and (116)

Love begins with this give and take
You give something to your lover; he gives you something to you. In this way love develops. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti. The development takes place, loving affairs, by giving and taking.
Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva [Upadeśāmṛta 4]. When you create loving transaction with any boy or girl or any man, any friend, the give and take. So Kṛṣṇa is teaching us give and take. "You give something," Kṛṣṇa is begging. "You try to love Me. You learn how to love Me. Give Me." "Sir, I have nothing to give You." "Oh, you cannot collect a little fruit and flower and leaf and little water?" "Oh, yes. Why not? Anyone can collect."
So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice. You can make direct friendship with Kṛṣṇa. You can become direct servant of Kṛṣṇa. Or, in higher stages, you can become father, mother of Kṛṣṇa. Or you can become lover of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is prepared to establish loving relationship.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.8 Lecture, July 22, 1971,New York

492f7b451910028a.png
Read more…
 
Śrī Rādhā-tattva and Śrī Rādhā's Appearance 

Excerpts from the writings of
Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja

Presented in English for the first time

The upāsaka-sampradāyas (devotional traditions) of India, especially the Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas, are particularly eager to know about śrī rādhā-tattva. It is natural that every sādhaka is eager to know about Śrī Rādhikā, because without serving Her, attaining the service of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is a distant prospect. However, the truth of who She is can only be preserved if She is revealed or described as She is. Otherwise, all we perceive are deceptions that assert truth to be false or falsehood to be truth. 
 
Living entities who are situated on the material platform and bound by māyā are incapable of describing the nature (svarūpa) of Śrī Bhagavān and His spiritual potency, who are supramundane and embody eternal existence, pure awareness and bliss. Only the Vedas, which are Bhagavān’s incarnati

Read more…

On Purity and Freedom

On Purity and Freedom

1980-12-09The following conversation between His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and a priest took place in July 1973 in London.

Srila Prabhupada: In our temples there are regular Krsna conscious programs so that one may be purified internally and externally. Yah smaret pundarikaksam sa bahyabhyantarah sucih. If you constantly remember the lotus-eyed Supreme Lord, you automatically become purified, internally and externally, because the Lord is absolute.

The best way to remember the Lord is to chant His holy name. The Lord and the Lord’s name are identical. Because the Lord is absolute, when we chant Hare Krsna the name Krsna and the person Krsna are identical. In the material world, the world of duality, the name is not the same as the substance. If you require water, simply by chanting “water, water” you will not quench your thirst. You require the substance water. But in the spiritual world the Lord and His name are the same thing. If you chant Krsna, or

Read more…
Satsvarupa: I asked Srila Prabhupada whether a sannyasi should worship a Deity while traveling. He said a sannyasi is not required to worship the Deity. He said, Lord Chaitanya never carried a Deity. I asked about the danda. Is it a Deity? No, he said. I asked if you could offer food to the danda (as with a Deity)? He laughed and said, "No." He said that the danda means body, mind, and words dedicated to Krishna's service. He said Harinama is the thing for a sannyasi. The holy name is our only shelter. Always carry your beads and danda.
"The first thing is enthusiasm. Don't be dead." He said, "You have to work more than me. Anyone who has life, he can preach. I say to my Godbrothers, 'You are all dead. You have no strength, no life. What have you done?' Because I am trying my best, blessing is coming from my Guru Maharaja. It is not to be advertised, but seen."
We have to take great responsibility. Simply touring is not required. By traveling we have to do somet
Read more…

Bhavananda Das and the Poison Issue (by Nityananda das)

CHAPTER 74: 

BHAVANANDA DAS


INTRODUCTION


Bhavananda das developed the Mayapur project in cooperation with Jayapataka Swami from the very early 1970’s. He accomplished great strides forward in establishing the Hare Krishna movement in West Bengal, and was both a GBC member and a sannyasi. However, there is evidence that he was involved in poisoning Srila Prabhupada along with others such as Tamal in 1977. 


With the demise of Tamal, Bhavananda remains as a living and prime suspect in the poisoning of Srila Prabhupada. In this chapter we will combine material related to his being a poison suspect with material which shows him to be an unqualified leader, so not to have two separate chapters.


BHAVANANDA WAS BEST FRIENDS WITH TAMAL


In 1981 Tamal told his disciples in a lecture that Bhavananda was his favorite of all the ISKCON gurus.  Bhavananda and Tamal "best friends" would often spend time together in Vrindaban, Mayapur, Australia, and
Read more…
According to Srila Prabhupada: ′′ At the present moment, this world is being administered by the raksas. The raksasas are human eaters who abort their own children (p. 41 Raja-Vidhya), ′′ and ′′ Currently, especially on this planet earth, the influence of Lord Brahma has decreased considerably, and the representatives of Hiranyakasipu - the Raksas and demons - have taken over. Therefore, there is no protection of bramanic culture and cows, which are the basic prerequisites for all types of good fortune. This era is very dangerous because society is being administered by demons and Raksasas ".
(Srimad Bhagavatam 7.3.13 
Read more…

Srila Prabhupada Evening Darsana February 15, 1977, Mayapura) Don't be disappointed. Kṛṣṇa will act through His movement and kill them, these demons. How it will be done, that you cannot know now, but it will be done. Let us remain true soldiers. That's all. And if it is a fight, suppose we die in the fight. The fight means with vow, with determination either to gain victory or die. Because it is fight against māyā, why we shall be afraid of being killed? Where there is fight, one must know that "Either I am going to be killed or gain victory." Jīvo vā māro vā. Those who are devotees, either they live or they die—the same thing. While they live they are serving Kṛṣṇa; when they die they will serve Kṛṣṇa. Jīvo vā māro vā. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). He goes to Kṛṣṇa. (laughs) So what is the loss? We are working for Kṛṣṇa, and if we die we go to Kṛṣṇa. So what is the loss? Same business.

Read more…
BUT THE DEMONIC PRINCIPLE IS SO STRONG....
9468809265?profile=original
Prabhupada: …two classes of men: the communist and the non-communist. Not exactly communist and capitalist, but communist and non-communist. Out of these two, the communists are going to be powerful. This is the world tendency. So if the world becomes full of communists, then the human civilization will be finished. All rogues and rascals, that’s all. The American government wants to check this tendency. But they cannot check it if they remain “so-called trust in God.” That will not be possible.
So according to our proposition… Not only now, it is forever. Two classes of men are there: sura and asura. Surāsura. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved devaḥ. Deva and sura, the same thing. Asuras tad viparyayaḥ. And the asura, or the demons, godless. So if the Americans remain godless in the name of so-called trust in God, they will not be able to check this communistic movement. They will not be able. Now, if they are serious to check this communistic movement,
Read more…

Tamohara@Tamohara


Opportunism and Speculation ; Driving forces in Western living that lead to insecurity and disturbance, abuses, and elitism. Human life has a purpose; to become fully Krsna / God conscious and no longer take repeated births on the many material worlds. Reawakening that spirtual love affair by finding divine devotional service is the purpose of human existence. Those enamorred of the temporary things lose track of their spiritual purpose. They lose their valued lives to false egotistical delusions and hard work to achieve things neither necessary nor helpful to fulfilling their real life goals. Simple traditional spiritual culture encourages human purposes, while atheistical science and technology mostly bewilder and obscure. There is no limit to mundane knowledge and data gathering etc., so one can become lost in chasing those, not grasping that Sri Krsna is the source and cause of all that is, and that a connection to that Well of Life fulfills all natural desire
Read more…
For me it is COMMONSENSE to KNOW this, there's no need for meaningless speculation but alas you have those that do.🕉
May be an image of 1 person
10h  · 
Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin, for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods and the sages.
PURPORT
As stated in the Brahma-samhita, Lord Krsna is the Supreme Lord. No one is greater than Him; He is the cause of all causes. Here it is also stated by the Lord personally that He is the cause of all the demigods and sages. Even the demigods and great sages cannot understand Krsna; they can understand neither His name nor His personality, so what is the position of the so-called scholars of this tiny planet? No one can understand why this Supreme God comes to earth as an ordinary human being and executes such commonplace and yet wonderful activities. One should know, then, that scholarship is not the qualification necessary to understand Krsna. Even the demig
Read more…
The Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes, and origin of all Narayana and Vishnu forms, appears in innumerable forms to enjoy transcendental relationships.
Some of His expansions are tiny, dependent beings, like us who are jiva-tattva, with 78.125% of Krishna's 64 qualities with 50 of His qualities.
And some expansions are complete and omnipotent beings like Krishna Himself who are Vishnu-tattva with 93.75% of Krishna's 64 qualities with 60 qualities.
Srila Prabhupada - ''Balarama is the plenary manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore He is as good and powerful as Lord Krishna. He belongs to the vishnu-tattva - the principle of Godhead. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.11.16-17, Purport)
When Krishna desires to appear in this world as an avatar, Balarama arranges for that appearance by expanding Himself into many more forms of Krishna.
During Krishna's pastimes on earth, Balarama was present as His elder brother. The Srimad-Bhagavatam describes Their su
Read more…

Advaita Discussion Group; If jivas in maya ie the expanded energies of the perfect origin, have a tendency to Name and Form, then the originating source must also. sarva karana karanam; I am the original cause, says Govinda. Govinda has a Form and talks, He is not an empty room. Why build a room even, if it is to be empty in its perfect state? Negation of the purposes of said room is a type of voidism and madness unnatural to spiritual Self, which is full of sat chit ananda, having blissful form and activities of perfection. Annihilating perception may stop material involvements, but there is no positive involvement on the eternal plane of blissful activity and exchange.

9468808264?profile=original

For conditioned souls to discuss maya is like people in handcuffs discussing freedom. One is obliged to approach a free unbound or higher perfect source of information, such as Bhagavada Gita As It Is, in order to get right knowledge upon which to make right decisions. A bound man cannot readily untie another. If one

Read more…

9468807484?profile=originalPrabhupada: We Vaiṣṇavas do not say that there is no need of fighting. We never say. When there is need of fighting we must fight. Rather, somebody in New York, some Goldsmith, he was that, 'Why Krishna is advising Arjuna to fight, to become violent?'
So somebody protests like that. But there is no meaning of protesting against the action of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is our view. So we Vaiṣṇavas, we are chanting.
It does not mean that when there is need of fighting with avaiṣṇava (non-vaishnava) we shall lack in strength. We can fight. One gentleman inquired from me that 'Vaiṣṇavism makes one dull. He cannot act.' And, 'No. You have not seen a Vaiṣṇava.' In the two fightings, great fighting, the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata, the hero was Hanuman and Arjuna, and they fought.
Guest: They fought.
Prabhupada: Yes. And who can be better Vaiṣṇava than them?
Guest: Nobody.
Prabhupada: So Vaiṣṇava does not mean he is dull. No.
Guest: No, that is well proved. If there is need...
Pr

Read more…

Residents of Goloka have all mystic powers, and can manifest entire universes to serve each other with love and humbleness. Yet, generally they do not want to take service from the others, whom they respect so highly. Instead, everyone has a pastime and duties, and thus things go on very happily and nicely, all devotees focusing in unison, on devotional service of Sri Sri Radha Govinda. To serve Krsna is to serve All...

Image may contain: 3 people, people on stage
Read more…
May be a black-and-white image of one or more people
In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a similar statement: "Persons whose bodies are marked with tilaka, symbolizing the conchshell, wheel, club and lotus—and who keep the leaves of tulasī on their heads, and whose bodies are always decorated with gopī-candana—even seen once, can help the seer be relieved from all sinful activities.
Nectar of Devotion, 12 by Srila ĀC Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupada Prabhupada
A similar statement is in the Third Canto, 7th Chapter, 19th verse, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: "Let me become a sincere servant of the devotees because by serving them one can achieve unalloyed devotional service unto the lotus feet of the Lord. The service of devotees diminishes all miserable material conditions and develops within one a deep devotional love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a similar statement: "Persons whose bodies are marked with tilaka, symbolizing the
Read more…

TRANSLATION: The loud sound of the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra certainly made the Kazi very much afraid, and he hid himself within his room. Hearing the people thus protesting, murmuring in great anger, the Kazi would not come out of his home.

PURPORT: The Kazi’s order not to perform sankirtana could stand only as long as there was no CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE. Under the leadership of the Supreme Lord, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the chanters, increasing in number, disobeyed the order of the Kazi. Thousands assembled together and formed parties, CHANTING THE HARE KRSNA MAHA-MANTRA and MAKING A TUMULTUOUS SOUND OF PROTEST. Thus the Kazi was very much afraid, as naturally one should be under such circumstances.
In the present day also, PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD MAY JOIN TOGETHER IN THE KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT and PROTEST AGAINST THE PRESENT DEGRADED GOVERNMENTS of the world’s godless societies, which are based on all kinds of sinful activities. Srimad-Bhagavatam states that in the Age

Read more…
9468807280?profile=originalPancadravida: ...that these Old and New Testament and Koran, they are the sastras of the (sic:) yauvanas. They are not the same as the Vedic sastras. They are not as... They are not bona fide like that.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Pancadravida: Does this mean they are not authentic or... How did they come here?
Prabhupada: Who?
Pancadravida: These Bible and Koran, how did they get here? They were just inventions or what?
Prabhupada: Convention means they are partially good for the time being, that's all. They are not eternally... Just like in the Bible it is said, "Thou shalt not kill." (chuckles) But this is not, does not come within the category of eternal religion. People were so corrupted that they were forbidden, "No, don't do this." "Thou shalt not covet," a little moral instruction. That also, they could not follow. There is no religion. And little God consciousness, "There is God, kingdom of God," little idea for the persons who could understand. Otherwise, do you think that if somebody s
Read more…
The Incomparable Affection and Compassion
of Śrī Guru and Vaiṣṇavas 
a letter from Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja

Appearing in English for the first time

śrī śrī guru gaurāṅgau jayataḥ
(All glories to Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga)

 

Śrī Nīlācala Gauḍīya Maṭha
Gourvātsāhi, Swargadwār (Purī)
30|8|1976

 
Dear Uma,
If one can engage one’s aged cow of a body solely in the service of Śrī Hari, Guru, and Vaiṣṇavas, one can know that its purpose has been fulfilled. If one ends up living for the comforts of home and body, then where is one’s advancement in sādhana-bhajana? Becoming distressed by winters, summers, and so forth often hinders one’s resolve to render service (sevā-niṣṭhā). As important as it is to exert oneself rigorously in service, it is just as necessary to give rest to one’s body, which is valuable for bhajana. These two things are synonymous. Rest is for service; rest does not detract from service. These are two complementary states of being

Read more…

Reply by Tamohara dasa, Bh.S., MS. on May 21, 2015 at 19:57

"Otherwise, management, everything, should be done locally by local men. Accounts must be kept, things must be in order and lawfully done, but that should be each temple's concern, not yours. Krishna Consciousness Movement is for training men to be independently thoughtful and competent in all types of departments of knowledge and action, not for making bureaucracy. Once there is bureaucracy the whole thing will be spoiled. There must be always individual striving and work and responsibility, competitive spirit, not that one shall dominate and distribute benefits to the others....   "

My Godbrothers have no life for preaching work. All are satisfied with a place for residence in the name of a temple, they engage disciples to get foodstuff by transcendental devices and eat and sleep. They have no idea or brain how to broacast the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Tirupati 28 April, 1974

Washington D.C.

My dear Rupanuga Maharaja

Read more…

Hanumān: Excuse me; I have a lot of questions. I would like to ask you why we are so fortunate to have such a nice, genuine spiritual master as you, and some other have bogus spiritual master. Is it something of karma, or is this the pure mercy of yourself?

Prabhupāda: No, that you can think—your spiritual master is nice, others bogus—but they do not think like that. (laughter) They will think their spiritual master is good, your spiritual master is bogus. But... there is standard who is spiritual master. Spiritual master means who is the best servant of God. One who does not agree the existence of spiritual ma..., ah God, he is bogus because he's not bona fide. Mūḍhā. One who does not accept the existence of God, he is mūḍhā. He's a rascal. He cannot... A rascal cannot become spiritual master.

Hanumān: How come we come to you?

Prabhupāda: That is another thing, but first of all we have to know who is spiritual master. The spiritual master is he, samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (M

Read more…