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- H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Sunday 10 July 2011--Attaining the Supreme Nirvana in Hawaii--and--How to Minimize Being Criticised?
- Vraja Kishor, JP: What is Yoga?
- Akrura das, Gita Coaching: TAKE YOUR LIFE TO A NEXT LEVEL
- Akrura das, Gita Coaching: FREEDOM TO CHOOSE WHOM YOU LOVE
- ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana
- Japa Group: Don't Reduce
- Bharatavarsa.net: Book distribution seminar: auspicious
- Book Distribution News: auspicious
- Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: Mother Yasoda's recipe
- H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – BG 9.3 Developments Of Faith 6-17-2011 – Video
- H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – SB 1.3.2 Not A Mickey Mouse Watch 6-17-2011 – Video
- Vraja Kishor, JP: Tending The Garden of Divine Love
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Vraja Kishor, JP: Perspective on Bhakti, Peace, and Happiness
- Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Radha Shyam's Strawberry Shortcake
- Dandavats.com: Notice to our readers!
- Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Recipe : National Sugar Cookie Day
- Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: Animals Are Passing from Our Lives “Animals Are Passing from Our Lives” by Philip Levine
- Dandavats.com: The significance and glories of Rathayatra
- Dandavats.com: Future Cairns Hare Krishna restaurant
- Dandavats.com: News confernece at Bangalore
- Dandavats.com: 8th Mediterranean Traveling “Festival Of India 2011″ - Including Kosovo
- Dandavats.com: Deity & Devotee dresses ( Janmashtami Special)
- Dandavats.com: TKG Vyasa Puja -2011 in Delhi : Report, Photos & Audio Link
- H.H. Sivarama Swami: Remembering our savior Patita-pavana Jagannatha on this day of Rathayatra in Budapest
- Japa Group: This Is The Great Blessing
- Toronto Sankirtan Team, CA: Primary duty
- Toronto Sankirtan Team, CA: Directing life's energy
- Toronto Sankirtan Team, CA: Magic show of Maya
- Toronto Sankirtan Team, CA: A book for everyone
- H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Saturday 9 July 2011--Praying for the Volcanic Eruption of Bhakti--Don't Tell the Faithless About Krishna?
- Gouranga TV: Lecture – Giriraj Swami – Bhagavad-gita 3.10 – Sunday Feast
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H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Sunday 10 July 2011--Attaining the Supreme Nirvana in Hawaii--and--How to Minimize Being Criticised?
A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course Sunday 10 July 2011 The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, and His eternal consort, Srimati Radharani are enjoying transcendental pastimes in the topmost planet of the spiritual world, Sri Goloka Vrindavan. They are beckoning us to rejoin them. (Click on photo to see a larger image.) Our Mission: To help everyone awaken their original Krishna consciousness, which is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. Such a global awakening will, in one stroke, solve all the problems of the world society bringing in a new era of unprecedented peace and prosperity for all. May that day, which the world so desperately needs, come very soon. We request you to participate in this mission by reviving your dormant Krishna consciousness and assisting us in spreading this science all over the world. Dedicated with love to ISKCON Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master, and to you, our dear readers. Today's Thought: Attaining the Supreme Nirvana in Hawaii Uploaded from the Hilo, Hawaii USA Airport On Friday 8 July 2011 I lectured on attaining the supreme nirvana at the Volcano Garden Arts Gallery in Volcano, Hawaii. The term nirvana is usually associated with Buddhism. Nirvana means to become free from sufferings of material existence. The Buddhist nirvana takes one to a marginal position on the border between the material world and the spiritual world. This border is sometimes referred to as the Causal Ocean and sometimes referred to as Mahesh Dhama. Although this nirvana gives relief from the sufferings of material existence, it does not take one into the awakening of unlimited spiritual bliss and knowledge in a loving relationship with the Supreme Person. The supreme nirvana, in which one awakens the feelings of pure love of God within one's heart, takes one into a solid permanent identity in the spiritual world as an eternal association of the Lord. Because our nature as living beings is to be absorbed in loving relationships, the Buddhist nirvana does not permanently satisfy the living being, who will eventually come back down to the material existence to seek satisfying loving relationships or if he is extremely fortunate will progress to the supreme nirvana to give his pure love to the Supreme Person. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Revealing the Supreme Nirvana Volcano Gardens Art Gallery Volcano, Hawaii--8 July 2011 http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Spring/Volcano_Lect_1.JPG http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Spring/Volcano_Lect_2.JPG http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Spring/Volcano_Lect_3.JPG Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: How to Minimize Being Criticised? From every side I have been getting criticized from most of all people. Why it is happening to me? Some time I am feeling bad. What should I do to minimize the criticism? Your servant, Vanga Answer: Tolerate It and Go Back to Godhead In this material world we will be always be criticized because that is the nature of this material world. Since people here are envious, no matter what you do someone will always be there to criticize you. Therefore the best course of action is to be tolerant of all of this criticism and qualify yourself by full surrender at the lotus feet of the Lord to go back to home, back to Godhead, that place which is completely free from envy, where everybody is purely engaged in loving relationships with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and each other. Sankarshan Das AdhikariHow Transcendental Resources: Receive the Special Blessings of Krishna Now you too can render the greatest service to the suffering humanity and attract the all-auspicious blessings of Lord Sri Krishna upon yourself and your family by assisting our mission. Lectures and Kirtans in Audio and Video: Link to High Definition Videos Link to Over 1,000 Lecture Audios Lecture-Travel Schedule for 2011 http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/schedule Have Questions or Need Further Guidance? Check out the resources at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com or write Sankarshan Das Adhikari at: sda@backtohome.com Get your copy today of the world's greatest self-realization guide book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is available at:http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/store Know someone who could benefit from this? Forward it to them. 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•Vraja Kishor, JP: What is Yoga?
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Yoga was founded by Patanjali. The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali is the sure authority for the entire Yoga-darshan. Patanjali defines yoga as having 8 parts (astha-anga), and he defines the goal of these 8 steps of yoga as “ishvara pran-nidhan.” This means to give (nidhan) oneself, ones heart and life (prana), to the Personality of Godhead (ishvara). There is no other ultimate goal of yoga, though each stage has its own goals, and even each subpart has its own subgoals.
The stages are:
1) Yama – Rules.
This means controlling how you interact with others and with the world. The foremost rule is ahimsha, nonviolence. The foremost compoent of ahimsa is vegetarianism.
Ahimasa-siddhi, the perfection of ahimsa, results in it being literally impossible for anyone to be angry or violent in ones presence.
2) Niyama – Regulations
This means controlling how you treat yourself. How much you eat, how much you sleep, how much you have sex, etc. etc. etc. Celibacy is the primary niyama. The effect is that the nervous system and brain becomes supercharged and highly alert.
3) Asana – Posture
The third step is posture. These cause the body to be fully healthy. It is not really the goal that this makes us “fully aware and present” – rather the effect of perfecting asana is that there is no discomfort or disease at all in the body. A weak or sore body distracts the mind. Therefore yoga establishes health before establishing meditation.
4) Paranyama – breath
As asana makes the muscles and systems of the body free from pain and disease, ruling the breath (pranayama) cleans the mind and emotions of discomfort and mental disease.
5) Pratyahara – Withdrawl
When one is good in how he relates to others, to himself, and when ones body and mind are sound and present no distractions one can begin meditation. Meditation begins by withdrawing all ones awareness from the external world.
6) Dharana – Focus
Once the senses are withdrawn from external perception they can begin to sense the internal world. At this step one begins to focus on the ishvara (godhead) known as Parambrahma, Paramatma – who is the soul within the inner core of our own inner core.
7) Dhyana – Meditation
When that focus on the supersoul is undisturbed be attain the 7th stage of yoga.
Samadhi – Constant contemplation
When our focus on the supersoul NEVER ENDS, we attain perfection through yoga. This is the goal of yoga.
•Akrura das, Gita Coaching: TAKE YOUR LIFE TO A NEXT LEVEL
It's not the way things are, it's the way we are.
Coaching will unlock your potential by helping you grow and investing in your ability to achieve.
Discomfort equals growth. We are being asked to stretch way outside of our comfort zone. My wish is that our stretch will lead to extraordinary innovation and evolution as people and as a global community.
Not everyone is ready for coaching. Are you?
Working weekly with a coach allows you the structure and the time to work on your life instead of just being in it.
You use the coach to get you where you want to go. If you don't show up and you don't do the work, then you'll be doing what you've always done and getting the usual results. To get the most out of coaching, work it, follow up, take action after each session!
Be someone who values him- or herself enough to do so.
When people first find a coach, they often consider their coach their "secret weapon".
Would it be useful having a partner who is 100 percent devoted to your success? Can you do it alone? Absolutely. Can you do it better with someone to hold you accountable, cheer you on, point out pitfalls, build on your strengths, and help you chart out your path? Well ... you may give it a try and see for yourself.
A coach's main job is to help you to take action to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
LBFCoach
•Akrura das, Gita Coaching: FREEDOM TO CHOOSE WHOM YOU LOVE
You certainly have limited freedom to choose, but if you choose improperly, you have to suffer. Responsibility and freedom go hand in hand. At the same time, there must be discrimination. Without it, our freedom is blind. We cannot understand right from wrong.
People are very fond of claiming to be free, and in the name of freedom they are prepared to have sex in the street. Such illusioned living entities do not know that there is no freedom at all as long as we are under the grip of material nature. One may claim to have freedom, but nature will soon contradict this claim. We are all conditioned, and we are simply thinking that we have freedom, yet this is all illusion.
No one wants to die, and yet no one is free from death. No one wants to become old, yet no one is free from old age unless he dies young. No one wants to be in bondage to sexual desires, but the desires keep up, even in old age, for old men and old women try to remain young by cosmetic help. One would like to be free and to remain good-looking, but where is that freedom? Nature forces one to become old and wrinkled. So actually there is no freedom; freedom in this material world is simply false.
No one wants to die, but death is certain. No one wants to become old, but old age is certain. No one wants to get sick, but disease is certain. At a higher stage, the living entity does not even want to take birth, but according to Bhagavad-gita birth is also certain. One cannot be free to stop death or birth unless he comes to Krsna consciousness.
Unless one comes to the position of love of Krsna, there is no question of freedom. That is nature's law. In our present state of illusion we have forgotten Krsna, and instead of loving Him we have developed a love for the things of material nature.
This is symptomized in love of dog instead of love of God. In America there is a popular saying to the effect that a dog is man's best friend. In Bhagavad-gita Krsna says that He, God, is the friend and well-wisher of all living entities, but those in forgetfulness of Krsna have replaced God's position with the dog's position.
The living entity thinks that he will be free from love of God by embracing material nature, but actually he is trapped into loving a dog. That is nature. Indeed, it is our nature to love something. There is no freedom, therefore. If we do not love Krsna, we will then be forced to love dog. We do have freedom, however, to make the choice, to choose the object of our love.
- Srila Prabhupada
•ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana
The Deities are being offered non-stop kirtan today; 12 hours straight of glorification of Their Holy Names.
It is your good fortune that you may still have darsana of Their Lordships if you don't make it to Melbourne Mahaprabhu Mandir... but you are missing out on the 12-Hour Kirtan live experience.
So please come down and imbibe the whole nectarean mood.
•Japa Group: Don't Reduce
In a very good session of the Japa Room there were many wonderful questions and comments by everyone. Once point in particular got me talking about the importance of increasing our chanting. The question came in an interesting form....I was asked whether we should reduce our chanting if we are committing offenses to the Holy names and in this way avoiding or reducing our offenses.
The first regulative principle is that one must chant the Hare Krsna maha−mantra loudly enough so that he can hear himself, and one must vow to chant a fixed number of rounds.
Sri Caitanya caritamrta Antya−lila 11.24
•Bharatavarsa.net: Book distribution seminar: auspicious
"The distribution of our literatures is such an important task, for as more people read these books, more and more the whole world will become auspicious, and the degrading influence of this age of Kali will become minimized." (Srila Prabhupada letter to Koumadaki, March 27, 1972)
•Book Distribution News: auspicious
"The distribution of our literatures is such an important task, for as more people read these books, more and more the whole world will become auspicious, and the degrading influence of this age of Kali will become minimized." (Srila Prabhupada letter to Koumadaki, March 27, 1972)
•Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: Mother Yasoda's recipe
Once you cooked some kachoris, and when one devotee tasted them he remarked, "Srila Prabhupada, I have never had such wonderful kachoris!" You said, "Oh, yes, that's because this is Mother Yasoda's recipe."
from Badrinarayan dasa's Vyasa-puja offering, 2002
•H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – BG 9.3 Developments Of Faith 6-17-2011 – Video
Lecture on Bhagavad Gita verse 9.3 given on June 17, 2011 in Timisoara, Romania.
dharmasyasya parantapa
TRANSLATION
Those who are not faithful in this devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of enemies. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in this material world.
PURPORT
The faithless cannot accomplish this process of devotional service; that is the purport of this verse. Faith is created by association with devotees. Unfortunate people, even after hearing all the evidence of Vedic literature from great personalities, still have no faith in God. They are hesitant and cannot stay fixed in the devotional service of the Lord. Thus faith is a most important factor for progress in Krishna consciousness. In the Caitanya-caritamrita it is said that faith is the complete conviction that simply by serving the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, one can achieve all perfection. That is called real faith. As stated in theSrimad-Bhagavatam (4.31.14),
yatha taror mula-nishecanena
tripyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah
pranopaharac ca yathendriyanam
tathaiva sarvarhanam acyutejya
“By giving water to the root of a tree one satisfies its branches, twigs and leaves, and by supplying food to the stomach one satisfies all the senses of the body. Similarly, by engaging in the transcendental service of the Supreme Lord one automatically satisfies all the demigods and all other living entities.” Therefore, after reading Bhagavad-gita one should promptly come to the conclusion of Bhagavad-gita: one should give up all other engagements and adopt the service of the Supreme Lord, Krishna, the Personality of Godhead. If one is convinced of this philosophy of life, that is faith.
Now, the development of that faith is the process of Krishna consciousness. There are three divisions of Krishna conscious men. In the third class are those who have no faith. Even if they are officially engaged in devotional service, they cannot achieve the highest perfectional stage. Most probably they will slip, after some time. They may become engaged, but because they haven’t complete conviction and faith, it is very difficult for them to continue in Krishna consciousness. We have practical experience in discharging our missionary activity that some people come and apply themselves to Krishna consciousness with some hidden motive, and as soon as they are economically a little well situated they give up this process and take to their old ways again. It is only by faith that one can advance in Krishna consciousness. As far as the development of faith is concerned, one who is well versed in the literatures of devotional service and has attained the stage of firm faith is called a first-class person in Krishna consciousness. And in the second class are those who are not very advanced in understanding the devotional scriptures but who automatically have firm faith that krishna-bhakti, or service to Krishna, is the best course and so in good faith have taken it up. Thus they are superior to the third class, who have neither perfect knowledge of the scriptures nor good faith but by association and simplicity are trying to follow. The third-class person in Krishna consciousness may fall down, but when one is in the second class he does not fall down, and for the first-class person in Krishna consciousness there is no chance of falling down. One in the first class will surely make progress and achieve the result at the end. As far as the third-class person in Krishna consciousness is concerned, although he has faith in the conviction that devotional service to Krishna is very good, he has not yet gained adequate knowledge of Krishna through the scriptures like Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. Sometimes these third-class persons inKrishna consciousness have some tendency toward karma-yoga and jnana-yoga, and sometimes they are disturbed, but as soon as the infection of karma-yoga or jnana-yoga is vanquished, they become second-class or first-class persons in Krishna consciousness. Faith in Krishna is also divided into three stages and described in Srimad-Bhagavatam. First-class attachment, second-class attachment and third-class attachment are also explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam in the Eleventh Canto. Those who have no faith even after hearing about Krishna and the excellence of devotional service, who think that it is simply eulogy, find the path very difficult, even if they are supposedly engaged in devotional service. For them there is very little hope of gaining perfection. Thus faith is very important in the discharge of devotional service.
BG 09.03 Developments Of Faith 2011-06-17
http://vimeo.com/25267394 Lecture on Bhagavad Gita verse 9.3 given on June 17, 2011 in Timisoara, Romania. Bhagavad-gita As It Is 9.3 asraddadhanah purusha dharmasyasya parantapa aprapya mam nivartante mrityu-samsara-vartmani TRANS... •H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – SB 1.3.2 Not A Mickey Mouse Watch 6-17-2011 – Video
Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.2 titled “Not A Mickey Mouse Watch” given on June 17, 2011 in Timisoara, Romania.
Maha Vishnu lies down in the Karana Ocean (causal ocean) and impregnates Parkriti (or nature).
Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.2
yasyambhasi sayanasya
nabhi-hradambujad asid
TRANSLATION
A part of the purusha lies down within the water of the universe, from the navel lake of His body sprouts a lotus stem, and from the lotus flower atop this stem, Brahma, the master of all engineers in the universe, becomes manifest.
PURPORT
The first purusha is the Karanodakasayi Vishnu. From His skin holes innumerable universes have sprung up. In each and every universe, the purusha enters as the Garbhodakasayi Vishnu. He is lying within the half of the universe which is full with the water of His body. And from the navel of Garbhodakasayi Vishnuhas sprung the stem of the lotus flower, the birthplace of Brahma, who is the father of all living beings and the master of all the demigod engineers engaged in the perfect design and working of the universal order. Within the stem of the lotus there are fourteen divisions of planetary systems, and the earthly planets are situated in the middle. Upwards there are other, better planetary systems, and the topmost system is called Brahmaloka or Satyaloka. Downwards from the earthly planetary system there are seven lower planetary systems inhabited by the asuras and similar other materialistic living beings.
From Garbhodakasayi Vishnu there is expansion of the Kshirodakasayi Vishnu, who is the collective Paramatma of all living beings. He is called Hari, and from Him all incarnations within the universe are expanded.
Therefore, the conclusion is that the purusha-avatara is manifested in three features — first the Karanodakasayi who creates aggregate material ingredients in the mahat-tattva, second the Garbhodakasayi who enters in each and every universe, and third the Kshirodakasayi Vishnu who is the Paramatma of every material object, organic or inorganic. One who knows these plenary features of the Personality of Godhead knows Godhead properly, and thus the knower becomes freed from the material conditions of birth, death, old age and disease, as it is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, In this sloka the subject matter of Maha-Vishnu is summarized. The Maha-Vishnu lies down in some part of the spiritual sky by His own free will. Thus He lies on the ocean of karana, from where He glances over His material nature, and the mahat-tattva is at once created. Thus electrified by the power of the Lord, the material nature at once creates innumerable universes, just as in due course a tree decorates itself with innumerable grown fruits. The seed of the tree is sown by the cultivator, and the tree or creeper in due course becomes manifested with so many fruits. Nothing can take place without a cause. The Karana Ocean is therefore called the Causal Ocean. Karana means “causal.” We should not foolishly accept the atheistic theory of creation. The description of the atheists is given in the Bhagavad-gita. The atheist does not believe in the creator, but he cannot give a good theory to explain the creation. Material nature has no power to create without the power of the purusha, just as a prakriti, or woman, cannot produce a child without the connection of a purusha, or man. The purusha impregnates, and the prakriti delivers. We should not expect milk from the fleshy bags on the neck of a goat, although they look like breastly nipples. Similarly, we should not expect any creative power from the material ingredients; we must believe in the power of the purusha, who impregnates prakriti, or nature. Because the Lord wished to lie down in meditation, the material energy created innumerable universes at once, in each of them the Lord lay down, and thus all the planets and the different paraphernalia were created at once by the will of the Lord. The Lord has unlimited potencies, and thus He can act as He likes by perfect planning, although personally He has nothing to do. No one is greater than or equal to Him. That is the verdict of the Vedas.
SB 01.03.02 Not A Mickey Mouse Watch 2011-06-17
http://vimeo.com/25227378 Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.2 titled “Not A Mickey Mouse Watch” given on June 17, 2011 in Timisoara, Romania. Maha Vishnu lies down in the Karana Ocean (causal ocean) and impregnates Parkriti (or nature). Srimad Bh... •Vraja Kishor, JP: Tending The Garden of Divine Love
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After explaining to Sri Rupa the rarity of Krsna-bhakti. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu now explains how to cultivate it.
A very rare soul wandering through the universe gets the mercy of Krsna through a Guru – that is the seed of Bhakti, divine love.
Becoming a gardener, he sows the seed and waters it with hearing and chanting about Krsna. Thus the seed grows into a spout which gets bigger and bigger as it is watered. It pierces the shell of the universe, traverses the ocean of causality, enters the pure effulgence and penetrates into the spiritual world. Reaching the topmost spiritual planet – Goloka Vrindavana – the vine of divine love finally finds the wish-fulfilling tree of Sri Krsna’s feet and embraces them. Then it begins to produce the fruit: divine love.
Meanwhile, the gardener continues watering the vine by hearing and chanting. If the gardener insults, disrespects or otherwise becomes antagonistic towards other gardeners – it is just like an elephant in heat storming into his garden, uprooting or crushing the vine of bhakti. The crushed, uprooted vine cannot cause the fruit of divine love to ripen. Therefore the gardener carefully builds high, strong walls to ensure protection from this elephant of disrespect towards others.
Even still, while carefully watering the vine of devotion many other weeds will appear. These weeds are countless permutations of desires to enjoy name and fame as a result of hearing and chanting about Krsna. They will choke and strangle the roots of the divine vine, and the fruit of divine love will cease to mature and ripen. Therefore the gardener must uproot each and every weed as soon as he sees it.
Thus soon the fruit of divine love becomes ripe and falls from the vine. The gardener climbs the vine to Krsna’s wish-fulfilling feet in Goloka-Vrindavana and there he blissfully enjoys the flavor of that fruit by directly serving Sri Krsna.
This is the highest reward of life, which makes all other rewards look like straw. One can be interested in other goals only so long as one has not caught the slight fragrance of that divine fruit’s scent.
Next, Mahaprabhu goes on to explain the characteristics of this fruit – pure divine love of Krsna.
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1963 July 9: "His Excellency Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, President of India: the Governor Of U.P., the Congress President and others all have sent their valued comments on my Srimad-Bhagavatam. I am also expecting your opinion on the publication. This will help me very much."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1947-64
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1968 July 9: "I am anxious about you because you are conducting one of the important departments of our activities and this will make your life successful. Keep yourself always healthy because you have to work so much for Krishna, and whenever you feel some difficulty, you may immediately inform me."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1969 July 9: "So far as I am concerned, I have accepted you as my disciple and you have accepted me as your Spiritual Father. This relationship cannot be ended anymore. It is eternal. So it will be my duty always to pray to Krishna for your further and further improvement."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1970 July 9: "It is very difficult to deal with these misguided people. We don't accept manufactured avatara. If Meher Baba or any other Baba claims to be Krsna, why will any intelligent man will go to the substitute leaving aside the original?"
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1971 July 9: "You have been in this movement since the very beginning and you say that you don't understand. And you have so many questions, but you will go on questioning throughout your whole life and never understand. So what is the use of asking questions?"
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1971 July 9: "GBC members are simply to see that things are going on. They are simply to examine that things are going on nicely, that is all. Other centers have got president, secretary, etc. and they are managing separately. That is the formula."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1972 July 9: "Now you GBC members, and other leaders must become very serious to actually give the human kind the greatest welfare. Your task ahead is very huge, but it will be quite simple and easy if you simply do as I am doing."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1974 July 9: "I think the convent is suitable for us and it is possible we can purchase it. How much financial help you require from the BBT you can talk on this and we should do the needful."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1967 July 7: "I am your Spiritual Father, and Krishna is your Spiritual Husband. A girl can never forget either her father or her husband. So far as remembering me and Krishna, it should be simultaneous."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967
•Srila Prabhupada's Letters
1970 July 7: "Concentrate to develop your spiritual power to attract the fallen souls. We must not misrepresent ourselves. All our activities must be open so that no one may criticize our mission."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
•Vraja Kishor, JP: Perspective on Bhakti, Peace, and Happiness
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This is the beginning of what Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said to Rupa Goswami to cause his complete enlightenment and empowerment as the modern day lord Brahma.
In the universe, there are infinite living things. All of them are dependent on Godhead.
Some of them move, some do not. Of those that move, some move in the air, some in the water and some on land.
Among all these, human beings are very scarce and rare. But the majority of human beings do not cultivate Vedic enlightenment. Among those few who do, at least half of them do so in name only, for in practice they completely ignore Vedic teachings.
Among those few who truly practice Vedic enlightenment, the majority do so through the rituals and duties of karma-marga. For a million such ritualistic people, there is only one philosopher (jnani) – and that one is better than the million.
The philosophers directly endeavor for liberation. But out of a million of them, there is only one who actually attains a liberated, enlightened state.
Out of a million enlightened philosophers, it is rare (durlabha) to find even one Krsna-bhakta (pure lover of Krsna).
The Krsna bhakta has no personal desires – therefore he has achieved shanti – peace. Religionists desire heaven, philosophers desire enlightenment, mystics desire perfections – there none of them has achieved true peace.
Bhagavata Purana confirms this: “Among many enlightened beings, and out of many perfected souls, to find a pure lover of Sri Narayana is extremely rare (sudurlabha). Among millions of beings only that person is truly peaceful and satisfied at heart.”
After this, Prabhu Caitanya goes on to educate Sri Rupa on how to cultivate Krsna bhakti.
•Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Radha Shyam's Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients:
- Fresh strawberries..the more the better but at least 1 litre.
- 1/3 cup sugar if using California/store bought strawberries. Slight less (1/4 cup) if using Fresh strawberries
- 1 container of Vanilla yogurt (approx 750ml).
(Custard also works well but did not use it this time.)
- 1 Tulasi leaf
Cake items:
- 2 cups white all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar...for cake...seperate from above sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 cup milk. (2/3 cup if using condensed or evaporated milk)
Preperation/Cooking:
- preheat oven to 450
- Wash and remove stems from strawberries and cut in half. (If big stawberries like the ones that come in the store these days...cut in quarters.) Mix the stawberries with sugar and set them aside while you prep the rest.
- Mix all the dry cake ingredients together and then mix the butter as well. when it is cookie crumb consistent slowly add the milk and mix together.
- knead the dough into 2 equal portions and then put into 2 pre-greased small round or square cake trays. Cook for 15 minutes or until done but not overdone.
Putting it together:
- take cakes out of oven and transfer to an offerable plate.
- lather the first cake with vanilla yogurt and strawberries (as prepped above).
- place the 2nd cake on top of this and give it a good squeeze. Let is be gooey and oozing out.
- layer the top cake with more vanilla yogurt and more strawberries.
[I have used custard instead of vanilla yogurt in the past and this gives the cake a nice different flavour...]
- place a Tulasi leave and offer it with all your heart and devotion to the Supreme enjoyer - Krishna.
Optional Final touch:
- In the Nectar of Instruction it speaks about loving exchanges and naturally when devotees are coming over we might want to show some extra love...so you can add a bit extra...
- Add a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on each portion you serve.
- throw some blueberries, sliced kiwi and diced mango on top of the ice cream scoop.
- drizzle the plate with the left over strawberry juice and shake some powdered sugar over the exposed strawberries.
(if you plan to do this final touch...it should be offered to Krishna like this as well....)
And that is Radha Shyam's Stawberry Shortcake. Hope you enjoy making it for your Radha-Shyam.
~ Kishori
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