The Great sages...

Hare Krsna,
A new transcript on Maharaja's website of a lecture he gave recently in Melbourne: Click here to view it: "The great sages"

"Thus if spiritual life is only based on duty, on sense control and so on, then we are weak, then we are constitutionally weak in our spiritual life. Spiritual strength means relishing, it means actually we are relishing spiritual life, then we are strong. When we are relishing, what will maya do? But when we are not relishing and it’s all austerity then, ‘ohhh no! Please take maya away!’ then we are weak...."

Travels around the world - Germany and Radhadesh

By Mayapur Chandradoya das

German Adventures
Koln
Maharaja led an ecstatic and exuberant kirtan in Koln, Germany. He picked up Hari Haraye namah Krsna tune from H.H. Suhotra Maharaja and chanted it by his own original way. Everyone was pleased by this wonderful kirtan. After that he gave a class where he spoke about unexpected calamities that arise in the material life and how to be ready to face them through Krsna consciousness. He mentioned his experience from the czech summer camp where one devotee suddenly left his body. Later he led another Gaura arati kirtan. I always wonder how much energy he has although he says:"I am an old man."




Berlin
Next we travelled by train to Berlin. Maharaja performed an initiation ceremony and initiated 3 devotees. Bh Thomas became Tamohara das. Bh Robert became Rupa Manohara das and Bhn Anke was given the name Arundhati devi dasi. The whole ceremony was blessed by the presence of H.H. Sacinandana Swami and many other elevated Vaishnavas. Although you can't jump high in the Berlin temple, because of the weak floor, the kirtans were blissful and the devotees were sweet.

We also joined the home program from at Bhn. Angelika's home. She became a devotee and gradually inspired also his son and daughters to practice Krsna consciousness. Maharaja led kirtan and spoke on the basis of reading from Srila Prabhupada lilamrita.




Radhadesh Seminar
Time to catch a plane to Brussels. Maharaja explained me that with Easyjet you get the best places when you come first so Maharaja hurried to the plane. I had to run to not loose him from sight. He was fixed like anything. Finally maharaja gained victory and was the first passenger on board. He later said that in his school days he was always first in running. Only one boy who later became a famous soccer player in Real Madrid was faster. We were picked up by Gauravani devi dasi from the airport. It was a really fast car. The automatic alarm system was ringing all the time over crossing the allowed speed. Gauravani likes to drive fast.

The devotees in Radhadesh were happy to see Maharaja back again as he promised before. This time he gave an ecstatic seminar on Caitanya Caritamrita. Although Maharaja was first thinking to make a power point presentation with computer and projector, he changed his approach after he found out that the machines were not working. It was still structured but also more spontaneous and spiced with Maharajas displays of different lilas. Like for example Nityanandas breaking danda of the Lord Caitanya, the Saksi Gopal story or Krsnadas Kaviraj walking with a cane. I told Maharaja that he could be a movie star. Maharaja went through different pastimes explaining their meaning and significance. He explained how all members of Sri Panca Tattva represent different categories of Krsna avataras based on Gaura Ganoddesa dipika from Kavi Karnapur. He explained the proof about our connection with Madhva sampradaya on the basis of Srila Baladev Vidyabhusan. We discussed the meaning and necessity of sannyas in connection with Gaura lila. And we were also discussing the meaning of Sri Caitanya Caritamrita in connection to our present situation in ISKCON. At the end Maharaja made an exposition of 20 books which he used as a reference and interesting study material for deeper study of CC. But it was not the end!

At the end of the seminar Maharaja inspired all students to make presentations based on the seminar. We had a theater directed by Shyamananda Prabhu displaying the pastime of Chota Haridasas falldown. Although a quite difficult topic matter devotees made displayed it very nicely. Afterwards we provided a philosophical explanation to pacify the audience and Maharaja concluded it by explaining that although sannyasi can fall down they still can continue with devotional service in another ashrama. The ladies also performed theater where an old vaishnava grandmother describes pastimes of the Lord Caitanya to small vaishnava children. Last but not least Bhagavati mataji and Manasi Ganga mataji gave a presentation explaining the meaning of the Saksi Gopal pastime. And course Maharaja did more nice kirtan!

Please accept this small attempt to describe an unlimited pastimes of our spiritual master!

A Guide to Spirituality - Your Favorite Links

Here is a summary of nice website links related to HH Jayadvaita & Kadamba Kanana Swami's. I will keep this list updated. You can also find this page in the menu bar.

Websites
- www.kkswami.com - Official website HH Kadamba Kanana Swami
- www.jswami.info - Official website HH Jayadvaita Swami
- kkswami.blogspot.com - Of course this website!!
- kksvami.blogspot.com - Blog in Czech (Cesko)
- library108.com - Your online source for Spiritual Media

Documents
- www.scribd.com/kksdas - Some transcripts of HH KKS Classess

Media
- www.youtube.com/library108 - official youtube portal Library108.com
- www.youtube.com/visakhadd - another nice youtube page with videos
- Youtube channel from Aatish - Large collection of video
- picasaweb.google.com/uddhava.kks - Large collection of photos and albums
- http://picasaweb.google.com/kmehta108 - Another collection of photos
- library108.com/media/spiritual-radio - All classes, seminars and bhajans in 1 Radio station.

Social links
- http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=41982318895 - Group on Facebook (you need facebook account)

Older links, or not updated lately
- www.archive.org/details/KKS_Media_Library - Not currently updated anymore
- www.archive.org/details/JAS_Media_Library - Not currently updated anymore

You found some other links? Let us know. Mail us at info [AT] library108 [DOT] com.

Lets go for the morning...Zzzzz!

If we do it in the morning, we're doing good. So many mornings we sleep too late and then oops- no morning left! Oh well I can still worship the Lord in the afternoon and in the evening! No! Morning- morning very important!
‘Brrr! Tired, sick! Not well! Went to bed late- no...’

Yes!
‘ Nooo…’
Yes!
‘Cannot…’
Must!
‘No. Impossible...’
A fool’s dictionary! Get up!
‘Why are you so mean?’
I’m not mean, I am merciful… says the intelligence to the mind, which is arguing every morning. So in this way one must strengthen the intelligence and control the mind, and to enter into an argument with the mind, ‘No mind! If I listen to you, what would I become! I will go down, I will go down! Because now I will neglect the morning practice and when I don’t practice in the morning, I won’t do it in the afternoon as well and maybe I’ll sleep till noon. And then what? Then I’ll miss the morning and the noon and then only the evening is left!’ And then what do you do at night? (Dramatic) ‘Ta da…it’s a Saturday night and ain’t got nobody!’ then what…?
‘One stitch in time saves nine’, so a stitch in the morning, it’s like by having a good morning we are sort of getting on top of the day. But if we don’t have the morning then there is a good chance that the day will get on top of us...

(HH KKS, Melbourne, Feb 2009)

Download here the complete transcript.

A Lord with a heart...

...Anyway, so it shows how Krsna is nice, how Krsna is very nice. So in this way, the residents of Vrndavana spent their time to enter into the pastimes of Krsna. It’s difficult for the passionate mind, to take the time to sit down and hear about Krsna: ‘He’s not gonna tell the Putana story again! Oh, no! God! Everybody knows that one! We’ve heard it a million times! Oh Putana again! Here we go…’ Yes, I know the restless mind, the passionate mind, is thinking like that, I know that, ‘(Indian accent) Yes, yes swamiji, we know all these things, we know all these stories, we know them very well! Yes, yes, yes…so nice that you are telling these old stories…’ no, they’re not old stories- you have old ears! It’s not that the stories are old, your ears are old and stuffed up, because the stories are fresh and full of little details- it’s about the detail where the juice is, and that we realise how kind Krsna is. Krsna actually gave that witch the position of a mother in the spiritual world. He purified her a little bit- yes, that He did. So it shows Krsna’s kindness and that is the most important point in the whole story- Krsna kindness.

(HH KKS, Melbourne, Feb 2009)

Writing for the kkswami blog

Join now to write about HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, post photos or other news related to him on the kkswami blog. Go there now http://kkswami.blogspot.com. We need you!

RELISH THE NECTAR THE FROM THE KKS BLOG

HARE KRISHNA everyone. I'm one of a few who update the KKS Blog. My Computer has completely crashed :-( It may take a while to get sorted.

MEANWHILE PLEASE RELISH ALL THE PREVIOUS NECTAR FROM THE KKS BLOG!

HH KKS: "So chastity of a disciple means that; it means that the instructions of the spiritual master are siromani, are like jewels on the head, they are carried like a jewel, like a great treasure. Whatever the spiritual master said is siromani; it is not a casual thing at all. It is never to be taken as light thing. It is always to be taken as something very important- everything that the spiritual master says!"

Protection From FallDown(part10)

HH KKS :Let us open up the discussion forum for questions and comments for a few minutes before we end.

Devotee: Thank you very much Maharaja. One point you mentioned about ..(Sanskrit) ..over endeveouring and going to much involved in services and neglecting our own sadhana in the name of enthusiasm and make our Krishna consciousness dry…now for brahmacaris also there is this point of surrender ..a brahmacari might have some taste in some service ..he may know that he is enriched by a particular aspect of service, some services, but because he has his own conception that I have to just do what the authorities say and theoretically knowing that this surrender or this service attitude will hep him he pushes himself but within he is holding grudges ..might be struggling with his own mind so how does the devotee deal with that situation, he wants to surrender but he has his own struggles?
HH KKS: Uh huh, Yes we want to surrender and yet internally there is resistance and we may not want that but it is still there. So some wheere along the line we must certainly stretch , stretch our surrender ..just like physical exercise. If you never do any exercise then from one day to the next you have to touch your toes and you can not do it anymore .. become stiff..then you can not in one day touch the toes …you have to practice it by stretching…gradually stretching the mucscles ….by exercising a little and a little ……..it is in the same way in surrender…...it is not a matter of sentiment …. “I want to surrender” yes very nice ….and even the authorities may sometimes not be able to judge us hundred percent and they might ask us to surrender to something which really is very very difficult for us …very difficult …and we may want to do it but we may be feeling so disturbed ………so if we find that we are surrendering to an authority and in the cause of it we are sincerely trying but we become disturbed…then it is time to go back to the authority and explain our predicament and our problem: “ I really am trying to do as you say but I am getting more and more disturbed “…..so any authority must know at that time that “Now I must be careful and maybe I need to adjust my instruction.”
This is one important point that is sometimes overlooked ….Yes we must surrender to the instruction of the authorities but maybe these instructions need to be adjusted many times, there may be need to be some fine tuning on the way.
So during the process we may have to adjust it …just like shoes …you put on a few varieties of shoes until they fit because you may go to the shop and they say eight is your size …but sometimes they cut them a little narrow …sometimes they cut them a little wide …and it depends on your foot …which one exactly is the right one …so some fine tuning is required also…..so therefore ultimately between authorities ..between seniors and juniors their should be (Sanskrit)…firm friendship ….and especially that is the duty of the senior. The senior has to be so kind, so gentle, so accommodating …so understanding and yet…not compromising the standards but still be ready to see this person ..can not fully make it yet..doesn’t mater ..we will temporarily make some adjustment …a temporary, progress a little slower, put a few steps in between if need be ……………..
I come on a point that I made in Mayapur recently .the senior must conquer the heart, he must conquer the heart of his dependants, it’s the only way it will ever work…..otherwise it will never work! Otherwise the dependant will not open his heart, he’ll think of being laughed at, there is no welcoming atmosphere to reveal your weakness… “If I am surrounded by devotees who are all acting as if they are super devotees as if they do not have any doubt…...I will also not speak of any of my doubts”…so it is not a favourable atmosphere…so we have to be very kind, honest…. Seniors have to be considerate, go out of their way for their dependants ….therefore to be a counsellor is a huge responsibility , to be responsible for others spiritual life requires that we really give our self …….not a casual thing …Big thing!
So to be an authority is a big responsibility which at many time our authorities in Iskcon have not been able to fill in properly and as a result lot of injustice was done to devotees. So if we get a position of authority we really have to become a shelter …we should realise … “I should have to be a shelter of these devotees” then all these problems will be taken care of …..(More in part 11)

Protection from Fall Down (part9)

HH KKS: So how difficult it is, how careful we must be in our spiritual life, how intelligent we must be . it is said….(Sanskrit)… one must follow in the footsteps of the advanced Vaishnavas ..not blindly…but rather in knowledge and keeping a good balance in spiritiual life ..of his own spiritual practices..of preaching ..of distributing the mercy , of not overendeavoring …right…of not over collecting …not eating more than required ..even if it is prasadam and so on…
So all these things if we . we must protect our devotional creeper….so in this chapter we will meditate on how to protect our Bhakti creeper and how to develop our spiritual life …steadily and carefully and yet how to be very active ….as a preacher …sometimes taking risks to give out the mercy …hmmm…..but not too much….so in this way we must proceed carefully in our spiritual life ……I guess I must bring it to a conclusion because time is moving along:
The safest way …the safest path is to always take shelter of the Spiritual Master and senior Vaishnava …to consult…whenever there is doubt ..one must enquire…..But not enquiring for the sake of enquiring …not to just ask the questions..but to digest the answers…deeply…just asking questions is also not good enough….one can even fall in the trap of asking questions …always asking questions..always asking questions but never deeply thinking about the answers and implementing them in his life ….and again asking a question ……..so even just being inquisitive alone is not enough .
So everything must be used for increasing the quality of our spiritual life …….so let that be the conclusion…… (More In part10)

Maharaja Recorded in Januari

Here a short summary of recordings in Januari 2009.
6 jan 2009 : Class on SB 4.21.30
7 jan 2009 : Class on SB 4.21.31
8 jan 2009 : Class on SB 4.21.32
31 jan 2009 : Bhajans during the Kirtan Weekend

These audio files will be added to our media library. You can now find and listen online to all classes, bhajans and seminars from HH Jayadvaita & Kadamba Kanana Swami's.

• Spiritual Radio 108

Depend On Krishna (part6)

HH KKS: So with Krishna ..normal logic does not apply….We can see that in Prabhupada’s actions…... For example when he first came to New York, he had no place to stay ..he stayed in that loft with that crazy fellow…then he had to move out because it was getting dangerous and then somehow or other with the help of Mukunda and some others they got the store front ..Matchless Gifts and with the help of everybody in doing a collection ..they managed to scrape just the amount to get the money for the first months rent !
...That’s not a way to enter into a rental contract!..because the second months you are going to get less…..not everybody would help the second month …logically speaking you can’t enter into a rental contract on that…...but Prabhupada did not see it like that. “Krishna will help” and he did obviously because Matchless Gifts continued.
So here is an example of how Krishna just helped His devotee to carry on beyond the modes of material nature.
Let’s take this story a little further. Matchless gifts then continued and of course some of the first people who became involved were: Keith and Wally and…Hayagriva became involved…..Kirtananada …and so on. It is said that a few hours after Prabhupada left the Jaladutta and took a bus to Buffalo that actually Kirtananada and Hayagriva , then Keith and Howard at that time boarded the Jaladutta to India to look for a Guru. They didn’t find one. They looked around ..couldn’t find one and since they were in India ..they bought some souvenirs and some things and got back on the boat and went back to America.
Then Howard met Prabhupada.. found the Swamiji…..met the Guru and so on and the whole Matchless Gifts started. So one day they wanted to surprise Prabhupada and they decided lets decorate the storefront because it looks so simple …so they made a raised platform, a seat, they had posters that they had bought from India and they put the posters on the wall and so on……….and Prabhupada came into the store front and couldn’t believe it …it looked like a temple ! It looked like a temple and when he looked at the posters there was a poster of a six armed form it was Sad Bhuja as Lord Chaitanya in that form with six arms: two arms of Krishna and two arms of Rama and two arms of Lord Chaitanya Himself ….Amazing! …..Directly relating to Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy of Lord Chaitanya Himself!
And then another poster Hayagriva asked “Who is this? Is he a cat?” and Prabhupada said, “No..this is Hanuman!”
So we can see how Krishna used them: Howard and Keith as instruments to assist Prabhupada and to somehow or other create the looks of a temple and it was all arranged …the first shopping party was sent to India ..right then by Krishna Himself …to buy supplies to create a temple in New york, in the west.
So this was an example of how Krishna was helping . It wasn’t Prabhupada’s arrangement…it was Krishna’s arrangement. In this way Krishna is empowering …making all kinds of things possible . Krishna can of course empower in many ways. There are many examples of Krishna’s empowerment …but before I go too deep in discussing empowerment …looking at the clock opposite of me ..which is five minuites fast! but I don’t want to just speak on that…let me speak about the opposite for a moment…disempowerment ….because we are here in this world in a disemepowered condition.
Srila Bhakti Siddhanata Sarasavati Thakur said that when we are enquiring for Knowledge ..any other source than Krishna or His representative …then we find our selves poorly supplied …not only that but he said our capacity to retain knowledge will decrease ………….so this is exactly what happened to us! Huh! Since for a long time having enquired from all kinds of sources other than Krishna and his devotees ….gradually our capacity for retaining knowledge …has decreased and decreased and decreased…and thus we have sunk deep into ignorance …and our brains have became dull. It is difficult, it is difficult for knowledge to enter through our thick skulls!!!! .........(More in part7)

Protection From Fall Down (part8)

YOU HAVE TO PREACH!!!
HH KKS: If we neglect our preaching and are all day into sadhana then after some time that sadhana will become dry…… And we are chanting 64 rounds and every ekadasi we are doing total nirjala no matter what season or not and sure enough the five last days of Kartik we do the whole …panchagarvia (sanskirit)..thing..right..with cow dung and cow urine as well ..and everything included…we don’t cut our nails, we don’t cut our beard and we let our hair grow and everything we do and that’s not all …we sleep on the floor and we eat on the floor with hands on our back! Right…and only go down once …and if you lift your head you are finished eating for that day and all this tapasya …catur masya and all that also ………………..become dry! It become s dry !
And even if we hear from morning to night , from morning to night we hear Krishna Katha ...Now I will make sure I am always thinking of Krishna …I will have a tape recorder and I will have it on my head all day long and I will just hear Prabhupada ….but even then …right….even then one can become dry in his heart ….…….Why…Why…Isn’t this one of the essential things to hear about Krishna and isn’t that suppose to fill the heart…..sanskrit……Hearing of Krishna, isn’t it suppose to give us taste and bliss…then ….how can it be that even if you hear all day that your heart can still become dry ???…………………..
Because ultimately unless we become the servant of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and develop the mood of compassion for the conditioned souls…It Won’t Work!!!!!!
It is not enough…If you don’t preach …No Juice…all the sadhana becomes dry without preaching …because it remains self centered….sanskrit……Prahalada Maharaja is explaining how even if one follows great vows of austerities such as….sanskrit….or if one goes to the forest ..ultimately just one’s bhajan alone …sanskrit…the firm determination will not come …until one becomes concerned with the well beings of all other beings…and especially in this age …….that is the Yuga Dharma …Harinama sankirtana…so we must do that we must preach…we must preach….otherwise still not good enough.............................(More in part9)

Depend On Krishna (part5)

HH KKS: Thus we see in all our dealings how Krishna is personally, personally dealing with us in our life, how Krishna is there every moment, every single moment and making arrangements….this verse..this verse is about empowerment …it is a verse that describes how a devotee receives power from Krishna.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in ….his commentary on Caitanya Caritamrita describes how empowerment actually takes place and he says empowerment means that Krishna empowers the devotee with the Cit and Ananda shakti…or either the knowledge potency and the happiness potency . And as the devotee becomes more and more empowered these two qualities begin to manifest in him stronger and stronger and thus nothing, nothing can actually distract him , nothing can lead him in the wrong direction …a devotee who is surrendered to the Supreme Lord, it is mentioned is free from mistakes …This topic of mistakes in relation to the pure devotee came up several times in Srila Prabhupada’s company…Bhurijana Prabhu mentions one occasion on the beach when Srila Prabhupada was on the beach and …well.. Prabhupada pointed at an animal and said “Look a scorpion” …and every saw that it was a crab…..Can a Pure devotee make mistakes?.....He said scorpion… but it was a crab. So the topic of Prabhupada making mistakes or possibly making mistakes at one point became something that devotees began to think about …..and we find that at one point the devotees asked Srila Prabhupada directly if the pure devotee could ever make mistakes …and Prabhupada‘s answer was No….. No he never make s mistakes.
But what if he seen someone at a distance: someone with a beard and then think :it’s Hayagriva …that person comes closer and it is someone else , what if you make mistake and it is someone else? : Prabhupada said “That is material…that is material…that is material”
But a pure devotee never makes a mistakes because he is always under the direction of Krishna and thus he is always the instrument of Krishna , he is transparent to Krishna. (A Iskcon) Maharaja mentions to us: Prabhupada came down the staircase, when he was at the bottom of the stair case he made a little pirouhette and he said, “My Spiritual Master made me into a diamond.”
That analogy of the diamond was often used as the diamond is completely transparent, it doesn’t obstruct the light in any way…the light comes through completely…thus the pure devotee is the perfect instrument of Krishna……….
But more than being a transparent via media more than being simply a good conductor, more than being a good wire like through which the electricity could flow ..more than that …we see that Krishna also changes the capacity of the devotee as He likes…as Krishna likes and if Krishna so desires: anything becomes possible…….that is one principle….so if Krishna desires …we can do things that we could have never imagined that we could do….so with Krishna ..normal logic does not apply….We can see that in Prabhupada’s actions…... (More in part6)

Protection From Fall Down (part7)

HH KKS: We have seen, we have seen how many devotees have fell down in Iskcon. So many leaders fell down in Iskcon …sanyassis fell down ….of course when a sanyassi falls down ..he falls down with a very loud noise, when he falls there is a big noise …a lot of noise . When a brahmacari falls down there is also noise and for the grhasta there can be the silent fall down …right…the silent fall down by not following the regulative priciniples in his own ashram. When the doors are closed and the curtains are closed..who will know?! How will anybody know apart from the morose face of that devotee.
So fall down happens on all kinds of levels of spiritual advancement, in all kinds of ashrams and it is a big question: whenever it happens …how could it happen …and questions arise, if it could happen to him then what about me? If the great powerful horses became swept away by the waves of the river then what is the hope of the little skinny ones like us?!...right…….the light weight horse….if the big powerful horses did not make it then what can a light weight horse hope for?! …if even the great fell down then what about us…what is the hope? Should we give up?
Such thoughts come and people do give up actually….we see when a great devotee falls down many people whose faith depended on him immediately give up: “Oh well if he couldn’t make it then forget it…there is no hope for me”
So all these kind of sentiments come up …so that is one thing . another thing is when a devotee falls down and especially a mature devotee falls down ..we have to look at the mistake …what did he do wrong? What was the mistake? And therefore it is important that we aware of all these causes and we are naming some today : We are naming: *Neglect as the example of Bharata Maharaja , *Offences, We‘ve named *Atyahara(collecting more than required and begin to *enjoy the material facilities and also one that come on their own accord *in the cause of devotional service , *over endeavour at the neglect of either our spiritual practices or either our preaching.
*If we neglect our preaching and are all day into sadhana then after some time that sadhana will become dry……(More in part8)

Technical Difficulties

I found a technical problem with the RSS feed link. It was not updated since January. I have corrected this and now the feed should be updated again. Sorry for the inconvenience.
For RSS feeds see the right menu, under the search bar.

Depend On Krishna (part4)

HH KKS: Sanskrit….it is describing Karma is stored within the heart, in the form of so many seeds which cause a particular inclanation. Many sinful seeds stored in the heart cause sinful inclination and again the tendency to perform sinful activities will be there …more sin..more reaction..and sometimes reactions fructify….
When we take up devotional service ..it has been stated …..then the fan is switched off and then the fan gradually slows down , still spinning even without electricity ….So when we become devotees..when we take up spiritual life we are no longer under the influence of karma directly but rather are getting diminished reactions for our previous sinful activities.
Srila Prabhupada in Bombay explained that a little further. Srila Prabhupada explained that not only are we getting diminished reactions but Krishna is personally monitoring these reactions and thus Krishna is personally involved with the devotee and Krishna may personally decide when to release certain reactions or if to release certain reactions and so on….so what was destined to happen on Friday the 17th 2008 may not happen…Krishna may scrap it altogether or Krishna may delay it and ..save it for another occasion ….and sometimes even…. Srila Visvanatha Cakravati in …Sanskrit….mentions that sometimes something happens for which there is no karmic seed at all!
Some times Krishna might send us something ..yes..of which we have no actual karma …thus a vaishnava will always see what ever happens is Krishna! Even although we may be facing the diminished karma of our reactions :we say it is Krishna….Sanskrit…... “I am the ultimate cause” .We always see Krishna behind everything. Thus we always are taking it: Krishna is dealing with me ….and thus a Vaishnava can accept : Krishna is dealing with everything! ...(More in part5)

Melbourne travels

Maharaja was recently visiting Melbourne in Australia and left us with some nice classes and photos.

10 feb 2009 : Class on SB 11.6.10
11 feb 2009 : Class on SB 11.6.11
Bhajans - Jaya Radha Madhava
12 feb 2009 : Class on SB 11.6.12
Bhajans - Jaya Radha Madhava
13 feb 2009 : Class on SB 11.6.13
14 feb 2009 :Class on SB 1.1.3
Kirtana
Chanting of Brahma-Samhita
15 feb 2009 : Class on SB 11.6.14
Bhajans - Jaya Radha Madhava
Sunday Feast Class
16 feb 2009 : Class on SB 11.6.14 (continued)
Bhajans - Jaya Radha-Madhava

On the appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja (14 feb) an initiation ceremony was performed. You can view a slideshow of this event.

"Let the Books Find Someone"

Kadamba Kanana Swami, Ratha Yatra Speech,
South Africa, September 2008

“Once one of our book distributors in Holland was distributing books in the offices of a business. The authorities didn’t like it, and called the police. So the devotee ran into the street with his books. As the police chased him, he turned the corner into one street—but saw that it was a dead end! He didn’t know what to do. Then he saw a little alley and ran into it. It was just a back ally, with no windows, only walls—but in one wall was a door. He tried the knob and it was unlocked, so he went inside.

“He began walking along a corridor, and soon he saw a light at the end of it. He kept walking toward the light... straight onto a stage! There was loud applause. A presenter wielding a microphone said, ‘Aha! Here is the man with the prizes. Welcome. We were waiting for you.’ And he took the box of books and had them distributed to everyone in the hall. Afterward the man said, ‘All right, what is the bill?’ The devotee wrote up a nice fat bill and the man paid it.

“The event turned out to be a butchers’ conference! Such is the munificence of Lord Caitanya’s movement. When Lord Caitanya takes control, anything can happen. When devotees go out and distribute books, the books themselves find people. It’s amazing what can happen if you get into that mood: ‘Let the book find someone.’ But what kind of people the books will find—that you never know.”

Get Attached To Krishna

There is tremendous opportunity to somehow or other engage people in devotional service …which is all auspicious and which will begin to create some attachment…once you have tasted some hot cauliflower pakoras you have to have them again…there is no way around it…! So in this way when we are connecting to some devotional service we have to do it again …and again and again and each time it becomes more addictive and it spreads …and we gradually begin to develop attachment to different aspects of Krishna…. not only the form of Krishna , the beautiful deity form , not only the melodious chanting of the Holy Name but also the litery incarnation of the Lord, Srimad Bhagavatam begins to appeal to us and gradually the Lord in all His aspects begins to appeal to us and we become more and more attached…and as we are becoming attached to serving Krishna in different ways ..this process …of…sanskrit……. of the attachment in our hearts is coming more dense, more and more impenetrable …that begins to happen and in this way gradually are entering deeper in to Krishna Consciousness. And as we are entering deeper into Krishna Consciousness our external,… our external contribution to Krishna can also increase…because the more internally we are fixed the more we will be able to really do something to partake in this inaundation of Love Of Godhead.

Depend On Krishna (part3)

HH KKS: ..so the materialist is simply wasting his time with pursuing sense gratification ..he’s not making any real progress…That is what Srila Prabhupada said in New York. He was imitating the big American cars .. “whoosh whoosh, they are moving at neck breaking speed but they are not making any progress” …that is material life so that can continue , that can continue for many many lives, many many lifetimes …..sanskrit……that the living being can sometime go upward in the universe and get a condition on the heavenly planet and sometime go downwards in the universe and then suffer …and this cycle can just repeat itself endlessly ….and sometimes someone is experiencing happiness and sometimes experiencing distress and this is basically the material cycle …then of course in Caitanya Caritamrita it is mentioned ….Bengali…..But while the living entity goes up and down in the universe …one or another may become fortunate …One jiva might become…sanskrit….may become fortunate and recieve the mercy of a Vaishnava. Upon receiving mercy of a Vaishnava and of Krishna one can receive the seed of devotional service and one’s spiritual life can begin. At that stage ..at that stage Krishna indeed begins to directly interfere in the life of the devotee…..prior to that we were simply under the arrangements of the material energy …but once taking shelter of devotional service to Krishna .........................then Krishna Himself becomes involved in our life! ..(More in part4)

Protection From Fall Down (part6)

HH KKS: So in the scriptures we see example of Fall Down. We see Bharata Maharaja as an example, we see that neglect of spiritual activity, and attachment…material attachment, emotional involvement in material relationship became the cause of his fall down. We are seeing in the example of Saubari Muni that an offence to a devotee became the cause of his falldown. We see more examples… we see Gopala Chakravati who criticised Haridas Thakur in quite, quite a rigid way…. he entered with him into a scriptural debate about the chanting of the Holy Name and said that as far as he is concerned the statements of the scripture were exaggereted …and made very strong statements about Haridas and fell down.
So we see many warnings about fall down. Another point is made in Upadesmarita. The Upadesamrita gives us various factors which can spoil devotional service. ….Sanskrit……These factors can destroy our spiritual life . ..Atyahara..over endevouring for material aquisitions …this may also occur in spiritual life. It is there described in the …sanskrit …there is the principle of…sanskirt…enjoying in the side benefits of devotional service. As we are engaging in devotional service after some time we are automatically getting ..recognition and we are getting facility …Just like here in Chowpatti ..some are in white and some are in the famous Chowpatti saffron ..that special colour which has now become well known for high spiritual standard ..that one can walk in and can be awarded and is even awarded in a ceremony..one can not just get it like that …so imagine after all that ..right …you are now wearing Chowpatti saffron …you know …have been awarded ..this recognition for your standards in spiritual life…and now you have not only worn it newly but you have worn it for quite some time and you have now been appointed a monitor of junior devotees …you are now a Counsellor: ‘Yess’ ….now devotees offer obeisances to you ..are you offering in return or are you standing with folded hands..you may receive a cushion..a seat..extra thick and soft …..when you are in the assembly of the vaishnavas …the ghee lamp comes to you first! Some days, right somedays from inexperience a ghee light carrier walks right pass you with that ghee lamp .. “Oh Horror, doesn’t he know Vaishnava etiquette”..right..”How can he overlook our status”…. and it can continue and continue till you get a dhanda and until you get disciples, until you are a GBC, BBT trustee and so many designations …and all these designations are there to burden us, to trap us and catch us ….. to distract us and are all facilities for enjoyment …There is no doubt about it …one can enjoy all these things ..One can enjoy Chowpatti saffron ..one can. One can enjoy seniority …..Oh yes one can enjoy being served ..right..but not very long! …Because all this kind of enjoyment is in the realm of material enjoyment ……….and material enjoyment is compared to a drop in the desert. It doesn’t satisfy very much and so there is a need for more and more and more and more and more …and there is no end to it!
So in this way one can even in advanced stage in devotional service, when one had genuine taste for Krishna consciousness one can gradually trade it in …one can gradually trade it in for this …Sanskrit ….it is quite amazing.So in this way there are so many factors mentioned that can spoil our spiritual life …the list in the Upadesmarita…continues: …Sanskrit…over endeveour…Another very dangerous, very dangerous trap ..which can happen to the most enthusiastic devotee , the devotee that is genuinely enthusiastic and his good quality of enthusiasm can be the cause of his downfall ..because his enthusiasm can drag him along into taking on more than he can handle and he preaches and preaches and preaches and preaches and preaches so much that he no longer has enough energy left for sadhana. He is so busy and then his depth in his spiritual practices becomes neglected and day by day his rounds become more shallow and his reading becomes more shallow and it becomes mechanical because he has no energy left for such practices at all.
So spiritual life is a matter of a razors egde..one should be very careful to be balanced and take care of all these things! (More in part 7)

Depend On Krishna (part 2)

HH KKS: Fear immediately begins as soon as we are separated from Krishna...thus all the living beings are like that …on the one hand trying to enjoy the material world and on the other hand living in fear and making arrangements for their security and in this way we calculate, we calculate things that look favourable for enjoyment or things that could possibly threaten our security…...and we manouvere and we manipulate, we somehow or other try to stay in a favourable position …safe .....yet getting the maximium enjoyment. We forget the long term vision , we forget the big picture, we forget how we get caught up in a series of lives that bind us in the material energy and rather we become absorbed in the moment.
There are two famous Bengali drawings that kind of remind us of the fleeting nature of material pleasure ; one is about a frog in the rainy season ...and a snake is crawling up from behind and captures the frog and when snakes swallow the frog they do not chew , they swallow the whole frog, so the head of the frog was still sticking out of the mouth of the snake …just then a fly comes by and the tongue of the frog was just whusshhh…shooting out to catch the little fly! The snake is representing time actually…and as time is swallowing us, still we keep on capturing the material flies of sense enjoyment.

Another famous drawing is of a man who fell in a hole in the ground and grabbed a root and was hanging on the root and down at the bottom there was a serpent with a gaping moputh, cobra... huge mouth, wide open, ready to catch him and as soon as he would fall. At the top at the edge of the hole there was a tiger, staring over the edge, looking at him and so there was no hope …no hope, if he was to fall down he would be bitten by the snake and if he would somehow or other climb up to the top the tiger would eat him ….and the root was slowly coming out of the wall just then…something, a drop fell on top of his face, then another drop …what is this?…It was sweet it was honey …so he moved his head a little and caught another drop ..and another drop and another drop …enjoying the pleasures of the honey….So this is also a famous drawing.
So these two drawings are sort of depicting what is going on in sense gratification and it shows how it’s …how it’s doomed actually… so the materialist is simply wasting his time with pursuing sense gratification ..he’s not making any real progress…(More in part 3)

Mayapur online TV is coming !!!!

The ecstatic platform

EARLY MORNING- while the world's asleep. -All I want in the early morning is transcendental soundvibration. That nothing may interfere with the sanctity of a day that belongs to Krsna. -Adau gurupadasraya, first take shelter of the spiritual master, our first duty as listed in the CC in the 64 aspects of bhakti explained by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Sanatana Gosvami. So first upon opening the eyes obeisances to the spiritual master. Of course that "adau gurupadasraya" also means that always in every situation the desire of guru has the priority. -Then chant. ..and nothing else.

http://www.kkswami.com/diary/diary07.php

Cent per cent surrender...

If we are cent per cent living by the order of the spiritual master, then we'll get the mercy. Srila Prabhupada said that this is the way to actually see the Supreme Lord, to see the spiritual world...

(HH KKS, Australia)

Depend On Krishna (part1)

HH KKS IN Vrndavana 2008 ( Kartik)
B.G 9.22
ananyas cintayanto mam
ye janah paryupasate
tesam nityabhiyuktanam
yoga-ksemam vahamy aham


But those who worship Me with devotion, meditating on My transcendental form--to them I carry what they lack and preserve what they have.

PURPORT: One who is unable to live for a moment without Krsna consciousness cannot but think of Krsna twenty-four hours, being engaged in devotional service by hearing, chanting, remembering, offering prayers, worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, rendering other services, cultivating friendship and surrendering fully to the Lord. Such activities are all auspicious and full of spiritual potencies; indeed, they make the devotee perfect in self-realization. Then his only desire is to achieve the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called yoga. By the mercy of the Lord, such a devotee never comes back to this material condition of life. Ksema refers to the merciful protection of the Lord. The Lord helps the devotee to achieve Krsna consciousness by yoga, and when he becomes fully Krsna conscious the Lord protects him from falling down to a miserable conditioned life.

HH KKS: In this verse Lord Krishna is encouraging us very much to depend on him rather than depend on our own strength and power. It is said that in the first five years a child is not aware of how to deal with the material world but then he comes to the age of…sanskrit…age where he begins to understand how the material energy works, what the limitations are and in this way we are thoroughly conditioned . We know our strengths, we know how far we can jump, we know which heights are dangerous, which heights are sort of safe …in many ways we are calculating possible, impossible… constantly in our mind ….and in this way situating our self, safely, comfortably. Sense enjoyment may be the objective of the living being in this world but his concern is not just directly to enjoy or to find or make enjoyable arrangement…. his other objective is to protect himself constantly from impeding dangers … so many dangers in the material world , threatening our existence …..so security is also a major driving force….sanskrit….fear immediately begins as soon as we are separated from Krishna.
(More in part2)