasi leaves from the toes of the Lord's lotus feet entered theirnostrils, causing a spiritual transformation in their body and mind, eventhough they had been fully attached to the impersonal Brahman. In otherwords, the Kumaras became converted from impersonalists that had desired tomerge into the Lord's brahmajyoti, to devotees who desire to render serviceto the Lord.After seeing the Lord's transcendental body, the Kumaras advanced to thestage of constant meditation upon His personal feature. Their anger havingsubsided, the four sages prayed, "Our dear Lord, whatever we had heard aboutYou from our father, Lord Brahma, has now been confirmed by Your kindappearance before us. We now understand that the most elevatedtranscendentalists are those that constantly engage in hearing about Yourpastimes, without caring for any other benediction, including liberation.""O Lord, we don't mind being born in any hellish condition, as long as ourhearts and minds are always engaged in Your devotional service."By dint of the Lord's presence, the Kumaras realized that it had beenimproper for them to curse the doorkeepers, in spite of the offense that hadbeen committed.The Supreme Lord then said, "These attendants of Mine, Jaya and Vijaya, havecommitted a great offense against you by ignoring My desire. I approve ofthe punishment that you have awarded to My servants. Indeed, since thesedoormen are My servants, I consider Myself to be the one that has offendedyou, and for this reason, I seek your forgiveness. Whatever wrong a servantcommits causes people in general to blame the master, just as a single spotof white leprosy is considered to pollute the whole skin.""For Me, the brahmanas are the most worshipable personalities, and so I amprepared to cut off My arm if its conduct proves to be hostile toward you.Because I am the servant of My devotees, My lotus feet have become so sacredthat they immediately purify one of all sins. I do not enjoy the offeringsthat are made into the sacrificial fire with as much relish as I enjoy thedelicacies cooked in ghee that are offered to the mouths of the brahmanaswho have dedicated their lives unto Me." "The Ganga is the remnants of waterleft after washing My feet, and it sanctifies the three worlds. If I cantake the dust of the Vaishnavas' feet upon My head, then who would refuse todo the same? These servants of Mine have offended you due to not knowing Mymind. Still, I will consider it a great favor if you allow them to return toMy presence soon, after reaping the consequences of their transgression."After hearing with wide-open ears, the Lord's extremely humble and beautifulspeech, which was difficult to comprehend due to its profound import, theKumaras pondered over its meaning for some time. Although the sages couldnot understand the Lord's actual intention, a thrill passed through theirbodies due to the delight of simply beholding Him. Understanding their faultin cursing the Lord's faultless servants, the Kumaras said, "O Lord, wecannot understand Your plans, for You have spoken as if we had donesomething good for You. Your adoration of the brahmanas is meant to teachothers, for it is You who are the supreme worshipable Deity." "O Lord,whatever punishment You wish to award to these two innocent persons, or tous, we shall accept without duplicity."The Lord replied, "O brahmanas, I have already ordained the punishment thatyou inflicted upon Jaya and Vijay, and thus they will have to accept birthin a demoniac family. But, by concentration of their minds upon Me in anger,they will always remain connected with Me, and soon thereafter, they willreturn to My abode."It is to be understood that the Lord Himself engineered the cursing of Jayaand Vijaya. Ordinarily, there is no possibility that the Kumaras couldbecome so angry, that the Lord could neglect His gatekeepers, or that anyonecould return to the material world after reaching Vaikuntha. Sometimes, theLord desires to fight, and because there are no enemies in Vaikuntha, Heincarnates into the material world for this purpose. The Lord only likes toperform His pastimes along with His associates, however, and so He chooses adevotee to play the part of His enemy. Then, after making a temporary showof fighting, the Lord recalls His devotee to the spiritual world.Thereafter, the four Kumaras circumambulated the Lord, offered theirobeisances, and departed from the gates of Vaikuntha. The Lord then orderedJaya and Vijaya, "Depart from here, but do not be afraid. I could havenullified the brahmanas' curse, but I chose not to do so. Lakshmi, whom youhad once stopped at the gate while I was sleeping, already predicted yourfall. Although seven births in the material world are your designatedpunishment, I want you to accept three demoniac births instead. Bypracticing mystic yoga in anger, you will become quickly cleansed of yoursinful reactions, and thus be able to return to Me in a very short time."After saying this, the Lord departed, and Jaya and Vijaya, who had becomemorose and pale because of the brahmanas' curse, fell down from Vaikuntha.As they were falling, the Kumaras reassured them that after three demoniacbirths, they would once again return to Vaikuntha. The demigods, who wereobserving all of this from their celestial airplanes, let out a great roarof disappointment, and thereafter, Jaya and Vijaya entered Diti's womb,after being covered by Kashyapa's powerful semen.Lord Brahma then concluded by informing the demigods, "It is the prowess ofthese twin demons that has disturbed you, by minimizing your own potency. Ihave no remedy for this situation, however, for all of this is taking placeby the desire of the Lord. Rest assured that the Supreme Lord will come toour rescue, and so do not bother to speculate any longer about the densedarkness that is covering all directions."After hearing this, the demigods became relieved from their fear andreturned to their respective abodes. Meanwhile, after bearing her embryosfor one hundred years, Diti gave birth to twin sons who were great demons.At this time, there were many fearful natural disturbances, such asearthquakes, and raging fires were seen burning everywhere. The inauspiciousplanets, such as Saturn and Mars, outshone the auspicious ones like Venusand Jupiter; and comets, meteors and thunderbolts appeared in the sky.Fierce winds made a displeasing hissing noise and uprooted great trees; anddue to the covering of clouds, all became shrouded in darkness. The oceanbecame highly agitated, and all of the lotuses that grew within the riversand lakes withered.Solar and lunar eclipses occurred repeatedly, and from the mountain cavescame sounds like the rattling of chariots. She-jackals vomited fire whilecrying out ominously, and asses ran here and there in herds, striking theearth with their hard hooves and braying loudly. Being frightened by thebraying asses, birds flew shrieking from their nests, and cows passed stooland urine due to fear. Indeed, the terrified cows yielded blood instead ofmilk, and the clouds rained puss instead of water. The deities in thetemples shed tears, and trees fell down even though there were no gusts ofwind.Upon seeing all of these evil omens, everyone except the four Kumaras becameseized by fear. Not knowing about the fall of Jaya and Vijaya and theirsubsequent birth as demons, everyone thought that the dissolution of theuniverse was at hand.Kashyapa named the first-born, who was formerly Jaya, Hiranyaksha and theone who was conceived first, who was formerly Vijaya, was namedHiranyakashipu. Soon after their birth, the demoniac twins exhibiteduncommon bodily features, and their steel-like frames became so tall thatthey seemed to touch the sky. Indeed, they blocked the view in alldirections, and as they walked, the earth shook with every step.After performing great austerities, Hiranyakashipu received benedictionsfrom Lord Brahma, and as a result, he became unafraid of death and veryproud. Being most powerful, Hiranyakashipu was able to bring the entirethree worlds under his control. His brother, Hiranyaksha, had also receivedBrahma's benediction of near-immortality, and so he became similarlypowerful and conceited.To satisfy his elder brother, Hiranyaksha took his club and began to travelall over the universe, with a fighting spirit. Because no one was able tokill him due to Brahma's benediction, even the demigods fearfully hid uponseeing Hiranyaksha, just as snakes hide out of fear of Garuda.When Hiranyaksha thus saw Indraloka vacant, he roared loudly, understandingthat the demigods had admitted defeat without even fighting. After returningfrom heaven, Hiranyaksha sportingly dove deep into the ocean, and uponseeing him, all of the great aquatics panicked and fled. Finally, aftermoving about in the ocean for many years, Hiranyaksha reached Vibhavari,Varuna's capital. Just to make fun of the lord of the waters, Hiranyakshafell at his feet and smilingly begged, "Give me battle, O supreme lord!"Upon seeing Hiranyaksha's arrogance, Varuna became enraged. Still, he curbedhis anger by means of intelligence and replied, "O dear one, I have given upfighting because I am too old. You are so skilled in battle that I can seeno one else but the most ancient person, Lord Vishnu, who can satisfy you.""O chief of the Daityas, I suggest that you approach Him, and thus becomerid of your pride by lying down dead upon the battlefield, surrounded bycarnivorous animals."Without paying any more heed to Varuna, Hiranyaksha departed. Then, when hehappened to meet the great sage Narada, the demon learned the whereabouts ofthe Supreme Lord. After once again entering the depths of the ocean,Hiranyaksha saw the all-powerful Supreme Lord in His boar incarnationbearing the earth upwards, while keeping her on the ends of His tusks. Uponseeing the Lord, the demon laughingly exclaimed, "An amphibious beast! Obest of the demigods, dressed in the form of a boar, the earth belongs tous, the inhabitants of the lower regions, and so I cannot allow You to takeit away from my presence. You rascal! Today I shall enliven my kinsmen bykilling You. When You fall down dead with Your skull smashed by my mace, thedemigods and rishis who offer You oblations in sacrifice will also cease tobe, just like a tree that can no longer live without roots."Although the Lord was certainly pained to hear such abusive language, Hetolerated it so that He could continue carrying the earth, which had becomevery frightened.As Lord Varaha rose out of the water, Hiranyaksha chased Him and roared,"Are You not ashamed of Yourself for running away after being challenged byan adversary? There is nothing that is reproachable for shameless creatureslike You!"Despite these harsh words, Lord Varaha calmly placed the earth upon thesurface of the water and then empowered her with the capacity to float. Atthis time, Lord Brahma and the other demigods praised the Lord for Hiswonderful act of lifting up the earth, and they showered flowers upon Him.Then, to express His terrible anger, the Lord replied, "Indeed, We arecreatures of the jungle and are searching for hunting dogs like you. One whois freed from the entanglement of death has no fear from the loose talk inwhich you are indulging, for you are bound up by the laws of death. Now,give up your foolish talk and attempt to kill Me. One may be very proud, buthe does not deserve a seat in an assembly if he fails to fulfill hispromise."Being thus challenged, Hiranyaksha became very angry and agitated, and hiswhole body began to tremble. While hissing indignantly, the demon sprang atthe Lord and tried to strike Him with his powerful mace. By moving aside,however, the Lord dodged the blow, and then with His own mace, He attemptedto smash Hiranyaksha's forehead. Being an expert fighter, the demon blockedthe blow with his own mace, however, and thereafter, a fierce encounter tookplace.As both combatants struck one another repeatedly with their strong clubs,the smell of blood that flowed from their wounds made them more and morefurious. Being very eager for victory, both the Lord and the demon exhibitedwonderful maneuvers, so that the battle looked like a contest between twopowerful bulls for the sake of a cow.Lord Brahma had been staying in the sky, along with all of the demigods andcelestial rishis, so that he could witness the terrible fight that was beingwaged for the sake of the earth. Becoming somewhat anxious, he addressedLord Varaha, "My dear Lord, Hiranyaksha has always oppressed the demigods,brahmanas, cows and other innocent creatures. There is no need for You toplay with this serpentine demon any longer, for he is very skilled inutilizing mystic powers, and he is most arrogant and wicked." "My dearinfallible Lord, please kill him before the demoniac hour of twilightarrives and thus increases his strength. The auspicious period calledabhijit began at noon and has almost passed. Therefore, please dispose ofYour formidable enemy quickly and thus establish peace within the world."In response, the Lord heartily laughed, while at the same time He acceptedBrahma's prayers with a glance that was laden with love. Then, asHiranyaksha fearlessly stood nearby, Lord Varaha suddenly sprang at himwhile aiming His mace at the demon's chin.Hiranyaksha blocked the blow with his own mace, however, and as a result,the Lord's club slipped from His hand. That blazing mace looked splendidwhile whirling around and around as it fell, and a great cry of alarm arosefrom the onlooking demigods and rishis. Still, even though he had anexcellent opportunity to strike his unarmed foe, Hiranyaksha respected theetiquette for single-combat by refraining from doing so. This kindled theLord's fury even more, however, and He invoked His Sudarshana chakra. Asthis wonderful disc revolved in the Lord's hand, while He was at closequarters with His enemy, the demigods and rishis exclaimed, "May victory beYours!" "Dispatch him at once!" "Don't play with the demon any longer!"Seeing Lord Varaha before him with the Sudarshana chakra in His hand,Hiranyaksha resentfully bit his lip and began to hiss like a serpent. Then,that great demon with fearful tusks suddenly sprang into the air whilewielding his club, and while doing so, he shouted, "You are slain!"As Hiranyaksha tried to strike Him, Lord Varaha playfully kicked the macefrom his hand with His left foot and then said, "Pick up your weapon, sinceyou are so eager to conquer Me."Being so challenged, Hiranyaksha picked up his mace and then hurled itimpetuously while roaring loudly. Without even flinching, however, LordVaraha easily caught the mace in His hand, and so the demon felt greatlyhumiliated. Being reluctant to take back his weapon when the Lord offered itto him, Hiranyaksha instead picked up a flaming trident and violently hurledit. As the trident blazed brightly while soaring through the sky, LordVaraha tore it to pieces by releasing His Sudarshana chakra. At this, thedemon became more enraged, and while letting out a loud roar, he rushed atLord Varaha impetuously. After striking the Lord on the chest with his hardfist, Hiranyaksha immediately disappeared.The Lord was not disturbed in the least by the blow, however, any more thanan elephant would feel hurt being struck by a flower garland. Thereafter,Hiranyaksha employed many conjuring tricks against the Lord, Who isYogeshvara, and all who saw the magical display thought that the dissolutionof the universe was at hand.Fierce winds began blowing and the dust that was raised created darkness inall directions. Torrents of stones fell from the sky, along with showers ofpuss, hair, blood, stool, urine and bones- accompanied by lightning andthunder. Mountains discharged various weapons, and naked demonesses withtheir hair hanging loose suddenly appeared, carrying tridents. Hosts ofYakshas and Rakshasas were heard uttering cruel and savage slogans as theymarched on foot or rode upon horses, elephants and chariots.By releasing His Sudarshana chakra, however, the Lord was able to dispel allof these illusions, and at that moment, a shudder of terror passed throughDiti's heart. While recalling the words of her husband, blood began to flowfrom her breasts.When Hiranyaksha saw that his magical creations had been dispelled, he onceagain made himself visible. In a fit of rage, he tried to crush the Lordwithin his arms as a last resort. But, to his great surprise, after tryingto grab the Lord, the demon found that He was still outside the circle ofhis arms. Then, as Hiranyaksha angrily struck Him with his fists, LordVaraha slapped him indifferently at the root of the ear, making him staggerbackwards. With his eyeballs bulging out of their sockets, his hairscattered, and his limbs broken, the great demon fell down dead, like anuprooted tree.Lord Brahma and the other demigods quickly arrived at that spot, to see theslain body of the demon close up. Still biting his lip, Hiranyaksha's bodilyluster had not faded, in spite of the absence of the soul, because theLord's lotus foot remained touching it. Lord Brahma admiringly said, "Oh,who could meet with such a blessed death? This fortunate demon was struck bythe lotus foot of the Lord, upon Whom yogis meditate in mystic trance in thehopes of gaining liberation from their unreal, material bodies."Thereafter, the demigods expressed their great appreciation for the Lord'shaving assumed His Varaha form and relieving them of their agonizing fear ofthe demon. After receiving the demigods' praises, the Lord returned to Hisown abode in the spiritual world, where there is always an uninterruptedfestival going on.Suta Gosvami concluded his narration by saying, "O brahmanas, anyone whohears, chants, or takes pleasure in the wonderful description of LordVaraha's killing of Hiranyaksha is at once relieved from the results of allkinds of sinful activities, including the killing of a brahmana."

Ghost Versus Hare Krsna! (Rome, Italy, March 2009)

2011-07-26T03:58:00.001-07:00

This happened in Rome, Italy (March 2009). True story of a girl haunted by a ghost and how she was eventually relieved by the powerful sound vibrations of the Hoy Names of Krishna. Long read but worth reading!
Ghost Versus Hare Krsna!
As soon as we entered the apartment we understood we were in for some excitement. We'd heard different stories of how this young woman had been terrorized by a ghost for the last nine years, of how just the other week she had been hospitalized due to a flying chair striking her in the head, and how she was now at the limit of her sanity. We'd been told of knives flying across the room, pictures leaping from the walls and levitating coffee machines. Chairs and other objects independently shaking and smashing into walls was a daily occurrence in this home."Hey, but ghosts don't exist". Well for many people and cultures they do. Ancient Indian culture explains that a ghost is someone, a soul, who, upon dying is not awarded a new physical body, but painfully lingers around in their subtle body made of mind, intelligence and false ego. Such a situation may occur due to a sudden death or extreme negative acts such as suicide, and is a position of suffering as one has a mind full of desires yet no body to enact them. Ghosts often take advantage of weak minded persons or those under intoxication, entering their physical bodies and attempt to enjoy through this borrowed facility. Many people cannot believe what they have done whilst under intoxication or depression, acts they normally would refrain from.So, such was the situation we found in a quiet village just outside Rome. The woman and her boyfriend had tried everything they knew to free themselves from this terrifying situation. On one occasion they'd lit incense and chanted prayers in order to purify the atmosphere only to find the nearby wardrobe seemingly come to life and violently vibrate, splitting into two equal pieces. Upon moving the ruptured closet they had been horrified to find a swarming mass of bleach-white worms, quite different from the indigenous species, covering the wall and floor.The woman explained that nine years before she had been the object of attraction for one boy in her school. Repeatedly denying his requests for a relationships, she had found herself cursed by the boy's satanic mother, who was well practiced in the black arts of witchcraft. She was told that she would suffer for the rest of her life for this refusal. That had been nine years before, yet with some incident every evening it already felt like a lifetime. One may ask why they stayed in the same apartment, why not move? Well, theirs was a family home for several generations, and they still lived with her parents. Whilst her mother was very sympathetic to her daughter, the father had been always skeptical. Most of the happenings had been directed only to his daughter, until he also started to experience strange things.Out of desperation, they had once invited the local Catholic monks to come and assist. The monks explained that they could perform an exorcism on the woman but they couldn't guarantee the ghost would leave the property. "Anyhow, at least let's do something", they decided, although they were not prepared for what they would witness.At one point in the ceremony with the woman white like a sheet, trembling and covered with sweat, they beheld countless 3-inch nails shooting from her mouth, followed by a deep ghastly roar clearly not from such a simple lady. Whilst the couple were completely shocked, the monks explained that it was all quite normal in these situations and that the Vatican was full of such incidents.Seeing no alternative, the boyfriend called upon his parents for help. As they were Vaisnava practitioners, Hare Krishnas, for more than twenty years, they enthusiastically seized the opportunity and organized a troop of devout spiritual followers, we were seven in total. We meditated not only on trying to help the disturbed family but also on helping the ghost who was himself imprisoned in such an agonizing situation. Our strategy would be to perform loud, intense chanting of Krishna 's names which purify everything and are feared by fear personified. It is said that all negativity flies away when one chants the holy name of Krishna .This would be a chance to see how much we believed in what we had dedicated our lives to, were we really taking our spiritual life seriously or were we just pretenders.We were not sure what to expect but we were certain that we wanted to experience something extraordinary. Were we ready for what was to come?"Oh no, it's started....it's started!"The expression on the woman's face changed rapidly as did ours. What we had been expectantly awaiting was now immediately happening. As soon as we crossed the threshold of the apartment our hearts had taken on a new gear, sensing the thick heavy atmosphere. As if to ignite fear within us, two pictures of Christian saints had sprung from the hallway wall and crashed to the floor. Was this a message from our apparently hostile poltergeist suggesting our own immanent destiny? As each devotee individually deepened their soft recital of Krishna's names, we confidently ventured forward. Within a second a dining chair in the adjoining kitchen seemingly leaped up and smashed to the ground, sending the woman into a state of hysteria, as she frantically moved from room to room. We had been in the apartment for about ten seconds and had already experienced more than we could have imagined.Standing in the centre of the main room we all looked at one another for a moment and then spontaneously erupted into kirtan, the loud calling of the names of Krishna , themselves feared by fear personified. The leader of the chanting requested we all chant in unison with full voice instead of the usual call and response style we are familiar with. What with the accordion sounding, clay drum booming and countless hand symbols chiming, along with the resounding call of a conchshell being blown, overall the effect was quite tumultuous. Placing all of our breath into the chanting we searched to find the protection promised from these all powerful names of the Supreme. What the neighbours were thinking was far from our thoughts as we absorbed our minds in the pure transcendental vibration;Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare HareOne of our party had brought several sacred Narasingha stones called Salagram, and proceeded to bath them with pure water. These transcendental manifestations offer powerful protection as well as removal of inauspicious obstacles on our spiritual path. Spraying the bathing water all around we gradually moved from one room to another ardently chanting the recommended mantra for this age, Hare Krishna.Noticing that the heavy wooden dining chairs had each begun to vibrate, the woman lay them down under the table, all the while rambling through prayers in a frenzied manner. Her mother tried to console her but had little effect. Just then a wooden drawer from a cupboard in an adjacent room came flying across the ceiling and smashed against the wall just behind the woman, spraying its contents everywhere. We instinctively moved closer to the woman and desperately called out the names. Meanwhile, in the kitchen a devotee was offering the bathing water to drink for protection to the family, when a chair rose one metre from the floor and within a split second zoomed across the room colliding with the boyfriend. Seeing no other means to assist, the devotee practically threw the liquid down the boyfriends throat only then to see the coffee machine also begin its levitation.Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare HareWe had been hoping to experience something and this local spook was certainly entertaining us. Whilst the dining chairs were continuing to vibrate we moved through to the parents bedroom all the while intensifying our chanting of the all purifying names of Krishna .Vedic scripture explains that these names, the Maha-mantra, being completely spiritual, have the unlimited power of God by which the dirt of our hearts can be cleansed. Just as the sun can cleanse urine and waste from the earth by its scorching rays yet remain unpolluted, similarly the names of Krishna can never be contaminated, yet themselves clean even the reservoir of dirt in our consciousness.As we danced to the sweet sound, the woman along with her Mother and Father was standing in the doorway, nervously chanting to herself. She appeared distant, lost in her racing thoughts. At that moment, seemingly thrust up against the wall, she was pinned by her invisible assaulter. As if held by the throat she was dragged along the wall banging into her parents. Pandemonium arose amongst them as we chased after throwing our weapon of the Maha-mantra in an act of rescue. Again she was released, although severely shaken.We had now been chanting intensely for forty minutes and still the atmosphere seemed thick and heavy with darkness. Although violent events had occurred to the family members, nothing had touched any of us who were taking refuge in the sound incarnation of Krishna's names. We all felt completely protected and fearless. With such faith in Krishna names as well as the mood of compassion to help both the family and their uninvited phantom, we courageously danced and span around the home. Gradually we managed to involve the family in dancing and chanting with us which brought unlimited heights of bliss as the father of the family smiled for the first time. Then the atmosphere lightened and everyone felt the overwhelming joy of freedom whilst chanting Hare Krishna. It felt like a wonderful sunrise clearing away the darkness and fog of the evening, whilst simultaneously eradicating fear of thieves and dacoits. Carrying on for another fifteen minutes we all tasted the true happiness of the soul as he reawakens his relationship with his long lost friend, Krishna.With the mood considerably transformed we sat together on the floor and recited the twelfth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita in both Sanskrit and Italian, entitled Devotional service. We were refreshing ourselves with knowledge of our pure loving relationship with Krishna, whilst also praying that our poltergeist friend be now fully purified and able again to reawaken his own love.We cannot be know what has happened to this ghost, although we are sure that immense purification took place not just for him but also the family and ourselves who came as menial servants of the sweet, all-powerful names of Krishna. By chanting the Maha-mantra we can purify our existence and fully reawaken our dormant love for Krishna and consequently each other. That love is within us all, even ghosts, but due to absorption in material pursuits we forget our real treasure within.Since that day there have been no further disturbances in that home. That night was there first peaceful night in nine years. All glories to the unlimited glorious names of Krishna and all glories to the pure devotee of those names who has compassionately spread them throughout the entire world, Srila Prabhupada.- Written by Sanatana Goswami dasa, Italy

THE PLAN OF THE LORD

2011-07-26T03:55:00.000-07:00

THE PLAN OF THE LORD (Source : one of lok kathas at Dwarkadish mandir, dwarka )

Once there was a sweeper in dwarkadish temple at dwarka and he was very sincere and devoted. Every time he saw thousands of devotees coming to take darshan of the Lord, he thought that the Lord is standing all the time and giving darshan and He must be feeling very tired.

So one day very innocently he asked the Lord whether he can take the place of the Lord for a day so that the Lord can have some relief and rest. The Deity of the Temple replied, "I do not mind taking a break. I will transform you like Myself, but you must do one thing. You must just stand here like Me, smile at everyone and just give benedictions. Do not interfere with anything and do not say anything. Remember you are the deity and you just have faith that I have a master plan for everything." The sweeper agreed to this.

The next day the sweeper took the position of the deity and a rich man came and prayed to the Lord. He offered a nice donation and prayed that his business should be prosperous. While going, the rich man inadvertently left his wallet full of money right there. Now the sweeper in the form of deity could not call him and so he decided to control himself and keep quiet.

Just then a poor man came and he put one coin in the Hundi and said that it was all he could afford and he prayed to the Lord that he should continue to be engaged in the Lord's service. He also said that his family was in dire need of some basic needs but he left it to the good hands of the Lord to give some solution. When he opened his eyes, he saw the wallet left by the rich man. The poor man thanked the Lord for His kindness and took the wallet very innocently. The sweeper in the form of the Deity could not say anything and he had to just keep smiling.

At that point a sailor walked in. He prayed for his safe journey as he was going on a long trip. Just then the rich man came with the police and said that somebody has stolen his wallet and seeing the sailor there, he asked the police to arrest him thinking that he might have taken it. Now the sweeper in the form of Deity wanted to say that the sailor is not the thief but he could not say so and he became greatly frustrated. The sailor looked at the Lord and asked why he, an innocent person, is being punished. The rich man looked at the Lord and thanked Him for finding the thief. The sweeper in the deity form could no more tolerate and he thought that even if the real Lord had been here, he would have definitely interfered and hence he started speaking and said that the sailor is not the thief but it was the poor man who took away the wallet. The rich man was very thankful as also the sailor.

In the night, the real Lord came and He asked the sweeper how the day was.
The sweeper said, "I thought it would be easy, but now I know that Your days are not easy, but I did one good thing." Then he explained the whole episode to the Lord. The Lord became very upset on hearing this whereas the sweeper thought the Lord would appreciate him for the good deed done.

The Lord asked, "Why did you not just stick to the plan? You had no faith in Me. Do you think that I do not understand the hearts of all those who come here? All the donation which the rich man gave was all stolen money and it is only a fraction of what he really has and he wants Me to reciprocate unlimitedly. The single coin offered by the poor man was the last coin he was having and he gave it to Me out of faith. The sailor might not have done anything wrong, but if the sailor were to go in the ship that night he was about to die because of bad weather and instead if he is arrested he would be in the jail and he would have been saved form a greater calamity. The wallet should go to the poor man because he will use it in My service. I was going to reduce the rich man's karma also by doing this and save the sailor also. But you cancelled everything because you thought you know My plan and you made your own plans."

God has plans and justice for everyone.... We just have to have patience!!!!!

Honesty

2011-07-26T03:53:00.000-07:00

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. "The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.
Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.
Jim just tried to hide in the back. "Wow! what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!" All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!" When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. "How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed.
I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.
* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment.
* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective.
* If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

What is more logical?

2011-01-12T23:55:00.001-08:00

People may challenge that how do you know the soul is eternal, how do you know there is a God? Because unless we have faith in these principles, how will we strive to live for that when there is so much opposition, philosophically, logically, socially. The scriptures and the great saints of every spiritual path, of every religion throughout history, they have lived and died for this truth. Recently, someone asked, “how do you know there is God?” The obvious question to ask such a person is, “how do you know there is no God?” “Can you prove there is a God?” “Can you prove there is no God?” Can anyone actually prove that there is no God. There are so many theories, but what really is the evidence. Was anyone there to actually eye-witness with a video machine the Big Bang? It is just a concept born in peoples’ minds which seems to make sense due to certain things, certain phenomenon that they are witnessing today, but the obvious question, is it more logical that everything comes from nothing or that everything comes from something. If it is more logical that everything comes from something, that something is God, janmädy asya yataù. This is the definition of Vedänta-sütra that the absolute truth is whom everything emanates from or as Kåñëa says in Gétä ahaà sarvasya prabhavo mattaù sarvaà pravartate, “I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds.”

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

Who are the greatest people?

2011-01-12T23:53:00.002-08:00

Throughout history who are the greatest people that ever lived? Are they the politicians? Are they the atheistic scientists? Are they the athletes, or are they the saints who dedicated their lives, their souls, everything to truth, who were willing to sacrifice their whole lives to enlighten people, to love God. The saints of India, the saints of Christianity, the saints of Islam, study their lives. The actual åñis, they lived completely pure. They were completely peaceful. They were completely intoxicated; intoxicated with love for God; and they spoke their realizations of God with such illuminated hearts, with such realization that they transformed millions and millions of peoples’ lives. Is Rüpa Gosvämé a liar? Is Jesus a liar? Is Abraham a liar? Is Moses a liar? Is the prophet Mohammed a liar? Is Lord Chaitanya and all of these great personalities liars? They lived the most resplendent lives of pure integrity as did their followers, millions and millions of them. Are they all in illusion? They are telling us that they are seeing God, they are feeling God, they are tasting God, they are loving God. So, who to believe? People taking sleeping pills, smoking cigarettes, addicted, and saying there is no God or people who are living the most pristine lives of compassion and sacrifice of love for all living beings without discrimination? It is for each of us to decide, and especially the great åñis of India spoke with such deep philosophy and profound knowledge the science of God consciousness, not just some sentimental belief, but presented the truth, the existence of God in his three features, Brahman, Paramätmä, and Bhagavän in such deep, sound, scientific, philosophically, logical ways.

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

Sadhu sanga is most important …

2011-01-12T23:53:00.001-08:00

With realization, in the association of people who have faith, the natural faith, which is within our heart awakens. Real faith is not something that is imposed upon you. Real faith is awakened from within in the proper environment like a seed. A seed if it is watered properly, it grows into a beautiful flower. So, in order to have such confidence in which we are actually willing to take the great apparent risk of dying to live, sädhu saìga is most important. Sädhu saìga means association of devoted people. Otherwise, the campaign of mäyä or illusion which is all around us is directly or indirectly speaking, ‘better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven, better to be the proprietor and the enjoyer in this world of illusion than to be a servant in the ecstatic realm of dedication and devotion to the Lord’. Sanätana Gosvämé had very, very painful itching sores all over his body due to drinking some bad water when he was traveling in the forest, and it was causing him so much pain. When he came to Jagannäth Puré, he came before Lord Chaitanya. Now, in his mind, he was thinking that my body is totally useless, it is covered with all these diseases. “During the Ratha-yäträ festival, I will throw my body under the chariot of Lord Jagannäth in the presence of Lord Chaitanya and his devotees and die, and then perhaps I will get a better birth in my next life.” He did not speak his thoughts to anyone, but Lord Chaitanya understood his heart and spoke. He said, “Sanätana, you are a criminal. You are a criminal. You want to destroy someone else’s property. You have already surrendered your body to Me, so how can you kill what is Mine?” Then he told Sanätana Gosvämé, “if just giving up this body or killing this body will bring us to Kåñëa,” he said, “I would have already killed this body tens and tens and tens and millions of times, but it is not by killing this body, it is not by the death of this body that anyone can go to God. It is by purifying the heart. It is by dying of the ego to live eternally.”

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

Die to live …

2011-01-12T23:52:00.000-08:00

The way devotees dress, it is to help us with this conception of identity. It is not that you have to do these external things, but those who do, it should be understood in its proper context. Why do some of us shave our heads? Shaving the head is symbolic. It represents death to the ego because beautiful hair is something that gives people beauty and prestige. To shave the head in all great religions, whether it is Christian monks or Buddhist monks or Hindu monks or Vaiñëava monks, it is an expression of death to the ego so that my real life as a servant of God, I am identifying myself like that. And also we put on this tilaka for the same principle. People are using this body to exploit and enjoy, but tilaka means we do not want any part of that, die to live. Tilaka represents that this body is a temple of God. God is living in this body, the soul is living in this body. This body is a place of worship of God. According to the religious institution, there are so many buildings in the city, some have a star of David, some have a crucifix, some have a trident, some have a cakra, some have a crescent moon and star--what does all that mean. That means this is a place of worshipping God, but why just the building, our body is a place, a temple to worship God. Therefore, this tilaka has very, very great significance---- die to live.

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

The process in which we die to live …

2011-01-12T23:51:00.002-08:00

"G u r u m u k h p a d m a v a k y a"

The process in which we die to live ………………………Nectarean Mellows

At the same time, when we take initiation or dékñä, we are taking a new birth. We are given a new name, and every name ends with däsa, servant, or devi däsi, servant. Kåñëa däsa, Gauräìga däsa, Çivaräma Däsa, Rüpa Gosvämé Däsa, these are all not just name, it is a very, very sacred act of surrender if we understand it in its proper context. When we are given this name of the servant of God, that is the process in which we die to live. I am now leaving behind my false ego, all of my temporary designations, and I am identifying myself and living according to the principle of my eternal identity as the servant of the Lord. The spirit soul is infinitesimal, it is only a tiny little spark of the supreme sun of Kåñëa or God. Çaraëägati or surrender, the spirit of dying to live means to wholesale offer, offer everything that we have for the pleasure of the Lord.

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

guru-mukha-padma- väkya, cittete koriyä aikya, är nä koriho mane äsä

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What is meaning & expression of true love?…

2011-01-12T23:51:00.001-08:00

"G u r u m u k h p a d m a v a k y a"

What is meaning & expression of true love?………………………Nectarean Mellows

So, this is the idea people have, surrender means to lose. Surrender is something that is very, very undesirable, by force. But in Sanskrit, the word Çaraëägati is something very different. Çaraëägati means-----when Kåñëa says, sarva-dharmän parityajya, surrender, it is the most positive of expression, of our gratitude and our love. It is the ultimately the most joyful experience of the heart. There cannot be love without surrender. Love is not selfish. Love is self-less. Love is for the beloved. Bhägavatam explains, sa vai puàsäà paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokñaje /ahaituky apratihatä yayätmä suprasédati that the supreme occupation for all humanity is loving service to the supreme. Such love must me unconditional and unmotivated to complying satisfy the self. Is that not what every living being is looking for, longing for, and searching for in every aspect of their life? They are looking for pleasure. There is pleasure to the senses. There is pleasure to the mind, but there is only one thing that can give pleasure to the heart, and the heart is the sitting place of the self, the soul, and that is love; to love and to be loved, but what is the meaning of love? This is described in Çré Caitanya-caritämåta: Käma is affection in which we try to enjoy for ourselves, that is called käma. It is the material principle, and it can never be satisfied because as long as we are trying to enjoy ourselves, that burning desire for enjoyment is like fire, the more you feed it, the hungrier it grows. But, what is love or prem. It is the complete giving of the heart for the pleasure of the object of our love. Even in this world, the most satisfying, loving relationships are not the romantic affairs that you see in the movies because it does not last. The real pleasure of the soul….. the real pleasure of the heart, let us say…. comes through sacrifice and dedication. The love of a good father or good mother for the child, it does not matter what the child does…. my mother and father, they gave me everything, and they expected so much of me, and then I told them I am going to Europe and I will be back in 3 months, and they did not hear from me for 5 months, and then they got a letter from Iran that I am on my way to India to search for God, and I have no idea if I will ever come back. And then they get letters from me from the jungles of the Himalayas while I am living in caves. How much pain, and then I came back a personality that was utterly inconceivable and mysterious to them. They felt that there was nothing in common anymore, but still they loved me. They would do anything for me. They were striving and struggling and everything to somehow or other understand me. Now, anybody else seeing me so absolutely different, who is actually living in opposition to everything that they hold sacred and stand for in life, there would be no love, but as mother and father, they never gave up. They would do anything, everything; and ultimately when they understood really what was the substance I was living for, not only were they blissful and happy, but they personally accepted it and became very proud and that was the greatest bliss of their life, they told me, when after years of being disappointed because of mystery, they could actually be proud and pleased with what I was doing. That was the happiness, the most elated moment of their life. In this world, real love is not selfish, real love is self-less, willing to make sacrifices for the beloved and that love actually satisfies the heart because there is some reality to it. Why… because that is the nature in its perfect state of the soul’s love for the absolute truth, the supreme soul or Kåñëa, the origin of love. Kåñëa is all-attractive, the source of all beauty, all knowledge, all strength, all wealth, all renunciation all beauty; therefore, he is the ultimate object of all the people’s love. So, to surrender to Kåñëa is the expression of true love and is actually the source of the greatest shelter and the greatest happiness.

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

guru-mukha-padma- väkya, cittete koriyä aikya, är nä koriho mane äsä

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Mercy comes in proportion to our service attitude…

2011-01-12T23:50:00.000-08:00

When we chant the names of the Lord, we are invoking the divine presence of the Lord. In fact, Kåñëa says in Gétä…… ye yathä mäà prapadyante täàs tathaiva bhajämy aham….. “that according to how you approach me, that is how I reveal Myself to you.” So not only do we try to chant the names of the Lord, but we try to chant in a service attitude that will please the Lord. That service attitude attracts Kåñëa to actually reveal himself through His holy names. Rüpa Gosvämé describes what happens when we taste even a drop of the nectar of the sweetness of the holy name. He states, “when the holy name of Kåñëa dances upon my tongue, I desire many, many, many tongues; and when that name enters into my ears, it is so sweet, it is so beautiful that I desire millions and millions and millions, unlimited ears; and when that name enters into my heart, my conscious is conquered by the beauty and sweetness of Kåñëa.” We are not speaking about the aspect of God in his wrath and his punishment upon sinners. We are speaking about the essential glory of the Lord in the spiritual world, who is all-attractive. When He enters our hearts, He is Hari, He steals our love…. steals our love by His unlimited beauty, sweetness, and His own love. That is the ultimate experience, but there is only one way to achieve that love and that is by the mercy of the Lord which comes in proportion to our service attitude, our desire to give to God and to give to others without selfishness, without egotism.

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

VERY GOOD ARTICLE

2011-01-12T23:48:00.000-08:00

In Hari-bhakti-vilasa, verse 2.147, Srila Sanatan Goswami quotes Sammohana-tantra:

gopayed devatam istam gopayed gurum atmanah
gopayec ca nijam mantram gopayen nija-malikam

One should hide one's ista-deva, one should hide one's guru, one should hide one's mantra, and one should hide one's japa-mala.

Wise persons keep their valuables in a confidential place. Similarly, an intelligent sadhaka does not advertise his or her guru, nor do they broadcast themselves as disciples of their guru. Considering themselves as low, fallen, and unfit to be considered disciples, sincere devotees do not want to advertise who their guru is.

Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode has described that there are two types of disciples, the antarmukha-sisyas and the bahirmukha-sisyas. Antarmukha literally means "inward-facing". It refers to someone who is introspective.

Bahirmukha literally means "outward-facing", and refers to someone who is absorbed in external things.

Antarmukha-sisyas are desirous of bringing pleasure to their guru. Their focus is on following the guru's instructions. The antarmukha-sisyas practice gopayed gurum atmanah. They keep their guru and their relationship with him confidential. An antarmukha-sisya is not interested in advertising himself as a disciple of his guru, but prefers to follow the guru's instructions. His meditation is to try to understand what will please his guru. The antarmukha-sisya is anartha-mukta-avastha, he is free from anarthas. His vision of guru is known as sevya-darsana. He sees that guru should be served and pleased.

Bahirmukha-sisyas are disciples who practice the opposite of gopayed gurum atmanah. They are absorbed in advertising their guru and in making a show of themselves as being big or intimate disciples. Such a disciple is also known as guru-giri, or one who makes a business out of guru and one's relationship with guru. They are not absorbed in the inner intention of guru. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur has described persons who act on such an external platform as dharmadhvajis ("religion flag-wavers"), meaning those who make a hypocritical or pretentious show of religiosity.

Following the logic of atmavan manyate jagat (everyone thinks like I do), the bahirmukha-sisyas consider that their guru thinks like they do. Because they are motivated by the desires for fame and adoration they think that their guru also wants such things. The bahirmukha-sisyas are anartha-yukta-avastha, they have anarthas, material desires, in their hearts. Because of those anarthas they only see guru in terms of their own pleasure. This vision is known as bhogya-darsana. They think that making a big show of devotion will impress their guru and enable them to come close to their guru. Their idea of guru-bhakti is to loudly proclaim to the world, amar guru jagad-guru - "My guru is the best or the only one and any other guru is lesser." They think that such publicizing will please their guru.

For some devotees, pushing their guru is an easy way to avoid facing the reality of their own lack of advancement. They want respect, and they think it is easier for them to get it by broadcasting themselves as a disciple of a great personality than for themselves to manifest the qualities of a vaisnava. However, this kind of cheating mentality will never attract the attention of saintly persons. They are not impressed with whom we have taken initiation or instructions from. Rather, they want to see what is our own level of realization.

Since such neophytes equate the showing of respect to themselves with the showing of respect to their guru, when they become chastised or fail to receive the honor and recognition they want, they accuse the devotees, "You have offended my guru!" In this way, Kali, the personification of this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, is able to enter the movement of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and cause dissension, distracting them from their real business of chanting and distributing the holy names.

So Srila Sanatan Goswami's instruction gopayed gurum atmanah - "One should hide one's guru" - is advising devotees to go deeper in their relationship with guru by basing that relationship on following the instructions about service and bhajan that their guru has given.

Simple

2011-01-12T23:47:00.001-08:00

reading mails is simple, replying is difficult.......ha ha ha ha

sleeping is simple, getting up early is difficult

honouring prasadam is simple, cooking is difficult

sitting in SB class is simple, remaining awake (attentive) is difficult

quarelling is simple, cooperating is difficult

leading alone is simple, taking everyone along is difficult

reading junk mails is simple, reading SP books is difficult

becoming bosanuboss is simple, becoming dasanudas is difficult

attening prorams is simple, doing service is difficult

prajalpa is simple, Krsna katha is difficult

sense gratification is simple, following 4 regulative principles is difficult

preaching is simple, practicing is difficult

blaming is simple, appreciating is difficult

counting is simple, chanting is difficult

Sincerely aspire to chant the Holy Name……

2011-01-12T23:46:00.001-08:00

"G u r u m u k h p a d m a v a k y a"

Sincerely aspire to chant the Holy Name………………………Nectarean Mellows

There are ten offenses to the holy name which we recite every morning before beginning our japa period. It is very important to understand these ten offenses and very attentively and carefully guard them throughout the entire day. When we actually chant the holy name of Krishna, in a state of mind, in which we are pleasing Krishna, then Krishna manifests Himself within His name. The holy name has its own independent free will, because the Holy Name is Krishna Himself and Srimati Radharani Herself and They appear according to the particular state of consciousness we approach Them. Therefore we cannot chant mechanically. It is not just a program, our mind, just like a tape recorder and our mouth you repeat the sound vibration that we will get the same results. No doubt if we are doing it under the instructions of the spiritual master even if it is in a very clumsy way, there will be benefit. There will be purification. But it is gradual. We should come to the stage of sincerely aspiring to chant the holy name in a way that is pleasing to Krishna.

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

guru-mukha-padma- väkya, cittete koriyä aikya, är nä koriho mane äsä

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *********

Humility alone pleases Krishna …

2011-01-12T23:45:00.001-08:00

"G u r u m u k h p a d m a v a k y a"

Humility alone pleases Krishna ………………………Nectarean Mellows

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is teaching us how to aspire for trinadpi sunicha: to be humble like a straw in the street, the tree in the street. What is its significance? No one cares for it, people step on it, spit on it, ultimately some body sweeps it away but the straw on the streets remains very humble, let be more tolerant than the tree, ready to offer all respects to others and to expect none in return. These are the qualities that attract Krishna. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu told Sanatana Goswami it is humility alone that pleases Krishna. Krishna does not care how much money you give Him, Krishna does not care how many beautiful offerings you give Him, Krishna does not care how artistically you dress Him, He does not care how profoundly you can speak His philosophy, He does not care how many delicious preparation you can make for Him in your kitchen, He cares for the humility with which it is being offered because it is this humility that gives flavor and pleasure to the service we are rendering.

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

guru-mukha-padma- väkya, cittete koriyä aikya, är nä koriho mane äsä

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *********

Trying to enjoy in a world of suffering………

2011-01-12T23:44:00.002-08:00

"G u r u m u k h p a d m a v a k y a"

Trying to enjoy in a world of suffering………………………Nectarean Mellows

We are trying to enjoy and we can’t even properly enjoy. If you take a poll in this world how many people have more enjoyment then suffering? So much suffering!! And even when you are enjoying in this world that enjoyment is simply arranged by material energy to make you more attached to your body and to your forms of enjoyment that you have; why? So that you will suffer more when it is taken away; that is the science of how material energy has created things. Krsna tells us that He is the creator; that the enjoyments of this world are sources of misery, the more you enjoy the more you suffer when the enjoyment is taken away and it will be taken away; it is inevitable, it has to be taken away; the world has been created in that way.

So people who are trying to enjoy in a world of suffering are unfortunate and a civilisation that is based on this principle is most unfortunate; good fortune begins when we discuss the misery of birth, old age, disease and death. Thus these discussions are very important, they actually begin the process of real human existence, to simply discuss the very high topics of the spiritual world are not really going to go deep into our hearts or our consciousness unless preliminary we study the miseries of material existence because as long as we have the enjoying propensity then just like some people try to enjoy a novel about the various ways of how one can enjoy in this material world or some history. Some people little more pious in the mode of goodness they want to enjoy spiritual topics which is good certainly a much higher plain beginning of the transcendental plain but when we realise the miseries of material existence and we are thoroughly acquainted of how suffering is in the material world then we just don’t read the lilä of the Lord, we take shelter of it, we understand that it is our only hope; then; we just don’t chant the holy names, we cry out the holy names.

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

guru-mukha-padma- väkya, cittete koriyä aikya, är nä koriho mane äsä

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *********

Discuss and understand the nature of miseries ……

2011-01-12T23:44:00.001-08:00

"G u r u m u k h p a d m a v a k y a"

Discuss and understand the nature of miseries ………………………Nectarean Mellows

When a devotee is thoroughly understanding the imminent dangers and misery of the material existence devotees are humbled but that is because he knows that I cannot protect myself from the sufferings; I can’t; it is impossible, I am a jiva atma and the material energy is pervading you in this existence, she is all powerful in that state. When we chant the holy names we are taking shelter, we are praying for mercy, it is not a ritual anymore, it is not just a regulative principle, it is not just something else in our life, it is our focus, it is our goal, it is the only means by which we can achieve something that is real. If someone puts a gun to your head and said I am going to shoot in five seconds how will you chant in that five seconds, you won’t be thinking about the latest ISKCON gossip, you won’t be thinking about how you are going to decorate your home tomorrow, you won’t be thinking about your children’s education, hopefully you will be thinking Krsna save me; Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

So if we are not learning about material existence then when sufferings come, we will be bewildered, we will loose our faith, we will not know what we are suppose to do, why is this happening to me, how is this happening to me and how am I suppose to deal with it. Materialistic people and even a neophyte devotees when they go through tragic crisis which bring about suffering in their lives, they become confused and bewildered by that suffering and what happens when there is no suffering? when you actually have some temporary form of enjoyment then you become even more confused and bewildered about what you are suppose to do what your hopes truly are; so therefore Srila Prabhupada very greatly emphasises we must discuss and understand the nature of the miseries in the material existence so that when we are suffering, we know what is happening and know what we suppose to do about it and when we are enjoying, we understand what is happening and what we are suppose to do about it. So it is very important that we study these books and we understand how this material nature makes us suffer.

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

guru-mukha-padma- väkya, cittete koriyä aikya, är nä koriho mane äsä

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *********

Systematic process of miseries of life ……

2011-01-12T23:43:00.002-08:00

"G u r u m u k h p a d m a v a k y a"

Systematic process of miseries of life ………………………Nectarean Mellows

Lord Kapiladeva is explaining in great detail, the systematic process of the miseries of every stage of life, this is Sankhya philosophy, from the time of conception to the time of death and in between birth and death. He describes that too, when the Yamadhutas grab you and start dragging you through these deserts like areas and dogs are eating your flesh and vultures are biting you and you are screaming in pain and saying get me to the destination. We think it is miserable; when we riding on Indian trains third class very crowded compartment, we are thinking when will I get there, it is so hot and people are crushing against me and it doesn’t smell nice; everything else is miserable it is hellish when will I reach the destination, if you are a materialistic person and after you die; first you are taken on your journey, it is really a hellish destination, being dragged, being bitten, being blasphemed by Yamadutas, they have fiery eyes, they are beating you, they are blaspheming you, they have vultures and dogs bitting you, they are dragging you, there is no food, there is no water, you just say - get me to my destination. And then you get to your destination and you wish you could go back to the travelling. Destination is where Yamaraj sentences you and then you are taken to a particular hellish planet according to your sins. Sometimes you are forced to drink burning hot red like substance, molten; you know what is like? when you are drinking some herbal tea & its too hot, it burns your mouth, Hare Krsna. Well this is a different situation - red hot molten liquids, thick liquids pour down your throat, it is burning your whole body and it just goes on for millions of years, Hare Krsna.

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

guru-mukha-padma- väkya, cittete koriyä aikya, är nä koriho mane äsä

The inherent miserable shakti of this material existence ……

2011-01-12T23:43:00.001-08:00

"G u r u m u k h p a d m a v a k y a"

The inherent miserable shakti of this material existence ………………………Nectarean Mellows

Then you are forced into a womb and we are learning what’s in the womb and then you are a baby and then Kapiladeva explains the miseries of being a baby, the miseries of being a youth, the miseries of a student life, the miseries of grhasta life miseries of old age, miseries of death and the whole cycle again and again and again. Prabhupada was very, very concerned that we should be convinced of the miseries of the material existence. Unless you are convinced of the inherent miserable shakti of this material existence, there is no escape by any material efforts then we won’t really take to Krsna consciousness, we won’t really chant the holy names of the Lord. So Prabhupada wanted, side by side, read Krsna book, hear the glorious pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His eternal abode but also read the teachings of Kapiladeva.

In fact Prabhupada was so merciful when he was in Vrindavana in his last days, last weeks of his life, we can understand through his life and through his ecstatic teachings, that he was on a highest level of ecstatic rasa; he is an eternal resident of Vrindavana and certainly he was listening to the transcendental pastimes of Krsna when he was in Vrindavana but he was also personally ask his devotees to come and read the teachings of Kapiladeva to him and that is a fact, the book ‘The Teachings of Lord Kapiladeva’ that just came out, Prabhupada wanted to be read those not much for himself but for his disciples, it is important to hear these things. Kapiladeva explains the miseries of material existence and he also side by side explains the process of devotionals service. We have to be convinced as long as you have the spirit of material enjoyment, you can’t really hear the subject matter of Hari Katha.

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

guru-mukha-padma- väkya, cittete koriyä aikya, är nä koriho mane äsä

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *********

Prabhupada wants us to end the cycle of birth and death in this life ……

2011-01-12T23:41:00.000-08:00

"G u r u m u k h p a d m a v a k y a"

Prabhupada wants us to end the cycle of birth and death in this life ………………………Nectarean Mellows

Kapiladeva explains the miseries of material existence and he also side by side explains the process of devotionals service. We have to be convinced as long as you have the spirit of material enjoyment, you can’t really hear the subject matter of Hari Katha, when we give up all hope that we can be happy in this world then we can really start to hear Hari Katha. So this is very important. I know some of you are thinking when will we get through this section of Bhagavatam just verse after verse after verse of how the embryo suffers, just wait, it just goes on and on and on and Prabhupada when he told us to go to the Srimad Bhagavatam class every day one verse at a time he realised we will be spending months on this subject, it is important, it is essential, we can’t take the pastimes of the Lord cheaply. Prabhupada wants us to end the cycle of birth and death in this life, he doesn’t want us to come back again and again making some gradual spiritual progress, certainly that is better than materialistic existence but Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates are giving every single living being a chance to go back to the spiritual world in this very life.

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

guru-mukha-padma- väkya, cittete koriyä aikya, är nä koriho mane äsä

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *********

Love means reciprocation………

2011-01-12T23:40:00.000-08:00

"G u r u m u k h a p a d m a v a k y a"

Love means reciprocation…………………………. Nectarean Mellows

Srila Prabhupada's life mission was to be an instrument in the hands of Guru and Gauranga; to give the compassion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to the whole world by spreading Krishna Consciousness. He gave his life for us. Not only those persons who directly met him, but even people who never saw Srila Prabhupada, even the generation after Srila Prabhupada, knew that he had unconditional love for us. If we are inspired by his books, if we are inspired by his tapes, if we are inspired by his life, if we develop faith in Krishna through his movement that he gave his life to establish, then we have received the unconditional love of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. How do we make advancement? By reciprocating with that love; Love means reciprocation.

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

guru-mukha-padma-väkya, cittete koriyä aikya, är nä koriho mane äsä

*************************************************************************************************

Glories of Sri Vrndavana Dhama

2011-01-06T23:24:00.000-08:00

vṛndāvana ramya-sthāna dibya-cińtāmaṇi-dhāma

ratana mandira manohara

abṛta kālindī-nīre rāja-haḿsa keli kare

tāhe śobhe kanaka-kamal

(2)

tār madhye hema-pīṭha aṣṭa-dale beṣṭita

aṣṭa-dale pradhāna nāyika

tār madhye ratnāsane ba’si āchen dui-jane

śyāma-sańge sundarī rādhikā

(3)

o-rūpa-lābaṇya-rāśi amiyā pariche khasi

hāsya-parihāsa-sambhāṣaṇe

narottama-dāsa koy nitya-līlā sukha-moy

sadāi sphurūk mora mane

1) Beautiful Vrndavana is filled with cintamani gems and many jewel palaces and temples. Many regal swans play in the waters of the Yamuna, and in those waters a splendid golden lotus flower grows.

2) In the middle of that lotus is a golden place surrounded by eight petals. On these eight petals the eight principal gopis reside, and in the centre Lord Syamasundara and beautiful Srimati Radharani sit on a jewel throne.

3) The great beauty of the Divine couple and Their charming joking and laughter continually showers nectar everywhere. Narottama dasa says: I pray that these blissful eternal transcendental pastimes of the Divine Couple may be always manifest in my heart.

WHY GOD ALLOWS PAIN

2011-01-06T23:23:00.000-08:00

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.

As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.

They talked about so many things and various subjects.

When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:

"I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer. "Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist.

Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people?

Would there be abandoned children?

If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain.

I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.

The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.

He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:

"You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber.

"I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"

"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

"Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me."

"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist!

That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help.

That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS !!!!!!!

Hare Krishna***

7 Guiding Principles***

2011-01-06T23:20:00.000-08:00

Personally these 7 principles are guiding principles in spiritual journey.

1^st. padam padam yad vipadam na tesam (from Srimad Bhagvatam) There is danger at every step (in the material world). Danger on all planes. Physical. Subtle/ Mental. Spiritual

2^nd. dukhalayam asasvatam (Nature of the material wordl). Temporary & full of miseries.

3^rd. avasya raksibe Krsna. Lord Sri Krsna will always protect me. In all circumstances. The Blessed Lord also says in the Bhagavad Gita: yogashema vahamyaham. I preserve what My devotee has & I carry what he lacks.

4^th. The Healthy Fear. Srila Prabhupada use to repeatedly instruct this to his disciples, You should always be fearful of maya that she might cause your fall down. That she might dissuade you from your Krsna conscious path.

5^th. anukulyasya sankalpa pratikulyasya varjanam. Accept what is favorable for Krsna Consciousness & reject what is unfavorable for Krsna Consciousness.

6^th. Advancement in Krsna Consciousness depends on the attitude of the follower – Srila Prabhupada (Introduction to Nectar of Instruction)

And 7^th. Always remember Krsna, Never forget Krsna. (This is the most important of all)

Hare Krishna***

Message from the Final Days

2011-01-06T23:17:00.001-08:00

This one carries a deep meaning. Very sobering as well.

If death takes place, let it take here (Vrndavana). There is nothing to be said new. Whatever I have to speak, I have spoken in my books. Now you try to understand it & continue your endeavor. Whether I am present or not present, it doesn’t matter. As Krsna is living eternally, similarly, living being also lives eternally. But “One who has done service to the Lord lives forever.” So you have been taught to serve Krsna, and with Krsna we’ll live eternally. Our life is eternal. A temporary disappearance of this body doesn’t matter. Body is meant for disappearance. So live forever by serving Krsna – Srila Prabhupada, Vrndavana, May 17, 1977

64 Qualities of Lord Krishna

2011-01-06T23:09:00.000-08:00

64 Qualities of Lord Krishna

Srila Rupa Gosvami, after consulting various scriptures, has enumerated the transcendental qualities of the Lord Sri Krishna as follows:

(1) beautiful features of the entire body;
(2) marked with all auspicious characteristics;
(3) extremely pleasing;
(4) effulgent;
(5) strong;
(6) ever youthful;
(7) wonderful linguist;
(8) truthful;
(9) talks pleasingly;
(10) fluent;
(11) highly learned;
(12) highly intelligent;
(13) a genius;
(14) artistic;
(15) extremely clever;
(16) expert;
(17) grateful;
(18) firmly determined;
(19) an expert judge of time and circumstances;
(20) sees and speaks on the authority of Vedas, or scriptures;
(21) pure;
(22) self-controlled;
(23) steadfast;
(24) forbearing;
(25) forgiving;
(26) grave;
(27) self-satisfied;
(28) possessing equilibrium;
(29) magnanimous;
(30) religious;
(31) heroic;
(32) compassionate;
(33) respectful;
(34) gentle;
(35) liberal;
(36) shy;
(37) the protector of surrendered souls;
(38) happy;
(39) the well-wisher of devotees;
(40) controlled by love;
(41) all-auspicious;
(42) most powerful;
(43) all-famous;
(44) popular;
(45) partial to devotees;
(46) very attractive to all women;
(47) all-worshipable;
(48) all-opulent;
(49) all-honorable;
(50) the supreme controller.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has all these fifty transcendental qualities in fullness as deep as the ocean. In other words, the extent of His qualities is inconceivable.

As parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, the individual living entities can also possess all of these qualities in minute quantities, provided they become pure devotees of the Lord. In other words, all of the above transcendental qualities can be present in the devotees in minute quantity, whereas the qualities in fullness are always present in the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Besides these, there are other transcendental qualities which are described by Lord Siva to Parvati in the Padma Purana, and in the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam in connection with a conversation between the deity of the earth and the King of religion, Yamaraja. It is said therein, "Persons who who are desirous of becoming great personalities must be decorated with the following qualities:

truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, perseverance, renunciation, peacefulness, simplicity, control of the senses, equilibrium of the mind, austerity, equality, forbearance, placidity, learning, knowledge, detachment, opulence, chivalry, influence, strength, memory, independence, tactfulness, luster, patience, kind-heartedness, ingenuity, gentility, mannerliness, determination, perfection in all knowledge, proper execution, possession of all objects of enjoyment, gravity, steadiness, faithfulness, fame, respectfulness and lack of false egotism."

Persons who are desiring to become great souls cannot be without any of the above qualities, so we can know for certain that these qualities are found in Lord Krishna, the supreme soul.

Besides all of the above-mentioned fifty qualities, Lord Krishna possesses five more, which are sometimes partially manifested in the persons of Lord Brahma or Lord Siva.

These transcendental qualities are as follows:

(51) changeless;
(52) all-cognizant;
(53) ever fresh;
(54) sac-cid-ananda (possessing an eternal blissful body);
(55) possessing all mystic perfections.

Krishna also possesses five other qualities, which are manifest in the body of Narayana, and they are listed as follows:

(56) He has inconceivable potency.
(57) Uncountable universes generate from His body.
(58) He is the original source of all incarnations.
(59) He is the giver of salvation to the enemies whom He kills.
(60) He is the attractor of liberated souls.

All these transcendental qualities are manifest wonderfully in the personal feature of Lord Krishna.

Besides these sixty transcendental qualities, Krishna has four more, which are not manifest even in the Narayana form of Godhead, what to speak of the demigods or living entities:

(61) He is the performer of wonderful varieties of pastimes (especially His childhood pastimes).
(62) He is surrounded by devotees endowed with wonderful love of Godhead.
(63) He can attract all living entities all over the universes by playing on His flute.
(64) He has a wonderful excellence of beauty which cannot be rivaled anywhere in the creation.

Adding to the list these four exceptional qualities of Krishna, it is to be understood that the aggregate number of qualities of Krishna is sixty-four. Srila Rupa Gosvami has attempted to give evidences from various scriptures about all sixty-four qualities present in the person of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna.

Vibhavari Sesa

2011-01-05T22:53:00.000-08:00

This song is sung in our Krsna Balaram Mandir, Vrndavana during Mangal Arotika (4.10am IST). Is written by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. As this is a morning song, this raga follows the same tune of Samsara Davanala Lidha Loka.

“O mind, obey these words of mine and sing the glories of Sri Krsna in the form of these holy names, which are full of nectarean mellows”

(1)

vibhāvarī śeṣa, āloka-praveśa,
nidrā chāri' uṭho jīva
bolo hari hari, mukunda murāri,
rāma kṛṣṇa hayagrīva

(2)

nṛsiḿha vāmana, śrī-madhusūdana,
brajendra-nandana śyāma
pūtanā-ghātana, kaiṭabha-śātana,
jaya dāśarathi-rāma

(3)

yaśodā dulāla, govinda-gopāla,
vṛndāvana purandara
gopī-priya-jana, rādhikā-ramaṇa,
bhuvana -sundara-bara

(4)

rāvāṇāntakara, mākhana-taskara,
gopī-jana-vastra-hārī
brajera rākhāla, gopa-vṛnda-pāla,
citta-hārī baḿśī-dhārī

(5)

yogīndra-bandana, śrī-nanda-nandana,
braja-jana-bhaya-hārī
navīna nīrada, rūpa manohara,
mohana-baḿśī-bihārī

(6)

yaśodā-nandana, kaḿsa-nisūdana,
nikuñja-rāsa-vilāsī
kadamba-kānana, rāsa-parāyaṇa,
bṛnda-vipina-nivāsī

(7)

ānanda-vardhana, prema-niketana,
phula-śara-jojaka kāma
gopāńganā-gaṇa, citta-vinodana,
samasta-guṇa-gaṇa-dhāma

(8)

jāmuna-jīvana, keli-parāyaṇa,
mānasa-candra-cakora
nāma-sudhā-rasa, gāo kṛṣṇa-jaśa
rākho vacana mana mora

TRANSLATION

1) The night has come to an end and the light of dawn is entering. O jiva soul, arise and give up your sleep. Chant the holy names of Lord Hari, who is the giver of liberation; the enemy of the Mura demon; the supreme enjoyer; the all-attractive one; and the horse-headed incarnation, Hayagriva.

2) Lord Hari [Krsna] incarnated as the half-man, half-lion, Nrsimha. He appeared as a dwarf-brahmana named Upendra and is the killer of the Madhu demon. He is the beloved son of the King of Vraja, Nanda Maharaja, and is blackish in complexion. He is the slayer of the Putana witch and the destroyer of the demon

Kaitabha. All glories to Lord Hari, who appeared as Lord Rama, the son of King Dasaratha.

3) He is the darling of mother Yasoda; the giver of pleasure to the cows, land, and spiritual senses; and the protector of the cows. He is the Lord of the Vrndavana forest; the gopis' beloved; the lover of Radhika; and the most beautiful personality in all the worlds.

4) As Ramacandra He brought about the end of the demoniac King Ravana; as Krsna He stole the older gopis' butter; He stole the younger gopis' clothes while they were bathing in the Yamuna. He is a cowherd boy of Vraja and the protector of the cowherd boys. He steals the hearts of all and always holds a flute.

5) Lord Krsna is worshiped by the best of yogis and is the son of Nanda. He removes all the fears of the inhabitants of Vraja. He is the color of a fresh rain cloud, and His form is enchanting. When He wanders about, playing His flute, He looks very charming.

6) He is the son of Yasoda and the killer of King Kamsa, and He sports in the rasa dance among the groves of Vraja. Krsna engages in this rasa dance underneath the kadamba trees, and He resides in the forest of Vrndavana.

7) He increases the ecstasy of His devotees. He is the reservoir of all love and is the transcendental Cupid who uses His flowered arrows to increase the loving desires of the gopis. He is the pleasure of the gopis' hearts and the abode of all wonderful qualities.

8) Lord Krsna is the life of the River Yamuna. He is always absorbed in amorous pastimes, and He is the moon of the gopis' minds, which are like the cakora birds that subsist only upon moonlight. O mind, obey these words of mine and sing the glories of Sri Krsna in the form of these holy names, which are full of nectarean mellows.

Japa begins at night***

2011-01-05T22:49:00.001-08:00

Below is the summary of Sudama Pr’s session:

Japa begins at night – The Intro

Ø Spiritual advancement depends on hearing & chanting

o 99% of our spiritual advancement depends on hearing & chanting & 1% depends on service. But for this 1% seva to be perfect in its execution we have to give our best in the 99% composition pertaining to hearing & chanting.

Ø Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakura: 3 most important things for a Vaisnava: Naam-ruchi, Jiva daya, Vaisnava seva.

o Most important: Naam-ruchi

§ Ex. Srila Prabhupada; Unflinching faith in the Holy Name & the instructions of his spiritual master.

Ø Naam-ruchi won’t come on its own. We have to pay a price. What is the price? Begging!

o We have to beg for it, plead for it, yearn for it, should be willing to do whatever is required for getting Naam-ruchi.

o We have to be determined to get it.

o Determination distinguishes us from animals.

o We should be Beggars of the Holy Name.

Now, all this mentioned above requires thorough Preparation.

Ex. Yasodamayi endeavoring to bind Krsna. Always remembers 2 fingers required for success/victory. 1) Our endeavor. 2) Krsna’s mercy

Why is preparation required? Benefits of Preparation

Ø Creates favorable atmosphere to facilitate effective chanting

o Where/ With whom should we chant?

§ Temple Hall, in front of Tulsi Maharani, amongst the association of spiritually advanced devotees.

§ Choose a place where you feel at home with the Holy Name.

§ Advisable not to chant at your work place.

Ø For all other activities we do immense preparation but we forget to prepare for these 2 most important activities: A) Hearing & Chanting B) Death.

o This is the root cause of all our problems in our spiritual life.

o Life is a preparation, Death is the final exam.

o Remember Krsna or you will have to become a re-member of this material world J

Ø What will attract Krsna’s mercy?

o We have to fly our own plane. No one will fly our plane.

o Our sincerity & loyalty will attract Krsna’s mercy

Ø Examples on why preparation is required

o Raj bhoga offering is a 20mins activity but it requires 12 hours of preparation

o Yatra committee prepares 6-8 months in advance for the annual Yatra

o Students start preparing for exams months before the exam (they are supposed to J!)

o Festival dressing design/ concept decoration, etc of Dieties is done ~6months in advance

o To get a gold medal the person has to prepare for years

o Lord Krsna in Srimad Bhagavad Gita (6.35) abhyasena tu kaunteya. Intense preparation

Ø Japa doesn’t begin the day we sit for Japa

o Ex. From Hitopanishad: What is the use of digging a well when the house is set on fire?

Ø The benefits of preparation/ How does Krsna helps at the time of death?

o Krsna says in the BG “one who remember Me at the time of death, comes back to Me without fail”.

o Remembrance of Krsna is awarded according to one’s preparation.

o Krsna helps us in 2 ways at the time of death:

§ Forceful Hearing.

· Ex. Bhisma Pitamah. The Lord came personally for this great devotee of His.

§ Through His devotees.

· Ex. Stoka Krsna Pr. For those of you who witnessed this marvelous event of Stoka Krsna pr’s passing away, are aware how the entire congregation of over 2k devotees were there for his help.

Ø We have to be sensitive in our relationship with the Holy Name. In other words, we have to make sensitive arrangements for chanting the Holy Names.

Ø Success in spiritual life depends upon our constant organizing (preparation) in tune with chanting Hare Krsna.

Ø No 1 priority

o Srila BhaktiVinod Thakur says, our No 1 priority should be chanting HKMM.

o Doesn’t matter whichever ashram you are

§ Grahe thako vane thako sada hari bole thako

Ø Never give up these 2 things: Chanting Hare Krsna & association of devotees.

Ø We complain “we don’t have time”

o There are many activities which take our time away from chanting.

o But, ultimately we are responsible for this lack of time/ mis-management of time.

o Self created burden

§ Many activities have no utility but we do it simple for our gratification.

§ Ex. Dog barking. No one tells the dog to bark. But he barks on his own. Else no will call him dog.

o The more you give time to material world, the more they will appreciate you; the more you give time to devotional service, the more Krsna will appreciate you. Make your choice.

Ø Our problem:

o Hare Krsna is in the back ground & all other stuff is in the fore ground (Remember the god dog & bad dog example)

Ø By Chanting sincerely, attentively, feelingly, willingly; Hare Krsna comes in the foreground & all junk goes in the back ground.

Ø Consistency

o We say the process doesn’t work. No! That’s wrong. The process is perfect. The problem is we are not consistent.

o Ex. Drop of water falling on rock. The rock melts.

o Ex. Servant serving for 20-30 years is no longer a servant. He is a family member.

Ø Taste will come. But, we have to be committed.

Ø Most important responsibility: Hear attentively all 16 words.

Ø Change your attitude towards Holy Name. Look at chanting as your lifetime career & you will reap the fruits accordingly.

The Process of Saranagati

2011-01-05T22:44:00.000-08:00

The essence of Srimad Bhagavad Gita is 18.66 wherein Lord Krsna says, “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear” Below is the Process of Surrender as laid down by our acharyas.

Symptoms of surrender (Srila Sanatana Goswami)

Srila Sanatana Gosvami gives symptoms of full surrender in his Hari-bhakti-vilasa

(11.417):

anukulyasya sankalpah pratikulyasya varjanam

raksisyatiti visvaso goptrtve varanam tatha

atma-niksepa-karpanye sad-vidha saranagatih

"The six divisions of surrender are: accepting those things favorable to

devotional service, rejecting unfavorable things, the conviction that Krsna will

give protection, accepting the Lord as one's guardian or master, full self-

surrender, and humility."

The whole point is that the bhakta does what Krishna likes.

Process of Surrender (as shown by Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura)

Saranagati is one of Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s popular writings. “Saranagati” means “process of surrender.” The overall mood of the Saranagati is in the mode of humility. Unlike Gitavali where it is was mostly glorifying the Lord and His many forms, Saranagati is primarily in the mode complete surrender. In the first song of the Saranagati, Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains the main contents of the text. The main contents of the text are the six steps in order to have the perfect surrendering to the lotus feet of the Lord. The six steps are Dainya (humility in Section 2), Atma Nivedana (dedication of the self in Section 3), Goptritve Varana (accepting the Lord as one’s only master in Section 4), Avasya Raksibe Krsna Visvasa Palana (faith that Lord Krsna as the sure protector in Section 5), Bhakti Anukula Matra Karyera Svikara (accepting favorable habits and practices towards devotional service in Section 6), and Bhakti Pratikula Bhava Varjanangikara (rejecting unfavorable habits and practices towards devotional service in Section 7). After these sections, Bhajana Lalasa sings of the hankering of devotional service. Siddhi Lalasa is a small section of Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Gitamala. The last two songs is a prayer request to the Lord and glorification of the Lord’s name

Nirjala Ekadasi!!!

2011-01-05T22:42:00.001-08:00

Eternal words by Srila Prabhupada on this occasion:

1969.05.23 SB – New Vrndavana

so, paravare brahmani dharmato vrataih. so one should execute krsna consciousness, dharmatah, in right path, and vrataih. bhajante mam drdha-vratah. just like today, ekadasi-vrata. vrataih. this ekadasi-vrata is required. just see. here it is that “you have performed all the vratas.” the purpose of ekadasi-vrata is that today we should not eat much usual food, grains. the actual prescription is fasting. nirjala-ekadasi. nirjala means there are many devotees who do not take even water. water, drinking water, according to sastra, it is taking food… it is drinking of food or no food. we can take both ways. so sometimes drinking of water is excused as upavasa also. but there are many devotees who don’t drink even a drop of water. whole day and night they fast and observe ekadasi-vrata. and the night is called harivasara. harivasara means the whole night they would chant hare krsna, hare krsna, krsna krsna, hare hare. hare rama, hare rama… this is called vrata. drdha-vrata. drdha-vrata. drdha means very firm, steady.

ABC of spiritual life

2011-01-05T22:37:00.000-08:00

"So sometimes when people hear these principles of Bhakti.

like bowing down, offering a flower, offering a fruit, offering water with tulasi, doing some simple services,
or

Chanting Mantra "Hare Krishna hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare , Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare" Every Day

they think, 'what is this? this is over-simplified! we have to do some high mental speculation or....these are just the ABCs'.

There is also a story about that...

One time there was one widow. She had a son, about 11-12 years old. So she wanted to give the best education for her son, but she herself was not very highly educated. She just a primary student. So she even borrowed some money and she was paying 100 rupees a month, and order for a tutor, a teacher, to come and teach her boy.

So one day she was cooking, but she was listening, what is the teacher teaching the boy. So that day...he's about 6th standard, he was teaching geometry. So in geometry... teaching about a triangle, so a triangle is 3 corners, A...B...C. He described the sides by saying AB...BC...CA. So the teacher was explaining this...triangle A...B...C, and then how you go AB...BC..CA.

And the mother is just listening...all she can hear is 'A...B..C...A...B..C..C..B...C..A'. She said, 'what is this? I am paying a 100 rupees to a teacher to come and teach by boy, after he is already in 6th standard...and he is still teaching ABC?!!'

She became very furious..came out and started shouting at him, 'You are fired! You are useless...what are you doing? I am paying you 100 rupees a month and you are teaching my son, after 6-7 years, still you are teaching him ABC??!! You are fired...get out! You are wasting my time'. Then he was trying to explain what it...but you know she won't hear. She was so angry..so furious. So what can he do, he closes the book.. he goes.

So like that, sometimes the Jnanis, they think, 'Oh what the Bhaktas as saying, this is ABC!'. They don't realize that these are higher principles. But even higher principles you may refer to certain things, which may sound that, just superficial, if you don't go deep into it, it may sound as though this is ABC.

But actually, the devotees know how to apply it, these principles for understanding the highest knowledge...'Who is the Parambrahma? How do we relate with the Parambrahma, with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan? What is our Sambandha, relationship? or Abhideya, how we act in that relationship? Prayojana, the purpose of life?'

All these there are very clearly understood, practiced and achieved through the process of Bhakti Yoga!"

So Please Chant "Hare Krishna hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare , Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare" 108 =1 Round of 7 minutes

We at Hare Krishna (ISKCON) 16 rounds every day for Basic Spirtual Experience !

You Can Grow From 1 round every day to 16 rounds every day , Step by Step , By increasing 1 round every ekadashi every month .

Condition of Yamraj - good one

2011-01-05T22:29:00.001-08:00

*Yamaraj's Greatest Concern*

Yamaraj is the demigod who records all of our pious and evil
deeds. The
servants of Yamaraj approached him and complained about
something they were
very concerned about. Here is the conversation between Yamaraj
and his
Yamaduta servants.

Yamaduta 1: How are you Prabhuji?

Yamaraj: I am doing well. But you look a little tense.

Yamaduta 1: Yeah Prabhu. We are little held with few matters.

Yamaraj: Oh. Let me know your issues.

Yamaduta 1: I am worried about this hell.

Yamaraj: Why? What has happened?

Yamaduta 1: Hell is getting empty by each passing day and if
this situation
will continue then we need to close hell down.

Yamaraj: But why, what is happening?

Yamaduta 1: This is just because of a devotee of Krishna.

Yamaraj: Devotee? How come a devotee is doing such miracle?

Yamaduta 1: This devotee is a representative of Krishna and
although he has
already left his material body and returned to the spiritual
world his magic
is still working like anything.

Yamaraj: About whom you are talking about?

Yamaduta 2: Prabhuji - It is obvious - Srila Prabhupada. I
don't know what
he told his followers but they are preaching and preaching and
preaching,
and because of their preaching - No one is coming to this
hell.

Yamaraj: Yes, you are right this is a concern.

Yamaduta 1: Even we cannot touch them or take them to hell.

Yamraj: Why? They would have done some mistakes and for
certain mistakes
take them to my hell.

Yamaduta 1: We can't take them. Everyone is going to Krsna
loka because they
know a transcendental secret.

Yamaraj: Which transcendental secret?

Yamaduta 1: They know that "In whatever state you will quit
your body; in
your next birth you will attain the same body." That's why
every devotee
keeps chanting Krsna's name and never stops chanting. They
practice to chant
the Lord's holy name so at the time of death they are able to
attain the
Lord.

Where ever they go - they keep on chanting Hare Krsna mantra
which is so
powerful that these devotees are very sharp and smart- They
always chant
loudly so that people around them can also hear. The sound is
everywhere .
Some senior devotees are totally renounced and are travelling
from country
to country giving classes on Krishna consciousness. There are
others that
sent regular weekly wisdom emails in order to give spiritual
guidance. What
shall we do? We are in big trouble if hell is to close. We
will all lose our
jobs.

Yamaraj: This is a big issue and problem for hell. But at
least I am happy
that we still have a lot of prisoners in hell.

Yamaduta 2: No Prabhu. These devotees are very cunning. Srila
Prabhupada has
revealed every secret to them. These people are observing
ekadasi to give
benefits to their forefathers, so we don't have much
population in hell.

Yamaraj: Oh no.

Yamaduta 1: Especially because of Indira ekadasi. Due to
Indira ekadasi -
lot of souls have been released from hell. As stated in garuda
purana,
someone who is suffering in hell cannot practice Krishna
consciousness,
because this requires some mental peace, which the reactionary
tortures of
hell makes impossible. However if a relative of a sinner
suffering in hell
gives some charity in the name of the sinner, he can leave
hell and enter
the heavenly planets. But if the sinner's relative observes
Indira ekadasi
fasting for his suffering kinsman, the kinsman goes directly
to the
spiritual world.

Yamaduta 2: and Moreover - They observe every single ekadashi
as per
directions by Srila Prabhupada and giving comforts to their
forefathers in
this hell.

Yamaraj: Oh my Krishna. I am getting concerned with these
devotees.

Yamaraj: Why don't you put these devotees in some turbulence
so that they
will be afraid and will forget to chant Hare Krsna?

Yamaduta 2: Prabhuji - It's not easy- whenever we create some
problems for
these devotees - They start chanting Hare Krishna mantra and
thank Krishna
for giving a test for their purification. They are not afraid
of any
problem. They think that whenever Krsna sends some problem
this means that
Krsna loves them and is testing their sincerity. They are not
afraid of
anything. They know that Krishna is everywhere. They sing Hare
Krishna
mantra in every situation. They are making us mad. We are
really sitting
idle just because of these devotees.

Yamaraj: Oops. We are really in troubles.

Yamaduta 1: Even One more problem is there.

Yamaraj: What?

Yamaduta 1: They are making every place as Vrindavana.

Yamaraj: How come?

Yamaduta 1: They are building new temples and spending money
in Krsna's
service. They have installed so many deities in everyone's
home. I can't
tell you that these devotees are making such a big mess in
this material
world. I am sure - If they will work with this speed - They
will make
everyone to go from this world to Krsna Loka.

Yamaraj: Oh my Krsna!! Save us from these devotees.

Yamaduta 1: Yeah. Better to request Krishna to give us another
job.

Yamaraj: What is their mantra?

Yamaduta 1 & Yamaduta 2 (In Chorus): Hare Krsna Hare Krsna
Krsna Krsna Hare
Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama - Rama Rama Hare Hare. And suddenly
Yamaduta 1 and
Yamaduta 2 become invisible and Yamaraj understood they were
going upwards
to the spiritual plane.

Then Yamaraj started chanting ----

"Hare Krsna Hare Krsna - Krsna Hare Hare , Hare Rama Hare Rama
– Rama Rama
Hare Hare.

Suddenly - I heard my clock “ring, ring, ring “- It's 4:00 am.
It's 04:00 am
- It was a dream. But yeah never stop preaching even in
dreams.

Condition of Yamraj

2011-01-05T22:16:00.001-08:00

*Yamaraj's Greatest Concern*

Yamaraj is the demigod who records all of our pious and evil
deeds. The
servants of Yamaraj approached him and complained about
something they were
very concerned about. Here is the conversation between Yamaraj
and his
Yamaduta servants.

Yamaduta 1: How are you Prabhuji?

Yamaraj: I am doing well. But you look a little tense.

Yamaduta 1: Yeah Prabhu. We are little held with few matters.

Yamaraj: Oh. Let me know your issues.

Yamaduta 1: I am worried about this hell.

Yamaraj: Why? What has happened?

Yamaduta 1: Hell is getting empty by each passing day and if
this situation
will continue then we need to close hell down.

Yamaraj: But why, what is happening?

Yamaduta 1: This is just because of a devotee of Krishna.

Yamaraj: Devotee? How come a devotee is doing such miracle?

Yamaduta 1: This devotee is a representative of Krishna and
although he has
already left his material body and returned to the spiritual
world his magic
is still working like anything.

Yamaraj: About whom you are talking about?

Yamaduta 2: Prabhuji - It is obvious - Srila Prabhupada. I
don't know what
he told his followers but they are preaching and preaching and
preaching,
and because of their preaching - No one is coming to this
hell.

Yamaraj: Yes, you are right this is a concern.

Yamaduta 1: Even we cannot touch them or take them to hell.

Yamraj: Why? They would have done some mistakes and for
certain mistakes
take them to my hell.

Yamaduta 1: We can't take them. Everyone is going to Krsna
loka because they
know a transcendental secret.

Yamaraj: Which transcendental secret?

Yamaduta 1: They know that "In whatever state you will quit
your body; in
your next birth you will attain the same body." That's why
every devotee
keeps chanting Krsna's name and never stops chanting. They
practice to chant
the Lord's holy name so at the time of death they are able to
attain the
Lord.

Where ever they go - they keep on chanting Hare Krsna mantra
which is so
powerful that these devotees are very sharp and smart- They
always chant
loudly so that people around them can also hear. The sound is
everywhere .
Some senior devotees are totally renounced and are travelling
from country
to country giving classes on Krishna consciousness. There are
others that
sent regular weekly wisdom emails in order to give spiritual
guidance. What
shall we do? We are in big trouble if hell is to close. We
will all lose our
jobs.

Yamaraj: This is a big issue and problem for hell. But at
least I am happy
that we still have a lot of prisoners in hell.

Yamaduta 2: No Prabhu. These devotees are very cunning. Srila
Prabhupada has
revealed every secret to them. These people are observing
ekadasi to give
benefits to their forefathers, so we don't have much
population in hell.

Yamaraj: Oh no.

Yamaduta 1: Especially because of Indira ekadasi. Due to
Indira ekadasi -
lot of souls have been released from hell. As stated in garuda
purana,
someone who is suffering in hell cannot practice Krishna
consciousness,
because this requires some mental peace, which the reactionary
tortures of
hell makes impossible. However if a relative of a sinner
suffering in hell
gives some charity in the name of the sinner, he can leave
hell and enter
the heavenly planets. But if the sinner's relative observes
Indira ekadasi
fasting for his suffering kinsman, the kinsman goes directly
to the
spiritual world.

Yamaduta 2: and Moreover - They observe every single ekadashi
as per
directions by Srila Prabhupada and giving comforts to their
forefathers in
this hell.

Yamaraj: Oh my Krishna. I am getting concerned with these
devotees.

Yamaraj: Why don't you put these devotees in some turbulence
so that they
will be afraid and will forget to chant Hare Krsna?

Yamaduta 2: Prabhuji - It's not easy- whenever we create some
problems for
these devotees - They start chanting Hare Krishna mantra and
thank Krishna
for giving a test for their purification. They are not afraid
of any
problem. They think that whenever Krsna sends some problem
this means that
Krsna loves them and is testing their sincerity. They are not
afraid of
anything. They know that Krishna is everywhere. They sing Hare
Krishna
mantra in every situation. They are making us mad. We are
really sitting
idle just because of these devotees.

Yamaraj: Oops. We are really in troubles.

Yamaduta 1: Even One more problem is there.

Yamaraj: What?

Yamaduta 1: They are making every place as Vrindavana.

Yamaraj: How come?

Yamaduta 1: They are building new temples and spending money
in Krsna's
service. They have installed so many deities in everyone's
home. I can't
tell you that these devotees are making such a big mess in
this material
world. I am sure - If they will work with this speed - They
will make
everyone to go from this world to Krsna Loka.

Yamaraj: Oh my Krsna!! Save us from these devotees.

Yamaduta 1: Yeah. Better to request Krishna to give us another
job.

Yamaraj: What is their mantra?

Yamaduta 1 & Yamaduta 2 (In Chorus): Hare Krsna Hare Krsna
Krsna Krsna Hare
Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama - Rama Rama Hare Hare. And suddenly
Yamaduta 1 and
Yamaduta 2 become invisible and Yamaraj understood they were
going upwards
to the spiritual plane.

Then Yamaraj started chanting ----

"Hare Krsna Hare Krsna - Krsna Hare Hare , Hare Rama Hare Rama
– Rama Rama
Hare Hare.

Suddenly - I heard my clock “ring, ring, ring “- It's 4:00 am.
It's 04:00 am
- It was a dream. But yeah never stop preaching even in
dreams.

Srila Prabhupada -- Disappearance

2011-01-05T21:55:00.000-08:00

Srila Prabhupada -- Disappearance Srila Prabhupada was born Abhay Charan De on September 1st 1896 in Calcutta, India. His father was Gour Mohan De, a cloth merchant, and his mother was Rajani. His parents in accordance with Bengali tradition, employed an astrologer to calculate the child's horoscope, and they were made jubilant by the auspicious reading. The astrologer made a specific prediction: When this child reaches the age of seventy, he would cross the ocean, become a great exponent of religion, and open 108 temples.(Satswarupa das Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-wisher". page x.)
It is noteworthy that in that very same year, 1896, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's book was accepted into McGill University in Canada, a pilot light for preaching in the West.
When young Abhay had been unwilling to go to school, his father saw the humour in it, and always treated him kindly, and was lenient. His mother however, hired a man to escort young Abhay daily to school.

Gour Mohan De was also a pure hearted Vaisnava. He often used to take young Abhay to the local Sri Radha-Govinda temple. Where young Abhay was seen to be stood for many long hours offering prayers before the Deity. "The Deity was so beautiful, with His slanted eyes".
(A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada; Satswarupa das Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-wisher". page xiii.)
As Abhay grew up he became more and more devoted to the Deity form of the Lord. He was especially enamoured with the Jagannatha Rathyatra festival that was held in Calcutta each year. Hearing and understanding the significance of the festival Abhay would sometimes check railway timetables to go to Jagannath Puri where Lord Caitanya personally attended some 500 years before. Every year a conservative estimated 5 million people attended the festival, this absorbed Abhay more in the mood of Rathyatra.
1901 (circa) Young Abhay conducts his very own first Rathayatra. His father making a small cart, three feet high with a canopy resembling closely the huge carts in Puri. all the local children and many adults would come. Abhay stood out as a leader even then, as he organised and engaged everyone, even many of the mothers were engaged by him in cooking, (especially his sister Bhavatarini), who all cooked special preparations to be offered and distributed as 'prasadam' at this Rathyatra festival.
At age 6, his father purchased upon his request, his own Radha-Govinda Deities. Seeing the family engaged from his birth, watching his father performing the 'puja' at home, and going regularly to see Radha-Govindaji, it was only natural. From this day on whatever foodstuffs were brought before him by his parents, he would first offer to Sri Radha-Govindaji, and then eat Their 'prasadam'. He also used to daily offer them a ghee lamp, and properly put Them to rest at night. Little is know of his adolescence.
During his college years his father arranged a marriage, selecting Radharani Datta as Abhay's bride. In 1918 they were married, but for several years Abhay lived with his family and Radharani with hers. This was to facilitate his finishing his college education. As it was recognised that the added responsibility of supporting a family is a challenge.
In his fourth year of college Abhay felt reluctant to accept his degree, a degree that was given by the British. He had become a sympathiser to the Nationalist case, which advocated 'National schools', Freedom from British Rule, and Self Government (Self Rule).
At the same school (Scottish Colleges) in the class one year ahead of Abhay was the highly spirited Nationalist Subhas Chandra Bose, who later became the leader of the Indian National Army formed to overthrow British Rule of India.
Abhay was attracted to the pure and simple teaching of Mohandas K. Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi). Who stood by the ancient pure principles of moral India, and regarded Bhagavad Gita above all other books. His personal habits too, and life-style were pure, as he lived a life as a saint, 'sadhu'. Abhay had seen many 'sadhus' and was not overly impressed. However, Gandhi had more integrity than most.
Gandhi called on all Indian students to rebel and give up British mundane, manipulative educations, that would ultimately bind one in slavery to the British Raj and would deny the Indian people of their freedom, religion, culture, and inevitably their country. The schools shaped the students, 'brainwashing' them to British Imperialism, teaching them the corrupted philosophies taught by the Christian Church funded Western Indologists shaping them for the control of generations to come.
Abhay weighed up the 'pros' and 'cons'. Abhay then rejected his diploma even after completing his fourth year and passing his examination. So doing he made his principled stand of protest in response to Gandhi's call.
When Gandhi called for a boycott of everything British and 'non-co-operation' after the British soldiers had gunned down hundreds of innocent, unarmed Indians who gathered at a peaceful rally at Jallainwalla Bagh, Abhay moved closer towards Gandhi's independence movement.
Abhay's father was somewhat disturbed for Abhay's future, but didn't resent his decision. More concerned for Abhay's future than Indian politics Gour Mohan De arranged employment for Abhay through a prominent friend, distinguished surgeon, and chemical industrialist, a Dr Kartick Chandra Bose. Dr Bose gladly accepted Abhay as his department manager in his firm.
1921 His wife gave birth to the first son and child, while she was just 14 years old (A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. June 8th 1974. Morning walk conversation. Geneva, Switzerland.).
1922 marked the first meeting of Abhay with his spiritual master. Some of Abhay Charan's friends were going to see a 'sadhu' who was preaching in Calcutta, a descendant in the Brahma Madhwa Gaudiya line coming through Bhaktivinoda Thakur, his father none less. The 'Scottish School' educated, and prestigious leader of his group of friends, was asked to come along too. At his family home Abhay Charan De had seen so many 'sadhus' come, his father a pure devotee of the Lord, would daily invite 'sadhus' to his house for 'prasadam', and as a general feeling Abhay was not overly impressed with what he saw. His friends knowing his devotion, learning and expectations, valued his opinion, and so insisted that he come and see Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami. Abhay was reluctant, but his friends wanted his approval. So Abhay conceded to go.
"No sooner did Abhay and his friends respectfully bow before the saintly person and prepare to sit than he said to them, 'You are educated young men. Why don't you preach Lord Caitanya's message throughout the whole world?' "(Satswarupa das Goswami. 1987. Your Ever Well Wisher. page xvi.)
Abhay was surprised that the 'sadhu' had asked immediately for them to become preachers on his behalf. Impressed by Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura he wanted to test him with intelligent inquiries"(Satswarupa das Goswami. 1987. You Ever Well-wisher. page xvi.)
Khadi clad, Abhay asked, "Who will hear your Caitanya's message? We are a dependent country. First India must become independent. How can we spread India's culture if we are under British rule?"
Note that he never objected to the concept of spreading Lord Caitanya's mission, his concern was with the apparent obstacles that stood in the way.
Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati dispelled any thought of potential obstacles saying that Krsna consciousness didn't have to wait for a change in Indian Politics, nor was it dependent on who ruled. Krsna consciousness could not be impaired by anyone or anything, it is so important that it could not wait. Therefore you must do it.
Abhay was struck by his boldness. He brushed all temporal material miseries and condions aside, leaving the only worthwhile and factual conclusion and solution to all material difficulties, Krsna consciousness.
In a very short time Abhay was convinced, "He's wonderful!" Abhay said to his friend, "The message of Lord Caitanya is in the hands of a very expert person"(Satswarupa das Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-wisher", page xvii.) It was that very night that in his heart young Abhay accepted Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada as his spiritual master(Satswarupa das Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-wisher", page xvii-xviii.).

In 1925 Abhay Charan De first visits Sri Vrindavan, the Holy place of Lord Sri Krsna's pastimes.

For business purposes, Abhay and his wife and family moved to Allahabad. As a pharmaceutical salesman, Abhay did a lot of travelling by rail, especially in North India.
By now Abhay Charan had developed a strong relationship with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad, to the point where he requested formal spiritual initiation. On November 21st 1932., in the Gaudiya Math in Allahabad Abhay Charan De receives 'diksha' initiation.
Abhay tried to organise to visit his spiritual master but whenever he visited Calcutta Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati was not there. Unlike many of his other disciples Abhay was thus unable to travel and spend time with his spiritual master. Consequently over the next four years they only met about a dozen times.
When finally they did meet Abhay Charanaravinda das took every opportunity to hear from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta. "Although Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati was so strong in argument against other philosophies that even his own disciples were cautious about approaching him if he were sitting alone, and although Abhay's contact with him was quite limited, still Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati would always treat him very kindly. Srila Prabhupada would later recall, "....sometimes my Godbrothers would criticise because I would talk a little freely with him, and they would quote this English saying, 'Fools rush in, where angels fear to tread'. But I would think, 'Fool? Well, maybe. But that is the way I am'. My Guru Maharaj was always very, very affectionate to me"(Satswarupa das Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-wisher", page xx.)
1935 on the occasion of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati's 62nd birthday Abhay submitted a poem and an essay at as meeting of his Godbrothers in Bombay. The articles were well received and duly published in the 'Harmonist' for which Abhay was informally daubed 'kavi' (learned poet) by his Godbrothers. Abhay's real pleasure in his offering was when it reached Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, who in particular liked one stanza and showed it to all his guests:
Absolute is sentient
Thou hast proved,
Impersonal calamity
though has removed.

Later Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati said to the editor of the 'Harmonist', "Whatever he writes, publish it!"
That year (1935) held one of the most significant meetings with his spiritual master in Vrindavan. Once when Abhay Charanaravinda das was walking with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati and several other disciples, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati began talking confidentially to Abhay Charan das. the conversation was in regard to some senior disciples quarrelling over who would use various rooms and facilities at the Gaudiya Math headquarters in Calcutta (Bagh Bazaar). Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati said to Abhay Charan' if they are quarrelling now what will they do after their spiritual master passes away? Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati was distressed. He said to Abhay Charan' "There will be fire.......!" One day there would be fire in the Calcutta Gaudiya Math, and that fire of party interest would spread and destroy. Abhay Charan' heard, but didn't know what to make of it. "It would be better, to take the marble from the walls of the temple to secure money. If I could do this and print books, that would be better," said Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati.
Then Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati said directly to Abhay Charan, "I have a desire to print some books. If you ever get money print books".(Satswarupa das Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-wisher", page xxi.)
"Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad departed from this mortal world in December 1936. One month before his departure Abhay Charan wrote him a letter. He was thinking that as householder, 'grhastha' he couldn't fully serve his spiritual master, and he wanted to know what to do. Thus he inquired, "Is there any particular service I can do?"
Two weeks later Abhay Charan received a reply: "I am fully confident that you can explain in English our thoughts and arguments to the people who are not conversant with the languages Bengali & Hindi.....this will do much good to yourself as well as your audience. I have every hope that you can turn yourself into a very good English preacher."(Satswarupa das Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-wisher", page xxi.) Accepting this as his confirmation of his mission Abhay Charan began to further mould his life.
"The fire in the math", mentioned by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati broke out almost immediately after his disappearance. Legal disputes followed and the mission as propounded by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, was spoiled.
Srila A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad lets his feelings be felt in the following purports:
"In the beginning, during the presence of Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya Astottara-sata Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, all the disciples worked in agreement; but just after his disappearance, they disagreed. One party strictly followed the instructions of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, but another group created their own concoction about executing his desires. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, at the time of his departure, requested all his disciples to form a governing body and conduct missionary activities cooperatively. He did not instruct a particular man to become the next 'acarya'. But just after his passing away, his leading secretaries made plans, without authority, to occupy the post of 'acarya', and they split in two factions over who the next acarya would be. Consequently, both factions were 'asara', or useless, because they had no authority, having disobeyed the order of the spiritual master. Despite the spiritual master's order to form a governing body and execute the missionary activities of the Gaudiya Matha, the two unauthorised factions began litigation that is still going on after forty years with no decision.
"Therefore, we do not belong to any faction. But because the two parties, busy dividing the material assets of the Gaudiya Matha institution, stopped the preaching work, we took up the mission of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Bhaktivinoda Thakura to preach the cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu all over the world, under the protection of all the predecessor 'acaryas', and we find that our humble attempt has been successful. We followed the principles especially explained by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura in his commentary on the Bhagavad Gita verse 'vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana'. According to this instruction of Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, it is the duty of a disciple to follow strictly the orders of his spiritual master. The secret of success in advancement in spiritual life is the firm faith of the disciple in the orders of his spiritual master. The Vedas confirm this:
yasya deve para bhaktir
yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthah
prakasante mahatmanah

'To one who has staunch faith in the words of the spiritual master and the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the secret of success in Vedic knowledge is revealed'. The Krsna consciousness movement is being propagated according to this principle, and therefore our preaching work is going on successfully, in spite of the many impediments offered by antagonistic demons, because we are getting positive help from our previous 'acaryas'. One must judge every action by its result. The members of the self-appointed 'acaryas' party who occupied the property of the Gaudiya Matha are satisfied, but they could make no progress in preaching. Therefore by the result of their actions one should know that they are 'asara', or useless, whereas the success of the ISKCON party, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, which strictly follows 'guru' and Gauranga, is increasing daily all over the world. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura wanted to print as many books as possible and distribute them all over the world. We have tried our best in this connection, and we are getting results beyond our expectations."(A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada; Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Adi lila 12:8. purport.)
asarera name ihan nahi prayoiana
bheda janibare kari ekatra ganana

"There is no need to name those who are useless. I have mentioned them only to distinguish them from the useful devotees."(Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Adi lila 12:11. text.)

dhanya-rasi mape yaiche patna sahite
pascate patna udana samskara karite

"Paddy is mixed with straw at first, and one must fan it to separate the paddy from the straw."(Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Adi Lila 12:12. text.)
"This example given by Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami is very appropriate. In the case of the Gaudiya Matha members, one can apply a similar process. There are many disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, but to judge who is actually his disciple, to divide the useful from the useless, one must measure the activities of such disciples in executing the will of the spiritual master. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura tried his best to spread the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to countries outside India. When he was present he patronised the disciples to go outside India to preach the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but they were unsuccessful because within their minds they were not actually serious about preaching His cult in foreign countries; they simply wanted to take credit for having gone to foreign lands and utilise this recognition in India by advertising themselves as repatriated preachers. Many 'swamis' have adopted this hypocritical means of preaching for the last eighty years or more, but no one could preach the real cult of Krsna consciousness all over the world. They merely came back to India falsely advertising that they had converted all the foreigners to the ideas of Vedanta or Krsna consciousness, and then they collected funds in India and lived satisfied lives of material comfort. As one fans paddy to separate the real paddy from useless straw, by accepting the criterion recommended by Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami one can very easily understand who is a genuine world-preacher and who is useless."(A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada; Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Adi Lila 12:12. purport.).

1939 Abhay Charan prabhu in recognition for his devotional scholarship receives the honorary title 'Bhaktivedanta' from the Gaudiya Matha.

February 1944 A.C. Bhaktivedanta begins the 'Back to Godhead magazine', an English fortnightly magazine, single handedly. Srila Prabhupada edited it, typed the manuscripts, checked the galley proofs, and even distributed the individual copies.
Indian independence in 1947 was followed by the horrors of 'Indo-Pak' fighting. Hundreds of thousands died in the fighting that followed 'partition' of the land into India and Pakistan. Abhay Charan' always remained in spiritual prospectus, reflecting Srila Prabhupada recalls, "We have seen in 1947, Hindu-Muslim fighting. One party was Hindu, the other party was Muslim. They fought, and so many died. And after death there was no distinction who was Hindu or who was Muslim - the municipal men gathered the bodies together in piles to throw them somewhere".(Satswarupa das Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-Wisher", page xxiii.)
In regard to the problem Abhay Charan das presented a solution in BTG (Back to Godhead Magazine), in his article "Gandhi-Jinnah Talks", he wrote, "Fighting will go on between Hindu and Mohammedan, between Christian and Christian, between Buddhist and Buddhist 'till the day of annihilation".(Satswarupa das Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-Wisher", page xxii.) As long as people forget their purpose in life and relationship with God and each other out of selfish material interests and desires for sense gratification, they will continue fighting. "Real unity was possible only on the platform of spiritual understanding and service to the Supreme".(Satswarupa das Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-Wisher", page xxii.)

On December 7th 1947 Abhay Charan' wrote a long letter to Gandhi in New Delhi. Having doubts that Gandhi would ever receive it Abhay Charan addressing himself as Gandhi's "Unknown Friend", he wrote, "I tell you as a sincere friend that you must immediately retire from active politics if you do not desire to die an inglorious death". Abhay Charan never received a reply, and on 30th January 1948 Gandhi was shot to death, his letter appearing as a prophecy.

For the next few years Abhay Charan put less and less energy into business and more and more into writing and preaching.
Abhay Charan was invited to speak at the Gita Mandir in Jhansi by a colleague he had met as a customer at the Jhansi hospital. The audience was mostly students and professionals, who were mostly interested in social and cultural mental titillation. Many speakers came and went. But Abhay Charan was visionary and ambitious, and leaving his Allahabad business affairs in the hands of his son, he tried to start a spiritual movement there in Jhansi. This was "The League of Devotees".

1950 he retired from family life, adopting the 'ashrama' of 'vanaprastha' (retired). He was far from retirement in actuality. Now he dedicated his energy into study and writing.

In 1953 initiates his first disciple in that centre in Jhansi, Acarya dasa.
Starts his own centre in Jhansi, to which the Grand Opening for 'The League of devotees' was on May 16th.
The 1950's were a difficult time for Abhay Charan. He had to leave his "League if Devotees" building because the governor's wife insisted it be used for a "Ladies Club". With no place to stay and no real support, he left Jhansi - but not his plan for a world wide association of devotees. He moved around from an 'ashram' in Delhi, stayed with different Godbrothers, now he knew he was on his own. He lived like a mendicant, staying here and there for a week at a time in various temples or in the homes of the wealthy pious people who would receive him. These difficult times of no money, simple clothing, little proper food, etc., made him more resourceful. He took these difficulties as assets(Satswarupa das Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-Wisher", page xxix.) Not so much in material terms, but in term of what it did for his faith. He had no-one, he was alone. Rejected by family and friends as a material failure his only solace was the mission of his spiritual master.
To fulfil this mission he approached many prominent personalities including Dr Rajendra Prasad, the President of India a that time, but received no reply.

In September of 1956., Abhay Charan moves to Sri Vrindavan Dham eighty miles south of Delhi to begin an intensive preparation and study to embark on his life's mission. His plan was to draw enough energy from the well of spiritual purity and energy of Sri Vrindavan Dham, write in the tranquil atmosphere and then commute to Delhi to distribute his literature and seek donations from respected persons.
Having full faith in guru and Krsna, always expecting their mercy, daily Abhay Charan pushed on even in the 60 degree Centigrade heat of the Vrndavana and Delhi summers. Living simply, in an inexpensive room in the Vamsi-Gopalji Temple, located on the bank of the sacred Yamuna River, he entered into a special mood, and quality of Vrindavan life.

It was very difficult, commuting to Delhi on the early morning train, but having nowhere to stay, returning to Vrindavan the same night. It didn't leave but a few hours in Delhi, and everything was so expensive, for one on a budget of next to nothing. Yet he continued, travelling, printing and mailing. After producing 12 consecutive fortnightly editions of "Back To Godhead" Abhay Charan ran out of money. The printer told him that he couldn't print simply out of friendship, and so there was no more publication. Abhay Charan continued writing, building up a stock-pile of preaching materials, but the plan for publication was distant.

After many years of struggle to support and maintain his family, finally in 1954., A.C. Bhaktivedanta prabhu leaves his family to dedicate his life to the mission of fulfilling the order of his spiritual master.

He ventured again to preach in Delhi. Resolute in his definite major purpose A.C.Bhaktivedanta prabhu sat in his Chippiwada temple (Delhi) typing by day and night in order to present Srimad Bhagavatam faithful to the Vedanta Sutra of Vyasa, and with purports to affect the stone like hearts of the misdirected civilisation presently inhabiting the Earth. Srila A.C.Bhaktivedanta prabhu carefully and thoughtfully with exacting care and concentration worked quickly to this end.

After some time moved to the Radha-Damodar Temple in town. There he would eat, sleep and write in his humble rooms overlooking the courtyard at the Sri Sri Radha-Damodara Temple, where the six Goswamis, four hundred years previously, would sit and take 'prasadam' and discuss Vaisnava philosophy and the loving pastimes of Sri Radha Krsna in the presence of Lord Caitanya. At this sacred place, the home of Gaudiya Vaisnavism, Srila Prabhupada, by the mercy of the 'parampara', became surcharged. His conviction, and mission to write and preach becomes more apparent, with much deep reflection upon his role, and the method by which he would fulfil that role.
Living at the historic Sri Radha-Damodar temple in Vrindavana he began his monumental 'life's masterpiece' the multi volume commentated translation of the eighteen thousand verse Srimad Bhagavatam (Maha-Bhagavat Purana)

Reflective, and in a renounced and solitary mood, Abhay Charan Bhaktivedanta prabhu composed a Bengali poem, entitled, "Vrindavan Bhajan". Its opening stanzas were especially self-reflective and personal:

Verse 1. "I am sitting alone in Vrindavana Dham. In this mood I am getting many realisations. I have wife, sons, daughters, grandsons, everything. But I have no money, so they are a fruitless glory. Krsna has sown me the naked form of material nature; By His strength it has all become tasteless to me today, 'yasyaham anugrhnami harishye tad-dhanam shanaih' "I gradually take away all the wealth of those upon whom I am merciful".
How was I able to understand this mercy of the All Merciful?
Verse 2. "Everyone has abandoned me, seeing me penniless wife, relatives, friends, brothers, everyone. this is misery, but it gives me a good laugh. I sit alone and laugh!

In this 'Maya samsara', whom do I really love?
Where have my loving father and mother gone now?
And where are all my elders, who were my own folk?
Who will give me news of them, tell me who?
all that is left of this family life is a list of names.(Satswarupa das Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-Wisher", page xxxi.).

Soon after this realisation Abhay Charan Bhaktivedanta prabhu had a striking repetitive dream, one that he had as a householder. In the dream his spiritual master appeared, just as he knew him, a tall, scholarly 'sannyasi', 'Vaikuntha man', the pure representative of the Lord. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur indicated to Abhay Charan that it is time now to take 'sannyasa'. Repeatedly he called and motioned to the cloth. He was definitely asking Abhay Charan to take to the 'sannyasa' order.
When Abhay Charan awoke he pondered carefully the dream. "Abhay Charan dasa reasoned that his spiritual master was saying 'now take sannyasa and you will actually be able to accomplish this mission. Formerly the time was not right'."(Satswarupa dasa Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-Wisher", page xxxiv.)
Humbly Abhay Charan (Bhaktivedanta prabhu) although apprehensive, approached his senior godbrother, Srila Bhakti Prajna Keshava Maharaj in Mathura, who stressed that Abhay Charan take 'sannyasam' immediately.
September 17th 1959., he receives formal 'sannyasa' initiation in Mathura from Srila Bhakti Prajna Keshava Maharaj, a dear godbrother and senior disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada. He was given the suffix Goswami to his name, and so carried the full name A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.
That day he was horned by a bull in the market place, and took it as purification after the initiation.

In the Autumn of 1959, "Srila Prabhupada was living in Sri Vrindavan Dham and would sometimes practice 'madhukari'. 'Madhukari' means to collect a little food door-to-door for one's maintenance just as a bee collects a little pollen flower-to-flower. Sri Prabhupada, however, often requested the householders whom he called upon to give pen and paper for his writing rather than the rice, dahl, and chapattis traditionally sought by holy men practicing 'madhukari'.
On those papers that he received as alms, Srila Prabhupada wrote page after page, preparing his messages of Godhead for the world. Some of his manuscripts he published in his 'Back to Godhead Magazine', and others, like 'Easy Journey to Other Planets', he printed as small booklets. Although unable to publish everything he wrote, Srila Prabhupada nevertheless continued to write and stockpile his manuscripts. Unfortunately, some of the early writings of His Divine Grace were lost after Srila Prabhupada left Sri Vrindavan Dham to conduct his worldwide campaign of spreading Krsna consciousness."(J.G. Bhaktigaurava Narasingha Swami. 1993. Introduction to 'In Search of the Ultimate Goal of Life'. page xv.)

Following the mood of the day, acknowledging the world struggle and control between the 'post war super powers' for the 'uncharted, unknown realm of space', and understanding the mentality of the people of the day A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami publishes his first book 'Easy journey to other planets' in Delhi in the autumn of 1960.

As a culmination of many years of study, reflection, meditation, discussion, and thought A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami publishes Canto One, Volume One of Srimad Bhagavatam a commentary with super condensed, compacted purports which were the crystallised product of a life times study and realisation.
From his small room at the Radha-Damodar temple, where he would prepare his meals, and rest he could see the 'samadhi' of Srila Rupa Goswami and the Deities that he installed there. Bhaktivedanta Swami prayed there, at the feet of Rupa Goswami, his predecessor for guidance. what he received in return, the inspiration, intimate direction, was like the scribe Ganesh who wrote on Srila Vyasadeva's behalf as Vyasa dictated to him.

In 1962, with his Srimad Bhagavatam now published he personally travelled, preached its glories, and sold copies. Using favourable reviews from prominent persons like; Hanuman Prasad Poddar (Gita Press - Gorakpur), Hindu philosopher Dr Radhakrishnan, the prestigious 'Adyar Library Bulletin', Scholarly Godrothers, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, Dr Zakir Hussain - the Vice President of India, Sri Biswanatha Das - governor of Uttar Pradesh, as his advertisements. Bhaktivedanta Swami visited prospective donors as he tried to raise funds for further volumes. To publish the first canto in three volumes it had thus taken a little more than two years.

Outside the Radha Damodar Temple in Vrindavan 1964 with the Governor of UP.

Now he turned his attention to preaching in the West.
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami was 69 years of age. He had treasured, nurtured and developed the instruction from his spiritual master some forty years. It seemed a long cultivation and preparation. As Satswarupa das Goswami so nicely calls his biography on Srila Prabhupada's first volume "A life-time in preparation", preparing to plant the seeds.

"In Vrindavan Bhaktivedanta Swami met Mr Agarwal, a Mathura businessman, and mentioned to him on passing, as he did to almost everyone he met, that he wanted to go to the West. although Mr Agarwal had known Bhaktivedanta Swami for only a few minutes, he volunteered to try to get him a sponsor in America by asking his son Gopal, an engineer in Pennsylvania, to send back a sponsorship form. When Mr Agarwal volunteered to help in this way, Bhaktivedanta Swami urged him to please do so"(Satswarupa das Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-Wisher", page xxxviii.)
Meanwhile A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami went about his daily affairs following his usual avenues of book selling, looking for whatever opportunity might arise.
Then one day to his pleasure and surprise, he was contacted by the Ministry of External Affairs and informed that a certificate of 'No Objection' for travelling to the U.S was ready. Mr Gopal Agarwal of Butler Pennsylvania had solemnly declared that he would bear any and all expenses of Bhaktivedanta Swami during his stay in the United States.

With newly acquired passport, visa, 'P-form', sponsor, and travel fare A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami travelled to Bombay to seek assistance in getting to America. He approached Srimati Sumati Morarji, head of the Scindia Steamship Line, who had previously helped him with a large donation for printing volume two of Srimad Bhagavatam.
Concerned to his health and welfare Sumati Morarji said, "no" to his request for assistance.

Bhaktivedanta Swami coaxed her secretary Mr Choksi, advising him in exactly what to say; "I find this gentleman very inspired to go to the States and preach Lord Krishna's message to the people there....." again she said, "no". He demanded a personal interview, which he got, and then presented his single minded emphatic request; "Please give me one ticket!!!"
Finally she conceded and gave him a scheduled place on the ship Jaladuta, which was sailing from Calcutta on 13th August 1965. She made all the arrangements, making sure that he would travel on a ship whose captain understood the needs of a vegetarian and a 'brahmana'. She organised that the captain, Arun Pandia carry extra vegetables and fruits for Bhaktivedanta Swami.

A couple of days before the ship was to sail Bhaktivedanta Swami arrived in Calcutta. Although he had spent so much of his early life growing up there and had known so many persons as in his poem, now he knew no-one.
Staying with a slight acquaintance, and on the day before his departure, travelling north to Mayapur to visit the 'samadhi' tomb of his spiritual master Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada to ask for his blessings. Now he was ready.
His main baggage was several trunks, two hundred three volume sets of first canto Srimad Bhagavatam, his personal baggage a small suit-case, an umbrella, and a supply of dry cereal in case he couldn't find food in the land of the meat eaters. If that be the case, he was prepared to live on boiled potatoes and the cereal he brought with him.

On Friday August 13th 1965., at 9:00 am., he sets sail for America aboard the steamship 'Jaladuta'. By Saturday 14th., Bhaktivedanta Swami experienced seasickness, dizziness, vomiting as they moved slowly in heavy rains through the Bay of Bengal.
Reaching Colombo, Sri Lanka on 19th., Bhaktivedanta Swami was able to go ashore and get some relief from his seasickness. A diary is recorded of the exact route in Satswarupa das Goswami's books in the chapter "Struggling Alone"(Satswarupa das Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-Wisher", pages 1-3.)

After experiencing sea-sickness from the Atlantic crossing, in rough seas, and in mid-Atlantic, and at the advanced age of 63 years of age A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami suffers two heart attacks. "If a third comes I will not survive!"
That night in a dream the Lord appeared to him in a boat full of many incarnations, and assured the dedicated mendicant that He will protect him.
Sri Krsna was very kind to Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, and he appreciated that. In his diary he wrote, "If the Atlantic would have shown its usual face, perhaps I would have died. But Lord Krishna has taken charge of the ship".

After a 35 day journey from Calcutta the Jaladuta docked at Commonwealth pier at 5:30 am., September 17th 1965., the ship docks in Boston, United States of America, stopping briefly before pushing on to New York City Harbour, for A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami a new journey had begun.
The Captain made comments to the effect that, this had been the calmest of all the Atlantic crossings that he had ever been on, and light heartedly, yet with regard for his health, asked Bhaktivedanta Swami if he would return with him to ensure another safe trip.
With only forty Rupees, and an Indian steel trunk full of Srimad Bhagavatams, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami set his sights for creating a movement that would have the effect of changing the world that we live in so many ways.

Unlike many Indians who had gone before him and come to the West, he had not come to receive from the West, but had come to give to the West!
He was staunch. In an uncompromised manner, with shaven head, 'Vaishnava tilak', Tulasi neck beads, saffron 'dhoti', 'kurta', 'uttara' and an old 'chaddar' - shawl; and rubber pointed slippers, all not uncommon for 'sadhus' in India. But who in America had ever dreamed of seeing anyone dressed in the traditional Vaisnava way? "He was possibly the first 'Vaisnava sannyasi' to arrive in New York with uncompromising appearance"(Satswarupa dasa Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-Wisher", page 5.)

Srila Prabhupada recalls, "I did not know whether to turn left or right"(Satswarupa das Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-Wisher", page 5.) After passing through the dockyard formalities he was met by a representative from travellers aid, sent by the Agarwals' in Butler Pennsylvania.
He stayed there for a while, always meditating on how best to preach. With a burning desire to start his preaching movement he got Gopal Agarwal to take him to Pittsburg where he got a bus for New York City.
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami knew no-one in New york, he only had a contact: Dr Ramamurthi Mishra. Dr Mishra was a flamboyant, dramatic personality. Bhaktivedanta Swami was given a room at his apartment, but when it became inconvenient he shifted Bhaktivedanta Swami down to his Hatha Yoga studio near Central Park. Bhaktivedanta Swami stayed there for a short time, but found himself constantly at odds with Mishra who turned out to be a 'mayavadi'.
In Butler he had been confined by the Agarwals' middle class sensibilities; now due to having to be temporarily dependent on the good will of a 'mayavadi' - treated with kindness, yet viewed as a threat. Dr Mishra tried desperately hard to keep his 'yoga' students away from the personalistic philosophy emanating from Bhaktivedanta Swami's mouth.

November 8th., 1965., Bhaktivedanta Swami wrote to his godbrother Tirtha Maharaj, who had become president of the Gaudiya Math. He tried to urge his godbrothers to come and help him, or at least send a couple of men he could work with, preach with and open a centre with.
Three weeks later a reply came from Tirtha Maharaj, unfortunately today, I think for him, Tirtha Maharaj's letter was a very polite yet to the point, ".....that the Gaudiya Math's funds could not be used to open a centre in New York".

That didn't deter him in the least, his faith in the mission of his guru maharaj was firm, he knew what he wanted and knew that all he had to do was be willing to follow the design of the Lord. the practical example of Arjuna was there in the forefront of his mind, trusting that the battle was in fact already won, the humble follower of this ageless tradition now stood up proudly amidst numerous potential foes and declared the battle won. Proof of the foresight of his faith, like one who puts faith in the darkness of the early morning, knowing that light of day will appear, he revealed his mind to those he met, who he found worthy.

"In his solitary wanderings in Manhattan, Bhaktivedanta Swami made acquaintances with a number of local people. there was Mr Ruben, a Turkish Jew, who worked as a subway conductor. Mr Ruben met Bhaktivedanta Swami on a park bench and, being a sociable fellow and a world traveller, sat and talked with the Indian holy Man.
Mr Ruben: He seemed to know that he would have temples filled with devotees. He would look out and say, 'I am not a poor man, I am rich. There are temples and books, they are existing, they are there, but time is separating us from them'. He always mentioned 'we' and spoke about the one who sent him, his spiritual master. He didn't know people at that time, but he said, 'I am never alone'. He always looked like a lonely man to me. That's what made me think of him like a holy man, Elijah, who always went out alone. I don't believe he had any followers."(Satswarupa dasa Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-Wisher", page 14.)

Even in the severest conditions of blizzards and snow Bhaktivedanta Swami worked on his "Krsna Book", Srimad Bhagavatam, preached from Bhagavad Gita and offered his food to the Lord.
15th February 1965., Bhaktivedanta Swami moved from Dr Mishra's 'yoga' studio to an place of his own, a small narrow office without furniture or telephone. Sleeping on the floor on blankets, and a makeshift desk for writing made by covering a trunk with a cloth. There were no bathing or cooking facility so he travelled up two flights to use Dr Mishra's 'Yoga Ashram'. Now Bhaktivedanta Swami maintained himself simply by selling his books to who ever he met that was interested.
Even in this bare room Bhaktivedanta Swami began to preach. On a donated reel to reel tape recorder he recorded some of his solitary 'bhajans', accompanying himself on 'karatals' (hand cymbals). He even recorded a long philosophical essay, "Introduction to Gitopanishad (Bhagavad Gita)". Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati had told him, "...and even if no one attends, you can go on chanting to the four walls". Now uninhibited by those around him, and free to speak, Bhaktivedanta Swami began lectures Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays to whoever would come. His first audience were Dr Mishra's students that he had preached to at their 'ashram'. But news soon spread like fire in the Lower East Side of New York, the time was right and so were the people.

After having his typewriter and tape recorder stolen, disappointed, Bhaktivedanta Swami moved to the Bowery to be where the people were, and where he was offered accommodation in a loft.
The classes continued, and the musicians of the area came to chant along with Bhaktivedanta Swami, as long as they chanted 'Hare Krishna' he didn't mind.
But alas the nature of the Bowery's drug using population convinced Bhaktivedanta Swami that as he was warned, the Bowery was unsafe for a gentleman such as he.
Gaining assistance from some of his students Bhaktivedanta Swami stayed with Carl Yeargens and his wife Eva, until Michael Grant and Carl helped him to find a store front, a former gift shop on 26 - 2nd Avenue, called "Matchless Gifts". The rent was $71 a month and including bond, electricity etc., it came to $196 to move in. Carl, Mike and some of the others pitched in and Bhaktivedanta Swami was able to move in.
The apartment was painted, electricity connected, water turned on, and a phone installed - everything paid for by his friends.

The musicians and people of the Bowery considered Bhaktivedanta Swami "Highly Evolved", and felt inspired when it was time to move him into his new place. He was pleased to be there too, and seeing things slowly but surely coming together encouraged the mission of his spiritual master to keep going on.
The time was right, things were radically changing in the west. The youth were looking for the positive alternative, something to give lasting peace after decades of war.

Now finding himself strategically placed by the Lord ready to receive the influx of potential spiritual seekers, who had come from all over the U.S. to descend on the Lower East Side, "Which in the parlance of the renting agents became known as the 'East Village'."(Satswarupa dasa Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-Wisher", page 34.) Their search was unlike other immigrants to the area, their's was a search not for work or acceptance by material society. Their's was a search to find real love, real peace, real existence, integrity, and ultimately real spiritual consciousness. They had rebelled against the war in Vietnam, political manipulation, T.V. propaganda, the trivia, and mundane advertising, and influence of the media - in fact they rebelled against everything that the ephemeral goals of 'middle class America' whence they came stood for. "They were disillusioned by parents, teachers, clergy, public leaders, and the media -- they were just right for spiritual life."(Satswarup das Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-Wisher", page 34.) Sometimes, with his usual visionary and humble outlook, he would declare that they had been placed there by his 'guru maharaj' to assist with his preaching.

With complete disregard for his own safety he went to a place that Vaisnavas normally find distasteful, the most materially successful place, but a land of passion and ignorance, beset with crazy misguided youth and demoniac scientists, and where intoxication, illicit sex, and cow killing were a way of life. Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, at an age when most elderly gentlemen would be thinking of rest and retirement, started a revolution that has, without any doubt, changed the face of the earth.

aitam sa asthaya paratmanistha madhyasitam purvatamairmaharsibhih
aham tarisyami durantaparam tamo mukundanghri nisevayaiva

"Following in the lotus footsteps of the great 'rshis' [we shall cross], he has crossed over the impassable ocean of the material existence by means of devotion to the Supreme Lord and by the transcendental service of Lord Mukunda, the Lord of liberation."

The pure unalloyed Vaisnavas like Srila Prabhupada always act in a way that is pleasing to the Lord and in no other way, as in the case of Lord Caitanya's servant, who, after Lord Caitanya fell asleep across the doorway of the room, stepped over His body to perform devotional service for the Lord. Upon Lord Caitanya's waking he saw that His dear servant was still in the room and had not taken his meal. Lord Caitanya enquired why he had not gone for his meal, and the devotee replied that he couldn't as You, the Lord were sleeping, blocking the door. The Lord further enquired saying, "How then did you enter the room?" The devotee replied that, "I had stepped over You so I could do some service for You, but for my service, service of my tongue and belly, I could not cross over You as this would be an offence." There are many stories like this in the Srimad Bhagavatam. One story relates how, at one time, Lord Sri Krsna played the part of having a headache. He stated that the only medicine was to take the dust from the lotus feet of the 'brahmanas', and so approached the 'brahmanas' in that way. Thinking for their own welfare and not for Krsna's, they all said that if they were to allow the Supreme Lord to take their feet on His head, they would all go to hell, never to return. However, when Krsna approached the 'gopis', the simple cowherd girls of Vrndavana with the same request, without hesitation gave Krsna their feet and He placed them on His head. Their thoughts are recorded as, "We don't care if we go to hell. Let us satisfy our Krsna. If Krsna is suffering we will do anything we can to relieve Him."
Another time in Jagannatha Puri temple, which gets very full, an old lady climbed onto the body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to see the forms of Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Lady Subhadra. Many devotees were perplexed, but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu could see her deep love for the Lord, and thus allowed her to do so. Another is in the case of Lord Krsna Himself, who broke His promise to save His devotee Arjuna. When grandfather Bhisma attacked Arjuna, Krsna ran at Bhisma to crush him with a chariot wheel, even though He had said He would not intervene in the battle. Yet for His devotee He gave up His reputation.
So in the same way, as a spotless 'paramahamsa Vaisnava sannyasi' of the Lord "our Srila Prabhupada", for the service of the Lord and for the service of mankind and all living entities, took up the preaching mission as laid down by the Personality of Godhead, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, at the risk of his own personal safety and comfort.

Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami was never concerned for the petty criticisms of the caste conscious 'smartas' and 'gosais', or others who never preached to try to lessen the suffering of the living entities in this world, for his turning those born outside of the 'Hindu' caste of 'brahmin' into sincere 'Vaisnava brahmins'. Rather he strictly followed the higher principal of compassion to all the conditioned souls, as spoken by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu;

bharata-bhumite haila manusya janma yara
janma sarthaka kari kara para upakara

"One who has taken his birth as a human being in Bharata Bhumi (India) should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all peoples outside India as well as in India."

ateva saba phala deha 'yare tare
khaiya ha-uk loka ajara amare

"Distribute this Krsna consciousness movement all over the world. Let people eat these fruits of love of Godhead and ultimately become free from old age and death."(Caitanya Caritamrta Adi Lila 9:39.).

atheva ami ajnadilvn sabakare
yahan tahan prema-phala deha 'yare tare

"Therefore I (the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu) order every man within this universe to accept this Krsna consciousness movement and distribute it everywhere."(Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 9:35-36.)
Even at the cost of his own reputation, expense, safety and health.

The 'shastric' injunctions that the many rigid 'smartas' quote are it's true there for our guidance and safeguard. The context however needs to be examined, and then applied to practical application as in the way of it's intent. In reality the sum and substance of these injunctions restricts the movements of purified or pure devotees outside of 'karmabhumi' (India) to safeguard them from the undesirable lifestyles of the non-devotees, and barbarian carnivores who pervade such places, least not only their Vaishnava principles be threatened but also their lives. Specifically the west is referred to as 'bhogabhumi' meaning a place of unrestricted sensual exploitation and enjoyment.
We can see though, that such a strong willed, pure hearted and dedicated person as Srila Prabhupad never ever became affected by the lesser influences of the material energy. Rather 'Mayadevi' stands hands folded as the assistant of her Lord and master (Sri Krishna) to help and guide such a pure devotee.

"We shall call our society I.S.K.C.O.N. Bhaktivedanta Swami had laughed playfully when he had first coined the acronym". He had initiated the legal work of incorporation that spring, while still living on the Bowery, but even before its legal beginning, he had been talking about his "International Society for Krishna Consciousness", and so it had appeared in letters to India and in "The Village Voice" (newspaper). A friend had suggested a title that would sound more familiar to Westerners "International society for God Consciousness". But 'God' was a vague term, whereas 'Krishna' was exact and scientific; 'God Consciousness' was spiritually weaker, less personal. And if Westerners didn't know or understand that Krishna was God, then the 'International Society for Krishna Consciousness' would tell them, by spreading His glories 'in every town and village'.
'Krishna Consciousness' was Bhaktivedanta Swami's own rendering of a phrase from Srila Rupa Goswami's Padyavali, written in the 16th century. 'krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita': "To be absorbed in the mellow taste of executing devotional service to Krsna'.
The purposes stated within Iskcon's articles of incorporation reveal Bhaktivedanta Swami's thinking. There were seven points, similar to those given in the prospectus for The League of Devotees, he formed in Jhansi, India 1954. That attempt had been unsuccessful, yet his purposes remained unchanged.

Seven Purposes of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

(a) To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all peoples in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of the values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.

(b) To propagate a consciousness of Krishna, as it is revealed in the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam.

(c) To bring the members of the society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, thus to develop the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is part and parcel of the Quality of Godhead (Sri Krishna).

(d) To teach and encourage the 'sankirtan' movement, congregational chanting of the Holy Names of God as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

(e) To erect for the members and for society at large, a Holy place of transcendental pastimes, dedicated to the personality of Krishna.

(f) To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler and more natural way of life.

(g) With a view towards achieving the aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, books and other writings.

Regardless of what Iskcon's charted members thought of the society's purposes, Bhaktivedanta Swami saw them as immanent realities."(Satswarup dasa Goswami. 1987. "Your Ever Well-wisher", page 45-47.) In 1966 (July 20th), he incorporates ISKCON. Autumn of 1966., he establishes the ISKCON Press.

In January 1967 A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami experiences his first airplane flight to San Francisco to be greeted by his newly established temple inmates there.

September 1967., he finds himself suffering from a third heart attack since leaving his beloved Vrindavan.

July 9th 1967., he inspires his disciple to perform the first Rathayatra outside of India, it was to be performed in San Francisco.

In July (24th) 1967., Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami leaves for India because of ill-health. But found a warm welcome to meet him.

In May of 1968., Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami visits the new fledgling community of 'New Vrindavan', West Virginia.

This opens a new chapter by installing the first Radha-Krsna Deities outside of India, in the Los Angeles Iskcon temple (June 23rd 1969). Being sensitive to the predictions that Los Angles may become like Dwaraka and return to the sea, (Los Angles, due to its being in an earthquake zone, being on a fault line etc.) the Deities are called Sri Sri Rukmini-Dwarakadisha.

Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami pays his first visit to London (September 1st 1969) to see his disciples there, and resides at 'Beatle' John Lennon's country estate at Tittenhurst, near Reading.

In December (14th) 1969., he conduct the Grand Opening and 'Avahan' Installation of Sri Sri Radha-Londoniswara at the Radha-Krishna Temple., 7., Bury Place, Holborne, London, just around the corner from the British Museum.

On 28th July 1970., Srila Prabhupada forms the Governing Body Commission (G.B.C.) as originally requested by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur for his disciples to do.
The very next day (29th July) he establishes the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT). A book trust specifically for publishing the works of His divine Grace. Highly respected by scholars for their authority, depth, and clarity, the books are now used as standard text books in numerous college, and University courses.
As a publishing enterprise it has to date published, and distributed world-wide more books in number, unequalled by anyone book publishing house. (In some Iskcon literature 1972 is the date given as the foundation of the BBT.).
August 29th 1970., marks the instituting of the 'Life Membership Program' in Calcutta. Later that fall, he performs a series of preaching tours with his American and European disciples.

May 1971., Srila Prabhupada signs a contract with MacMillan Book Publishing Company to print the unabridged edition of 'Bhagavad Gita As It Is'.

1971 (May) marks the acquiring of five acres of land in Sridham Mayapura, near the birthplace of Lord Caitanya, Nadia, West Bengal. This will further one of the purposes of the society.

Sometimes some of Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers would try to criticise him saying that they had noticed that when he came to Mayapura that he didn't stop his vehicle at the Gaudiya Math get down and pay obeisances as the others did at the 'samadhi' tomb of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura. Srila Prabhupada stated that it was not that he saw his spiritual master only in that place, he said that never was there a second of any day that he felt the absence of his spiritual master. He always felt the presence of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta because actually he was always in his association.

We can truly see that Srila Prabhupada followed in the mood of the great predecessor acaryas like Sripad Madhwacarya, Sripad Vyasa Tirtha and the Goswamis of Vrindavana, for he was never simply attached to the worldly system of 'varna' and 'ashrama', or materialistic etiquette and its' dogma. But rather knew how to please Lord Krsna, and subsequently all others, by adapting whatever situation occurred into a favourable one for serving Him.
Anyone could see, he was a great 'Vaisnava brahmin' of the highest character, but when necessity called for it he did not hesitate to involve himself in day to day management to ensure that his preaching mission, his life's mission to fulfil the order of his 'Guru Maharaja', went on, which ordinarily someone who was thinking himself to be a 'sannyasi' or a big big 'guru' doesn't seem to do. In fact on numerous occasions he said that he would do anything to assist in the preaching mission of his 'guru maharaj'. One such instant that come to mind was with a 'sankirtan' - book distributor who required something on a shelf, and asked Srila Prabhupad if he could stand on his bed to reach it. The devotee was immediately told that for preaching you can stand on my head.
On an arrival address Srila Prabhupada spoke about the caste system in India. He defined the four social castes, and then especially glorified the 'brahmins'. Thinking they had found a loop-hole in his spotless character, a reporter poised a subtle challenging question. "So what caste are you?" The humble reply, "I'm a fifth class, servant of the other four!", startled everyone there.
From time to time fundamental, fanatical and other poorly informed groups; deprogrammers etc., published books in which they found fault with Srila Prabhupada's fledgling and 'newly converted' disciples, yet none to my knowledge were so brave, or so foolish as to find fault with him, the pure surrendered devotee of the Lord.

Now we are seeing the fruits of Srila Prabhupada's selfless surrender, but according to some, one in the renounced order of life should not cross a small ocean. And if one is thinking himself as a material designation such as a 'sannyasi', then as Sripad Rajendra Tirtha inferred to Jayadharma Tirtha (Vijayadhvaj Tirtha), surely it is better that one doesn't go anywhere least he become contaminated, but for pure Vaisnavas there is a higher principle. H.H. Sri Bannajee Govindacharya gives his support to such selfless preaching to further the 'dharma'.

However, June 1971., saw Srila Prabhupad visiting Moscow the seat of communistic atheism, and plants the seed of Krsna consciousness there, by which we see today, the fruits of many temples, and tens of thousands of devotees have emerged.

In 1972 Srila Prabhupada began the Vedic system of primary and secondary education in the West by founding the ' Bhaktivedanta Swami gurukula' school in Dallas, Texas. Since then many more have been developed around the world.

In March 1972 he performs the consecration, and cornerstone laying ceremony ('Deva Grharambha') at Hare Krishna Land his newly established and threatened project in Juhu, Bombay.
Just after this still in March 1972., he aquires land in Raman Reti, Sri Vrindavan Dham, and conducts the cornerstone laying ceremony there also.

Following a vigorous 12 year preaching tour which took him fourteen times around the world, and to six continents. Yet his 'sadhana' of taking rest early, and rising at midnight to write through the night afforded his prolific quality literary output.

At the Rathyatra in London July 1973., even at a very advanced age of 77-78 he dances ecstatically the full length of the procession course from Hyde Park Corner to Trafalgar Square, for at least an hour and a distance of about 3-4 kilometres (around 2 miles).
Srila Prabhupada was so ecstatic that even the devotees who were seated on Lord Jagannath's cart, Revatinandan Maharaj leading wonderful kirtans, they were told to come down off the cart and join the fun. They did, and by the time the Rathyatra reached Picadilly Circus Srila Prabhupada was dancing and jumping, clean off the ground.

On November 10th 1974., Srila Prabhupada completes his mammoth commentary on Sri Caitanya Caritamrta with elaborate translations and purports.

April 20th 1975., he organises to bring local 'brahmin' priests to accompany his ecstatically jubilant disciples as functionary priests under his instruction to perform the 'Avahan' and Grand Opening of the newly completed Sri Sri Krishna-Balaram Mandir, in Vrindavan.

On April 20th 1975 Srila Prabhupad meets with Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.

1975, also marks a great scientific achievement for Srila Prabhupad. He founds the 'Bhaktivedanta Institute', the scientific branch of Iskcon headed by a group of his disciples from the scientific community, now dedicated to Srila Prabhupada's mission of proving that 'Life Comes From Life'. Thus smashing former atheistic, rationalistic, Darwinistic theories of 'Material Evolution'.

"One time in Mayapura, we had just completed that four-storey building, and Srila Prabhupada was very happy to be there. Of course he had a place to sit, so now we could lay down.
He was taking 'prasad'. There was a big feast that day for the opening of the temple, and [after] he was taking, and he heard all this noise in the back. He got up and looked out of the [window in the] back. He called all the G.B.C.'s immediately come, .....call Bhavananda, Jayapataka........everyone (everyone laughs). Also......, he used to call......., all of a sudden. 'Call everyone!' so everyone was called, they all run.....! .......and there he was looking, ........and there in the back, there was a ditch about 50 feet from the wall of the temple where all the leaf plates from the feast had been thrown. ......And there, there was about 15 local children, who were fighting off the dogs and taking the plates. You know, how devotees, .....they get a little piece of uncooked 'puri', and throw it back on the plate, or there's a little bit of chutney juice.......! anyway the children were taking the plates and licking them, and taking the little half 'puris', and whatever they could get and eating that. And Srila Prabhupada was looking, 'Just look at how they are eating this, they must be so hungry. They must be so hungry! We must feed them!'
"Then Srila Prabhupada started crying and said, 'This is Krishna's house, Krishna is the father of everyone, if you want to make 'real temple' then you must make arrangement.......anyone within a 10 kilometre circumference, that they near go hungry. Then this is Krishna's house - in the presence of the father the child will never go hungry. Immediately make arrangements to distribute 'prasadam'.' And that's the beginning of Iskcon Food Relief (the fore-runner of 'Food For Life')."(Jayapataka dasa Goswami. 29th August 1979. Bhaktivedanta Manor, London.)

Srila Prabhupada's mission was so necessary. I, for one, would not be here writing this book if it were not for his compassion for the fallen conditioned souls, such as myself, who somehow, or another had fallen into this material pool, and were suffering like anything there. This is not some esoteric poetry or exaggerated 'arthavadic' statement on my part, I mean suffering LIKE ANYTHING.
Srila Prabhupada, by his mercy and on the order of his spiritual master Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, came to smash the philosophies of impersonalism and voidism. Not only are pure Vaisnavas crossing a small watery ocean like a calf's hoof-print, but are successfully crossing the ocean of birth and death, and enabling many thousands of souls in this world to do the same. On the order of 'guru' and Krsna, "..therefore, the Madhwa Sampradaya is successfully spreading all over the universe"(A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in his purport to the verse Srimad Bhagavatam 1:9:7. page 75.).

Like all of the predecessor 'Acaryas' we need to remember, relish and give thanks to such a devoted and pure soul as Srila Prabhupada.
To enable this mission to be established Prabhupada nearly sacrificed his very life on the journey across the treacherous Atlantic Ocean that remitted two heart attacks, but this humble pure devotee's love for the Lord changed everything. The Lord even appeared in a dream to Srila Prabhupada, in a boat full with many incarnations, saying they would protect their lonely ambassador. The captain of the Jaladuta (the ship on which Prabhupada left India) said that it was the smoothest voyage he had ever had, and asked Prabhupada to come with him on the return to guarantee another smooth Atlantic voyage.

To capture the mood of Srila Prabhupada we have included the English translation of the Bengali prayer that he wrote on his arrival at Commonwealth Pier on September 17th 1965, Boston, U.S.A.

One should try to picture the scene, looking at the seat of western materialism where he had come to fulfil the order of his spiritual master. The intensity of standing on the battle field overlooking the armies assembled, or ready to embark upon one's allotted "sankirtan spot" ('prabhu datta desha') prepared with intent, meditative, observant, dependant, and where to start? Srila Prabhupada, on board the ship Jaladuta, carrying within his heart the order of his spiritual master to spread the teachings of Sri Caitanya, the wisdom of the 'Acaryas', beyond the borders of India throughout the entire world, oversaw his purpose. As he looked out upon Bostons' bleak and dirty skyline he could understand the difficulty of this sacred mission for these Godless people. Thus, with perfect humility, he composed this historic prayer, praying for the deliverance of all the fallen souls.

1. " My dear Lord Krsna, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. Now you can do whatever you like with me.

2. But I guess You have some business here, otherwise why would You bring me to this terrible place?

3. Most of the population here is covered by the material modes of ignorance and passion. Absorbed in material life, they think themselves very happy and satisfied and therefore they have no taste for the transcendental message of Vasudeva. I do not know how they will be able to understand it.

4. But I know Your causeless mercy can make everything possible because You are the most expert mystic.

5. How will they understand the mellows of devotional service? O Lord, I am simply praying for Your mercy so that I will be able to convince them about Your message.

6. All living entities have come under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if you like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion.

7. I wish that You may deliver them. Therefore, if You so desire their deliverance, then only will they be able to understand Your message.

8. The words of the Srimad Bhagavatam are Your incarnation, and if a sober person repeatedly receives it with submissive aural reception, then he will be able to understand Your message.

9. It is said in the Srimad Bhagavatam (1:2:17-21.): "Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma (Supersoul) in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who relishes His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted. By regularly hearing the Bhagavatam and rendering service unto the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is practically destroyed to nil and loving service unto the glorious Lord, Who is praised with transcendental songs, is established in the heart, the modes of passion ('raja') and ignorance ('tamas') and lust and desire ('kama') disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness and he becomes happy. Thus established in the mode of goodness, the man rejuvenated by loving service to the Lord gains liberation from material association ('mukti') and comes to know scientifically of the Personality of Godhead. Thus the knots of the heart and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions ('karma') is terminated when one sees the Self as master."

10. He will become liberated from the influence of the modes of ignorance and passion and thus all inauspicious things accumulated in the core of the heart will disappear.

11. How will I make them understand this message of Krsna consciousness? I am very unfortunate, unqualified, and the most fallen. Therefore I am seeking Your benediction so that I can convince them, for I am powerless to do so on my own.

12. Somehow of other, O Lord, You have brought me here to speak about You. Now, My Lord, it is up to You to make me a success or failure as You like.

13. O spiritual master of all the world! I can simply repeat Your message, so if you like You can make my power of speaking suitable for their understanding.

14. Only by Your causeless mercy will my words become pure. I am sure that when this transcendental message penetrates their hearts they will certainly feel gladdened and thus become liberated from all unhappy conditions of life.

15. O Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands. So if You have brought me here to dance, then make me dance, make me dance, O Lord make me dance as You like.

16. I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the Holy Name of Krsna. I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta, and now if You like You can fulfil the real purport of Bhaktivedanta.
(Signed - the most unfortunate, insignificant beggar A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, on board the ship Jaladuta, Commonwealth Pier, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., 18 September 1965.)

Arriving with only forty rupees in his pocket and a trunk full of Canto One of the Srimad Bhagavatam in three parts, Srila Prabhupada, the ambassador for the priceless truth of ancient India, the panacea, that makes lame men walk and blind men see, was about to embark on his mission that we have seen, has changed the face of the whole earth. Srila Prabhupada relied completely on Krsna, sitting down beneath a tree in Tomkins Square Park. The 'Yuga Dharma' was put to the test - "Just chant 'Hare Krsna' and your life will be sublime." Srila Prabhupada's faith in 'guru' and Krsna gave everyone who came in contact with his message the living purport to devotional life.

On the Jaladuta ship in mid-Atlantic, suffering heart attacks, Srila Prabhupada composed the following prayers knowing how, by the order and desire of Lord Sri Caitanya and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, everything would go on.

sri siddhanta saraswati saci-suta priya ati
krsna-sevaya jara tula nai
sei se mohanta-guru jagater madhe uru
krsna bhakti dey thai thai
tara iccha balavan pascatyete than than
yoy jate gauranger nam
prthivite nagaradi asamudra nada nadi
sakalei loy krsna nam

"Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, who is very dear to Lord Gauranga, the son of mother Saci, is unparalleled in his service to the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna. He is that great saintly spiritual master who bestows intense devotion to Krsna at different places throughout the world. By his intense desire, the Holy Name of Gauranga will spread throughout all the countries of the western world. In all the cities, towns and villages on the earth, from all the oceans, seas, rivers and streams, everyone will chant the Holy Name of Krsna."

Sitting on a park bench in New York City, Prabhupada, in conversation with an acquaintance said, "We have so many temples, so many devotees, so many books..... There is just some time separating us." And it became a fact. By Srila Prabhupada's humility, fathomless faith and determination to satisfy guru, the parampara and Krsna, to save all the fallen souls suffering due to ignorance in this materialistic age of Kali, his years of intense study and writing had given Krsna a perfect instrument to work with.
When success came, with so many devotees, so many books and so many temples, Srila Prabhupada remained meek and humble.

In a letter of 1968 Srila Prabhupada wrote: "Personally, I am a nonentity; I have come here on the order of my Spiritual Master, and He has kindly sent all you boys (and girls) to assist me. So whatever is being done, there is no credit for me, but all the credit goes to my spiritual master, because He has arranged everything, and I am simply to abide by His order."(A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad. Letter, 68:10:34 Book Ref No.).

Srila 'Prabhupada': The master at who's feet other masters sit, never ever utilised any facility for sense gratification. His purity and true renunciation was, and is, admired by all. Even sometimes persons would criticise Srila Prabhupada's followers due to our deep conditioning, not coming to the standard Srila Prabhupada had set, but still no honest man could criticise Srila Prabhupada. He is still cherished in the memories of millions for his perfect Vaisnava qualities, more tolerant than a tree, humbler than a blade of grass, and always offering respect to others. Even he would glorify his disciples for their helping him, though the disciples knew it was by Srila Prabhupada's mercy that they were even there. Kindling the smallest flames of devotion, the perfect 'hotri' set the entire world ablaze with Krsna Consciousness.
If any think they can do as, or better than he, I challenge you to do it. Talk is cheap, achievements take surrender, and if by the Lord's mercy you too are successful, then wonderful, we all benefit the more! Please only speak to glorify who is worthy.
In just twelve short years he initiated many thousands of disciples, established temples in every major city in the world, and travelled extensively twelve times around the world in as many years. He established the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, which is now one of the biggest book publishing houses in the world which distributes transcendental literatures at a rate unparalleled. In every university, library, school, and many millions of houses there are now to be found the transcendental time bombs of Vedic wisdom - Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Sri Ishopanishad, Bhaktirasamrta Sindhu (Nectar of Devotion), Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, and hundreds of small books and booklets on spiritual life.

All the great 'acaryas' made commentaries on the Vedanta Sutra, and our Srila Prabhupada also mentioned that he had this planned. Actually if one studies Srila Prabhupada's life and instructions on how to take up spiritual life, one will realise how the person "Bhagavata" and the scripture "Bhagavata" are non-different 'saksad dharitvena samasta sastraih'........!

Every word that Srila Prabhupada spoke came as a translation of a verse with crystallised realisations in the form of the Bhaktivedanta purports. If one reads the purports of the previous 'acaryas' which the faithful surrendered soul Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami echoed, one can see that he embellished the words of all the pure 'Vaisnava acaryas' in our line. What he actually did was virtually gave up his own ideas, and even speech patterns, to assimilate and simply deliver the word of the previous authorities, in a pure and presentable manner. He used his intelligence properly to present it. That to my understanding is real self surrender. This is why Krsna empowers such devotees, for Srila Prabhupada had no other interest but to spread the pure teachings of the Brahma Madhwa Gaudiya Sampradaya to all who could take it. Every action that he made, every 'mudra', gesture told of the ageless culture coming down from the Lord. If you doubt this, study his life. Srila Prabhupada may not have formally written Vedanta Sutra, but his life was the living Bhakti-Vedanta-Sutra, and therefore must be accepted along with all the great 'Vaisnava acaryas' like Narada, Srila Vyasadeva, Acarya Madhwa, Sri Caitanya, the Goswamis, Baladeva Vidyabhusana, Srila Bhaktivinoda and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura. Earnestly studying the commentaries of the great 'acaryas', Srila Prabhupada preached their glories constantly.

Srila Prabhupada states in his purport to Caitanya Caritamrta, Adi Lila (7:21.) that "All the codes of the Vedanta Sutra need not be examined here however, since we intend to present the Vedanta Sutra in a separate volume." I suggest, that He was that volume personified. Actually if one takes the time to read the purports of these verses of the 7th chapter of Adi Lila of Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, one will easily understand the purport to the stanza the person "Bhagavata" and the book "Bhagavata" are one and the same. Srila Prabhupada is a living example of the Vedanta Sutras. Sacrificing everything for the mission of the Lord, barely sleeping at night, he would stay up translating and writing his purports, then daily giving lectures, going on walks and having room discussions with his disciples and guests. Whatever way one looks at this, the conclusion must be that Srila Prabhupada is definitely the bona-fide representative of the Brahma-Madhwa-Gaudiya Sampradaya. As all the acaryas have left their commentary on Vedanta Sutra, all complimenting the original author, and the supporting commentaries by great acaryas like Madhwa, so Srila Prabhupada left his for us in the modern age, in the form of his life, the Bhakti-Vedanta Sutra.

On his last journey around the world stopping at London's Bhaktivedanta Manor, I, for a very short time, had the great good fortune of being able to see His Divine Grace and have but a few "exchanges". At this time I accepted His Divine Grace as the Lord of my life, my spiritual master, not officially, but within my heart. This, no one can deny me. Thus Srila Prabhupada has changed my life, and feeling so indebted, I humbly dedicate this book to His Divine Grace, in his centennial year (1896-1996), and who is an epitaph of the "Legacy of Sripad Ananda Tirtha, Madhwacarya, Bhagavatpad", - Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, for if it had not been for him, I have no idea of where I would be now, or my future. Nor would you be reading this book!
At this time his physical health had been poor for a while now, and virtually his body had ceased to work. In London when he came in August, we were all so excited to see him. And after delays at the airport, which gave way to prolonged ecstatic 'kirtan' by devotees from all over Europe (England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Holland, etc.) up to the point when his car came through the "Manor Gates" and up to the reception room door. But we were shocked at his emaciated appearance, it was heart rending. Yet, his eyes, sparkling behind tinted glasses told of a different situation. They were penetrating, warm and smiling, reaching out and touching the very core of each of us.
Watching his devotion to Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda was touchingly memorable, and his 'traditional' visit to Radha Londoniswara via Radha-Bankabihari's (an old friend from Vrindavan's Deity, who lives in London) even in such a condition. .......and Janmastami and Vyasa-puja there at the Manor.

A few months after his visit to London, after giving up eating, sleeping etc., only subsisting on the Deity's 'caranamrta', home, he now returned to his beloved Vrindavana.
The concerned devotees consulted astrologers on Srila Prabhupada's request with a view to gaining insight as to when this condition would pass. Everything indicated that this could be the time of Srila Prabhupada's disappearance. Although some said that if he were to survive this difficult time for his body, he would carry it on for a few more years. One astrologer suggested, 'maha-mrtyum jaya-japa' and 'havan', to which Srila Prabhupada responded, "So this 'japa', 'maha-mantra japa' and 'bhagavat-path', that I am doing". 'Srimad Bhagavatam-patha'. So either read 'bhagavat' or chant 'Hare Krishna', and let me lie down like this, that's all, as it is going on. Huh?(A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. October 14th 1977. Room Conversation.)
In his humility Srila Prabhupada requested many of his godbrothers to come, and those who could not come, he sent telegrams asking for their forgiveness of any offences that he may have committed while trying to push on, and fulfil the preaching mission of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada. Humbly Srila Prabhupada requested like this, and the loving devotees surrounding his bedside, carried out his every wish. Many godbrothers came, sharing treasured moments together, knowing Srila Prabhupada's nature, and heart's desire, and intent - there was no question of any offence being taken.

As a complete philosophy, a full and rich culture, a way of life, and a way to death, and beyond, the 'acaryas' like Srila Prabhupad have left a wealth of guidance that we can take advantage of to help us advance.

Some things as eternal truths, some to be applied according to 'time, place and circumstance'. Nothing was left untouched, no mysteries, or controversies. The chaste 'Prabhupadanuga' followers recognise this, look for what he has left, and resolve, and push on his movement, as he did himself.

Srila Prabhupad residing in the holy Dham of Sri Vrindavan, on Monday November 14th, 1977, at 7:30 pm., which fell upon the Caturthi of the Gaura (Sukla) Paksa, Mula nakshatra, gave up this mortal frame surrounded by loving disciples engaged in 'Harinam-sankirtan', the congregational chanting of the Holy Name.
Translating Srimad Bhagavatam up until the very last breath, in a peaceful condition, and with the Holy Name on his tongue, Srila Prabhupada passed from this world in Sri Vrndavana Dhama to rejoin his worshipful Lords Sri Sri Nitai Gaura, Sri Sri Krsna Balarama, and Sri Sri Radhe Syamasundara in Their eternal abode.

"He reason ill who tells that Vaisnavas die
When thou art living still in sound!
The Vaisnavas die to live, and living try
To spread the Holy Name around !"

(Poem by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura)

Please Chant:?
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare?
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare?
And be a part of spreading the Holy name of Lord !!!

Please Visit?iskcondesiretree.com?for hearing lots of Spiritual Kirtans, Lectures, Online spiritual quiz, Games, Screensaver, Spiritual Ebooks and many more !!!

from the Spiritual sky

2011-01-05T21:39:00.000-08:00

TEN Easy Principles for Peace of Mind

2011-01-05T21:31:00.000-08:00

1. Do Not Interfere In Others' Business Unless Asked:

Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in others' affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic and those who do not conform to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction, our direction. This thinking denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of God.. God has created each one of us in a unique way.

No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way. All men or women act the way they do because God within them prompts them that way. Mind your own business and you will keep your peace.

2. Forgive And Forget:

This is the most powerful aid to peace of mind. We often develop ill feelings inside our heart for the person who insults us or harms us. We nurture grievances. This in turn results in loss of sleep, development of stomach ulcers, and high blood pressure. This insult or injury was done once, but nourishing of grievance goes on forever by constantly remembering it. Get over this bad habit. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forgive,20Forget, and march on. Love flourishes in giving and forgiving.

3. Do Not Crave For Recognition:

This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motives. They may praise you today because you are in power, but no sooner than you are powerless, they will forget your achievement and will start finding faults in you. Why do you wish to kill yourself in striving for their recognition? Their recognition is not worth the aggravation. Do your duties ethically and sincerely.

4. Do Not Be Jealous:

We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know that you work harder than your colleagues in the office, but sometimes they get promotions; you do not. You started a business several years ago, but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. There are several examples like these in everyday life. Should you be jealous? No.

Remember everybody's life is shaped by his/her destiny, which has now become his/her reality. If you are destined to be rich, nothing in the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can help you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere; it will only take away your peace of mind.

5. Change Yourself According To The Environment:

If you try to change the environment single-handedly, the chances are you will fail. Instead, change yourself to suit your environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has been unfriendly to you, will mysteriously change and seem congenial and harmonious.

6. Endure What Cannot Be Cured:

This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations, and accidents that are beyond our control. If we cannot control them or change them, we must learn to put up with these things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully. Believe in yourself and you will gain in terms of patience, inner strength and will power.

7. Do Not Bite Off More Than You Can Chew:

This maxim needs to be remembered constantly. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable of carrying out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. . Why take on additional loads that may create more worries? You cannot gain peace of mind by expanding your external activities. Reduce your material engagements and spend time in prayer, introspection and
meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind that make you restless. Uncluttered mind will produce greater peace of mind.

8. Meditate Regularly:

Meditation calms the mind and gets rid of disturbing thoughts. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it yourself. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour everyday, your mind will tend to become peaceful during the remaining twenty-three and half-hours. Your mind will not be easily disturbed as it was before.

You would benefit by gradually increasing the period of daily meditation. You may think that this will interfere with your daily work. On the contrary, this will increase your efficiency and you will be able to produce better results in less time.

9. Never Leave The Mind Vacant:

An empty mind is the devil's workshop. All evil actions start in the vacant mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile. Actively follow a hobby. Do something that holds your interest. You must decide what you value more: money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work or religious work, may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even when you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God's name.

10. Do Not Procrastinate And Never Regret:

Do not waste time in protracted wondering " Should I or shouldn't I?" Days, weeks, months, and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Value your time and do the things that need to be done.

It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can learn from your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes, but do not brood over the past. DO NOT REGRET. Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Why cry over spilt milk?.

Why I am so late for the lecture

2011-01-05T21:25:00.000-08:00

The Tale of Dorothy

We waited. And waited. It was a sweltering summer day in the Florida panhandle. The morning sun glared through the expansive windows of an airport departure gate. There, a young blond haired lady, neatly uniformed with a blue vest over a pressed white shirt and matching blue pants, stepped up to the counter, timidly surveyed the room, then announced a one hour delay. Passengers sighed, edgy to escape from the heat and travel north. With cellular phones pressed to their ears, they persistently glanced at their wristwatches.

Among them stood a middle-aged woman. She had nicely coiffed reddish-brown hair. Her dress and demeanor hinted that she was a lady of wealth and taste. Suddenly, she flushed red, flung her boarding pass and screamed, “No! You can’t do this to me.” Her outrage jolted the assembly. Everyone stared as she stomped to the counter, stuck her finger in the face of the receptionist and shouted, “I warn you, do not anger me. Put me on that plane, at once!”

The airline hostess cowered. “But ma’am, there’s nothing I can do. The air conditioning system of the plane has broken down.”

The woman’s lips quivered. Her eyes burned and she screeched louder, “Don’t you fight with me, you stupid child. You don’t know who I am. Damn it, do something. Now! I can’t take it.” She ranted on and on.

After finishing her verbal lashing, she fumed and scanned the lounge. Her eyes landed on me sitting alone in a corner of the room in my saffron colored swami robes. She stormed toward me while everyone looked on. Now, standing almost on top of me, her face distorted with anger, she yelled, “Are you a monk?”

Oh God, I thought, why me. I really didn’t need this. After an arduous week of lectures and meetings, I just wanted to be left alone.

“Answer me,” she persisted. “Are you a monk?”

“Something like that,” I whispered. The whole room watched, no doubt delighted that I got to be the lightning rod and not them.

“Then I demand an answer,” she challenged. “Why is my flight late? Why is God doing this to me?”

“Please ma’am,” I said. “Sit down and let us talk about it.” She sat beside me. “My name is Radhanath Swami,” I said. “You can call me Swami. Please tell me what is in your heart?” I have asked this question thousands of times and never know what to expect.

She said her name was Dorothy, that she was a housewife, fifty-seven years old, and lived on the east coast. She had been living happily with her family until…then she started to weep. She pulled tissue after tissue from her purse, blew her nose, and wept some more.

“It was tragic,” she said. “All at once I lost my husband of thirty years and my three children. Now I’m alone. I can’t bear the pain.” She gripped the handle of her chair. “Then I was cheated. The bank put my house into foreclosure and kicked me out on the street. You see this handbag? That’s all that’s left.”

Looking more closely at her face, I noted that beneath the well coiffed exterior her complexion was pale, her eyebrows tense, and her lips slanted down in sadness. Dorothy went on to explain that, if all that sadness were not enough, she had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She had one month left to live. In a desperate effort to save her life, she had discovered a cancer clinic in Mexico which claimed they might possibly have a cure. But she had to be admitted today. If she missed her connecting flight in Washington, D.C., her chances of survival were finished.

One of my duties is to oversee spiritual services in a hospital in India. I have ministered to victims of terrorist bombs, earthquakes, tsunamis, rape, trauma, disease, poverty and heartbreak of all sorts, but I cannot remember more anguish written on a human face than Dorothy’s. “And now this flight is late,” she said, “and there goes my last chance to live. I tried to be a good wife and mother, I go to church, I give in charity, and I never willfully hurt anyone. But now there is no one in the world who cares if I live or die. Why is God doing this to me?”

Minutes before, I had been cringing at her obnoxious behavior. How easy it is to judge people by external appearances. Understanding what was below the surface flooded my heart with sympathy. When she saw tears welling in my eyes her voice softened.

“It seems maybe you care,” she said.

What could I do? I felt too weak to do anything. Closing my eyes, I prayed to be an instrument to help her. “Dorothy, I do feel for you. You’re a special soul.”

“Special.” she huffed. “I’ve been thrown out like a worthless piece of trash and I’m going to die. But I believe you think I’m special, and I thank you for that.”

“There may not be anything you can do about what has happened,” I said, “but you can choose how you will respond to what has happened. How you react can affect the future.”

“What do you mean?”

“You can lament how cruelly the world has cheated you and spend your days cursing life, making others uncomfortable, and dying a meaningless death. Or you can go deeper inside those experiences and grow spiritually.” I remembered her comment about going to church.

“Doesn’t it say in the Bible, ‘Seek and ye shall find’ and also ‘Knock and the door will open’? Would you rather die in depression or in gratitude? You have that choice.” Her hand trembled and she grasped my forearm.

“I’m so afraid, Swami. I’m so afraid of dying. Please tell me what death is.” Her face had all but wilted. What could I do? I felt so incompetent. If only I had the power to heal her disease. But I didn’t. Still, my years of training in Bhakti had taught me that we all have the power to soothe another person’s heart by accessing the love that is within ourselves. I felt like a surgeon in an operating theater and silently offered a prayer before speaking again.

“In order to understand death,” I said, “we must first understand life. Consider this question: Who are you?”

“My name is Dorothy, I’m American…”

“Dorothy, when you were a baby, before you had been given a name, were you not already a person? If you were to show me a baby picture today, you would say, ‘That’s me.’ But your body has changed. Your mind and intellect and desires have changed. When was the last time you craved your mother’s milk? Everything about you has changed, but yet here you are. You can change your name, your nationality, your religion, and with today’s technology you can even change your sex. So what part of you does not change? Who is the witness of all these changes? That witness is you, the real you.”

“I’m not sure I understand what you are saying,” Dorothy said. “What is the real me?”

“You are the conscious person, the life force, the soul within the body, who is having the experiences of this lifetime. You see through your eyes, you taste with your tongue, smell through your nose, you think with your brain—but who are you, the person receiving all those impressions? That is the soul. The body is like a car and the soul is the driver. We should not neglect the needs of the soul. We eagerly nourish the needs of the body and mind, but if we neglect the needs of the soul we miss out on the real beauty of human life.”

“Go on,” Dorothy said.

“Animals and other non-human species react to situations according to their instincts. Lions don’t decide to become vegetarian on ethical grounds, and cows don’t become carnivores. Essentially, beings other than humans are driven to satisfy their needs of eating, sleeping, mating and defending according to the instincts of their species. A human being is entrusted with a priceless gift, which can be utilized for creating the most profound benefits or the worst disasters. That gift is free will.

“But with the blessing of free will comes a price, namely responsibility. We can choose to be a saint or a criminal or anything in between, and we are responsible for the consequences of those choices.”

“You’re talking about karma,” Dorothy said. I was surprised by her knowledge of the word. “I’ve never really understood that idea,” she said.

I explained that karma is a natural law, like gravity, which acts irrespective of whether we believe in it or not. As ye sow, says the Bible, so shall ye reap. Or as they say back in Chicago where I come from, what goes around comes around. If I cause pain to others, a corresponding pain will come back to me in due course. If I show compassion to others, good fortune will come my way. Dorothy didn’t seem encouraged, and I began to feel like I had taken the conversation in the wrong direction.

“That sounds like a justification for becoming callous and judgmental about suffering,” she said. And she was making a good point. Sadly, I had witnessed within myself as well as in others a tendency to do just that.

“Dorothy,” I said, “the devotional tradition in India teaches that karma and other mysteries are not intended to discourage us into thinking we are helpless victims of a cold and cruel universe. Rather, we should feel encouraged to take responsibility for the choices we make knowing that how we live can make a difference. For myself, I have discovered that spiritual truths lead me to the joys of compassion and devotion, starting first of all with myself. Charity begins at home. Once I can forgive myself for not being perfect, then I can begin to look upon others with similar compassion. Bhakti has taught me that we are all related, in our happiness and our distress.”

“So just what am I supposed to take away from that?” Dorothy asked. “If everything that has happened to me is my fault, my karma, I don’t see how I can avoid drowning myself in guilt.”

Dorothy was emotionally starved and I felt that meeting her was a test of my own spiritual realization. “Instead of drowning yourself in guilt, you have a precious opportunity to bathe in grace. The philosophy of karma is meant to lift us up and encourage us to make the right choices in both joy and suffering. Depression impedes our progress. In whatever situation we find ourselves we have the opportunity to transform how we see that situation. Devotional life doesn’t make every crisis disappear, but it can help us to see crises with new eyes, and often that deeper vision leads to a more content frame of mind. I’ve been practicing that for many years, and I know it has helped me to see the hand of God in all things…”

“Swami, don’t give me any religious dogma. I had enough of that as a kid. In church they taught us that the good go to heaven and the bad go to hell. The last thing I need is more of that. Tell me what is really in your heart.”

She was doing a good job getting me to explain things that can’t be physically seen such as the soul, the law of karma, and reincarnation.

“Tragedies in this life can sometimes be attributed to things done in previous lives. Because the soul is eternal, we carry those consequences from this life to the next.” That really got Dorothy angry.

“It shouldn’t matter what we did in some other life. Why should we believe that God is merciful when we see in this life that good people suffer and wicked people prosper?”

“Years ago,” I said, “an old recluse in the Himalayas shared with me an interesting analogy. It is quite simple but it sheds some light on the subject.” Mentioning that I had spent time in the Himalayas must have captured her fancy because for the first time I noted the trace of a smile on Dorothy’s lips.

“The yogi gave the analogy of a farmer who puts excellent grains into his silo but then adds rotten grains on top. The silo empties out from the bottom, so when the farmer goes to sell his grains the healthy grains come out first and for a while he wallows in prosperity. But with time his prosperity will end and poverty awaits him.

“Then the yogi gave the analogy of another farmer who fills his silo with rotten grains. Eventually he learns to do better and begins pouring only fresh wholesome grains into the silo. He may be presently suffering from his past deposits, but a glorious future awaits him.

“We humans create our own destiny. We are free to make choices. But once we act, we are bound to the karmic consequences of what we have done. You may choose to get on an airplane to Washington, D.C., but once the plane takes off you have no choice about where you’re going to arrive…”

Suddenly, the voice of the airline hostess came through the speakers announcing a further delay of another hour. Dorothy whimpered. I gave her a sympathetic smile.

“Here is that choice again, either to focus on the miseries of our fate or transform how we see our fate. Most of us have a huge mixture of karmic seeds of fate waiting to sprout. But the most important teaching of the Bhagavad Gita is that we are eternal souls, transcendental to all karmic reactions. That’s a very reassuring thing to know. Even in the midst of great distress, people who live with awareness of their eternal nature can be happy. The Bible tells us that the kingdom of God is within. True happiness is an experience of the heart. What is it the heart longs for?”

Dorothy’s sad eyes searched mine. “My heart aches for love,” she said.

“We all do,” I said. “Our need to love and be loved originates in our innate love for God.” I quoted words that Mother Theresa from Calcutta had spoken to me years before. “The greatest problem in this world is not the hunger of the stomach but the hunger of the heart. All over the world both rich and poor suffer. They are lonely, starving for love. Only God’s love can satisfy the hunger of the heart.”

“You’re a Hindu and I’m a Christian,” Dorothy said. “Which God are you talking about?”

I looked out the window at a blazing summer sun. “In America it is called the sun, in Mexico, sol and in India, surya. But is it an American sun or a Mexican sun? The essence of all religions is one, to love God—whatever name we may have for God—and live as an instrument of that love. To transform arrogance into humility, greed into benevolence, envy into gratitude, vengeance into forgiveness, selfishness into servitude, complacency into compassion, doubt into faith, and lust into love. The character of love is universal to all spiritual paths.”

Dorothy really didn’t look like any of this was reaching her.

“Someone told me,” she blurted, “that the reason I’m suffering is that God wants to experience the world’s suffering through me. What kind of a God is that?”

“People have been inventing ideas about God for a long time,” I replied. “In the Bhakti tradition we have three checks and balances for true knowledge of God: guru, sadhu, and shastra. Guru means spiritual teacher. Sadhu means holy people. And shastra means scriptures, wisdom revealed by God. Throughout history different scriptures have been given according to time, place and the nature of the people for whom the teachings were intended. The ritual parts may differ, but the essence of true scriptures is always the same. However, because people tend to invent meanings, followers of Bhakti receive their understanding of scripture from a guru or teacher coming in an authorized succession of teachers. The Bhakti lineage traces its origin back before recorded history, a succession of realized souls who have preserved the original spirit of the teachings throughout the generations. The company of sadhus is important because with people who are also on the path to God we can share our understanding and realizations…”

Dorothy was not convinced. “What do your Bhakti teachers tell you about why God gave us free will when it makes so many people suffer?”

“In order for there to be love,” I said, “there must be free will. You can force people to obey but not to love. Without that freedom there would be little meaning to love. When we choose to turn away from God, we enter the material world and forget our original loving nature. We become covered by a cloud that camouflages the real nature of things.”

“Like a veil?” she asked.

“Yes, like a veil.”

“Well, I think I’m wearing many veils.”

“We all are. The veil is called maya, illusion, in which we forget our true identity and wander birth after birth chasing superficial pleasures. The real substance of happiness is within our own hearts. Please understand, your situation is an opportunity…”

Dorothy moaned. “How is suffering an opportunity?”

“May I tell you the story of a famous lady saint?”

“Yes, please.”

“Her name was Queen Kunti a most pious and devoted lady. She underwent unbearable miseries. Her husband died when she was very young. As a widow she raised five small children. The eldest was meant to inherit the throne when he came of age. Because her children were so popular for their virtue and skills, a rival burned with envy. That wicked man seized the crown and ruled. All of Kunti’s property was usurped and her children were banished. They faced repeated assassination attempts and constant persecution. In the end, her persecutors were brought to justice and her eldest son was enthroned. At that time she prayed to Lord Krishna, ‘In those calamities I had no one to turn to but You. In that condition I had no other shelter but to call your name, and calling out to You meant I was remembering You at every moment. Thank you, my Lord, for my suffering was also the source of my greatest happiness.’

I mentioned the work of a famous doctor, who said that sometimes patients come to him to say that having a heart attack was the best thing that ever happened. How is that? Because it took a crisis to get them to rethink their appreciation for life, their habits, their priorities, and see the blessings that they had always undervalued. That seemed to register with Dorothy.

“Bhakti doesn’t necessarily make our material situation go away,” I said, “but at the very least it gives us something more than our bitterness to focus on. And more important, when we open up to the possibility of some explanation other than cruel fate, we just may find that there is a loving Supreme Being looking out for us. In your present condition, Dorothy, you can turn to God like practically no one else can do.”

She closed her eyes she asked, “In your tradition, do you have a meditation to help us turn to God?”

“There are many forms of meditation,” I told her. “I have been given one that has, since ancient times, been practiced for awakening the dormant love of the soul. May I teach you?”

“Please.”

“This is a mantra. In the Sanskrit language, man means the mind and tra means to liberate. The mind is compared to a mirror. For more births than we can count, we have allowed dust to cover the mirror of the mind—dust in the form endless misconceptions, desires and fears. In that state all we see is the dust, and so that is what we identify with. The chanting of this mantra is a process for cleaning the mirror of the mind and bringing it back to its natural clarity where we can see who we really are, a pure soul, a part of God, eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. As the mind becomes cleaner the divine qualities of the self emerge while ignorance and all of its cohorts fade away. As we approach that state, we can experience the inherent love of God within us. As love of God awakens, unconditional love for every living being manifests spontaneously. We realize that everyone is our sister or brother and a part of our beloved Lord.”

The speaker system crackled and everyone in the room perked up, staring at the airline hostess almost like prisoners would look at a parole board, yearning to be released.

“I’m sorry,” she announced, “but they haven’t yet fixed the air conditioner, and there will be another hour delay.”

Dorothy slapped her forehead, “Swami, teach me the mantra.”

“Please repeat each word after me,” I requested. “Hare… Krishna… Hare… Krishna… Krishna… Krishna… Hare… Hare… Hare… Rama… Hare… Rama… Rama… Rama… Hare… Hare…”

Dorothy shook her head and shooed me with her hand, “I’ll never remember that.”

“Would you like me to write it down for you?”

She reached into her purse and pulled out a slip of paper and a pen. “Yes, but it doesn’t interest me unless I know what it means.”

After writing it, I explained that these were names of the one God. Krishna means the all-attractive, Rama means the reservoir of all pleasure, and Hare is the name of the female, compassionate aspect of God. Dorothy took the paper and immersed herself in chanting the mantra over and over. I borrowed her cellular phone and walked away to call a friend with news of the indefinite delay.

When I returned and sat beside her, Dorothy had closed her eyes. She was leaning back and taking deep breaths. She looked at me and asked, “Where do you live?”

“I travel a lot, but much of my time is spent in Mumbai, India.”

“How many people attend your lectures in Mumbai?”

“On Sundays, maybe two thousand. During pilgrimages it’s closer to four thousand.”

“Where are you going now?”

“To a temple in Hartford, Connecticut. But like you I missed my connecting flight, so I’ll probably miss giving the lecture.”

“Do you go there regularly?”

“I’ve been invited for several years, but this is my first opportunity to visit them.”

“How many people are waiting for you?”

“I think about a hundred.”

Again she took a deep breath. Then, as if purging anguish through her breathing she released the words, “Now I understand.” To my surprise, her lips stretched out across her face into a blissful smile and her eyes twinkled like a child.

“The flight delay was my good fortune,” she said. “I bet thousands of people would give anything to sit with you for even a few minutes. I have you all to myself—and for hours!”

I have to admit, I teared up. “The delay is my good fortune,” I said. “There is nowhere in the world I’d rather be than here with you, right now. You are a special soul.”

Dorothy wiped a tear from her cheek. “Yes, now I understand. This is a blessing of the Lord.” I moved to another seat to give her some private space. Of course, I really needed it, too.

Finally, after six hours of delays, came the announcement everyone was waiting for. The same young lady in the blue uniform announced, “The flight is now ready to board. Anyone who wants is now invited to board.”

“We’ve been waiting six hours,” a passenger yelled out. “Why would anyone not want to get on?”

The flight attendant looked at us sheepishly and said, “In the process of fixing the air conditioner, the toilets stopped working. There will be no toilet facility on this flight. You are requested to use the airport restroom before boarding. Especially please take your children as this is the last chance until we arrive at Dulles airport in Washington, D.C. But the good news is that the air conditioner is working.”

The passengers jumped up and rushed to the restrooms. A mother pulled the hand of her four-year old boy. “Come on Timmy, let’s go to the potty.”

“But mommy, I don’t have to go.”

“You have to go,” the mother corrected. “Come on.” She grabbed the boy’s hand and dragged him to the toilet.

“I don’t have to pee-pee.”

“You’re going anyway….”

It was a fifty-seat commuter jet. The good news was that the plane flew. The bad news was that the toilets were boarded shut, the lighting did not work, and the air conditioner, after all that time, still didn’t work. It was a ninety-five degree day. The plane was hot, muggy, dark, and Timmy decided he really did need to pee-pee and cried the whole trip. By the time we landed, every passenger was miserable.

Except one.

As we trudged down the steps of the plane and onto the tarmac, there was Dorothy sitting in a wheel chair that she had requested, smiling and waving as everyone rushed by. The passengers were stunned to see one among them who could be so happy. I stopped to say farewell.

“Swami,” she said, “I chanted the mantra nonstop throughout the flight. I can’t remember being that happy in a long time.” She handed me the slip of paper with the mantra. “Will you write a message for me to remember you?” Taking her pen, I wrote of my appreciation for her and a little prayer. She pressed the note to her heart and smiled while tears streamed down her cheeks. Then she said something that I will never forget.

“Now, living or dying,” she said, “is only a detail. I know that God is with me. Thank you.”

I hurried into the terminal and looked up at a monitor. My airlines had one last flight to Hartford. It left in ten minutes from another terminal. There was still a chance. Have you ever seen a swami galloping across the corridors of an airport? One man yelled at me, “Why don’t you use your magic carpet?”

As I was running, it struck me that I had forgotten to take Dorothy’s cell phone number. How would I ever find out what happened to her? To this day I regret my foolishness. I made it just as they were closing the gate. Five seconds more and I would have been too late.

At the cultural center in Hartford, my hosts had adjusted the schedule to accommodate a late start time. I asked if there was a particular topic I should speak on.

“Anything you like,” was the reply.

“Tonight’s lecture,” I announced, “is called ‘Why I am so late for the lecture.’”

HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj

Cultivate the service attitude, that is the basis to attract Krsna …

2011-01-05T21:22:00.000-08:00

"G u r u m u k h p a d m a v a k y a"

Cultivate the service attitude, that is the basis to attract Krsna ……………….Nectarean Mellows

There are so many subject matters in this world. There is poetry, music, news, prajalpa, and so many things to discuss, so many things to hear everywhere. But one who focuses their attention on hearing the glories of the lord and really has that eagerness, that taste is an expression of love. Krishna reciprocates and by seeing that, the lord removes the anarthas from within and reveals Himself. In Srimad Bhagavatam, we learn that it is not just the matter of coming to classes to hear - śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ /syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt - (O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vāsudeva). One develops this actual eagerness to hear about Krishna on the spiritual platform through his service attitude, by serving not only Krishna but by serving great souls, who have taken shelter of Krishna. In essence what this is saying, the service attitude that we cultivate is the basis of how we attract Krishna. Bhakti Siddhant Saraswati Thakur, he, emphasized on the service attitude, it means that we are not the seers, we are the objects of Krishna’s seeing. We are not the enjoyers but we are meant to be seen as objects for Krishna’s enjoyment.

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

guru-mukha-padma- vakya, cittete koriya aikya, ara na koriho mane aasa

Krishna.com introducing Bhagavad-gita e-Courses

2009-12-01T23:44:00.000-08:00

We offer two Bhagavad-gita eCourses:

Lord Krishna’s instructions for mankind were spoken on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra thousands of years ago in the form of Bhagavad-gita, ‘The Song of God.’

This ancient Sanskrit text was translated into English with elaborate commentaries by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, whose life of devotion exemplified the message of Bhagavad-gita. Srila Prabhupada founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in the hopes of benefiting the people of the world with the teachings of Lord Krishna.

Themes Discussed in the Bhagavad-gita

Sanatana Dharma - The Eternal Nature of Every Living Entity
Samsara - The Soul’s Cycle in Birth and Death
Reincarnation Explained in Detail
Yoga - Instructions for the Body & Mind
What Every Human Being Must Remember at Death to Become Free From Samsara
How to Make Bhagavad-gita Relevant in Your Daily Life

Krishna.com eCourses are designed to accommodate users from all over the world - even in different time zones. We set up Virtual Classrooms so you are not required to be at your computer at any particular time. Bhagavad-gita eCourse participants study one chapter of the text per week, but this is done from the comfort of your own home - on your own time schedule.

You can choose between an introductory and a complete course. The complete course approximately covers one chapter of Bhagavad-gita per week. The introductory course gives you an overview of the Bhagavad-gita, along with an in-depth study of the book’s Introduction, Chapters 1 and 2. Participants have the option to upgrade to the complete course, and continue with Chapters 3 through 18. In both courses, students will have a personal instructor who is a devoted practitioner of Bhakti yoga, work with fellow students via online forums, answer study questions, quizzes, write essays and learn to apply the essential teachings of Lord Krishna in their everyday lives.

Check the left sidebar for upcoming courses.

Register for this e-Course.
Try our Free Bhagavad-gita Mini Course.
Learn more about Krishna.com’s Online Education Programs.

Introducing: The Krishna.com eBook Club

2009-12-01T23:41:00.000-08:00

The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust’s Titles

-because drops of water can wear away the stone

Don’t have time to sit down and read Krishna conscious books often? Life too busy? That’s no reason to stop reading altogether.

Krishna.com is here to support your Krishna conscious goals. We’re launching our simple eBook Club to bring the books to you in easy readable sections so you can be inspired and enlightened daily.

The Basic Idea:

Choose the eBook Club you want to join, and on the beginning date you’ll start receiving easily readable sections of the book in your email inbox. Read on your own for daily meditations, or participate in the group discussion online for inspiration and clarification.

Since everyone in each book club is literally on the same page, you can ask questions and share your thoughts with a group of people who are in the same place as you are.

The Goal:

Maybe you haven’t read these books. Maybe you have but it’s been a while. Either way, reading books with a group can help awaken new insights. A reading community brings together and inspires, and will help both those new to bhakti-yoga and long-time practitioners.

The Experience:

Each section of the book emailed to you will be readable in approximately five minutes. Read from your computer or your smart phone—from anywhere you can check your email. We will send you book installments every weekday.

Each eBook Club starts on a specific date, so your group can login and discuss the book together if you would like to. Your participation in the forum group is not required, but is a nice complement to your study and mediation on the selection you’re reading.

The Forum Groups

Each forum group will be limited to eBook Club participants and mediators. This reading community is a valuable resource, so please log in and meet your peers to get the most out of the eBook Club experience.

How To Get Started:

Fill in your name and e-mail address on our Newsletter Sign-up Page. Then, simply scroll down to “E-Book Club,” and click the box(es) next to the book(s) you’re interested in.

The Books:

Bhagavad-gita As It Is:

Starting October 23, 2009

Specifically chosen sections of the Gita will be sent out in installments, one or two verses at a time—including Srila Prabhupada’s commentary.

About the book

Krsna:

Starting October 30, 2009

This is a compilation of Krishna’s pastimes on Earth, told in a readable, narrative style by Srila Prabhupada. Affectionately known as ‘Krishna Book,’ this is a summary of the Tenth Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. The whole book will be serialized into installments.

About the book

A Second Chance:

Extended: Starting November 13, 2009

The story of Ajamila’s near-death experience opens the doors to a metaphysical and philosophical debate on life’s deepest questions. The entire book will be serialized into installments.

About the book…

The Science of Self-Realization:

Starting December 4, 2009

This title is an ideal introduction to the integral philosophy behind Krishna consciousness, covering topics from reincarnation to super-consciousness, and Christ to Krishna. The entire book will be serialized into installments.

About the book…

Cookbook eBook Club:

Starting: Whenever you want to join!

We will be selecting delicious vegetarian recipes from our many cookbooks—from Kurma to Yamuna Devi—and sending weekly meal suggestions, cooking tips, and meditations on offering food to Krishna. Join the eBook Club and participate in the forum group to share your cooking skills or learn from experts. This eBook Club will be ongoing.

About these books …

Ready to try an eBook club? Yes, it sounds great. Sign me up!

By signing up for an eBook Club, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions

It is happening now

2009-12-01T23:39:00.000-08:00

Srila Prabhupada said:
All the government men will become thieves and rogues. Dasyu, dasyu means
thieves and rogues. So as the thieves and rogues capture you on the street
and ask "Whatever you have got, give, otherwise I shall kill you," so this
will be the position in the Kali-yuga. It is happening now. You cannot have
any private property; everything you have to declare. Otherwise, it will be
taken by force. So people will be very much embarrassed by two things: one
thing is taxation, and another thing will be scarcity of food. In this way,
all the people all over the world will be embarrassed, so much so that they
will leave their home, hearth and home, acchinna-dara-dravina yasyanti
giri-kananam. [From SB 12.2.8: "Losing their wives and properties to such
avaricious and merciless rulers, who will behave no better than ordinary
thieves, the citizens will flee to the mountains and forests."] Being
separated from family and property, they will take shelter in the hilly
ranges or in the forest to get relief. This will be the position.
Harassment, so much harassment, by nature, by government.
So therefore for complete happy society, this Krsna consciousness movement
is essential. All intelligent persons, they should join this movement and
reform the present social, political, religious. All field of activities,
they should reform. Then people will be happy. Not only happy in this life,
but also next life.
VD 31: New York, July 14, 1976: Interview with Newsday Newspaper

Simplicity and Faith

2009-12-01T23:36:00.000-08:00

by Gour Govinda Maharaja

Gopal and the Schoolboy

A mother has a six or seven year old son. She wanted to admit him into primary school so that he could get some education, but the school was a little far away, half a mile from their house. Still she told the boy that he should go every day to the school in the morning.

So, the boy started going. On the path to the school, he had to pass through a jungle where there were some ferocious animals, tigers, and snakes. Being a small child, he was afraid. He came to his mother and said, “Oh mother, when I was going through that jungle on the way to school, I was very afraid. So many ferocious animals are there. I can’t go any more.”

His mother said, “Why are you afraid? Don’t you know that your friend Gopal is there? Just call your friend; He will help you. You need not be afraid.”

“Oh, my friend is there?”

“Yes. When you feel afraid, you should call out, ‘Oh my friend Gopal, I am in a fearful situation! Where are You? Please come!’ You should say like that.”

The child followed her instruction. When he was passing through the jungle and he felt afraid, he called out, “Friend Gopal! My brother Gopal! Where are You? I am in a fearful situation. Please come! Help me!”

Gopal appeared before him. “Yes, I am here. Why are you afraid?”

“I have to go through the jungle to go to school and it is full of ferocious animals.”

“All right, don’t fear. Come with Me!” Every day, Gopal was helping him.

Milk from Gopal

In Indian school they perform ganesa-puja and sarasvati-puja to give the students knowledge. For these festivals, the teacher will collect some fees from the students. One day at school the teacher announced that they were going to have such a festival, and that the students should all pay some fee. But the boy and his mother were very poor. There was nobody in that family, only the mother and the son, and they had no money.

The teacher told him, “You are poor. You don’t have enough money. But you should at least bring fifty paisa—half of a rupee.”

The child returned home and told his mother that the teacher said that he had to pay fifty paisa for the festival. But they had nothing, not even a single paisa. The mother said, “Tell the teacher that we have no money. We are very poor. But we will bring milk.”

The child said, “Who will give us milk?”

“Oh, your friend Gopal will give us milk. He tends cows. He can supply as much milk as your teacher wants. Yes. You tell Gopal!”

So that day in the forest he called out to his friend, “O Gopal, where are You?”

“I am here.” Gopal appeared. “What do you need?”

“My teacher has said that I have to pay fifty paisa, but we have no money. My mother said to ask You to give us some milk, because they need milk for the festival. So you must supply as much milk as they need.”

“Oh yes, I must supply, I am always here to help you.”

“Later, on the puja day when he was passing through the jungle, he called his friend, “Gopal, today is the day. Please come!”

Gopal came with a small earthen pot filled with milk. “All right, take this milk. Give it to your teacher. This pot will give as much milk as they want. It will never be empty.” The boy took it and gave it to the teacher.

Seeing the small pot, the teacher said, “Oh this is just a small amount of milk. We need a large amount, ten buckets of milk. You have only brought a small pot.”

“No, no, no. It will never be empty. You bring ten buckets and pour this pot out. All ten buckets will be filled.”

The teacher did so, and amazingly, ten buckets were filled. Then the teacher asked, “Where did you get such a pot?”

“My friend Gopal gave it to me.”

“Your friend Gopal? Who is He?”

“Oh, He stays in the jungle. Every time I need, I call Him. My mother told me that whenever I am in a fearful situation I should call out, ‘Gopal! Gopal! O brother! O my friend Gopal!’ Then He appears. He helps me, protects me, and leads me to school. He gave this pot of milk. He says that He is a friend to one and all.” Krishna says in Bhagavad-Gita (5.29), suhrdam sarva bhutanam—“I am the only well wishing friend of all living entities.”

“He says He is not only my friend, He is a friend to one and all. If one calls, He is there ready to help in time of danger, in time of need, in time of calamities.”

Why Doesn’t Gopal Come to You?

Such a simple child gets help from Krishna. But you are worrying, he is worrying, she is worrying, “What shall I do? What shall I do? I need so much money. How can I do it? I cannot collect. I have to do this thing. I have to do that thing. I have so many problems, so many hindrances, so many obstacles. Why don’t you ask Gopal? Gopal is ready to help you, but you are not asking Him. If you are asking, then why is Gopal not coming? You say, “Yes, yes I am asking, ‘O Krishna! O Krishna! Please help me, please help me!’ But Krishna is not coming and helping me.”

Gopal immediately appeared before that small child. Why can’t you get Gopal’s help? Why doesn’t Gopal come to you? What is the difficulty? What is the reason? It’s because you have no faith in Gopal, no faith in Krishna. It’s a question of faith. That small child had strong faith. As soon as his mother told him, he put strong unflinching faith in her words, and he got Krishna. But you do not have faith.

Now in America, many, many people have lost faith. In his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu(1.4.15) Srila Rupa Goswami says, adau sraddha, the first thing is unflinching faith. Similarly Krsna says in Gita (4.39)

sraddhavan labhate jnanam tat-parah samyatendriyah

jnanam labdhva param santim acirenadhigacchati

“A faithful man who is dedicated to transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses is eligible to achieve such knowledge, and having achieved it he quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace.”

What do we mean by sraddha? Rupa Goswami says that the first thing is sraddha. Following that comes other things. Sraddha means strong, unflinching faith.Bhajante mam drdha-vratah—those who have faith, they do bhajana with determination[Bg. 7.28]. Strong faith in what?

Sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya; faith in what sadhu says, what guru says, what sastrasays—what Krishna says [Narottama Das Thakur’s Prema-bhakti-candrika 1.10] You should put strong unflinching faith in what Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita andSrimad Bhagavatam. It is said:

visvasa mile krsna tarke bahu dura

If one has faith, then he can easily obtain Krishna and arguments or doubts stay far away.

Why Depressed and Disappointed?

If you have strong faith, you will get Krishna. You have faith, but it is not strong. It is soft faith. At any time it can break and you feel yourself disappointed, depressed. Why such feelings? Why disappointed? Why depressed? Because you do not have strong faith in Krishna. You have no faith in sadhu-sastra-guru vakya You have lost faith, therefore you feel disappointed and depressed.

Faith is the most important thing. It has been stressed in Bhagavad-gita, in Srimad Bhagavatam, and all of our acaryas have said it. Rupa Goswami says in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.4.15-16) that everything begins with sraddha:

adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango ‘tha bhajana-kriya

tato ‘nartha-nivrttih syat tato nistha rucis tatah

athasaktis tato bhavas tatah premabhyudancati

sadhakanam ayam premna pradurbhave bhavet kramah

“First comes sraddha, faith; next sadhu-sanga, association with saintly persons; after that bhajana-kriya, spiritual practices; then anartha-nivrtti, cessation of all offenses or obstacles; next nistha, firmness; which is followed by ruci, taste; after that asakti, attachment; then bhava; and then appears prema. These are the different stages leading to prema’s appearance within the heart of a spiritual practitioner.”

It’s a gradual process. Mahaprabhu said the same thing:

ucca sankirtane kari sraddhara pracara

“Loudly chant the holy names and preach with faith.”

When my guru-maharaja came to the West, what did he have with him? Only strong faith in Krishna, strong faith in the words of his guru, strong faith in the holy name. He had nothing else. It is a question of strong faith in Gopal. But people are lacking faith. You should develp strong faith. Caitanya-caritamrta (madhya 22.62) states:

‘sraddha’-sabde - visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya

krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya

Sraddhais defined as confident, firm faith that by rendering transcendental loving service to Krishna one automatically performs all subsidiary activities. Such faith is favorable to the discharge of devotional service.”

Chant Loudly!

If you develop krsna-bhakti, all of your duties and obligations are finished. You are thinking, “This is my duty, my responsibility, to look after the maintenance of my family, my wife, and my children. But it is said, krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya - “All of your work is finished.” Everyone says this, but they are only speaking from the lips. In their heart, 99.9% people have no faith. Therefore Guaranga Mahaprabhu has said, ucca sankirtane kari sraddhara pracara — “Chant loudly:hare krsna hare krsna, krsna krsna hare hare, hare rama hare rama, rama rama hare hare. Inculcate sraddha, faith unto those people who have not developedsraddha.”

My guru-maharaja did that. When he first arrived here he came with only a pair ofkartalas. He simply went to a park and chanted Hare Krishna. The hippies were rolling on the ground, half-naked, taking strong drugs like LSD and marijuana, and becoming mad. My guru-maharaja just played karatalas and chanted, and thereby he inculcated sraddha in them. Cora-vesya-satha—the thieves, the prostitutes, and the cheaters — sadhu is able to inculcate sraddha even into them. That is Mahaprabhu’s instruction; agre sraddha diya - “First inculcate sraddha unto them.” Then when they are sraddhavan, when they ahve developed sraddha,strong faith in the holy name, strong faith in Krishna, and sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya, then they are eligible to be initiated.

There is the offense to the holy name known as sraddha-hina-jane namopadesa - “giving someone nama-upadesa, instructions on chanting, if they are lacking insraddha.” So agre-sraddha—first one must have sraddha.

How can one develop sraddha? That is another question—for this reason we perform loud sankirtan. Doing so you can develop sraddha. Don’t feel depressed or disappointed; Mahaprabhu is there, Krishna is there, Srila Prabhupada is there. Chant loudly and fill the atmosphere with transcendental sound vibration! You should have full faith in the holy name, in Gopal, in Krishna and Mahaprabhu. Don’t feel depressed at any time, under any circumstances. There is no quetion of pessimism in Mahaprabhu’s movement. There is all optimism. I have seen during my tour that now this pessimism is widespread amongst the devotees in America. Seing that, I feel very sorry. I am crying in my heart. What has happened? Myguru-maharja came here first. He sowed the seed here. Now what has happened? They have lost faith — such a sorry state of affairs.

How is it that a small boy immediately developed faith and got Krishna? He cried out, “O Gopal! Where are You? My mother has said to call you!” And immediately Gopal appeared..

The Determination of Dhruva

Dhruva Maharaja was also only a child, a five-year old boy. When he inquired from his mother Suniti, she told him, “Narayan is there. If you get the mercy of Lord Narayan then all of your desires will be fulfilled.”

Dhruva siad, “Yes! Lord Narayan. Where is He?”

Suniti said, “I have heard that saints and sages go to the forest to get Him.”

Dhruva said, “Oh, I must go! I must go and get Him!” He was only a five-year-old boy ,but he had such determination.

Later, Narada Muni told him, “The forest is a very dangerous place. There are many fearful, ferocious animals here - tigers, lions, and snakes. You are a small boy, what can you do here?”

Dhruva said, “No! No! My mother said that Narayan is there. I must go and find Him. Dhruva wouldn’t hear any dissuasion. He was so strong and determined! Therefore his name is Dhruva. “Dhruva” means “determined”. His determination never shakes. Rupa Goswami therefore says in Upadesamrta (text 3):

utsahan niccayads dhairyattat-tat-karma-pravartanat
sanga-tyagat sato vrtthe sadbhir bhakti prasidhyati

“One can execute the process of bhakti-yoga successfully with full-hearted enthusiasm, perseverance, and determination, by following the prescribed duties in the association of devotees and engaging completely in activities of goodness.”

Rupa Goswami, mahajana-acarya, says one must have utsaha, enthusiasm, andniscaya, determination. “Yes, I am determined to achieve this thing. I must achieve it.” Dhruva had that kind of determination. But also dhairya, you must have patience. Don’t lose patience. This strong determination and strong faith is most important. Nothing is impossible. Krishna is always there to help you. He is there in your heart. He will test how strong your faith is in Him. Your faith is shaking; it is not strong. How determined are you? Krishna creates everything. His will is supreme. By His mere desire creation, maintenance, and destruction take place. We are completely dependent on His will. Bhaktivinoda says in Sarangati (3.4.7)tomara icchaya achi nirbhara koriya - “I am completely dependent on Your will, O Krishna.” So Krishna says, “Okay, I will test your faith, to see if you are really completely dependent on My will.” But you are lacking faith and Krishna knows, “Oh, he has no faith. He only speaks from the lips. In his heart he has no faith.”

Everything takes place according to the will of Krishna. If He doesn’t will, a blade of grass will not shake. So it is a question of faith. But why do we lack faith? Dhruva immediately put strong faith. He was not afraid of any situation. “Where is that Narayan? Where is Narayan!” The example is also there in the story about the young boy and Gopal. But we can’t put faith. What is the reason? Why are these small children able to have faith, but adults cannot? It is because you are crooked and they are simple. A child is very simple, but as soon as he grows up and associates with adults, those who are very crooked, he develops crookedness. Otherwise, in the beginning a child is very simple. Simplicity is vaisnavism. All ouracaryas have said this. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami stresses on this;saralata hi vaisnavata—simplicity is vaisnavism. Real vaisnavas are a simple as a child.

There is no question of crookedness, duplicity or pretentiousness in them. But our heart is full of these things. We are not al all simple-hearted persons. We are very crooked. Duplicity, crookedness, and pretentiousness are in you. But Krishna is in your heart. He knows what is in you; you cannot cheat Him. Therefore we say thatsadhu-guru-mahajan are patita pavana, not kapati-pavana - they are the saviors of the fallen, not saviors of the crooked.

Some persons say, “Shall I just have blind faith? Shall I not think anything? Shall I not apply my intelligence, my deliberation? Should I just put blind faith in whatever sadhu and sastra say?”

They say, “We have our own intelligence. We must think very seriously before we can accept.”

How can you deliberate on what Krishna says, what sastra says , what themahajanas say? They have no defects. You are a conditioned soul with four defects; bhrama (tendency to commit mistakes), pramada (the tendency to be illusioned), vipralipsa (the tendency to cheat), and karanapatava (imperfect senses). Your senses are defective. The thoughts in your mind are defective. What you perceive through your senses is defective.

“There is no Sadhu Present”

You say, “Oh! we have been cheated so many times. Now we won’t put faith in anyone. No sadhus are there. We don’t see any sadhu.”

Can you see a sadhu? Do you have the vision to see a sadhu? You are a conditioned soul. You have defective vision. How can you see a sadhu? You have developed this motto, “Seeing is believing.” You say, “ If I see, then I will believe. Can you show me? Can you show me the Lord? Then I will believe.”

But you are not prepared to admit that you are blind. You have no vision to see the Lord. Even if I show you the Lord, how can you see without vision? You are not prepared to admit your shortcoming. You are such a crooked, pretentious, duplicitous person. You are always trying to hide your defects. You are not prepared to admit them. This is proof that you are not at all simple. You are a crooked person. Be simple! If you just once say with an open heart, “Krishna I am Yours!” then immediately Krishna will accept you. He is there in your heart, but you can’t cry out to Him. Your heart if filled with such filth, such duplicity and crookedness. You are ever simple. And Krishna knows it.

This is the reason why you cannot develop strong faith. Now you want to seesadhu. You say, “We don’t see any sadhus. There are no sadhus.

If there is no sadhu, then how are things going on? This is Kali-yuga, the most sinful and degraded age. Still there is ekapad-dharma, one-legged religion, therefore things are continuing. Otherwise everything would have been finished, destroyed. In Satya-yuga dharma had four legs. In Treta-yuga three legs were there. In Dvarpara-yuga two legs were there, and in Kali-yuga there is one leg. Because this one leg of dharma is present, things are going on and we are all here.

The holy name came - this is the yuga-dharma for Kali-yuga. But we have no faith, no belief in it. We are such crooked persons. We have no simplicity. We only speak with the lips while something else is in the heart. This simplicity is vaisnavism It is the only thing required. Make your heart simple. Drive out, throw out all this filth, crookedness, duplicity, and pretentiousness, and immediately you will get Krishna.

Krishna emphasizes this sraddha in many places in the Gita: Chapter four, text 39 states: sraddhaval labhate jnanam - “A faithful person quickly obtains transcendental knowledge.” In chapter nine, text three, Krishna states:asraddadhanah purusa aprapya mam nivartante mrtyu-samsara-vartmani -.Those who have no sraddha, no faith, cannot approach Me. Again and again they will fall down here to this mrtyu-samsara, world of death.

Sadhus Have No Defects

Those who have vision, they see and they say, arya-vijna-vakya nahi dosa catustaya—the words of the mahajanas, sadhus, are free from the four defects. Why don’t you put unflinching faith in their words? You say, “I must think about it first. I must deliberate on what they say. If I am convinced then I will apply it.” - This is all duplicity, crookedness, lack of faith! You are not prepared to admit that you have four defects. Your senses are defective, how can you see? You think, “I am the seer. I will see.” But you are not the seer. You have defective vision. How can you see a sadhu who is free from defects and exists on the transcendental platform? He is in the fourth dimension.

You are limited to three dimensions: length, breadth and height. Can your material mind conceive the fourth dimension? Then how can you say, “If I see, only then I will accept?” Nonsense! Such nonsense! You can only act on faith. Nothing else.

In the story I told, the mother instructed and the child put faith in her words. The mother is authority and the child is simple. Sadhu, mahajana, and sastra are authority. But you have no faith in them. How can you get Krishna? Faith is the most important thing. Even if you put blind faith, still you will be delivered becausesadhu mahajanas are free from defects. What they say is real truth - mahajana yei kahe, sei satya mani (Cc. Madhya 25.56). Suppose you put blind faith in sadhu’swords and you go to hell; then sadhu-mahajan will go to hell to deliver you. But by your manipulations, politics, and duplicity, even if you elevate yourself to the position of Brahmaloka, Satyaloka, still you will fall from there and you cannot be delivered by sadhu-mahajana.

One who is very simple, immediately puts strong unflinching faith, immediately surrenders, and immediately is accepted by Krishna. That is what is needed. Simplicity isvaisnavism, but we are lacking that thing.

You should take example from mahajanas like Rupa and Sanatana Goswami. How simple they are! Once a very puffed-up, proud pandit came to see them. He was traveling everywhere, challenging and trying to defeat others. That pandit came to Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Goswami and said, “You debate with me. If I am victorious then you will sign a certificate of defeat and if you defeat me then I will sign a certificate that you have defeated me.” Rupa and Sanatana immediately said, “No, we will give you a certificate. Please go, dandavats. Yes, we are defeated. You are victorious” This is simplicity.

Jada Bharat and the Dacoits

Jada Bharat was also simple in this way. A group of dacoits were searching for a nice human being to sacrifice so that Kali would be pleased and they could get a benediction from her. They found Jada Bharat sitting in a cornfield. He was very strong, stout, and good-looking. They thought he would be very nice for sacrifice. Jada Bharat was like a madman - dumb and callous like an animal. Just like the butcher taking an animal to the slaughterhouse, the dacoits took him to be sacrificed. Jada Bharat went with no protest, just like a simple child. He was such an elevated paramahamsa! The dacoits bathed him and put new clothes on him. The put vermilion on is forehead. Then they asked him, “Please bow down here.” Like a simple child he did what they said. Then they raised a sword to cut off his head.

Kali is a vaisnava, a maidservant of Krishna. Seeing their activity, she said, “What are these rascals dacoits doing?” Kali suddenly came out from deity with a sword in her hand and chopped off the heads of those dacoits and Jada Bharat was saved.

Nevertheless you are thinking, “Shall I put faith blindly? Shall I not think about it? Shall I not deliberate on it?” You are saying like that because you have no faith. Because duplicity and crookedness is there in your heart. You are not simple.

One who is very simple is really surrendered. He is a real sadhu, and he is protected. This simplicity is lacking in you. You think, “I will see.” But you are not the seer. Krishna is the seer; sadhu is the seer. You are to be seen. But you are thinking just the opposite, “I will be the seer and the sadhu will be seen.” What is this nonsense? They are the seer - Krishna is the seer, sadhu is the seer. You have to be seen. When they cast their merciful glance on you, then your good fortune arises. You become fortunate, subhagya. But you are thinking, “I am the seer.” Just the opposite. That’s the whole problem, nothing else.

Questions:

Devotee: How can someone develop simplicity?

Gour Govinda Swami: Associate with a simple sadhu. As I described by guru-maharja, how he came and inculcated faith. And why are you lacking faith now? Because you are not associating with sadhus! You say, “We cannot see sadhu. There are no sadhus present now.” That’s the whole trouble with you.

But if we are duplicitous in the heart, then we will be blind and won’t be able to see who is a sadhu. So how can we associate with sadhus if we don’t know who is asadhu?

Therefore I say, even if sadhucomes, because you are blind you have no faith in him. You want to be the seer, so you cannot get any benefit. You cannot associate. If a sadhu comes and chants here, speaks krsna-katha, it will never enter your ear. You cannot get any benefit. You don’t do sadhu-sanga at all. Although you come and sit here, you are just posing, you are just pretending. You are such a pretender! Because you have no faith, the sadhu’s katha will never enter your ear. Thus, you cannot get any benefit. Just pretending. Sitting for ten or fifteen minutes, then getting up and going out. Why is this? Because you have no faith. You are not simple. You want to be the seer. But you are not the seer. That’s the whole trouble.

So I should just give it up?

Gour Govinda Swami: Yes! Give up everything! Just throw it out! Throw it out! Make your heart clean and open. Jesus Christ said, “Empty thyself. I will fill thee.” But you are not emptying. Your heart is full to the brim with crookedness, duplicity and enviousness - all nasty things. How can he fill you? There is no space. Empty yourself. Throw it out! Then you will get.

[From an evening program in Lansing, Michigan on 28 October 1991]