"Sangopangastra-parsadam further indicates that Lord Caitanya is Lord Krsna. His body is always decorated with ornaments of sandalwood and with sandalwood paste. By His superexcellent beauty He subdues all the people of the age. In other descents the Lord sometimes used weapons to defeat the demoniac, but in this age the Lord subdues them with His all-attractive figure as Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Jiva Gosvami explains that His beauty is His astra, or weapon, to subdue the demons. Because He is all-attractive, it is to be understood that all the demigods lived with Him as His companions. His acts were uncommon and His associates wonderful. When He propagated the sankirtana movement, He attracted many great scholars and acaryas, especially in Bengal and Orissa. Lord Caitanya is always accompanied by His best associates like Lord Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara and Srivasa.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 11.5.32
Darsan - 10th May 2009 - Iskcon in Lenasia, Johannesburg, South Africa

Guru Puja for Jayapataka Swami's Vyas Puja celebration.

Dallas, TX
2009-04-05

Download: 2009-04-05 - Jayapataka Swami Vyas Puja - 4 - Guru Puja.mp3

Pushpanjali offering on Jayapataka Swami's Vyas Puja celebration.

Dallas, TX
2009-04-05

Download: 2009-04-05 - Jayapataka Swami Vyas Puja - 3 - Pushpanjali.mp3

I was doing door to door book distribution in Ireland. I was talking to one man who gave a nice donation but didnt want a book, I was thinking how to get him to take a book. He didnt believe in God. So I looked into his eyes and said, "I'm a fortune teller, would you like to know your future?

The man said, "Yes.OK."

I said, "You're going to get old, diseased, and then you're going to die. If you want to do something about it then read this Bhagavad-gita."

He then took the book.

Hare Krishna, Ananta Nitai das

I was doing door to door book distribution in Ireland. I was talking to one man who gave a nice donation but didnt want a book, I was thinking how to get him to take a book. He didnt believe in God. So I looked into his eyes and said, "I'm a fortune teller, would you like to know your future?

The man said, "Yes.OK."

I said, "You're going to get old, diseased, and then you're going to die. If you want to do something about it then read this Bhagavad-gita."

He then took the book.

Hare Krishna, Ananta Nitai das

Kripamoya, one of our favourite kirtan leaders, wrote about his recent participation in the Oxford Kirtan Experience in his blog - The Vaishnava Voice. I think he's described it all better than we have! You can read it here.

Thanks Kripamoya!

March and April kirtans were accompanied by gorgeous spring flowers. In March we were fortunate to have Kripamoya and his daughter Jahnavi to lead us in chanting. Kripamoya has spent the past thirty years pioneering kirtan in this country and is a stirring kirtan leader. Jahnavi (pictured above) a talented musician is currently finishing her BA in English and played violin, as well as harmonium. Two more young girls, Radhika and Janaki, completed the team, singing sweet kirtans.

April's kirtan was the third anniversary of the Kirtan Experience in Oxford, so we celebrated with cake! You can see a slideshow of the two sessions here.

Photos were taken by Claire and Pavel.

Some beautiful pics from the farm!There are some from the Sankirtan Festival also which I didn't take myself (generally the ones which are not good quality are mine, the good ones are taken by Phillip :))

by Bhakti-Tirtha Swami

How To Avoid Anxiety
How do we break the pattern of constant worrying? How can people who have protection of the greatest shelter, spiritual shelter, still worry so much? Although we can endlessly worry and consider ourselves to be at the mercy of circumstance, we understand the influence of karma, which refers to any material action that brings a reaction, binding us to this material world. We also understand that higher authorities, our spiritual guides and even supernatural sources such as angels, also have control over all things.

Considering these factors, where does all the worry stem from? We should never think that our higher spiritual guides have left us alone without any help or guidance and without any way to get us out of our problems. We want to find ways to break the worry habits before they break us. If we do not stop such habits, our fears can easily overwhelm us and even turn into chronic depression, phobias, panic attacks, and compulsive behaviors.

We have all seen people who worry about every little detail. If we simply present them with an idea, they will immediately try to show point out its fallibility. They have an insecurity complex along with an existential mood about life, feeling . They feel defeated before they even start. Since they will not take the risk, they lead a life of great boredom, frustration, and mediocrity, which also means less ruci or spiritual taste. We do not want to fall into these destructive patterns; therefore, we want to offer the following techniques to help rescue our consciousness from such a negative mentality.

Do Not Fear The Future
We should try to avoid any worry that revolves around fears of the future. As we live each day, we should simply do our very best today and let the future take care of itself. When we worry too excessively about the future, we often fail to take the necessary actions that will lead to an auspicious future. In many ways, the future is an extension of the present along with influences from the past. Our own mind can create the exact situation we wish to avoid, and an unhealthy mental culture often blocks the divine power that can work through us. When we worry about the future, we do not offer our best today.

Collect The Facts And Then Act
We should get all of the facts. People often try to make decisions before they have a sufficient amount of information about the problem or issue. This lack of knowledge will definietely result in anxiety. We should look at the entire issue and then develop a plan. We should not avoid problems; instead we must recognize the need to work through them in ways that can help us accelerate our spiritual consciousness. When we find ourselves absorbed in worry, we should take the time to reflect on the actual variables involved in the issue because this might help us develop a clearer insight and find a more positive way to respond to the situation. At the very least, we should clearly understand the reasons for our anxiety.

Keep The Mind Busy
Keeping the mind busy is a valuable technique. Plenty of action is one of the best therapies or cures for a worrying mind. Many times we get absorbed in our anxieties because we do not have anything productive in which to engage our minds and bodies. All that loose energy needs to go somewhere. Therefore, a simple technique is to look at our use of time. When we are engaged in a healthy way, we will not be subject to such excessive amounts of anxiety.

Avoid The Trifles
We should carefully avoid worrying about the trifles that can ruin our happiness and faith in the Divine, our spiritual guides, and other saintly personalities. Sometimes we have to be practical by trying to understand the probability of our worst fears actually happening:. What are the chances that I will actually fall down and break my leg? It could definietely happen,s but what are the chances?

Help And Serve Other People
An even greater way to avoid anxiety involves utilizing that energy to think of ways to help another person. We can put so much of our energy into finding ways to serve or assist someone else. There will always be another person whose problems far exceed our own. If we can relinquish some of our selfishness by trying to help another person in distress, we will not waste unnecessary energy in creating the exact problem we want to avoid. By thinking about another person, we will naturally take our focus away from our own appetite and concerns, and this will actually cause to us become more powerful.

If we think too much about ourselves, we actually become powerless because we block the Divine from channeling coming through us. As our selfishness increases, we will correspondingly lose our power in spiritual life because we will check the Divine's real sakti or spiritual power from coming through in our lives. We will prevent the miracles that can occur when we remove our mental and physical disturbances and embrace divinity.

My TeacherWhen I've been crushed

A provocative and challenging article from our friends at Above Top Secret.
Click here to check it out.

Here's an excerpt

So why not tell the truth? Because what's really on the table is the profitability of large scale industrial animal husbandry, never mind international travel and other trade. Strategies for passive population reduction are also part of the play of course, but more as an opportunistic sidebar. Industrial animal husbandry includes hog and poultry barns as well as cattle feedlots.

Large scale operations crowd 10's of thousands of animals together, pump them full of antibiotics, antivirals and vaccines to keep them alive, and force-feed them for slaughter to provide meat for our tables. The practice is defended as "efficient" and economically necessary. Unfortunately, such conditions virtually guarantee the creation of new, and often virulent, diseases.

Far more reliably than laboratory petri dishes, industrial animal husbandry operations literally force microbes and viruses to mutate, thereby initiating and accelerating the evolutionary process and creating new diseases. These new diseases sometimes infect people. The role industrial agricultural practices play in creating human diseases has been known for decades - long enough to determine that current practices are dangerously unsustainable.

However, food is an essential commodity - the market is better than guaranteed, and the profit margin can be amazing. So the world's ruling financiers started controlling our food supply early on, and went for large-scale high-profit industrial food production and animal husbandry.

The problems were clear by the 1970's. First came Rachel Carson's expose; then there was the other swine flu scare; Mad Cowdestroyed Britain's cattle industry and devastated other nations' cattle producers too; and the bird flu crisis did the same to poultry producers in Asia. The writing has been on the wall for a good while.

In a lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam 1.4.24 in Montreal, Srila Prabhupada told us: "Chanakya Pandita says that 'If you want to make spiritual advancement, then you should always think that 'Death is next moment. Death is next moment.' Because there is no guarantee when death is coming. If I think that death is next moment, that is not any [sic] utopian. The next moment may be my death. And Chanakya Pandita says, 'But if you want to be materially happy, you should always think that I shall never die.' "

Kirtan during Pancha-tattva maha-abhisek in Mayapur with JPS present

Swedish "Lounge Metal" band Hellsongs do acoustic folk-pop-indie versions of classic metal songs. For some reason Iron Maiden songs lend themselves to this treatment nicely:

It is now 2:47 am on Sunday 10 May. We are heading out this morning to resume our around-the-world preaching tour. We will be on the road for the next two months. I'll be lecturing in Bulgaria, Macedonia, London, Mauritius, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Canada. Sometimes I wonder why I am taking so much trouble to do these .................................... ================================================================== Thought...

Every Town and Village is our ongoing attempt to fulfil the instruction of Caitanya Mahaprabhu to chant the Holy Name in every town and village. Our definition of a "town or village" is a suburb with a distinct postcode. Since 2007 we have chanted in more than 50 of Brisbane's 150 postcodes. You can read more reports here

Some weeks there are a few people, some weeks more. This week we had quite a few people, with Sridhar playing saxophone, the one man cartal section Aprakrt das brahmacari, and Prabhu and his daughter joining us for the first time.

The obligatory video, shot this week by Nathan:

Narasimhadeva Appearance day performance, 2009, Christchurch, New Zealand

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.8.15 - Accumulated wealth can be lost easily.

May 10, 3:30 A.M.

I did not get a good night’s sleep. I was awake much of the night. I finally decided to get up at 2:30 or 2:40 A.M. At least my head was clear. My mind drifted back to days when I was a young man living on the Lower East Side and going to Brooklyn College. I washed those memories off my face with water and prepared to call Baladeva. I began chanting at 3:30 A.M.

4:46 A.M.

Early-morning japa log

I was drowsy while chanting and I only did four rounds. We will have to go to to the beach behind in the quota. I hope I’ll be able to stay awake there and pick up my pace. It’s depressing when I cannot chant at a fast clip. The drowsiness was due to the sleeplessness last night.

Japa essay

I finished only four rounds. I see I am a mass of distracting thoughts and, separate from them, I see my desire to fix my mind on the holy names. Periodically, I catch myself and express at least the desire to hear the names as they vibrate on my tongue. No one knows, only me, how strong this bad habit is. I’ve indulged in it like any other addiction. To get free isn’t easy. It’s a mental habit of allowing the mind to go wherever it wants during japa yajna.

There, I’ve said it concisely and accurately. Now stay on this one point. Whatever gain I can make, please do it. Continue to focus on that problem. Distinguish the distractions form the desire to hear. Start a new habit of deliberately taking the mind away from other thoughts and applying it to hearing Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Don’t expect this to easy at first but be persistent. Just hope I can make some headway. I shall not indulge so wantonly, obliviously, callously in other thoughts while chanting the Hare Krishna mantra on beads. I’ll remind myself what to do.

Chanting so slowly,

I lament over the pace

But hope springs eternal

In the human breast.

I will gain back what I’ve lost

Before the day is over.

Krishna will give me a chance again

As He has many times in the past.

Now do your work,

the utmost duty

for a fallen bhakta.

From Forgetting the Audience (1993): “I'll get up, ready for the last seven rounds. You can’t keep me down. I’m trying to squeeze a real sentiment out of the rock that is covering my heart. ‘Who goes there?,’ says the guard of the treasure. I slink away. But I’ll be back. The waves crash and jump upward, wind catches their tops and spins the foam higher.

“Learn from nature, Prabhupada says. The gulls are feeding in the same yard as the sheep. I thought there was no grass there at all, but they keep nibbling whatever they can get. Learn from life. In the kitchen next door, my friends are talking, although I told them not to. Learn how to concentrate and write despite that. Be tolerant, like the grass blowing in the wind and holding on by the roots. Be like a stone wall to maya. Be humble like a small daisy on the shore. Stand up for your rights like a fence post. Live in danger like the road and the car that passes by the cliff (with no guard rail) and the wind’s buffets and the waves’ booming in space and falling open like white flowers on the rocks in Brandon Bay.”

8:37 A.M.

The temperature is sixty-one degrees, and it’s sunny, but the wind is gusting and is blowing the sand on the people. When Baladeva came up to my room at 5:00 A.M., I had only chanted four rounds and decided to stay indoors and chant some more until breakfast. Now we have come to the beach, and I still have four more rounds to go. it’s a slow day for me. I don’t have much enthusiasm for chanting. We’re in the car, but we may not be able to go out for a walk because the blowing sand is stinging. Beach walkers go down to the water’s edge but then retreat within a few minutes because of the sand blowing. Today is Sunday, but the wind will probably keep the beach mostly empty. The breakers are coming in with lots of foam. Two old-timers are taking pictures of each other. The Lewes–Cape May ferry boat looms high on the horizon.

We are reading an amusing section in the Brhad Bhagavatamrta. The Yadus are trying to keep Krishna from going to Vrndavana, but He is crying out of separation. Kamsa’s widow, Padmavati, who lives in Dvaraka, says the Yadu dynasty will crumble if Krishna leaves, and the other Yadus are taking diplomatic positions so as not to oppose Krishna but to get Him to stay in Dvaraka. Krishna is obliged to all His dear devotees, and He is sometimes put into a quandary as to how to satisfy them all. Krishna’s strongest characteristic is to please His devotees, but it sometimes creates a problem.

I should behave like Krishna with my strongest desire to please others. But I ahve a strong desire to please myself. I am more inconvenienced with my won broken collarbone than I am with the more serious illness of a friend. This is not the Vaisnava spirit.

Now I am behind on my rounds and will have to catch up. That is not a selfish desire. Neither is my desire to write in the journal. They are services to Krishna and the devotees. I had better tend to them now.

10:00 A.M.

“The Circle With the Hole in the Middle.” This is an odd title. It sounds like a donut. Ornette is playing fast. It sounds like a modern painting, a circle with a hole in the middle. Something painted like that. It’s a colorful painting. It’s got more of that freedom and that forerunner and that face of the bass. How can a circle have a hole in the middle? It does so by geometric design. It’s easy to understand once you see it, once you experience it. It’s like other things Krishna does. He does the impossible. He does the delightful. He makes a circle with a hole in the middle. His wriggling, squeaking. Krishna does things like this, too—makes circles with holes in the middle. Lord Caitanya used to throw His cowherd boy’s stick in the air and swirl it around like a firebrand, so it looked like a continuous circle of fire. He made a circle with a hole in the middle. Everyone was astounded and cheered Him on. They said, “You are a real cowherd boy, that You’re able to do this miraculous thing. No one has done it before.” Krishna smiled and continued to do it, circling the firebrand so it looked like a continuous circle of fire. So it looked like a circle with a hole in the middle. The boys were delighted at His expertise. It was just another form of play. You know how Krishna likes to do those things. He delights the Vrajabhasis.

“Ramblin’.” This has got a nice beat, with Charlie Haden’s bass. It’s rambling sound. It’s like a cowboy western. Don Cherry plays a rambling line, and Ornette too. It’s their esoteric music, which is also just downhome country. The cowherd boys used to play like this too, get around together and make music out of their instruments just for fun. It has no other purpose but the fun of making music and being together in sanga. It’s a merry tune, but with some mourning in it, too. Rambling means they’re just having a good time, moving along at a rambling pace. This is how music should be. Going its own way and its own pace. It’s not very formal. It rambles, like a man on a horse or like some boys playing together. Like having fun in the land of eternal bliss. Charlie Haden takes a piece, strumming chords on the double bass. That’s the essence of rambling. Everyone else listens when he plays. All those deep notes. What fun. It’s not as simple as it sounds. Let’s ramble with Krishna. He’s always having fun. Even when the demons come, it’s just another kind of rambling. Come join us.

“Little Symphony.” This is playful, like making fun of a symphony. Ornette cuts loose. I’ve decribed it already as being like the neighing of a horse. Like Morse code, too. It’s a little symphony played in Vraja. It’s not like Beethoven, but it’s cowherd music. Don Cherry on pocket trumpet follows his master, Ornette, in a similar way. It’s all freedom, but it’s a little symphony. How is it like a little symphony? Because it plays like great music, only in a simple way. These men are masters, and they are doing something that was never done before. They’ve got a drummer, too, who plays a little symphony. It’s all playful, and the Vrajavasis join in the fun. It’s tongue in cheek.

My Dear Lord Krishna...

Down at the beach this morning, I wrote that I was not enthusiastic about chanting today. I also said that I am more concerned with my own pains than with the diseases of others. These are not very good sentiments, but I confess them. Sometimes I think that I am not going to be able to improve these shortcomings of mine. I’m getting old and tired. Surely that’s not the fact. Prabhupada has written in his books that Vaisnavas don’t grow old, they keep their energy right up until the end. So I should have hope for improvement, with Your help.

But I do think I will have to improve in different ways than I used to. I do not have the youthful vigor, which enabled me to give four lectures a day at college classes and to go out in the street and distribute books and magazines. I can’t go back to the GBC meetings, and neither do they want me there. So my improvements will have to be in other ways. Also, my headaches seem to be a permanent part of my remaining life, and they prevent me from traveling and giving lots of lectures in temples. There are certainly ways in which I can improve, and I have to find them and work on them. One of the obvious ways I can improve is by my inward life. If I can’t go running out in the streets so much, I can stay in my bhajana-kutir and chant with enthusiasm on my beads or my clicker. I can improve my inner qualities of not being envious toward others and being more compassionate toward them. Even if I cannot meet with devotees so much, I can think well of them from a distance, and on the occasions when I do meet, I can be gracious and loving. These things will endear You to me, so I must try for them.

I also see no reason why I should slow down in my writing, which is my main service. I’m writing differently now, and perhaps I’ll have to keep writing in this way. It is harder for me to write orderly books than to write journals, but the journals are valuable, and people appreciate them. But whatever form it takes, I must not give up writing, even if I have to do it at a slower pace, less words per minute. Baseball pitchers wear out. Their arms lose strength, but some of them become baseball managers, and even when they’re too old for that, they become baseball broadcasters and stay in the game. I saw a TV commercial showing an old man playing softball. He said he loved softball so much he will never stop playing. But he admits now that he gets pains whenever he runs the bases. He says he takes an Aleve pain pill each day, and this keeps him going. His final remark was, “I will never stop playing softball.” Now that’s an overestimation of his abilities. One day, he will have to stop playing softball. Maybe he’ll be reduced to watching games instead. Or maybe he won’t even be able to do that. We do come to an end of our energies. My point is that we have to keep up our enthusiasm in one form or another. When Rupa Goswami became too old to circumambulate Govardhan Hill daily, as was his custom, Krishna gave him a Govardhana sila with His foot imprint and told him that if he circumambulated that sila daily, it would be as good as circumambulating the whole of Govardhana Hill. That was Krishna’s kindness, accommodating a devotee who had slowed down due to old age. Haridasa Thakura was also told that he did not have to worry that he could no longer chant three hundred thousand names a day because of old age and illness. Lord Caitanya said that he had already become liberated by his chanting. But Haridasa was not satisfied and requested the Lord that he please die first, before the Lord did, so that he would not have to bear the separation from the Lord. In different ways, devotees try to keep active and keep ahead of the game.

The bad thing is if we actually make an excuse of our loss of energies and not do things even though we can do them. We become hypochrondriacs, or we just retire prematurely. Prabhupada said we should never retire, and he never did, even into his eighties. Of course, Prabhupada is not someone we can imitate. We must do what we are able to do and not imitate him. But we do have to be careful that we don’t slow down unnecessarily and take a vacation mentality, thinking, “Now I’m a senior citizen. Not so much is expected of me. Krishna will excuse me.”

I pray to You, Krishna, not to let me make excuses for not serving You vigorously while I still have the energy. Let me not drop out completely just because I get headaches. Let me not say that I cannot lecture anymore because I’ve lost the ability and the newcomers are now so much better than I am. I can still give a simple talk. It’s my duty, and it will be appreciated.

Most important are my mental functions. Especially let me be free of envy and fault-finding. These are like poisonous snakes whose bite is fatal. After decades of decent service, I should not allow my devotional service to be killed by the mad elephant offense and similar aparadhas. My steadfast devotion to Srila Prabhupada should be as fresh and loving as it was in the early years. In fact, it must grow and mature into a more loving state, a more appreciative state. So I pray for spiritual youthfulness and energy, Lord. I know You can give it to me, even though my body grows older. I can grow more gleeful and jolly with each passing year, as I see myself coming closer to You and closer to the goal. Growing older means coming closer to the prayojana, the goal. It does not mean sliding back. Each year should mark an advance. I truly believe I am capable of advancing as time goes by, and I pray for it dearly. One doesn’t have to think strongly and play the mrdanga to be a kirtaneer. Singing comes from the heart. Prabhupada used to say that if you can’t get up and dance, you can dance from your chair. Each year should be happier, each year should fine a change, with material attachment loosening and breaking. Each year should bring me closer to Your lotus feet. Please don’t allow me to slough off physical activities that I am still capable of doing, and mental activities that I am still sharp enough to perform. Give me a life in high consciousness. These are some of my desires, and I pray You will give me the gumption to keep up my side of the bargain and remain a youthful devotee to the end of my days. To the degree that I admit I am older, let it be a wiser older, an older with experience, and let me use it to help others.

the yellow submarine, my bhajana kutir #67→

Srila Prabhupada used to call the youth of America, the flowers of this country. Youth are progressive, independent thinkers, educated, they are the future of every country. There is nothing like extending Krishna consciousness to the youth. Here are a few pictures of a group of hitch-hiking youth who we ran into in Encenitas, a beach town north of San Diego, as they were reading our 16 Rounds To Samadhi newspaper.

The Krsna consciousness movement is based on this principle: chant the Hare Krsna mantra at every moment, as much as possible . . . and, as far as possible, distribute prasadam . . . Simply by liberal distribution of prasadam and sankirtana, the whole world can become peaceful and prosperous. [Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.12.10 ppt.]

This is Bhakta Franky’s short story how he journied to the shelter of Krishna’s lotus feet.

A devotee once told me,
" We offer so many services to Krishna......we offer him garlands, we make prasad and offer it, we offer our kirtans, our bhajans yet in the process of offering him all these services, we forget to offer him ourselves! "
Krishna accepts anything offered with love but all he is really looking for is YOU. And that is the hardest thing to offer. The false ego of me, mine never lets us actually do this. Every activity we do, each and every step and action we take in our lives, from bathing, eating, studying.....everything is geared towards one goal......satisfy the self.

We can classify every action as geared towards
1) Sense pleasure
2) Intelligence & Mind pleasure
3) False ego pleasure

Think about it....every small thing we do can be classified under these things. Even devotional service. When I make garlands, it satisfies my senses to see the beautiful flowers, satisfies my intelligence to arrange it in a pattern, and finally satisfies my ego when somebody says, 'oh what a beautiful garland you've made!'. Even though, I'm making it for Krishna, this tinge of ego pleasure never goes away. I would say that ego pleasure is the hardest to overcome. Whatever service we do, the sense of the self doing it hardly goes away....
(I am of course talking about common neophyte devotees like me and not elevated souls where can see actual 'selfless service')

Now you can argue that if even devotional service is performed to satisfy the material senses and ego then why do it? Well.....the only answer I have for this is to ask you to actually spend a day doing service. Yes, my ego is being satisfied, my intelligence is being satisfied when I listen to a good lecture or read sound philosophy, my senses are being satisfied when I listen to beautiful, heartmoving kirtans and bhajans.......yet, at the end of the day, when I go home....when I get a moment to ponder on my pleasure and enjoyment, I realize, this pleasure is something much much deeper.......it is the pleasure of the satisfaction of the soul....:)

1966 May 10 :
"Sasthi. Today also did not go out. Letter received from Robert Nelson who tried Harper Row for publication. Two letters written; one to Brindaban De and the other to Captain Pandya. Both Brindaban and Captain Pandya written about khola, kartal and harmonium."
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966

1967 May 10 : "Here new youngsters are coming more and more to take interest. We require a bigger place and there is a nice building in this area. We are negotiating but do not know what is Krishna's plan. "
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

1968 May 10 : "I am so pleased to learn that you are constantly trying to follow my instructions. Of course, I have no particular instructions, save and except the instructions which I have heard from my Spiritual Master."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1970 May 10 : "Why do the leaders of this movement fight amongst themselves for supremacy? If the Prabhus have surrendered to the Prabhupada, why there shall be such mentality of occupying the superior position?"
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1973 May 10 : "Most people cannot approach Krsna Consciousness. Like a rare gem, only a few can purchase, only a few may be capable of grasping it's importance."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

1973 May 10 : "If just 1% of the world's population becomes Krsna Conscious, the whole situation on the earth will change. Just see what has happened. I started alone and in just seven years it is growing more and more."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

1974 May 10: "Everyone has some potency. You have special potency. Do not waste it in the service of maya. Although there is inconvenience, we must endure it with a vow to finish our business in Krishna conscious service."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1975 May 10: "Mahatma Gandhi wanted this village organization. The people should give their labor for their own food and clothing, and then chant Hare Krishna Maha-mantra and cultivate Krishna Consciousness."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

Hare krishna

Dandavat Pranams

This session focuses entirely on the Concept of the Individual Soul (Atman). The materialistic carvaka school, Buddhist philosophy, and the analysis of David Hume are compared with the nyaya and vaisesika systems, wherein the soul is shown to be a unique substance — indestructible and eternal — with consciousness as it’s attribute. The nyaya arguments for the permanent existence of the soul, and the individual nature of the soul, are discussed in considerable detail.

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Servant of Servants.

On this cool, beautiful morning, I sit on the grass on the top of the hill that overlooks Vrindavan. The temple of Radha Madan Mohan rises above me in all of its glory, glowing in the rising sun. The sounds of birds fill the air, and the breeze brushes past me in waves, up here where time stands still.

Japa is a blessing. You bless yourself, as when taking caritamrta. It’s like when you take the flame which is offered by the pujari, or when he sprinkles you with water or offers you the flower to smell. It is like honoring prasadam. Only it is better. It is directly Radha and Krishna. You are nourished by your tongue and your ears. Japa is even more merciful than the saksad darsana of the Lord’s form. I am a japa chanter. I do not chant at the perfect stage (suddha nama), but I am very fortunate. I chant sixteen rounds a day and try to avoid offenses. I am bathed in Krishna’s mercy, Harinama. It is the best way to approach Radha and Krishna and ask for seva.

From Bhajana Kutir #65

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 5, No. 8
By Krishna-kripa das
(April 2009, part two)
Jacksonville, London, Radhadesh, Amsterdam
(Sent from Simhacalam, Germany, on 5/8/09)

Highlights:
Links to Great Videos on Queen's Day Harinamas
Wise Words from Kadamba Kanana Swami

Where I Am and What I Am Doing

For three months I had practically no time to write this journal or answer questions for Krishna.com. What did I do? I lived in at the Gainesville Krishna House, where a number of students, both American and Indian, are beginning to take the practice of Krishna consciousness very seriously, several studying Prabhupada's books together both morning and evening. We had evening programs that always went late three nights a week, a two-hour harinama Wednesday at the Farmer's Market and a harinama in the downtown Friday night where the bars and restaurants are. I thought of eliminating the late night harinama, but three people had come to visit the temple as a result and had good experiences, some coming back, so I was reluctant to stop it. Two weekends and one weekday a month I went to Tallahassee to assist in the outreach there, mostly by doing harinama and giving lectures. I couldn't write with my laptop enroute as it was so flaky I was unwilling to invest in a new battery for it. When I didn't spend the weekend in Tallahassee, I spent hours in Alachua with a fellow assistant of Sadaputa Prabhu's, Sthita-dhi Muni, in looking through Sadaputa's materials to preserve and ultimately share them. We came across a script for a video called "The End of Physics" and a partial manuscript for a book called The Roots of Genius. It was spooky to see my handwriting on some of the documents in the files. There were whole articles I had typeset for him, and then forgotten about. It seemed so long ago, like another life. Reviewing the material, I was reminded of his genius, his talent, and his hard work. I have no regrets about that service, other than I really did not take advantage enough of his association. Both Drutakarma and Sthita-dhi Muni Prabhus became scholars as a result of his association, and I remained but a proofreader of publications. The good thing is that it doesn't matter what you do for Krishna, as long as you work for Him. That is my only solace.

Now by the grace of Brahmatirtha Prabhu and Hridayananda Dasa Goswami, I have a computer so I can write while traveling. I shall try to share the high points of the last three months, going into detail on other journal entries.

The happiest thing for me is to see young people taking the congregational chanting of the Lord's holy name more and more seriously, especially with a little or no encouragement. One time Bhakta Tim had explained how he had too much schoolwork to come on harinama. He walked with us to the car, to wish us well as we were leaving. As the door between us closed, I smiled, and said, "See you there!" Amazingly enough, despite his previous protestations of being too busy, he came out and had a great time.

Once I spent half an hour trying to encourage Bhaktin Jena to go chant with us at the Tallahassee Rainbow Gathering. At least a couple times during the conversation, she even said she would not go. As it turned out, she did finally go, bringing her guitar and ukulele to play along. She had a great time and was glad she came. I see in these examples the power of the holy name to attract people out of their humdrum material life and give them a higher taste. Now that many of the old-timers are leaving their bodies for new ones, it is heartening to see the young people are becoming more and more attracted, and so the movement will go on. Our Gainesville evening programs have such lively kirtanas that once when the lecture went an hour and twenty minutes, the lecturer tried to forgo the kirtana and go straight to prasadam, but the congregation refused to agree. The lecturer offered a ten minute kirtana, but the devotees kept going twenty minutes or more. Once in Tallahassee I had a party of five to chant at the local downtown park, Lake Ella. All were uninitiated devotees who had a taste to chant. During spring break, Tim and Kelly each drove me two hours to Jacksonville to chant at the campus there, and on the weekend they and some college-aged friends went to the beach in St. Augustine and chanted bhajans much of the time. This all reminds me that the interest in the Hare Krishna mantra among the youth is not just a 1960s phenomenon but the spiritual inclination of the soul shining through his/her coverings of ignorant darkness and thus we should give people all facility to gain such attraction.

Enroute to Europe

Enroute to Europe, while waiting in Jacksonville airport for Jet Blue's afternoon flight, having missed the morning one at an expense of $40, I had the good fortune of meeting Bhakti Visrambha Madhava Swami who was just arriving, and who in his usual jovial mood firmly embraced me with affection. He told me about his latest innovative outreach strategy—to enthuse householder devotees to grow vegetables and fruits for Krishna. It gives them something practical to do that gives a good result, and can inspire them further in Vedic culture and Krishna consciousness. Every little bit of land can be utilized for such gardening, even the roof of buildings. You can grow potatoes in the rings of old tires, stacked one above the other, and at the end of the growing season harvest the potatoes simply by removing the tires.

The Jet Blue flight to JFK was an hour late, and I arrived at the gate designated for my Delta London flight twenty minutes after it was scheduled to depart. I was the last person to board, and I apologized but the stewardesses said not to worry.

London

When I arrived in London, my customs officer turned out to be a Brahmin who got a masters degree in Sanskrit from Punjab University. I told him I was here to give a few lectures on Bhagavad-gita, and then go on to Amsterdam. He asked if I knew Sanskrit. I said I knew a few words and quoted Bhagavad-gita 4.9. He chants the Hanuman Chalisa and other prayers at 3:30 a.m. every morning. I suggested that he become a preacher as he was a Brahmin but he did not reply. He was aware of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and when I said I would speak on Gadadhara Pandit, he said that he was not a mortal. I replied affirmatively saying, "All the principle associates of Caitanya Mahaprabhu were liberated souls." I invited him to come to our temple at 10 Soho Street. He said he rarely comes but that his wife comes there almost every day. Because of my inviting him, he said he might come. It is nice to connect with people who have a connection with Krishna.

Harinama in London was great as usual. The day I arrived we had a party of nine devotees and Krishna blessed us with a rare sunny afternoon. One girl joined us midday, dancing as enthusiastically as the other devotees for at least half the harinama. Turns out she had seen the devotees in her homeland of Poland and she does Indian dance professionally so for her to join us and participate was natural.

On Saturday, I joined the "weekend warrior" party who went to Kensington and set up with sit down kirtana, prasadam, and book distribution. They were mostly new devotees, so I got lots of opportunity to play my harmonium tunes. After that, we stopped half an hour from the temple on the way home, and chanted harinama the rest of the way. Later to top of the day, we had the famous Saturday night downtown harinama. Many people danced with us. I distributed invitations to those who smiled, danced, or took pictures of our party. Once I gave a flyer to three teenaged girls who were approaching our party with great curiosity. I told them, "Don't repress your natural urge to dance." Two of them gave their belongings to the third for safekeeping and joined the female kirtana dancers with great delight. Another time I encouraged a couple in their thirties who were dancing with each other, amidst the kirtana dancers. I praised their dancing, and they continued another ten minutes before remembering their planned evening engagement, and leaving with invitation in hand. My realization is that a few positive words can really increase a person's participation in devotional service.

In London I was reminded of the smallness of our Hare Krishna world when, one day, four different devotees came up to me and reminded me of my previous connection with them—one girl from Finland, one boy from Slovakia, and two boys who visited Alachua.

On the flight from London to Amsterdam, I happened to sit with an Indian student who is just becoming interested in Hare Krishna. He had read Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers and was beginning Science of Self-Realization. He was going to Amsterdam to visit some friend who had invited him for Queen's Day. I gave him a copy of my BTG with the article on last year's devotee participation in the event, and he was grateful. I hoped to see him there, but I think his association with friends that were not devotionally inclined kept him from meeting up with the devotees during his brief visit to Amsterdam.

Wise Words

Kadambda Kanana Swami's Vyasa Puja was a nice event. He gave a couple of lectures that day that I attended. Here are some of his realizations:

The secret of Krishna consciousness is to remain always inspired. We must fix our mind on Krishna, not just for some time, but at every moment. We must create a culture where this constant remembrance of Krishna goes on.

It is said a pure devotee of Lord Caitanya can deliver the universe. In Srila Prabhupada, we can see how it is possible. We are here by the devotees' mercy.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura said that the kirtanas of Lord Caitanya and His associates are still going on at Srivasa Angam and some can hear while others cannot. Those who cannot can hear them through the scripture, and then there is no different between the two groups.

This movement is compared to waves. Different groups appear from time to time and play key roles.

Always make sure our roots are strong. See what Srila Prabhupada valued and make sure we are doing that.

This movement is flooding the entire world, and yet it is simply moving from one person to another.

Q: How can I not be proud of what you [as my guru] have been able to do through me?
A: Just look at how much more devotees like Vishnujana Swami and Jayananda Prabhu were able to do. And look at Srila Prabhupada himself.

The spiritual master is always present, even if he doesn't always answer our emails.

It makes me feel like a failure as a guru that a disciple wound up in jail. As far as disciples disobeying the order of the guru is concerned, I simply ask that they are honest with me. In this way, things will not get completely out of hand.

Suhotra Swami would practically never argue on the basis of his being a GBC or temple president. He would argue philosophically. Suhotra Swami could not tolerate compromise. He was a sadhu, a man of truth.

To think we are mercy cases is actually good, especially if we aspire to repay the guru, but still, the chanting of the daily sixteen rounds and following the four principles is good enough.

I want you to utilize your nature and capacity in Krishna's service. I look for maturity, sadhana [spiritual practice], and doing something for the mission. If you need ideas, I have them.

As a youth, I vowed never to follow any authority, other than my own. I was depressed, and encountering Srila Prabhupada, I agreed to surrender to him, but to surrender to the different leaders of his movement, was another thing. But I was able to because I was not willing to let temporary, insignificant things, get in the way of attaining Srila Prabhupada's mercy.

Everything is parampara [the line of spiritual predecessors]. That is the essence. I am simply trying to follow the parampara.

Lord Caitanya promised his followers who chanted 64 rounds they would attain Krishna. Srila Prabhupada reduced it to 16 rounds and four rules. Can those who recommend four rounds really promise their followers that they will go back to Godhead?

Spiritual life is more than choosing a service or accepting one chosen by the spiritual master. Our natural inclinations will become obvious in the course of time. Anyone who is a natural book distributor should try to do it as long as possible without being disturbed by asrama or other external considerations.

I will tolerate all kicks from any cow that gives milk.

Do something special in acara [behavior] and pracara [enlightening others] and get some special mercy.

Notes on Vyasa Puja offerings:

Mayapur Chandrodaya Prabhu mentioned that although he played the role of his guru's personal servant and that others were also eager to serve him, his guru always made sure there were proper accommodations for his personal servant.

One lady, I didn't know, mentioned how hearing the realizations of the other disciples brings us closer to the guru.

The feast was so extensive that if you took all you felt like, your body could not handle it, so it was a test of my self-control. There were several desserts including the treasured gulabjamons.

Queen's Day

Queen's Day was bigger both in terms of participation by the general populace and by the devotees. Apparently there was an attack on the royal family which prompted the government to cancel all the festivities in cities other than Amsterdam, so everyone went to Amsterdam to celebrate. Kadamba Kanana Swami had his Vyasa Puja festival at Radhadesh, just under four hours away, so he would get more people to participate, and the strategy worked. There must have been at least a hundred and fifty devotees taking part, at least seventy more than last year. Maharaja thanked me for the BTG [March/April 2009] article on last year's event, saying that now half the devotees in South Africa want to come to Amsterdam for Queen's Day!

Our chanting party lasted seven and a half hours, two hours sitting at our booth, and the rest during two harinamas through the streets, before and after our lunch and rest break. In the beginning at least twenty people joined in dancing with us, becoming part of a 'snake' of dancers winding through the crowd, and they all appeared very happy to take part. [Click here for video.] While at our booth, I would dance at the side of the entrance, offering invitations to those who took pictures, smiled, or stopped to look. [Click here for video.] One pair of college girls watched for a while, and taking an invitation, one began chanting the mantra along with us. I informed her about the prasadam, the books, and the temple nearest her. She was interested in other cultures and had a special interest in India. For more videos on the Hare Krishna participation in Queen's Day 2009, click here.

naham tisthami vaikunthe
yoginam hridayesu va
yatra gayanti mad-bhaktah
tatra tisthami narada

"Lord Krishna told Narada, 'I am not situated in the spiritual world Vaikuntha, nor am I in the hearts of the yogis, but you will find me, O Narada, wherever My devotees are chanting my glories.'" --Padma Purana

Next on to Antwerp, Munich, the German Nrsimha farm (Simhacalam), and more.

Pankajanghri prabhu: On 18th March, Sri Maheshbhai Dhokia, congregation member from London called me and told me that His wife, Srimati Jayshree Dhokia is suffering from acute uterine cancer and she is being flown to Frankfurt for the last time...

Bhagavad-Gita As It Is 8.5 - The obstacles to practice of spiritual life that you face will always be there and must be tolerated.

The following is a lecture given by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami on 9 May 2009 in Hillsborough, USA.

To download the lecture, right click on the download link and choose either “Save link as” or “Save target as”

The following is a lecture given by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami on 9 May 2009 in Hillsborough, USA. To download the lecture, right click on the download link and choose either ldquo;Save link asrdquo; or ldquo;Save target asrdquo;

The following is a lecture given by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami on 8 May 2009 in Hillsborough, USA.

To download the lecture, right click on the download link and choose either “Save link as” or “Save target as”

The following is a lecture given by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami on 8 May 2009 in Hillsborough, USA. To download the lecture, right click on the download link and choose either ldquo;Save link asrdquo; or ldquo;Save target asrdquo;

The following is a lecture given by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami on 7 May 2009 in Hillsborough, USA.

To download the lecture, right click on the download link and choose either “Save link as” or “Save target as”

The following is a lecture given by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami on 7 May 2009 in Hillsborough, USA. To download the lecture, right click on the download link and choose either ldquo;Save link asrdquo; or ldquo;Save target asrdquo;

Inspired by my readings of "Contemplative Prayer" and "Contemplation In A World Of Action" by Thomas Merton

In the final piece of Contemplation In A World Of Action, Thomas Merton, never one to shy away from the provocative, from the push, asks "Is The Contemplative Life Finished?"

We can easily infer, having absorbed Merton's own strongly positive views, and from his own personal example, that a life of spiritual absorption is indeed more important than ever. But what are the essentials to take in, to meditate upon, and to put into practice, in our own personal and communal lives, to insure a continuous renewal of devotional absorption and action?

Merton, from the core of his heart and realization, begins with the root and foundation of freedom. The very same freedom millions strive, suffer, and die for, which has stained the pages of history with the blood of the sincere and righteous, and which also binds those pages into a narrative of the eternal nature of the soul seeping through into the hills and valleys of human aspiration.

Merton is clear enough that those of us in the monastic order have a duty to reach deep into ourselves to find this freedom in its purest form, to cultivate it and to share it. He writes:

"We monks should be able to reassure modern man that God is the source and the guarantee of our freedom and not simply a force standing over us to limit our freedom. Our encounter with God should be, at the same time, the discovery of our own deepest freedom. If we never encounter Him, our freedom never fully develops...Every man at some point in his life encounters God, and many who are not Christians have responded to God better than Christians. Our encounter with Him, our response to His Word, is the drawing forth and calling out of our deepest freedom, our true identity."

It has been said in these pages before, and it will be said again, that the best thing we can offer to the progressive countercultures striving to better serve the human situation on this Mama Earth is knowledge of the very source and fountain of the most invincible freedom, the sweet loving shakti of Govinda.

Of course, for Merton and for us, the key to this freedom is our own fervent, constant prayer. He writes:

"Prayer is the flowering of our inmost freedom, in response to the Word of God. Prayer is not only dialogue with God: it is the communion of our freedom with his ultimate freedom, his infinite spirit. It is the elevation of our limited freedom into the infinite freedom of the divine spirit, and of the divine love. Prayer is the encounter of our freedom with the all-embracing charity which knows no limit and knows no obstacle."

As spiritual aspirants and potential guides for others, it is absolutely essential to live a life of prayer. I cannot stress this enough, and I am trying to re-focus my own sadhana around strong, serious, feeling, daily prayer, and even in the earliest of stages, I can sense some positive changes and effects.

All personal and communal renewal revolves this hob of the wheel: real prayer. Not the prayer of favor-asker. Not the prayer of the order-giver. Prayer of the heart, humble as a blade of grass, asking to serve and to know how to really serve. Merton writes:

"We have to try to say to modern man something about the fact that authentic prayer enables us to emerge from our servility into freedom in God because it no longer strives to manipulate Him by superstitious deals."

Our prayer, leading to the fountain of freedom that is Krsna's spiritual energy, should lift us out of our mundane need for security, our "comfort zone" as we like to say here in the Bhaktivedanta Ashram.

To go beyond our comforts which keep us bound to the vines and weeds of our lower self, we need to avoid criticizing others for their own mostly unavoidable shortcomings and begin with our own. Again, this has been said before again and again, but it can't be said enough. Merton writes of himself:

"My work for renewal takes place strictly in my own situation here, not as a struggle with the institution but in an effort to renew my life of prayer in a whole new context, with a whole new understanding of what the contemplative life means and demands."

As I wrote recently, Prabhupada can be considered the "supreme activist." We understand how much he stepped out of his own possible zones of comfort and security to do something so radical and revolutionary: bring Krsna Consciousness to the streets of the West.

In the multitude of ways that we can serve Prabhupada's mission, we must always keep at the core this mood of his, which is to respect the necessary boundaries to go well beyond the unnecessary ones. To create the Golden Age by actually getting out of our sleeping bags and connecting with the dynamic progressive peoples of this planet. Merton writes:

"What each one of us has to do, what I have to do, is to buckle down and really start investigating new possibilities in our own life; and if the new possibilities mean radical changes, all right. Maybe we need radical changes for which we may have to struggle and sweat some blood. Above all we must be more attentive to God's way and God's time, and give everything when it is really demanded."

***

Here in the Bhaktivedanta Ashram, we are now trying to serve and understand the words of HH Radhanath Maharaja, as he said that the result of last weekend's sweet success with the Radha-Muralidhara Reunion Festival was the "blooming of the lotus flower of the spiritual renaissance of New York City."

In this moment of great transition and possibility, the reality of renewal is our everyday meditation, and our chance to bring forth fully the best of our contemplative and active natures. Merton relates in this regard:

"Our new life will emerge from authenticity now. This is not merely an empty moment of transition...Transition is also fullness. We can have a certain personal fullness even when the changing institution is provisional, and we have to learn to be able to be contemplatives in the midst of the dynamic, in the midst of movement."

To move and shake, but to still do so with depth of heart, is one of the great opportunities we have here in New York City. But as Maharaja carefully warns, with success will come greater attempts by maya, who knows how to turn off the gas when something is cooking nicely, to thwart any attempt at renewal.

To combat this, we need as well as sense of toughness, so that we can refine ourselves to be and do our best. Merton says:

"I think we should aim for...the most and the best in ourselves. Here I think we need a great deal of subtlety and flexibility in recognizing the real vital possibilities of each individual in the contemplative life.

Contemplative discipline is both hard and flexible...There has to be a real challenge. It's got to be a rough life...But the contemplative life has to be tough in such a way that it's also flexible. The toughness of the contemplative life should not be that restricting toughness which arbitrarily rules out good possibilities. It should be a toughness that tones us up to meet new possibilities, the unexpected, that for which we have not been previously capable, for which we have not been previously ready."

All these essentials, and more we'll discuss next week, give us all hope that the renewal we need as spiritual and as a human community is close at hand, if we want it.

You might have noticed a few articles on this blog about water fluoridation.

In the course of reading about this I came across a common meme that "the Nazis used fluoridation in water to dull [the population|concentration camp internees]". (Check out a wikipedia search of "Nazis fluoridation" to get an idea)

It's a common theme repeated in many places. A common version is that either the Nazis, or the Soviets in the gulags, or both, used "sodium fluoride" in the water.

It's just interesting to see people repeating this thing over and over again uncritically, and without either asking for or supplying any kind of reference.

I used my Google-fu to trace it back to something with a reference. The only cited reference for this that I could find was a book called "The Crime and Punishment of IG Farben". The citation included a page number. (I can't be bothered going through the exercise again to find this citation - I leave it as an exercise for the interested reader).

I got the book. I checked the page (from memory is was 43, or thereabouts). There was no mention of fluoride there. I read the entire book. There was no mention in the whole book.

So in this case, you have the story being widely repeated without citation. In a few rare cases there is a citation, which kind of looks authoritative, but when you actually chase it down, it's completely bogus.

There are a lot of things out there like that. "The Internet" is not a source, it's a medium. To say that you read something on the Internet neither makes it unbelievable, nor credible.

Critical reading is important. Every "fact" has two aspects - the information that it presents, and its strength as evidence. It is important to be able to describe not only what you say, but also where it comes from, how reliable it is, what other supporting evidence reinforces it, counter arguments and opposing evidence, and what other caveats may exist.

It's always convenient to present things in black and white, but reality is multi-coloured.

"Chanakya Pandita has analyzed how in the family we can become enemies of one another. Chanakya Pandita says, rna-karta pita satruh: 'A father in debts to others is enemy.' " (Srila Prabhupada lecturing on Srimad Bhagavatam 1.7.32-33 on 27 September 1976 in Vrindavana.)

Pancha-tattva maha abhisekha in Mayapur - showers

The pure devotee makes no claim of proprietorship over anything in this material world because he understands fully that everything is the property of Krishna. And because he knows that Krishna is the ever merciful protector of and provider for His devotees, the pure devotee has no anxiety how he will maintain himself, how he will cover his expenses...

What I like about Wikipedia is its scientific approach to pramana, or epistemology ("how we know something", or valid evidence).

Wikipedia is not allowed to contain original research. In other words, everything in Wikipedia must be supported by evidence elsewhere that is referenced in footnotes in the Wikipedia article.

When a reader spots a statement that is not backed up by a reference, they add a "Citation Needed" flag to that statement.

Wkipedia's policy on citing sources is found here: Wikipedia:Citing Sources. Valid sources of evidence are discussed in Wikipedia:Verifiability.

Periodic hysteria about errors and deliberately false information inserted into Wikipedia articles is misguided. Wikipedia by policy does not contain original research. This means that anything that you read there is for convenience only - Wikipedia is an aggregator. The actual proof for anything there is found elsewhere, and it's up to the reader to use Wikipedia as a starting point and check the references.

The policy of citing sources is important in law, science, religion, and media reporting. In fact, in any discipline that has a basis in philosophy.

Whenever I read anything on the Internet that does not quote authoritative sources (that actually back up what is being said), I immediately think to myself: "Citation needed." Wikipedia has raised my expectation of pramana on the Internet. Of course, Srila Prabhupada always stressed that his disciples should be able to quote scriptures to back up their points, chapter and verse, like a lawyer. This provides a check and balance against incorrect speculation. Wikipedia has shown how that principle of solid pramana, or valid evidence, is universally useful in cutting through the BS.

My sister and her family visited us en route, on a tour of America. When relatives visit it is always bittersweet. My sister (who is a good eight years older than me), or for that matter no one from my family can relate to the fact that I am no longer the person that I used to be. In the high school years of my sister, my parents received a complaint from the teachers that she was not paying

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.8.14 -  Gaurakishore das Babaji instructed that to avoid problems in spiritual life male devotees should treat one's wife as a servant of Krsna.

Devotional Rehearsals

Toronto, Ontario

So much green vegetation sprouts out of the soil at this time of year. When the saffron sun of the morning peeks, the energy explosion of green becomes obvious. Black squirrels scurry everywhere. This morning a baby raccoon clung to his tree, holding on for dear life, not sure what to make of us strange creatures. It has nothing to do with our robes. It has to do with the fact that we are homosapiens. We are nothing to be feared.

For the evening, our acting cast for “The Eighth Boy” partook in an intense seven hour rehearsal. Being volunteers, it can be a real trying time getting everyone together but, our crew understood the urgency in preparing for the “Festival of Inspiration”. It ended up being a super tight team experience. At times like these, you can say that magic is real. When co-operation reaches optimum levels like this, it is practically not the material world anymore.

When attempting anything in this existence there is prone to be problems. During our practice, there were two intense moments where things were rolling on very well when suddenly, in the dark, someone accidentally tripped over the cable that ran our sound and lights. It was an occurrence that could have engendered cursing. But “No!” The level of synergy, harmony was such that we were determined to start again.

I admire the group that I worked with. They came at some level of inconvenience. They came without signing a contract. They came without receiving a salary or stipend. The fact is all members of the acting cast and technical crew have a heart. They have something special called bhakti, devotion.

It just so happened that a professional actor walked in to see me right at the moment that we started our first rehearsal run through of the play. It was a bit rough, as the group was “rusty”. From his perspective, everyone was doing just fine. Frankly he said, “You’ve got a good thing going here.”

“If that’s so, then it’s because of the intense desire to ‘give’. “I’ve got all these devotional people to work with,” I said.

3 Km

An Interview

Toronto, Ontario

Because I know I will be spending a considerable time of the day in a sedentary fashion, I consciously plan some mobile time on my feet. There’s that need for balance. So that’s covered in the morning.

Today I was set for a documentary interview on the topic of “The Last Rites.” Keith, an independent film-maker, with assistant Dana, penetrated rather deeply with questions relating to the closure of life. But even more so, their questions diverted to all realms of Krishna Conscious activities. It was stimulating for me and for them.

After a three hour sit down for a glorious session, including a meal of bitter melon and veggie curry, it was time to stretch our legs and exchange appreciations. Naturally I’m content for the exposure and opportunity to speak on an old tradition that believes in a soul’s migration from one life form to another; when, at the time of expiry, the body is either cremated or left for burial.

Spiritual leaders have always taken the responsibility to care for this most critical stage in life, to see to a relatively peaceful exit from this world. When you think about it, it is such an important task. Methinks the rule of the priest is underrated these days.

6 Km

Royal Decision

Toronto, Ontario

Monday is the day at the ashram where the residents sit down and, as attentively as possible, hears a recording of our founder speaking some message of truth. Today we were hearing a selected class Srila Prabhupada gave on Oct. 1/76. The topic dealt with a warrior’s option to kill or spare the life of a captured foe. Today’s story dealt with Arjuna, waiting for the consent to end the life of Asvattama, the son of Arjuna’s martial arts guru. Arjuna had held down Asvattama while making his decision after due consultation with his wife, brothers and Krishna himself. The final verdict was; the murderer of the Pandavas children, Asvattama, would live, considering how his mother would be distraught if she lost him.

These are the sensitivities that arise amongst the ksatriya or warrior class in the times of ancient India. Prabhupada went on to discuss the heinous acts of intrigue amongst royal members in the not so distant times in the family of Shah Johan, Auranzeb during the period of the Taj Mahal’s construction. Royal blood is often regarded as rival blood by someone from another kingdom. It becomes a different dynamic when an ambitious prince, for instance, extinguishes his own brothers and even holds hostage his father, feeling under threat of not gaining the throne.

Our guru expressed that so much mistrust exists in the world. On various occasions he explained that because of our bodily identity there is mistrust. There is always the fear of when will my life be taken or, for animals, when will I be eaten. Fear is pervasive in a world where one concludes, “I am this body.” This is, of course, a mistaken notion.

My walking today remained within the neighbourhood of bursting buds and blossoms that flair like royal egos.

5 Km

May 9, 2:00 A.M.

It was a pretty good night. I woke up at about 10:00 P.M. but didn’t stay up long. I think I got about six hours’ sleep. I got up from bed at about 2:00 A.M. I did not force myself to get up at 2:00 A.M. but woke naturally and felt like getting up. Baladeva came up and fixed me up, and I began japa at 2:36 A.M.

3:18 A.M.

Japa essay

Japa can be compared to championship golf. Sometimes you use the heavy driver, sometimes you use the iron, sometimes you use the putter, sometimes you make a birdy or an eagle, or you make a lot of bogies, or you make par. Sometimes you wind up in the water. Sometimes you wind up in a sand trap. Sometimes you do real well and move up in the competition.

Japa cannot be compared to anything. You pray from the heart. You play it carefully and measure your shots. You don’t have to wear special shoes or shirts. There are no hard and fast rules. You can even chant in your pajamas. The main thing is to keep trying sincerely and stay awake. This morning, I’ve been alert for eight rounds so far, and I’m hoping to keep it going. I’m chanting mostly sub-par in audibility. But I’m paying attention. I love japa. It’s my favorite sport. But I’m not a champion. I’m just an amateur. I’ve been working at it for a long time, and yet I remain an amateur. Sometimes I have to cry out, “Fore!,” as my ball sails into the crowd. You wouldn’t expect that from me after all these years. But I keep trying. I honestly keep trying. Japa is the easiest form of spiritual meditation. Many people enter the competition, and many people improve over the years. They attend seminars. They go on japa retreats. They study books. They get down on their knees and pray. They get frustrated and throw the club down. It’s done on beads or clickers. You don’t use a caddy. You do it on your own. Japa, please let me perform you to the end of my days. Don’t let me break my legs or need surgery so that I have to lose a year of japa. I’m already chanting less because of my shoulder. I’ll get better, though. You’ll see me. I’ll get better. Japa is my favorite sport. Japa is my most serious meditation. Japa has been given to use by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and Prabhupada says the order of the spiritual master to chant at least sixteen rounds daily is the most essential one. So I’m working at it. I pray to Krishna to bless me.

A japa poem

without a pen or typewriter

is very hard to do.

You do it from your tongue,

you do it from your mind.

You’re happy when it’s going well.

Birds chirp in the air. You’re depressed

when you hit a drowse

or inattention comes.

Japa is a daily challenge,

and so is a poem in praise of it.

I make this poem today.

I hope it will be accepted

by the japa master in the sky

by the japa master on the earth

by the japa masters in parampara.

They’re like golf champions

making holes in one, making birdies.

Today I’m not doing so bad,

and so I hope this poem will serve

to cheer me on to better things.

From Forgetting the Audience (1993): “While keeping steady in this vrata, I take some notes in writing sessions.

“Stuck. Sermon in a high pulpit. Everyone knows what he’s talking about. Or no one knows God by direct experience, not to the degree the great saints know Him. We listen to the sermon. When there’s new material, that doesn’t satisfy us much either. We find fault in it. The true devotees are those who are able to hear these lectures without fault-finding and take them as Krishna’s messages and Prabhupada speaking in parampara. Srîla Prabhupada said he was not speaking. He said it was Krishna’s message and Krishna was speaking through him. He said he was simply the mouthpiece. This was Srîla Prabhupada’s powerful and humble assertion. He actually did it—served Krishna’s message without adding his own. This made him potent and pure.

“Can I do that? Do I think it’s not enough? Do I think I am doing that in my own way? Despite my upbringing in speculation, I’m doing my best to remain truthful to the words of the Gaudîya-Madhva sampradaya, whatever Prabhupada says.

“And why these daily notes written wherever I am? What is my compulsion? What is my plan?

“I told you. I told you.”

6:45 A.M.

It’s a beautiful spring day. The sun is filtering through some clouds, but the beach and sand and sea are bright. There is no vegetation at the seaside, but it has its own calm beauty. A woman is walking at the sea’s edge, talking into her cell phone. What news does she have from the seaside? I’m dragging my feet and feeling shoulder pain but enjoying the warm sun. It’s too early for people to gather at the beach. I’m sure they will be here during the day. At this hour, Krishna has cast a calm atmosphere. The water is hardly moving, and the beach is empty. The sky is blue with heavy streaks of white. Fishermen are going out to sea in their little boats. Early in the morning, you sometimes see deer and a venerable fox, but they are gone with the sunshine and the people. Black gnats cluster on our windshield. A fishing boat honks its last blast before leaving, just in case anyone is out in the parking lot or getting coffee. The temperature is getting too warm for my layers of clothes. Soon summer will be here. Krishna’s favorite season is coming to an end.

8:30 A.M.

“The Face of the Bass.” The double bass is an ungainly but beautiful instrument. It is round and jocund. Charlie Haden is the bass player for Ornette Coleman. In Krishna pieces of music, we also sometimes hear the double bass. It plucks deeply and specifically. It’s a deep melody. It can express sadness. Of course, it can keep a beat. “The Face of the Bass” is a pretty upbeat tune. It reminds me of Krishna playing with the cowherd boys. The bass is the rhythm. It’s such a big instrument. It takes a tall man to stand and play it. He has to have fingers of iron to pluck the steel strings. This comes from lots of practice. But once he masters it, it’s very comfortable to hear. As I said, I think it’s the beat of the boys romping in playful measures, steadily. And Ornette and Don Cherry play around it. The face of the bass is big and round. He’s playing rhythm, but a melody also, and they gather around him.

“Forerunner.” Krishna runs ahead of all the other boys. He’s the forerunner. They cry out, “I will be the first one to go and catch Krishna.” Another boy challenges: “No, I will be the first to catch Krishna,” and they dash after Him. Sometimes Krishna runs so fast none of them catch Him, and He runs and joins the gopis for their midday pastimes. The forerunner is the one who is ahead of his times, like Ornette Coleman. Krishna was ahead of His times also. He did things that no one else did, that no one else imagined could be done. He broke the rules of etiquette, but everything He did was right. He was ahead of His time. Ornette played that way too, playing melodies and nonmelodies long before others caught up with him. They didn’t know what he was doing. They couldn’t understand it. They didn’t appreciate it. But eventually they caught up with him. People misunderstand Krishna, too. They think He’s a debauch, but gradually, if they read carefully and come to understand what pure prema is, then they will understand. He is ahead of everyone, but there’s nothing wrong in what he’s doing. He doesn’t conform to an old-fashioned concept of God. He’s God as the lover of the gopis. He’s God as the subordinate of His friends, who wrestle Him to the ground. He’s even a child who’s afraid of His parents when they chastise Him. How’s that for a new concept of God? Many people nowadays still do not understand Krishna and how He can be the Supreme and at the same time the playful enjoyer. It’ll be up to the devotees to make a nice presentation so that people will understand Krishna and appreciate Him as chaste and pure. It will be up to the devotees to catch up to Krishna.

“Free.” So wonderful to be free and not bound in an institution, not imprisoned, not tied up in laws and regulations. Ornette Coleman’s band is free. They don’t play standard jazz. They play their own way. I”m not a musicologist, so I can’t tell you what they leave out, but I know it’s free and that he does what he wants. Some people get puzzled with this freedom. They think the music should be more regulated. The same with Krishna’s freedom. He doesn’t follow the laws of matrimony. He dances with other men’s wives. He is free to kill any demons He likes, even if they’re cows or bulls. He never does anything that’s wrong or improper because He’s free. He’s free from the laws of varnasrama dharma. When He does something, it’s right because He does it. How delightful to be free and to play with Krishna in the free kingdom of God, where there are no laws and no policemen, just love. Krishna’s free from time and pain and all sorts of misery, and so are His devotees. They’re ultimately free. Nothing binds them. But they like to remain bound by the love of their devotees. In that sense, they are not free. But it’s a higher kind of freedom. Free is also sweet. A nice little tune. It changes into anything it likes. It can assume any shape or form, but it’s always good-looking. Ornette’s alto shakes and stretches, contracts and expands. Goes up and down the scales in freedom. You like it.

9:45 A.M.

My Dear Lord Krishna...

I want to live with You. Is that possible? I know there are different ways of living with You. I can live with You by fervently chanting Your holy name. I have heard that that is just as good as living with You in person. I can live with You by constantly hearing Your pastimes. That is also as good as living with You in person. I can’t help but think that if I can live with You in Your spiritual abode and serve You as a menial servant, that would be the best of all. But I would be happy to live with You in any way and be satisfied with that. You have an abode called Goloka Vrndavana. You live there for the pleasure of Your devotees. You never leave there, not even a step. Sometimes in the scriptures, it appears that You do leave Goloka Vrndavana. Then we are told that You remain there in your vibhava form of feelings of separation from You. The devotees who love You with all their hearts live in separation from You, enjoying Your company just as much as if they had Your personal company daily in Your court, in Your cowherd fields. This is difficult to understand, even theoretically. Because when You are gone from the devotees, they appear to suffer very much, and they cry constantly in Your absence. But this feeling is called vipralambha, or being with You in separation, and it is said to be as good—or better—than being with You personally.

The main thing is to love You and to serve You always. Once that is accomplished, then a devotee is with You in sambhoga (union) or vipralambha (separation). We were recently reading in Brhad Bhagavatamrta that Uddhava prefers to go out on an errand for You rather than to be with You in Your court. And in Your form of Lord Caitanya, You demonstrated that the highest ecstasy was to have feelings of separation from You. In this state, Lord Caitanya’s body used to transform itself into odd shapes, and He would fall into ecstasies, dive into the ocean thinking it was the Yamuna, run after the sand dunes thinking they were Govardhana Hill and do extraordinary things which no one had ever done before, all out of intense love for You.

My own position is different. I don’t feel intense desire to be with You in person, nor do I feel the ecstasies of separation from You. I am relatively weak in my bond of attachment to You. I don’t deny that I love You and want to be with You, but my emotions are not constant and overwhelming. I am ashamed to admit this. I have other things on my mind, like my bodily pains and pleasures. I do want to increase my love for You more than anything else. But there are obstacles on my path of devotional service. Srila Rupa Goswami says the two most favorable items in devotional service are enthusiasm and patience, and I’m lacking these. I also lack a deep taste for chanting Your holy names and for hearing Your pastimes in Srimad-Bhagavatam. I lack in my desire to associate with Your devotees and in other important aspects of devotional service.

I know I can improve. I want to do this, but I need Your help. So I am making a prayer. I’m asking You to increase my devotion to You and speed me on the path. I know it is not a casual thing for me to ask You to help me. It requires that I also make efforts to improve myself. But even the necessary effort on my part cannot come about unless You help me. I don’t think I am making a one-sided appeal by asking for this. I think it is the actual situation. Nothing good can happen unless You instigate it. I am weak and prone to cheat. But I want to promise You that if You do give me help, I will do my part according to my capacity and try to improve. Please help me to live up to my side of the bargain and perform the necessary austerities to become a better devotee. This is my prayer.

the yellow submarine, my bhajana kutir #66→

I am not a pet-owner. But I often speak with vegetarian pet-owners who struggle with the issues discussed below. After years of blogging, I pretty much know which topics will stimulate loads of letters; this is one of them, I am sure. Anyway, here goes:

Friederike from Australia writes:

"We have two dogs and a cat. I feed them tinned meat and kangaroo bones, because the kangaroos are killed anyway in Australia. But I do not like it. Do you think it is OK to feed meat to pet animals? I know that dogs can live without meat, but cats are said to die without it. What are the alternatives, apart from very expensive special vegetarian pet food?"

My reply: Big subject! The animals do not incur any karma for eating flesh. It is their natural condition. In fact, animals incur no karmic result for anything they do. Humans however do. So if you feed your pets meat (which involves buying it and thus supporting the meat industry) you do incur involvement in the complex and strict karmic chain of killing.

I know many vegan/veg pet-owners who have so-called vegetarian dogs. And yes, the concept of a vegetarian cat is indeed a challenge. Best I can suggest is that you visit the numerous discussion groups and internet sites for vegan/veg pet owners. There are many. Or wait and read the readers' letters this blog generates.

If I had a cat (never have, never will) I would feed it veg food and if it wants meat it will go and kill some itself. Hence I would incur no part in the nasty business of mass slaughter of animals for food.

Ok all you vegetarian pet-owners out there, tell me what you do (click on 'comments' below). And please, dear vegans, no roasting me for using dairy products today, please. Keep to the topic.

1974 May 9: "Make political propagation on the basis of reforming the whole human society. The leaders must be an ideal class of men, with ideal character. They should chant the names of God. This is essential for leaders."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 May 9: "I cannot close my eyes when there are big management difficulties, so when I see things going wrong, money mispent, things not used properly, then I have to take part."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1975 May 9: "Do not be discouraged. Simply follow all of the rules and regulations very carefully. This is most important. Without these things, there is no spiritual life."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

1966 May 9:
"Panchami. The whole day I did not go out. In the evening there was meeting the attendance was large, 14 ladies and gentlemen attended. But the collection poor only $5.00 Never mind it is growing."
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966

1974 May 9: "I received one rumor that the Sankirtana parties in the US would soon be stopped by political repression. Assure all your men that I have great hope for Krishna Consciousness in America, more than any other place."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1972 May 9: "So Syamasundara is just like my younger brother, we call him by nickname Gabu. His elder brother was Siddhesvar Mali and his nickname was Subida, an he was calling me Moti, so we were very intimate friends from the perambulator."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1973 May 9: "So inhabitants can be engaged in such a small manufacturing enterprise as well as farming to become self sufficient. But we should not be business minded. Our main business is to develop our dormant Krsna Consciousness."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

1972 May 9: "Now I want that we shall concentrate on making our devotees Krishna conscious and ourselves becoming Krishna conscious, and not be so much concerned with expanding ourselves widely but without any spiritual content. Just like boiling the milk, it becomes thicker and sweeter."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1970 May 9: "All these things do not sound very nice. So I am very much anxious to know what is the actual situation because I can sense that he wants to introduce something in my absence which is completely against Krsna Consciousness."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

Once in the early 1970s I was present when the press interviewed Prabhupada after his arrival at a New York airport. A reporter asked, ‘Why have you come to the West?' ‘I have come', Prabhupada replied, ‘to give you a brain. Your society', he continued, ‘is headless.'

Told by Ravindra Svarupa Dasa

1972 May 9: "So Syamasundara is just like my younger brother, we call him by nickname Gabu. His elder brother was Siddhesvar Mali and his nickname was Subida, an he was calling me Moti, so we were very intimate friends from the perambulator."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1974 May 9: "I cannot close my eyes when there are big management difficulties, so when I see things going wrong, money mispent, things not used properly, then I have to take part."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1966 May 9:
"Panchami. The whole day I did not go out. In the evening there was meeting the attendance was large, 14 ladies and gentlemen attended. But the collection poor only $5.00 Never mind it is growing."
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966

1970 May 9: "All these things do not sound very nice. So I am very much anxious to know what is the actual situation because I can sense that he wants to introduce something in my absence which is completely against Krsna Consciousness."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1972 May 9: "Now I want that we shall concentrate on making our devotees Krishna conscious and ourselves becoming Krishna conscious, and not be so much concerned with expanding ourselves widely but without any spiritual content. Just like boiling the milk, it becomes thicker and sweeter."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1973 May 9: "So inhabitants can be engaged in such a small manufacturing enterprise as well as farming to become self sufficient. But we should not be business minded. Our main business is to develop our dormant Krsna Consciousness."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

1974 May 9: "I received one rumor that the Sankirtana parties in the US would soon be stopped by political repression. Assure all your men that I have great hope for Krishna Consciousness in America, more than any other place."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

Sri Lalita dasi: In this very moment not all the houses are inhabitated by devotees (about 25 % of the houses are owned by non-devotees) and some have just been built and are for sale.

1974 May 9: "Make political propagation on the basis of reforming the whole human society. The leaders must be an ideal class of men, with ideal character. They should chant the names of God. This is essential for leaders."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1975 May 9: "Do not be discouraged. Simply follow all of the rules and regulations very carefully. This is most important. Without these things, there is no spiritual life."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

By Parsada devi dasi

The Amar Ujala, a daily Indian newspaper ranked 34th in the world in circulation, has selected ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta Gurukula and International School in Vrindavan (BGIS) as the top school in the Mathura district and the second best school in the State of Uttar Pradesh.

Above is the first part of a series of lectures given by Terry Eagleton at Yale, you can see the rest of them here. Or you can find them on youtube.

Here is a review of one of his recent books, by New York Times columnist Stanley Fish.

I was really excited to find out about Terry Eagleton (yes I am that much a geek). He does a great job of putting Ditchkins (His term for Dawkins and Hitchens) in their place. The scope and breadth of his lectures is really impressive, he really does a good job of covering the God religion debate. His erudite tone makes Ditchkins seem ignorant, bigoted, and silly.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, he is not as vile as they are so he probably won't get the same publicity they will, but you never know.

In 2010 he'll be giving a gifford, that should be interesting.

Out of all the people that have stood up to Ditchkins I think he is the best able to do it. Dinesh D'Souza is a good debater, and fun to watch, but he doesn't have the intellectual firepower that Eagleton does, and Eagleton is not limited by a bias towards a fundamentalist version of Christianity. He is also really funny.

It would be great to see him debate Dawkins or Hitchens, but I don't think they would be willing to accept such a challenge.

"Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work."

- Peter Drucker

Humble request for all who have set feeds for my blog Following a recent e-mail sent by the head of congregational development with my comments regarding my personal feelings around the use of Sadhana forms and exams, it appears my spiritual life has been checked and the small glimmer of hope that one day there could [...]

I have been giving some thought on initiation, as several devotees pointed out that if you feel so strongly about it what alternatives have you personally come up with? Firstly there needs to be a rational as to why there is some objection, is it mental concoction, do I as the class this week highlighted have [...]

Offerings to Jayapataka Swami on his Vyas Puja.

Dallas, TX
2008-04-05

Download: 2009-04-05 - Jayapataka Swami Vyas Puja - 2 - Offerings.mp3

I would like to share with you some topics on chanting that he mentioned which inspired me a lot and may have the same effect on you for sure.

"When we chant we should do so with attention, with devotion, with love. Then we can get the full benefit. There are various instructions on how to chant the holy name, and we are advised to avoid the ten offenses against the holy name in order to quickly achieve the desired results.

The same Lord who came out of the pillar as Nrsimhadeva to protect Prahlada has appeared in Kali-yuga as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to protect the fallen souls. And Prahlada, although he was only five years old when Nrsimhadeva appeared, knew that the Lord appears in different incarnations in different ages and that He would appear in Kali-yuga as a channa-avatara. Channa means"covered." In Kali-yuga the Lord does not assert Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as He does in other ages, but appears and acts as a devotee to show us how to be devotees, practice Krsna consciousness, and develop love for Krsna. He knew that people in Kali-yuga are so fallen that if He were to openly express Himself as God there would be so many pretenders who would falsely claim to be God, to be Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So whenever He was addressed as God He would block His ears and exclaim,"Visnu! Visnu! I am not God." Otherwise, we can only imagine how burdened the world would be with false incarnations. Now there is one, with a big place in Texas, who claims to be Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but there are not many, fortunately. The channa-avatara covers His identity as Krsna so that only confidential devotees, who receive knowledge through parampara, from niskincanam, will understand who the incarnation for this age is and worship Him by performance of the sankirtana-yajna, chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Since we can easily achieve the highest success just by chanting the holy names of the Lord, one may question why we need temples and temple worship.Why take so much trouble to build temples and worship Deities? The answer is that although hari-nama is sufficient, most people cannot appreciate the full value of the holy name of the Lord. They are do not have sufficient intelligence or faith to appreciate the potency of hari-nama alone, and they feel that they need some more elaborate procedure, or they want some gorgeous ceremony. For them we construct temples, and when they come to the temple they hear pure devotees speak about Krsna, about Krsna consciousness,about the holy name of Krsna-- and they begin to chant as well. By such chanting, their consciousness is cleared (ceto-darpana-marjanam), and as their consciousness becomes purified they are able to understand more and more about Krsna and the process of Krsna consciousness. For devotees too, especially neophytes and householders, Deity worship is also recommended. It serves to keep them regulated and clean in their habits. Further, householders are always busy earning and spending money(diva carthehaya rajankutumba-bharanena va), and at least some of that money, which they earn by various means, should be purified by being engaged in the service of theLord. Therefore householders are advised to keep Deities and spend their money on the worship of the Deity, or to go to the temple and participate inthe worship there and support the worship in the temple. That will purify their grhastha-asrama and enhance their Krsna consciousness. Still, the real essence of spiritual advancement, especially in the age of Kali, is to hear and chant the glories of the Lord. Such chanting and hearing, especially of the holy names, should precede and follow--and if possible accompany--the Deity worship. Prahlada Maharaja, as we see throughout Srimad-Bhagavatam, always engaged in chanting and hearing the glories of the Lord. Although he was born in a demonic family, his low birth was no impediment to his Krsna consciousness. Of course, he did pray to the Lord to purify his heart. Generally a person born in a demonic family--and in Kali-yuga, practically everyone--is controlled by the lower modes of nature--tamo-guna and rajo-guna--and as long as he is covered by these lower modes, he cannot properly appreciate or glorify the Lord. Prahlada prayed to Nrsimhadeva to enter his heart and cleanse it of all desires for fruitive work and material enjoyment; thus he would be freed from the fears and anxieties of embodied souls.

"I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Nrsimhadeva, the source of allpower. O my Lord who possess nails and teeth just like thunderbolts, kindly vanquish our demon like desires for fruitive activity in this material world.Please appear in our hearts and drive away our ignorance so that by Your mercy we may become fearless in the struggle for existence in this material world." (SB 5.18.8)

On the auspicious occasion of Nrsimha-caturdasi, we pray to Lord Nrsimhadeva that just as He saved Prahlada from the demon Hiranyakasipu, He will appear in our hearts and save us from the demonlike desires for fruitive activity in this world--and from the desire to escape the world by merging into the existence of God, by becoming one with God. He should free us from every desire or tendency other than to serve and please Krsna, which we can best accomplish, especially in this age, by chanting His holy names: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Devotees in Karlovac, Croatia, installed Sri Sri Nitai Gaurachandra, their first deities, earlier this month. The Karlovac ISKCON temple was established eight years ago, when devotees began holding spiritual programs in the Croatian towns of Križevci, Kalnik, and Lička Jesenica. They also prepared for the monumentous event years ahead of them by travelling to the USA and India to learn how to conduct traditional rites and care for deities.

Krishna lunch at the University of Florida means more than just grabbing a quick bite to eat; for some students, it has become a tradition. The Krishnas have been there, in the same spot at the plaza, for more than 38 years. Every day, rain or shine, students can enjoy a healthy vegetarian, all- you- can- eat buffet, for a donation of $4. Students can also buy lunch cards, which drop the price to a mere $3.33.

As part of an ongoing effort to maintain Vraja, the holy land in India where Lord Krishna is said to have been born, the adjacent sacred lakes Radha-Kunda and Shyama Kunda are being cleaned for the first time since 1987. ISKCON devotee Devaki Prana Dasa, who has lived and served at Radha-Kunda for many years, says, “The water is over twenty-two steps down at present, and the full cleaning will take about a month and a half to complete.”

The Amar Ujala, a daily Indian newspaper ranked 34th in the world in circulation, has selected ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta Gurukula and International School in Vrindavan (BGIS) as the top school in the Mathura district and the second best school in the State of Uttar Pradesh.

Every year at the ISKCON Center in Mayapur, India a festival is held where the presiding deities are covered in sacred sandalwood paste (candana) and decorated beautifully.

The year was 1997. In the midst of a frantic search for material enjoyment, Vasudeva Datta reluctantly agreed to go along to a Hare Krishna meeting with one of his friends. There he bought Life Comes from Life and a set of japa beads—and within two weeks he found himself chanting sixteen rounds a day and devouring Prabhupada’s books.

It is the summer of 1983. A jury in Orange County, California—that bastion of “traditional American values,” that home to Disneyland and the pioneering mega-church Crystal Cathedral—a jury stares at a large poster. Faces register shock and awe. They behold the astonishing Narasiṁha, the avatāra with the body of a man and the head of a lion, sitting before a shattered pillar.

6th Street and 23th Avenue, it’s clearly the most patriotic intersection in town. A star-spangled red, white, and blue painted building on one corner, and diagonally opposite an intrusively large signboard that continually boasts inspirational sayings. The latest edition of the signboard reads, “America 3, Pirates 0.”

In the evening, we had a transcendental two hours ecstatic abhisheka to Lord Nrsimhadeva. On the day before Nrsimha Chaturdasi, oil abhisheka was offered. Usually it is done on the day of Nrsimha Chaturdasi. So, it was surprising for devotees to have darshan of the Lord without chandan during adhivas. HH Gopalkrsna Goswami and Lilasukha prabhu gave English Srimad Bhagavatam class while HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami delivered a series of five days lectures on Nrsimha katha. Students of Sri Mayapur International School had put up a fancy dress show.

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