The guest of honor...

Srila Prabhupada describes in the 17th chapter of the Adi lila that during the Sunday Feasts in ISKCON temples, he said when there is kirtan and where there is prasadam, surely Lord Caitanya will be personally present. Well, every Sunday Feast is kirtan and prasadam so we can consider that the guest of honor in every Sunday Feast is Lord Caitanya who's personally present!

(KKS, 4 July 2010, Durban, SA)

To Be a Servant: Part two – The Nature of Krsna

If one serves a glorious master in a glorious mission then that service becomes something inspiring and just see, just see the nature of Krsna. When the living being turns away from Krsna and goes to the material world and he says,
“ Krsna, it’s alright, its alright.”
Krsna says, “No, please don’t go.”
“No, no, Krsna, it’s alright I will be right back. I’ll be back soon”
“Please don’t go.”
‘Its fine, its fine, I know what I’m doing. I’ll be right back.”
And then when the living being goes to the material world alone, Krsna doesn’t leave him alone. Krsna comes. As paramatma, as the supersoul within the heart, Krsna accompanies every living being all throughout his endless sojourn in the material world. Krsna remains. And Krsna is always patiently trying, again and again, although so many times that living being didn’t listen to him. If we are trying to instruct someone and they never listen then at one point you just go, “Forget it, you know, you never listen. I will not bother with you anymore.” But Krsna keeps on trying with us although we don’t listen . So just see the nature of Krsna. Krsna is so kind and so merciful that Krsna makes endless arrangements, endless arrangements to bring back the living being to the spiritual world. And that is Krsna’s occupation. That is what Krsna is doing. What is Krsna doing in this material world? He is simply trying to bring back all the living beings to the spiritual world, that is His full-time occupation and therefore being the servant of that Lord – that becomes our service.

To Be a Servant: Part one – Is that fun?

There is a king that said, “Rather a king in hell than a servant in heaven. “ That sort of sums up the mood of the conditioned soul. To be a servant, to be a servant, to put ourselves on the second plane, to not take any credit, to take the humble position, to ajust completely to the desires of something else, someone else, to ignore our own desires and to focus on the desires of another person. Do we really want that? Are you sure? Is that fun? Well, it is, it is, in so many ways. It is said that a devotee should become a menial servant, and he should take up that role of a menial servant of the spiritual master and Krsna. When we are servants of Krsna we are making arrangements for Krsna’s comfort, so many arrangements for His comfort. And we see that there are nice cushions, nicely embroidered, just to look at them is a pleasure – to invite Krsna to sit. Nice plate and nice things cooked and so many nice arrangements made for Krsna’s pleasure. Everything for Krsna’s pleasure. I found that difficult in the beginning. For example Jamastami: Jamastami was for me one of the most difficult days in the year because we are fasting the whole day, that’s one thing, but besides fasting the whole day, we were also cooking the whole day! That’s just like, you know, what a thing to do? To fast the whole day is one thing but to cook the whole day at the same time, that’s torture!” I thought. Ya, the whole day busy with food while fasting, it seemed like torture to me. So it’s difficult to put one’s own desires aside and just focus on the pleasure of another. It is difficult for us. But if we see the nature of the master we serve, then is becomes more interesting…

Kadamba Kanana Swami

July 23, 2010

Radhadesh, Belgium

The transcendental vision

The transcendental vision - the vision of seeing of Krsna. So a vaisnava is seeing Krsna and the Vaisnava knows - that Krsna is the well wisher of all living beings. As a vaisnava he doesn’t even care about vastu. Vastu or not, that tree must be protected and Prabhupada did in Vrindavana.

Brahmananda as he tells the story. Brahmananda says, "There was this stump. It was a stump. It looked like a dead wooden stump-no life in it - just there on the land".

And Prabhupada said, “Oh, Oh this is a tamāla tree! Oh that tree cannot be cut!”

So, then they had to design the whole temple around that tree- and that tree started to flourish, and became quite big. So its quite amazing how Prabbhupada showed it like that.

“ No the tree cannot be cut”. So the living beings - all living beings are protected.

( Kadamba Kanana Swami, Leicester, England, May 2010)

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Recent Lectures From Radhadesh

On friday the 23th, just before the start of the Summerfestival in Radhadesh, Maharaja gave the morning class on Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28.55.
Listen to it here, or download it.

Download

More to come soon!

The Vaikuntha breezes

From the Ganges are the vaikuntha breezes, and whoever becomes touched by these breezes, automatically begins to chant the holy name. Automatic (laughter) - that river.

Prabhupada was sitting in his room, in the lotus building, when suddenly (Sanskrit)…. or a storm. In Vaiśākha season, these sudden storms- from their super powerful storms- and one of these storms was just suddenly flaring up. Everywhere, the doors and windows were open and banging. The devotees were running to close the doors, and then they realised;
“ Oh my god! In Prabhupada’s room all the doors and windows are open!”

When they came to Prabhupada’s room, the storm was just blowing through the room at full force: Prabhupada’s clothes were flapping like this: His eyes were big and round and Prabhupada said; “ My Lord has brought these wonderful Vaikuntha breeze!”

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Leicester, England, May 2010)

Aindra Prabhu In the early days

Motivated By Love

I like that about Krsna consciousness, that’s it’s personal and that: for example as I said the other day- the Holy Name has lotus feet and that the Lord has a heart, that we can speak of the heart of the Lord- because that is very important to see,
To see the nature of the Lord and the nature of Lord Nrsimhadeva, who in an awkward way at the same time cares about Hiranyakasipu; although He rips him to pieces and is very upset with him, still He even cares about him, He’s even loving towards him although He’s very angry at the same time.
That is the nature of the Lord; He is always- always motivated by love.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2008)

Balance between 'must', 'want', 'can'...

Question: My question is on chanting and where is the appropriate place to do so.

I chant most of my rounds in the evening at home, but sometimes due to household duties, i am unable to complete my chanting. I therefore try to catch up while driving - traffic in Jhb is always very congested and the journey to work is a long and tiring one. I however find solace in my chanting.

Is this appropriate? I have been told that chanting is acceptable no matter where you are; but at the same time, is this not offensive chanting?
I am unable to get the 'right' answer from anyone!
Please help!

Reply from Kadamba Kanana Swami:

In chanting japa there are different standards we apply at different times; like with everything else in life, namely the ideal and what we can do under the practical circumstances. The balance between -must-,-want-, and -can-. So ideal rounds are chanted early in the morning with deep concentration and no distraction. Rounds chanted by those with a job or other responsibilities, maybe in the car, because then there is time. That is all right. Ideals are something we strive for, but in the end we'll have to do something practical. That's life, Krsna knows it, just do the best you can and He will accept your offering.

But some days are special days when you can chant more and better. Early in the morning maybe, and not in the car. On sunday morning maybe,with the devotees in the temple, if you go for Mangal Aratik and stay then to chant japa, follow Guru puja and Bhagavatam class. That would have a powerful effect in your life, just that one day a week.

21 July 2010, Japa Talks

Recent Lectures From Protivanov!!!

Kadamba Kánana Svámí Goura árati kírtan Tábor 25.6.2010 - 71.2 MB
Danavir Gósvámí, Kadamba Kánana Svámí, Vivaha Jagja Tábor 27.6.2010 - 22.76 MBKadamba Kánana Svámí Svaté Jméno seminář TÁBOR 24.6.2010 - 23.44 MB
Kadamba Kánana Svámí SB.7.15.20 TABOR 24.6.2010 - 24.89 MB
Kadamba Kánana Svámí Zasvěcovací lekce 26.6.2010 - 15.18 MB

Real hapiness !

Fruska Goura Bhajans

Recordings at the Serbian Summer Camp "Fruska Goura" in July
Can't see this video? Visit youtube


Can't see this video? Visit youtube

The Muscial Money!

The whole history of the world is one of exploitation, and Europe played a good part in it (laughter). The colonial history, and of course Europe is still playing a good part in it. Because these days a ship with highly toxic chemical waste is leaving the ports of Europe, and is smoothly sailing out of European territorial waters. Direction- Africa. When it gets in front of the nice beautiful coastline of palm trees of Africa- it dumps all that stuff in the ocean (laughter). What to do?

The people from Africa- they don’t know what is happening to them. Such as life. We cannot keep these things back home! What a problem. So in this way the world is going on. The musical money makes the world go around and is still echoing in our ears, because it is a fact. That simply money is a very very great driving force!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Leicester, England, May 2010)

Krsna doesn't rest!

It is a fact that the chanting is to be continued, the glorification of Krsna is to be continued, the worship of Krsna is to be continued non stop! Even at night when Krsna is put to rest, we know that Krsna actually doesn’t rest at all! I remember once in Vrndavana, Aindra was chanting late at night and there were some devotees making a lot of noise and I said, “Quite, quiet, Krsna is taking rest,” and he said, “that’s what Mother Yasoda thinks!” So on the spontaneous platform Krsna is performing His pastimes 24 hours a day!

KKS, 04 July 2010, Phoenix Ratha Yatra, Durban

Strictness and kindness

Our movement did well in the beginning with strictness but was sometimes lacking human kindness. Now in the ISKCON of the new millennium we have more kindness but have lost our strictness. Because of lack of kindness there was fanaticism, but now we are missing the strictness that will keep us away from maya and keep us making progress. So we have to come to a situation of strictness and kindness.


KKS in New Simhacalam, Nrsimha Caturadasi 2010

The last Darshan

H.G. Aindra - The Last Darshan video.
Cannot see the video below? Visit youtube

Words of Appreciation - by Krishna-kripa Prabhu

Saturday, July 17, 2010
Aindra Prabhu--Words of Appreciation

Kadamba Kanana Swami shocked me today, telling me just after I finished japa, that Aindra Prabhu had just left his body in Vrindavana. How unexpected! How sad for the devotees who love his kirtanas and his association!
I had just been thinking of my association with him this week when I was in Zurich. I met one harinama enthusiast there, who aspired to become his disciple, and so I was recalling my brief exchanges with him.

An Inspiration to All

With sadness in our hearts we remember Aindra Prabhu who left his body in the night of the 16th of july due to an accident in his private room. He was an inspiration to all who visited Vrindavan and heared him sing. He was responsible for keeping the 24 hour Kirtan Party going strong for many many years.

He will be missed.
I  pray for a spark of his enthousiasm to sing Hare Krishna.

More news here : www.iskconvrindavan.com

SB Class 1.1.07

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His famous Kirtans (Mayapur 2009

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To listen and remember him more visit the 24hour kirtan website

Add more fuel!

The current temple of Lord Jagannatha in Puri is 800 years old and during that time the fire in the kitchen of the Lord has never gone out. In the same way we must keep the fire of our bhajan going and make sure it never goes out.Everyday we must throw big logs of worshipping the Deities,serving- and hearing from the vaisnavas, and chanting the hare krsna mahamantra. then that fire will burn for ever and increase and increase, let's just add more fuel as much as we can to the fire of pure devotional service.

Kadamba Kanana Swami, 13 July 2010, Japa Talks

Why chant japa?

Why not just kirtana? But why also japa? Because kirtana we do together and together we are taking inspiration from each other. When all together we are chanting with lots of feeling, even someone who’s heart is made of stone is sort of melting. Even someone who’s cold like a frog will feel something. So even if we have no feeling, when the chanting is very sweet ad very melodious in bhajana, it touches us and even brings out some feeling in the heart of everyone. In this way, at that time, we are approaching Krsna through reciprocation. But in japa we are going alone before Krsna. That is our time, our time alone with Krsna and in japa we go before Krsna as we are. There is nothing to hide. We are as we are!

In japa it is not the same as in bhajana. In bhajana we get swept up, we swoon, we feel the sweetness, we taste it, we say, ‘yes this is great!’ In japa it’s like a cold shower- at first we get faced with ourselves, with our lack of bhakti. We are facing that we actually have no devotion at all. In japa we get a mirror held up to ourselves and we fall short. Every little bit of bhakti that is lacking in us is just being mercilessly exposed and we have to face it, ‘I have no devotion at all...’ that is japa. Of course, japa is more than that; that is japa performed in sadhana. But as we continue to chant japa, japa will remain with us; japa is the one thing that stays.

View entire transcript

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 July 2010, Phoenix RY, SA)

Phoenix Ratha Yatra 2010!

"We are welcoming you all to the Ratha Yatra festival. It is a festival which is dedicated to the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha mantra. We are here in the temple of Lord Jagannatha. Lord Jagannatha is Lord Krsna and Lord Jagannatha is specifically worshipped through the process of harinama sankirtana. 500 years ago the worship of Lord Jagannatha reached a high point. We find the worship of Lord Jagannatha already described in the Skanda Purana and there it is mentioned that as early as the Satya Yuga, the worship of Jagannatha was going on. So Jagannatha has been worshipped now for over millions of years but 500 years ago that worship had changed because 500 years ago, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was there and firstly introduced harinama sankirtana in Jagannatha Puri. And at that time the chanting of Hare Krsna became connected to the worship of Lord Jagannatha and has never left."

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 July 2010, Phoenix Ratha Yatra, SA)

Kadamba Kanana Swami in South Africa- July 2010

New Jagannatha Puri Ratha Yatra in Phoenix, Durban wouldn't have been the same without Kadamba Kanana Maharaja. Besides the fantastic kirtanas and meldious bhajanas, Maharaja really gave it all in his deeply churning classes dealing with the "sacred space." To listen to these amazing lectures, download them on Spiritual Radio 108 in the "latest 2010 folder".

Timezones Twilightzones Shall I Shall I Not

When I after 24 years in a particular ashram went onto the next I must say that the one thing that I discovered was that I had oceans of time – I finished my rounds, chanted the extra ones and then what? Still had time left!
Kind of amazing, the time difference, there is definitely another timezone in terms of the two ashrams, so that is to be considered. So brahmacarya has its advantages in terms of time zones.
But then again many brahmacaris they end up in twilight zone!
Shall I? or Shall I not? And that’s another issue.
The problem with the brahmacari ashram is that in many cases the door is not closed and as long as the door is not closed then there is so much distraction. Once one closes the door once and for all then it becomes more simple, then there is nothing more to entertain, there is no question anymore. Because the question can consume a lot of time and energy.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radhadesh 2010)

It becomes a little deformed

The material energy is a reflection of Krsna's spiritual energy, so the energy of the spiritual world is reflected in the material energy of maya, and that is why maya is so strong. That is why maya is so powerful and that is why we are struggling so much, because maya feeds of the spiritual energy of Krsna and gives us reflections of what exists in the spiritual world, but it becomes a little deformed in the process. It's not perfect.

So just like a picture sent over by skype or something over the internet- it's not perfect.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, South Africa 08/04/2010)

Who were we in the past life

Who were we in the past life previously?

Maybe we were already a devotee in our last life and we have come back again and so on.
On the other hand it might also have been that we were a worm and some Vaishnava spit and it landed on our head!
It could have been. And by that we attained human birth and our devotional service began.

It could also been that we were a rat in our last life and somehow or other ate some prasadam -
and that is why we still have this rat like mentality!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radhadesh 2010)

Do Something

Choose whatever ashram you like and be happy with it, but do something for the eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radhadesh 2010)

The Path Through The Swamp

Kadamba Kanana Swami 2010

Basically the material nature is very harsh, no matter how one manipulates, it remains harsh - Even when that harshness remains covered up over by celestial arrangements:
'Go to the Heavenly planets and enjoy and.... Die!
That is the thing – we know that in all the planetary systems, from Lord Brahma’s abode all the way down to the lower planetary systems are the places of misery! All of them!
So that writes off the universe as a whole....

"But not as nice as you"

I have been in the Czech Summer Camp. It was especially nice that Trivikrama Maharaja came, I didn't see him for years. Maharaja was talking about Srila Prabhupada and how he was giving him daily massage for 3 months, then he heard that Upendra would take over. He felt broken hearted, but didn't want to push Prabhupada. So he asked Prabhupada; "Is Upendra a nice devotee" "Oh yes", Srila Prabhupada said;"But not as nice as you."

Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 June 2010, Facebook post