H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Thursday 26 May 2011--It's All There Within You--and--Are ISKCON Gurus Not Nitya-Siddhas?

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Here are the latest updates for   "Planet ISKCON" - 100 new articles ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Hari Sauri Prabhu H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Thursday 26 May 2011--It's All There Within You--and--Are ISKCON Gurus Not Nitya-Siddhas? ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Hari Sauri Prabhu Akrura das, Gita Coaching: SPIRITUAL OASIS IN NEW YORK ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Hari Sauri Prabhu's Class ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Tuesday, May 24th, 2011 H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Monday, May 23rd, 2011 H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Sunday, May 22nd, 2011 H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Saturday, May 21st, 2011 H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Friday, May 20th, 2011 Japa Group: There Is No Other Greater Mantra Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: KC 101 - Importance of the Hare Krishna Maha Matra as explained by Srila Prabhupada Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Kc 101 - Importancia del Maha Matra Hare Krishna según lo explicó Srila Prabhupada 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 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 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 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 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 Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Collectibles : Future Vintage Rupa Madhurya das, TX, USA: Lecture - Jivananda das - SB 10.2.20 - How to Know God H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – Initiation- Of Jaya Radhe Shyam DD, Shyamasundar D, Sarasvati DD 2006-08-09 H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – Initiation Ceremony- Coming To The Point Of Mediation On Krishna, Sarva-Mangala DD 2006-01-10 Toronto Sankirtan Team, CA: 24th Monthly Sankirtan Festival - Lord NrsimhaDev's Special Krishna-kripa das, Mayapura: Travel Journal#7.9: Benelux Harinamas and German Festivals 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 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 Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Akrura das, Gita Coaching: INSIDE OUT CHANGE Book Distribution News: Get the mercy of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur at 7thGoswami.com Book Distribution News: Get the mercy of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur at 7thGoswami.com H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): 321—Poem for May 25 H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): OLD FRIENDS Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: First Strawberries Akrura das, Gita Coaching: REFLECTIONS ON LEADERSHIP Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Tipster : How To Perfectly Decorate A Cupcake Search Planet ISKCON Prior Mailing Archive Build your own custom video playlist at embedr.com Jay Govinda uploaded by bakaja at youtube.com Matthias King School Choir Conductor: Kunváriné Okos Ilona Shree Shree Sad Goswami Ashtaka uploaded by bakaja at youtube.com mixed choir clip Una Oracion por Misericordia uploaded by juancastaneira at youtube.com Es una Oración para la Humanidad, se pide una Oración por la Misericordia para el Bien del Mundo. Dadas la situación en que el Ser Humano se encuentra es bueno recordar lo Sagrado. Sri Caitanya 0240 KRISHNA STORY -- NAR NARAYAN AND BIRHT OF URVASHI uploaded by drsaurabhparikh at youtube.com The story now is going towards the past when Nar and Narayan go in deep meditation in the Himalayas. Due to their piousness and deep meditation, the throne of Indra is in trouble. Indra wants to break the Samadhi or meditation of them. Hence, he sends his beautiful apsaras to attract towards them and break the meditation. When the meditation is broken, Nar sees the apsaras, he creates one much beautiful and elegant from his thigh. This is how the most beautiful apasara of Lord Indra takes birth. He names her as Urvashi and tells them to take her as his gift to Indra and again goes in meditation. The Nar and Narayan are the future Krishna and Arjun in their next rebirths. See it presented nicely in "Krishna" serial by Ramanand Sagar. 0133 KRISHNA STORY -- MOHINI DISTRIBUTES AMRIT uploaded by drsaurabhparikh at youtube.com See the story of Samudramanthan and Mohini of Lord Vishna in Ramanand Sagar's serial "Krishna" Sita's svayamvara uploaded by SaadjeGeetaDevi at youtube.com Sri Rama is present at Sita mata's svayamvara in Mithila. Vishwamitra gives Rama his consent to break the bow of Shiva. After Rama has broken the bow, Sita comes down to garland Sri Rama. Haz Musica o Escucha el sonido Sound Matrix Posted: 22 Jan 2011 07:01 PM PST REFERENCIAS:sembeo.com   • Email to a friend • • H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Thursday 26 May 2011--It's All There Within You--and--Are ISKCON Gurus Not Nitya-Siddhas? A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course Thursday 26 May 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: It's All There Within You Uploaded from London, UK Unlimited peace, love, and happiness is there within you at every moment. You simply have to learn how to connect with it from a person who is already connected with it. That person is the bona fide spiritual master. The reawakening of that connection is the most unimaginably joyful experience that one can taste in millions and billions of eons. One simply has to master the art of purely loving Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the source of all existence by rendering uninterrupted, unmotivated service unto Him. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Reconnecting with Krishna Riga, Latvia--14 April 2011 http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Spring/Riga_Home_Program.jpg Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Are ISKCON Gurus Not Nitya-Siddhas? My dear Srila Gurudeva, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to You! I beg you to please clarify these points below whenever you get time. The spiritual master (an acarya) should be a nitya-siddha, an eternal associate of Lord Nityananda (stated clearly by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur in an article from the Harmonist). This is also supported by the writings of the Goswamis. The writings of Goswamis clearly clarify the nitya-siddha/nitya-baddha debate. Such a nitya-siddha descends to reclaim the souls (nitya-baddha jivas) on behalf of Lord Nityananda. On the contrary, why do we have diksa gurus in our society who are not nitya-siddhas? Your servant, B.D. Answer: Why Assume They Are Not Nitya-Siddhas? You are wondering why we have gurus in ISKCON who are not nitya-siddhas (liberated souls). But why should it be assumed that they are not nitya-siddhas? So-called gurus who fall down are obviously not in this category, but any guru who never fells down must be accepted as being a nitya-siddha. A guru can enter into this world as a nitya-siddha or he can be a conditioned soul who becomes a nitya-siddha by the association of a nitya-siddha. In either case he is fully qualified to be a spiritual master and deliver the fallen, conditioned souls back to home, back to Godhead. According to Srila Prabhupada, anyone who is preaching the sankirtana movement is a nitya-siddha. Srila Prabhupada stated this in a Sunday Feast Lecture delivered on 15 June 1975 in Honolulu as quoted here: Anyone who is preaching the sankirtana movement is associate of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sangopangastra... Just like Advaita Prabhu, Nityananda Prabhu helped, similarly, anyone, even up to date, who is trying to help the propagation of Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission, preach this sankirtana movement all over the world, he is also associate of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Gaurangera sangi-gane nitya-siddha boli mane. They are not ordinary human being. Nitya-siddha, ever liberated. Srila Prabhupada explains how the conditioned soul can become nitya-siddha in a Srimad Bhagavatam lecture (7.9.4.) delivered in Mayapur, India on 11 February 1976 as follows: So the nitya-siddha maha-bhagavata, they come from the spiritual world on the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they, by example, preach Krishna Consciousness. This is maha-bhagavata. By suffering, by example, everything, they look like ordinary men, but maha-bhagavata. How it is tested? They never forget Krishna. This is maha-bhagavata nitya-siddha. And sadhana-siddha means those who are put into this material world, by the association of maha-bhagavata, if he tries, follows, then he can also become maha-bhagavata or nitya-siddha, because originally everyone is nitya-siddha. If we ask the spiritual master if he is in the position of nitya-siddha, will not tell us, Yes, I am liberated soul, a nitya-siddha. In a room conversation on 16 August 1976 in Mumbai, India Srila Prabhupada clearly states makes this point: Liberated soul never says, 'I am liberated.' As soon as he says, 'liberated,' he's a rascal. A liberated soul will never say that 'I am liberated.' That is liberated. The above points are further confirmed in letter written by Srila Prabhupada to Mukunda das on 10 June 1969 from New Vrindavan: You are correct when you say that when the spiritual master speaks it should be taken that Krishna is speaking. That is a fact. A spiritual master must be liberated. It does not matter if he has come from Krishnaloka or he is liberated from here. But he must be liberated. The science of how one is liberated is explained above, but when one is liberated, there is no need of distinction whether he has come directly from Krishnaloka or from the material world. But in the broader sense everyone comes from Krishnaloka. And also in a letter from Srila Prabhupada to Tamal Krishna Das written on 21 June 1970 in Los Angeles: A spiritual master is always liberated. In any condition of His life He should not be mistaken as ordinary human being. This position of a spiritual master is achieved by three processes. One is called sadhana-siddha. That means one who is liberated by executing the regulative principle of devotional service. Another is krpa-siddha, one who is liberated by the mercy of Krishna or His devotee. And another is nitya-siddha who is never forgetful of Krishna throughout his whole life. These are the three features of the perfection of life. So far Narada Muni is concerned, in his previous life he was a maidservant's son, but by the mercy of the devotees he later on became siddha and next life he appeared as Narada with complete freedom to move anywhere by the grace of the Lord. So even though he was in his previous life a maidservant's son, there was no impediment in the achievement of His perfect spiritual life. Similarly any living entity who is conditioned can achieve the perfectional stage of life by the above mentioned processes and the vivid example is Narada Muni. So I do not know why you have asked about my previous life. Whether I was subjected to the laws of material nature? So, even though accepting that I was subjected to the laws of material nature, does it hamper in my becoming spiritual master? What is your opinion? From the life of Narada Muni it is distinct that although he was a conditioned soul in his previous life, there was no impediment of his becoming the spiritual master. Our first duty as followers of Srila Prabhupada is to carefully and thoroughly study his writings until we develop a solid mastery of them. Sometimes we see that neophyte devotees will jump to reading Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and the Six Goswamis before mastering their understanding of Srila Prabhupada's teachings. This can cause them to become confused. This is why I instruct my disciples to first carefully study all of Srila Prabhupada's teachings before venturing out to the writings of the previous acharyas. If a first grade arithmetic student sits in on an advanced calculus class, he will become confused. But if he progresses gradually and naturally through all the stages of mathematics, he will become a master of all the higher level understandings of mathematics in due course of time. In conclusion, we must always remember that if we want to properly understand the Vedic wisdom we must have unflinching faith in the spiritual master. This is confirmed as follows in the Vedic wisdom: yasya deve par bhaktir yath deve tath gurau tasyaite kathit hy arthh prakante mahtmanah Only unto those great souls who have unflinching faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.--vetvatara Upanisad 6.23 If we doubt the spiritual master thinking him to be an ordinary, conditioned soul like us, we will never be able to properly understand the Vedic wisdom. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Transcendental Resources: Receive the Special Blessings of Krishna Now you too can render the greatest service to the suffering humanity and attract the all-auspicious blessings of Lord Sri Krishna upon yourself and your family by assisting our mission. Lectures and Kirtans in Audio and Video: Link to High Definition Videos Link to Over 1,000 Lecture Audios Lecture-Travel Schedule for 2011 http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/schedule Have Questions or Need Further Guidance? Check out the resources at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com or write Sankarshan Das Adhikari at: sda@backtohome.com Get your copy today of the world's greatest self-realization guide book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is available at:http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/store Know someone who could benefit from this? Forward it to them. Searchable archives of all of course material: http://www.sda-archives.com Receive Thought for the Day as an RSS feed: http://www.backtohome.com/rss.htm Unsubscribe or change your email address Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Daily_Thought Sankarshan Das Adhikari on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SDASITE Thought for the Day on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Ultimate.Self.Realization Copyright 2005-2011 by Ultimate Self Realization.Com Distribution of this material is encouraged. Simply we request you to acknowledge where it is coming from with a link to our sign up page: http://www.backtohome.com Our records indicate that at requested to be enrolled to receive e-mails from the Ultimate Self Realization Course at: This request was made on: From the following IP address:   • Email to a friend • • ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Hari Sauri Prabhu ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Hari Sauri Prabhu ISKCON Melbourne, Daily Class - HG Hari Sauri Prabhu - Srila Prabhupada - The Living Bhagavata - Part 4 Melbourne, Australia Thursday, May 26, 2011 Part 4 - Cooking for Srila Prabhupada. 15.1MB Posted by Bhakti Sara Dasa at 26/5/11; 1:35:07 PM to the Daily Class dept ISKCON Melbourne, Daily Class - HG Hari Sauri Prabhu - Srila Prabhupada - The Living Bhagavata ISKCON Melbourne, Daily Class - HG Hari Sauri Prabhu - Srila Prabhupada - The Living Bhagavata - Part 3 Melbourne, Australia Evening Class given on Wednesday, 25th May 2011 Part 3 - More about Prasadam & cooking. Srila Prabhupada would always remind the devotees that prasadam distribution is one of the primary functions of the Krsna consciousness movement. Chant, dance & take prasadam & bas... 17.9MB Posted by Bhakti Sara Dasa at 26/5/11; 11:20:04 AM to the Daily Class dept ISKCON Melbourne, Daily Class - HG Hari Sauri Prabhu - Srila Prabhupada - The Living Bhagavata Evening Class given on Wednesday, 25th May 2011 Srila Prabhupada - The Living Bhagavata Part 3 - More about Prasadam & cooking. Srila Prabhupada would always remind the devotees that prasadam distribution is one of the primary functions of the Krsna consciousness movement. Chant, dance & take prasadam & bas...   • Email to a friend • •   Akrura das, Gita Coaching: SPIRITUAL OASIS IN NEW YORK New York Click on the title. This is a cool small spiritual hotel in Manhattan, New York.   • Email to a friend • •   ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Hari Sauri Prabhu's Class   Please note that due to high attendance to Hari Sauri Prabhu's classes, tonight's class will be held in the Temple Room at 7.30pm to accomodate everyone.   • Email to a friend • •   ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana   Sitting in class and listening to Srila Prabhupada's memoirs we realise how fortunate we are that this great realised soul has made it possible for us to have our blessed daily darsana. If you haven't been attending Hari Sauri Prabhu's classes, we would highly recommend to download them. They are pure nectar in a condensed state.   • Email to a friend • •   H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Tuesday, May 24th, 2011 Initiate! Miami/Toronto I was being driven to Miami Airport when a devotee passenger asked about my year of becoming a monk. "It was in '73." "How about initiation?" he asked. "Same year." He asked aobut the second initiation, known as a brahminical (priest) order. "It was '74." "How about your third initiation?" Here he was referring to the acceptance of the sannyas order (celibate for life and to teach). "Now that was years later, in '84" He was curious or maybe even facetious when he asked me, "Is there a fourth initiation?" "Yes, death!" To that remark my questioner went hysterical. As I explained, "you just might receive liberation and if not, that then a new body, a new order." Our car stopped at U.S. Airways for me to secure my boarding pass. As I picked up my luggage the devotee known as Krsnadasa asked another on, "Will you write about this in your blog?" "Hey, I probably will." He just liked the 'death line' so much. We bid farewell, exchanging obeisances, hugs and "take care!" remarks. After a flight with stopover at Charlotte, I was picked up at the Toronto Airport. I asked my driver, Madhavendra, to drop me off before reaching home so I can walk a distance. For 6 kilometres I trekked (4 later in the day). A thought came to my head. Life is like a deadline. You take a good shot at this life, then you die. "It's a test," I remember telling Krsnadasa, "you then are initiated into a new existence." 10 Km   • Email to a friend • •   H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Monday, May 23rd, 2011 Near Perfect - Near Fun Miami, Florida Down Main and Douglas Rd. we went at the hour of brahma-muhurta (pre-dawn). Three devotional men and one devotional woman tread this path through a banyan tree-lined district. Affluent homes, private schools and religious institutions, a synagogue, Episcopalian and Catholic churches occupy plots of waterfront with the Atlantic to one side and the commutes road to the other. A touch of Vrndavan, India, marks this place with peacocks cooing at almost every one of the greenish urban blocks. Garga Muni, one of the devotional men, bursts into a laughter as we are trekking. Just out of the blue he chuckles and then explains himself “It just doesn’t get better than this,” he says, implying that the atmosphere, time and company was near perfect. I was inclined to agree. In particular good company or what is referred to as sanga is critical to establishing our spiritual development. The spiritual bond with people is essential. Such was expressed by the great teacher of devotion, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. His directive was to keep company with the spritually evolved. In the afternoon a group of devotees took the value of this good association to include some water-fun at Biscayne Key beach district. It was another exploration of bonding and something that Mahaprabhu participated in, in a matter of loving exchange. His final retiring phase of pilgrimage was Puri in the state of Orissa. There, He lost Himself in water-play with His spiritual associates. I wanted to say this to verify that my associates and I were not just in frivolous illusion. There are times for us to be less formal and the need to bring in the human touch. 9 KM   • Email to a friend • •   H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Sunday, May 22nd, 2011 Cooling Off in Miami Miami, Florida Being in a Canadian body, I hanker for coolness to contend with Florida’s heat. This is happily accomplished by catching the ocean breeze in the early morning and at night. That’s also when to walk. In the day the natural regime is “stay indoors”. Keep cool with a fan (or two) and sip fresh papaya juice with powdered cardamom seeds sprinkled inside. I had my “rounds done”, meaning that I had completed my prescribed chanting with the aid of meditation beads on a 108 beaded strand. I had done sixteen revolutions or “rounds”. This brings about a mental coolness, a necessary preparedness for discussing some hot topics for the day. Malati, a God-sister, dressed in her usual saffron sari, and elders of the Krishna community here had ample dialogue in the guest room in which I’m accommodated. It was a healthy mental and intellectual exercise. I felt like my brains were working. Only once during the course of our discussions did I ponder tomorrows drive to the ocean. In the evening Cuban born, Iksvaku, officiated as priest to a fire sacrifice. He stoked the fire in the small brick structured Kund or fire pit of sand. In the usual style and procedure of feeding the fire with ghee and the utterance of mantras the ceremony of diksha (initiation) was firmed up. A member of the community, a strong-bodied, soft-hearted Jose received a new name, Jaya Dharma. He has become the recent hero in the community by giving an extraordinary face-lift to the Temple’s exterior. The interior will soon begin. Devotional service can be executed in multiple ways. Adding welcoming colours to the building was his way of serving. Anyone endeavoring on the spiritual path should ask, “What is my service?”   • Email to a friend • •   H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Saturday, May 21st, 2011 Stand But Be Tossed Miami, Florida Well, the earth still stands. Another Doomsday prophesy went up in smoke. We will hold our breath until a new one surfaces. In the meantime we shall chant and serve Krishna and the world. I filled out the blue slip, a Customs form to enter the United States. The questionnaire asks if the purpose of the trip is business and I checked it as “No”. The actual intent of my visit to Miami was to offer and receive sanga, spiritual association. While in the air I considered that if the world dissolves would American Airlines Flight 2173 be immune to devastation? Where would we Land? I did land and was welcomed at the Miami ISKCON Temple, newly painted and looking good. In the evening a town meeting was called or as we call it, Istaghosti, a gathering of devotees who were speaking from their hearts about what they love about the Temple and secondly, what areas need improving? It was a good exercise which involved people volunteering to assist in some restructuring. Now we merely need to see the follow-up. In the process, a few “trees were shaken” so to speak, meaning that in some indirect way, individuals were challenged. Again such an exercise is good. As I was saying to Jonathan, a Krishna novice, who very enthusiastically took to walking with me and another monk, Johnudvipa, “It’s good for trees to be tossed a bit by the movement of the wind. It strengthens the tree.” 6 KM   • Email to a friend • •   H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Friday, May 20th, 2011 What to Do About Doomsday Scenarios Milton, Ontario She is a young mother who was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago. The news hit her with gloom. Her husband was extremely supportive while their young son, age 4, knew little about what’s going on. Fortunately with treatment and a whole lot of care and encouragement from the community (and God) she is now cleared of cancer. In appreciation of the remarkable support from all, the couple hosted a satsang (spiritual gathering). I was asked to attend, to speak, to chant. By the end of the evening the couple expressed their gratitude to all. The gloom was gone. As I had wound up my talk speaking from the Gita 10:8 I asked for questions and a gentleman raised his hand. His question was, “What do you think about the doomsday theory? According to one group tomorrow the world ends.” Smiles came to the faces of some while others looked rather unphased. My answer: Doomsday is everyday. We can die at any moment. We can prepare ourselves for that personal time in crisis, however Chant with an open heart. Fix the mind on the absolute. There is no reason to believe that May 21st is an apocalyptic date. Nothing verifies that from a Vedic perspective but what is certain is that each and everyone of us is mortal. Let’s immerse ourselves in a culture of encouragement and service for His pleasure. 0 KM   • Email to a friend • •   Japa Group: There Is No Other Greater Mantra You have asked some specific mantra; there is no other greater mantra than Hare Krsna. Srila Bhaktivinode says, "When I chant Radha Krsna or Hare Krsna all my dangers are gone immediately." So which other mantra can be more effective than Hare Krsna? Letter to Upendra - Monday, 25 May, 1970   • Email to a friend • •   Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: KC 101 - Importance of the Hare Krishna Maha Matra as explained by Srila Prabhupada In yesterday's post we provided a wonderful quote from Srila Prabhupada for PHL 101 (University Philosophy course) and today is another wonderful quote for KC 101 (Krishna Consciousness 101), where Srila Prabhupada explains the importance of the maha mantra. Sometimes when reading or researching you just stumble upon something you want to share and this is the case with yesterday's and today's post. Thanks for letting us share this with you and of course Thank You Srila Prabhupada for these words. This transcendental vibration by chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, is the sublime method for reviving our Krishna consciousness. As living spiritual souls, we are all originally Krishna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by the material atmosphere. In this polluted concept of life, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in our complexities. This illusion is called maya, or hard struggle for existence, for winning over the stringent laws of material nature. This illusory struggle against material nature can at once be stopped by revival of our Krishna consciousness. Krishna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. This consciousness is the original natural energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived, and the process is recommended by authorities for this age. By practical experience also, we can perceive that by chanting this maha-mantra, or the Great Chanting for Deliverance, one can at once feel transcendental ecstasy from the spiritual stratum. And when one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind and intelligence, one is situated on the transcendental plane. This chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, surpassing all lower strata of consciousness — namely sensual, mental and intellectual. There is no need of understanding the language of the mantra, nor there is any need for mental speculation, nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in this transcendental sound vibration without any previous qualification, and dance in ecstasy. We have seen it practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting, or even a dog can take part in it. Chanting should be heard from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that immediate effect can be achieved. As far as possible, chanting from the lips of a non-devotee should be avoided as much as milk touched by the lips of a serpent causes a poisonous effect. The word Hara is the form of addressing the energy of the Lord. Both Krishna and Rama are forms of addressing directly the Lord and They mean the highest pleasure, eternal.  Hara is the supreme pleasure potency of the Lord. This potency when addressed as Hare helps us in reaching the Supreme Lord. The material energy, called as maya, is also one of the multi-potencies of the Lord, as much as we are also marginal potency of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior energy than matter. When the superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the supreme marginal potency is in contact with the spiritual potency, Hara, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity. The three words, namely Hara, Krishna and Rama, are transcendental seeds of the maha-mantra and the chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy, Hara, for giving protection to the conditioned soul. The chanting is exactly like a genuine cry by the child for mother. Mother Hara helps in achieving the grace of the Supreme Father, Hari, or Krishna, and the Lord reveals Himself to such sincere devotee. No other means therefore of spiritual realization is as effective in this age as chanting the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. ~ His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Kc 101 - La importancia del Maha Matra Hare Krishna según lo explicó Srila Prabhupada theharekrishnamovement.wordpress.com Ayer pusimos unas notas maravillosas sobre nuestro Guru Srila Prabhupada para PHL 101 (curso de filosofía en la universidad) y hoy otras notas maravillosas para kc 101 (Conciencia de Krishna 101), donde Srila Prabhupada explica la importancia del Maha Mantra. A veces al leerle o al investigarle sus dichos y obras apenas tropezé con algo que uno quiere compartir y éste es el caso de las notas de ayer y de hoy. Gracias por dejarnos compartir esto con usted y por supuesto para agradecerle a Srila Prabhupada por estas palabras. Esta vibración trascendental al cantar Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, es el sublime método para restablecer nuestro sentido de Krishna. Como almas de vida espirituales, somos todos originalmente las entidades conscientes de Krishna, pero debido a nuestra asociación con la materia de tiempo inmemorial, nuestros sentidos ahora están contaminado por la atmósfera material. En este concepto de vida contaminado, estamos todos intentando explotar los recursos de la naturaleza material, pero nos estamos enredando realmente cada vez más en nuestras complejidades. Esta ilusión se llama maya, o la dura lucha por la existencia, para ganar sobre las leyes rigurosas de la naturaleza material. Esta lucha ilusoria contra la naturaleza material se puede inmediatamente parar por revivir nuestra conciencia de Krishna. La conciencia de Krishna no es una imposición artificial en la mente. Este sentido es la energía natural original de la entidad viviente3. Cuando oímos la vibración trascendental, se restablece esta conciencia, y el proceso es recomendado por las autoridades para esta edad. Por experiencia práctica también, podemos percibir eso cantando este Maha-mantra, o el gran canto por la liberación, una puede inmediatamente sentir éxtasis trascendental desde la plataforma espiritual. Y cuando uno está efectivo en la etapa de la comprensión espiritual, sobrepasando las etapas del sentido, mente e inteligencia, uno se sitúa en el plano trascendental. El este canto Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare se decreta directamente de la plataforma espiritual, sobrepasando todos los estratos más bajos de los sentidos - a saber, sensual, mental e intelectual. No hay necesidad de entender la lengua del mantra, ni hay ninguna necesidad de la especulación mental, ni de cualquier ajuste intelectual para cantar este Maha-mantra. Procede automáticamente de la plataforma espiritual, y como tal, cualquier persona puede participar en esta sana vibración trascendental sin ninguna calificación anterior, y baila en éxtasis. Lo hemos visto prácticamente. Incluso un niño puede participar en cantar, o aún un perro puede participar en él. El cantar se debe oír de los labios de un devoto puro del Señor, para poder alcanzar el efecto inmediato. Lo más lejos posible, el cantar de los labios de un no-devoto se debe evitar tanto como la leche tocada por los labios de una serpiente causa un efecto venenoso. La palabra Hara es la forma de tratar la energía del Señor. Krishna y Rama son formas de dirigirse directamente al Señor y significan el placer más elevado y eterno. Hara es la Potencia Suprema del Placer del Señor. Esta potencia cuando está tratada como Hare nos ayuda a alcanzar al Señor Supremo. La energía material, llamada maya, es también una de las multiples potencias del Señor, tanto como nosotros que somos también Potencia Marginal del Señor. Se describen las entidades vivientes como energía superior a la materia, que es la energía inferior. Cuando la energía superior está en contacto con la energía inferior, se convierte en una situación incompatible. Pero cuando la potencia marginal suprema está en contacto con la potencia espiritual, Hara, se convierte en la condición feliz, normal de la entidad viviente. Las tres palabras, a saber Hara, Krishna y Rama, son semillas trascendentales del Maha-mantra y el cantar es una llamada espiritual para el Señor y su energía interna, Hara, para dar la protección al alma condicionada. El cantar es exactamente como un grito genuino del niño a la madre. La madre Hara ayuda en la realización de la tolerancia del padre, del Hari, o del Krishna el Supremo, y el Señor se revela al devoto sincero. No hay otros medios, por lo tanto, de la realización espiritual tan eficaces en esta edad como cantar el Maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Su Divina Gracia A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1966 May 25: "In the evening there was meeting the attendance was about 18 heads. After the meeting there was consultations about incorporation of The International Society for Krishna consciousness." Prabhupada Journals :: 1966   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1969 May 25: "In everything we do, devotion and sincerity are the real things. The procedure may not be very right - but the desire being sincere - the Lord accepts our offering." Prabhupada Letters :: 1969   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 May 25: "Please do therefore everything with enthusiasm. That will satisfy me, and Krsna also, and as a result of which you will be satisfied transcendentally - this is our position." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 may 25: "I have to reply so many letters to give instruction and as an old man I can take relief from this work immediately. But for Krsna's sake I am pulling on. So let us act in that way all together for Krsna's sake." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 may 25: "You have asked some specific mantra but Srila Bhaktivinoda says, 'When I chant Hare Krsna all my dangers are gone immediately.' So which other mantra can be more effective than Hare Krsna? There is no other greater mantra." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 May 25: "We can never expect any kind of utopia, even in the spiritual world. Wherever there are persons there are bound to be differences. We should not expect any kind of perfect arrangement in this material world." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1974 May 25: "So I am glad that you are fully absorbed in your work and very concerned that it be executed just to my satisfaction in parampara standard. This is your perfection." Prabhupada Letters :: 1974   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1974 May 25: "Temple presidents must be very careful on recommending gayatri initiation. After all, we are criticizing false cast brahmanas, if we ourselves are bogus brahmanas then our position is very bad." Prabhupada Letters :: 1974   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1967 May 24: "An important negotiation is going on in respect of purchasing a very nice house for the ISKCON H.Q. in New York. So I may not start in the beginning of the Second week. I hope this will not cause any inconvenience." Prabhupada Letters :: 1967   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 May 24: "I am so glad that you remember the auspicious day in 1944 when I started my Back to Godhead magazine. I think in the first issue you wrote some article. It is a great pleasure to remember those days of cooperation." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 May 24: "Bhakti Saranga Goswami presided over the meeting in which our revered Kesav Maharaja participated. On account of my selecting Goswami Maharaja, Sripada Tirtha Maharaja (then Kunjababa) and Bon Maharaja also refused to accept my invitation." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 May 24: "We have got now 30 centers, and in each center the devotees are going to the streets and selling Back to Godhead at the rate of 100 to 400 copies daily, and the price is $.50 per copy which is in Indian exchange Rs. 3.50." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 May 24: "In India, the independent and self supporting method does not apply. Bombay is the headquarters and all other centers shall send their funds for centralizing in Bombay." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 May 24: "Actually it is the duty of the Spiritual Master to find fault with his students so that they may make progress, not that he should always be praising them. I am only interested that you become Krishna Conscious." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1964 May 23: "I shall request you with all humility to cooperate with this mission. I am requesting you to give me at least ten members from Agra as you have already given one yesterday and I am thanking you once more." Prabhupada Letters :: 1947-64   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1966 May 23: "Chaturthi. In the evening there was meeting the contribution was $8.00. The attendance was about eleven ladies and gentlemen." Prabhupada Journal :: 1966   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1968 May 23: "I have seen one copy and it is not good. Please stop circulation of this book, which is not authorized. Any book written by unauthorized persons should not be indulged in." Prabhupada Letters :: 1968   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1969 May 23: "So far as my starting a separate organization, it was inevitable because none of our godbrothers are cooperating. If it is now possible to combine ourselves together, I shall be the first man to welcome this good opportunity." Prabhupada Letters :: 1969   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 May 23: "My Dear Bhaiji Hanumanprasada Poddar, as you have asked for my suggestion, formulate a scheme so that our Indian brothers may join this Movement and send many preachers all over the world." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 May 23: "Krsna Consciousness philosophy is now tested by my last three years' experiment and this philosophy will be accepted in any part of the world irrespective of caste, creed, color, and language." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 May 23: "We may say "Krishna wills this." Actually outside of our bona fide Krishna Consciousness centers, there is no possibility of finding out what Krishna does or does not want." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 May 23: "Unless there is connection with a bona fide Spiritual Master there is no possibility of making progress in spiritual life. So I have established ISKCON centers for intimate connection with the bona fide Spiritual Master." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1966 May 22: "Both Paul and I we were at Ashram the whole day. We came back it is seen that somebody came in. One note with chalk is written 'BLESSED'. It is mysterious. Later it was found that $75.00 is taken away. I think the situation not safe." Prabhupada Journal :: 1966   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1969 May 22: "I am seeing our Sankirtana is being accepted more and more in the Western World, and there is very good future for its spreading by the help of my very sincere disciples. So we shall require a large number of mrdangas and karatalas." Prabhupada Letters :: 1969   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1969 May 22: "If in a foreign country there is fire, one has to take help even though you don't know the language. So there is a blazing fire of maya, and we have to inform the people, even if we must use broken language. That is no fault." Prabhupada Letters :: 1969   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 May 22: "So do not think in this way that you are not very important devotees, because I am always thinking of you. Since a long time I have known you and I consider that you are among my very dearest disciples." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1975 May 22: "If you continue being very much determined to achieve success in this lifetime, then all of your desires to advance in Krishna Consciousness will be fulfilled. This is wanted." Prabhupada Letters :: 1975   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1966 May 21: "Dwitiya. In the afternoon there was Sanskrit class. The attendance was ten, the collection was $4.00. One boy paid for the books (partly) $6.00. At 5/30 P.M. we started for Ananda Ashram. In the evening there was Keertan at Ashram. It was nice as usual. There was dance of Balirama." Prabhupada Journal :: 1966   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1967 May 21: "It is clear the young people of this country are very much eager to have spiritual enlightenment and as such this sankirtan movement is just suitable. Let us convince them this movement - very simple and universal - is the only means for spiritual realization." Prabhupada Letters :: 1967   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1967 May 21: "This movement is universal. Let the leaders be open minded and not biased by any sectarian thoughts. Convince them to accept this common formula, chanting Hare Krishna, dancing, hearing Bhagavad-gita directly from the representative of Krishna, and eating Krishna Prasada." Prabhupada Letters :: 1967   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1967 May 21: "Convince them this Krishna Consciousness movement is the approved method for reviving God consciousness and the only remedy for human society's diseased condition. Let the leaders take this movement seriously. If they patiently hear me I am sure they will be convinced as you have been." Prabhupada Letters :: 1967   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 May 21: "We begin Srimad Bhagavatam by offering obeisances to the Supreme Truth, Satyam Param Dhimahi. So those who are strictly following the Bhagavat line they are living in Satya Yuga. And our Temples are a replica of Vaikuntha, so live there peacefully, chant the regular beads, and follow the regulative principles." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 May 21: "You just try your best to serve Krishna and if any perplexing circumstances arise, just pray to Krishna to give you strength. These bodily relationships are only temporary. Our real relationship is with Krishna. Try to cultivate that." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 May 21: "Even a few of these words if propagated widely can have a tremendous effect on millions of people. So my Guru Maharaja used to say these literatures are the Brhat Mrdanga - the big mrdanga which can be heard from a long distance. Therefore above all it is our duty to print these words for the benefit of all mankind." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 May 21: "I shall be very glad to attend your Janmastami and I am pleased that you have consented to give me the 50% of your profits on that night. But I will have no objection if you consider giving me 100%." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1969 May 20: "If there is possibility of living in the temple with the other devotees, then live there. It is not necessary to remain alone. I do not advise any of my disciples to live alone; that is not good. In the association of devotees you will feel jolly and this moroseness will be cleared off. So live in the temple." Prabhupada Letters :: 1969   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 May 20: "Follow the prescribed program of Krishna Consciousness as it has been established by the Spiritual Master. Give your life completely over to Krishna. He will reveal Himself to you in proportion to your sincere efforts to satisfy Him." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 may 20: "Let the children play just like Krishna with his cowherd friends, then little ABC, then see the deity, then little prasadam, in this way trained. I want that a new generation of devotees shall carry on this great mission successfully into the future." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 May 20: "I do not see any need that he should return. It is simply sentimental. Let him very strongly preach to the students. That is the greatest service. To wander here and there without any fixed-up program that is not good." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 may 20: "We must take every precaution to prevent our devotees from slackening and falling away by observing they are always chanting 16 rounds and observing the regulative principles. If these things are neglected, then they will fall down." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1973 May 20: "Maya is very strong but by taking shelter of Krishna, Maya cannot reach us. Take this Krishna Consciousness Movement very seriously. It is a great opportunity to become free once and for all from the clutches of Maya." Prabhupada Letters :: 1973   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1975 may 20: "I am very glad to hear that you are keeping yourself busy preaching. Don't become a dead man. Always preach." Prabhupada Letters :: 1975   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1975 may 20: "I received your Hindi newspaper Vraja-Garima but unfortunately did not see anything about Brajendra-nandana. We are preaching the glories of Krishna throughout the world so if you really want to glorify Vraja then we can co-operate very nicely by publishing many Hindi books translated from our English books and distribute them to the Hindi reading public." Prabhupada Letters :: 1975   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1966 May 19: "Amavasya. Paul paid $2.00 for Expenditure. Today one letter received from Mr. Paul C. Sherbert and he is replied also." Prabhupada Journal :: 1966   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1971 May 19: "So far your questions, the demigods are having fair complexion with golden hue. Golden means milk mixed with a tint of reddish or yellowish color. Garuda is yellow in color; Kalki is bluish. Matsya is a full fish, bluish in color. Kurma is tortoise color." Prabhupada Letters :: 1971   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 May 19: " I am coming to London and if you like perhaps I can come to Amsterdam also if there is sufficient engagement. I like that country very much, there are many cows so if you can arrange some big engagement there then I shall gladly come. At that time we can see about installing Lord Jagannatha." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 may 19: "I am giving them the sannyasa order of life and you may also come here and see me. However, there is certainly no urgency for taking sannyasa. But if my senior disciples wish to take sannyasa then I shall give it." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 May 19: "Now you must do the work that I am doing. This traveling extensively is for the GBC men, just as I am doing it. Traveling and preaching, that is the Sankirtana movement. But now I am old man; let me retire for writing books in my last years." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1975 May 19: "Find enclosed copy of draft agreement with my corrections. The money requested can be paid, but unless there is solid transfer of land how can we invest? Immediately send me copy of original trust document. After I have examined it, I will give my further instruction." Prabhupada Letters :: 1975   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1975 May 19: "Continue your drawing work nicely. This is your business. Krishna has given you special talent and you are using it for spreading His glories. This is wanted. I will be arriving soon and at that time I can see you and we can talk sometimes." Prabhupada Letters :: 1975   • Email to a friend • •   Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Collectibles : Future Vintage I Love Housewares When I was in my early 20′s, I collected mugs. When I moved into the Hare Krishna temple, I surrendered my 100+ collection of handled drinking cups to the communal mess hall cupboard and slowly watched my beloved mugs disappear to the homes of people who used the free temple lunch as a takeout cafeteria. The mugs were their carryout containers. I’ll never forget the minor heartache I felt over those mugs. There was the Denny’s mug I pocketed after a late night drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes at said establishment right outside of Philadelphia with some friends. It wasn’t stealing but rather taking home a classic piece of Americana. At least that’s how I saw it. I have no idea if Denny’s has since switched out it’s mugware, but in those days the mug was undersized, delicate and a terrible apartment-wall-beige with speckles. My high school boyfriend gave me a mug on his return from a trip to Florida. On it was the name of a beach and a photo of a very gay looking mustachioed man in a Speedo. I had mixed feelings about the actual aesthetic of the mug–which was lacking. But it was a mug. Given to me by someone who knew I liked mugs. I bought my bug mug for myself during late teens when I thought the Nature Company was a cool store. Recently I’ve bought some teacups. They’re cute. But they’re not mugs. Two fabulous vintage mugs were excavated from an ignored heap at the Salvation Army by me and now sit proudly on my kitchen shelf. But this post isn’t about mugs. It’s about collecting. Or more specifically, collectibles.   Collectible Housewares–Stating the Obvious Shall we?   catherineholm bowl @ scissors & spice Catherineholm Jadeite Milkglass Salt & Pepper Shakers Marimekko Fiestaware Egg Cups Lustreware FireKing Depression Glass Tolix Danish/MCM Furniture Emeco Blue Glass Ball Jars Bakelite Pyrex This list goes on and on but I do need to get to bed sometime before the sunrises. Feel free to leave your additions in the comment section. Would love to hear what you collect….or at least drool over.   Future Vintage I don’t have a crystal ball (but if I did, it would be Tiffany glass). However, a recent run-in with some ordinary canning jars that resurfaced from someone’s garage 20+ years after getting packed away (more on that in another post) made me realize that today’s ordinary is tomorrow’s unique. Even if that tomorrow is thirty years away. So, here’s my list of items I think we should hold on to. Not because they will be valuable. But because their good design makes them charmers. Some may sound goofy but I am sure if you told someone in the 40′s that their Jadeite was going to be worth something one day, they would have found you goofy, too. Ikea Saralisa Fabric Ikea textiles Nordic Ware Enamel Bakeware Martha Stewart Housewares Special Edition Canning Jars DwellStudio Etsy Silkscreened Textiles Basically, I think the items that will be popular amongst collectors will be items that are stylish yet affordable now. Items consumed by the middle class, nice enough to be taken care of well but affordable enough that they are distributed widely. Additionally, the items need to be quality enough that they survive the next thirty years!   What are your predictions for future collectibles?         print   • Email to a friend • •   Rupa Madhurya das, TX, USA: Lecture - Jivananda das - SB 10.2.20 - How to Know God Rupa Madhurya das, TX, USA: Lecture - Jivananda das - SB 10.2.20 - How to Know God Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bPnfKTpQ_-c Subido por rupagopi el 25/05/2011 Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 10, Chapter 2, Text 20 titled "How to Know God" given by Jivananda das. Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 10, Chapter 2, Text 20 titled "How to Know God" given by Jivananda das. Dallas, TX 2011-02-03 TRANSLATION Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead was within her womb, Devakī illuminated the entire atmosphere in the place where she was confined. Seeing her jubilant, pure and smiling, Kaḿsa thought, "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, who is now within her, will kill me. Devakī has never before looked so brilliant and jubilant." PURPORT The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (4.7): yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaḿ sṛjāmy aham "Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion — at that time I descend Myself." In this age, at the present moment, there are inordinate discrepancies in the discharge of human duties. Human life is meant for God realization, but unfortunately the materialistic civilization is stressing only the senses of the body, not understanding the living force within the body. As clearly stated in Bhagavad-gītā (dehino 'smin yathā dehe [Bg. 2.13]), within the body is the body's proprietor, the living force, which is more important. But human society has become so fallen that instead of understanding the living force within the body, people have become busy with external things. This is a discrepancy in human duties. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has taken birth or taken shelter within the womb of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Men of Kaḿsa's class, therefore, are very much afraid and are busy trying to stop this movement, especially in the Western countries. One politician has remarked that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading like an epidemic and that if not checked immediately, within ten years it may capture governmental power. There is, of course, such potency in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. As stated by authorities (Cc. Ādi 17.22), kali-kāle nāma-rūpe kṛṣṇa-avatāra: in this age, Kṛṣṇa has appeared in the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading like wildfire all over the world, and it will go on doing so. Men who are like Kaḿsa are very much afraid of the movement's progress and acceptance by the younger generation, but as Kṛṣṇa could not be killed by Kaḿsa, this movement cannot be checked by men of Kaḿsa's class. The movement will go on increasing more and more, provided the leaders of the movement remain firmly Kṛṣṇa conscious by following the regulative principles and the primary activities of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra regularly. 2011-02-03 - Jivananda das - SB 10.2.20 - How to Know God Download: 2011-02-03 - Jivananda das - SB 10.2.20 - How to Know God   • Email to a friend • •   H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – Initiation- Of Jaya Radhe Shyam DD, Shyamasundar D, Sarasvati DD 2006-08-09 Lecture – Initiation- Of Jaya Radhe Shyam DD, Shyamasundar D, Sarasvati DD 2006-08-09 Portland Initiation- Of Jaya Radhe Shyam DD, Shyamasundar D, Sarasvati DD 2006-08-09 Lecture – Initiation- Of Jaya Radhe Shyam DD, Shyamasundar D, Sarasvati DD 2006-08-09 Portland Lecture – Initiation- Of Jaya Radhe Shyam DD, Shyamasundar D, Sarasvati DD 2006-08-09 Portland Initiation- Of Jaya Radhe Shyam DD, Shyamasundar D, Sarasvati DD 2006-08-09 Lecture - Initiation- Of Jaya Radhe Shyam DD, Shyamasundar D, Sarasvati DD 2006-08-09 Portland   • Email to a friend • •   H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – Initiation Ceremony- Coming To The Point Of Mediation On Krishna, Sarva-Mangala DD 2006-01-10 H. H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – Initiation Ceremony- Coming To The Point Of Mediation On Krishna, Sarva-Mangala DD 2006-01-10 Melbourne Initiation Ceremony- Coming To The Point Of Mediation On Krishna, Sarva-Mangala DD 2006-01-10 H. H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – Initiation Ceremony- Coming To The Point Of Mediation On Krishna, Sarva-Mangala DD 2006-01-10 Melbourne Initiation Ceremony- Coming To The Point Of Mediation On Krishna, Sarva-Mangala DD 2006-01-10 Lecture - Initiation Ceremony- Coming To The Point Of Mediation On Krishna, Sarva-Mangala DD 2006-01-10 Melbourne   • Email to a friend • •   Toronto Sankirtan Team, CA: 24th Monthly Sankirtan Festival - Lord NrsimhaDev's Special On Saturday May 28th, we will be celebrating our 24th Monthly Sankirtan Festival (MSF). This month marked the appearance of Lord Nrsimhadev - The Divine Protector. We invite you to join the upcoming MSF and share the divine and the only ensured protection in this world of calamities, in the form of the holy name, books and prasadam! Please join us and make the most of a sunny shiny saturday, experience the pleasure of bringing smiles to some lonely lives and earn spiritual credits for eternity. Schedule:- 4:30am Mangal Arti, Japa 7:45am Bhagavatam Class 9:15-10:00 am Building the Mood - Training & Goals 11:00am-2:00pm Street Sankirtan 2:00pm Maha-Harinama 2:30pm Lunch Prasad at the temple How can YOU help? 1. Prepare Prasadam for distribution: From the comforts of your home prepare dry non-perishable prasad for distribution. Our goal is to distribute 5,000 pieces of prasad. 2. Package Prasadam for distribution: Friday 27th May 2011, 6:30-8:30pm 3. Stamp and pack books for distribution: Friday 27th May 2011, 6:30 PM - 8:30pm 4. Help with Logistics/Transportation: Saturday 28th May 5. Prepare Prasadam for Sankirtan team: Saturday 28th May 6:00-10:00am 6. Participate in Harinam - sing along, lead kirtan, play an instrument, hand out cookies or distribute books: Saturday 28th May; 11:00-3:00pm   • Email to a friend • •   Krishna-kripa das, Mayapura: Travel Journal#7.9: Benelux Harinamas and German Festivals Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 7, No. 9 By Krishna-kripa das (May 2011, part one) Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Munich, Simhachalam (Sent from London on May 25, 2011) Where I Went and What I Did I did harinama in the Netherlands and Belgium and attended the Nrsimha Caturdasi festival at our Bavarian farm, Simhachalam, all of which I have done the last four years. I recommend everyone to go to Simhachalam Nrsimha festival at least once in one’s life. It’s got an awesome Nrsimha deity, great singers, great speakers, and great cooks. Now they do the Munich Ratha-yatra the Saturday before, to add to the ecstasy. I took lots of notes on great lectures: Sacinandana Swami did a seminar on the chanting of the holy name, and Vijaya Prabhu did one on book distribution. Bhakti Bhusana Swami and Kadamba Kanana Swami did a joint initiation and both spoke valuable words about that important part of our spiritual life. A lot of senior devotees share a lots of insights, many at the Nrsimha festival, so make sure you read the “Insights from Lectures” section too. I want to thank Sivananda Sena and Bhakta Miso of Rotterdam and Mother Krishna-priya and Aravindaksa Prabhu of Antwerp for their kind donations that help me to travel onward to my future destinations. Itinerary London: May 25–May 28 Birmingham:  May 28–30 Belfast: May 30–June 12 London: June 12 Croydon Ratha-yatra: June 19 Stonehenge solstice festival: June 21 Empowerment and the Sacred conference, Leeds: June 24–26 England and Scotland: June 27–July 6 Scandinavian Ratha-yatras: July 8–16 Prague Ratha-yatra?: July 16 or 17 Croatian Harinama Tour: July 18–31 Poland Woodstock: August 1–6 Berlin: August 7–10 Polish tour: August 11–17 Trutnov Open Air Festival (Czech Woodstock): August 18–21 Leipzig, Czech or Slovakia: August 22–23 (Janmastami, Vyasa Puja) Kirtana-mela, Leipzig: August 29–September 4 Lvov, Ukraine: September 6 Kharkov, Ukraine: September 7–beginning of Ukraine Festival Ukraine Festival: September 10-15? Boston Ratha-yatra and Prabhupada festival: September 17–18 New York: September 19–23? Philadelphia Ratha-yatra: September 24–25 Albany: September 26–30? Florida, Arizona, Nevada: October–December Harinama in Vondel Park For five days, I chanted, usually three hours a day in Vondel Park in Amsterdam, a place visited by Srila Prabhupada in person. I felt I connected with a few people. Here are some. One day I met a man from Bengal who said he liked that Srila Prabhupada commented on Bhagavad-gita in such a way that Krishna’s message was presented as it is whereas the other commentaries he read seemed to twist the meaning of Krishna’s words. He said he was not very religious, but as far as I can see, that particular realization of his is glorious. One man who stopped by said he met Srila Prabhupada at Kumbha Mela in 1976. One lady, who was the follower of one Indian guru, wanted to donate a harmonium to our temple. She said I got her contact information last year when I was chanting in the park, but that no one ever got back to her. I made sure I gave her information to someone responsible this year. One middle-aged French man came by two different days and brought some wild flowers each time and 20 euro cents the last time. He said he likes to read Bhaktivedanta Swami’s books, and took down our French centers’ addresses. Harinamas in Rotterdam Not having gone to Rotterdam last year, I decided to accept the invitation of devotees to go there for three days, enroute to Antwerp. Sivananda Sena Prabhu and his wife, Mother Moksa Laksmi, are both newly initiated disciples of Janananda Goswami, the famed harinama guru, and they have imbibed a good measure of their guru’s enthusiasm for harinama. They chant in Den Haag (The Hague) on Thursdays for a couple of hours, and on Fridays and Saturdays, also for two hours, in Rotterdam, where they reside. In Rotterdam they go to a crowded shopping street near the central station that is closed to automotive traffic and has dozens of shops. They have nice sound system that is light and loud. Somewhere between five and fifteen devotees join them depending on the night. Moksa Laksmi likes to sell books and distributes many each harinama, and sometimes she makes sweets for distribution as well. They are a good example of a couple where both partners like going out chanting in public. On Sunday, I had the choice of attending three feast programs, in Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Den Haag, all with guest lecturers speaking in Dutch, so I decided instead to go on harinama with Sivananda Sena and Moksa Laksmi in Rotterdam at a big park near a museum, and in this way increase our service. Harinamas in Belgium I can always count on Janmastami Prabhu, an accordion-playing disciple of Lokanath Swami, who loves to chant, to go with me on harinama for three hours daily. We chanted three days in Antwerp where there are lots of sidewalk cafes. Once when there were just the two of us, one man asked if we would be willing to play at his girlfriend’s birthday party. We figured it would give more people the chance to hear the holy name, so we agreed. After our three-hour stint downtown was over, he took us in a taxi to her office, where we chanted Hare Krishna for her and her coworkers, for five minutes or so, and they all seemed to enjoy it. He gave us 20 euros for our service, and we gave them invitations, as we were separated from our book distributors that day. We gave the 20 euros to the temple. It was interesting for me to learn that Hare Krishnas have a good enough reputation, at least in Antwerp, that someone would consider inviting them to play at a birthday party! That was a new thing for me. The last day of my stay in Belgium we went to Leuven where we did harinama with our book distributor friends, Tomas from Slovakia and Adam from Ireland. There were lots of school children who were attracted by the harinama and the prasadam that we distributed. We ended up chanting at the main bus station which turned out to be perfectly legal and a great place to contact many, many people. Munich Ratha-yatra Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6JO1V50Lrj8 In Munich, Lord Jagannatha showed that He was in control and that His will is not possible to exactly ascertain, as He often does in Ratha-yatra festivals. When my friends and I disappeared into the U-Bahn (subway) station enroute to the Ratha-yatra site, the weather was cloudy with a few sprinkles of rain as it had been all morning. However, when we came out at Odeonsplatz, just half an hour later, at noon, the start time of the Ratha-yatra, we were amazed to see the sun shining brilliantly and the sky clear, except for some wisps of clouds near the horizon. We all got sunburned because the weather had been so bad no one thought to bring any sunscreen, although we had all prayed that the rain would end and the Ratha-yatra would go on. The next mysterious event was an hour into the parade, when there was the cracking of the back left wheel of the cart and its jamming into the cart’s side in such a way that the wheel could not turn. It looked so bad, in fact, that Sacinandana Swami said we would have to abandon the cart and do harinama through the parade route instead. It was such an unthinkable event to have the cart disabled just one hour into a four-hour parade. I was thinking how I spent 61 euros and traveled on twelve hours of regional trains to get to Munich from Belgium in time for the Ratha-yatra and now it was not to be. Then some devotees came with a portable power saw and cut the side of the cart in such a way as to unjam the wheel, and then amazingly enough, they actually fixed the wheel, and we were able to continue in just half an hour with the parade, almost keeping on schedule. Some parts of the Ratha-yatra route were very crowded and others less so. Many people watched and took pictures. We stopped the cart for half an hour at Sendlinger Tor, a crowded place with a big outside café, where we chanted and danced. There are many tourists in Munich. I did not talk to very many people, but I met a couple from Russia, a girl from America, and a girl from Turkey, all of whom were attracted by the stage show after the Ratha-yatra which was scheduled to be 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Karlsplatz. Three girls seemed to have such a good time dancing with the devotees, I decided to invite them to the temple. They were tourists, however, and were leaving the next day. One was from northern New Jersey, and she was happy to hear that we would be having the same festival in New York City on June 11, and I told her the details. Sometimes there were fifty and maybe even a hundred people watching the stage show and several onlookers joined in the dancing, inspired by Sacinandana Swami’s Gaura Hari band. The rain ended up revisiting us, from time to time, but we were able to continue until 7:15 p.m. The day was a real adventure, completely unpredictable. The downside for me was there were just a handful of temple invitations to distribute at the stage show. Such festivals are a good opportunity to create an interest in our local temple programs, and I hope they print more invitations before next year’s festival. The consolation was that they had the temple web site listed on the front of the stage, so anyone who took a picture of the stage show, would also learn how to contact the temple, or if they wanted to, they could copy down the web site address. For at least the second year, they scheduled the Munich Ratha-yatra the Saturday before the Nrsimha festival at Simhachalam, just two hours away, so visiting swamis and other devotees, could attend both, a wise move. Simhachalam Nrsimha Caturdasi Festival Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=f_pvpFZdhhc Link: http://krishnamonk.blogspot.com/2011/05/travel-journal79-benelux-harinamas-and.html Simhachalam Nrsimha Caturdasi Festival Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_FoGQCmsL_8 Link: http://krishnamonk.blogspot.com/2011/05/travel-journal79-benelux-harinamas-and.html For the fourth consecutive time I attended the Nrsimha Caturdasi festival at Simhachalam. Since making Queen’s Day in Amsterdam on April 30 part of my yearly schedule, I am in Europe for Nrsimha Caturdasi, and Simhachalam seems the ideal place to observe it. The Prahlad-Nrsimha deity at Simhachalam is the only large deity there, and so He is the natural focus of everyone’s attention. Although Lord Jagannatha, Lord Baladeva, and Lady Subhadra, who came from Berlin for the Ratha-yatra, also attend the festival, it is clearly Lord Nrsimha’s temple. Lord Jagannatha even shows His lion face on the occasion. Devotees come from all over Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and there are regularly even a few from Radhadesh (Belgium) and London. Bhakti Bhusana, Bhaktivaibhava, Sacinandana, and Kadamba Kanana Swamis, almost always attend the event, and this year Kavicandra Swami came too. Kripa Moya Prabhu from the UK likes it so much he came three of the last four years. There is this really awesome maha-abhiseka, and I volunteered to be part of it this year. Lord Nrsimha looks really intense up close. I got to put the dried fruit garlands on him. He looks especially far out when they pour the blended strawberries over Him. During the festival, they put an outfit on Him that is made entirely of colored sandesa (a sweet made with curd, flavor, and sweetener): Each night of the festival there are always a few devotees enthusiastic enough to stay up all night chanting kirtana in the temple room. There are also some really good cooks, especially a team from Czech Republic, and there is always plenty of prasadam. This year I recall the Nrsimha feast included samosas, pakoras, malpura, srikhand, gulab jamuns, as well as three kinds of cake. It was one of those feasts where you do not need to go back for seconds because you are lucky if you can finish your firsts. There was so much malpura, I had some for the next three meals. Remember to check out the nice realizations of the senior devotees about Lord Nrsimha in the “Insights from Lectures” section below. For more pictures of the festival, click here: Simhachalam gallery of festival pictures If you find yourself in Europe in May, I recommend you check out this festival. I think you will find it a very rewarding experience, and you will find Lord Nrsimha to become more endearing as a result. Taking Shelter of the Holy Name by Sacinandana Swami The song udilo aruna introduced me to the idea of nama-asraya [taking shelter of the holy name]. Bhaktivinoda Thakura sings, “This temporary life is full of various miseries. Take shelter of the holy name as your only business.” I have found devotees in ISKCON are not interested taking shelter of the holy name. Thus I am looking for other venues, such as yoga centers. Still, I wanted to start at home. Our Gaudiya samprayada teaches the principle upaya (way of attainment) is by taking shelter of the holy name. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says the conditioned soul first meets Krishna in the holy name, and then the holy name manifests the form of Krishna. The holy name raises us up to the level where we can enter the kingdom of God. When do we take shelter? When we realize that we cannot do it on our own. Faith brings the strength we need to take shelter of the holy name. Prahlada was victorious over his father because he took shelter of Krishna. He felt so protected that when his father came before him with a sword Prahlada thought, “My father must be joking.” Without enough faith in Krishna, we will take shelter of our doctors, our therapies, and our connections. If the holy name is just a sound for you, if you have no connection with Krishna, you will become restless when you chant. Psychologists say that if you can do something for two hours without paying attention to it, it can make you spaced out for the whole day. I do not agree with them that chanting can ever be bad, even if it is inattentive, but they have a point. If you do not chant with a feeling of connection with Krishna, there is no relationship. Do not think about this and that. You are now at the festival. Be present. You came to Lord Nrsimhadeva. You came to the devotees. To chant with connection, sambandha, Bhaktivinoda Thakura says: <!--[if !supportLists]-->(1)  <!--[endif]-->To think I am eternal particle of consciousness and an eternal servant of Krishna. <!--[if !supportLists]-->(2)  <!--[endif]-->To remember that Krishna is infinite and cosmic, and our master. <!--[if !supportLists]-->(3)  <!--[endif]-->To consider the world a prison house meant to correct our absentmindedness. We should pray to Krishna, “Although I forgotten you for so many long years, today I am surrendering unto you. I am your sincere and serious servant.” Once Krishna was playing dice with Rukmini, but He was losing, losing, losing. Rukmini said, “You never lose. Where is your mind?” Krishna said, “My devotee is in danger. And I am worried about her.” Rukmini said, “Then go to your devotee. Your promise to protect Your devotee.” Krishna said, “No. I will arrive too late.” Krishna continued to lose, and Rukmini encouraged Him to go protect His devotee. Krishna insisted, “No, I will arrive too late.” This continued and finally Krishna said, “I can come now. Draupadi has built the road, the road of her tears.” What had happened was initially Draupadi was trying to take shelter of Bhisma, and other persons in the assembly, but finally she came to understand that only Krishna could save her, and then she cried out to Him alone. Draupadi asked Krishna later why He took so long in coming. Krishna said, “You called out to Me, but you turned toward Bhismadeva. So I figured you expected him to help you. Then you called out to Me, but you looked toward Duryodhana, etc. We turn to the devotee in Krishna consciousness not in social consciousness. We ask permission from our guru to do the practice, and then offer him prasadam afterwards. Once Srila Prabhupada said, “You just address Krishna, just like you are addressing me now. Just address Krishna through His name.” Srila Prabhupada once said, “I have not come to teach you anything. I have come to request you to please chant Hare Krishna, cleanse your spiritual consciousness, and come to understand your identity.” We may think that Krishna is far away in the spiritual world, but actually Krishna is only a prayer away. Book Distribution Seminar by Vijaya Prabhu There is a monthly sankirtana festival throughout the movement—people vowing to go out once a month. As a result, book distribution is increasing. Always leave people with a good impression. If they do not leave with a book, let them leave with a smile. We should pray to Krishna for the proper intention—to help the conditioned souls and to please Krishna. In the spiritual world, everyone is selfless. We have to imbibe this selflessness. Srila Prabhupada once said, “Whoever I saw who took the most risk to spread Krishna consciousness, I chose as GBCs [members of the ISKCON Governing Body Commission].” When I distribute books, I am constantly chanting. Srila Prabhupada stresses preaching in his books, and there I get my inspiration. My favorite is Bhagavad-gita. One lady was so impressed with the knowledge in Prabhupada’s books, she immediately wanted to share it with others. She became a devotee and distributed books for forty years. The problem on book distribution is the false ego. Unfortunately people give up book distribution, instead of giving up the false ego. Better to give up the false ego, and continue to distribute books. I came because of Bhagavad-gita. Most people come because of Bhagavad-gita. Therefore, I distribute Bhagavad-gita. I read three hours a day. That strengthens the intelligence. Then we can control the mind. Why Bhagavad-gita? Bhagavad-gita is Krishna’s word, so it is very powerful. It is very concentrated on pure devotional service. If people are not taking books but you are still trying, that is still service. Tolerating that condition and continuing is counted as service. That is when we get the most purification. If it becomes so hard you cannot do it nicely. It is alright to take a break and read or chant a round. Sometimes I have had so much fun distributing books, smiling from one person to another, I had to stop and massage my smiling muscles. I was trying to distribute a book to a man who went into his flat and then gave me a Bhagavad-gita he already had, saying he had it a long time and did not want it, and that it would be better I gave it to somebody else. I suggested he might read it in the future, but he persisted. Finally I took it, and as I was leaving, a car pulled up in the same driveway, and I decide to try selling the Gita to that man. He was interested but didn’t have money with him, so he went in the flat with the book in hand to get the money.  I hoped his friend did not notice the book in his hand. He didn’t, and the man bought the book. The moral of the story is: When Krishna does not want to leave, He does not leave.  One man rejected the book I presented saying, “I worship Satan.” I replied, “Oh! You worship Satan? This is about God, so you should know your enemy.” He thought for a moment and agreed, giving $20 for the Bhagavad-gita. Notes on Joint Initiation Bhakti Bhusana Swami [from an initiation lecture]: Srila Prabhupada said the odds of meeting a bona fide spiritual master are like the odds that a tortoise swimming in ocean will come up for air under the knot hole in a piece of wood floating in the water. It is very rare. Srila Prabhupada said that renunciation of the four sinful acts comprises the four pillars of our platform of pure devotional service. When Srila Prabhupada saw me sitting in the initiation arena with my long hair, he said either you shave your head or keep it long, pointing to a picture of the Panca-tattva. Bhaktivinoda Thakura said one who initiates people without considering their qualifications commits an offense against the holy name. That Bhakti Hanu thought that he was not ready for initiation for a long time is a positive thing. Kadamba Kanana Swami [from an initiation lecture]: How can we make a commitment for a lifetime? It is not by our own endeavor or strength that we can keep our initiation vows, and so we are not only making a commitment to follow vows, but also to take shelter of the nine-fold process of devotional service, for only by Krishna’s mercy can we conquer over the influence of the material energy. Bhaktivinoda Thakura makes the point that by chanting the holy name even if we commit offenses to Krishna Himself, we will be delivered, so Krishna is more merciful as the holy name. Chanting is never a mechanical process. It is Krishna bestowing His mercy in the form of the holy name. We must also find a nice quality in each devotee. Then we will not be inclined to offend them. Neither Brahma nor Siva can give the liberation which Vishnu bestows. And beyond liberation, Krishna Himself, in his original form, gives pure love of God. So we take shelter of Krishna. Every interaction with our spiritual master is not to be taken as ordinary. He is always praying to Krishna for our spiritual perfection, and because he is dear to Krishna, his prayers are powerful. If one has difficulty following the instructions of his spiritual master, he should turn to his spiritual master for help, and thus always remain under the spiritual master’s shelter. We are accepting this process to go back to Godhead at the end of life, not just to become more serious about our spiritual practice. The Vedas deal with both material and completely transcendental instructions.  At initiation ceremonies, Srila Prabhupada would also have four brahmanas, each reading one from Srila Prabhupada’s four main books, Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, and The Nectar of Devotion. Sri Caitanya-caritamrita says we should collect jewels from the revealed scriptures. If we chant Hare Krishna, we will attain perfection. It does not only work for some. No one is too sinful to attain perfection by this process. Mother Yasoda’s relatives consider Krishna to be Yasoda-nandana, the son of Mother Yasoda, while Nanda Maharaja’s relatives consider Krishna, Nanda-nandana, the son of Nanda Maharaja. One couple had been around for many years. The husband said he and his wife celebrated her birthday by drinking a bottle of wine and did not feel less Krishna conscious by it. My answer was that you did not feel less Krishna consciousness because you were drunk [and lost your discrimination]. We should maintain and gradually increase our practice of purification. We are not interested in improving our material situation. That may or may not happen, but we are interested in developing spiritually. We should not preach the intimate glories of the Lord to the faithless, but the basic message that we are eternal servants of Krishna and that by chanting the holy name we can approach Him may be explained. Some people come to Vrindavan and say Vrindavan is my guru. But if they do not serve the mission of Srila Prabhupada they will dry up. We should not treat our material desires like pets and feed them very nicely. Then they will never go away. The root cause of all offenses is inattentive chanting, according to Bhaktivinoda Thakura. There are many practical things one can do to increase attention in chanting, but the mind becomes controlled by attaining a higher taste. Regularly hearing helps us get a taste for Krishna. By chanting the Panca-tattva mantra, which does not accept offense, we can get a higher taste. By rendering service, we can also get a higher taste. The deities are here, the devotees are here, let us ask them all for their blessings that this initiation may be fruitful, and that the candidates may at the end of life go back to Godhead. Bhakti Bhusana Swami: Bhakti Hanu from Leipzig becomes Haladhara Dasa, a name for Baladeva, the adi-guru (original guru), who is always ready to give us spiritual strength. When Srila Prabhupada came to London in the beginning, Kulasekhara and his wife were getting married. When he learned their parents were attending the marriage ceremony, he had the devotees bow down to their parents, who, of course, could not understand what was going on. Kadamba Kanana Swami: Gauranga, whose mother is a devotee and is present, becomes Gaur Mohan, which is the name of Srila Prabhupada’s father. Gaur Mohan means Lord Caitanya, who is so attractive that He bewilders the mind with his amazing transcendental nature. By meditating on and becoming agents of Lord Caitanya’s mercy, then we will experience the wonder of that mercy more and more. Insight from Lectures Srila Prabhupada [From a lecture in Hamburg in 1969]: After explaining the impossibility of avoiding life’s real problems, the miseries of birth, disease, old age, and death, Srila Prabhupada said, “Therefore we are teaching Krishna consciousness to solve the problems of life. It is not sentiment or fanaticism or any sectarian religion.” Bhakti Bhusana Swami: Lord Nrsimha is the personification of divine anger. The world had never seen the amazing form of Lord Nrsimha before. Even the demigods were bewildered by this form of the Lord. The world had also never before seen such ecstasy as that experienced by Prahlada. Srila Prabhupada was fond of Prahlada, and often quoted from his pastimes. Srila Prabhupada would always consider his followers bona fide devotees despite what others thought. One godbrother of Srila Prabhupada would never eat food prepared by Srila Prabhupada’s disciples, and by his influence, others also would not eat it. At the end of Srila Prabhupada’s pastimes in this world, that godbrother asked Prabhupada if he had any final wishes. And Srila Prabhupada asked him to take prasadam. It was only Srila Prabhupada who came to save us. Srila Prabhupada said many of his godbrothers were pure devotees, but still of those pure devotees, only Srila Prabhupada came to save us. He was in the mood of Prahlada Maharaja, to distribute the mercy of the Lord very widely. Bhaktivaibhava Swami: The Lord does not hesitate to take on any form to protect His devotees. We may have a tendency to focus on the mystical aspects of the Lord’s appearance, but a more important feature is His determination to serve His devotees. The Lord chose to appear at just the moment that Hiranyakasipu had not considered. Srila Prabhupada introduced the Nrsimha mantra for the protection of the devotees. Once I went into Berlin on harinama alone in the winter. One drunk started pulling my dhoti off. I started chanting the Nrsimha prayer very loudly. The drunk was almost successful in removing my dhoti, when a tall man with a slight handicap came up and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and by his trousers and pushed him away, and he slid across the ice, and got up and walked away. I continued chanting. The mother of a devotee in Russia passed away recently. She and her husband just tolerated their son’s practice, but did not really like it. When she was on her deathbed, she suddenly sat up, and said to her son, “This is how your Lord looks? He looks like a lion, but very, very beautiful,” and then she passed away. Kavicandra Swami: Once I was distributing books in the Chicago airport, and a man pulled a knife out of a rolled up magazine. I screamed out, “Nrsimha!” The man ran away. Lord Caitanya visited many Nrsimhadeva deities in His south India to show His importance. Only when we are purified can we really preach. Lord Nrsimha can purify our heart. Prahlada Maharaja did not want to be liberated until everyone else was. Jayananda Prabhu, whose disappearance day we celebrated yesterday, would always praise the kirtana and prasadam, “That was the best kirtana I have ever heard.” People would say, “But you said that yesterday.” And he would reply, “That was also very nice.” But he was completely sincere about it. Srila Prabhupada wrote a letter saying that he was proud to have Jayananda Prabhu as a disciple. I cannot imagine a greater attainment than that. Niranjana Swami [from a recorded lecture]: If we do not have faith in the chanting of the holy name, our progress will be slow. Something that appears to be not connected to Krishna is a manifestation of Krishna’s illusory energy and has little value. However, in our conditioned state, we think that if something is not connected to us, then it has little value. Although the material energy is an inferior energy because it is directed by Krishna, it is impossible to overcome without His help. Krishna’s name will protect us as Krishna protects us. Prabhupada told a story that his son was initially in anxiety when the train conductor demanded his ticket. Then he remembered his father, and told the conductor, “This is my father.” Similarly, if we remember Krishna is taking care of us we will be fearless. Because Krishna is only interested in our devotion, if we do devotional service with another motive, we must be doing it to please someone else. Many people may chant Hare Krishna, but they are indifferent. If we understand that there is no difference between Krishna and his name, we will never be indifferent. Without Krishna’s name, this world is vacant. By hearing of the glories of the holy name from Vaishnavas, we will be able to understand that the holy name of the Lord is everything. When we chant in devotion, with the desire to please the Lord, as a service to Him, we realize the transcendental nature of the holy name and become more and more grateful to the Lord. We must understand the holy name is a valuable jewel and not just a piece of glass, and thus we should hold it very tightly. Sacinandana Swami: Srila Prabhupada told his disciples that wherever they go they must remember Lord Nrsimhadeva, and they would be fearless. Gaur Mohan, Srila Prabhupada’s father, and some fellow pilgrims, were stopped by dacoits on the way to Badrinatha. The dacoits told them to give them their money and then they would kill them so there would be no trace. Srila Prabhupada’s father said, “Take our money and kill us, but just let us say one prayer first.” In India even the thieves are religious so they said OK. Gaur Mohan began praying to Nrsimhadeva, “Tato tato yami tato nrsimhah.” Just then a lion growled and leapt up out of the bushes and devoured the dacoits. Perhaps Srila Prabhupada was thinking about that pastime when he told his disciples that Lord Nrsimha would protect them anywhere if they remembered Him. A journalist asked Srila Prabhupada what he feels when he chants, and Srila Prabhupada replied, “I feel no fear.” Bhaktivinoda Thakura prays to Krishna, “You are my own protector. I have taken shelter of You. I belong to you. I no longer belong to myself.” At the Kirtana Mela [August 29–September 4, 2011], there will be holy name therapy for the darkness of the heart. The Leipzig Ratha-yatra has been scheduled for the end of the mela, and we hope to have one thousand devotees.     Kadamba Kanana Swami: Lord Nrsimha is the personification of soft-heartedness, because he assumed such a ferocious form for the protection of his pure devotee. We may think, “Lord Nrsimha may protect His pure devotee, but what about me?” Because we have the divine and demoniac nature within us, we wonder, “How will Lord Nrsimha treat us?” We see Lord Nrsimha protecting entire sankirtana movement. Lord Nrsimha is especially kind and affectionate to His devotees. The success of our movement does not depend on propaganda but how much we embody the prema the Lord Caitanya wanted us to distribute. Lord Nrsimha can help us remove the obstacles to developing this prema. Ultimately, we are not praying for Lord Nrsihmadeva to protect our bodies but to protect our souls. Prahlada Maharaja was the forerunner of the sankirtana devotees because of his concern to help the people of the world. Dhananjaya Prabhu: The wealthy Hinduja family liked the devotees’ prasadam so much they asked the devotees to teach their cook how to make it, but although he tried following the recipes to the letter, it was never to Hinduja’s satisfaction. This is because he did not have the secret ingredient, bhakti (devotion to the Lord). Just as a blind person cannot see the sun although the sun is present in the sky, the spiritually blind cannot see the Personality of Godhead although He exists everywhere. Just as you can cut down a sandalwood tree and burn it for fuel, not knowing its real value, you can use the human life for sense gratification, not knowing its real value for self-realization. Steve Jobs of Apple spent six months in the brahmacari ashram in the Berkeley temple. Kripa Moya Prabhu: Life is very short. I can tell you that by experience. I was young, and now I am old. God is your protector, your support, your maintainer, and your proprietor. Srila Prabhupada said that when you see Krishna’s property, it reminds you of Krishna. To see the Lord in the Deity, in stone that is chiseled into the shape of the Lord is easy, but Prahlada could see the Lord in any ordinary stone. This requires divya-drsta, divine vision. Prahlada saw the Lord everywhere, but his father could not even see Him when He appeared. I pray to the Lord, “This year I have not been a very good devotee. At this festival, let me become better by Your grace than before.” Prahlada has a special position on the lap of the Lord. This place is usually reserved for Laksmi, but in this case, Nrsimha was so angry, Laksmi could not approach him. Your home never really belongs to you, most of the time it belongs to the bank. Your body is also not yours. As a child, it is your parents’. Then it belongs to the people who you pay the medical bills to. So your house and your body are not yours. Use them for Krishna. Your main bad habit is that you do not want to see Krishna everywhere and you do not want to see Him at every moment. Ramanujacarya said Krishna has two especially nice qualities. He makes it easy to for people to approach Him, and He also personally reaches out to them. Give Krishna the first hour of your day, and if you can do it, the first two hours of your day, and if you can do it, the first three hours of the day. We can do this by thinking of Krishna at night, and not eating too much at night. Srila Prabhupada said do not eat grains after 6:00 p.m. We brush our teeth and shower in the morning to cleanse the body, and we meditate on Krishna to cleanse the mind. Once Srila Prabhupada said all you need for perfection in this age is the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and the picture of the Panca-tattva [Lord Caitanya and His four principle associates]. Sometimes people leave Krishna consciousness not having found the higher taste they were looking for. Some leave, worried they will miss out on other aspects of life. Sometimes they identify themselves with the mind and thus seek psychological counseling. Sometimes Gaudiya Math members do not appreciate Srila Prabhupada’s emphasis on Nrsimha worship. However, when Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura sent his disciples to London in the 1930s, he gave his disciples the Nrismha mantras, saying, “You are in the land in the demons, and these mantras will protect you from them.” One man wanted the devotees to leave their place in Scotland. There was a picture of him in the paper with his fist raised toward the temple, and his words “I will get you out of this place if it is last thing that I do.” The devotees prayed to Lord Nrsimhadeva for protection. The man had a heart attack and died. Lord Nrsimhadeva’s palm is very soft for the devotees, but His nails are very hard to the demons. In marriage, it is a challenge to balance one’s life. If one is too detached, like a brahmacari, the marriage will not work. Or if one is too attached, like a karmi [a materialistic person], the marriage will also not work. Srila Prabhupada said that Lord Nrsimha came at precisely the right time. Srila Prabhupada considered “hope” a weak word. ‘Firm conviction’ in the Lord’s protection is required. If you are thinking of marrying for sense gratification, don’t do it. Always have three devotee friends who tell you want you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Canakya Pandit says a woman surrenders to Krishna when her face is full of wrinkles, and a man surrenders to Krishna when he has lost his money and his children. Indians donate to the temple the car, when it no longer works, or the cow, when it no longer gives milk. In Bengal, it is said that they give a drum when the drum is broken. Krishna did not burst out of a pillar to protect Draupadi for he had a different mission. He wanted to eliminate so many demoniac people in the Kurukshetra war. The Ramanuja followers say that to save His devotee Gajendra, Lord Vishnu came without His carrier Garuda, because of the urgency. Vishnu is actually faster without his carrier. If you pray to the Lord, “At this moment in my life, I do not feel your presence.” You will see He makes some arrangement to show you still there with you. Veda Vyasa Prabhu: The only necessity is to surrender to the Lord. He will take care of all aspects of our lives, even the material ones. The surrendered soul has confidence in that the Lord will maintain and protect him. Lord Caitanya loved hearing the pastimes of Prahlada and Dhruva especially. When you think about it, these are both apparently helpless children who took full shelter of the Lord. In both cases, by the merciful touch of the Lord, the boys were able to offer wonderful prayers when He appeared before them. The materialist thinks that when he obtains sense pleasures, that is very auspicious, but because material desires increase the length of our stay in this material world that is not true. Here at Simhachalam Lord Nrsimha is peaceful because Prahlad Maharaja is on his lap. But in Mayapur, we have ugra Nrsimha. His nails are not meant for the demons because Mayapur is the land of the devotees. They are meant to destroy our material desires. Vijaya Prabhu: We cannot clean the heart, it is so dirty, thus we must take shelter of Krishna, who appears many forms such as His name. If your best friend has stolen 100,000 euros from you, it will take some time before property, and so it is difficult for Krishna to trust us. We have to show Him we are serious about serving Him. Lord Caitanya’s associates were expressing concern about the Moslems rulers harassing them. Lord Caitanya made the point that the Moslems could not do anything else He permitted them to, and to demonstrate His complete independent control, he gave Narayani Krishna-prema (love of a Godhead) immediately, and she manifested all the symptoms, such as crying in spiritual ecstasy, etc. If you do not have wind, although you have an expert captain, you will not go anywhere. If you have wind, but no captain, you also will not achieve your destination. The spiritual master is the captain, and the scriptural injunctions are the winds. Both are needed. There are four classes of disciples: the best understands the mind of the guru, and even without being told, acts as the guru wishes. The second willingly carries out the guru’s order. The third reluctantly carries out the guru’s order, and the fourth fails to carry out the guru’s order at all. As it is difficult for a prisoner to come clean again, so we are also prisoners. It is difficult for us to change our ways. But as a prisoner can get released for good behavior, so can we. Janakinatha Prabhu: That a brahmacari traditionally acts as a student from age five to age twenty-five is not so strange. In the modern world, many people studying for advanced degrees remain students until age twenty-five. In the region near Tirupati there are a hundred families, worshipers of Baliji, who are participating a varnasrama community because they appreciate its value. In India, animal fat from slaughterhouse is put in the soaps. Comments by Dhananjaya Prabhu: In India cow killing is allowed is Kerala and West Bengal so they ship the cows there to be slaughtered. Over 90% of the devotees who took sannyasa ended up getting married. Once a devotee who had formerly taken sannyasa appeared in the temple where I lived, wearing white, having gotten married. I asked Srila Prabhupada, “How is it that one of your sannyasis ended up getting married?” He replied, “Sometimes that happens, even in our sampradaya. Nityananda Prabhu was sannyasa and then He got married.” The residents of Manipur are descendents of Arjuna by his Manipuri wife, and so they are all ksatriyas, and so sannyasa, an asrama accepted by mature brahmanas, is not part of their tradition. Thus when Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja took sannyasa, he was practically the first resident of Manipur to have done so. Janmastami (LOK) Prabhu: Hardly anyone is aware of the goal of life and what can make one really happy, ananda [spiritual bliss]. Because of his service to Narada Muni, Priyavrata could not forget about the service of Lord although engaged in so many family and governmental responsibilities. Also because of obedience to the Lord’s representatives, he did not forget his spiritual focus. The only way to make this world a better place is to transcend it. Govinda Prabhu [the new temple president of Simhachalam]: We have just two festivals here at Simhachalam, both when the weather is not so palatable. So we hope to organize some new festivals for the summer when the weather is nice, both festivals for the devotees and for the local community. Once the devotees at Simhachalam had an open house and invited members of the local community. Two thousand people came, which was completely unexpected, so you can see there is quite a bit of local curiosity about devotees and their project. ----- naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ śoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārtha- māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān Prahlada Maharaja prays to Lord Nrsimha, “O best of the great personalities, I am not at all afraid of material existence, for wherever I stay I am fully absorbed in thoughts of Your glories and activities. My concern is only for the fools and rascals who are making elaborate plans for material happiness and maintaining their families, societies and countries. I am simply concerned with love for them.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.43)   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1966 May 14: "Dasami. Paul was paid for Expenditure $1.00. There was meeting at noon. Sanskrit class contribution $4.00. I went to Ananda Ashram there was Keertan in the evening." Prabhupada Journal :: 1966   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1968 may 14: "Our only business is to spread Krishna Consciousness to the best of our possibility, and Krishna has given us discrimination and judgment. So, Krishna is within you, you chant and ask Him, Krishna and He will give you proper instruction." Prabhupada Letters :: 1968   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1969 May 14: "You should always have Sankirtana going on. All other things are subsidiary. This chanting is our life and soul, so we must arrange there will be as much chanting on the streets and at college engagements as possible." Prabhupada Letters :: 1969   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 May 14: "My hearty thanks are to George Harrison because now he is chanting Hare Krsna so enthusiastically. I am marking that George has the serving spirit, and that is making him advance gradually." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 May 14: "Too much business or paperwork, vouchers, plans, these things become too much cumbersome for our spiritual growth, they take us away from our real emphasis of work, namely, to go back to Home, back to Godhead." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1973 May 14: "Then it is to be understood that all the sevaits have combined together to evict us. Then we'll have to take the matter to the rent controller. In India we have got experience, there are so many cheaters. So be very careful of them." Prabhupada Letters :: 1973   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1975 May 14: "This policy is not good. Why this change has been made? I never said they should not use their beads. That is the trouble with you Westerners, always changing." Prabhupada Letters :: 1975   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1975 May 14: "I wanted to see you very urgently to know about your family affairs. When I was grhastha, I had visited your home two or three times. Now, I am a sannyasi. So, it will be very kind of you to write me how I can see you." Prabhupada Letters :: 1975   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1969 May 13: "It is not wise to pick up quarrel with a crocodile while living in the jurisdiction of the water. Therefore we may agree to his desire so in future if required we may increase the term of lease. But as we are increasing in size ourselves, it may be better to find out a suitable place that will facilitate our work." Prabhupada Letters :: 1969   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 May 13: "So I am simply interested in the book distribution and when there is question of printing books certainly I shall pay as I have been doing. What I want is that I may not tax my brain in the management of many departments." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 May 13: "One of their important disciples tried his best to induce one English devotee, Krsnaprema, to become a disciple, but Krsnaprema never agreed. On the contrary Krsnaprema influenced him and he left their ashram and is now chanting Hare Krsna at Poona. So you can judge yourself what is my estimation of Aurobindo." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 May 13: "There is a sort of conspiracy. The money is there, the sanction is there, the land is there, yet if it does not take place, I shall understand it that this is not the desire of Srila Prabhupada. I have advised my previous son, Sri M.M. De, to purchase the land in his name for the time being." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 May 13: "The plan is very nice, that will be the grandest temple in Vrindaban so you execute it perfectly. It may be a little costly, but you must construct something wonderful. Otherwise, it will be a discredit to you American boys." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 may 13: "Open a branch there, there are so many poor children. Spiritual food and education, that is proper. Simply supplying food is nonsense. Spiritual education means to inject in their ears our philosophy without any discrimination of Hindu or Muslim or anything." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1974 May 13: "How to acquire the quality of patience? In our preaching we will meet with many tribulations and we must tolerate, that is patience. Now you are recuperating from an operation, so spend this extra time reading all my books, chanting as many rounds as possible, and go on doing my tapes." Prabhupada Letters :: 1974   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1973 May 13: "Bimalananda Tarkatirtha, the great ayurvedic physician felt my pulse and said there is something very wrong. But I left the next day to the Western countries and everywhere the climate is not at all suitable. He wants that I should come back to India immediately. So I am coming back, and I will stay at Mayapur." Prabhupada Letters :: 1973   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1966 May 12: "Astami. Today I enquired about registration of the League of Devotees. It is understood the expenditure will be about $300 including Lawyer's $200. Deposited in the Bank book a/c 10.00, Bus fare etc. .75, total exp: $16.75" Prabhupada Journal :: 1966   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 may 12: "I may ask you to go to some other part of the world. Will you have any objection? Practically, this organization is here because I have been always traveling. I never sat down in my old age. So you follow my example and preach widely all over the world, that is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's version." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 May 12: "Now you have agreed to pay him $4,000 per month, that was a great mistake. Now you have to rectify by arrangement and agreement. I am simply surprised how all you GBC agreed to pay him $4,000 per month. So the mistake has been made, now it has to be corrected by other ways." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 May 12: "I want that all of my GBC secretaries do my work, always traveling here and there, seeing how things are going on in the centers and how the students are making spiritual progress. That is our real concern - the spiritual progress of life. That is duty of GBC." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1974 May 12: "Hong Kong is an important center and if the Chinese are approached intelligently they will become strong devotees. Now I know you are experienced manager but sometimes you have left. So you are now enthusiastic to stay and manage. So do not leave anymore and stay, then it is alright." Prabhupada Letters :: 1974   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1975 May 12: "If we accept the teachings of Bhagavad-gita As It Is without unnecessary commentary, then our spiritual movement will be successful. But, if we manufacture something of our own concoction - it will never be successful." Prabhupada Letters :: 1975   • Email to a friend • •   Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1975 May 12: "I wish to develop a Janmastami Park near the Buddha Jayanti Park and construct a grand Krishna Balarama temple and keep many cows and invite all the residents of New Delhi to observe a grand festival on Janmastami day. That is my ambition." Prabhupada Letters :: 1975   • Email to a friend • •   Akrura das, Gita Coaching: INSIDE OUT CHANGE Ljubljana, Slovenia Gita Coaching gets you to view your problems and goals in a fresh way. If you have tried everything and nothing else works, the last place to look is inside. It offers practical and simple way to take responsibility for your own problems and goals. It is a way to cut through the symptoms and externals and go deeper. It puts responsibility back on the person who is looking for the best answers or solutions. Gita Coaching offers spiritual inquiry as a base for coaching. Spiritual inquiry means asking very deep questions that go beyond the body, mind and the intellect - that go all the way to the level of the soul.   • Email to a friend • •   Book Distribution News: Get the mercy of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur at 7thGoswami.com Hare Krsna Prabhus, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I just received this inspiring letter from Vaisesika Prabhu on how to honor the great Acarya, Srila Bhaktivindo Thakura. Please participate in yet another one of Vaisesika Prabhu's innovative ways to increase the glories of Krsna throughout the world. I've joined as one of the 1008 members, I hope you do to. Sign up to be on this sankirtan party and get the mercy of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. your servant, Vijaya das Dear esteemed devotee interested in the spiritual welfare of the world. Please accept our humble respects All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu! We bring you warm greetings from ISKCON of Silicon Valley (ISV), where our mission is to serve all living beings by widely distributing the Holy Names of Krishna. We invite you to join in a fun and blissful drive that will bring good fortune to everyone it touches. Benefits for you: L Feel great about yourself L Have fun along with your friends and relatives L Link up with positive-minded, dynamic devotees around the world L Make new friends L Serve the great Acaryas L Alter the destiny of the world L Get recognized and promoted by Lord Chaitanya L Be a part of a winning team Over a five-week period from May 27 to June 30, 2011, we will assemble a team of at least 1,008 members to actively distribute transcendental books to benefit people of the world. We will offer the results of this event to the great Acharya (world teacher of spiritual knowledge) Bhaktivinoda Thakura on his disappearance day, Thursday, June 30th. Around the same time last year, with much less time to plan, 550 people joined this campaign. We are starting earlier and in a much better organized way this year. Our principle for success is to get a lot of people, each one doing a little and while doing making it fun and easy. And to make it even more exciting, we ask everyone to invite their friends, family members, and colleagues to join them, asking everyone to do a small bit To support you we have assembled a kit to help you and your friends get started. It contains: L DVD (audio video introduction to the mission) L Manual on where & how to get books, report scores, and so on L Pamphlet on how to sell a book L List of materials yousll need and where to get them L Language cards (so that you can sell a book in any language) L Wrist band (Shows your participation and attracts others to join you) L Contact info for a mentor who will guide you L Links to information websites L Links to YouTube videos where you can see examples of devotees distributing books This kit will be sent to you after you sign up at www.7thgoswami.com By joining this festival you will feel inner happiness because you will be contributing directly to the spiritual welfare of people of the world. In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krsna says that the person who spreads spiritual knowledge does the highest welfare work and is dearest to Him. And there has never been a better time to please Krsna in this most exalted way. People of the world are unsettled as they see their fellow citizens rising up against their leaders, while the leaders are blindly employing stopgap measures or violence to stem the tide. The Middle East is broiling. Japan, New Zealand, Chile, and Haiti are all facing epic natural and man-made environmental crises. Even affluent nations are going through times of economic uncertainty and working people everywhere are juggling finances just to stay afloat. And these are a few samples of what is happening throughout the world. Fading is the promise of happiness through material acquisition or advanced scientific research. People are now hungry for a spiritual practice that will give them direct experience of the supreme transcendence and tangible inner happiness that they can share with others. The ancient Vedas ‹ now available in beautifully presented books D show this path. We have stockpiled these books and are ready to distribute them to the masses. You can make a difference! Join our team of world-wide distributors for this unprecedented mission that will distribute thousands of transcendental books, providing effective spiritual solutions to sincere people of the world. Following Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and displaying his own compassion for the people of the world, Bhaktivinoda Thakura sent transcendental books to people outside India. As the first Acharya in our line to do so, he sent the book entitled, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His Life and Precepts, to scholars and literary luminaries of the time, thereby planting seeds for the sankirtan movement (the movement for cooperatively spreading spiritual knowledge) in the West. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur entrusted Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhuss sankirtan movement to his son, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, who in turn passed it on to his disciples, among whom was Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who personally brought Lord Chaitanyass mission to the United States in 1965. Following the order of his spiritual master and the example of Srila Bhaktivinoda, Srila Prabhupada brought trunk loads of his transcendental books on Krishna consciousness for distribution. He also tirelessly traveled throughout the world, speaking, writing, and training his own disciples in the science of Krsna consciousness as taught by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says . . . jive doya, krishna-nam-sarva-dharma-sar The showing of compassion to all fallen souls by loudly chanting the holy name of Krishna is the essence of all forms of religion. Passed down through this chain of teachers and students (disciplic succession), this treasure of transcendental knowledge has now been laid at our doorsteps by Lord Chaitanya and his followers. And they are inviting us to distribute this knowledge. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has put all of Lord Chaitanyass teachings into beautifully illustrated and perfectly bound books that are waiting to be distributed to millions of people all over the world. Help pass these books on! DThe more such literatures are read and distributed, the more auspicity will be there in the world.Ó (Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada; quote from letter to Lilavati; 26 March, 1972) Srila Prabhupada not only fulfilled Bhaktivinoda Thakurass prediction that Da great General would soon appear to spread Lord Chaitanyass teachingss all over the world,Ó but also ensured that it would continue through the generations by passing the torch to his disciples and followers, training them and empowering them to Ddo as he had done.Ó Catch these divine orders from the disciplic succession and in honor of Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Reap the mercy of Bhaktivinoda Thakura! Itss fun and easy.We look forward to assist you. Register now at www.7thgoswami.com. On behalf of Team ISV, Vaisesika Dasa   • Email to a friend • •   Book Distribution News: Get the mercy of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur at 7thGoswami.com Hare Krsna Prabhus, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I just received this inspiring letter from Vaisesika Prabhu on how to honor the great Acarya Srila Bhaktivindo Thakura. Please participate in yet another one of Vaisesika Prabhu's innovative ways to increase the glories of Krsna throughout the world. Srila Prabhupada said we should tax our brains on how to distribute more books. I'm convinced that Vaisesika Prabhu is the personification of, "Taxing our brain on how to distribute more books." I've joined as one of the 1008 members, I hope you do to. Sign up to be on this sankirtan party and get the mercy of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. your servant, Vijaya das Dear esteemed devotee interested in the spiritual welfare of the world. Please accept our humble respects All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu! We bring you warm greetings from ISKCON of Silicon Valley (ISV), where our mission is to serve all living beings by widely distributing the Holy Names of Krishna. We invite you to join in a fun and blissful drive that will bring good fortune to everyone it touches. Benefits for you: d Feel great about yourself d Have fun along with your friends and relatives d Link up with positive-minded, dynamic devotees around the world d Make new friends d Serve the great Acaryas d Alter the destiny of the world d Get recognized and promoted by Lord Chaitanya d Be a part of a winning team I've joined as one of the 1008 members, I hope you do to. Over a five-week period from May 27 to June 30, 2011, we will assemble a team of at least 1,008 members to actively distribute transcendental books to benefit people of the world. We will offer the results of this event to the great Acharya (world teacher of spiritual knowledge) Bhaktivinoda Thakura on his disappearance day, Thursday, June 30th. Around the same time last year, with much less time to plan, 550 people joined this campaign. We are starting earlier and in a much better organized way this year. Our principle for success is to get a lot of people, each one doing a little and while doing making it fun and easy. And to make it even more exciting, we ask everyone to invite their friends, family members, and colleagues to join them, asking everyone to do a small bit To support you we have assembled a kit to help you and your friends get started. It contains: d DVD (audio video introduction to the mission) d Manual on where & how to get books, report scores, and so on d Pamphlet on how to sell a book d List of materials youêll need and where to get them d Language cards (so that you can sell a book in any language) d Wrist band (Shows your participation and attracts others to join you) d Contact info for a mentor who will guide you d Links to information websites d Links to YouTube videos where you can see examples of devotees distributing books This kit will be sent to you after you sign up at www.7thgoswami.com By joining this festival you will feel inner happiness because you will be contributing directly to the spiritual welfare of people of the world. In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krsna says that the person who spreads spiritual knowledge does the highest welfare work and is dearest to Him. And there has never been a better time to please Krsna in this most exalted way. People of the world are unsettled as they see their fellow citizens rising up against their leaders, while the leaders are blindly employing stopgap measures or violence to stem the tide. The Middle East is broiling. Japan, New Zealand, Chile, and Haiti are all facing epic natural and man-made environmental crises. Even affluent nations are going through times of economic uncertainty and working people everywhere are juggling finances just to stay afloat. And these are a few samples of what is happening throughout the world. Fading is the promise of happiness through material acquisition or advanced scientific research. People are now hungry for a spiritual practice that will give them direct experience of the supreme transcendence and tangible inner happiness that they can share with others. The ancient Vedas ã now available in beautifully presented books show this path. We have stockpiled these books and are ready to distribute them to the masses. You can make a difference! Join our team of world-wide distributors for this unprecedented mission that will distribute thousands of transcendental books, providing effective spiritual solutions to sincere people of the world. Following Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and displaying his own compassion for the people of the world, Bhaktivinoda Thakura sent transcendental books to people outside India. As the first Acharya in our line to do so, he sent the book entitled, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His Life and Precepts, to scholars and literary luminaries of the time, thereby planting seeds for the sankirtan movement (the movement for cooperatively spreading spiritual knowledge) in the West. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur entrusted Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's sankirtan movement to his son, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, who in turn passed it on to his disciples, among whom was Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who personally brought Lord Chaitanyaês mission to the United States in 1965. Following the order of his spiritual master and the example of Srila Bhaktivinoda, Srila Prabhupada brought trunk loads of his transcendental books on Krishna consciousness for distribution. He also tirelessly traveled throughout the world, speaking, writing, and training his own disciples in the science of Krsna consciousness as taught by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says . . . jive doya, krishna-nam-sarva-dharma-sar The showing of compassion to all fallen souls by loudly chanting the holy name of Krishna is the essence of all forms of religion. Passed down through this chain of teachers and students (disciplic succession), this treasure of transcendental knowledge has now been laid at our doorsteps by Lord Chaitanya and his followers. And they are inviting us to distribute this knowledge. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has put all of Lord Chaitanyaês teachings into beautifully illustrated and perfectly bound books that are waiting to be distributed to millions of people all over the world. Help pass these books on! –The more such literatures are read and distributed, the more auspicity will be there in the world.” (Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada; quote from letter to Lilavati; 26 March, 1972) Srila Prabhupada not only fulfilled Bhaktivinoda Thakuraês prediction that –a great General would soon appear to spread Lord Chaitanyaês teachingês all over the world,” but also ensured that it would continue through the generations by passing the torch to his disciples and followers, training them and empowering them to –do as he had done.” Catch these divine orders from the disciplic succession and in honor of Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Reap the mercy of Bhaktivinoda Thakura! Itês fun and easy.We look forward to assist you. Register now at www.7thgoswami.com. On behalf of Team ISV, Vaisesika Dasa   • Email to a friend • •   H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): 321—Poem for May 25 www.sdgonline.org. 4:49 A.M. A Writer of Pieces New format—I will begin with a poem written on the day of its printing. Then I will print random excerpts of books I have printed over the last 35 years. I hope this variety will be pleasing. Poem for May 25 Pain all night again, I put on the light at 9:30 and 11:30 to take meds, finally rose at 1:30 with head subdued. My rounds were heard in the mind, each syllable pronounced in count against the clock. I could not penetrate to Krishna prema but paced myself and got them done. Sukadeva told that the enemies killed by Krishna entered His body and became one with His brahmajyoti. But the enemies on the battlefield who see Him and had their dormant love aroused gained personal liberation in the Vaikuntha planets. Uddhava lamented that he was left in the world after Krishna’s disappearance. Baladeva is encouraging me that I have not finished the autobiog. He says there are many historical stories I can tell, and it’s important that I do so. I don’t have to write them obsessively but as they come and not until my chest cold goes away. Yesterday we were caught in a rainstorm and had to terminate our walk halfway through. Laksman and Yogi, playing on the trampoline, got soaked by raindrops and ran home for cover. The poem is daily manufactured after looking at poems. I get my subject matter from my actual life. It’s made into a sort of song and served with Krishna on the mind. I don’t want to forget Him because He’s the Soul of my soul. Without Him all is illusion so I try to see everything manifested as part of His energy and celebrate my incoming and outgoing breath as all His mercy. He is the be-all and beginning and end of everything I do. I’m created just to serve and love Him.   • Email to a friend • •   H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): OLD FRIENDS www.sdgonline.org. From Here is Srila Prabhupada “Rising early in the morning is a prayer to ‘cease’ the dreams of the night and to plan how to be present in a deeper self once the activities start unfolding. “‘At least three times a day, I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master.’ “It’s true, to see Srila Prabhupada properly one has to have eyes smeared with the ointment of love. “When he rode in an open carriage in the procession at Benares, he remained very grave. It wasn’t really his style to silently parade like that. He wanted to preach, to directly distribute Krishna consciousness by kirtana. He wore the Western-style shirt Himavati had made him, the one with the pearl buttons down the front, and a turtleneck underneath. He doesn’t look like he approves of what is going on. His group of preachers was only a small part of a Hindu parade. “I like to look at photos of Srila Prabhupada. I have one where Prabhupada is talking to a worker who is preparing the altar at Bhaktivedanta Manor. Srila Prabhupada had such unique facial expressions. I can’t really describe them. Sometimes when he was observing or listening to someone else, he would let his mouth fall open a bit. It seemed to aid his concentration on the other person. “He often seemed simultaneously amused and absorbed in what was going on. His powers of concentration were so great that we could feel his intelligence penetrating into the situation. In this photo Prabhupada was asking a devotee what was going on with the construction.  I could tell from the photo that the construction was still in the early stages. The devotees took a long time to build that altar. Maybe Prabhupada was seeing through their excuses. “In the photo, Srila Prabhupada is surrounded by other devotees. All of them look amused. All small extensions of Prabhupada’s mood. It was easier to be in that position, tagging along, than to be the devotee-worker who was under Prabhupada’s discerning gaze. But what mercy to be scrutinized by him, even if it meant he saw your faults. “No one could look as serious and grave as Srila Prabhupada. You couldn’t tell what he was thinking. The corners of his mouth turned down. He had so much to bear, and his followers were always demanding that he look and act at the highest level of inspiration. He was naturally on that level, but still it was demanding. He was always giving himself for Krishna’s service. “I have another photo of Prabhupada wearing a thick garland of roses. The microphone is a few inches from his mouth. What is he thinking? His face shines with a soft aura of dedication and inner absorption.  He seems to be thinking of Krishna’s mission, and as always, he’s pleased to see that devotees are coming forward to participate in the preaching. He will sustain them by speaking the message of Srimad-Bhagavatam. He will not concoct anything new. I have seen him look pleased and softhearted as he does in this photo many times, but at the next moment another expression might pass over his face—his eyebrows might furrow in worry, or there might be a sudden sadness in his eyes. Was it compassion? Was he feeling a sudden intense spiritual emotion? The devotees were raw and weak; no one could understand his mind. “Another photo: Prabhupada is wearing a different sweater than in the other photos. He stands with folded palms. It’s a chilly morning inside the temple. He’s always alert and cheerful, ready to do business for Krishna. His bead bag is around his neck, hanging in front. His hands are together as in prayer. He has come to worship with his children. “And another: he waits in an airport lounge. His small white bag is by his side, his forearm resting on it. He has removed his shoes! He is taking a restful moment. His leg is crossed in front in a quarter-lotus position. Where is he off to? We can tell the date of this photo by his bamboo cane, which was replaced in later years. His white bag only lasted until 1974. “Srila Prabhupada, will you take me with you again? “He asks, ‘Do you want to come? Do you have faith? Can you pass the test, or will you want to drop out later?’ Maybe it’s better I just stay where I am and strive from here. I don’t expect to suddenly rise up as if filled with helium to join you in the spiritual stratosphere. Everything is happening by destiny. At least I am thinking of you, my spiritual master. “I was reading of the gopis. Their dedication to the Lord is topmost. They thought of Him at every moment with great intensity. Their pain in missing Krishna led to the greatest happiness. They achieved the perfection of Krishna consciousness by missing Krishna. In His absence they had no choice but to think of Him. In this way, they reached a state even more Krishna conscious than when He was with them. They ‘captured’ Krishna. He had no other way to repay them but to encourage them in their service to Him. “We are meant to follow the standard of the gopis. We are meant to think of guru and Krishna while serving their order. We are meant to understand that everything depends on their mercy.” From Photo Preaching “A homeless man writing in the park. I identified with him, sitting there on his belongings. Is he writing a letter home? His personal epic? One of those dreams in which everything is a fable of his own existence? Who can write like that? Only those that have at least a spark of faith that even if they are never published, one day they will be appreciated, or at least understood. “The statue, the bare tree—winter makes life more difficult.  Someone like this could probably go to a Christian shelter for a meal. But does he accept Christ?  Has he been bathed ‘in the blood of the lamb’?  Those preachers interfere. They want to claim it’s their laying of hands on him in the name of Christ that’s giving him salvation. “Perhaps he’d rather stay and write in the park, a Kafka in his dreams. Or it could be simpler. Perhaps he lent someone ten bucks once, and he’s trying to collect up on it. Or he’s writing to his brother who lives in Rio about a woman he once knew, or about sex, or food, or pain or the cold. The self runs to soothe itself by crying out from the mind. Yes, everything can be traced back to the mind. “Oh, this man isn’t writing, he’s reading a book. The grass is withered, the paved stones hard, the manhole cover secured by the underground world. There are just too many people in this world for the average citizen to give a damn about any of them. We have too many troubles of our own. Let the government provide for them, or let charities do their work. “Prabhupada said that a certain group of men are fated to sit in the park even amid the apparent opulence of America. They could earn money, but it’s their karma to sit on their possessions in the cold park. He said that about hippies too. People believe the propaganda they read about India is impoverished, but they don’t believe it about America. How come there are so many homeless here? “There’s a lesson to be learned, and it probably escapes this man in the park. We are all estranged sons of our supreme father. We are all prodigal sons. But when we return, Krishna won’t kill a fatted calf for us; He’ll offer us His prasadam. Welcome home! “Thus this man represents a truth as he sits in the cold and the better-off men and women rush back and forth from home to work and back again. Those busy walkers are probably even less aware that they are estranged from their father—after all, their homes are heated—and they choose to stay lost in illusion and to cope with the struggle. They know they’re making it because at least they’re not like that guy in the park. “‘And if he reads just one page of my books, he can become perfect. One page! One word!’ “Who knows, this man may be the next temple president. “Again all credit to the book distributors, who live in Krishna, but who roam the parks and streets looking for lost souls. “Diary, Thurpsday “Bedevil the purpose. I saw the picture of the homeless man. Yes, it cut me too. It was I who wrote the assignment on him to send to our chief. I wrote it to make a few bucks. I’m a syndicated columnist, so I don’t end up a bum sitting in a park somewhere. I saw his unshaven face too. “Walt Whitman lied when he wrote that he was the captain of his ship, a woman in labor, a lover, a farmer cutting wheat, Everyman. We each write to fulfill our own purposes. It’s interesting that a homeless man would read. “I feel like a spy. I keep trying to remember her name, something Hatta, like namhatta, but not that. Greta Garbo played her in a movie. I’ll get the name before this is over—you’ll enjoy the reference. Mad Hatta? She was a spy, and maybe a prostitute. A friend once chided me by saying, ‘Who do you think you are, so-and-so Hatta?’ I don’t wear a raincoat and roam the streets as if no one in this world knows me. He said it because I didn’t attend all his parties. “I have to write this diary with intensity, even if later I rip it up and flush it down a toilet. Today our pilot is flying us out of here from a private airport. I hope I don’t get stuck like Rajneesh was stopped. He was trying to fly from Oregon to the Bahamas, but his plane stopped to refuel—was it in Kentucky?—and the Feds were waiting for him with a SWAT team. The ‘guru’ barely escaped a jail sentence. “In a dream, the character cries out as he embraces a true friend who loves him (understands him), ‘Alas! The world never appreciated me, and it hurts my heart.’ “I like to read a good translation of the Ramayana and feel pathos on the transcendental level of the Absolute Truth. I like to hear about Hanuman. For now, though, I am writing assignments for something to do. My diary purpose is bedeviled and blue. “If I can just praise Krishna and preach to myself, I’ll be okay. As a friend wrote me, if she could only remember Krishna when her senses are agitated she’d be okay. Yes, I have some friends. The man in the park does too, if he could only remember their names and where they live and whether they have food and a warm place to sleep for him. That’s not the same as remembering a true friend.”   • Email to a friend • •   Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: First Strawberries I just picked my first pint of strawberries for the season. This may mean nothing emotionally for those who are accustomed to year around strawberries so for you I can only give you jnani, knowledge. For those who live with seasonality as part of your life, you have the realized knowledge of what that means — the separation, the anticipation, watching the flower buds manifest then open, the anxious moments looking for pollinators,  the first little  bead size berries, their growth, the  first noticed tinge of pink in the morning,  the first  almost red by evening and the next day picking. This being the next day and the washing done and little leaf at the top removed, some organic yoghurt and freshly ground flax seed added, I will now cease writing to consummate the logical next step. Filed under: Cows and Environment   • Email to a friend • •   Akrura das, Gita Coaching: REFLECTIONS ON LEADERSHIP Ljubljana, Slovenia The starting point of all significant change is mindset. One of the secrets to effectiveness is concentration. Effective leaders do first things first, and they do one thing at a time. To me, shooting for the rhinoceros in our Krsna conscious Society means not so much building big temples or distributing millions of books but building a goodwill, unity and trust in our devotional communities. In the Age of Quarrel it is very difficult to cooperate and to agree and so this is the greatest challenge. Organization and intelligence or intelligently managed organization cannot be made without unity and trust. These are some of the most important pillars of our leadership strategy. These are some of our top priorities. We must work in the service of Krsna but also on the service. It means to be clear what we are doing and why. And what we are trying to achieve. Another task is to be able to challenge people without hurting them or insulting them. One way to do that is to ask hard questions in a soft way. The leader of the past knew how to tell. The leader of the future will know how to ask.   • Email to a friend • •   Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Tipster : How To Perfectly Decorate A Cupcake I’ve posted about this technique before but still, I feel it is worth repeating the glories of the 1M tip rose frosting technique. It’s so simple to do and yet every time I swirl one out I am amazed at how darn pretty it looks. And the naturally colored frosting makes my beet-colored heart just spill over with giddiness. Recently I made about 5 dozen cupcakes for a charity bake sale. Even though time is short around here, I take great pleasure in making these beauties because people are just so happy when they see them. If that isn’t the point of cupcakes, then I don’t know what is. Not only can you do this, you must do this! Seriously. It’s time sensitive. Get frosting before the heat melts your buttercream! But first, let me share my secret for easily achieving the bi-color rose effect with minimal effort.   How To Perfectly Decorate A Cupcake After cupcake is completely cool, fit your piping bag with 1M tip and fill with frosting. Burp bag. Starting in center of cupcake, move in a concentric circle outwards to form a rose. To make colored frosting, substitute vegetable juices, such as beet and carrot, measure per measure for milk or water in buttercream recipe. To achieve duo-colored effect, make two colors of frosting. I like white (no color) and pink (beet juice). Whatever is going to be the main color of your rose, make the majority of your frosting. Fill a piping bag with a small amount of the frosting you want to use as the highlight color. Smoosh it around so that it coats the inside of the bag and squeeze some through the tip. Then add your main color frosting and start piping roses! print   • Email to a friend • •

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