From Quantum Mechanics To Krsna Mechanics

In quantum mechanics they think there is an attraction between several molecules and they think that that’s all there is. But what they don’t see is that really it is Krsna. It is simply Krsna who is arranging for this attraction. There is no attraction between the molecules, but it is Krsna who is arranges all these things and who in his energies creates these different forces that influence each other. So it is simply Krsna. A boy who is sitting at a pond and who was looking at his own reflection but as (Sanskrit), Krsna is playing with his unlimited energy in so many varieties - that in quantum mechanics they cannot see...

Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day

nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale, srimate bhaktivedanta-svaminn iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine, nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine

Well, I first came to this movement here in Vrndavana in 1978. I had come after reading Prabhupada’s Gita and I had become convinced and therefore I was in the Himalaya’s and I decided to come down to Vrndavana and join. I was very happy to come to this temple because it was so overwhelmingly spiritual. Seeing the Deities, it just, I felt I’m in the spiritual world. Krsna’s presence was overwhelming. Then I became involved in service and it was in that service that I made my connection with Srila Prabhupada. Very quickly I became involved in different types of management, looking after the temple. In doing so I realized the more I take responsibility for fulfilling Prabhupada’s desire the stronger my connection will be. Here in the Krsna Balarama temple everything, everything was touched by Srila Prabhupada because here his samadi was present, here he installed Krsna and Balaram with that famous Ariti where he was so pleased, here was his house. Every inch of this project was touched by his personal instruction more than any other place. In fact as time went on I felt that the presence of Srila Prabhupada was even stronger in this project than the presence of Krsna. And Prabhupada captured my heart. When I first came I was proud, independent, stubborn and I still am to quite a degree but the one difference is that now I’m praying, now after so many years, I am praying that somehow or other I will be allowed to continue doing some service, some service here for Srila Prabhupada in this Krsna Balarama temple, in this movement to serve his servants and to do something to spread this Krsna consciousness all over the world. Because I am convinced that as I met Srila Prabhupada after his departure and as he touched my heart very deep and took over my life, I’m very sure that today Prabhupada is also taking over the lives of many people who today meet him for the first time. And I don’t know for how many years in the future Prabhupada will continue to touch the lives of so many people and just generate faith in their hearts and capture them and in that way this movement will continue to spread all over the world.

Thank you very much.
Srila Prabhupada ki Jai

Spiritual Master and Disciple

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Mayapur, November 2010)

Here in Mayapur, Satyadhana tells a story that he was going next door and one of Prabhupada’s Godbrothers: Damadora Maharaja told him that:
“Prabhupada is your Diksha Guru and I’m your Siksha Guru’
..and then he came back later to Prabhupada and said that something really far out happenened: Damador maharaja told me this - and Prabhupada said: “You go back there and tell that I am your both Diksha and Siksha guru’
So generally the Siksha Guru becomes the Diksha Guru also implies that after the initiation take place the siksha also continues and then there is an on going siksha relationship as well, and that is what we see for all practical purposes mostly taking place in our movement, but is not always the case.
A lot of objection has been made or a lot of criticism has been there about the initiations that were maybe just formal diksha and that no training of the disciple and so on…but I think it’s fine as long as the disciple is trained up by someone else - that is fine – it does not minimise the role of the Diksha Guru at all – because one devotee came and started to really lament and say:
“I have no relationship with my Guru, it’s a very sad story, he never communicates with me and there is no exchange.’ ...

Common Interest - One's own interest

I came across the point that the common interest should be given equal importance to one’s own interest and that is the state of a saintly person. – That’s quite something because:
Our own interest; ‘first ourself’
then the interest of our dear ones,
then the interest of our aquaitances,
then maybe our fellow men, say members of Iskcon,
then maybe to people of the nationality that we can relate to and so on.
We treat people different…. We put their interest on lower levels than our own according to our own interest on them –
So it is very interesting that Dhruva Maharaja was told to come to that point:
the interest of everyone equal to his own – one in interest.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Mayapur, November 2010)

We need to have a philosophical outlook

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Mayapur, November 2010)

When we in the morning brush our teeth and we look in the mirror and then you say “Good morning handsome!”…you are looking at that familiar well known face: “I know this face”
No, you don’t know this face, it’s a new face that we are looking at, it is a face that we have never seen before in what we see in the mirror in the morning, but the changes from yesterday are so subtle that it is hard to notice – sometimes we notice:
’I never had this wart before, I never had hair growing out of my ears, my nose’
‘a new bag has appeared’ and so on...

Some nice pics in Vrndavan!

Click here if you can't see the pics

Prabhupada and the Mayavadi and Two Vyasasanas

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Mayapur, November 2010)

Devotees that take shelter of Srila Prabhupada, they find the true taste – because Prabhupada made no compromise. Prabhupada would never sacrifice the principles of bhakti for any other goal. Once Srila Prabhupada was in Japan, in the city of Kobe, outside of Tokyo and there was a very wealthy man and this wealthy man had promised to give a temple.
Prabhupada went to this place Kobe to do a programme. Before he came, in a hall there was a stage and there was a Vyasasanna: a big one and there was a picture of the wealthy man’s guru and then there was a small Vyasasana and in the programme there was suppose to be two speakers, Prabhupada and the one Mayavadi - and they said that they could use the small Vyasasana.
The devotees said: ’No No No No, it wont do,…Prabhupada is Jagat Guru, he must have the big one, the big Vyasasana.'...

more equal than others

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Mayapur, November 2010)

Dhruva Maharaja was an ideal king, he practically emptied his treasury to give to charity. The king is not meant to simply get tax from the citizens and spend the wealth on sense gratification.
World monarchy has failed ever since the kings tried to satisfy their personal senses from the taxes accumulated from the citizens., of course whether it is monarchy or democracy it is the same - corruption is still going on.
You may remember George Orwell’s ‘Animal farm’ (novel) where the animals kicked out the farmer. Since they needed a ruler the pigs volunteered.

Ingredients For The Festival

Gaurakishore Babaji announced that they would have a festival for the Disappearance day of Sanatana Goswami. Some of his associates were very pleased and said:
“But where are we going to get the ingredients for the festival - and Gaura Kishore Babaji pointed at his japa mala and said:
“All the ingredients for the festival are right here in the Holy Name!”

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Mayapur, November 2010)

We Need To Grow and Mature

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Mayapur, November 2010)

It is very interesting that Iskcon as a society has a most exalted philosophy - but that culture, we are still developing very much and that we are very under developed in some ways. The culture that we have is really an interim culture…it is a mixture.
It’s a mixture of few funny things. It’s a mixture of hippy culture – because it is interesting how this movement was a movement that started in the sixties and everyone was influenced by the hippy movement and some hippy language has survived in our movement which has died out in the world.
In the world outside of our society it is not there anymore:
Spaced Out.
‘Hey Man, totally spaced out!’
It’s typically from the hippy days but somehow or other it has survived in our movement, it’s not only language but there are also other aspects of the hippy culture that continue to live as part of the culture...

I want Krsna!

In the beginning our Krishna Consciousness is like a little island. It becomes like a tiny little island within our consciousness. The material influences are very strong within our consciousness. I compared them to a big ship. A little island - an ocean… and a big ship filled with material desires! Waving at us - very close. So this will go on at first.

Then as we are getting more advanced – the island grows in size, and then gradually it says that as the night of the naivety goes on, the ship with material desires goes at a more distance.

Then at nistha - when we are fixed in our determination that we want Krsna - when we have strong faith. That s where happiness is, but we still have our attachments to material things, but we know that it’s not really going to do it for us. Then when we are going through, then we see that the ship is far away...

Above These Modes Of Material Nature

We are interested in Krsna, and Krsna can pull us above these modes of material nature. But we will not be free from the influences, and if we have a nature as I described of rajas - sattva or something like that – then we can expect that transcendental knowledge comes in the middle of that. We’ll have years of struggle with our passionate nature. That passionate nature will be there. If we are very much in goodness, then we will slot in more easily in Krishna Consciousness. Immediately in the mind we will be less agitated – more peaceful, but due to the influence of these modes – the agitation may remain.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, October 2010)

Krsna is here!

Krsna is near, not far away, He is is here! I am trying to hear myself chanting and remembering that Krsna is here! Krsna is here every moment of the day...

From Japa Talks, 23 November 2010

Mayapur Pics!

Enjoy these latest pics of Kadamba Kanana Swami in Mayapur!
Also to come are pics from the ecstatic Mamgachi Parikrama and the big event held by Kadamba Kanana Swami and Jayadvaita Swami held on Sunday 21st November. Stay tuned!
H A R E K R I S H N A !

Serve Krishna Together

Sometimes here in this world we are seeing that devotees get quite impersonal. They get their relationship with Krishna and don’t care about anybody else:
“I’m serving Krishna, now get out of my way!”

The mood in the spiritual world is that they are serving together:
The cows, The cowherd boys… They are all serving Krishna together.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Mayapur, November 2010)

Prabhupada's appearance Day - Lec (part4)

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

One female disciple never met Prabhupada very intimately, she got initiated by letter in 1974 and  she was staying in the Edingburgh temple in Scotland.  T ribhuvanatha who was temple president, he had inspired her by his preaching -  because Tribhuvanatha was a very inspired devotee. 

Then she became initiated on Tribhuvanatha’s recommendation by letter.  She was happy with that because she was afraid to even meet Prabhupada in person. 

She thought: “It was just as well that I got initiated by letter.” 

Then later on, she once made a little bag, she sewed a bag and made it very nicely for Prabhupada’s kartalas and she sent that bag with some devotee

Measuring Importance by eternity

Transcribed by Frederick Prabhu

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Sweden May 2010)

So the Bhagavad-gita is training us in different ways to prepare for this final moment, to remember Krsna. One way is to always have one eye on eternity. To see things from an eternal perspective; to see the world from an eternal perspective, whatever we look at, to measure it next to eternity.

So what is the benefit, or what is the importance of anything? Measure it next to eternity - If you give importance to something you have to put it next to something else, because you have to measure it. So something important, you have to put it next to something unimportant - You cannot make something important without measuring it. Important is a way of measuring - Is It something big. Yeah? ...So we are measuring.

So importance: well, we can measure it with money. Let's measure it that way - so, whatever brings a lot of money, that's important. Right? That's one way of measuring importance.

We can measure importance with ... health. Important! Whatever gives you good health, that's important. That's good - Green and like lots of natural things and fresh milk from the goat or something! So measure it all by health...

So like this, we measure by health. Importance measured by health - but then health is such a thing, you can't win anyway. Right?

No matter what you do, right? I spoke with the minister of health of ISKCON, and ....he wasn't well!

What to do? Health; you can't win even if you try, even if you do everything right. The minister of health is certainly doing lots of right things, eats the right things, does the right exercises, but even he is not always healthy. No one can stay healthy.

Money, ah well, we all know, you have it and then you don't! That's the nature of money. Money is cancala, you can't keep it. Money has to move. You have some money, and then *snatch* then he has the money - because, he's a business man from India! -They're very good!:

” For you I make no profit!”

and before you know it, money has changed from pocket to pocket, but even they cannot keep the money, although they are good at it. That's the nature.

Vaishnava

The Sanyassi is the spiritual master of all ashrams, for example it is mentioned in the Chaitanya Bhagavata, it is mentioned that the sanyassi has no duty to bow down to anyone -it says…even if a son has taken sanyassa then his father must offer obeisances to him.

But it says that Lord Chaitanya says that He is bowing down to the Vaishnava…so see when we are dealing with Vaishnavas then suddenly it changes –

In Vrndavana you have that mood, in Vrndavana you can walk around with a danda but the Vraja Bhasis are not so impressed! Not as much as every where else – “Yeah  yeah you have a danda, this that"…

it’s about bhakti

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Mayapur Nov 2010)

Bhagavatam class in Mayapur, Nov 2010!

Srimad Bhagavatam morning class in Sridhama Mayapur, 18 November 2010, by Kadamba Kanana Swami. Here's the link to the video below:

http://www.mayapurtvarchives.com/2010/11/hh-kadamba-kanana-swami-speaks-on-sb.html

We Can Rise Above It

The modes of material nature in this way are afflicting us. But we are not helpless in the matter. The modes of material nature may create waves for us, and these waves comes through our consciousness - due to our conditioning and these influences us, as I described earlier in a little bit of astrological terms. So we can clearly see that they are there, but we can rise above it, and that is what we can do by taking shelter.

So the waves that are there drag us along, but we can swim in another direction, and the more we take shelter of devotional service – the stronger we become as a swimmer - and the less these waves will have a grip on us. The more we can determine our course, than the less we are dragged along by the currents and the under currents. That is an interesting point to consider. So we are not helpless. We are not at all forced – we just act by the modes. But depending on which mode influences us, then we will be strongly swept up in the waves.


(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, October 2010)

First Class

First class person - they learn from hearing only.

Second class person - they hear but still they do not learn. So they only learn through experience.

Third class person – they hear and then they experience the trouble - and still they don’t learn – those are fools.

But as a devotee, most of us are second class. Most of us learn through experience.


(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Canberra, October 2010)

Lust

Lust - Our old friend

*knock knock knock* "Guess who's here!"

"No, go away!"

"Let me in, *knock knock* I'm not going!"

"No, I'm not letting you in!
Bolt the door! Put the wooden beam in front!"
And then next moment,

*knock knock* on the window.

"No, go away! I don't wanna see you! No, no, no! Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna, leave me alone!"

*ding dong ding dong* It's at the back door!

"Who's at the back door?"

Lust again!

And as soon as you just open your window a little bit for fresh air;

*whoosh* "Here I am, your good friend!"

"Leave me alone! I don't want to!"

"Come on, don't be so rough with me.. We've had many a good times together."

"Okay, well yeah.."

"We did, remember? Here, *whoosh* a memory!"

"Heh heh, it wasn't bad."

And then lust says, "See? See!"

Krsna changes our hearts...

We cannot change the condition of our heart; that Krsna can do. Our heart is what it is and whatever we feel, we feel. But we can, with our own intelligence, judge the value of our feelings. Are these beneficial for my spiritual progress?

Krsna can make us saints; we cannot ourselves become saints but we can try to act saintly and then Krsna will change the condition of our heart...and that's the idea..

(KKSwami, September 2010, Pretoria)

All that we have left is Krsna!

Sometimes Krsna takes things away. He takes everything away, then all that we have left is Krsna! When everything is taken away than all you have left is just your Krishna Consciousness – that’s all you have.

So sometimes Krsna does that. But sometimes he does that when he sees that we are getting too proud.





(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Canberra, October 2010)

Pride is very strong in us

It is very difficult to control pride. Pride is very strong in us. When we are humble than it is very difficult. As soon as we are humble, than we become proud that we are humble: “I was so humble today”. Means that we are proud. So pride is so deep!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Canberra, October 2010)

Krsna Makes Arrangements!

When I was the Temple President, there was a devotee who came and he wanted to leave Krishna Consciousness. He came and told me;

“I’ve have had enough of this. I’m going back into the world, since I just want to be like everyone else. Why can’t we just enjoy a bit ….drink a bit…. smoke a bit - you know with all these things - what’s the difficulty?”

So I tried to convince him but he left, and he forgot everything – for about a year. But then he was in India – in South India at the Krishna river. He was sitting at the side of the river smoking. Just then a monkey came down from the mountain, which went to the river and paid obeisance’s and put the water 3 times on the head. Suddenly he realised, “I’m going to be like that monkey. This monkey was a devotee and he blew it….. and now he became a monkey…and the same thing will happen to me!” (laughter)

It shocked him so much that he came right back! So Krsna makes arrangements. When a devotee falls down – then Krsna will make arrangements to bring him back!


(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Canberra, October 2010)

Looking over our shoulder...

 A chaste disciple is always thinking of his spiritual master. And there is no question that his spiritual master is far away; his spiritual master is always there. The spiritual master is always looking over our shoulder, every moment, every moment our spiritual master is looking over our shoulder and will he like what he will see? Something to consider...! So in this way the chaste disciple is in every situation thinking: 'what would my spiritual master think about what I’m doing now?'

(KKSwami, 2004, Melbourne, Australia) 

Connected To Krsna

When we see a fault in others, then we must know that there is a fault in us. Because the great and pure devotees they don’t see any faults!

It is said that the top most devotees – they don’t see faults in anybody. So when we are seeing faults in others, it means we ourselves are full of faults. A pure devotee sees that everyone is somehow or another are connected to Krsna - then it’s alright and everything is fine.


(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Canberra, October 2010)

The Daily Work Of God

This story is about a King who lived a few hundred years ago in India. The king had a court pandit. The kings had to entertain themselves with these court pandits. The pandits would have to give the answer to any question. So one day the king had a question for the pandit and he said, “ I saw this question and I really don’t have the answer. Can you tell me what’s the answer - What is the daily work of God?”

The pandit said, “ That’s easy. The creation of course.”

“No…no…no”, The king said, “ That he does just the one time, but what is the daily work of God?”

So the pandit said, “ That’s an unusual question actually. I have never heard of such a question before. Your majesty I will have to consult the scripture”.

Now, the king was sometimes a bit moody, and when he was getting too moody, then he would cut heads. So the king was not acting in a friendly way, The king said, “ You better have the answer within one week or else!”
...

Srila Prabhupada's Dissappearance Day 2010 in Vrndavana

Govardhana Pooja Talk (Cow Protection)

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Govardhana Pooja,7th November 2010)

Namo brahmanya devaya go brahmana hitaya ca

Srila Prabhupada explained go brahmana, first the cows and then the brahmanas - so much importance is given to the cows by Krishna that even before worshipping the brahmanas we are worshipping the cows.

Yatra ksirabdhi surabhibayam ca sa sumahan nimesardhakyo na vrajati na hi yatrapi samayah bhaja svetadvipam
tam aham iha golokam iti yam

In the Brahma Samhita, it is mentioned that in the spiritual world the cows are wish-fulfilling, they are known as Surabhi cows. They are producing oceans of milk, ksirabdhi. Krishna is residing in His transcendental abode, there are unlimited cows and it is described that when Krishna was here in Vrndavana that Krishna would have unlimited cowherd boy associates and each of these associates would have a huge number of cows and calves. If we think about the numbers of cows in these pastimes we sometimes may think how did they all fit on the narrow path ways of Vrndavana – there must have been enormous traffic jams!!!
But somehow or other by Krishna’s arrangement everything is going on very smoothly: the world where cows are protected is indeed Krishna’s arrangement, it is the natural way to exist...

Juggling The Three Balls

Transcribed by Yamuna Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami 2010)

This art of juggling many interests in our life is not so easy.
There are a number of main things that I identified as essential in the life of a devotee.
These are the three balls that must be there:

First ball is personal wellbeing.
If we are not taking care of our personal well being how long are we going to last?

Personal wellbeing includes health, physical health, mental peace and also a suitable place to live. It has to be suitable in terms of our physical needs but also in terms of a place where we can be a little peaceful - Like I knew one devotee, he was so happy because Krsna gave him a house of his dream. There was an apple tree in the garden and the apples were also very sweet. Everything was very very nice…. Until the motorcycle gang moved next door!
Who said that Krsna has no sense of humor?!

An Australian Pujari

Transcribed by Fredrick Prabhu
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, 9th October 2010)

I was temple president in Vrndavana and one day one of the pujaris, an Australian pujari, came into my office and he put his watch on his desk, he put his tape recorder on the desk and he said:
"You take this. It's not going to do me any good where I'm going."
I said: "You're going? Going!? What?"
And he walked out of the office, and I didn't see him again for years. Many many years later in Sydney I saw him in the subway. His teeth had all disappeared and he was living there like a bum in the in the underground tunnels of the subway. Obviously he had been deeply involved with drugs, that was quite clear, but as soon as he saw me he came. At first I didn't recognize him because he looked different to when he was a pujari and then to how he looked there in the tunnels - but when he saw me, he was right back in Vrndavana.
He was there... for a moment, he was the pujari again!
He was remembering how he was dressing and he was saying; "Remember?"... ”You know, this and this, that time, when I dressed the Deities and everyone was like this” ”Remember that time?”
I didn't, but anyway! - but he remembered. Right!
He remembered how he dressed the deities and on one occasion it was especially appreciated by all the devotees... and he was back. He was back! - completely back - and it is in the same way that at the end of life, everything falls away.
Everything falls away. What will stand is the service we have done.

Yes, the reactions to sinful activities may be a little bit burdening us, but it is easy to leave these things if one becomes absorbed in remembering the service, because that's the only thing that's meaningful in life.
So that's on the other side of the coin - that whatever service we have done, that is so effulgent, so bright, if we would leave spiritual life, then the memories of our life would be all just black and white pictures, just dark, gloomy black and white pictures, and then suddenly these full color beautiful pictures of our spiritual life would be there.
Therefore we cannot allow ourselves to become distracted.


Transcribed by Fredrick Prabhu
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, 9th October 2010)

Govardhana Festival at Krsna Balarama temple

Hundreds of devotees attended the morning programme and then at 7.30am devotees walked to the Goshalla. There were big kirtans and the smaller Deities of Gaura Nitai and Krsna Balarama were also taken to the Goshalla. In the big tent there were many senior devotees with Maharaja, including Srutakirti Prabhu, Bhakti Vishvamba Madhava Swami and many others. Kadamba Kanana Swami performed the arati to the cows and then there were some brilliant talks by the devotees on the stage.
While I was taking pictures of the cows, the Deities and the devotees, a cow in front of me had a call of nature and I got sprayed by the cow dung over my kurta and dhoti! Just minutes after incident the glories of cow urine and cow dung were enthusiastically explained by Bhakti Vishvamba Madhava Swami - it was confirmed, it was all auspicious!
Kadamba Kanana Swami gave an inspiring talk on the importance of cows and cow protection. (transcript will be on soon)
After the talks the devotees sang and carried the Deities to the temple. There was a super crowded festival in the Krsna Balarama temple hall where a Huge Govardhana made of sweets, pakoras, fruits and honey was circumbulated! Then there was then another big mighty feast!

Still not Satisfied!

This brahmana was extremely hungry, he had no funds and he was living from begging. The poor brahmana was going door to door and he was not getting anything. He was starving. So he decided that he would just go beg from any house.

He came to a house of a Muslim and he begged the Muslim for something to eat. The Muslim gave him something, but it was very little…very little.
Then the brahmana complained;

“Now, I’ve lost my caste and still hungry!”

He lost his caste and he was still hungry.
So that is the material world. We all lose our caste for the sake of enjoying the senses. We break the rules!

...
(Click below to read more)

Material World is a Desert

Srila Prabhupada said that;
“ The material world is a desert, and in the desert there maybe some water, but it is never enough to quench one’s thirst. In a few drops of water and then finished, and again still thirsty"

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Canberra, October 2010)

Govardhana Pooja

Kadamba Kanana Swami had eagerly made the arrangements the day before to go to Govardhana Pooja at the Bhaktivedanta Ashram, Govardhana Palace. We left in the morning today at 6.30 am. When we got there we were greeted by the devotees there and Maharaja talked with HH Kesava Bharati Swami.

There was a detailed talk about The Glories of Govardhana by Gopi Parana Dhana Prabhu. Everyone relished the pastimes of Giriraja and then Maharaja also shared further insights to a few devotees after the class.
There was a big arati to the cows in the goshala and every one enjoyed feeding the lovely cows.
The devotees made their way to Govardhana and prepared for the big Maha Abhishek. Lots of devotees including the local Vrajabasis patiently qued in lines to offer abhishek to Govardhana.
Maharaja then took some karatalas and started singing Hare Krishna at the top of his lungs! The atmosphere at Govardhana enthused the devotees. The Vraja basi children were dancing, the monkeys were dancing and jumping around and even the large ants seemed to be dancing! As the liquid substances from the Govardhana abhishek flowed down the hill few devotees had already started cupping their hands together and then relishing the Maha Carnamrita!
During the kirtan the bhoga was offered to Giriraj. It was a big offering!!! There was a final kirtan and then devotees walked back to Bhaktivedanta Ashram with all the prasadam. There was a mighty feast and then Kadamba Kanana Swami, Nimai Prabhu and I got back to Krsna Balarama temple.
There is another Govardhana Pooja festival tomorrow, this will be at the Krsna Balarama temple!
(Enjoy the pics - stay tuned!)

Preaching In Prison

Shining our beads, shining our heart...

It is said that when we chant then gradually we come in this mood of just chanting for the pleasure of Krsna and then we become free, free from all oppressive things. And as we develop this freedom, then the higher taste will come. So therefore, let this be the seed of chanting every day. If only we can do that, at least one round every day and if possible more, then we will see a change after some time. Try it for a month because psychologists have discovered that if you do something for one month then it becomes a habit. So just try it for one month, sign on the dotted line and see what happens...! And after one month you’ll say, ‘well, maybe I’ll try another month...’ and then maybe another and another and the we’ve done one year and then maybe go for a second year...I am in my 33rd year now! And then the beads will start shining with time because by moving the beads you polish the beads and they start to shine and as the beads start shining then something in you starts shining also! That is the secret of Lord Caitanya’s movement, who taught this chanting of the holy name. But before you start your one round, always say, 

Jaya Sri Krsna Caitanya

Prabhu Nityananda

Sri Advaita Gadhadhara

Srivasa adi gaura bhakta vrnda

and  then it will work.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna

(KKSwami, Feb 2010, Canberra, Australia)

Krishna Consciousness Stands Out As Superior!

Prior to Krishna Consciousness, I investigated different spiritual paths. When I came to the Tibetan Buddhist – I investigated and read their literature and came across the Biography of Milarepa who is one of their great leading mystics. So I was reading the life of Milarepa and I read that Milarepa lived in a cave throughout his life and he was daily only eating grass soup. The result was the he turned green! (laughter). When I read that I thought… I just felt that: “It cannot be…it cannot be, that this is God’s desire, that it is pleasing to Him that we eat grass soup to a point where we turn green” (laughter), “Then the Lord is pleased!”

I felt that something was not right here! This is not right. How can this be? What kind of God takes pleasure in seeing that people live in such an artificial way?
I read more about Tibetan Buddhist and then I read that some ascetics would enter into the cave and that they would take a vow to go into that cave for 8 years – 10 years… 12 years. They would brick up the cave from the outside.
There’s a little tunnel and some water through the cave and also a little tunnel for food.
Well imagine you are in a cave like that – bricked up!
Well I see 3 possibilities; One is you die. Well then there’s no problem, you are already in your grave – everything is taken care of! (laughter), so that’s fine.
The other option is you go mad, also you are in isolation so you cannot harm anyone. And the third option might be that you become self realized.

That’s a poor level of self realization. That was their process, Which was a rigid process …such a rigid process - So artificial, so unnatural and practically impossible. Who would sign for that? I wouldn’t:

“ Brick me up – no thanks! Very kind of you to offer but I will let it go”.

Then Krishna Consciousness stands out as so superior because Krishna Consciousness takes the good of the material world and we can utilise that. Not excessive – but in the mode of goodness – in a controlled way!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Canberra, October 2010)

Animal State of Consciousness

It is said that animal state of consciousness is like a mirror, which is covered by dust. So in a mirror that is covered by dust, one cannot get a clear picture at all. At best one may see some contours - a shadow. We can still see some dark form of shadow, otherwise you can’t see anything - the mirror is totally covered by dust. So the animals’ consciousness is like that. The animal cannot see clearly – cannot see the Supreme Lord clearly.

Therefore, the animal practically has no chance! No chance to engage in devotional service, so there is a very precarious condition. The only way that the animal can engage in devotional service is through the arrangement of the human being.
Normally the human being engages in the worship of the Lord and can engage the animals also: Elephants carry deities, animals take prasadam and so in that way animals can certainly partake in devotional service. They can hear kirtan and there are various ways that they can engage in service but always in connection with the mercy of the human being.

Kadamba Kanana Swami, Canberra, October 2010)

Animalistic Behaviour

There was a zoologist who wrote a book called: ‘The Naked Ape’. As a zoologist he was a specialist in studying apes, and therefore he listed all the qualities and behaviours of the apes. He then listed the qualities of modern man, and he said;

“ See, man is simply another ape. A naked ape - no hair, but otherwise an ape because he behaves exactly the same”.

That was his book. It was a good book, because it pointed out - obviously the hidden message in the book was that, ‘man should rise above animalistic behaviour’
He was pointing out from a zoological point of view that man was actually completely behaving in the same way as the monkeys were doing.
Well, that is the stage of humans in the age of kali.
The human form of life is meant for rising above the animal!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Canberra, October 2010)

Afflicted by Ignorance

The consciousness of the human being is compared to a fire covered by smoke. The fire which smokes is not constant. It’s not that all the time there is an equal amount of smoke. At certain periods more smoke and then it clears up a little bit, and then again it smokes - so human consciousness is like that. Although we are afflicted by ignorance, still there are moments of clarity, and there are moments of insights - and then again covered up by modes of material nature - and then again a moment of insight.
That is the human form of life. Therefore, within the human form of life, one can come to the point of enquiring about the absolute truth! (Sanskrit). From the Vedanta Sutra:

“ Now therefore”, the arcaryas explain their commentaries that :

“Now therefore - means now that we obtain the human form of life - (Sanskrit) therefore we must enquire to the absolute truth. It is in the human form of life that this opportunity arises.”
So that is an important point.


(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Canberra, October 2010)

Remedy

Sometimes the point is raised:

‘’I have no taste for chanting"

“Alright - Your medicine, Your remedy is hearing’

Because by hearing your desire will develop.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Canberra, October 2010)

Seeing Things In Perspective

When we remember Krishna then we will not fall prey to the material energy – then we see everything in perspective:

“Yes this material energy is nice but there is also the other side”

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Canberra, October 2010)

Rivers of Desires Have No Effect

When I received the order of sanyassa, that was in Bhaktivedanta Manor and I had to go to Belgium - it is just on the other side of the channel, I went by boat across the sea and it was summer time (I like boats being a Dutch man) I was sitting on the deck of this boat and then this verse came to my mind.

apuryamanam acala-pratistham
samudram apah pravisanti yadvat
tadvat kama yam pravisanti sarve
sa santim apnoti na kama-kami

It means that as the rivers of desires flow into our mind, just like the rivers flow in to the ocean – the ocean is so full that the water from the rivers can not effect the ocean.
So Srila Prabhupada explains it for us, that when we are so full, so fullof Krishna consciousness, so full of worshipping Krishna and glorifying Krishna then material desires can not effect us, that is the process.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Canberra, October 2010)

Crocodile

There is a picture of Ganga Devi coming into the material world.
Ganga Devi is depicted as riding on a crocodile… the crocodile is representing the material energy because Ganga comes into the material world.
There are many ferocious animals such as tigers.
One can train tigers but one can not train crocodiles - crocodiles are treacherous!
Crocodiles, one can never trust.
There is no such thing as a crocodile being grateful.
One can treat him like a pet, mother over the crocodile, give the crocodile lots of affection but the crocodile will still be totally ruthless!
That’s the nature of the crocodile.
So the material energy is like that also.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Canberra, October 2010)

The Nectar Cup

Transcribed by Fredrick Prabhu
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, 03/2010)


When we come into Krsna consciousness, in the beginning, as you come in you get a little cup. It's tiny!
That little cup, every devotee gets one. Welcome to the temple, here's your cup. It's tiny; it's your little nectar cup! And it's with that cup that you have to catch some nectar.

"Yep, got a few drops!"
Good.
"But only a few drops.. Isn't there more?"
Yeah, there's more. Still, a few more drops!

So, with that little cup you get some, but not enough, really. But still it's good. Then, as we are staying around and engage in devotional service, our nectar cup is slowly growing. Sloowly, slooowly, a little more. Hm!

But the day, the day that we start to use our little nectar cup for giving out the nectar instead of just taking it ourselves, that day our cup starts growing much faster!