1965 September 13 :

"Today is the 32nd day of our journey from Calcutta. After midnight yesterday the lurching decreased and I felt relief. In the morning also I could not take my breakfast properly. Then I cooked 'Bati-chachari.' It appeared to be delicious and I was able to take some food.

At about eleven there is a little lurching. The captain tells that they had never such calmness of the Atlantic. I said it is Lord Krishna's mercy. His wife asked me to come back again with them so that they may have again a calm Atlantic Ocean. If Atlantic would have shown its usual face perhaps I would have died. But Lord Krishna has taken charge of the ship.

Today I have disclosed my mind to my companion Lord Sri Krishna. There is a Bengali poem made by me today in this connection - Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Krsna."

Jaladuta Diary :: 1965

1970 September 13 : "I am very glad to know that you are not affected by the propaganda of the Sannyasis that I am displeased with all the members of the society--I am never displeased with any member."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1970 September 13 : "I am receiving many astounding letters regarding our four Sannyasis. I do not know why these boys are doing such nonsense and wasting their time. Please advise them on my behalf not to waste time in such fruitless endeavor."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1970 September 13 : "India is now communist infected. People are in very much perturbed condition. All of them are expecting me to do something for ameliorating the situation, but I am simply advising them to chant Hare Krsna because this transcendental sound is the only panacea for all material diseases."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1970 September 13 : "Please continue placing our literatures in all the libraries, schools and colleges. This will revolutionize the thinking of the thoughtful men of your country and save the world from the clutches of material illusory activities which is causing havoc everywhere."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1970 September 13 : "It is a great encouragement to me that the GBC is carefully revising the program of our temples in view of the recent attacks upon our Society. I am very much counting upon you all to keep the standard as I have instructed you both orally and in my literatures."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1970 September 13 : "I am glad all the devotees are now appreciating the presence of their Spiritual Master by following His instructions although He is no longer physically present--this is the right spirit."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

The main altar is getting pretty crowded while the new altars for Gaura-nitai and Krsna Balarama are buiilt. Check the pics...

Sri Sri Krishna Balarama, Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Giriraja are in the middle section of the alter (sic).

Srimad Bhagavatam 10.35.16-17 - Developing a selfless service attitude towards the spiritual master.

We missed this article when it came out last June, reviewing the Himalayan fest. Better late than never, and it gives a taste of what is to come this Saturday at the 20th annual Festival of India.

Recently I took delivery of a new mobile phone. Quite a complex affair, boasting a range of amazing new features. Of course, being a typical male, with an inbuilt resistance to being told how to do anything, I tossed aside the instruction manual and set about figuring it all out for myself. Soon I had managed to connect to the internet, send off a couple of video mails, and record a short film of the clutter on my desk – but had not succeeded in setting up my speed dials, the first thing I had attempted. Needless to say I ended up consulting the manual anyway.

Sadly it is not only with phones that I have this problem. This will probably shock you Terry, but even priests like me are not always paragons of perfect virtue. Although I daily study my scriptures I have to admit that I don’t always do what they say.

However, the inevitable result is the same as with my new phone. I end up frustrated. But one thing I have managed to learn over the years is that such frustration is actually a good thing, for me it is the Lord’s mercy, letting me realise that I am getting it wrong, ignoring his advice.

In truth we have very little control over this world. We try our best, but at the end of the day there is a power beyond us all in control. When we recognise and surrender to that power, things are so much easier. Martin Luther King used to say that when he faced a particularly difficult time he would spend an extra hour on his knees in prayer, rather than working longer and harder trying to solve the problems himself.

And God has already given us so much help. Scriptures are like divine instruction manuals. They are not meant to curb our creative freedom, but to show us how to get what we want, which means happiness. That is what the Lord wants for us also. By guiding us away from excessive indulgence and more toward spiritual life he is not some kind of killjoy, aiming to make our lives miserable. In fact by following him we find our misery subsiding and eventually disappearing. The result, described in Vedic terms, is eternity, knowledge and bliss – our real spiritual existence.

Surely if we pursue pleasure at any cost, oblivious to God’s guidance, we can never achieve enduring happiness. Let’s avoid a situation described by Martin Luther King when he said, “The means by which we live have outdistanced the ends for which we live. Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”

So Terry, in future I think I will stick to carefully following the manual, as far as I can. And as for mobile phones – maybe I’ll trade mine in for a carrier pigeon.

Years ago, while in high school, I had a Hare Krishna friend who lived across the street from the Hare Krisha temple on Venice Blvd in Los Angeles (across the street from downtown Culver City). One Sunday he took us to the weekly free (donations accepted) Sunday Feast at the temple. We walked to the temple, removed our shoes, and were served a wonderful vegetarian Indian meal on the steps of the temple.

By Tamohara dasa (ACBSP)

It is said that the Lord's merciful energy is subordinate to His willing power, but in the case of Sriman Mahaprabhu it is the reverse. Mahaprabhu has granted this independence to his krpa-shakti. Mahaprabhu would not have distributed His prema, the most confidential secret, to one and all indiscriminately, if He had not given this independence to His krpa shaktri.

By Yasoda saci devi dasi

Krishna devotees had much to celebrate Saturday as hundreds held their first-ever Festival of Chariots in downtown Orlando, turning Lake Eola’s surroundings into a kind of “Little India” for several hours.

click here - 6.9 mb download, 14:20 mins play time

So I had the awesome privilege of attending Brighton Rathayatra! For the last three years when Lord Jagganath arrives on this glorious beach He always brings the wonderful sunshine. Even one of the shop keepers commented:

"The Hare Krishnas always seem to bring the wonderful sunshine out even though its September"!

Without a doubt one of the best Ratha Yatra's around.

Check out the pictures! Simply click on them to enlarge. Anyone went this year? Would they like to share their experiences?



 

Reply to “No God in the Detail,” By Deenanath das

 

I recently read an article which quoted the esteemed modern philosopher Bertrand Russell as saying that he could not believe in God because he could not see enough evidence. Many people adhere to Mr. Russell’s philosophy of, ‘We only believe what we see.’ While this is a good approach to life in order to guard against unscrupulous people making dubious claims of all sorts, to adhere to this philosophy in all fields of life can be to our detriment, especially when dealing with subjects in which we admit our ignorance.

For example, an expert in a particular field may offer us advice which is to our benefit but which we may be unable to appreciate or thoroughly understand at that moment. Similarly, in the relationship between student and teacher there must be a fundamental acceptance of the teacher’s instructions by the student. The undeveloped student does not have the knowledge to reasonably question the teacher’s instructions and advice, and uniformed challenges cannot assist him in understanding a subject beyond his grasp. Thus the student’s knowledge is initially developed by hearing attentively from the teacher. In the same spirit of student and teacher, we request Mr. Russell and his followers to listen to the sublime counsel of the Bhagavad-gita and its eternally relevant instructions.

The Bhagavad-gita teaches that in our quest for knowledge and our search for God, an attitude of humility and pridelessness (Bhagavad-gita 13.8[1]) and a heartfelt acceptance of our impotence in the face of the world’s mysteries will aid our endeavor. God is never revealed to those who are falsely proud and have misplaced confidence in their knowledge and abilities (Bhagavad-gita 16.10[2]). Consider a common man who wishes to meet the president of his country. If that man wishes to present some insignificant false accusation must the president be obliged to meet him?

Param, the wife, was in a panel discussion on the local ABC Radio in Brisbane yesterday. They covered the interview in an article on their website today:

Param Satya, a Hare Krishna chef at Govinda’s vegetarian restaurant believes the people are becoming increasingly interested in the food they eat. “There are a growing number of people who are concerned about what’s involved with the food they eat because we can see that what you eat becomes what you are,” she says.

For Satya, the food’s history is more important than the food’s expense. “What I feel is more important than cost, because if I have a clear conscience that no harm has come even to the vegetables or the environment or the persons who are producing it, then the cost is no issue…. Everyone has to make the choice themselves, but we have to give them the knowledge about what’s happening because most people don’t know what’s involved in their food.”

Read the whole article Food ethics: you are what you eat

read more

Dear Prabhus,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Recently we were doing sankirtan in my hometown in Slovenia. Before going there I had to go through a strenuous purification of my mind. And my false ego was flipping out: "What will happen when you will meet this relative and that professor or exgirlfriend?! How will all these people react when they see you in this strange dress selling books?!

I preached to myself that this was all nonsense and the mental platform. Actually, I was forced to go much deeper and ask, "Who am I? What I am doing?" I got a nice realization that I am not really spiritually advanced. But still I was praying to Guru and the Panca-tattva like anything to please remove this bodily concept of life.

Then I surrendered and "jumped into the ocean," going directly into the center of my "sweet hometown." By the mercy of Guru and Krishna, all the people were very nice. I went door to door. Many people immediately recognized me and invited me in; they usually took a book or two as "old friends." One heavy professor from my high school was very surprised when he opened the door. I told him, "Dear sir, this is for you. To repay you because I was so naughty in high school." The professor immediately went for lakshmi and took the book. He was so moved that he shook my hand and thanked me. Actually, most of my exprofessors took Bhagavad-gitas; many of then thought that I came just to see them.

At first I was afraid of how people who knew me would react, but soon I saw that this was an advantage in book distribution. After a while the Lord gave me even more mercy and courage, and I started saying a new mantra to all the people who I didn't know: "Are you from this town?"

"Yes"

"Then you must know my mother Ida, who works at the government office." (Everyone knows my mother.)

Usually this would melt their hearts. They would remember how I was small, holding my mother by the hand. When they would be most excited I would just smile and give them a book. How could they refuse!?

In this way I did sankirtan for a full week in my hometown. These were some of the most blissful days in my sankirtan career. Many people told me to please visit them again and spend a little more time with them. So I am planning to bring them prasadam, incense, and more books.

Doing sankirtan in my hometown left a great impression on my heart. I feel that Guru and Krishna blessed me to more deeply identify myself as a devotee of Krishna. Since that time I have worn only dhoti and kurta, even to visit my parents' home. And they accept me as a devotee.

Back home, back to Godhead (our real home) ki jaya!

Sankirtan Yajna ki jaya!

Vasudeva Datta das, TSKP Slovenia

I wrote to my friend Sukanthi the other day to ask her how it's going with the Fedora operating system on her laptop (We loaded it on a few weeks before she left Australia), and to point her to the BBC documentary on Free Open Source Software, The Codebreakers [1] [2]. She had wanted to know more about the philosophical reasons for using FOSS. She is currently in Hungary and wrote me today:

There is a new Hare Krishna centre in London called Matchless gifts, they have free internet access for the under priviledged and they use Fedora. They also do yoga classes and kirtana nights and classes with prasad.

I took my mum there, it was cool, she was playing the drum and chanting Hare Krishna.

Someone blogged about it here