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Gour Govinda Swami and Srila Prabhupada -

Posted by Welcome on October 21, 2009 at 15:00

Jun 05 Prabhus, there have been those who say that Srila Gour Govinda Swami's and Srila Prabhupada's teachings differ. Little difference in emphasis there may be, but let us examine the case more closely. Let us compare a little about Srila Prabhupada and Gour Govinda Swami:

Gour Govinda Swami came from an Oriya Vaisnava family of famous kirtaniyas and devotees of Gopala. He grew up in a simple rural village. Although a schoolteacher, his exposure to the world was via a smaller community. Gour Govinda Maharajah was a very intelligent but simple and traditional village saint. Srila Prabhupada was also born into a pure Vaisnava family, Bengali, but in the big metropolis of Calcutta. He schooled in the colleges in the capital city. A Gandhi-ite in his youth, he was accustomed to broad and even revolutionary ideas, and impressed by the expanded liberal mercies of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami.

Does anyone expect all devotees to be identical? That is not realistic; they will have

Wading For You

Posted by Welcome on October 21, 2009 at 15:00

Dear Gouranga dasa Prabhu ji, your article impressed many of us with its naive but sincere lightness of vision! Many of us refugee senior devotees intended to reply, but couldn't find time to go over the issues yet again, for yet another of the many swimming in the on-going river of misinformed sycophants of the usurpers. Out of a sense of mercy and decency, Radha-Govinda-ji has swum out to save you. I simply corroborate her observances, wading in her footsteps. This way you know for sure that she is not just one man speaking, so to speak. You say that the times they are a changin'. Let by-gones be by-gones, don't criticize the moons for their spots. Veritably, for another similar example, why criticize Stalin or Dr. Mengele after all these years, what's done is done, let's be good non-envious "Germans", live and let live! (for those still alive, of course!) Yes, we may now have several advanced pure devotees in ISKCON, all standing proudly upon the broken opportunities and bodies of

Corroborating Krsna dasa's Concerns

Posted by Welcome on October 21, 2009 at 15:00

It takes courage and the highest order of compassion to stand against the darkness. But Krsna is a fire which burns in the heart and minds of men, Who drives them to attempt the impossible, to stand even as one man against an empire, for the sake of an ideal. Krsna dasa has revealed concerns about the quality of the activities of Bhatkimarg Swami, long time devotee within ISKCON and GBC/authorized guru. I recall 1973, at the Toronto temple on Gerrard Street. Srila Prabhupada had a three-story house. Many wonderful devotees were residing there for the sake of our sankirtana services for Srila Prabhupada. As a new but sincere and gentle-natured lad, Bhatimarga was in charge of the new bhaktas, more or less, we being Ghosh Thakura Prabhu and I. He would read Nectar of Devotion with us for 1/2 an hour, and we would spend a few hours almost every day chanting and/or trying to collect some laxmi for incense and magazines, out on the famous circus of man's folly known as Yonge Street. Othe

Vanaprastha Ashrama Today

Posted by Welcome on October 21, 2009 at 14:30

“One in the vanaprastha order of life should always practise taking charity from others, for one is thereby freed from illusion and quickly becomes perfect in spiritual life. Indeed, one who subsists on food grains obtained in such a humble manner purifies his existence." (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.18.25) Curious how kali-yuga plays tricks with the practical interpretation of sastra. In this case, any ISKCON vanaprasthas attempting to follow this classic instruction would quickly find themselves starving and diseased. Where is the program to give in charity to vanaprasthas? They will succumb quickly to weakness depending on charity form householders or ISKCON in these days. The vanaprasthas should be living in our temples and asramas, preaching and spearheading the harinama sankirtana movement! Instead, there is no widely organized facility, that I am aware of. If there is, it is not advertised much, or enough. The vanaprasthas must nowadays exist by grace of God and a bank account, other

So What ARE They Saying?

Posted by Welcome on October 21, 2009 at 14:30

These following headlines are taken directly from the front page of the Winnipeg Free Press, Saturday Sept 26, '09, bolded and capitals are as used by the paper themselves; "Arresting Development: police cruiser..." "High Tech Trash for every household. New bins to have digital ID tags to determine where they belong and how often they're used" "Saturday Special; Behind closed doors but not out of sight" "DEVIL of a guy mourned" "VIOLENT times" "Weak sisters wage war,...do battle" The only two other headlines for the front page were; "Its a giveaway weekend" and "Inland port riding a wave" So what are the key words and ideas being used here to capture the readers; attention? Arresting police, forced technology for every household, including ID tags, Saturday Special (slang for a gun) and secrets (weapons) behind closed doors but partially revealed to us. The devil, people mourning, violence, weak persons (sisters) close to ourselves, war. I don't know about you, but as a citizen I b

Latching on to an Institution

Posted by Welcome on October 21, 2009 at 14:30

Latching to an Institution Our journeys back to Godhead do not end with initiation. Of course, this is not news to most of our readers, but we can remember our own introductions into spiritual life, and know that newcomers to our movement will undergo the same stages on their reach of a firm hold on the lotus feet of Sri Krsna. Persons taking to the path of Krsna of consciousness make an error when they believe that donning Vaisnava attire, memorizing slokas, and attending the programs means they are now perfect, they need merely perform the rituals. Yes, they are rightly situated, that is sure, but the internal change of vision that accompanies spiritual advancement, for most of us, is more a long -term comittment. Temple life can be a lot of fun, let's admit it. Who would not enjoy dancing all day, chanting, associating with pure devotees, taking love-dipped remnants of Radha and Krsna's food, and chanting in the streets? All are equally divine! But if the love is not transferred

Discussion with Krpamaya Prabhu, GBC England

Posted by Welcome on October 21, 2009 at 14:30

Yes,Haribol, Krpamoya Prabhu; Pamho. AGTSP. T; As you say, prabhu, it is not good that we too few devotees should be fighting . There is so much important work to be done. We must be mutually respectful. Still, a very great issue is there. > K; > I didn't know that HH Puri Goswami Maharaja had left > behind a ritvik system. How will that work, exactly? T; This info I have gotten second-hand from more than one source. Are you aware of the conversation between SP and PM in '77, in which PM says to SP; they will never accept it (referring to the rtivik arrangements left for us.) SP said; that it is up to Krsna! Now PM has shown what he thinks is Krsna's order! Mind you, it is not to PM that we must look, only to SP. He is quoted below and the message seems clear to me. > >K; I wrote on my website about my understanding of how the > Ramanuja followers do their diksha. Strangely enough, its > not quite ritvik, yet not quite how many in ISKCON currently > understand diksha. Personally, I t

Hybrid

Posted by Welcome on October 21, 2009 at 14:30

Our vision is of eternal blissful devotee-filled cultural centers, temples of Srila Prabhupada, filled with his loving disciples. Those who want to leave this safe and blissful shelter, and are fully qualified and ordered by Krsna, let them leave the father temple and start new ones of their own in succession, like apples falling from the tree. But there should always be the faithful preaching servants and disciples of Srila Prabhupada, in the very temples which he built for this very purpose. If we follow Srila Prabhupada's instructions, there will always be his disciples, otherwise, how can he have ordered that only HIS DISCIPLES are to be the temple presidents and board members in all his temples, in perpetuity ? Isn't this also what PRABHUPADA HIMSELF ACTUALLY DID? He left Gaudiya Maths! He never tried to "take control of" his Godbrothers, residents etc or any assets in Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's temples for his own purposes or disciples etc.! Others did. The current "others" in our

"The love in my heart, the stone in my hand."

Posted by Welcome on October 21, 2009 at 14:00

"Ain't got no pistols, ain't got no sword or marching band, all I've got is the love thats in my heart, and the stone that's in my hand." Everlast. How can you know, you who sit in lotus towers? You cannot see, are deaf! Your comfortable life blinds you to the myriad sufferings, daily, on and on. You hear only what you want to believe! But the people are hungry, their skins are sallow and their brains dull from their stomach's emptiness! They have no hope and no futures! They die alone, they suffer together. They fumblingly press in the needle of sweet oblivious escape. They are kept blind and uneducated, a life hardly worth living in the ghettos and enclaves, created and pinned there by your greedy designs and rascism. They are abused and assaulted by you, the fat-cat elite; you such proper politicians and bankers, you who calculatingly maintain mercenary troops to enforce total control over every man's thoughts and resources, who keep the world enslaved in depraved self-righteous p

Srimati Sita Thakurani Appearance

Posted by Shri Nrsngha Dasa on November 30, 1999 at 7:00

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According to Gaura-Ganodesha-Dipika, Shri Sita Thakurani is Yogamaya. The Gaura-Parshada-Charitvali says that in Krishna Lila, she was Purnamasi, the mother of Sandipani Muni, grandmother of Madhumangal and Nandimukhi and a disciple of Narada Muni. (Gaura-Ganodesha-Dipika, however, says that Paurnamasi in Krishna-lila became Shri Govinda Acharya in Chaitanya lila.) (In the image: Deity of Shrimati Purnamasi, Shri Vrindavan Dham).

Advaita Acharya’s wife was a respectable and noble woman name Sita Thakurani. Taking permission from her husband, she went to Navadwip bearing gifts to see the crown jewel of infants. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.13.112)

Shri Sita Thakurani is to be worshiped just as much as Sachi Devi herself, as the mother of the universe. She is the eternal wife of Shri Advaita Acharya. She was the daughter of Shri Nrishinga Ba

Kali Yuga, no surprises

Posted by Tamohara dasa ADMIN. on November 30, 1999 at 7:00

Vishvambhara Priya courtesy;

Kali Yuga, no surprises

15) Only at the time of Sri Gurudeva's disappearance can one recognise the actual identity of his disciples. One can then understand who has approached Sri Guru with what intention.

(16) Even after taking shelter of a sad-guru's lotus feet, some disciples secretly strive to occupy the seat of Sri Gurudeva at the time of his disappearance. Their acceptance of the shelter of Sri Guru's feet was merely deceit. They are, in fact, hostile and inimical to guru.

(17) Moreover, some disciples try to misappropriate the opulence and paraphernalia intended for the service of Sri Guru-Gauranga. This is not understood while Sri Gurudeva is still present, but after he has disappeared from this world, it assumes a terrible form. Know these disciples to be hypocrites, enjoyers and offenders.

(18) Even at the time of Sri Gurudeva's manifest presence, some try to control their godbrothers instead of regarding them as worshipable. Thus they become