Radadesh Kirtana-weekend Pics!

Better late than never!
Here are some nice pictures of the Radadesh Kirtana-weekend.
If you cannot see the slideshow below then please visit Flickr to see the whole album.

The Strength Of Our Movement

This movement can not be maintained by good organisation. It’s not enough to just be members of this movement. This movement will not be a success by increasing the membership; this movement will only be a success by each individual becoming very serious and really embracing pure standards.

Everyone has to really become aware of that responsibility and rise above the mood of defeatism - of already being defeated before you start. This defeatism is very deeply ingrained in us, that we are already defeated before we start:“Oh I can’t do this! This is too difficult, it’s impossible!” No! It means you have not understood, it means we have not understood the potency of this movement.

One Devotee was complaining about Rahu in his chart and Prabhupada said: “Krishna can kick out a million Rahus. In one kick!” So it doesn’t matter how bad our Karma is. One of the misconceptions is: “My Karma is so bad, and therefore I just can’t do it!” And we tell ourselves: “I’m so weak, I just can’t do it.” But no! Spiritual strength has nothing to do with Karma. Good Karma may be helpful but spiritual strength comes simply from keeping the iron in the fire of devotional service.

So if we are just applying ourselves to devotional service, then we will have the strength to take it more serious. Then, when we take it more serious, that will give us the strength to still take it more serious.

Then that will give us the strength, to still take it more serious and each time we have to take a next step to becoming more serious. All the vows are there externally to help us, but the real thing is: We have to become, again and again, each time more serious! Narrow it down, and become more serious about our commitment to really being a follower of Srila Prabhupada and the previous Acaryas. Then our movement cannot be defeated by anything. That will be the strength of our movement.


(HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, Durban, South Africa, February 2011)

Take the thread and now become a Brahmana

Prabhupada pointed out that the brahminical initiation is not given because someone is a brahmana, or someone is qualified - but rather that it is given as an opportunity. That is the way it works in a Vaisnava community. In the world, one is first qualifying and then the glorious day comes and: “Here is your diploma." You get the funny hats and so on, and then a big ceremony and you get it. You are so happy, for five minutes, especially that your study days are over.

All right, that’s good. But in Krishna consciousness it’s totally different, we are getting the initiation before we are qualified. ”All right, here is a brahminical thread, take it! - and now become a brahmana.” We saw a slight inclination towards brahminical behaviour. We saw a little spark. We saw that there was some tendency to follow the scriptures, to dedicate to the scriptures - now, really do it! Now live up to it!" That’s the idea.

So the challenge is there for us, and maybe throughout our life. These initiations are not a one time event, but rather they are a lifetime mission, to make it through, to live up to it. It’s not so easy to live up to it, and even if there are moments of weakness - there can be - but the vow doesn’t go away. It just stays. That’s the thing. It’s like, one might temporarily fall away from the standards but the vow is just still there, and it will just stay.

Sometimes I point out, that therefore if you don’t follow the vow, then it’s there to beat your heart, then it just beats our heart, it just reminds you, of what you are supposed to be. But if you take the vow, then it’s something like Krishna planting pearls. In that story where Krishna plants the pearls and they produce many pearl bushes, which everyone thought was impossible. Nanda Maharaja said: “Krishna, pearls, you know, you can’t plant pearls!” Krishna said: “No, you can, you can!” “Krishna, no Krishna."”

But every day, Krishna took care of his pearls and watered them with milk, and they did produce very nice bushes with pearls – so many! Krishna said: “See, see!” So in the same way, we can plant these vows of initiation and they will produce so many pearls. So that we should understand.

(HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, Durban, South Africa, February 2011)

Our Service - Our Saving Grace

When we are going through some very difficult situation in the material world, then we can really remember- This is not very nice place - and we become fixed to going back to Godhead.

“Yes, I am ready, I really want that now.”

But one can only sustain the desire for going back to Godhead by being attracted to serving Krsna. Attraction to Krsna must manifest in attraction to serving Krsna.

If we simply are inactive and appreciate Krsna’s glories then we are in santa rasa. Prabhupada said the Santa Rasa is almost impersonalism, therefore one must at least become dasyam, at least engaged in service. We must take up some service for Krsna.

What ever that service may be - but one must take that very serious:

‘That service ….and that I am doing for Krsna.’

If we have the service then we have spiritual life. and then our attraction to Krsna will also develop. As a consequence of that service we will also start to appreciate the Name, Fame and Quality of Krsna.

Our connection is the service and when we forget to take on some practical service and we try to go deep in meditation on Krsna- it will not work.

It is that service that is our saving grace. It is through that service that Krsna is saving us by His mercy.

Transcribed by Yamuna Devi Dasi

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Prague 2011)

The World Is Oversexed

I would say the world is over sexed, that is the issue. There is nothing wrong with sex - sex is fine. The Vedic culture is not hiding it – it is not putting it behind closed curtains. In fact, Vedic culture is very open about it.

A couple that wants to conceive a child is asking everyone for blessings, which is something you wouldn’t do these days! So Vedic culture in one way is quite open about it – not at all in hiding sexual activity, but it’s done in a blessed way. First one must prepare to conceive a child – not in the back of a car on a Saturday night, or something like that, after having drunk quite a bit of liquor – not like that, but actually by purifying the consciousness, because it is mentioned that whatever the state of consciousness the parent's is – that is the child you will attract at the time of conception. When the male and female secretions mix then from a subtle platform the living entity enters, and the living entity that enters is in a state of consciousness that corresponds with the consciousness of the parents. So if they are drunk, then what do you get? And so on.

So in Vedic culture it's now - before you go ahead, first some purification is required.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Stockholm, Februrary 2011)

Transformation

I am proposing that we undergo a transformation, and that we are willing to make this transformation. It will not always be easy – part of it will be a bit of a struggle, where we have to conquer our law of nature. We have to recognise that within us, we have this dual nature – higher and lower, and that we have to conquer the lower. There are two ways of doing it – one way is by restricting the lower nature, and the other way is by developing our higher nature. As the higher nature develops and automatically the lower one goes a bit into the corner – it’s pushed back. So this is what we have to do – we have to develop higher activity and that’s what I am aiming at!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Stockholm, Februrary 2011)

Our chance to go BTG...

If Krsna is pleased then He will make arrangements for some purification in the end. Then we can also return back to Godhead because it is Krsna who takes the devotee back to Godhead. And it is Prabhupada who prays to Krsna, 'Please take this devotee back to Godhead.' And therefore one who faithfully serves within this movement has all opportunity, has a very great chance to go back to Godhead...

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 February 2011, Durban, SA)

Radhadesh Mellows - Recordings

Radhadesh Mellows 2011

Set amidst the rolling hills of the Ardennes, Radhadesh is an ideal setting to celebrate the holy name. Whilst the beautiful forest, exquisite deities and peaceful location all contribute to the sweetness of the festival, the most wonderful quality about the Radhadesh Mellows festival is that it attracts the most sincere and dedicated kirtan lovers around. From the very young, to the more seasoned chanters, each person that participates in the festival does so with a heartfelt desire to connect with the divine in the form of his sacred name. This powerful intention creates a mood that has to be experienced to be believed!

Here are the latest recordings from the festival. More are coming soon

1. Chakrini – Hey Gopinatha
2. Sacinandana Swami
3. Madhava
4. Nadiya Mani

Also visit the Radhadesh Mellows website for more recordings and news.

Are you getting Ready for Queensday ??? You should....!

We like to invite you to the most auspicious Vyasa-puja and Queensday  festival on April, 29th and 30th. The preparations have started. Again, like last year, the vyasa-puja festival will be held in Radhadesh, Belgium, and from there we will go to the Queensday celebration in Amsterdam. It promises again to be two big huge wonderful ecstatic festivals with lots of kirtans, association and fun.

• Registration

• Latest News & Updates

• Vyasa-puja Book & Offerings

• Donations

FESTIVAL PROGRAM

28 Apr : Arrival, Disciple meeting and Cultural program
29 Apr :
Vyasa-puja festival (morning)
Initiations (Afternoon)
There will be no evening program due to Queensday

30 Apr : Queensday Amsterdam
Buses will leave at 5:00 am from Radhadesh.
Arrival in Amsterdam around 9:00 am.
Start Queensday parade : 10:00 am
Finish Queensday parade : 19:00h
Back at Radhadesh around 23:00h

1-2 May : Departure from Radhadesh

FESTIVAL FEE

The festival price this year will be €33 for dormitory and €42 for shared room facilities.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Since the costs for flowers, bhoga etc. are considerable, we kindly request those devotees who do have some money to give a donation. Please let me know in advance if you want to contribute something. This is a very nice opportunity for Vaisnava seva, so please don't miss it!

Please donate

Lord Varāhadeva

The story is that sometimes the Lord also likes to fight. In the very beginning of the universal creation, there were some opponents of the Lord who appeared. Two extremely powerful brothers. They were conceived by Kaśyapa and Diti, and at an inappropriate time and because they were celestial beings – exalted beings – it was important for them to live by dharma. Their level of responsibility was greater than ours!

Therefore, when Kaśyapa and Diti were not acting appropriately and were engaging in sexual intercourse in an unauthorised time – therefore the pregnancy was not auspicious. It turned out that she was expecting twins and as the children were in the womb and about to appear – many, many inauspicious omens began to appear. For example, it was raining blood from the sky or pus! Sometimes even bones were falling from the sky! So this is kind of shocking…bones - we wonder what is going on? There were comets, just meteors falling left and right and everywhere. It looked like jackals were howling and everywhere there were such inauspicious signs.

The demigods were getting quite worried by these signs. The demigods are the exalted beings that live in the higher regions of the universe, and they are beings that were very much focused on the Supreme Lord. Therefore, these exalted personalities went in before the Supreme Lord and prayed, and asked for clarification. The news came that soon these demons would appear, but the Lord would also kill them, which was a bit of a relief for the demigods.

Sunday Feast in Durban, South Africa

Here is a wonderful slideshow from the Sunday feast in Durban, South Africa where Kadamba Kanana Swami attended the weekly sunday feast celebration.

If you cannot see the slideshow below then click here.



Want to know more about the temple in Durban then you can read this nice article.

BBTA Conference in Pretoria

In Pretoria, South Africa, the BBTA (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Africa) was organized in the "Dr. Miriam Makeba Concert Hall". Here is a nice slideshow with images from this event. If you cannot see the slideshow below then please visit flickr.



The BBTA event was well organized and there were many speakers planned to speak. After an introduction, Jayadvaita Swami presented his concerns and conclusions about the activities of the BBTA, especially concerning the printing and distributing of books. Many other speakers followed, who gave their reports about the various progresses in relation to the BBTA. It really was amazing to hear how some of them tried to bring Krishna Consciousness in completely untouched countries. One devotee even started preaching in a new country on his own!

Pancha Tattva Prabhu stated, that that mood reminded him of the old days, where Srila Prabhupada would just send some devotees out, to open centers in completely untouched places.
Kadamba Kanana Swami gave a lecture about the necessity of the Prabhupada marathon. He emphasized how the marathon gives a very good opportunity to get out of one’s routine in Krishna Consciousness.

Another ISKCON !

We are in the material world and we cannot understand what happens, when someone leaves the material world, we cannot see where a person goes. The most difficult thing, when someone leaves this planet is that they go from our sight, if we could only see where they are for a moment, than it would be so much easier, than it would be much easier to accept.

In Kartika we heard a story during some remembrances about Srila Prabhupada and there was a grhasta couple and the wife somehow or other died and then the husband was very upset and very alone and then that night in a dream Prabhupada came and Prabhupada said:
"Would you like to talk to your wife?" 
He said: "Yes, yes!" And then he heard her voice. He couldn't see her but he heard her voice and she said that:"Everything is all right here, it's very nice. Jayananda is here, Visnujana is here, George Harrison is here also! And Prabhupada is here and everything is very nice." 

So from that story it seemed, that what Prabhupada used to say, that there is another ISKCON in the spiritual world, that there really is another ISKCON in the spiritual world and that everybody is there and so on... no more politics - maybe a little bit, but transcendental. So don't worry. Anyway, so that is all very nice. So after hearing that he felt very relieved from his sadness. And thought:
"Oh everything is fine, now I know she's all right, everything O.K." And he felt a lot better.

So there is no doubt, there is no doubt that for a devotee the future is very auspicious.

Arriving in Johannesburg

Here are some nice photos from the arrival in Johannesburg, South Africa. If you cannot view the slideshow below then please visit flickr.



The South Africa tour will include the BBTA event which you can view here

We Have To Make it Meaningful

Once upon a time, I was travelling around the world and I came to a particular town where the City was located on the coast. I went to the local temple and the temple president wasn’t there, so I asked where he was. They said:

“Oh, he went to the beach”

I said, “Okay”.

They said, “ Three days ago?”

“Three days ago?”

“Yes - three days ago, and he never returned.”

So, being from the Netherlands and having a thing with the sea, I naturally took advantage of the situation, to go to the beach. I went there, and yes I saw him, and he was sitting in front of the ocean – staring out over the water. Well, I sat down next to him and didn’t say anything. After about fifteen or twenty minutes, I said to him:

“Nice view isnt it?”

Well, you know from one thing gradually another and we wound up with a whole conversation. Then he started to reveal his heart – and what it was…what it really was – there were was a question that hit him which was:
“Who am I? Reeeaaally?”

That question had come into his mind and that question remained in his mind for three days now. So you could say it was an acute identity crisis, which happens in this world. Some people indeed suffer from an identity crisis, and it also happens to devotees who at one point just after years of practise of actually following devotional standards of going through the sashtras, as outlined by Srila Rupa Goswami, and seriously engaging in hearing, chanting and cultivating devotional service - some people get this identity crisis: 'Why? What is it?' Because, all along they were in a Shakespearian production. They were somewhere on stage acting out a role, but somehow or another it didn’t really hit home – it didn’t really connect to their feelings. Yes that can happen. This particular case was a little extreme. I do not think that there are many such stories of people going to the beach from Krishna Consciousness – not that, but others are showing the same symptoms but through another degree, but still wondering: "Who am I really?”


So with Krishna Consciousness, if we really want it to happen for us, then we have to make it meaningful. Meaningful – first of all for Krishna, because we are doing everything for Krishna, and Krishna also means the spiritual master – because he is the representative of Krishna!


(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Stockholm, February 2011)

The Duty Must Be There!

First in Krishna Consciousness there is a duty, which must be there. There are so many duties – duties to the spiritual master, duties to principles of purity, duties according to the scriptures, duties given to us by the arcaryas. It governs everything - the time we rise and the duty must be there first. If duty is not in place, then there is something hollow, and then there is the vacuum in our spiritual life. When there is such a vacuum, than our bhakti cannot really grow. For sometime, it may look like that bhakti grows very nicely, but if there is a vacuum remaining in our duty, then all that bhakti that emerges so nicely – will at one point just collapse! So the duty must be there!


(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Stockholm, February 2011)

Comment By One of the Editors

Dear Vaishnavas - Hare Krishna!!!

I would like to sincereley apologise to all for a couple of posts posted this week that may have seemed boring or not worthwhile reading. I was away from the computer for a week and incorrectly organised the blog posting schedule, wrong parts of the transcripts to go onto the blog and also pictures that were irrelevant according to the posts. I am sorry dear devotees for the bodge up!

This has given me an opportunity to reflect more about the Blog and to get more and more quality posts for the reader.
I hope the KKS blog fans are informing their friends and family of this KKS blog ;)
I would like to also request anyone who would like to help with the KKS Blog, please feel free to email me:

aagajjar@live.com

Hare Krishna!! Srila Prabhupada Ki Jaya!!
your servant aatish

You Must Have Courage!!!

Transcribed By Madhumati Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Sydney 2010)

It is amazing how powerful peer pressure is, when everyone else is doing it and you feel out casted and then you also do it - but actually many times we don’t like it.
Talking about the whisky, I never liked it, not once, I can’t remember that I liked it...I thought it is disgusting and it is. Smoking, it is stupid, it costs money, you get addicted, risk of diseases, costs you a fortune and it is not intelligent. Totally stupid and still:
"Yeah! Have one, show you are a man"
That’s rubbish. One has to be bold. You have to really take shelter and say we have got something really good. That is the mode of goodness and in that way one stands for Krishna and one is not so much afraid of what will the neighbour think:
"Imagine if they see us in dhoti!!"

We Are Dogmatic?

Prabhupada said:
"Why are they saying that we are dogmatic when we are saying that Krishna is God?
Why are they so dogmatically saying that Krishna is not God if they have not seen Him?"


Transcribed By Madhumati Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Sydney 2010)

Sensitive, to the will of the Lord

Often times we are seeing that the emphasis is placed on enlightenment coming through the spiritual master and that through the spiritual master one is receiving instructions, following these instructions, realizing these instructions and getting enlightenment. But here the emphasis is placed on the Supersoul as acting as the agent to reveal transcendence to us. So that is also a significant part in our spiritual life, and the Supersoul, known as caitya-guru - the guru within the heart, is revealing transcendental knowledge. Therefore a Vaisnava is sensitive to this and - we know that whatever is revealed from within could be coming from the Supersoul, but could also be coming from the mind....

HH Kadamba Kanana Swami's visit to Stockholm

For the last 4 days we have been showered by the mercy of Lord Nityananda and HH Kanamba Kanana Swami!

Here are the links to lectures and photos from this visit
Enjoy!

14th February: evening lecture

15th February: Lord Varahadeva's appearance day: evening lecture

16th February: Lord Nityananda's appearance day;
morning lecture;
bhajan
evening lecture

17th February: morning lecture

If you can't view the slideshow below then please visit the album.

Parasurama as a Leprachaun

Here is a hilarious video starring Parasurama Prabhu, recorded in Ireland.

If you cant view this video below then visit youtube

The Harinam Party

Srila Prabhupada said:


“When the harinam party goes to the street. It doesn’t just purify the people in the street - it purifies the street itself! And anyone who goes through that street afterwards also gets purified”


(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radhadesh, January 2011)

Enthrone Him in the Heart.

Narada Muni is explaining in Bhagavatam that as the heart is being purified, then gradually one can enthrone the Supreme Personality of Godhead within the heart. So it's interesting because the Lord was already there as the Supersoul, and now we're going enthrone Him in the heart.

The enthroning of the Lord in the heart is referring to the istha-deva, or to our worshippable Deity which in our case is Krishna, and not so much the Supersoul. The Supersoul is described as being Lord Vishnu. Ksirodakasayi Vishnu. The Paramatma within the heart, and He is the four-armed form of Lord Vishnu. Helmet and ornaments and so on. All the attributes of Vishnu are there.
It is also said that although the followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are most respectful towards Lord Vishnu and they certainly are accepting Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, still they focus on their worship on Lord Krishna and not on Lord Vishnu.
Srila Prabhupada also reminds us of that in the final chapter of the Bhagavad-gita in his purports - he points out that a devotee will certainly offer his obeisances to Lord Vishnu, and then continue His worship of Krishna, -exclusively focus on Krishna. So we are not starting an altar and beginning to kind of place all kinds of Narayana Deities there as well, no. The focus in our sampradaya is exclusively on Krishna.
So interesting that as the heart becomes purified and as we are enthroning the Lord within the heart, we are actually enthroning Lord Krishna in the heart! Then from within the heart it is Krishna who is guiding us.
It is not the Paramatma in It's four-armed form who is guiding us, then it's Krishna directly, within the heart, who is guiding us! ...
We can be very intimately connected with Krishna, and that Krishna within the heart is directly Krishna!
Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not a picture of Krishna, but Krishna in person. Krishna who is directly relating with us.

Transcribed by Bhakta Frederick
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radhadesh 2011)

Hearing

I was just talking to the mrdanga player and how mrdanga playing is the most difficult thing. Why is mrdanga playing so difficult? It's extremely difficult because it's not about different beats or different bauls, or even different mantras - It's not about intricate rythms and so on. That is the secondary part.The primary part is about hearing. It's all about hearing. A good mrdanga player is one who listens, who's totally attentive. He's attentive to the kirtana and he's following very carefully to what he hears. That's extremely difficult. Only possible if one chants attentively. If one is an inattentive chanter, one will be an inattentive mrdanga player. For sure. One will do everything inattentive! One goes through life as in a cloud, and just walking like that in that cloud, one will inadvertently do so many things that one later wonders:
"Why did I do that..?"

Transcribed by Bhakta Frederick
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Sweden 2010)

Let’s add to the pleasure.

We are just tiny little sparks of Krishna’s energy, but we can also add to that unlimited reservoir of pleasure, and that’s what Krishna wants from us. Let’s add to the pleasure.

Transcribed by Bhakta Fredrick
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Stockholm 2010)

Transcendental Personalities See Things In Perspective

Yukta Vairagya and Srila Bhakti Sidhanta was brilliant in that way. He was liberal, he was understanding, when people were deeply entrenched in the modes of material nature, it may not be immediately possible to turn them around, but as long as they chant Hare Krishna... for example when Bhakti Sidhanta Saraswati started to preach in Mayapur and developed projects then some important British officers were also ready to come and along with them – there was a whole group of Indians who were close to the British and wearing the same clothes and for that whole assembly Bhakti Sidhanta Saraswati allowed that meat was served - not by the devotees, but an outside group was coming in to serve them because he knew otherwise they will not come - the fact that they came, to make some important connections. ...
Agayata Sukruti so, somehow or other unknowingly give people some spiritual benefit and the affect is amazing.

This is not the movement of introducing the four regulative principles. Certainly the four regulative principles must be introduced but not in the first meeting, not always.
It is not absolutely necessary that you pounce on someone and beat him and make sure that in the first meeting he get the four regulative principles and chanting the sixteen rounds and a summary of all the eighteen chapters of the Bhagwat Geeta in one conversation.
So, there are other ways to make this movement accessible.
Transcendental personalities see things in that perspective, therefore Bhakti Sidhanta Saraswati Thakur was seeing: well these people are ready to come and are reading to hear the Holy Name and are ready to connect to the Vaishnavas and it will open up the door for our movement.

Transcribed By Madhumati Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Sydney October 2010)

Brahmanism in India

We are sometimes faced with smarta brahmanas - brahmanas who claims a brahmanical status by birth. This brahmanism in India was very very predominating in society throughout. One could really speak of the terror of the smarta brahmanas in India for hundred of years, and suppressing the rest of India. For example, we find descriptions of South Indian cultural life were sudras had to walk around with a bell, whenever they had to go in a brahminical area to do some necessary services there, and something that brahmanas couldn’t do themselves, because they were preoccupied with higher matters in life. So, for some of the more low types of work, a sudra had to enter into the brahminical areas. He had a bell and rung it so that all the brahmanas could quickly go indoors when he would come past – so that the shadow of that sudra wouldn’t touch them, because if it did touch them - then if one reads the Dharma-śāstras than it states that one becomes contaminated. You can also read it in the Manu-samhitā – that's if you’re interested in it – then they couldn’t study vedic literature. They would have to take a bath first of all if a shadow of such a person would have touched them – then they would have to take a bath for purification – and one would also have to fast, and go through a whole preliminary purification process before one could again focus on studying the scriptures.

So, you can just imagine in modern times - kalau sudra sambhava - any decent self respecting brahmana would never get round to studying the scriptures for a moment, and would have to have the blinds down on all the windows and wear those dark glasses. It would be quite complicated. So this kind of smarta brahmanism became very very widely spread in India, and it is that which has killed the vedic culture! It is that where people became fed up with it - with this whole caste system.

So, that is interesting, but the fact of the matter is that there is some relevance to what these brahmanas are saying. Mainly it is not totally just fabricated and coming forth out of some sort of arrogance. No, a person afflicted by the lower modes of nature cannot just purify himself within a few moments through the vedic processes of austerity, of giving in charity - yága-mâna dānam tapaḥ, this sacrifice – that was the vedic means of purification prāyaścitta – riding above reactions of activities of ignorance and passion, and a slow process for purification. Therefore, their point was:

“ Well if a sudra is nicely trying to rectify himself in this life, than maybe in the next life he’ll take a better birth”.

There is something to say for that if one looks at the ordinary process of prāyaścitta of purification through as I said yága-mâna dānam tapaḥ -sacrifice, giving in charity and austerity, but the process of devotional service is completely different. In particularly, the process of chanting the holy name is very potent. Just by chanting the holy name once is so potent that Srila Prabhupada explains:

“If one chants the holy name just the once, than one is changed!”.

You can see it as I am chanting:

“ Hare Krishna. Have I changed? Have I? Anyone saw it? Who? Yeah…How have I changed?….I look more beautiful…
than usual? That’s extraordinary! …That’s practically a miracle”. Srila Prabhupada points out:

“Actually that’s not really the change. That is not really the substantial element of the change. It is only a side effect of the change. The real substantial change is that the subtle body has changed, just by chanting the Hare Krishna maha mantra the once – the subtle body has changed”

If we regularly chant the holy name, then at one point we have a whole different subtle body, and that means that the whole affliction due to previous karma of the modes of the material nature just disappears. The sankīrtana movement is really overthrowing this whole smarta brahmanism, and every argument that they might produce in support, because the potency of the holy name is tremendous. Even chanting just the once – it is explained:

“ It can destroy more sinful activities than one can commit in a lifetime!”

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radhadesh, January 2011)

Our Saving Grace

Ignorance is a kind of thing that is destructive to the self and to others. So, ignorance has to go as it is not going to help us. So we have to fight with ignorance.

Passion, we can channel it towards the service to Krishna.

“Oh! This passion!"
just work out for Krishna - so we run, and run, and run and we get so much busy that we don’t have time to chant our rounds but somehow or other we are doing it.

"Oh! We are so busy in the service of Krishna, I have no time for myself."

"But your life is already finished"

"Oh! My God, have we got old I never even noticed it, life is so short! I never even had the time for maya! I wanted so many things but it never happened because I had so much service.”

One will say that in old age. So, people in the mode of passion can be nicely engaged in service of Krishna so that is our saving grace.

Srila Prabhupada very expertly designed the Hare Krishna movement, he didn’t say that we should have a programme that everyday should be a japa retreat. There are Japa retreats where we chant sixty four rounds ...

It is not so easy to chant sixty four rounds everyday, One day maybe if we get ourselves in that mood. Some of us can do, so we are maybe not the strongest in performing these things.


Prabhupada has arranged that there is plenty of service to do - If we can’t chant the Holy Name then we can serve the Holy Name, this is the Sankirtan movement of Lord Caitanya.

There is unlimited engagement and that you simply give Krishna Consciousness to the whole world. Well that’s enough for a few life times!

So, we have a lot to do and we can present things in a creative way and that will keep us pre-occupied and that is our saving grace.

Transcribed By Madhumati Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Sydney October 2010)

How to Preach?

Devotee : When we are preaching, we may not straight away say that Krishna is God and everything must be done for Him. So we may beat around the bush, so, if you could give further explanation to what point do we give the information?

Maharaja : You cannot write a hand book about that, we have to be personal. We just have to be sensitive. Preaching doesn’t mean we are preaching at people:
“Okay I am going to preach to this person, Hare Krishna Hare Rama”
That’s one approach - the burn out approach, the vacuum cleaner approach is not the best approach. It is putting two hands around the neck and saying “Chant, Chant, Chant!”
but there is also a subtler approach. In the subtler approach try and attempt to find the spark. Prabhupada said:
“Find the spark and fan it.”
Find the spark of interest, find something in them that attracts them to Krishna, so find a connection and then feed that. That is the approach. It is personal.
You cannot say how much?:
“Okay five minutes give indirect and then do like this”
And also different people have different tactics

Transcribed By Madhumati Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Sydney October 2010)

Our Survival

We see that the aboriginal lady had a basket of fruit and Krishna came as a child and He brought some grains to barter, but He dropped all the grains on the way - only a little left - but she didn't care any more because He was just so wonderful she gave Him all the fruits, although that was her livelyhood.

So it was not a small thing - because she was very poor, and she gave away basically her livelyhood. How was she going to maintain? But somehow or other Krishna lifted her above this kind of calculating spirit.
"He was so wonderful,I must give Him this fruit. I must!"
Then of course the basket was filled with jewels. In this way Krishna reciprocated. She became even purified from her mundane concerns for survival.

Always thinking about survival:
"How am I going to manage"
"It depends on my endeavor here!"
"You know, we're eating because of my hard work!"
"Because of my intelligence, because of all the arrangements that I'm making we are surviving in this world"
"It's very important! I mean, this is not play! I mean, we're not messing around here! We're getting serious now! We are surviving by work, by intelligence, by scheming, and somehow or other I figured it out! You know, and I'm doing it! I mean, I even put a sign on my door: "Self-made man!"
You see some sort of man that screws a piece of an arm on here and a piece there; a self-made man!

There are so many self-made men in the world who are convinced that by their own endeavors they are maintaining themselves.

Transcribed by Bhakta Frederick
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radhadesh, Jan 2011)

it is your desire and not mine

A devotee has to practise to take distance from his feelings. We have to become an observer of our own feelings and judge them from a distance and we practise this. Not just, every time some impulse comes up, then we have to do it - No, we just have to look at it from a distance.
“Look at this, what this mind is doing now”
as if you are a spectator and see what this mind wants from us today. It is amazing what the mind comes up with.
Like that one must be able to observe his own thinking, willing and feeling, the functions of the mind.
So, as a matter of practice, that’s what it means that we are not this body, we start becoming a observer of the body, we can start to think that’s not me.
Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur wrote an article:
'The real and the apparent self ' - and there is a section where he says that he is no longer going to entertain the body and the mind, only as much as it requires to keep the body and the soul together and for the rest he is not going to listen to it he is not going to take it seriously.
He says “For so long I have taken whatever you have presented as my own interest , but no longer I will accept whatever you dictate as I my own, I will clearly see that:
'it is your desire and not mine'”

Transcribed By Madhumati Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Sydney October 2010)

Sannyasa Report- 2011

Sannyasa Report for 2010

General

In 1997, now fourteen years ago, I received sannyasa in the Bhaktivedanta Manor. Since then I have done a lot of travel and preaching not just randomly, but in a regular pattern, because it appears more effective to me to build up relationships with full-time devotees and the larger congregation in various areas. During these fourteen years I have attended a lot of festivals, for last year I have counted 23 festivals and 4 retreats. Gradually with the increase of age I am aiming to minimize my involvement with events and reach people in other ways for example through writing and education. In between the action, I am building in rest periods,not just for health, but also for some quality sadhana. This year I invested in an ebook reader, which made many books more easily accessible,and reading more easy.

Europe

I continued a program of traveling and preaching in the same areas as in previous years. My New Year begins in Germany with the sankirtan festival at the lotus feet of Lord Nrsimhadeva. Devotees gather from Czech republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and Germany of course to gather for a festival after the book distribution marathon. The presence of leading devotees is of great importance to inspire book distributors from many countries. I also consider this temple project, dedicated to lord Nrismhadeva, a place of pilgrimage for entire Europe. I go there twice a year to get some mercy, and to do a little service to the Deity by adding to festivals that attract many devotees.

From there I went on to Radhadesh, another substantial landmark, for one week to teach a course on the Caitanya Caritamrta, which is also annual event. I think the college fulfills a need in our movement and adds to the Radhadesh community. Teaching is a good way to enter in to a topic and the Caitanya Caritamrta is a great source of inspiration in my life. In general I come to Radhadesh regularly and last year I visited more often. I annually support the summer festival, since it is a predominantly dutch affair. Radhadesh continues to offer inspiration to devotees from all over Europe and beyond, through festivals and education and is also a place where the -kulis have their melas.

In the UK I try to visit other temples besides London. I keep a regular relationship with Leicester and also visited Birmingham, Scotland and New Castle and of course London is a dynamic, stimulating place, full of programs,activities and developments.

The Czech Republic , is the first place I went after taking sannyasa in 1997 and since then I kept a regular relationship with the Yatra. Occassionally I also visit Slovakia. Prague is just a few hours by a pleasant journey on a German train, from Leipzig or Berlin. So these areas are a convenient, contiguous preaching field.

I also have a good connection with Sweden and visit Stockholm from time to time. They don’t get that many visiting preachers, so some years ago I decided to put energy there. I have good relationships with the local devotees, I have become a member of the family. The pace of life in Sweden is not as high as in central Europe and the BBT offers very nice facility, in this way Sweden is a rest-point for me. Once a year I go to Helsinki, Finland as well.

I went to the Serbian summer camp and to Croatia for Janmastami,but I can’t do much more in these areas than some sporadic visits.

South Africa

Besides Europe , South Africa is a major preaching field for me. I have been involved there for at least three months a year, since 1995. I feel at home here, in general people are quite open and devotees have a nice service attitude. I am trying to stay connected with all devotees in the yatra, at the same time I try to especially help to facilitate african devotes to become part of our movement. The demographics of South Africa are 90% African, 8% from European descent and 2% of Indian origen, ISKCON is just the opposite; so to remain relevant to society we need to attract more african devotees. I have arranged funding to start several preaching centres, I have started a Ratha Yatra in Soweto, since a few years, and try to support individual african devotees.

In recent years HH Jayadvaita Swami has taken responsibility as a trustee to develop a BBT division for the entire Africa. In South Africa, I try to help by promoting and facilitating book distribution, so last December I went their during the book marathon.

I would like to carry on with my service in South Africa for many years to come, Krsna willing. Even if in the future I would have to minimize other services , I would give priority to South Africa.

Australia

In 1984, my health was weak, due to extensive problems with malaria in India, Bhavananda send me for one year to Australia and my health improved tremendously. These days also Australia, with mild winters and sunny climate, still does wonders for my health as a welcome change from the drab European weather. So I’ve kept it as part of my itinerary throughout the years. Australia has nice temples and is well organized and there are ample of preaching opportunities.

India

The roots of my spiritual life are in India, I joined in Vrindavan and also by Krsna’s grace was allowed to serve for a substantial amount of time both in Vrindavan and Mayapur. These days I still do a little service on the Vrndavana Executive Board, although I am thinking of retirement. After spending a few weeks in Vrndavana, I went to Mayapur for one month to teach in the Bhakti Sastri and Bhakti Vaibahva courses. This is a time of rejuvination rising early at 1:30 am chanting and studying, along with a morning program, although I confess I may regularly listen to Bhagavatam class on the radio. On the weekend I lead parikramas through the Dhama. This coming year in Kartika I am planning to take a group of devotees to Bangladesh, to visit holy places like Advaita Acarya’s birth place, or Pundarika Dhama, Kethuri and more. After that I will lead a study group on the CC in Mayapur and in the end we will publish a book with essays from the paricipants. I am looking forward to all of this. In the long run as my health will have higher demands I am planning to spend more time in Mayapur.

Hoping that my humble service may give some pleasure to my spiritual master,the vaisnavas and Krsna,

Vaisnava dasanudasa,

Kadamba Kanana Swami

Intelligence

Srila Prabhupada’s definition of intelligence is not the same as the definition of intelligence that is generally employed in various intelligence tests and IQ tests and so on.
Srila Prabhupada would say intelligence means that one acts intelligent. If you don’t act intelligent, that proves that you’re not intelligent. As simple as that. No matter what kind of capacity you have in terms of understanding things theoretically, if you don’t act properly, that means you’re not intelligent. As simple as that. That is Prabhupada’s philosophy.
When philosophy is not practical, then it has no meaning. Philosophy is after all supposed to be, an understanding of reality. So if philosophy no longer has any bearing on reality, then it’s just a waste of time.
So Srila Prabhupada would give us this definition of intelligence: One must act intelligently, and Krishna, “dadami buddhi-yogam tam.” He gives us intelligence, because all intelligence comes in relationship with Krishna, because after all, nothing exists outside of the relationship with Krishna. And therefore – and the whole purpose of existence is to always be engaged in service to Krishna, therefore the more one becomes aware of this, the more intelligent one is.

Transcribed by Bhakta Frederick
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Sweden 2010)

Get Absorbed!

When we feel that life is long, do more service the more we get absorbed in devotional services the faster the time goes. One week will last only three days. You will feel: "My God, a week has gone! and I didn’t do anything"

When we get absorbed in devotional service, life goes very quick and it gets auspicious.


Transcribed by Madhumati Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Chowpatty 2010

"I am Totally Unique!"

In this way the tendency to think that we are exceptions, the tendency to think that our situation is different is there in all of us. After all, we are unique! Well... Not that unique, you know?
We’re actually not so unique at all if you really look at it, we pretty much have the same, the very same feelings as everybody else, as people have had for so many, for thousands and millions of years.
They had the same feelings as we are having now, and we’re just like… Going through it all, and they went through it all… and it is just like that!
But we are having this strong feeling that, “No! I am unique! I am totally unique! Never before was there someone like me, on this planet Earth!”
Well… “No, but not exactly like me!” Well, you know… Okay:
maybe a little bit of Socrates, a little bit of Plato, and a pinch of Bach, and a pinch of Gandhi, and a pinch of… Right? But at best we are a cocktail! Just some sort of mix.

A mix of a few prototypes, and that’s us. Not so unique at all and therefore we’re quite predictable.

Transcribed by Bhakta Frederick
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Sweden 2010)

strength to do everything for Krishna?

Devotee’s question: In Kali-yuga our material situation is usually very disturbing. When we are so materially dissatisfied, where can one get strength to do everything for Krishna?

Maharaja’s answer: By doing, you get strength. Isn’t it? I think it’s in everything like that. If you do it—if you start doing it, then it gets easy—in the beginning, can I do anything? It’s so hard! Right? But by doing it, I get strength. Can I run? Oh, I don’t think I can! And you know, if you haven’t done it for a long time, in the beginning, it’s hard. But okay, one block. Yeah, and after a while; two times around the block. Three times —no problem! So by doing it, we gain strength. – and like I said, I’ll say it even stronger than I said it before: “We are never alone” we are always in a relationship - either with a living being or with an object, but in any relationship, Krishna is always a party. So you pick up a thing and you have a relationship with a thing, but Krishna is also a part of it, so now you must use that thing in a particular way so that it suits Krishna. Or you have a relationship with a person so that it suits Krishna. Every relationship we have, with living beings or with a thing, Krishna is always party to it. Always. The more we are living that, the stronger we become.

Transcribed by Bhakta Frederick
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Sweden 2010)

Simple Formula

It is a fact that we made Spiritual life so complex.
I’m remembering Tribhuvanath Prabhu who was very simple by nature.
He had grown up as an orphan in an orphanage and as a result He didn’t get very good education. But that was Krsna’s perfect arrangement, because it’s suited His nature, because He was so simple.
Tribhuvanath tells the story which is not recorded anywhere, or written, but He told me personally. He said that he was there when Srila Prabhupada came in the room and there were all waiting and received him…
Srila Prabhupada sat down and said:
“Krsna Consciousness is so simple, you might just miss it! ’’
If only we could keep life simple and just take shelter of the basics.
What ever we think is right and wrong let it just be secondary to what our Spiritual Master says is right and wrong.
That’s very simple.
It’s a very simple formula for spiritual life.

Transcribed by Yamuna Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami 2010)

Dhruva Maharaja’s Previous Life

We were studying a little bit about Dhruva and we found, that in the Visnu Purana it is described that Dhruva in his previous life was a brahmana. As a brahmana Dhruva became kind of close with a particular king, and in the cause of this friendship, he began to desire the opulence that the king had – and this desire manifested within him.

Then, it is very interesting that as a young boy he was being denied to sit on the lap of his father! And the reaction to this - he wants a kingdom greater than his father and grandfather, which was interesting since it was there from his last life.

So, in this way we can see how material desires may be rooted in a previous life, and due to failure in spiritual life in a previous situation, and now it becomes so strong. So it is interesting that same stumbling block on the path, that made us fail in our previous life – is back again to make us fail one more time!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radhadesh, January 2011)

Illicit Sex

Transcribed by Madhumati Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami 2005)

"You will see women as lust objects, you will not care to look after them. How can you look after them, you will not protect them, you will use them as though they are not human beings as if they don’t deserve a man to support and protect them through out their life… You don’t care, you just care to get them in bed and when they are pregnant you line up in an abortion and go for the next and another one, and then another one and in this way you become more and more selfish and you become less interested in the well-being of all those women with whom you are having sex with - May be you get bored with women and try men for a while or maybe you will try something else!"....