Vraja Kishor, JP: Gita 9.21 – What’s the point of trying to be good?

PLANET - ISKCON

 

----- Original Message -----

From: FeedBlitz

To: 

Sent: Friday, March 04, 2011 8:56 AM

Subject: Planet ISKCON - 37 new articles

Click here to read this mailing online.

"Planet ISKCON" - 37 new articles Vraja Kishor, JP: Gita 9.21 – What’s the point of trying to be good? H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Friday 4 March 2011--If You Want to Taste the Real Nectar--and--Suicide and Abortion? Vraja Kishor, JP: What is “Vedic”? Is Krsna/Vishnu in the Veda? H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Tuesday, March 1, 2011 ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Bhakta Prabhu Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Interview : Robert Bakes / Kitchen Designer + Cabinet Maker Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: opposition to abortion ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana Rupa Madhurya das, TX, USA: Bhajan - 24hr Kirtan - Gopi Gita dasi - 5/26 Japa Group: Chanting Workshop Sambhanda Pt.3 Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: This Beautiful Flower Has Come Automatically? Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Meh : Vegan Blueberry Carob Chip Muffins Akrura das, Gita Coaching: PATIENCE Maddy Jean-claude Durr, New Govardhana, AU: February in Radhadesh Maddy Jean-claude Durr, New Govardhana, AU: January in Radhadesh Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Uh Oh? It is Sivaratri! O' Krishna what shall we do? Remember: vaishnavanam yatha sambhuh Kripamoya dasa, UK: ISKCON 2011 #1: Is your Sunday Feast still on Sunday? Ananda Subramanian, Iowa, USA: Typical H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): Japa Walks, Japa Talks H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): Journal and Poems Mayapur Online: Siva Ratri H.H. Sivarama Swami: Reflecting on Mukunda Maharaja’s new book about Srila Prabhupada and how differently he describes some well-known and important anecdotes David Haslam, UK: Srila Prabhupada Akrura das, Gita Coaching: HOW TO HELP YOURSELF? Dandavats.com: Live From Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir! HH Lokanath Swami Dandavats.com: GBC Meeting Report 3—February 26th-27th Japa Group: Chanting Workshop Sambhanda Pt.2 Australian News: ISKCON Melbourne open their doors for Kadamba Kanana Maharaj Gouranga TV: Vrindavan India 24hour kirtan More Recent Articles Search Planet ISKCON Prior Mailing Archive Vraja Kishor, JP: Gita 9.21 – What’s the point of trying to be good? Image via Wikipedia Here is the verse and purport of Gita 9.21 The translation is: When they have thus enjoyed vast heavenly sense pleasure and the results of their pious activities are exhausted, they return to this mortal planet again. Thus those who seek sense enjoyment by adhering to the principles of the three Vedas achieve only repeated birth and death. This text is the end of what felt to me like a long section (texts 16-20) where Kṛṣṇa is explaining that there are some people who are neither good (mahatma) nor bad (duratma) but are somewhere in between because they do “spiritual” and “religious” things like good people but they, like bad people, are still averse to directly embracing Godhead as the Supreme Personal Enjoyer. Krishna’s main point in this section is that it is shallow to do religion and spirituality without embracing the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly. It is “shallow” because it does not appreciate that the source of value in all of the aspects of religion and spirituality is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Divorced from the Supreme Personality, even religion and spirituality become useless. Here is a summary of the 9th Chapter of Gita so far: Kṛṣṇa, “You are a very good person, Arjuna, so I will tell you an amazing secret. Bad people would not understand what I will say.” Arjuna, “Who is a bad person?” Kṛṣṇa, “One who is unwilling to accept that the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be ignored or dismissed, and who therefore offers no love to me.” Arjuna, “Who is a good person?” Kṛṣṇa, “One who embrace me with pure love, and therefore always desires to sing my names, etc.” Arjuna,  “What about people who are a little bit good and a little bit bad?” Kṛṣṇa, “Yes. They are the people who do spiritual and religious things, but are forgetful that it is all supposed to be a means of embracing me with pure love.” Arjuna, “Can you give some examples?” Kṛṣṇa, “Sure! Here are four examples: (1) People doing rituals forgetting that every element of the ritual is me and therefore meant to embrace me. (2) People cultivating knowledge but forgetting that every element of philosophy and science is me, and therefore meant to increase their love for me. (3) People doing good, but forgetting that the whole purpose and ability to do good is to please me, who am myself everything good and everything good that can be done. (4) People appreciating nature but forgetting that I am behind everything they appreciate.” Arjuna, “What is the result of being only half-good like these four?” Kṛṣṇa answers in texts 20-21, “People who worship me indirectly get some indirectly good result. They get freed from bad karma and therefore get born into heaven and enjoy paradise.” Sounds great, but then Kṛṣṇa explains text 21: “They remain in paradise for as long as their good karma warrants. Then they are again born in the mortal world. So in the end, they don’t really get anything that lasts. All they get is more birth and death.” Now let’s carry this home and make it real for you and me. What will anyone get by being a good mataji? By being a perfect father, mother, or child? By being a perfect brahmacari? What will I get by renouncing everything and becoming a sanyassi? Or by making a million dollars and donating it to temples and spiritual teachers? What will I get by following every rule I am told to follow? What if I follow all 64 angas of Vaidhi-Sadhana bhakti?? What if I dabble in raganuga sadhana bhakti and try to follow the rules of that path, what will it get me??? What will I get by putting on a sari or dhoti, tilok and tulsi beads around my neck? What will I get from writing this!?!?!?? What will you get by dutifully finishing to read it!!?!?!?? What will I get by studying Bhagavada-Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, and on and on up to Govinda-Lilamrta, Ananda Vrindavana Campu, and so on!? My friends, what will I get from all this? What about my “Schnick Schick mahamantra…” What will I get in return for chanting it 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16×108 times, or even 64×108, or even 128×108 daily? What will I get by dancing in the middle of a wonderful Śrī Hari-nama-sankirtana in the holy dhama of Vrindavana or Mayapura??? The answer is in texts 20-21: If my heart is not focused on adoring Kṛṣṇa through any of these activities I will at best become a “good person” and go spend some time in heaven, where all the really good parties are, in my next life. But what if my heart is focused directly on pleasing Kṛṣṇa??? Oh, my! That is the secret that Kṛṣṇa opened up the chapter saying he would tell us!!! The answer is coming up in the remainder of the chapter! Suffice to say that nothing I can do or say will ever bring me any permanent joy unless and until my heart shelters the single, simple, lovely, solitary, beautiful desire to purely love the personality who is the soul of my very own soul: Śrī Kṛṣṇa. And, conversely, as soon as that one simple desire appears like a blossoming lotus in the pond of my soul – at that moment anything and everything I do and say will become an eternal joy! PS For detail lovers, here is an itemized list of the things Kṛṣṇa mentions in texts 16-19: In text 16 Kṛṣṇa talks about the items of normal religion (Actual ritualistic priests might be able to explain the items in better detail than I.): Kratu – Religious rituals / sacrifices to attain heaven Yajna – A part of the religious ritual: the fire consuming the items sacrificed Svadha – The procedure of placing the sacrificial items in the fire Aushada – The sacrificial offering (a kind of intoxicant / medicine / drug to benefit the gods) Mantra – The words of power incanted by the priest to infuse the ritual with spiritual potency Ajyam – The ghee-oil burning in the sacrificial fire Agni – The flames themselves Huta – The process of pouring ghee-oil onto the fire. In text 17 Kṛṣṇa talks about the parts of sankhya philosophy (again, someone who specializes in Sankhya could surely explain the details better. To some extent the first four items have a double meaning indicating the religion of ancestor worship): Pita – The “father” who gives the seed of all the universes (mahat-tattva) Mata – The “mother” who takes the seed and develops it in her womb (prakriti) Data – The “nurse” who nourishes the universe, giving it power Pita-maha – The “grandfather” Lord Brahma, who gives the empowered universe elements their shape in creation. Vedyam – the objects of the senses and the mind thus created Pavitram – the process of being purified of ego so that one can correctly understand philosophy Om kara – The essential syllable of recorded philosophy and religion Rk, Sama, Yajuh – The main books in which religion and philosophy is recorded In text 18 Kṛṣṇa speaks of items of religion as karma-yoga: Gati – The goal of right behavior Bharta – The sustainer of the goal Prabhu – The master who owns and bestows the goal Saakshii – The witness of the right behavior Nivaasa – The safe haven of good people Saranam – The protector from wrong behavior Suhrit – The well meaning friend who encourages right behavior Nidhanam – The treasures to be rightly shared, and the treasure to be attained by right behavior Bijam Avyayam – The moral ideas to act rightly without being swayed In Text 19 Kṛṣṇa talks about nature-worship religion: Tapami – Warmth (summer, the sun, etc.) Varsham – Rain Nigrihnami utsrijami – The powers of nature which cause warmth and rain to ebb and flow. Amritam – Lifeforce (another meaning: Liberation) Mrityu – The power of death (another meaning: bondage) Sat – What is real (consciousness) – another meaning: the thoughts and emotions. Asat – What is not real (temporary material forms) – another meaning: the physical. These four texts – 16, 17, 18, and 19 – are a unified group in which Kṛṣṇa expands on a single theme that he introduced at the end of text 15. That theme is how people can engage in aspects of religion and philosophy without realizing the Supreme Personality of Godhead to be the reason any of those things are important in the first place.   • Email to a friend • •   H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Friday 4 March 2011--If You Want to Taste the Real Nectar--and--Suicide and Abortion? A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course(tm) Friday 4 March 2011 The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, and His eternal consort, Srimati Radharani are enjoying transcendental pastimes in the topmost planet of the spiritual world, Sri Goloka Vrindavan. They are beckoning us to rejoin them. Our Mission: To help everyone awaken their original Krishna consciousness, which is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. Such a global awakening will, in one stroke, solve all the problems of the world society bringing in a new era of unprecedented peace and prosperity for all. May that day, which the world so desperately needs, come very soon. We request you to participate in this mission by reviving your dormant Krishna consciousness and assisting us in spreading this science all over the world. Dedicated with love to ISKCON Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master, and to you, our dear readers. Today's Thought: If You Want to Taste the Real Nectar Uploaded from Bhaktivedanta Ashram--Austin, Texas USA If you want to taste the real nectar of Krishna consciousness, you must master the art of regularly diving deeply into the sweet, nectarean ocean of Lord Sri Krishna's holy names. The deeper you go, the sweeter it gets. And all the miseries of material existence will gradually fade away into non-existence. In other words you will no longer be touched by them. You will awaken to your eternal, pure identity as a servant of Krishna, the most munificent, beautiful person, who is ever inviting the fallen conditioned souls to associate with Him in the ever-expandingly sublime rasa of devotion, the eternal serving mood. Sankarshan Das Adhikari The Most Munificent, Beautiful Krishna http://www.backtohome.com/images/beautiful-krishna.jpg Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Suicide and Abortion? I would like to know your opinion about suicide. It's a very low act, but it is not like harming other creatures. After committing this act, after leaving the body and that particular unwanted life, where does the soul of the doer go? How about abortion? How about the soul that has already resided in the developing embryo? K.L. Answer: Ghost Life and Being Aborted It is not a matter of opinion. According to the stringent laws of material nature if one commits suicide, in his next life he will not be granted a gross body. He will exist simply in a subtle body as a ghost. In other words, the karmic reaction for destroying his gross body is to not be granted another gross body in his next life. If one is so frustrated and miserable that he wants to end his life, he should instead put an end to his miserable material life by taking to Krishna consciousness. In this way he will enter into an eternal, blissful life even while continuing in this body. And upon leaving his body, he will enter the spiritual world. A soul who is aborted is undergoing the karmic reaction for having aborted a child in his previous life time. If he was responsible for multiple abortions, he will again and again appear in a mother's womb and be aborted for each of the abortions. This is why we oppose abortion and recommend that those who do not want to take the responsibility of raising a child should completely restrain themselves from sex indulgence. The child enters the mother's womb at the moment of conception, and to kill a child at any stage of his development is greatly sinful. Therefore, instead of trying to find some happiness through some temporary sense pleasure such as sex, one should move up to a higher level of pleasure on the transcendental self-realization platform of Krishna consciousness, where life is eternal and full of unlimited bliss. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Transcendental Resources: Receive the Special Blessings of Krishna Now you too can render the greatest service to the suffering humanity and attract the all-auspicious blessings of Lord Sri Krishna upon yourself and your family by assisting our mission. Lectures and Kirtans in Audio and Video: Link to High Definition Videos Link to Over 1,000 Lecture Audios Lecture-Travel Schedule for 2011 http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/schedule Have Questions or Need Further Guidance? Check out the resources at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com or write Sankarshan Das Adhikari at: sda@backtohome.com Get your copy today of the world's greatest self-realization guide book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is available at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/store Know someone who could benefit from this? Forward it to them. Searchable archives of all of course material: http://www.sda-archives.com Receive Thought for the Day as an RSS feed: http://www.backtohome.com/rss.htm Unsubscribe or change your email address Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Daily_Thought Copyright 2005-2011 by Ultimate Self Realization.Com Distribution of this material is encouraged. Simply we request you to acknowledge where it is coming from with a link to our sign up page: http://www.backtohome.com Our records indicate that at requested to be enrolled to receive e-mails from the Ultimate Self Realization Course at: This request was made on: From the following IP address:   • Email to a friend • •   Vraja Kishor, JP: What is “Vedic”? Is Krsna/Vishnu in the Veda? Self-Realized Guides - Six Goswamis It is a fact that Vishnu (whom many Hindus and spiritualists claim is “The Supreme Personality of Godhead”) is of minor mention in the “Vedic” texts – if we consider “Vedic” to refer only to the literal words in the four books literally titled “Veda,” The Rg, Sama, Yajur, Atharva Veda. There are also several other important facts. Ignorance of these important facts spells complete inability to truly grasp what “Vedic” really refers to, and what the conclusion of the “Vedic” knowledge is regarding divinity. Here are those facts: a)      The Veda is never to be studied except under the guidance of a self-realized Guru. Otherwise the meaning is not clear. In previous aeons this was purposely done to prevent wicked people from gaining access to powerful knowledge. Thus Sanskrit texts contain millions of time more information than what is literally encoded into their syllables and lines. The “older” Sankrit texts, the four “Veda” named above, are especially impossible to correctly understand without a realized guide because they were written before the original authors fully realized the scarcity of intellect that would develop in the coming millennia of the Kali Aeon. b)      Foreseeing the scarcity of self-realized guides in the coming aeon, ancient gurus tried to benefit modern seekers by recording their guidance in the form of commentary on the four Veda. These commentary are collected and named “Upanishada.” To claim that the Upanishada are not “Vedic” is fallacious; a part and parcel of the effort to understand the divinity without divine guidance. The Upanishads, in fact, are *more* Vedic than the four Veda because the Upanishada are the four Veda being explained to us by self-realized guides. c)       The Upanishada, merciful as they are compared to the Veda, are still densely codified and terse in philosophical content. They require outstandingly serious discipline and self-purification to comprehend.  Foreseeing that the citizens of our modern age would have little interest or ability to be disciplined and pure, the primary author of the Veda decided to *illustrate* the most essential and important underlying teachings of the Upanishads (and thus the four Veda) by recording select historical tales. We have these tales preserved under the heading of “Purana” and “Itihasa.” If it is foolish to declare that the Upanishada are not Vedic, it is twice as foolish to say the same of the Purana and Itihasa. Nothing could deliver true Vedic wisdom to our modern hearts and minds more directly and appropriately than these exciting selected histories of self-realized souls, explained to us by self-realized souls, as illustrations of the true meanings and principles hidden from unguided eyes in the four Veda. d)      Vyasa, the main Vedic author, was still unsatisfied with his efforts to preserve spiritual knowledge for humanity. He felt everything had become too voluminous and thus inconclusive. He therefore composed the Vedānta – which literally means “the End of the Veda” to succinctly summarize everything within the Veda, Upanishad and Purana into a single conclusive book. e)      Having completed this task, Vyasa expected to feel happy and satisfied, but he was not. His own guru informed him of the reason: the Vedanta had again slanted towards the Upanishada in that it became too philosophically dense for the targeted audience of the modern world, it therefore lacked a delightfulness about it, which would attract the delight-starved souls of the material world to the all-delightful focal point of Vedanta: Ananda-moya Brahman, Svayam Bhagavan (The Supreme Personality of Godhead – the source of all delight). Therefore Vyasa composed his final work as an illumination on the inner purport of Vedanta. We have this effort preserved under the title Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Following the line of reasoning that the Upanishads are more “Vedic” than the Four Veda, because they are the Veda explained by self realized souls; we come to know that by the same token the Purana are even more “Vedic” than the Upanishada, because they explain the Vedic conclusion in a manner that we can most readily grasp. Still more “Vedic” than the Purana is the Vedānta Sūtra, but again more Vedic still – due to being the  direct and revealing illumination of the Vedānta – is the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. The undeniable focal point of this work is Vishnu in his most hidden, secret, unknown, protected, intimate personal form as the reciprocater of reality’s most important feature: Love. The name of this core of all core forms of Vishnu is: “The All-Attractor” (Kṛṣṇa) Of course not everyone will agree with this. After all, we all agree primarily only with our own bias. Who will not agree, then? Those whose bias is not in favor of the actual real existence of a personal Godhead who is more wonderously attractive and delightful than they could ever be. It is old news. According the cream of the Upanishads, Bhagavada-Gita, such persons adopt paths of empiric philosophy which take them up to the point of heavenly planets (the same planets so loudly lauded in the four Veda). It is not until these speculators of philosophy reach the total extinction of their own identity and ego (as is so loudly lauded in the Upanishada) that they will know any peace at all. After some time in an existence out of time, these dissolved entities will once again admit the kernel of their self-existence and thus fall once again into samsara. However, this time around there is the good opportunity for them to encounter the intimate lovers of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Svayam Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa (who is so loudly lauded in the Srimad Bhagavatam). Thus they will turn their existence towards bliss and delight (rasa). As the Upanishada actually says, “Raso Vai Sah” – “The Personality of Godhead is Rasa/Delight, and delight is not truly known until one embraces the Personality of Godhead.” Such persons fortify themselves with castle walls of “reasoning” that excludes the reasonable conclusion that they are individually and collectively unqualified to mine any true meaning from the four Veda without divine guidance; and that this guidance is by and large easily available to them in the form of the extensions of the four Veda: the Upanishad, Purana, Vedanta, and most of all the Srimad Bhagavatam. Their castle of ignorance is elaborately fortified and researched, but it is like a child playing King Arthur, ignoring that they are not really qualified to be a king in a castle in the first place. Image via Wikipedia The Vedic literature is by no means limited to the four Veda. In fact, the Vedic literature is by no means limited in any fashion whatsoever. That being true, the body of literature continues to grow even today. Although the progress of the Age of Kali has made scarce any valid contributions to the Vedic corpus authored by truly realized souls, this particular cycle of Kali has a uniquely important avatara of Kṛṣṇa followed by an avatar of Rādhārāṇī as Śrī Caitanya. In the immediate wake of these two avataras, an “Indian Summer” of self-realization blossoms and great contributions have been made to the recorded body of Vedic knowledge. In particular, the immediate followers of Śrī Caitanya (Śrī Rūpa, Sanātana, Raghunātha dās, Raghunātha bhatta, Gopāl, and Jīva Goswāmīs) elaborated extensively and beautifully upon the Srimad Bhagavatam. Their followers have also made significant contributions. Those whose hearts have the incalculable fortune of being open to appreciating the Supreme Personality of Godhead as a real person who is fabulously delightful, important, and all-encompassing, such souls will avail themselves of these Vedic literature and attain a spiritual goal that the four original Vedas actually makes all efforts to *conceal* due to its precious rarity.   • Email to a friend • •   H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Tuesday, March 1, 2011 How to...! Mayapura, India They learn how to die, how to be born, how to walk, eat, drink, how to have an argument, how to laugh and cry. This is all rudimentary stuff of course. It doesn't always come so natural- these fundamental actions of falling and rising, sitting and sleeping. I'm talking about acting on the stage. There are at least fourteen of them- teens or so, volunteer actors, some in their twenties. Most of them are very athletic. They at least know how to fake a fight. With martial arts as a background that comes natural. My crew, consisting of monks or men (and women), are all devotees of Krishna. The two young women know how to dance Bharat Natyam. When looking at these boys and girls you can say they are physically beautiful and bright. They are from origins all over the world; India, the U.S., U.K., Canada, Europe, South America and Africa. Each morning and evening we gather to have practices in learning how to slip and trip, how to project the voice and to reincarnate as animals and plants. The production that we are gearing up for is called "The Three Lives of Bharat" and there is a buzz in the air around Mayapura that a hard worked-at piece of drama will manifest itself on the stage. It was a good dress-rehearsal on the night before and the occupants of my room, four of us, slept in to conserve energy for the coming performance. That meant I had little time for walking this morning, which is an austerity. I will not fail to mention about the great participation of Urmila, a godsister. Her contribution to children's education in the spiritual setting of ISKCON is phenomenal. She admitted to theatre acting as a closet passion. She plays the role of a mom in a dysfunctional family. There is also Pragosh, my Irish friend. Playing the part of Punditji, a peer to the main role Bharat. I've worked with Pragosh for years now. He's always a riot. Indian and the yogic culture is steeped in theatre. Chaitanya, Nityananda, our guru Srila Prabhupada - all of them gave a chunk of their spiritual endeavors to drama. It is a tradition to endear. 3 KM   • Email to a friend • •   ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Bhakta Prabhu Srimad Bhagavatam 12.1.13-41 - The current degraded ruling dynasties on earth match the description given in Srimad Bhagavatam. Lord Siva is the greatest vaisnava (vaisnavanam yatha sambhu).   • Email to a friend • •   Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Interview : Robert Bakes / Kitchen Designer + Cabinet Maker robert bakes 2010 (photo credit: www.newyorksocialdiary.com) Robert Bakes of Bakes & Company designs killer kitchens in some really fancy homes! I particularly dig this modern style kitchen in walnut that appeared last year in House Beautiful. Of course, his white kitchens look pretty good to me, too. Unfortunately, I don’t anticipate full body contact with his cabinetry any time soon. But that didn’t stop me from doing this interview since no non-refundable deposit was required. Read the interview here. Tagged: bespoke kitchens, bob bakes and company, design, kitchen design, kitchen remodel, lifestyle, robert bakes   • Email to a friend • •   Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: opposition to abortion Certainly we are opposed to abortion, and we can advise that it is not good, but do not take an active part in this political agitation against abortion. We are not much concerned in that way, so do not waste time approaching politicians or affiliating with others on the basis of the anti-abortion issue. We are Krsna Conscious and we are for Krsna Consciousness; that is our issue. Abortion is only a side issue. Whatever you have done that is all right, but concentrate now on our main business to make everyone Krsna Conscious. Our method is simple as taught by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: chant Hare Krishna and distribute prasadam. And if we find someone who is a little educated, try to distribute a book to him, and with the profit we can maintain. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: Tusta Krsna Swami, 4 February, 1977   • Email to a friend • •   ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana Another day, another darsana... Life with Their Lordships is ever fresh! Did you notice how all the big Deities have pink-tinted garlands while all the small Deities have yellow-tinted ones? And did you see how Rasa Krishna Prabhu has subtly amplified Krishna's beauty with those charming gopi-candana patterns? Did your heart skip a beat when your eyes reposed on Lord Balarama's grin?   • Email to a friend • •   Rupa Madhurya das, TX, USA: Bhajan - 24hr Kirtan - Gopi Gita dasi - 5/26 Gopi Gita dasi singing a Hare Krishna bhajan for Dallas' New Year's 24hr Kirtan. Dallas, TX 2010-12-31  Download: 2010-12-31 - 06 - 24hr Kirtan - Gopi Gita dasi - Hare Krishna.mp3   • Email to a friend • •   Japa Group: Chanting Workshop Sambhanda Pt.3 In this final part of the workshop, Sacinandana Swami dives more deeply into our relationship with the Holy names.   • Email to a friend • •   Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: This Beautiful Flower Has Come Automatically? My witch hazel is blooming. It is late this year because of the long stretch of below average temperatures we had.  Some years it comes out in January in a warm spell, then curls back up until the next warm spell. It practically always blooms in February but not until the last day of the month this year. “There is parasya saktih, now who can explain how this flower has come into existence? That is same thing. The energy of Krsna is working. “Just like you want to paint one nice flower, so you have to take the brush and the color and you have to endeavor. Not that automatically coming, this beautiful flower. So how do you think this beautiful flower has come automatically? This is foolishness. There is also the brush, the paint, but it is so perfect that just like you cannot see how the other typewriter is striking. You cannot say it is automatically striking. There is arrangement. But this arrangement you do not understand. Therefore you are foolish, you are thinking that this typewriter is striking automatically. It is not automatically. Here the other typewriter it is stroken and there is electric arrangement and it is striking. So you have to understand like… “That is sura. And asura, they will say, “No, there is no God. It is taking automatically, it is going on,” This is foolishness. The asura means foolish, first-class foolish, that’s all. Why it has become so? That is explained here. That they do not know how to behave, napi cacarah. Na satyam tesu vidyate, neither they know what is the actual truth. They are defective themself and they are explaining in the defective way that so many rascal chemists they say that the chemical evolution is the cause of life. What is this nonsense? “ Srila Prabhupada  Room Conversation — January 27, 1975, Tokyo Filed under: Cows and Environment   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1974 March 3: "We will present our program exactly in the line of Lord Caitanya, by kirtana, prasadam distribution and speaking from Bhagavad-gita. We cannot deviate even an inch in order to attract the followers of the ecology philosophy or any other materialistic, utopian movement. Our ideal Vedic community will attract everyone on its own merit." Prabhupada Letters :: 1974   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1968 March 3: "One God, one scripture, one mantra, this idea is not manufactured by me, but it is authoritative statement. In Life Magazine, Feb. 9, 1968, there you will see how nicely the American boys and girls are dancing and chanting the Holy Name of the Lord. I think a very nice Sankirtana party can be organized to travel all over the world." Prabhupada Letters :: 1968   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1968 March 3: "I am pleased you have begun practicing for the Kirtana party; please keep me informed how you are progressing. Responsive chanting is very nice; one singer may lead, and the others join in. That is the system. Arrange for costumes and wig; one boy dressed as Lord Caitanya, another as Nityananda." Prabhupada Letters :: 1968   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1966 March 3: "Today Ekadasi observed. In the evening two visitors came. There were some topics on the meditation yoga. Dr. Mishra wanted my kirtan in his meetings. I am considering the proposal. The situation is adverse. Let me first of all see how they receive it in the Ananda." 1966 March 3   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1968 March 3: "Ultimately you want to merge in the formless, or you want some material facilities, or you want to serve Krishna as His personal associate. Never mind, whatever you want, you worship one God, Krishna. The ultimate gain can be achieved as one desires." Prabhupada Letters :: 1968   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1968 March 3: "The Indian transcendentalists who are very serious about spreading the message of Bhagavad-gita may join us and backed by the Sankirtana movement, it will be great success. And there is every possibility of oneness all over the world, without any communal differences." Prabhupada Letters :: 1968   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 March 3: "Organization of the European centers and World Sankirtana Party - for these reasons I called you. You are all tested devotees, remain engaged in Krsna's service, then there will be no misunderstanding. See that the French and German BTGs are nicely done - that is my ambition." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1974 March 3: "What is the use of knowing a number of influential leaders, since you yourself found them deficient? Our ideal will attract on its own merit, and we shall be glad to attract everyone who comes without compromising." Prabhupada Letters :: 1974   • Email to a friend • •   Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Meh : Vegan Blueberry Carob Chip Muffins Sometimes people scratch their heads, wondering why a food blog would fail to include a recipe of some eatable pictured in said food blog. I admit that I am often guilty of this. Usually because I often like to wing it in the kitchen. Sometimes because I second guess myself and think that you wouldn’t want to try it. Sometimes I second guess you because you’ve got to know enough to be able to figure it out on your own….don’t you? And then sometimes things fail, in a small way. Thus, we arrive at today’s post. Yesterday I peeked around my kitchen, taking mental notes of what we are missing. We have sucanat, powdered sugar and brown sugar. But no turbinado or evaporated cane juice. Fifty Pound Bag of Sugar, what has become of you? The average American consumes around 150 lbs of sugar a year. I am pretty sure my family is above average. And yet, we look good. That’s because we round out our diet with spelt flour, olive oil, carob chips and fresh blueberries! Muffins tasted yum. But the liners were almost impossible to peel away, creating a lot of wasted muffin exterior. Could have been my oven was too hot. Could have been I left the muffins in the oven too long. Could have been my karmic reaction for using cupcake liners for muffins. I won’t know until I try again. Until then, enjoy the pictures while I enjoy scraping the liners of melty carob chips and bursted blueberries. Tagged: breakfast, dessert, eggless baking, food, meh, vegan muffins, vegetarian   • Email to a friend • •   Akrura das, Gita Coaching: PATIENCE One must perform devotional service with great patience. One should not give up the execution of devotional service because one or two attempts have not been successful. One must continue. Sri Rupa Gosvami also confirms that one should be very enthusiastic and execute devotional service with patience and confidence. Patience is necessary for developing the confidence that "Krsna will certainly accept me because I am engaging in devotional service." One has only to execute service according to the rules and regulations to insure success. SB 3.29.16 Purport   • Email to a friend • •   Maddy Jean-claude Durr, New Govardhana, AU: February in Radhadesh February went too fast here in Radhadesh.  While Australia was being ravished by cyclones, I was chilling in the Castle.  I was requested to make copious amounts of “Gokul tea” for various events, many of which included faring well to our dearly beloved Jaya Krsna Prabhu, trusty and supporter of the College.  We had ceremonies in the temple, in our ashram and every other place that seemed appropriate.  He was off to start changes in New Vrndavana, utilizing his Swiss managing mind and Hare Krsna heart to bring some positive aspects to the long standing project.   We had the coming and going of many new faces.  Many were off to do the India stint, whereas back in home camp we had new arrivals from many different corners of the globe, and we also had to say goodbye to some familiar faces.  There was a large group for our Introductory Course – a course on the basics of Krsna consciousness, provided by Bhaktivedanta College.  Various teachers and students from the College facilitated the fresh growth of Krsna consciousness in these newly arrived candidates.   We jumped out of the coop for a bit, making our way over to Holland.  We did a couple preaching programs in Den Haag, as well as tagging along for some meetings for the greater congregational preaching of the Benelux area.  There was plenty of kirtana, prasadam and whatever other fun we added into the mix.   The snow melted off but the cold remained.  We all rugged up in the Castle and became absorbed in the Samadhi of essay writing.  I found myself sick for a couple of weeks, bringing some material difficulties but some profound realizations.  This obstacle, of course, greatly hampered the acquired writing material for the month and it had me disadvantaged for some lovely festivals.  Prasadam seva (mostly the eating kind) was still my specialty but I was otherwise off the perceivable premises for half of the monthly show time.   To finish off the month, we had Partha Sarathi Prabhu come and whip up an amazing Sankirtana Saturday.  We had loads of fun (as per usual) and managed to weave ourselves into plenty of trouble (the fun but challenging kind).   I would dig deeper into it here but it deserves a diary or two of its own (which I am due to produce).   Other than these events, I started the fictional life of Bhakta Burfi.  I needed some leisurely writing, the kind that didn’t depend on current social interactions and I wanted to give something directly related to comedy and Krsna consciousness combined.  The series aims to give some subtle insights into how we choose to present ourselves as devotees and some possible disadvantages that may come up because of this.  It also aims at giving an insight into the modern audience of Kali Yuga that we’re presenting ourselves to.   Another month and so much is racing by.  I hope to catch up and keep you all in the loop from now on.  Thank you for reading and blessing this lost soul.  I expel so many opportunities to serve Krsna and the Vaisnavas but this seems to be a relatively easy way I can reach out and gather enough blessings to plot along and remain in the tight grip of Lord Caitanya’s and Srila Prabhupada’s mercy.  Thank you for coming along for the ride.     Your servant, Madhavendra Puri Dasa (aka Madd Monk).       Read original post: [http://maddmonk.wordpress.com/2011/03/03/february]       Subscribe: [http://maddmonk.wordpress.com/subscribe]   • Email to a friend • •   Maddy Jean-claude Durr, New Govardhana, AU: January in Radhadesh It’s been a big first month in Radhadesh this year of 2011.  We had our awesome New Year’s Eve party – where we shot rockets off the Castle and threw tom thumbs at each other.  We woke up that very same day to prepare for the New Year Day Gala night, which the College staff and students put on under the guidance of HG Jaya Krsna Prabhu.  Kumari decorated the hall full-fancy and they asked me to provide the comic relief for the night.  I stole an idea from an unknown source and arranged some interactive skits, in which our audience hosted mad parties full of mysterious guests. We kicked off our study year with an outstanding start.  HH Kadamba Kanana Swami led us all in a Caitanya Caritamrta retreat for a whole week.  We delved into the nectar of the CC and also looked at it from the scholarly point of view.  It increased the taste of some and the urge to read of others, as well as providing some stone strong support to our conviction of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission.  Nimai organized a very animated drama in no less than a day, which we all performed for the pleasure of Kadamba Kanana Swami and the assembled Vaisnavas. Throughout the weeks of January we discovered a new extracurricular activity: film making.  Some of the students (including myself) had previous film making experience so the concept was loved by all.  I spent my spare time writing skits, scripts and shot lists.  We shot our first skit for a House Rules meeting for the coming month of February, giving the students a little bit of extra entertainment in the colder months. We continued to have delightful courses, kirtanas, festivals and house parties.  The month culminated in the Radhadesh Mellows kirtana weekend.  I had the opportunity to take potential new students around the campus, and we all engaged in ecstatic dancing and chanting.  Manu, the main organizer, had a load of publicity and a great stock of Vaisnava blessings.  So many kirtaneers came; so many Swamis and so many good vibrations went out.  Those who missed out were eagerly watching online, on the constant live feed.  The crowd was equally large online as it was in kirtana the hall. Another month starts in Radhadesh and there are many more adventures to come.  I apologize for not keeping you all up-to-date until now – it’s been a rocking hard ride.  Hoping to write more in the future. Your servant, Madhavendra Puri Dasa.     Read original post: [http://maddmonk.wordpress.com/2011/02/02/january-in-radhadesh]       Subscribe: [http://maddmonk.wordpress.com/subscribe]   • Email to a friend • •   Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Uh Oh? It is Sivaratri! O' Krishna what shall we do? Remember: vaishnavanam yatha sambhuh A picture snapped of the beautiful oil painting in our sitting room. This painting sums it all up very nicely. Over the years I have witnessed may Sivaratri celebrations and seen reports on others from various ISKCON centres. Many advertise the festival as the "Appearance Day of Shiva" and I have even heard announcements and lectures around Shiva's appearance day to a suprised audience. Sivaratri is actually the "night of Shiva" and has many meanings including honouring Lord Shiva's procession and marriage. Anyhow, depending on the centre, year/decade, management and congregation, I have seen 2 extemes in Sivaratri celebrations. One in which the worship and temple is transported into a quasi-Hindu state complete with mantras, chants, abhisheka, Shiva Lingams and other imagery and "pushing the envelope" of instructions recieved by our Founder Acarya. The other approach is a fired up "Krishna-ite" preaching everything Shiva is "not" and for those innocents that have arrived to celebrate Sivaratri it almost sounds like we are against Shiva. Imagine inviting a heroic 5 star geneneral as  a guest of honour and grabbing the mic and telling all those in attendance that sure we are here to celebrate him but he ain't that special. In fact this guy is not a billionaire businessman or the President of Americ and he can't even perform brain surgery or rocket science and instead of honoring him we are here to rain on his parade. A funny example but you get the point.  If you were attending the celebration you would expect people to give accolades to the guest of honour for what he is. You will not honour him as the President or Prime Minister but the 5 star general he is. So in Lord Shiva's case we should honour him  as vaishnavanam yatha sambhuh or the greatest Vaishnava. From this premise the celebrations, discourse, imagary and feelings should eminate.  There are so many verses to choose from to put in this blog. After reading beautiful verses in the Srimad Bhagavatam 4th and 8th canto and for the sake of brevity I only chose 2 verses.   The Supreme Personality of Godhead welcomed Lord Siva and Uma with great respect, and after being seated comfortably, Lord Siva duly worshiped the Lord and smilingly spoke as follows. Lord Mahadeva said: O chief demigod among the demigods, O all-pervading Lord, master of the universe, by Your energy You are transformed into the creation. You are the root and efficient cause of everything. You are not material. Indeed, You are the Supersoul or supreme living force of everything. Therefore, You are Paramesvara, the supreme controller of all controllers. ~ SB 8.12.3-4  In this we can see the relationship between Krishna and His great devotee. Krishna honours Shiva with "great respect" and Lord Mahadeva sings the praises of Krishna as Paramesvara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In month of July 1975 I was in Chicago with Srila Prabhupada. Over the years I have tried to read everything from the times I was with Srila Prabhupada and so I had the fortune to read up on conversations from that month in 1975. I am glad I did, because I realize that once again our proper position is perfectly expressed by Srila Prabhupada and anything we write here cannot hold a candle to Srila Prabhupada's pure vani. So here is a conversation from July 1975 in Chicago with a Canadian connection... Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, in Winnipeg there is one very pious east Indian man who for many years has been worshiping somewhat, worshiping Lord Siva. And his wife is also a very quite chaste woman and sincere follower—and so were her parents—of Lord Siva. And he is reading your Bhagavad-gita. He visits our temple. And I have given him the first volume of Canto Four which discusses Lord Siva a great deal. And he has read in one of your purports that Krishna is more pleased when you worship His devotee than when you worship Him directly. And Lord Siva is a very great devotee of Krishna. So he has now interpreted that to mean that if he worships Lord Siva so nicely, then actually he is pleasing Krishna more. So he is experiencing some difficulty because of this and I'm not quite sure how to instruct him that actually... Prabhupada: Difficulty? Brahmananda: That... Our Godbrother has difficulty in replying to this interpretation that Krishna says, "You can please Me by worshiping My devotee," and Lord Siva is the devotee of Krishna. So therefore this man says, "Then I shall worship Lord Siva. In that way I shall please Krishna." Prabhupada: But if he accepts Lord Siva is devotee of Krishna, then by worshiping Lord Siva he will be benefited. If he thinks Lord Siva is independent, then he will not be benefited. Devotee (3): I've got him to accept that Lord Siva is devotee of Krishna, but there's no practical instruction in his worldly activities coming. Prabhupada: No, vaishnavanam yatha sambhuh: "Amongst the Vaishnavas, Sambhu, Lord Siva, is the greatest Vaishnava." So we worship Lord Siva as Vaishnava. We gives respect to Vaishnavas. So why not Lord Siva? Lord Siva is a big Vaishnava. But generally, the devotees of Lord Siva, they take Lord Siva is independent God. That is offensive. If you know that Lord Siva is also a devotee, you can give more respect to Lord Siva. Krishna will be pleased. Devotee (3): Shrila Prabhupada, he does not chant Hare Krishna, he chants Om Namah Shivaya Prabhupada: That's all right. Devotee (3): It's all right? Prabhupada: He will gradually become devotee. When God, Lord Siva, will be pleased upon him, he will advise to worship. Devotee (3): He is already trying to tell him to follow in your footsteps surely, so just before I left he said he will try once again to chant sixteen rounds of japa, Hare Krishna. He has tried already. He has a taste for... Prabhupada: If he simply understands that Lord Siva is a Vaishnava and if he worships Lord Siva, then he will get the benefit. ---end--- So with the perspective of vaishnavanam yatha sambhuh, we offer our respectful obeisances to Sambhu. So in any celebrations we can glorify Shiva's devotional relationship with Krishna or even Lord Rama and in  this way we please our Spirtual master, Srila Prabhupada; the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna as well as the greatest Vaishnava, Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva you are the greatest Vaishnava and on this night celebrating you and your procession may you bless us all in our procession towards Krishna bhakti. P.S. last night there were some Sivaratri celebrations and a couple of our family members with a couple of devotees were out until 2a.m. distributing Srila Prabhupada's books on Krishna Consciousness. What better way to honour and please Lord Shiva...    • Email to a friend • •   Kripamoya dasa, UK: ISKCON 2011 #1: Is your Sunday Feast still on Sunday? Way back in 2004, the Church of England launched its ‘Back to ChurchSunday,’ where it made extra efforts to attract people who may, at one point in the past, have been church-goers but had now abandoned it. As an initiative it has grown ever since then and, along with ALPHA, is a successful preaching method. However, its been tough for the Church here in Britain ever since the end of the Second World War. Getting people to come to church in their local town has become a hard task, harder than at any time in the history of Christianity. Attitudes to almost all the big questions of life changed drastically after the War. People had more questions for God – and about God – than it seemed the priests could answer. The world had seen millions of innocent people die because of idealogical conflict; wasn’t it better to moderate one’s personal beliefs in order to have lasting peace? Then in the Fifties they invented television; and then along came the Sixties. And if that wasn’t enough, in 1994 the UK Government allowed shopping on a Sunday, something quite unthinkable before that time. Very quickly, Sunday went from being the Christian ‘day of rest’ – which traditionally included church – and became the day for shopping and just about anything other than worship. In 2011, there are many things that people get up to on a Sunday, but they don’t all involve God. And what of the Hare Krishna movement? How are we doing at filling up our pews on a Sunday? Well to start with, we don’t have a day of the week which is our special day of worship. For the Muslims its Friday, for the Jews Friday night and most of Saturday, and for the Christians its Sunday. For the Vaishnavas it is every day of the week, of course, and we’re quite happy to tell others that. But many people do not have time to come to a Krishna temple on a work day. In India there are temples everywhere, and people tend to work relatively close to their homes – at least outside the major cities – but in the rest of the world its not like that at all. The Krishna temple may be a small place right down town, or a larger place miles outside the city. So historically, we have arranged our week to fit in with the working pattern of the countries where we have temples. In Israel, the Hare Krishnas have a Saturday Feast, but in most other places – borrowing from the Christian culture – we have a Sunday Feast. That’s fine if people in your town do pre-war Sunday type things on a Sunday. But if Sunday has become the day for shopping, DIY, gardening and visiting friends then we’ll have to factor that into feast and festival planning. What day is it best for people to come? And when they do come, what will make them return with enthusiasm? And how do we care for them after the novelty of the first few months has worn off?   • Email to a friend • •   Ananda Subramanian, Iowa, USA: Typical What is typical here is - birth, old age, disease and death. This is not relative. Lets figure out something to get out of that!! Hare Krishna   • Email to a friend • •   H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): Japa Walks, Japa Talks www.sdgonline.org. From Japa Walks, Japa Talks July 22, 1994 I realize I can take a negative or a positive viewpoint when I assess my japa, but that’s not an arbitrary choice, is it? I mean, there has to be a factual basis to the assessment. If I take fifteen minutes to chant a round because I keep falling asleep, how can I say that my chanting is nice? Of course, that is an extreme example. The ordinary state is subtle and hard to ascertain. Anyway, since I do have some choice about how to look at things, I prefer to be hopeful. Hopeful doesn’t mean leading myself along a primrose path of unreality, thinking that I have no problems in chanting at all. I have already written two books about japa and openly admitted in them the grimmer side of things. I have a reputation among some devotees as one who is willing to admit problems. Therefore they submit their problems to me. They generously admit I may be exaggerating my difficulties in order to speak for all strugglers. Narada dasa, echoing my own laments, asked me whether Krishna is even present when he chants. “When I chant inattentively, my mind wandering, etc., is Krishna present or only His shadow? If it is only His shadow, will I ever actually reach a breakthrough point?” “Dear Narada dasa, all I know is what I read in the sastra. I can repeat it to you along with whatever experience I have had. Your question hints of despair, but don’t despair, don’t abandon the ship. We have a good captain, Srila Prabhupada, and the Hare Krishna mantra is the most favorable weather because this is Kali-yuga, a time of stormy inauspiciousness. Harinama, the most general and liberal and auspicious form of God-consciousness, is our only hope. It allows for us to be inattentive rascals, but it still gives so much benefit. Even when we chant offensively, we get relief from our miseries and sins. Therefore, don’t be depressed. We get relief from our miseries and sins. After all, you are in the shelter of the holy name, and you are chanting. Krishna will not appear fully in the holy name until we chant purely and with attention. “As to how long it will take, or when you will break through, I can’t say. Prabhupada said it could happen in a minute or fail to happen in millions of births. My only advice now is to please take it seriously. Don’t imagine that you are suffering from a terminal disease, but take it seriously as a positive engagement in your life. Give it priority in a practical way in your daily schedule. You know your daily rhythms, so when you have strength and peace of mind, devote it to the holy name. Always be sure to chant your quota without fail and in a peaceful place. If you do all that and still can’t control your mind, then just keep chanting and praying to Krishna. You’ll break through one day or another. In fact, you are already breaking through bit by bit. As the harinama verse says, there is no other way. Take that verse personally. There is no other way. You have to keep striving, and in that striving you can feel a kind of righteousness. You are performing the yuga-dharma. Give it your best.” Narada’s wife Bhaktin Sioban said she identifies with the predicament I shared in the opening paragraphs of Japa Reform Notebook. I remember how I chanted in Srila Prabhupada’s presence and in my apartment in New York City “clearly and intently.” But over the years, my japa became less distinct. “More and more my attention would wander.” Sioban asked if I could expand on how we can recapture the initial emotion and enthusiasm and sincere effort to chant with attention. “I don’t think we can go back in time and imagine that a 54-year-old man is 26 and is holding his red beads in his hands for the first time, yet we still have that spirit in us. It has just become covered. That wonder of the early days was an awakening, but it could only happen once. In many ways, it wasn’t internalized or deep. It was a hint of everything that was to come, a special kind of beginner’s ecstasy. We can’t judge our present state by its ecstasy content. We’re deeper now than we were then, and we’re more committed. We’ll never give up chanting Hare Krishna; we have years of practice to prove it. We are sincere. The inattentiveness and loss of fervor was inevitable in a way. You just have to come to grips with it.” I feel confident in saying these things to Narada and his wife. It’s Krishna’s mercy on me. When we preach, He makes us turn our face away from self-contemplation toward helping others. Then we take a firmer hold on things and don’t allow ourselves to wallow in lamentation and helplessness. Maybe I’m also feeling so positive today because the weather is so nice. Yesterday was dismal—the lid was on the weather, with the clouds only ten feet off the ground, closing in the world. I couldn’t even see the hills. Today there are clouds, but there is also a beautiful view. The cows and bulls were bellowing in the field, and the streams were running full and strong. I didn’t feel old or worn out today either. I walked slower. I saw a white calf nursing from a black cow, and amusing things like a road sign: “Loose Chippings, 20 MPH.” The blackberry bushes were in bloom with their white-petaled flowers. Eventually the berries will form and ripen, bright colors in a bright world. I remembered myself, my immediate neighbors are missing Krishna consciousness. I have a responsibility to them. Bhaktin Sioban said, “I think I have developed a dangerously defeatist attitude where I’ve come to the conclusion it’s ‘mission impossible.’” “That’s exactly what we shouldn’t do. Don’t be defeated. It’s a choice we can make—are we going to be knocked out by a fatalistic attitude, or are we going to scramble and fight to win back the territory from our cancala minds. Don’t give up the ship. Persist and win.” “But shamefully,” Sioban continued, “my strongest desire in relation to my japa is to get my sixteen rounds over with. How can I overcome this?” Should I give some advice I can’t follow myself? I would rather say something we could both follow. “It’s good that you know you must chant your sixteen rounds and ‘get them over with’ before you go on with the rest of your day. But when you’re finished those sixteen obligatory rounds, continue to chant. That’s the real answer. If I don’t follow it myself, if I’m too intent on finishing my rounds, then I’m in the same boat she is. But I relish the counting. I love moving my counter beads and seeing how much progress from zero to four, from four to eight, seeing how much time they’ll take and becoming an efficient chanter. Then nine and ten. If you get interrupted, then making sure throughout the day that there’s time to complete those last ones before the hour is too late. It’s not bad that everything revolves around “getting them done.” It’s a responsibility of health. Now I’m on ten and the morning is growing older. Better hurry along. There’s that more full feeling at eleven, then into the homestretch at twelve . . . sixteen, the perfection of the minimum quota.   • Email to a friend • •   H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): Journal and Poems www.sdgonline.org. From Journal and Poems, Book One February 10, 1985 Last night I talked for hours with Paramananda, and we hardly mentioned the worldwide conflicts within ISKCON. We have been involved in helping Gita-nagari. Before he came to see me he had been out for five hours in the freezing cold, plowing roads, cutting wood. I am packing my suitcase for India. I plan to listen to tapes of Prabhupada’s 1966 lectures to revive my memories, as well as to gain new insights into that miraculous time Prabhupada came alone to New York City and awakened the dead souls. Today I looked through a stack of photos of Srila Prabhupada. I’m captured by his love and locked on his quarters, yet my frail memory and affections seem to wane with time, like for most the fading of youthful vigor. But aside from delicate sentiments, we sincere Godbrothers have to come together in a most substantial way and please Srila Prabhupada by working cooperatively.   • Email to a friend • •   Mayapur Online: Siva Ratri Lord Siva is the topmost Vaisnava. In Navadvipa Mandala, Lord Siva is worshipped as shetrapala or guardian of the holy dhama. In Madhyadvipa, he performs the pastime of riding on the carrier of Brahma (Hamsa) to very quickly arrive to hear pastimes of Lord Caitanya. He is worshipped in this island as Hamsa Vahan Siva. He protects the Antardvipa- the holy birth place of Sri Caitanya as shetrapala at Yogapith. There is also reference of Siva dhoba in Navadvipa Dhama Mahatamya. read more   • Email to a friend • •   H.H. Sivarama Swami: Reflecting on Mukunda Maharaja’s new book about Srila Prabhupada and how differently he describes some well-known and important anecdotes   • Email to a friend • •   David Haslam, UK: Srila Prabhupada As some of you may be aware this month is a very busy one for me, with several official engagements but also school visits as part of the celebratingRE month. This will include also primary schools an area I’ve not ventured into and have been pondering on for over a month now; one thing I [...]   • Email to a friend • •   Akrura das, Gita Coaching: HOW TO HELP YOURSELF? Helping yourself means you put yourself under Krsna; that is helping yourself. And if you think, "Oh I can protect myself," then you are not helping yourself. Just like this finger, so long it is healthy, working, if there is some trouble, I can spend thousands of dollars for this. But if this finger is cut off from my body, if you trample down with your feet this finger, I don't care for it. Similarly, to help oneself means to put oneself in the proper position, as part and parcel of Krsna. That is real helping. Otherwise how you can help? The finger can help itself by putting itself in the proper position of the hand and work for the whole body. That is proper position. If the finger thinks that, "I shall remain separated from this body and help myself," it will die. So as soon as you think, that "I shall live independently without caring for Krsna," that is my death, and as soon as I engage myself as part and parcel of Krsna, that is my life. So helping oneself means to know one's position and work in that way. That is helping. Without knowing what is his position, how one can help oneself? It is not possible. - Srila Prabhupada   • Email to a friend • •   Dandavats.com: Live From Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir! HH Lokanath Swami By Lokanath Swami This is the Hare Krishna Movement with this mission to learning to agree with the Lord and to disagree with the Lord's external energy, disagree with maya and agree with Krishna. If we do that then we are in business then same thing happens as Prabhupada says could happen to everybody. Everyone has a chance   • Email to a friend • •   Dandavats.com: GBC Meeting Report 3—February 26th-27th By Sraddhadevi dasi ISKCON’s 2011 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Governing Body Commission (GBC) continued February 26th and 27th with GBC members separating into committees to discussion specific topics. Some of the committees were Guru Services, GBC-BBT Relations, Parallel Lines of Authority, and the Sannyasa Committee. Regional Governing Bodies, such as the Latin Governing Body and the North American GBCs also convened to discuss issues particular to their geographic area of service   • Email to a friend • •   Japa Group: Chanting Workshop Sambhanda Pt.2 Maharaja continues with this fascinating aspect of chanting.   • Email to a friend • •   Australian News: ISKCON Melbourne open their doors for Kadamba Kanana Maharaj Here is Kadamba Kanana Maharaja’s program during his March 2011 visit to Melbourne. Please note that if you wish to attend the LaTrobe University and Krishna Fest programs it is best to come in non-devotional clothes for it would best suit the audience we cultivate at these venues. The organisers of those two events aim at cultivating newcomers and inquisitive souls in a casual atmosphere. As for the rest of the program, you are more than welcome to join us at your convenience; the more, the merrier! Click here to see the web site for ISKCON, Melbourne. Share this story your way:   • Email to a friend • •   Gouranga TV: Vrindavan India 24hour kirtan Vrindavan India 24hour kirtan   • Email to a friend • • More Recent Articles ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Upcoming Visitor H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Thursday 3 March 2011--There's Nothing Like Krishna Consciousness--and--Why Lord Shiva Smokes Marijuana? Malati dd, USA: Mexican Horchata Mayapur Online: Report from the GBC Strategic Planning Meeting Part One Mayapur Online: Srimad Bhagavatam Class- Live from Mayapur

---

Click here to safely unsubscribe now from "Planet ISKCON" or change your subscription, view mailing archives or subscribe

---

 

---

Unsubscribe from all current and future newsletters powered by FeedBlitz

---

Your requested content delivery powered by FeedBlitz, LLC, 9 Thoreau Way, Sudbury, MA 01776, USA. +1.978.776.9498

  

TABLA - FUENTES - FONTS

SOUV2

• SOUV2P.TTF - 57 KB
• SOUV2I.TTF - 59 KB
• SOUV2B.TTF - 56 KB
• SOUV2T.TTF - 56 KB

Balaram

• bai_____.ttf - 46 KB
• babi____.ttf - 47 KB
• bab_____.ttf - 45 KB
• balaram_.ttf - 45 KB

ScaGoudy

• SCAGRG__.TTF - 73 KB
• SCAGI__.TTF - 71 KB
• SCAGB__.TTF - 68 KB

FOLIO 4.2

• inbenr11.ttf - 64 KB
• inbeno11.ttf - 12 KB
• inbeni11.ttf - 12 KB
• inbenb11.ttf - 66 KB
• indevr20.ttf - 53 KB

Biblica Font

• Greek font: BibliaLS Normal
• Greek font: BibliaLS Bold
• Greek font: BibliaLS Bold Italic
• Greek font: BibliaLS Italic
• Hebrew font: Ezra SIL
• Hebrew font: Ezra SIL SR

Disculpen las Molestias

• Página PRINCIPAL
• OBRAS y AUTORES CLÁSICOS
• Agradecimientos
• Cuadro General

Planet ISKCON - 2010  ·  Planet ISKCON - 2011

Conceptos Hinduistas (1428)SC

Category:Hindu (mythology) (3256)SC | Category:Hindu mythology (3270)SC | Categoría:Mitología hindú (3288)SC (indice) | Categoría:Mitología hindú (videos) (3289)SC | Conceptos Hinduista (A - G) SK y SC (videos) (3294)SC

Aa-Anc · Aga - Ahy · Ai - Akshay · Akshe - Amshum · Ana - Ancie · Ang - Asvayu · Ata - Az · Baa-Baz · Be-Bhak · Bhal-Bu · C · Daa-Daz · De · Dha-Dry · Du-Dy · E · F · Gaa-Gayu · Ge-Gy · Ha-He · Hi-Hy · I · J · K · Ka - Kam · Kan - Khatu · Ki - Ko · Kr - Ku · L · M · N · O · P · R · S · Saa-San · Sap-Shy · Si-Sy · Ta - Te · U · V · Ve-Vy · Y · Z

Conceptos Hinduistas (2919)SK

Conceptos Hinduistas (2592)SK
A_a-A_g · A_h-A_m · A_na-A_nc · A_nd-A_nu · A_p-A_r · A_s-A_x · A_y-A_z · B_aa-B_aq · B_ar-B_az · B_e-B_hak · B_hal-B_hy · B_o-B_u · B_ra · B_rh-B_ry · B_u-B_z · C_aa-C_aq · C_ar-C_ay · C_e-C_ha · C_he-C_hi · C_ho-C_hu · C_i-C_n · C_o-C_y · D_aa-D_an · D_ar-D_ay · D_e · D_ha-D_ny · D_o-D_y · E_a-E_o · E_p-E_z · F_aa-F_y · G_aa-G_aq · G_ar-G_az · G_e-G_n · G_o · G_ra-G_y · H_aa-H_aq · H_ar-H_az · H_e-H_indk · H_indu-H_isto · H_o-H_y · I_a-I_q · I_r-I_s · I_t-I_y · J_aa-J_aq · J_ar-J_ay · J_e-J_n · J_o-J_y · K_aa-K_aq · K_ar-K_az · K_e-K_h · K_o · K_r · K_u - K_z · L_aa-L_aq · L_ar-L_ay · L_e-L_n · L_o-L_y · M_aa-M_ag · M_ah · M_ai-M_aj · M_ak-M_aq · M_ar-M_az · M_b-M_n · M_o-M_z · N_aa-N_aq · N_ar-N_az · N_b-N_n · N_o-N_z · O_a-O_z · P_aa-P_aq · P_ar-P_az · P_e-P_h · P_o-P_y · R_aa-R_aq · R_ar-R_az · R_e-R_n · R_o-R_y · S_aa-S_am · S_an-S_ar · S_as-S_g · S_ha-S_hy · S_ia-S_il · S_im-S_n · S_o - S_q · S_r - S_t · S_u-S_z · T_aa-T_aq · T_ar-T_ay · T_e-T_n · T_o-T_y · U_a-U_q · U_r-U_s · V_aa-V_aq · V_ar-V_az · V_e · V_i-V_n · V_o-V_y · W_aa-W_i · W_o-W_y · Y_aa-Y_av · Y_e-Y_iy · Y_o-Y_u · Z_aa-Z_y

GENERAL

JUDAISMO | Ärî Garga-Samhita | Oraciones Selectas al Señor Supremo | Devotees Vaishnavas | Dandavat pranams - All glories to Srila Prabhupada | Hari Katha | Santos Católicos | El Antiguo Egipto I | Archivo Cervantes | Sivananda Yoga | Neale Donald Walsch | SWAMIS | ENCICLOPEDIA - INDICE | DEVOTOS FACEBOOK | EGIPTO - USUARIOS de FLICKR y PICASAWEB | AYUDA en INFORMÁTICA | BIOGRAFIAS | BUDDHISMO | CINEMANÍA | DANDAVAT PRANAMS | DANDAVATS | HEBREO - JUDAISMO | HINDUISMO | KABALEH - CABALA | MAESTROS ESPIRITUALES | MEDICINA NATURAL | Mis Escritos | MITOS Y LEYENDAS - MITOLOGÍAS | Religión | TEXTOS BÍBLICOS | Textos Sagrados Antiguos