Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 8, Chapter 3, texts 31-33 by Mukunda Datta das.  This is the Chapter's conclusion. 

Dallas, TX
2009-03-05

Badahari das singing the Jaya Radha Madhava Prayers.

Dallas, TX
2009-03-05

By Matsya Avatara Dasa

(From the book "Vedic-Puranic Cosmogony")

Modern man is confused, without precise and stable reference points that allow him to sail peacefully through the waves of life. He is full of anxieties and fears that seem impossible to overcome, fragile and unstable in his psyche, and pitifully exhausted by neurosis of various nature and origin, that drain much energy from him, by secretly absorbing them. He is also sadly isolated and constantly tossed around and dragged to unknown directions by tragic and uncontrollable events and aberrant ideas imposed on him by stronger and violent individuals who, like a storm of powerful winds, sweep him away and his fragile ship wrecks... its unrecognizable remains drifting away at high sea.

The Man of Tradition, who builds his life on a traditional set of values, had and has a cosmogonic vision: he sees and understands the universe, and is therefore able to point out, precisely and safely, his own position in the vast expanse of the cosmic manifestation. The so-called modern man, on the other hand, has lost these references and paradoxically, although he made giant steps in the field of technology and especially in the sector of communication, finds serious, indeed, almost insurmountable, difficulties in communicating with others and even with himself.

Having gradually lost the organic vision of reality, the consciousness of its solid wholeness, of the connections between the parts and the whole, he engrossed himself in an obstinate and repeated study of fragments, of micro-realities cut off from the whole. Although he has become capable of inventing microscopes and other very powerful instruments of research¹, he finally has to acknowledge, with surprise, dismay and even a bit of frustration, that material nature keeps escaping from his futile efforts to know it, as if mocking him. In fact, Nature is comparable to a series of Chinese boxes: as soon as we discover one aspect we immediately see another, contained inside the previous one.

Modern man, therefore, risks suffering an overwhelming confusion, full of anxiety, a subtle and pervasive “malaise” that is becomes increasingly bitter and deep (especially in the youngest generation). His condition becomes more serious as it becomes apparent that there are no satisfying answers that can explain his vast reality. Certainly the various religions are not giving such answers, as often they are employing their enormous energies and resources more in search of wider popular support than in giving satisfactory answers to the painful questions on the meaning of the entire cosmic process. In fact they focus most of their interests on the mere anthropological sphere - on man and his problems. In their reductively anthropocentric attitude, they try their best to elaborate a policy for man, down to the smallest details and with complicated (and often unrealistic) economic and social plans, while neglecting the simple basic truth that man, when he is not able to locate himself in his socio-cosmic context and does not know himself because he is not able to perceive himself in his essence or transcendental reality, will not be able to trace a feasible project for his own development and growth². It is therefore necessary to indicate with the greatest precision possible the cosmogony or universal design, and the escatology or ultramundane goal of existence.

The Vedas offer an extremely wide picture of the universal project, starting from the description of the four objectives of evolved human life³; dharma, artha, kama and moksha. To attain these goals, a good quality person organizes in the best possible ways his efforts and resources. The art of life consists in attaining these goals and living them in a balanced way, making them all - one after the other or simultaneously - a successful realization.

Dharma is the Cosmic Order, God's Law, the Will of the Lord, the harmony and tuning of and with whatever vibrates, the force that sustains all, the life principle and the laws that support it. Without dharma, the planets could not remain in their orbits, and we would not even be able to breathe without a connection with dharma.

Dharma is also religiosity, without which it would be impossible to execute any action; it is the acquisition of a minimum level of piety and good sentiments enabling us to face life, and that will be expanded at the utmost; anyway, it is necessary to have at least a minimum quality for an individual to be able to live amidst people, in creation and all creatures.

The Sanskrit word bhuta, in this context, indicates the created being; in fact the root bhu means both ‘being’ and ‘becoming’, but if we add the suffix ta it comes to mean ‘created’. Since the soul is immortal⁴, who is created? The bodies are created, while the life principle, the atman, is not created: it is not born and it does not die.

All creatures are born and die only apparently; in fact what is born and dies is the bodies, those wrappings made of matter (prakriti) inhabited by the immortal beings, and which always remain distinct from the being in all circumstances. In Bhagavadgita Krishna states that the eightfold matter⁵, that we perceive as forms and names, is separated from Him⁶; and we could add, from us, too: organs, tissues, cells are in fact aggregates of matter that is separated from our real being. Dharma is absolutely required to bring clarity in this alienated environment where confused masses, overwhelmed by a terrible crisis of identity believe they are bodies, and totally identify with prakriti.

Dharma offers some fundamental directives called yama and niyama⁷, to live consciously in any place, but especially in those places where the atmosphere has become “incandescent” due to passion (rajo-guna) and darkened by ignorance (tamo-guna)⁸.

When the consciousness of the self is developed in the proper way, according to dharma, the individual becomes dharmya, a bearer of dharma or supporter of dharma, and at the same time he is also ‘supported’ by dharma

In a passage of Mahabharata⁹ it is strongly stated that one who supports dharma is supported by dharma, while one who tramples upon dharma becomes crushed by dharma.

The support of dharma enables us to attain the second goal: artha or economic prosperity, which does not have any negative meaning in itself¹⁰, unless it involves a gross behavior that drags its author into brutishness and makes him forget his prescribed duties that are supposed to lead him to spiritual realization. The shastras¹¹ recommend to pursue this goal, because it is necessary to earn the resources required to take the path of perfection. When the union of the Divine will be stable and final, only at that time we will not need any specific efforts to pursue artha: the Lord will provide directly.

Everything depends therefore on building one's existence on the principles of dharma, the celestial rule, the divine law, the highest Order that supports all. By careful observation of the natural cycles, we can detect the presence of this divine Order: trees blossom again and again each spring; days and night follow each other regularly; the sun never leaves its orbit - because if it changed it, deviating of even a small distance, everything would catch fire, water would evaporate, all plants would disappear and all living entities who depend on water for survival would also die, including the human beings. It is dharma that supports the sun and all stars and planets in their orbits and makes life possible on the planets. The source of dharma is the Supreme Being who, through dharma, stipulates a rightful pact with all the creatures, without favoring or disfavoring any of them. It is in fact only according to the way we relate to dharma that we will have to face the positive or negative consequences of our good and bad actions. This is the fundamental principle regulating the law of karman, the strict eternal law of remuneration of actions.

Therefore the man of Tradition pursues the tangible and practical development of the fundamental principles of dharma, constantly and sincerely striving to apply its theory in daily life, as he does not recognize any real importance to the philosophical activities in themselves, when they are separated from reality and unable to deliver the living being from the fundamental problem of bodily existence -- his own suffering. He thus seeks an intimate and genuine internalization of the laws of dharma and their genuine expression in thinking and in speaking to others, in commenting on events and changes that happen in society and nature, and in his own actions as well.

After attaining artha on the basis of dharma, we attain kama, a term that indicates in this context the search for pleasure and joy. If these pleasures are developed from artha, pursued with one's own means instead of others' means, and through means based on dharma, or moral, ethical and spiritual rules¹², we attain joy, a sense of satisfaction that follows the experience of pleasure. To be more precise, we should say that the research of pleasure ceases to be an obsession and he then becomes free from the mental conditions that pushed him to make wrong choices in the pursuit of sensory stimulations. When they are obtained in harmony with the Divine Order, the so called pleasures are potentially able to make him thoughtful and reflective, leading gradually to detachment from material attachments, allowing him to dedicate himself, serenely and lucidly, to pursue the fourth goal that is characteristics of the evolved man: moksha, the final liberation from illusions, from identification with matter and mundane attachment, the sources of suffering¹³.

Therefore, giving man a wide, universal frame of knowledge, not only on the spiritual dimension but also on the variety of the cosmic manifestation, is necessary to reveal to him dharma and its fundamental laws. All this immediately offers him the essential instruments to determine, plan and build, day after day, his own future. Offering such instruments constitutes the highest humanitarian activity that benefits not only man, but all creatures and well as the environment, as micro and macro sphere.

A vision of the universe that is based on a strongly and openly anthropocentric conception would be a disconcertingly reductive proposition, implying a drastic limitation on the capabilities and potential of spiritual realization.

Man does not have a central position. The Vedic-Vaishnava conception of the universe is theocentric: God is the motor of the universe, and everything is taken care of due to the supreme and sweet will of God. And if all creatures, and especially man, would put the Lord in the center of their attention and care, of their thoughts and words, whatever they wanted to attain would come almost spontaneously, with much less difficulties in proportion to the concentration on the contemplation of God; and all actions performed in this way would benefit not only humans, but as we mentioned, all creatures.

On the other hand, if by some kind of anthropocentric obsession or other species feticism, man would be induced to consider only his own species as worthy of care and attention, he wouldn't even be able to maintain the health of this planet and would become the cause of continuous and serious ecologic crises, since the environmental balance can only be maintained if we work for the benefit of “all” creatures, allowing each one of them to freely express its own nature.

Usually man is considered the sovereign of creatures, but the real Sovereign is God, who also rules over man. Man has the duty to guide less intelligent and evolved creatures. This means giving a role to each of them without taking undue advantage of anyone, otherwise the result would be exploitation instead of guidance.

It is therefore urgent and necessary to seriously revise the concepts of progress and evolution, sociology, well-being and economy, and even history.

Thinking that human beings are the only rightful citizens of this planets is much too limited a concept; we should extend the habeas corpus to animal species as well. We speak so often about love: why should we limit love to mankind only? Putting mankind in the center of the universe is a typical mistake of modern philosophy.

So... this ceremony with fruits and flowers and a fire, and the assembly of devotees here before our beloved Lordships, before the exalted Vaisnavas, is meant to impress upon us the seriousness of accepting this sampradaya, of officially entering within this.

The Atlanta Temple, his family and friends will be coordinating the funeral service of Harish das. With the passing of our dear friend Hari Kirtan das aka Harish, we stop to pray to the lord for his safe journey home. The service will be on Saturday the 28th of 2009 at 2pm at the Wages & Sons Funeral Home in Stone Mountain, Ga.

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Question: What am I reading?

Answer: Anything written by Ravindra Svarupa.

I enjoy his writing. You might like to check out his website, So It Happens.

(Ravindra Svarupa Dasa (William H. Deadwyler) joined the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in 1971 in Philadelphia, PA where he has served for most of his devotional career. He is an initiated disciple of ISKCON’s founder-acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Ravindra Svarupa dasa earned his B.A. in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in religion from Temple University. He has been a member of ISKCON’s ecclesiastical board, known as the Governing Body Commission, since 1987. )

trnad api su-nicena
taror iva sahisnuna
amanina mana-dena
kirtaniyah sada hari

Translated by Srila Prabhupada as "One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord."

But the following verse underscores the importance of this verse; herein Krsna dasa Kaviraja says in his poetic way, that it should be a form of constant meditation.

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Friday, 16th Jan, 2009. Vijaya woke me! It’s 6 o’clock and he sounds disappointed. He is an ecstatic transcendental book distributor with the full sadhana and he is shocked to find me on my “tour program”. There is a confusion of the rasas. I struggle out. I decided to hook into some sadhana myself, to keep in touch, rather than spoil myself with the ripe fruits of Krsna Consciousness and embellish myself in the pleasure potency that is Melbourne kirtana.

I caught some of Vijaya’s class. It was nectar on smashing the false ego. For me this is something like using an ice pick to cut through a concrete slab. But hey, 8,400,000 life times I reckon I could do that. What do you think? I stopped philosophising with myself and decided it was time to “honour prasada”. The next best thing from a morning kirtana in Melbourne temple is morning prasada at Melbourne temple. (Take note that I will miss a kirtana for sadhana but not prasada, catching myself out here.)

After a decent feast I rolled up through Prabhupada House to see HH Indradyumna Swami with the kiddies playing away at them and working the old Krsna Conscious brain wash session early in their lives. It wasn’t my scene so I snuck off into the boys room to join Gaura Hari, Sri Prahlad and HH Hridayananda Swami from within Sri P’s laptop. Govinda Gi was also present (The supreme personality of Godhead in Shalagram form).

I thought I would slack some precious time by checking my email on Gaura’s PC. I logged onto my email account. “OH MY GOD!” I was in shock. I had 108 emails! This was an auspicious amount of inconvenience indeed. I decided now was not the time and decided, like an ostrich with his head in the ground, that if I forgot about them maybe they would go away.

I found Bhakta Harry and we did some chilling. After a trip to the lights store again me and Harry did some more chilling. If it wasn’t obvious by our chillage session, we needed to be engaged. Domo had just the mission. Yes it was time to start our first show in Melbourne!…well time to set up our first show. First sweet surrender and then…I’ve never really thought what happens after that?

Me and H to the B (Harry) hit the trams. We stopped by at crossways, the coolest spot in the city of Melbourne, for some halava and custard. After two servings to stir in our previous ice cream we hit the trams yet again. We arrived in good time and Domo decided to send us on one of those quests that only Domo can send you on. One of those quests for something so insignificant yet it seems to take you all day.

So me and Harry were off again. We had to find some…rope. Fitzroy, the town of choice for our Le Carnaval Spirituel extravaganza was a trendy type of neighbourhood. You had swanky coffee shops, happenin little places where people would sit, chat and “be merry?” and all that bogus stuff. But a decent hardware store? Maybe if we had a car but we were on foot. None the less, this was to be an epic quest rivalling all those other expensive movie blockbusters like LOTR, etc…

We searched high and low. Up and down. Stationary stores? Coles? Who has the simple necessity of rope?! Harry was often being distracted by graffiti. The man was into the street art. I at least appreciated the painting of a man who was sleeping on a bench but otherwise it was all to much colour and twirl and concrete for me. Plus I come from a punk town like Murwillumbah. If I was to admire the street art there…I would either be shocked to find none or be overspending time reading tags everywhere I went.

After some helpful tips from locals and a hell-a-lot-a walking, we found our precious rope. Now normally in a quest like this I will return with the goods and it will be the wrong thing. Poor Domo for hiring an incompetent assistant like. And my rate is pretty high dollar, considering if you want my services you have to spend time with…me!

When we returned we found that Domo was pleased with our find and was getting into some monkey business of his own. The curtain bars of the theatre were such so, via mechanical means, you could lower them to the ground and then raise them back to the roof. This was interesting because you could also hang a Domo upside down off one and take him up to the ceiling.

After this little shenanigan the people started to roll in, the support crew that is. The prasadam bay was being set up and the decoration crew was well into it. Unfortunately for me, the decoration crew brought a little bit to much “shortness” this time and I had to do all their high decorating. This for some reason left me hanging off a railing, upside down, with I can’t remember who-holding me. The things we do in this line of service are questionable at best.

The trendy people of Fitzroy township began to finally arrive. They were a funny bunch indeed. The first group we decided to entertain at the book table were a couple high and mighty, how to say these days?…I wouldn’t class them as emos, as they were a bit more well built, they had a personality and their outfits didn’t look like they bought them from their parents allowance. I wouldn’t say punks, although this may be the class but these guys weren’t ripped in the muscles or the jeans. And I wouldn’t say Goths, they looked to happy to be suicidal and I don’t think they were blood drinkers. So we had a couple guys with old fashion clothes, black with white trims and a few too many skulls hanging about.

One of the matajis on our follow up table, courtesy of Melbourne yatra, was starting some small chat. When I saw such interesting characters who were light in conversation I decided to butt in. It was all very lovely. I tried to show them my books. One of them, the leader it seemed, was well read. He knew a little more than most about Indian mythology and philosophy and all that jib-jab. It seemed his other friend already had srimad bhagavatam in some volumes also. But before I could bring in some interest, some of our local devotees were locked into a light debate with one of our potential, customers, devotees, however you want to say. I kept a positive relationship with the man claiming my accomplices were just crazy Hare Krsna cultists but I think he was a little deterred to mingle with the tables for too much longer.

So while the table was becoming a little wild I glanced over to see the prasada team. HH Indradyumna Swami was well into the divine service of serving the prasada to all the conditioned souls coming to see our show. Maharaja knows how to get the mercy, being a reasonably experienced devotee one might say. He also served the devotees prasada on Polish tour many times.

It was show time! I slotted back stage for make up. We smashed off another Gita extravaganza. We exited to our usual music, I danced like usually do to our awesome music and Gaura Hari rushed like anything to start kartalas for the Manipuri drummers like usual. The only problem was I was dancing a little bit too much this way and Gaura was running a little bit too much that way and…SMASH! Gaura was in pain, I was unharmed, but if I didn’t move I think he might of changed that situation. In a moment’s fury due to some unexpected pain Gaura cast his Krsna garland dramatically to the ground as he tried to express his moment’s agony.

There were fake flowers and beads all over the ground. After the dust had settled I trotted to the other side of the stage to check on my brother deary Gaura Hari. I begged his pardon and checked on his injury. I had done some serious bendy business to his big toe and it was well bloody. This case and many others suggest that preaching work is a dangerous business. To date we had a total of: Mathuresvari’s fall off stage-a bad arm for the rest of the tour, my battle with a book table at Peat’s Ridge-leaving a permanent stigmata scare on my left palm, Sadhu’s knife wound at the closing of Peat’s Ridge festival-who knows how that went and now this-leaving Gaura all bloody and a bit upset for the time being.

We all chilled back stage after this. We gazed at our epic large stage mirror which was a little out of place in the boys changing room. We did some ASAP toe recovery procedures on Gaura just to make sure he would live till the end of the night. Sri P was dancing around with his mobile phone? I think he was indicating how late the show was running but it was hard to tell. It all generally got a bit loose. The twins were eating rice with lassi in the background (just to add to the craziness). Just at the climax of the insanity, when we decided to take photos in our large vintage mirror, HH Indradyumna Swami entered. There we are all posing like mad aliens and god knows what else and the pure Swami from Vaikuntha rolls in. We were all worried with his shocked face. How will he react? He quickly shook off his bewilderment and joined in the snaps.

We patiently watched as Maharaja gave his first epic speech in Melbourne and then it was time for me to change up and hit the book table. It was madness. Many people were purchasing books. We sold off our last Krsna books! Some crazy lady was causing some trouble. She wanted things free it seemed and she didn’t look totally sober and didn’t look like all the lights were on. While others were getting books signed by maharaja she was getting a paper signed. She kept insisting me that Maharaja said she could have some free Cds but I confirmed it with him on the down low and he just insisted that she was mad. She ended up STEALING both of our Cds. A loss for Tribi and a loss for the tour back pocket.

We packed up after the big rush. There wasn’t so much work to do as we were to return to the same venue the next night. It was like Polish tour in that sense. It was a big success all up. I scored a lift home and stuck into my remaining rounds…for a while. The boys came back and someone wanted ice cream. I was naturally the go-getter. I RAN down to the 7/11 and RAN back. I had all my rounds and all my ice creams finished by the time Cinderella lost her glass slipper. Tomorrow was something to look forward to. It was another festival!

Saturday, 17th Jan, 2009. Oh no Vijaya woke me up!? Little did he know I had just done a marathon last night and rest was a crucial consideration. He was a hard man to live with but boy would I like to do books with him. I struggled out and did my morning business. By the time I stumbled out of the ashram and over to the temple it was class time. Sri Prahlad was giving class and the verse was…the same one as the other day? It was one of those verse mix ups that you can have in ISKCON temples sometimes.

After some class nectar and some prasada nectar I decided to face my ever growing email count. Fortunately I found out that most of it was photo tag notifications from face book and that it was all big fat illusion created by maya to discourage me from my holy service of net surfing. I filed away all the junky bogus information and sorted through my REAL emails.

I spent some time with Vishnu Gurukuli and discussed some epic plans for youth preaching and taking over Australia with travelling sankirtana. It was lunch time by the time Harry rolled in. We decided to take a walk to the beach. When we returned it was time to roll off to the hall for some early rehearsals. Our good friend, Brett (for those who know him), was crying a scene that he was not able to help. Some of the guys had to explain that his excess mala he wore and his consistent ecstatic symptoms were not understood by the general public.

I found myself sitting in the audience while the guys practiced a new outro to the show. We were bringing on all the cast. Even Radha Valaba was going to come on stage although her services didn’t have her up there otherwise. All the acts were going to come up one at a time and bow. Everyone means, of course, everyone but me. It was a little sad but someone did need to stand by at the book table with Mathuranatha and this was my main excitement for the show. If it meant sacrificing name and fame to do books than I suppose it would be the best service.

After the practice we had a nice intimate little ishta goshti. After this little touch of personalism I took off to find some kulis and do what kulis do best, nothing…I mean hanging out. After this I sat myself at my book table. The people started to arrive. I met a young lady who had come the night before. She claimed to be our biggest fan and wanted to know how to join the tour. She was enthused and into yoga. She even had her own yogi name: “Yoga Sidhi”. It was nice to finally meet one of the really inspired audience members. Naturally Indradyumna Swami gets to meet all those but because he wasn’t around I got to get the special mercy.

Soon after she moved on into the show my cousins, Wendy & Tina, rolled in! They were calling early and looking to be late but in Melbourne we were starting half an hour earlier. Lucky I gave them a bit of false advertisement otherwise they would have missed the start. I rushed off to do my thang on stage. It all cruised along with a familiar flare. I was wham smack back on the book table after it all rolled out.

I had some discussion with one of the local matajis. She seemed to think the crowd wasn’t as good this night. I was in disagreement. In the end the whole Le Carnaval Spirituel crew also agreed with me and indeed we had about 100 more people this night, filling the hall past its capacity. I paused from the discussion when I heard an amazing applauding and cheering from the audience. I rushed to the curtain side to have a look. Our newly practiced outro was on the show and the people loved it. All their favourite performers were coming out to say one last goodbye.

We had madness with our book table! The crazy lady from the night before was back! She wanted a Gita this time, for free!? A devotee finally bought her one to calm her down. My cousins couldn’t even catch up with me it was such an ocean of bodies. I had to wave them goodbye for another time. Kamalaksi managed to finally get her Gita signed she wanted so bad. I was ecstatic to report that we had topped our Gita sales at this show. We beat New Town, Sydney, where we sold the most Gitas so far.

All was finishing up. I was adding up the sales and book scores. I told Gaura our result on the Gitas and he was jubilant. It all seemed to be right and merry but than our crazy friend returned. She wanted to swap her Gita for a CD?! “But you already have both the Cds. You stole them last night?!” I cried. Not only that but the CD was $5 more than a Gita, what to speak of the 50$ she owed from the stolen merchandise. She was so persistent that I just had to let her go with the trade, just as Mathura had to let her go the night before with the Cds. I regretfully returned my report to Gaura that we didn’t have a new Gita record. He seemed saddened by this information. You win some you loose some. I shook the little chip off my shoulder and soldiered on.

I scored a cab back to the temple with some devotees. The driver was Indian. I took the time to show him “now you know where the temple is you can come for prasada”. I do this either they do what I say but more so to wake the modern Indian bodied men to COME BACK TO YOUR OWN CULTURE! I was happy to hear that he was keen to check it out some time. I rolled into the ashram and quickly slotted on my diary notes for the day, so that I could remember it fresh when I had to write the diary 2 months later. Vijaya caught me and chastised me for being up late on the computer as he slipped past to the bathroom. 5 minutes only was I on but it looked like I was on there for hours.

After such a massive marathon I didn’t feel like I had Prabhupada’s blessings. My seeming tardiness (which is a tiny bit worse than my real tardiness) was seemingly upsetting to a transcendental book distributor. But not to be discouraged in the end. This is just one of those crazy strange rasas that one can only find at 11:30pm on the epic tour of HH Indradyumna Swami. And what success we had over the last two days. I hope there is no wake up call tomorrow though…

Elkészült a második videó. A beszámoló mostantól azzal bővül, hogy egy-egy bhakta fogja megosztani élményeit veletek. Reméljük, így ti is részeseivé váltok az utazásnak és azoknak a tapasztalatoknak, amiben Chowpattyban részünk volt. Ebben a videóban Radhanatha prabhut hallhatjátok.

Another quiet suburb, another small group chanting the Holy Names. The great success in this program is to continue and to complete - every town and village. Some weeks there are a lot of devotees, some weeks there are a few, but the important thing is to carry through.

16 Rounds at Smoke This

One of the obstacles in spreading Krishna consciousness is the tendancy to stay disconnected from the people we are trying to extend Krishna consciousness to. We may consider those people unqualified, fallen, strange, or we may simply have difficulty understanding their situation. If we consider ourselves to be missionaries in the service to Srila Prabhupada, then we should not allow oursleves to fall into this trap. As compassionate missionaries, lovers of God and His parts and parcels, lovers of the living souls that are embodied and conditioned in a wide varieties of ways, we can’t afford ourselves ever getting disconnected from the people who we share the world with.

Srila Prabhupada’s glory stands above all other Vaishnavas because he took the time and truoble to understand the people of America, live in their midst, feel with them, and eventually share the beauty of Krishna consciousness with them. Most of Srila Prabhupada’s godbrothers wrote Westerners off because we were too weird and too wild to them. They were not able to understand or relate to us. Some perhaps dreaded the thought of having to live with us and elevate us to the platform of Krishna consciousness. Sure, many have continued to maintain their purity and that was for their good. Luckily Srila Prabhupada was different. He took the instruction of his spiritual master to bring Krishna consciousness to the Westerners much more seriously. He forwent the personal considerations and difficulties. A 70 year old gentleman took the trobule to live with the crazed youth of America’s 60’s. What compassion! From Srila Prabhupada’s example we must learn to not condemn those that are different, distanced, strange. We need to leave our comfortable situations and extend our Krishna consciouss hands of friendship and love to our neighbors.Otherwise they will stay on one side and we on the other, thus the mission will fail. Srila Prabhupada definitely did not have that in mind for us.

Here at Sastra Dana we are constantly trying to reach out to our contemporary American brothers and sisters. Smoke shops are churches for the modern man. To have such an establishment accept our newspaper is a clear sign to us that we must be doing something right. Two young men, managers of the smoke shop called Smoke This, read our paper, found it interesting, informative, and helpful. At a simple request they let us plant one of our newspaper racks in their shop. How wonderful!

To learn more about it check out this video:

To sponsor the production and distribution of the 16 Rounds newspaper and Srila Prabhupada’s books, go to sastradana.com/donate.

Hare Krishna

 

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Distribution to Institutions

5,837 books!!! have been placed in the following institutions:

• 6382 / Lady of The Lake / 3102 University Ave / San Diego
• 6383 / Whole Foods Market / 8825 Villa La Jolla Drive / La Jolla
• 6384 / Trader  Joe / 1200 Hornblend / Pacific Beach
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March 24 4:00 A.M.

Early-morning japa log

I began my japa at 3:00 A.M. My low audibility affects my mental state. It would be better if I could chant loudly from the throat and heart and urge the mantras out with my vocal cords. But I’ve told you why I can’t do that. At least I paid attention to the utterance of the syllables, so I don’t feel so self-disparaging about that. There was an audible whisper. And I’m also encouraged that my mind doesn’t wander and dwell on other subjects. I’m just a chanting machine, chanting and hearing, chanting and hearing. I chanted an average of under seven minutes per round for eight rounds. But on my fifth round, I got a headache and had to take medication. After that, my chanting was barely audible. I glanced at Radha-Govinda and allowed Their association to think that this is a yugala-kisora mantra. It’s about Radha and Krishna, calling to Radha and Krishna, and if you’re fortunate, thinking of Their pastimes. The best thing about the session was that it was “clean,” streamlined, just chanting and hearing with no obstructions. The weakest thing was the low audibility and the absence of deep bhava.

5:09 A.M.

I finished four more silent rounds before Baladeva came up. They weren’t audible, but they were clear and attentive. The temperature is thirty-one degrees, and Baladeva said that it’s very windy. We will not be able to walk, but we’ll go down to the beach and sit in the car. March mayhem, it’s already spring. I feel alert for more chanting. I really don’t know what the chant is. There are Sanskrit words for Krishna and His consort. It’s a mystery to me. I enunciate them in “foreign” tongue. But it’s not actually foreign, it’s transcendental. I chant with trust in the acaryas and the scriptures. They speak in highest terms of the purifying power of the holy names. It is an offense in chanting to consider the glories of the holy names to be exaggeration. You chant like a little baby, doing what your father and mother have told you to do. Eventually, you’re supposed to grow up and have some realizations of the sweetness and potency. Until it comes, you cry for it. Or until you cry, you pray, “Please let me cry for it.” Until you pray, you are chanting with offenses. But even that is beneficial.

Afro Blue

A flute and then a

congo, McCoy Tyner and

Latin All-Stars—the

familiar tune.

Trane played it at Birdland

roaming hills of Africa.

Lush, a soprano voice comes

in and weaves a snake

charmer’s spell awhile.

The flute... everyone pulsated

by the congo, a trombone...

where’s McCoy? A wooden

flute from the jungle,

this is getting weird.

McCoy is there, his piano underneath.

He was best in the John Coltrane

Quartet, we always remember him

then. But he plays the same,

tinkling rolls and syncopated

chops, he’s a maestra

repeating a riff, two hands

playing all over the keyboard,

favoring the upper registers,

then down low wth the left hand.

The congo doesn’t miss a beat.

takes a solo on hard palms

and sides of hands, two

drums talking.

The familiar theme

nice to hear afro

blue, a blend of

instruments takes it out

cheerful upbeat from

Africa and American

jazz, they fade out

in space, each

instrument speaking a

singular voice, trumpet,

trombone, soprano,

and McCoy fading...

Autumn Leaves

Comes on with a piano beat

then muted Miles takes the

well-known tune at a ballad pace.

Bittersweet. Cannonball is next

flighty blues improvising

Yes and yes and yes he plays

his way with lots of notes

and groovy jazz.

Miles is back creating his

own atmosphere, restrained

and economic; he carries

a beat from line to line

makes you want to dance.

The piano is Hank Jones, a workman keeping the

subdued mellow of the

piece with fingered notes

and not so many chords.

Miles takes the tune to the end

exactly as it was written but

sweetened, and the piano ends

it with upper notes.

We’ve been taken through

the standard in fine fashion

by distinguished players

who treated it with respect.

8:09 A.M.

Somehow we made three laps in bitter cold and gusty wind. I wore a scarf wrapped around my face. Baladeva had his windbreaker. Otherwise we couldn’t have done it. We even stopped for exercise, taking shelter from the wind by the little building owned by the Lion’s Club. The mantras went out to meet the buffets. There was no question of finding the seagulls today. I finished my rounds early, and we left the beach early so I could do my first poem before breakfast. The day is underway.

Bhajana-rahasya explains the good fortune of Kaliya and how he was able to receive the touch of Krishna’s lotus feet. Even Laksmi, the goddess of fortune, hankers for that touch. She left Her husband Narayana and performed severe austerities to gain His lotus feet, but She could not succeed. The only way to attain the touch of Krishna’s lotus feet is to follow the path of the gopis. Then how did Kaliya attain that fortune? Two reasons are given. One is that he had the association of his wives, who were good devotees of Krishna. The other is that he lived in the sacred river Yamuna and received the samskaras (impressions) of that holy abode.

In The Nectar of Devotion, while discussing “further features of ecstatic love for Krishna,” Rupa Goswami quotes from the Hamsaduta: "One day, when Srimati Radharani was feeling much affliction because of Her separation from Krishna, She went to the bank of the Yamunä with some of Her friends. There Radharani saw a cottage wherein She and Krishna had experienced many loving pleasures, and by remembering those incidents, She immediately became overcome with dizziness. This dizziness was very prominently visible.” Srila Prabhupada remarks, “This is an instance of confusion caused by separation.”

In the same chapter, there is a description of bashfulness, as follows: “When Radharani was first introduced to Krishna, She felt very bashful. One of Her friends addressed Her in this way: ‘My dear friend, You have already sold Yourself and all Your beauty to Govinda. Now You should not be bashful. Please look upon Him cheerfully. One who has sold an elephant to another person should not make a miserly quarrel about selling the trident which controls the elephant.’” Srila Prabhupada remarks, “This kind of bashfulness is due to a new introduction in ecstatic love with Krishna.”

Furthermore, the symptom of remembrance is described. “For example, one friend of Krishna informed Him, ‘My dear Mukunda, just after observing a bluish cloud in the sky, the lotus-eyed Radharani immediately began to remember You. And simply by observing this cloud, She became lusty for Your association.’ This is an instance of remembering Krishna in ecstatic love because of seeing something resembling Him.”

9:55 A.M.

I have a headache, but I’d like to write something. I just took a med. I should lie back and let it kick in. Instead, I’ll tell you about Prabhupada’s illness in 1967. He’d made his first triumphant visit to San Francisco, where he initiated a bunch of loving disciples. He did it in only about three months and then returned to us at 26 Second Ave. He did a TV show one night under harsh studio lights. The next day, on Memorial Day weekend, he suffered a stroke. He was partly paralyzed. The devotees had trouble getting a hospital to admit him, but finally, through a lawyer friend named Max Lerner, Brahmananda got him admitted to Beth Israel Hospital, which was within walking distance from our storefront. They took him in an ambulance. The first night there, he was very ill. They gave him all kinds of tests, including a spinal tap. I asked him if the spinal needle hurt, and he replied, “We are tolerant.” He was diagnosed as having had a heart attack and stroke. He recovered from the worst pretty quickly and was soon talking and sometimes sitting up in bed. The devotees maintained a twenty-four-hour watch in his room and brought cooked prasadam (as best we could do) so he wouldn’t have to eat the hospital food. It was a nice chance to serve him intimately. Once I was alone with him, and he was sleeping. After awhile, he woke up, sat up in bed and said, “I do not know Krishna. I only know my Guru Maharaja.” I was astounded and inspired by his devotion. He dictated a letter to me to be sent to his friend Narayana Maharaja in Mathura, asking him to get a certain kind of medicine that Prabhupada thought would help him.

After a few days, Prabhupada thought he was ready to be discharged, but the doctors disagreed. They refused to let him go. They treated him as if he were their property. So Gargamuni removed Prabhupada’s IV needle, put him on a rolling stretcher, and rolled him to the front door of the hospital, where Prabhupada escaped into a waiting car. (I don’t remember where we got the car.) We took him back, and he convalesced at 26 Second Ave., lying on his mat. He said he felt better, and he could walk and talk and eat.

The devotees decided to take Prabhupada to the seaside for recovery. We rented a cottage near the beach in New Jersey, and Gaurasundara and Govinda dasi taking care of him. I visited him there, and when I returned to 26 Second Ave., I had to tell the devotees every little thing Prabhupada had said or done. In general, he was supposed to rest, but he would periodically sit up and start preaching and philosophizing about Krishna. The sunshine didn’t come out much there, so after awhile, Prabhupada decided he would go back to the west coast and look for better weather there. He left and stayed at a place called Stinson’s Beach, near San Francisco. The weather wasn’t so great there, either, although it was becoming summer. He finally decided that he would go back to India and either recover his health by living in Vrndavana or die there! We shocked by his analysis of his condition and his action of returning to India.

He returned from San Francisco and spent a few days with us in New York. The devotees were all sad and frightened at the prospect of being separated from Prabhupada and his going to India, possibly never to return. None of us has been a disciple for more than a year, and we were worried that we might not be able to survive spiritually without his direct spiritual presence. That was when he told us not to worry and that “we will not be apart. You will be chanting here, I’ll be chanting there, and we’ll all be packed up together.” There’s a photo of all the devotees standing around Prabhupada at the airport in New York, just before he left. He took Kirtanananda with him as his servant and left us all in great anxiety about our spiritual master.

In India, he gradually recovered. He wrote back to us that the climate agreed with him. He said he would be back in six months. In the meantime, I went to Boston and opened the center there.

10:45 A.M.

My dear Lord Krishna...

I just wrote a memoir in which I recalled the time Prabhupada sat up in bed and said, “I do not know Krishna. I only know my Guru Maharaja.” I do not know how to take that statement. It was certainly very humble. Prabhupada indicated that he had undertaken his whole preaching mission under the order of his spiritual master and with full faith in his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupada. He wrote in the concluding words of Caitanya-caritamrta that he felt his spiritual master was always with him, watching him and guiding him. But Prabhupada made other remarks indicating that he knew You. He wrote in a letter to Tamal Krishna, “There was never a time when I forgot Krishna.” He also said that after the disappearance of his spiritual master, the Gaudiya Math broke up, and some of the Godbrothers won certain temples. Prabhupada said that because he went out and preached, he received the direct mercy (empowerment) of Lord Caitanya. So he could be humble and say that he did not know Krishna, but he could also be bold and say that he knew You. Certainly his Bhaktivedanta purports demonstrate that he was a great, transcendental scholar, like the previous acaryas in line from Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and that he knew Krishna very well. Because he realized Krishna and Krishna consciousness, he was able to effectively convince others to become devotees of Krishna.

In all honesty, I can say that I do not know You and that I only knew my Guru Maharaja. And yet I wrote to You daily. I do so with the permission and blessings of Srila Prabhupada. He told us all to write about Krishna. And Lord Caitanya said to everyone, “Tell everyone you meet about Krishna.” So how could we tell people about Krishna unless we know something about Him?

I do know You because I have faith in the accounts I have read about You. I know You killed the Aghasura demon and that You stole butter from the houses of the elderly gopis in Vraja. I can tell people about this with confidence because I believe it. I know You through hearing, through the proof of sabda-brahman.

There is certainly a large sense in which I do not know You. I have never received your saksad darsana (direct vision of You). You have not spoken to me except through Your words in scriptures. You have not told me the nature of my eternal relationship with You and when I will join You in the spiritual world. Nor have You told me that You are displeased with me and that I will have to return to the material world for many, many births. I do not know these things because my relationship with You is not that intimate. And so in a sense, it is true that I do not know You, I only know my Guru Maharaja. I definitely know Srila Prabhupada, although he too remains a mystery to me. When I would look into his eyes, he was unfathomable to me. But I spoke with him on many occasions and used to sleep only a few feet away from him when I was his servant. I listened personally to many of his lectures and went on morning walks with him. I massaged him many times. He smiled at me and frowned at me. I believe that he still exists in the spiritual world and that he has memory of me. I believe that at the time of death, when I remember him, there will be some connection. He will somehow be involved in how I get transferred to the next world. So knowing Prabhupada is as good as knowing You, Krishna.

And yet I wrote to You. Prabhupada wants me to know You. Once when a devotee asked Srila Prabhupada what he wanted from us, he said, “That you love Krishna.” It is not wrong that I approach you directly. That is my spiritual master’s desire. I approach You through my guru, and yet I approach You. I pray that I not become presumptuous in my prayers to You and that they always be done under the sanction of Srila Prabhupada.

sdgonline.org: the yellow submarine, my bhajana kutir #20 →

>>> Ref. VedaBase => CD 2-5 (05:17 Min.) Purport to Hare Krsna Mantra

As previously discussed, there is as yet no experimental verification of the general theory of evolution. As well, there is a lack of a significant amount of transitional forms in the fossil record. Darwin himself pointed this out as a failure of the empirical evidence to support his general theory of evolution, and in the 150 years since while many more fossils have been discovered this empirical evidence has not materialised.

Other, modified versions of evolutionary theory have been put forward, such as Punctuated Equilibrium [wikipedia], to explain how evolution might take place in a way that would not leave lots of transitional fossils.

In Punctuated Equilibrium new species form as geographic isolated daughter populations on the edge of a previous species. The new species then migrates back into the "ecological mainland" to appear fully-formed in the fossil record in large numbers.

It's an attempt to rescue evolutionary theory from the lack of empirical evidence for the gradual transition between species.

This is reminiscent of a cartoon that I saw over at Bhakta Chris' blog:

In this case, however, it is reversed. Scientists are trying to preserve a central doctrine, and looking for evidence and interpretations to support it.

What is the central doctrine that they are trying to preserve?

That the various genetic species of bodies develop according to processes that can be explained and understood in terms of known natural laws of the universe

That is the underlying doctrine.

Two types of objectors to general evolutionary theory

On the other side of the fence you have two different parties objecting to general evolutionary theory.

• Empirical objectors. There are those who say: "Hey, the evidence doesn't seem to support this, perhaps there is some other natural process at work"

These people are empirical objectors. They are open to the central doctrine underlying evolution, that the various genetic species of bodies develop according to processes that can be explained and understood in terms of known natural laws of the universe. However, they point out empirical mismatches with the evidence.

Incompatibility of traditional Theism (for example: Christianity) with Evolution

The "Evolution defeats God" meme comes from the predominance of Christianity in the West.

Christianity posited a theistic model. Not Theistic in the sense of holding the existence of God to be true, but in sense of the theism/deism contrast:

Theism conceives of God as personal and active in the governance and organization of the world and the universe. The use of the word theism as indicating a particular doctrine of monotheism arose in the wake of the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century to contrast with the then emerging deism which contended that God — though transcendent and supreme — did not intervene in the natural world and could be known rationally but not via revelation. [from wikipedia]

Theism is incompatible with evolution, because speciation occurs in a theistic model through God's direct intervention (creation of species), rather than by known natural processes (development of species).

The Bible, in Genesis, explains that God personally created all the different species of life.

So once you show that speciation takes place by natural processes, you do away with a big part of Theism.

The Philosophy of Krishna Consciousness is simultaneously Theistic and Deistic

I first heard about Deism in a debate between Christopher Hitchens and Dinesh D'Souza over at Gauranga Kishore's blog.

The idea of Deism is that God creates the universe, and then it runs according to natural processes. It's the "watchmaker" idea: natural processes, which can be comprehended by humans, are at work - no supernatural, special case divine intervention here. In the last 400 years science has removed huge amounts of ignorance and superstition about the universe. It is no longer an arbitrary environment, but a structured one that operates according to comprehensible rules and systems. The idea then is that this same structured and comprehensible regime extends to the limits of the universe, and that we can, over time, extend our understanding to encompass it.

This is actually the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness. I would like to present a few quotes from sastra and Srila Prabhupada's purports to support this.

In the first one I have taken the liberty to bold some of Srila Prabhupada's purports, to further bring out the point that he is repeating emphatically.

This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.

PURPORT

It is clearly stated here that the Supreme Lord, although aloof from all the activities of the material world, remains the supreme director. The Supreme Lord is the supreme will and the background of this material manifestation, but the management is being conducted by material nature. Krishna also states in Bhagavad-gita that of all of the living entities in different forms and species, "I am the father." The father gives seeds to the womb of the mother for the child, and similarly the Supreme Lord by His mere glance injects all the living entities into the womb of material nature, and they come out in their different forms and species, according to their last desires and activities. All these living entities, although born under the glance of the Supreme Lord, take their different bodies according to their past deeds and desires. So the Lord is not directly attached to this material creation. He simply glances over material nature; material nature is thus activated, and everything is created immediately. Because He glances over material nature, there is undoubtedly activity on the part of the Supreme Lord, but He has nothing to do with the manifestation of the material world directly. This example is given in the smriti: when there is a fragrant flower before someone, the fragrance is touched by the smelling power of the person, yet the smelling and the flower are detached from one another. There is a similar connection between the material world and the Supreme Personality of Godhead; actually He has nothing to do with this material world, but He creates by His glance and ordains. In summary, material nature, without the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, cannot do anything. Yet the Supreme Personality is detached from all material activities.

In the above purport Srila Prabhupada spells out a clearly Deist philosophy. Krishna is ultimately the source and cause of the material energy and material creation, but it is the material nature that is responsible for everything in the material universe (karya-karana-kartrtve, hetuh prakritr ucyate - Bg. 13.21).

In other words, the central doctrine behind general evolutionary theory, that natural processes can be found and understood to explain the development of different bodies, is affirmed.

Why then do we hear stories from many religions about the Lord being directly involved in the act of creating the world and the different species of life?

The following verse and purport from the Srimad Bhagavatam explain this:

There is no direct engineering by the Lord for the creation and destruction of the material world. What is described in the Vedas about His direct interference is simply to counteract the idea that material nature is the creator.

PURPORT

The Vedic direction for the creation, maintenance and destruction of the material world is this: yato va imani bhutani jayante. yena jatani jivanti. yat prayanty abhisamvisanti, i.e., everything is created by Brahman, after creation everything is maintained by Brahman, and after annihilation everything is conserved in Brahman. Gross materialists without any knowledge of Brahman, Paramatma or Bhagavan conclude material nature to be the ultimate cause of the material manifestation, and the modern scientist also shares this view that the material nature is the ultimate cause of all the manifestations of the material world. This view is refuted by all Vedic literature. The Vedanta philosophy mentions that Brahman is the fountainhead of all creation, maintenance and destruction, and Srimad-Bhagavatam, the natural commentation on the Vedanta philosophy, says, janmady asya yato 'nvayad itaratas cartheshv abhijnah svarat [SB 1.1.1], etc.

Inert matter is undoubtedly energy with potential to interact, but it has no initiative of its own. Srimad-Bhagavatam therefore comments on the aphorism janmady asya by saying abhijnah and svarat, i.e., the Supreme Brahman is not inert matter, but He is supreme consciousness and is independent. Therefore inert matter cannot be the ultimate cause of the creation, maintenance and destruction of the material world. Superficially material nature appears to be the cause of creation, maintenance and destruction, but material nature is set into motion for creation by the supreme conscious being, the Personality of Godhead. He is the background of all creation, maintenance and destruction, and this is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (9.10):

mayadhyakshena prakritih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate

The material nature is one of the energies of the Lord, and she can work under the direction of the Lord (adhyakshena). When the Lord throws His transcendental glance over the material nature, then only can the material nature act, as a father contacts the mother, who is then able to conceive a child. Although it appears to the layman that the mother gives birth to the child, the experienced man knows that the father gives birth to the child. The material nature therefore produces the moving and standing manifestations of the material world after being contacted by the supreme father, and not independently. Considering material nature to be the cause of creation, maintenance, etc., is called "the logic of nipples on the neck of a goat." The Caitanya-caritamrita by Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami describes this logic of aja-gala-stana-nyaya as follows (as explained by His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja): "The material nature, as the material cause, is known as pradhana, and as efficient cause is known as maya. But since it is inert matter, it is not the remote cause of creation." Kaviraja Gosvami states as follows:

ataeva krishna mula-jagat-karana
prakriti -- karana yaiche aja-gala-stana
(Cc. Adi 5.61)

Because Karanarnavasayi Vishnu is a plenary expansion of Krishna, it is He who electrifies the matter to put it in motion. The example of electrification is quite appropriate. A piece of iron is certainly not fire, but when the iron is made red-hot, certainly it has the quality of fire through its burning capacity. Matter is compared to the piece of iron, and it is electrified or made red-hot by the glance or manipulation of the supreme consciousness of Vishnu. Only by such electrification is the energy of matter displayed in various actions and reactions. Therefore the inert matter is neither efficient nor the material cause of the cosmic manifestation. Sri Kapiladeva has said:

yatholmukad visphulingad
dhumad vapi sva-sambhavat
apy atmatvenabhimatad
yathagnih prithag ulmukat
(Bhag. 3.28.40)

The original fire, its flame, its sparks and its smoke are all one, for fire is still fire yet is different from the flame, flame is different from sparks, and sparks are different from the smoke. In every one of them, namely in the flames, in the sparks and in the smoke, the integrity of fire is present, yet all of them are differently situated with different positions. The cosmic manifestation is compared to the smoke because when smoke passes over the sky so many forms appear, resembling many known and unknown manifestations. The sparks are compared to living entities, and the flames are compared to material nature (pradhana). One must know that each and every one of them is effective simply because of being empowered by the quality of the original fire. Therefore all of them, namely the material nature, the cosmic manifestation and the living entities, are but different energies of the Lord (fire). Therefore those who accept the material nature as the cosmic manifestation's original cause (prakriti, the cause of creation according to Sankhya philosophy) are not correct in their conclusion. The material nature has no separate existence without the Lord. Therefore, setting aside the Supreme Lord as the cause of all causes is the logic of aja-gala-stana-nyaya, or trying to milk the nipples on the neck of a goat. The nipples on the neck of a goat may seem like sources of milk, but to try to get milk from such nipples will be foolish.

(quote ends)

The purpose of stories that involve the Lord directly in the matter of the creation of material categories is not to establish this as a scientific, empirical explanation, but rather to impress upon the minds of the hearers that the Lord is the ultimate cause.

This further serves to reinforce that with regards to the functioning of material nature, the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness is Deist. It has never been vulnerable to being "disproved" or threatened by explanations of speciation by natural processes.

No need to jump on the Christian bandwagon

Some devotees talk about aligning with Intelligent Design and Creationist movements that seek to defend a Christian Theistic conception.

Personally I don't think that's a good idea. There is a serious philosophical misalignment there. While we agree with them in the matter of the Supreme Lord as the ultimate cause, we also have agreement with the scientists in the matter of material nature as the efficient cause, and the comprehensibility of natural processes.

Those who try to promote a purely Theist conception in the face of empirical science are, simply put, wrong.

The Theistic conception in Krishna Consciousness

This is where Krishna Consciousness really shows its brilliance.

Krishna Consciousness is not simply purely Deist. It is also simultaneously and wonderfully Theist.

Krishna is aloof from the world, but He is also personally involved and knowable through revelation (pratyaksavagamam dharmyam - Bg. 9.2). However, he is only knowable to His devotees (ye yatha mam pradyante Bg. 4.11).

Krishna consciousness is the perfection of mysticism.

Srila Visvanath Chakravarti Thakura explains it like this, in the opening to one of his books:

Consider: if Krishna is in Goloka Vrndavan, sporting with his eternal associates and playing as one of them (that's the real "oneness with God"), then how will he hear the prayers of his devotee in this world?

I put it to you that he is present in every atom in this world, and in the heart of every living entity, in his form of Paramatma, the Supersoul. In this way he can hear the prayers of his devotees in this world.

Now, if you are satisfied with this answer, then this book, my friend, is not for you.

Visvanath Thakura goes on to explain: how fervent and heartfelt must our prayers be to be heard by the Lord in his eternal abode!

Krishna, the Supreme Person, transcendent and aloof from the material nature which is his inferior energy and which manifests this entire universe, becomes personally interested and involved in the existence of his devotee, a purely spiritual being who is presently experiencing existence in association with a body which is made of the eight separated material energies and is fully under the control of material nature.

That is indeed wonderful.

Conclusion

I feel that I am drawing to a close of my study of the current state of evolutionary theory. I have mastered arguments on both sides and can rationally state my understanding.

The general theory of evolution, including its various modifications, at present seems empirically unable to explain the situation completely. However, it offers many interesting and useful insights.

I feel no need to oppose the underlying central doctrine of evolutionary theory on philosophical grounds. It doesn't really threaten my Krishna consciousness. Empirically it is obviously imperfect and in need of more research and theoretical development. Good luck guys.

I have a few more things that I wish to complete - Denton's book and two audio books of Dawkins "The Selfish Gene" and "The Blind Watchmaker".

I also have a post about teleology (arguments about the purpose of the universe) and the difference between the body and the soul. The philosophy of Krishna Consciousness is atma-centric, not anthropocentric. In aspect again it shares affinity with science rather than Christianity.

... my shelter, because His name gives me a God that I can turn to

... my training coach - He keeps pushing me and pushing me, even when I don't want to go any more

... an enigma

... my circadian clock, keeping me on my toes with how I'm spending my time so that ultimately, I can spend time with Him

... my diva. He's not cheap; He wants the real thing - my sincerity - not a parrot or a computer

... a rainbow - He moves away from me when I get closer, and there's no way to reach out and touch Him. But oh, is He glorious

... my mother - tolerating my rebelliousness, and loves me more than I could ever know

... my child - I need to sacrifice so much in my life to make time for Him

... my most crucial, mystical challenge in life

To establish the Food Safety Administration within the Department of Health and Human Services to protect the public health by preventing food-borne illness, ensuring the safety of food, improving research on contaminants leading to food-borne illness, and improving security of food from intentional contamination, and for other purposes.

By Rob Stein, Washington Post Staff Writer. Tuesday, March 24, 2009

"Eating red meat increases the chances of dying prematurely, according to the first large study to examine whether regularly eating beef or pork increases mortality.

The study of more than 500,000 middle-aged and elderly Americans found that those who consumed about four ounces of red meat a day (the equivalent of about a small hamburger) were more than 30 percent more likely to die during the 10 years they were followed, mostly from heart disease and cancer. Sausage, cold cuts and other processed meats also increased the risk." More...

Ahogy ígértem itt a meglepetés.

Elkészült egy rövid kis videó a bombayi utunkról. Remélem, örömötöket szolgálja

Szeretnék rendszeresen felrakni hasonlókat, de nem egyszerű a videók feltöltése. Remélem, sikerül.

Date: March 11th, 2009

Topic: Pastimes of Nimai

Speaker: HH Bhaktisiddhanta Swami

You have been hearing very nicely about the three reasons why Lord Krishna came in the form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The external reason represents the sankirtan movement and His internal reason is to actually taste the mood and the devotion of His most intimate associates. So in the Adi Lila it is very

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It is interesting to note the words 'humility' and 'humiliate' start with the same five letters. One of the dictionary definitions of "humiliate" is "to cause a painful loss of pride, self-respect, or dignity." The attainment of humility involves just this, a loss of pride.

Srila Prabhupada once spoke of a successful Indian businessman in Calcutta who, in his old age, renounced the world and had taken to begging alms from his enemies (financial competitors).

March 23, 2:45 A.M.

I felt a dull headache during the night, but endured it. I slept through until 2:45 A.M. then got up, but my head was still achey. At least I was up a little early. I started thinking about the Festival of Inspiration and whether I can go. I saw the temperature was forty-two degrees outside and decided to wear long underwear. I figured I would be taking a medication pretty soon. I began japa at 3:16.

Early-morning japa log

4:21 A.M.

What I seek and feel is lacking is bhakti. I don’t want to chant mechanically. I want to feel the meaning of the Hare Krishna mantras as I repeat them. Please engage me in Your service. Please reveal the essence of nama to me. This seeking and crying has to be there, beyond the accumulation of numbers of rounds. I chanted as quickly as I could while still uttering the syllables distinctly. I began averaging about seven minutes per round and kept that up for the eight rounds. I whispered audibly. My mind did not wander much to thoughts other than simply hearing. The room’s quietness and the quietness of the house was condusive to good chanting. I did not think of much japa thoughts, or thoughts harmonious or advantageous to japa but just stayed on the recitation of the names themselves. The best thing about the session was that I kept up a speedy average and was not much distracted. The weakest thing was the lack of deeper devotion and exploring the meaning of the names.

Ode to Charlie Parker

A soft ballad blowing on

Eric Dolphy’s flute, they’re

respectful in an ode

to a man who’s usually

lightning fast.

Trilling the flute, a trumpet

is behind him and the composition’s

loose. Now Dolphy’s improvising

on his own with rapid breath.

I like the jogging, laid-back

rhythm accompanying him as he

flies just like a bird.

He gets frenetic. The trumpet’s

calm, fat notes to continue

our walk, with bass and drums.

You’re in a quiet place listening

to all this and feeling pleased.

You want to go on with it.

A piano interlude in the

same mood, with quiet

punctuation from the rhythm

and you tap your finger.

The head comes on again

with its haunting ode

to a passed-away hero

A tender song for

rest in peace to a

restless soul.

Dolphy has mastered it

trembling the ending and

tweeting the flute to a flurried end.

Backstage Sally

The Jazz Messengers are known

for group move with

Blakey heavy on the drums.

A quaint tune leaving us

waiting for a solo. The tenor

man honks in the Messengers’

idiom of hard bop.

A marching band with Blakey

the master of the rhythm.

Lots of instruments—a trombone

with punctuated bursts, a trumpet

with sad and glad. The marching

group goes on down the street.

A piano accomplished on top

of Blakey’s heavy foot. He

plays with finesse.

The marching combo brings

us to the end like a parade

and you’re marching in

step until the end.

8:33 A.M.

The cold and wind were so strong it was punishing. It pained in my nose and cheeks. Baladeva, without a windbreaker, said he felt cold in the chest. Yet we lasted for three laps. The flags were whipping. How good to get back into the heated car. These mornings are precious. I threw the crumbs high into the wind, and the seagulls came down squawking. They were frisky. Chanting outdoors while walking is good; you’re somehow forced to chant outloud and clear. There was no one around. But Krishna heard us, “Blowin’ in the Wind.”

Now you’re indoors, seated before Radha-Govinda. Your jazz poems are done. There’s time for something else. Tell us about the Swami. I can’t think of anything new to say. He took the holy names around the world and induced hundreds of youngsters to join him in chanting and to sit at his feet and hear Srimad Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. They came to surrender to him and take up vows of initiation. Over the years, many couldn’t keep it up, especially after his disappearance and disruption in the movement. Still, he reigns supreme in many hearts, and his mission is established in countries throughout the world. They haven’t got it quite right, but they’re offering to him.

Tell us about Krishna. He’s the hero cowherd boy. He’s captivated everyone in Vrndavana, especially the young gopis. Sometimes he appears to leave Vrndavana and leave everyone brokenhearted, but it’s just a way of showing them more affection. He’s the Supreme, as He teaches in Bhagavad-gita, and peace can only be attained when we recognize Him as the supreme proprietor, the object of all sacrifices, and everyone’s well-wisher.

Tell us about Radha. She’s the Queen of Krishna’s comforts, the most beautiful Lady in all the worlds. By Her charming qualities and talents, She captivates Krishna, who is always eager to be in Her company. They think of each other always, and one cannot live without the other.

11:16 A.M.

I received a letter from Bhakti Chris Fici, a brahmacari living at the Bhaktivedanta Asrama on the Lower East Side of NYC. He encouraged me in my writing of jazz poems. He wrote, “My own exposure to these sounds left a profound impression upon my spiritual development, the searching of Coltrane, the simplicity of Monk, the bittersweet tones of Miles, the creative audacity of Mingus—all these things, if we think and feel deeply, have parallels in our own practice of sadhana. They are wondrous expressions of the spirit, and I’m glad that you are inspired by writing them, and I wanted to let you know that I am also inspired daily by them.” Bhakta Chris informed me that he writes his own blog, Life Comes From Life. I got Dattatreya to produce hard copy of the blog for me. D. was very impressed by the “elegance” of the blog’s layout.

The pages I read dealt with the “debate” or tension between the religious contemplative life and the outgoing life of the preacher. With quotes from Thomas Merton, Bhakta Chris explored the topic and concluded that we must find a balance between our inner development and our sharing Krishna consciousness with others. The Bhaktivedanta Ashrama seems to be an ideal place for the training of brahmacaris in good association, inner development and outreach, and Bhakta Chris (an admittedly shy person) appears to be thriving there. I recommend readers to go and check out Chris Fici’s blog, Life Comes From Life (http://jivacow.blogspot.com).

12:00 P.M.

In two days, I’m receiving a visit by Paramatma dasa, of Guyana, who will stay overnight. In less than two weeks, Giriraja Swami is coming to visit. Two days after Maharaja’s visit, I am receiving a group of devotees from Baltimore. I have written about my ambiguity on receiving visitors in my book Visitors. But I think it’s healthy to receive these upcoming visits. Giriraja Swami’s visit will be especially noteworthy. I can benefit by coming out of my solitude and exchanging with Vaisnavas and attempting to serve them. Where solitude is recommended in the scriptures, it refers to avoiding the association of nondevotees. And even nondevotees can be approached to offer them Krishna’s mercy.

12:07 P.M.

My dear Lord Krishna...

I am writing to You from my bhajana kutir, the yellow submarine, which Sastra dasa is kindly letting me use for some years. I love the solitude here and the association of the two roommates who share the house with me. You give me many hours to be with You each day. The prime way I come to You is in the chanting of the holy names, starting with early-morning japa and going to the beach for more japa. You give me time to read about you in books by the acaryas, especially the books of my spiritual master. You give me a chance to be with You in peace just by contemplation as I sit in my chair. I can listen to devotees’ lectures. And I am able to write to You every day.

I’m writing to You. I attempt to speak person-to-Person, and it gives me great relief. I feel closer to You when I do so. I know You “read” my daily letter to You because You are interested in my spiritual development and in my relationship with You. It is wonderful that I can feel a personal relationship with You, even from my tiny position in the spiritual hierarchy of aspiring devotees. Anyone who wants You in their life can have You, You are so kind.

We have been reading about Your pastimes with Radharani and the gopis. Such reading is not forbidden, but it is recommended only when devotees are mature and are free from lust. In the madhurya-lila pastimes, You display the epitome of Your attractive, sportive qualities and show us a world beyond this material world of abominable relationship between men and women. I am listening to these lilas with caution but delight. Thank You for allowing me to do so. I promise to handle it carefully and not share it widely or publicly.

I do not confine myself to Your activities with the gopis, but as Prabhupada has advised us, I am interested in all the chapters of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, and Caitanya-caritamrta. Whatever You do and say in Your original form as Krishna and in Your Visnu expansions is nectar. I am content to hear Your glories enunciated by all the mahajanas in their prayers and explanations.

I need to be with You. I implore You to remind me to come to You deliberately and in devotion. Writing to You is important to me. I open myself to You and await Your rays of mercy to descend on me. I know You don’t have a deaf hear to me, and that is why it is so exciting to do this writing practice. You participate with me when I do it. It is a form of prayer.

Will I someday get to know You better? I hope so. I maintain a “hope against hope.” I’m not doing anything so wonderful in devotional service that You should especially favor me, but I have asabandhu, hope against hope, as mentioned by Srila Rupa Goswami in The Nectar of Devotion. The practice of writing to You itself is proactive for a person like me, and it enlivens me. It brings You closer to me, more real, more vivid. You have given me the ability to use these words, and by my little free will, I am using them.

You have sixty-four qualities, mentioned by Rupa Goswami in The Nectar of Devotion. You are most expert, powerful, pleasing, submissive, gentle, and so on. That is why we call You “Krishna,” because “Krishna” means “all-attractive.” Please attract me to You like iron filings to a magnet. Let me never stop addressing You with all the humility and devotion I can command, by Your grace.

sdgonline.org: the yellow submarine, my bhajana kutir #19 →

It is with sadness and heavy hearts that we bring this horrible news that our dear friend Hari Kirtan aka Harish, age 24, is no long with us on this planet. Harish is from Mayapur gurukula and a disciple of his Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami.

Harish was working at a store in Atlanta, Ga USA and as the sun was setting at 8:01 pm March 22, 2009, he was robbed and shot, which instantly took his life. The emergency medical unit was contacted, but it was too late. The shot took his life instantly. The police and investigating detectives are looking for the men connected with the incident.

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Hello Halifax

Halifax, Nova Scotia

David Vest is a trucker who rides the treacherous route in Canada’s northern Territories. He is my flight neighbour on Air Canada Tango headed for Halifax. David told me about his job that on the winter’s frozen tundra you can drive for hours, see no people (especially pedestrians) and maybe pass two or three trucks in the course of one day. If you run into mechanical problems you could be a goner. You would freeze to death as there may be no help or rescue.

“In two or three weeks der won’t be no highway. It will dissolve. Everything will thaw and melt”, said David who lives in Gander, Newfoundland.

To greet me at the airport was Nitai Rama. He arranged for my stay at the tiny Halifax ashram on Quinpool, a flat one floor above a vintage clothes shop called, “This and That – Recycled Fashions”. Nitai was telling me about his success along with new monk, Jeff, on their special Indian sweet stall at the downtown Market Place. It’s a regular feature and is a big hit at the crowded Saturday venue. The sweets are unique and the monks here are a little reserved to sharing how they are made.

A group of twenty guests crammed into the ashram indulging in a killer kirtan (chanting session). We really developed the dance accompaniment. Preceding that was reflection on the verse 2:40 from the Gita wherein Krishna expresses that even the smallest endeavour made on the path of devotion is a permanent asset for the soul.

It was a very encouraging message for the group.

2 Km