Taking The Problems Of Others?

Transcribed by Bhakta Frederick

Devotee’s Comment: If one makes the problems of others’ one's own problems, then there is no suffering. It is said that then one does not have any problems of one's own. Then one becomes very happy because one just takes care of others.

Kadamba Kanana Swami: I don't know… maybe on the spiritual platform that could be true, but even then it is not a necessity. Like for example the case of Vasudeva Dutta, who said:
‘My Lord please transfer all the karma of all the living entities in the universe upon me so that they may go back to Godhead.’
Lord Caitanya said: ‘My dear Vasudeva, that will not be required, simply if you desire so I can deliver the entire universe, there is no need for you to suffer on their behalf.’
I myself come from a background -- a problem family. Everyone had problems in my family. Big problems! You know, mental problems and mental mental problems! ...

The Spiritual Master Can Act In Different Ways

transcribed by Yamuna Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Croatia, September 2010)

In Bhagavatam there is the reference to three types of personalities. It is Srila Visnavath Chakravati Thakur whose commentary is making this point.
He is saying that just as the bird is taking care of it’s young, the bird is flying up and down. It’s really busy feeding the little birds- some spiritual masters are like that. They constantly feed their disciples.

Then there is the other spiritual master who is like the fish. A fish has very big eyes, as you noticed. So, that fish is watching, protecting and watching. And that is the second type of spiritual master.
The third type of spiritual master is like a turtle. She lays the eggs on the beach, digs them in the sand and the sun does the rest. But the turtle is always meditating on the well being of the eggs and the young.

So the spiritual master will act in all three ways...

The Spiritual Master Has Different Roles

transcribed by Yamuna Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Croatia, September 2010)

Spiritual master is having different roles.

One role is that he is the representative of Krsna.

He is receiving our service and our worship on behalf of Krsna.

We have to treat Him like that, the representative of Krsna - as good as Krsna.

The Spiritual master is representing the whole parampara.

So he is representing all the previous acaryas.

The Spiritual master takes charge of our life...

Serving The Holy Name

One can only chant the Holy Name constantly if one remembers the glory of the Holy Name. If one remembers that the Holy Name is Krishna and with full faith that the Holy Name can bestow all mercy upon us, only then can one develop the faith that:

“Yes it is the Holy name that will deliver me. And it is the Holy Name that will offer me the whole happiness, and it is the Holy Name that will set me free, it is the Holy Name that will improve this situation. It is all dependent on the Holy Name of the Lord.”

So this is really our life.... we have to work on our relationship with the Holy Name. Prabhupada says that one should serve the Holy Name, by serving the Holy Name, the Holy Name will reveal itself.

So serving the Holy Name means chanting, but also working for the glorification of the Holy Name.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radhadesh, Belgium, 17th February 2003)

Prabhupada's Appearance Day (part 3)

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Croatia, Prabhupada's Appearance day 2010)

There are so many examples of Prabhupada not caring about public opinion – a public relations officer’s nightmare you could say! because Prabhupada could say anything at any time!
Ravindra Swarup brought this professor, a professor in Hinduism. Prabhupada asked, he said:
‘Oh you are a professor in Hinduism’
‘Yes’
‘Can you please give a definition of Hinduism?
The man said: ‘Well that is hard to say.’
Prabhupada said: ‘ This is my disciple Swarup Damodara, he is also a PHD. Swarup Damodara, this is a professor of Hinduism, we are asking him to give a definition but he can not give, what would you call that?’
‘Cheating , Srila Prabhupada, cheating’
‘That’s right ‘ Prabhupada said, ‘Cheating!!’
And within moments, within moments it came to a huge argument between Prabhupada and this professor...

Divine Intervention

How can we face things alone? Alone in the world. Alone…it’s like no one can be alone. But, one who is with Krsna is never alone, and when we are in a relationship with Krsna, then we are not alone at all! When we are actively trying to please Krsna – then we are never alone, because Krsna is reciprocating. It’s not just we are working and working and working so hard in devotional service, and just hopefully there will be a reward at the end. A whole life you have to slave and slave and slave – day and night for Krsna. Get up at an impossible time. Live a real austere lifestyle, and then if you do it very well – then at the end of your life, you get the reward;

“Welcome, you can now return to the spiritual world”

No, that is not Krishna Consciousness. In Krishna Consciousness there is a reciprocation now – there is a reward now, and there is a reward at the end - both simultaneously. Krsna is reciprocating with us now! If you didn’t know yet, Krsna is actually with us all the time! And Krsna is actually making arrangements in our life. Oh yes, in different ways.

Have you also had these kind of experiences where Krsna is clearly interfering – some divine intervention. I think sometimes everyone has it. When you open up a book and it just opens up on a page, and the topic that it describes is just what you were talking about 10 minutes ago. And it is just right there – look at that -those things happen!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 31st August 2010)

Affection - Born out of Appreciation

Krsna remembers, and in this way we understand that Krsna, not just once, not just twice, but that Krsna again and again remembers Draupadi’s service, and again and again his appreciation increases.

So I found this very nice and encouraging, when I read that, because I was thinking that Krsna is so kind. He is infallible. He never fails to appreciate anyone’s service and in this way he will certainly appreciate our service again and again. And his appreciation for his devotees is increasing, and therefore Krsna naturally becomes affectionate towards those who are his devotees. He naturally feels that; ‘They are so nice, because they are serving me so nice’.

And in that way his affection is not a kind of impersonal affection for all living beings because he is an all loving personality. No, it is a personal affection, which is born out of appreciation for the service that they have done.

Even that whole concept of the impersonal Lord, who has equal love for all. Yeah, there is an element in Bhagavad Gita that Krsna is impartial, but we can understand on a deeper level, even then it is personal. Because Krsna knows – he knows past, present and future, and Krsna even knows who we were originally in the spiritual world - Krsna knows. We have forgotten. We have been here so many lifetimes. We cannot trace out how long we have been. But Krsna knows - he knows very well – he knows who we are. Therefore, Krsna knows us better than we know ourselves, and therefore Krsna remembers our previous service. Even if now we temporarily stop devotional service, Krsna remembers our previous service.


(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 31st August 2010)

Wakefulness, Dreaming, Deep Sleep

(Quotes from the lecture this morning at Cape Town 23rd September 2010)

Kadamba Kanana Swami:


“In our present state many of us are not fully awake and therefore while walking around awake we are still dreaming, like in the middle of the night, you go to the bathroom after waking up from a big dream, and you are still half dreaming while you are walking - and then you go back to bed and you continue to dream where you left off” ...

Only Krsna

Krsna I have only You. Relationships with people come and go, Krsna only You are still here, all others have gone. Krsna, You are always present. Krsna, when I call out your name regularly then I can know it through understanding and within my heart.

Kadamba Kanana Swami

Japa Talks

September 21 2010

There are No Problems

(KadambaKananaSwami , 17th September , Pretoria)

We worry about everything:

‘What will go wrong? –what doesn’t go wrong?”

“Why isn’t it going wrong?”

“Can’t be already three days and no problem! Nothing is wrong- There must be a problem! There must be something to be in anxiety about!”

“There must be something to disturb me”

“There must be something, there must be something I urgently need to discuss."

There must be a problem that I need counselling for, there must be - it’s urgent. And if it’s not here today then something is wrong”

“Can I speak to you, something is really wrong, I have no problems today!! What do I do about that?!” ...

Atheist Can Have Perfect Morals?

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, University Talk, South Africa)

Kadamba Kanana Swami: It is not easy to avoid cheating because to avoid cheating you must have great modern strength and where will you get that when you are bombarded:
“Come one, just do it , come on don’t be square!
Come on come one - come on!”
So how are we going to avoid it? So for moral strength you will have to take up spiritual practices otherwise you can’t have moral strength.
If you regularly chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra as we are regularly doing, then you can rise above cheating, otherwise no…it won’t work.
Ok, any questions, comments

Student: That ‘s a very big generalisation because an atheist can have perfect morals and do really well without any spiritual practices.

Kadamba Kanana Swami: Oh you think so?

Student: I think so

KadambaKanana Swami: Well let’s get into it…

Miss The Boat ?

If we are not careful then we miss the boat, it doesn’t feel good to miss the boat… “Not at all!”
I have been once on an island and there was suddenly overnight, an army came in and got mobilized and there were tanks everywhere, guys dug into manholes and it really looked like:
“It is now time to get out of here!!!”
But there was no way to get out of there, there was no transport.
So most people just gave up, but there were a few people and I was amongst them and said now “We’re going”
And we paid a local to take us through a path, a forest path and then walked right through the jungle! Something like thirty kilometres to the other side of the island!
Then there , there were lots of stranded people at the ports and there were boats and there were some tickets available for the boat still - but they were going for crazy prices!
“I paid the money!”
I paid the money and I was on the boat - and there were others who didn’t want to pay the money and the others who first didn’t want to walk through the jungle and then the ones that didn’t want to pay the money. Those who were misers and didn’t pay the money, they didn’t get on the boat and we were waving at them as they were standing on the shore!!!

So in another words don’t think that we are going to get it cheap, Krishna Consciousness. Don’t think we are going to get it for nothing!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami , September 2010, Pretoria)

The Whole World Is My Family

(KadambaKanana, University Programme, Sep 2010)

Happiness should not just be our happiness, when a human being becomes a little bit more mature:
“My happiness should include the happiness of everyone else.”

What if I’m here in this room and just thinking of my happiness:


Put an elbow in his face!
Kick here!
And I grab the camera!
That’s a good start and there’s a lot that I could do!

I mean after a little while of me behaving like that…after a little while you would all together,You would all grab me, open the window and give me a quick exit! ...

I’ve Made It Now Get Fat And Sit Back.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Lenasia , Radhastami 2010)

Just when the Gopis thought in the Rasa dance, Krishna is under our control…whoosh He was gone. That is the nature of devotional service. One can never ever think:
“Now I have surrendered, now I have made it, now I have made it.”
In this world it is like that:
‘I’ve worked hard, now I’m rich I’ve made it and now all I have do is get fat and sit back!”...

Every Moment

(Kadamba Kanana Swami , Durban South Africa, Sep 2010)

We see that the associates of Lord Chaitanya would chant between bites, that’s quite interesting, we can try!
We can try it out for breakfast and see what happens, so like that it’s about: “Not wasting the opportunity.” ...

Nama Hatta

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2010, South Africa)

So the whole concept of Nama hatta is very nice, because if at least once a week if you go… you get your dose but what do you do for the rest of the week!
Something…something is better than nothing!
And that is true -something is better than nothing, but then again it’s not good enough.
One of the attitudes of a Vaishnava when looking at another person is to appreciate the smallest service done by them and to offer appreciation for that
and the other aspect of the nature of a Vaishnava is when looking at our own performance, is to consider it not good enough.
It’s not like being negative but just saying :
’There is room to improve!...

Vaishnava

A Vaishnava has to be someone with a heart, not just:
Someone who chants so many rounds – “That’s wonderful”
or
Someone who knows so many slokas – “That’s wonderful”
or
Someone who is always getting up really early when the whole world all sleep – “That’s wonderful”
But that person if in spite of all those wonderful things doesn’t show a heart and doesn’t have a heart:
“Then he is not a complete Vaishnava”

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 11th, SA, Newcastle 2010)

The World Speaks One Language

Kadamba Kanana Swami and a group of devotees performed Kirtan in an African township. The Nama Hatta programme was held in a small house full of enthused devotees including young children who really loved dancing! After the wild kirtan, Maharaja gave a small talk (below) which was translated in Zulu Language for the Nama Hatta members.

So in this world there are so many different people and they all speak different languages. So I’m in a country very far away and therefore I don’t speak your language but all the people of the world speak one language and that is the Hare Krishna Mahamantra – because it doesn’t matter: the people from America, the people from Africa or the people from China – they all like the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.

We cannot speak to each other because we don’t know each other’s names and languages but still we can have a nice time together and become friends together when we chant Hare Krishna - because this chanting of Hare Krishna touches the soul.
It comes from the heart –this chanting of Hare Krishna brings love out of our heart: so therefore by chanting Hare Krishna everyone becomes happy.
It was nice to be here and do some Kirtana together, we will come again for more Kirtana.
(Crowd applauds and chant “Haribol!”)

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Kwa Mashu - South Africa, September 2010)

Always A Three Way Relationship

Krsna is the Supreme Lord (Sanskrit). Therefore, whatever you do, we must do for him: Whatever we eat, we eat for him: Whatever we offer, we must offer for him, or to him, and so on. And the more we connect everything we do - every actions, the more it becomes potent.

You see there are always a few parts in us …….Let’s say now I’m travelling with Aatish, and Aatish is travelling with me. My cameraman. We’re travelling and now, I can do things for Aatish. Aatish can do things for me, and that’s ok;
“Are you comfortable? Do you have what you need, that we can do while we travel? Do you need some of this? Do you need some of that?” That we can do to each other the whole day. That’s what you do when you are travelling together. “You want some water? You want some of this? You want some of that? Do you want some nuts?”

Like that, one could do things for each other. But there is a third person there, in the relationship – Krsna! And then when we act, then we can do things for each other. That’s ok we can do things in any relationship that we have, but it should always be an offering to Krsna! ...Krsna is always part of it. Always a three way relationship. Never a two way relationship.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, August 2010)

The Vaikuntha Planets

In the Vaikuntha planets, it is described that the ladies - although they are living like queens in palaces. They sweep those palaces themselves, and they sweep them everyday. But, there’s no dust. (Mimicking) “Oh for crying out, is there anybody who is going to sweep our floor? Where there’s no dust. I mean, let’s be real man. You got to be little cracked or something if you are going to sweep our floor, where there’s no dust”.

No no, here we need the dust, just like a car which is dirty and somebody writes on it, ‘I want to be washed!’ in the dust on the car. Here we have that dust to force us to do the service. But in the spiritual world - Vaikuntha they understand, the purpose of the floor is to serve Krsna. So floors are meant to be swept – that’s what they’re for. That’s what you do with the floor – you sweep it, and the purpose of sweeping is to serve Krsna.

Here the purpose of sweeping is to cleam. Ok, we then can use that in serving Krsna. Without dust they wouldn’t do it. But, if there is a lot of dust on the temple room floor and somebody finally writes in there, ‘ Please clean the temple room floor!’ Well alright then, I’ll clean it. So it’s interesting, a clean floor without dust. So, if we are always absorbed in service to Krsna, then we will be so much relishing our life. Then everything becomes positive, and that’s how Prabhupada has such a positive outlook.


(Kadamba Kanana Swami, August 2010)

Travelling at Neck Breaking Speed

We cannot say that the four regulative principles in themselves constitutes bhakti or constitutes devotional service to Krsna. They are preliminary activities. The preliminary activities of renunciation and austerity. But we rise above and when we become attracted to Krsna, and absorbed in devotional service, and naturally the regulative principles will be followed. It says that a pure devotee naturally will not engage in sinful activities. Although, he is not consciously thinking I should not engage in these things because they’re sinful. It has nothing to do with pleasing Krsna. Then his entire life is absorbed in pleasing Krsna. Pleasing Krsna in this way. Pleasing Krsna in that way.

Like the tortoise - the limbs are inside the shield and only come out if you serve Krsna. Then there is no question of any sinful activity or material activity. It has no meaning. What is the meaning of something that is not transcendental? What is the meaning?

In this way, the only thing that has meaning is the service to Krsna, and everything else is totally empty! And leads to lying- no progress. Prabuphada also mentions that how he was in New York he was imitating the sounds of the cars: “Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh they are. ” Travelling at neck braking speed but they are not making any progress. They’re not going anywhere.

So the whole world is moving around so fast but not going anywhere. Not really going anywhere - just staying in the material energy – just staying in the cage, going around - but not going anywhere. And Prabhupada says; “But then we take the cage. We have a bird in the cage. We take the cage: We put it out in the field : We open the door : And the bird goes out and straight back into the cage! Because he doesn’t want to”.
So Prabhupada says; “That’s also us.” We have the opportunity to engage in devotional service, but we don’t really want it because we know this cage – and it’s a comfortable cage. And there’s nice things to eat and so many things, and different levels where you can sit – it’s a good cage! So we like to stay in our cage – in our material activities. That interferes with our devotional service. That in a way blocks our absorption in pure devotional service to some extent.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami August 2010)

Prabhupada's Appearance Day (part 2)

(Kadamba Kanana Swami ,Croatia Sep 2010)

So again we see how Prabhupada is glorious and we also see that Prabhupada is also made of mercy and that he was not a self made man, a self made acharya – he was also made of mercy of others, that the mercy of Srila Visvanatha Cakravati Thakur made a huge part in his life and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakur became the lord of his life.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada was everything to him, whatever his spiritual master said, that was important. And when we are reading about Srila Bhaktisiddhanta and how he did things then we see how Prabhupada also did.

Gives All The Mercy!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Sep 2010, Croatia)
Transcribed by Yamuna Devi Dasi

Lord Chaitanya's mercy is extra ordinary .
That He gives at to anyone and everyone, topmost to the most fallen.
Therefore for us this is the only way, and nothing will work unless we will take shelter of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Certainly Krsna is extremely kind.
Because,just see how Krsna when He comes to this Earth appears in this World and brings His whole transcendental abode and that is another aspect of the amazing mercy of Krsna.

Because we sometimes also feel little bit compassionate and we think: We should give the fallen conditioned souls some mercy.
We think, lets give them some mercy.

But look at Krsna,Krsna was seeing all this fallen conditioned souls and Krsna was also thinking:”Yes,let Me give them some mercy”.
And then He must have thought:”Why give them some mercy? I will give them all the mercy!”

Prabhupada's Appearance Day Talk (part1)

(Kadamba Kanana Swami ,Croatia Sep 2010)

So on this day of Nanda Mahatsova, The day when Nanda Maharaja celebrated the festival, the birth of Krishna- Srila Prabhupada appeared in this world – therefore they also gave him the name Nandu, nickname Nandu -because he appeared on that day, but otherwise his parents called him Abhay. And that name stayed with him because his spiritual master later named him Abhay Caranaravinda. He specified it more, his father had called him Abhay , which means to be fearless, but his spiritual master called him Abhay Caranaravinda (one who is fearless because he is taken shelter under the Lotus Feet of the Lord) - and that he showed throughout.
Sometime I have thought that one could glorify Srila Prabhupada and say he was a pure devotee and he gave his whole life to Krishna and in the end he went back home to Godhead – but I would not be satisfied with such glorification because I thought that if you were to glorify Prabhupada for going back to Godhead, then something is missing namely..that Prabhupada had never left Godhead! ...

“Lose Your Mind And Come To Your Senses!”

The fact is that transcendental knowledge has to enter within the heart, and one has to accept it. One has to embrace it. One has to give up all inner resistance. Because we hear this message of the Gita and something in us is not in agreement. We are still struggling. Struggling with the material senses. To simply give up the senses, that is not so simple.

I was reading yesterday, an article of a Californian Psychologist who said, “Lose your mind and come to your senses”(laughter). That was his philosophy. So this is not Krishna Consciousness. But this is indeed the problem ‘come to your sense’. So the senses are not satisfied, even with high philosophy and still the senses are not satisfied and are going in all directions, and that is the difficulty.

So therefore, in a conditioned state of devotional service, it is our intelligence that is situated in transcendental knowledge. And it is our intelligence that is our anchor. It is our intelligence that we rely on. And that intelligence has to be very strong - strongly rooted in transcendental knowledge, and then the intelligence will dictate to the mind and senses. But that is not the platform of perfection. That is the stage of the sādhaka. In the beginning, the sādhaka or the one who is engaging in devotional service in practise. In the beginning they will be struggling.

Later, he will become more situated in transcendental knowledge. He will become purified (Sanskrit). By the transcendental knowledge that will enter into the heart and it will remove impurities from the heart. Then they become fixed. Then one becomes fixed in this devotional service and he comes to the platform of niskāma. Niskāma is the stage where we are not so much distracted anymore by the material energy. Niskāma is the stage where we can fix ourselves. The energy is there but it is not so overwhelming, that we cannot think of Krsna, and that we cannot focus on the words of Krsna, then on worshiping Krsna.

That is the more advanced platform. But it is still on the platform where we rely on our intelligence on being in control. When one becomes still more absorbed in Krishna Consciousness then the intelligence begins to follow the mind and senses which will naturally be drawn to Krsna. In the advanced stages the senses are controlled by Krsna. They will automatically be drawn to Krsna, and automatically the mind will be absorbed in Krsna. And always will be in Krishna Consciousness, Then the intelligence will follow that.


(Kadamba Kanana Swami Sweden August 2010)

HOT JANMASTAMI NECTAR!!! + Janmastami Harinama Pics!!!

Our worship is for Krishna, our interest is in Krishna – because no one is performing pastimes like Krishna. We may remember that Krishna as 64 qualities and if you don’t remember you can read them all…

..Krishna is smart, He is expert. Krishna is very expert because it is said that Krishna in one stroke can fulfil many purposes! One who can do that with one action, fulfil many purposes ,is considered expert- that is Krishna.

So Krishna has all these amazing qualities and it is said that the pure devotee can get 48 of the 64 qualities of Krishna to a partial extent, not to the full power as Krishna but can get 48 of the 64 qualities.

It is said that Lord Shiva and also the eternal residents of the spiritual world, the Nitya Siddha devotees have up to 55 of the qualities of Krishna.

It is said that Lord Narayan has 60 of the qualities of Krishna but it said that Krishna has four unique qualities that even Lord Narayan doesn’t have.

He has a beautiful form – no one…no one is as beautiful as Krishna, of all the incarnations – everyone is extremely beautiful but Krishna even more so.

He is also performing amazing pastimes in the association of his devotees. No one is performing such pastimes and Krishna’s childhood pastimes are just very very amazing. Nothing compares! Krishna in his childhood pastimes!

Krishna plays on His flute, He plays on His flute – that can do the most amazing things. It is said that when Krishna plays on His flute, the cows- when the cows hear that sound. They forget everything and they have to go near it. And then when the sound enter s into their ears – it is just to intense and it just overwhelms them.

They just cant tolerate it, it is too much, that is the effect of that sound, they stand on their hind legs and they cover their ears and they try not to hear this noise! But still they hear it, then they take a blade of grass in their mouth as a sign of humility and they just offer obeisances before Krishna and begging to please stop!

Janmastami morning pics!!! HARE KRISHNA!!!

Hare Krishna and Happy Janmastami to Everyone from the KKS Blog!!!!!

HAPPY JANMASTAMI!!!! Latest pics from Croatia!!!! (PART1)

pics:
Kadamba Kanana Swami and Candramauli Swami giving ecstatic talks! and An Amazing House Programme!

HAPPY JANMASTAMI!!!! Latest pics from Croatia!!!! (PART1)

pics:
Maha Maha Maha Harinama!!!
,Wonderful Talks in the Temple
and A Great House Programme!