(Kadamba Kanana Swami, New Ekacakra, Slovakia, 2011) Srila Prabhupada was speaking about the Krsna-Balarama Mandir. He explained:
"I want twenty five Gosvamis to stay here in this Krsna- Balarama Mandir! Twenty five men who are just like the six Gosvamis. I want them to stay here. When we are in that mood then we can serve Krishna! Unless we become absorbed in hearing and chanting just like the Gosvamis, then we will not be able to appreciate devotional service."
Then we think that:
" Our spiritual masters gave us all these responsibilities. We have to look after the deities and the temple… it's too much! He's just giving us too much headache!"
And one will experience that devotional service is becoming a burden:
"It's too much! All this service is too much! All this chanting is too much. Getting up too early is just too much!"
So this will happen when we are not sufficiently absorbed in hearing and chanting, and that we will begin to experience devotional service as being mundane… although it is not!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, New Ekacakra, Slovakia, 2011) All these acaryas, wrote commentaries about so many scriptures, and if you look at these commentaries, you can see that they studied every verse very carefully. They read the verse and were thinking about it:
"What does this mean?"
So they spent a lot of time with the scriptures! Srila Prabhupada used to go to sleep at about 10.30 PM and rise at 12.30 AM, and then spend the night absorbed in scriptures. And of course, he was trying to enter deep into the scriptures and present the essence to the people of the world! But he was deeply absorbed, so that is the only way! We will never become Krishna Conscious if we don't become absorbed!
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Waves of affection, waves of the Indian Ocean and waves of material existence but best of all waves of spiritual ecstasy…
Straight out of back-to-back Ratha Yatras, we journeyed by Gautrain and a two-hour flight, and then arrived in Cape Town. But it was really nice to see everybody again on the first evening and we had a good time at the temple program.
I think South Africa is a country full of variety – there are so many programs that are of a totally different nature. Cape Town has very nice university programs (University of Cape Town & Stellenbosch University) and we visited houses in Tableview, Bellville and Somerset West to meet devotees. This was nice because each home has its own atmosphere and brings out a different mood. So taking the trouble to go to all these different places makes a lot of sense because it's part of entering into relationships with people. In the past I did so many projects – big building, properties, etc. but now my life centres around relationships with people. That's very satisfying because Krsna is in the centre therefore it makes these relationships worthwhile.
We had an initiation ceremony during the Sunday feast and we really took time to prepare the devotees in their spiritual journey. I gave the example where I (as the spiritual master) put people on a little transcendental boat on the bhava sagar (the ocean of material existence) and the boat is still at the shore and everything is fine, and then suddenly we give that boat a push and suddenly that initiated devotee is out there! Then one has to make a conscious effort to make spiritual life more meaningful by doing deeper spiritual activities. In this way, the vows of initiation begin to flourish. The whole ceremony made people think as many devotees came with questions afterwards.
Following the initiation ceremony, the programs continued and once again we spent a night in Pringle Bay. It's quite a place – a tip of the bay where long waves are coming in from the ocean and splashing against the rocks. There are baboons and night-adders, we were told. A real mode of goodness exists in that place actually. We were invited by Mukunda and Mira, who live there with their two children. In the back of their house, Mira started her own mini-school with a little classroom. She is a qualified teacher and teaches her own children as well as some others from the neighbourhood. Remuna, who was initiated at the yajna on Sunday (previously Remina), lives there with her children too. Bhakta Steve, who is studying jazz piano at the University of Cape Town, came along. A lot of energy went into preparing breakfast and it was absolutely great – everyone was satisfied.
And then Mukunda brought up the 'hot potato topic' of brahmacary ashrama: Should brahmacarys be trained to become grhastas or should they be trained to become sannyasis?
I said that in the beginning it should be open-ended and then later the brahmacarys can make a choice as to which direction they want to go. Because if people think, I'm going to be brahmacary for two years, then how can they really be serious about it… Still, it may be that a large percentage will get married in the future.
Then we spoke about how most brahmacarys are putting too much emphasis in cultivation but not enough on conviction which can actually lead to fanaticism. When the conviction is strong, in other words when one thoroughly understands that this life is for going back to Godhead, then why get distracted by anything else? Therefore one doesn't need so much cultivation to remain strong in the ashrama and one doesn't need to be so harsh in dealing with women. But if the conviction is weak and one is thinking: Well, I guess I don't really want to be married so I guess I just stay a brahmacary. Then one is not strong despite all the cultivation of a brahmacary mood and one will still feel week. Anyway that gave the boys some food for thought over breakfast!
Then we rushed out the door for the Stellenbosch student program at a beautiful university, in a beautiful area, for beautiful people. And actually there is nice group of students there so we had a good time again. Now we are driving back to the Cape Town temple, the late lunch is waiting and I'm starving.
Tomorrow is the big big flight: Cape Town –> Johannesburg –> Perth –> Sydney and then a drive to Wollongong Australia, to be part of a retreat at Govinda Valley. It looks like it's going to be good!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, New Ekacakra, Slovakia, 2011)
Lord Caitanya makes it especially easy, because He ordered every living being within the universe to take responsibility for distributing the fruits from the love of God, which is naturally inspiring, because then we become a teacher.
As a teacher we are in a superior position. It's easier for the conditioned soul to act as a teacher, rather than to act as a student. It's hard to act as a servant or as a student. But as soon as we begin to act like a teacher we say:
"Oh yes! That I can do….no problem. I can teach how to practise Krishna Consciousness….that I can do. I can't follow it, and I chant hopeless rounds. My mind is always thinking about sense gratification. But I am an expert in teaching Krishna Consciousness".
So it's easier to be a teacher, than to be a student. So Lord Caitanya says:
"All right….yes, you can be a teacher…no problem. In Kali-yuga you can all be teachers. Everyone of you can be teachers!"
'yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa, (Cc. Madhya 7.128).
"Whoever you meet, you teach them, and in this way you become a guru".
So this is how we are in a conditioned nature. It's easier to teach than to be a student. So Lord Caitanya just engages our conditioned nature, and gradually we become purified in the process of teaching all about Krishna Consciousness, because when you teach then you have to give examples, since new people are very critical. They don't have much faith. So they are always looking at their teacher to find a fault – that's the thing about new people. They are constantly studying their teacher…..they don't learn very much……….. and are not very attentive towards what you are trying to teach them. But one thing they are really good at is studying their teacher at the slightest little thing:
"Ha ………I knew it. There was a fault in this teacher!"
Therefore, as soon as we become a teacher, then we have to be very careful!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, New Ekacakra, Slovakia, 2011)
We catch ourselves in all these weaknesses, but anyway, we just somehow or other at least do the minimum. The minimum must be done. If we don't fulfil the minimum requirement, then we have to stay in the material world….then we remain in the bodily concept of life! Then there is no guarantee that it will get better in any life nearby in the future.
One can very easily again become covered over for a longer period of time. It is said that devotional service is never lost!
'nehābhikrama-nāśo 'sti pratyavāyo na vidyate',(BG.2.40).
And you have heard many times before, that if you don't complete devotional service in this life than you will continue it in the next life. Well that is to say that if we get the opportunity to continue, but we are still jivas who have minute independence, and with our minute independence, we can choose to serve Krishna…..or not, and that choice we have to make again and again!
So there is no guarantee that just automatically we will be in Krishna Consciousness in our next life!
On 23rd August 2011 the appearance day of Srila Prabhupada, the founder-acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, has been celebrated throughout the world. Kadamba Kanana Swami was in Zagreb at that time and he gave a wonderful evening lecture commemorating the event.
If you want to download the class, please click here!
If the audio player does not work then download the class directly. (Right mouse > Save link as)
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Dusseldorf, Germany, September 2011)
So the material world is like that. The material world is based on fear. We rather have everything grey so that no strange colors are coming into our lives, so that no strange experiences come into our lives. We would rather have nothing ever happen than that something happen that we wouldn't want to happen. Therefore, very happy that everything is boring and secure. Very secure, and, very boring.
So, The spiritual world is just full of surprise… Full of surprise. constantly, one never knows, because the spritual world, anything happens at any moment just to bring out more and more, deeper and deeper attachment to Krsna.
Eagerly awaited Annual Bhakti Retreat with HH Kadamba Kanana Swami in Sydney is now only few days away. Sydney is blessed by the gracious presence of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath. After arriving in Sydney in May 1971 Srila Prbhupada personally installed beloved deities. HH Kadamba Kanana Swami is due to arrive as per the schedule. The preparations are in the final stages and devotees are expected to arrive on Friday evening. Excitements are building up in anticipation of a wonderful time that we will all have in the association of devotees glorifying Lord. Let the festival of hearing and chanting begin with the auspicious blessings of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath.
Retreat Schedule
We will start the retreat on SAT morning by Guru Puja (worshipping Srila Prabhupad) at 7 am, rest of the schedule would be as follows:
Saturday, 1st Oct, 2011
· 7:00 am Guru Puja
· 7:30 am Class
· 9:00 am Breakfast
· 10:30 am Seminar
· 12:30 pm Lunch break
· 3:00 pm Kirtan
· 3:15 pm Group Activity – with Deities
· 4:00 pm Seminar
· 5:30 pm Kirtan
· 6:30 pm Dinner break
· 8:00 pm Cultural Program
Sunday, 2nd Oct 2011
· 5:00 am Mangala Aarti
· 5:30 am Group Japa Session
· 7:00 am Guru Puja
· 7:30 am Seminar
· 9:00 am Breakfast
· 10:30 am Cultural Program
· 11:00 am Seminar
· 12:30 pm Lunch break
· 2:00 pm Games
· 3:00 pm Special Outdoor program with Maharaj – Talk & Kirtan
This process of constantly glorifying the Supreme Lord is the process that can safeguard the weak living entity. We are constitutionally weak due to being the marginal energy of the Lord. But when that living entity constantly engages in chanting and remembering the Supreme Lord, then that living entity is constantly protected. This is why Chaitanya Mahaprabhu pointed out nirantara krishna nama sankirtana, one should always engage in the chanting of the holy name. But we, we are stuggling… One can ask, ‘It is nice that some devotees like Haridas Thakur or Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami did that, but we are struggling to chant even 16 rounds… Can we do it without the struggle?’
So, in this way we can appreciate that we are quite fallen and consequently quite prone to the material energy and that we can easily become distracted by the material energy. And therefore in addition to our daily process we very much need mercy. We need mercy of the Panca-tattva, we need mercy of their pure devotees, of Srila Prabhupada and we need mercy of Prabhupada’s followers. Such mercy is attained by service. For that reason Caitanya Mahaprabhu pointed out that there are two elements that are very important. One is vaisnava-sevana, the service to the Vaishnavas, and another is nirantara krishna nama sankirtana, to always engage in sankirtan. that sankirtan can be chanting of jappa, it can be singing the holy name, chanting and dancing, or it can be discussions of topics about Krishna, hearing and chanting. These are all parts of sankirtan.
But Srila Prabhupada added one more element, which is very significant for us, because how can we engage ourselves the whole day in only those two activities? This important element is making arrangements for the service of the holy name and the service of the Vaishnavas. Now we can be busy driving around all day, sitting in front of the computer, making phone calls or performing all other ecstatic activities that come so naturally to us and which we can perform without any difficulty and which we can perform the whole day, from morning till night. So that is our saving grace, that we can engage in all those activities.
The culture of varna and ashrama is the basis for spiritual life. Without varnashrama it is not easy to practice spiritual life. We will not be very successful establishing Krishna consciousness in the global society without varnashrama, because only the pure devotees are trancendental to varnashrama and whether they follow the principles of varnashrama or not, it doesn’t matter. They are simply acting for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord. But the regular conditioned souls will not be able to avoid sinful activities without following the priciples of varnashrama. Therefore, for us who are certainly in the category of regular devotional service, varnashrama is beneficial and helpful as a supporting structure.
Varnashrama itself is not transcendental. It is the system by which people can develop the mode of goodness, and when we come to the mode of goodness then we can more easily develop devotional service. Devotional service can be picked up by anyone and everyone, regardless of what mode of nature they are in, so even those who are in the mode of ignorance can take up the devotional service. This is how Srila Prabhupada began. He was preaching to hippies on the Lower East Side in New York or in San Francisco, and many of them were on LSD and other drugs, and still they were able to take up the devotional service. Devotional service is to potent that it takes over and changes one completely to the point when one can give up all sinful activity.
Waves of affection, waves of the Indian Ocean and waves of material existence but best of all waves of spiritual ecstasy…
Straight out of back-to-back Ratha Yatras, we journeyed by Gautrain and a two-hour flight, and then arrived in Cape Town. But it was really nice to see everybody again on the first evening and we had a good time at the temple program.
I think South Africa is a country full of variety – there are so many programs that are of a totally different nature. Cape Town has very nice university programs (University of Cape Town & Stellenbosch University) and we visited houses in Tableview, Bellville and Somerset West to meet devotees. This was nice because each home has its own atmosphere and brings out a different mood. So taking the trouble to go to all these different places makes a lot of sense because it’s part of entering into relationships with people. In the past I did so many projects – big building, properties, etc. but now my life centres around relationships with people. That's very satisfying because Krsna is in the centre therefore it makes these relationships worthwhile.
We had an initiation ceremony during the Sunday feast and we really took time to prepare the devotees in their spiritual journey. I gave the example where I (as the spiritual master) put people on a little transcendental boat on the bhava sagar (the ocean of material existence) and the boat is still at the shore and everything is fine, and then suddenly we give that boat a push and suddenly that initiated devotee is out there! Then one has to make a conscious effort to make spiritual life more meaningful by doing deeper spiritual activities. In this way, the vows of initiation begin to flourish. The whole ceremony made people think as many devotees came with questions afterwards.
Following the initiation ceremony, the programs continued and once again we spent a night in Pringle Bay. It's quite a place – a tip of the bay where long waves are coming in from the ocean and splashing against the rocks. There are baboons and night-adders, we were told. A real mode of goodness exists in that place actually. We were invited by Mukunda and Mira, who live there with their two children. In the back of their house, Mira started her own mini-school with a little classroom. She is a qualified teacher and teaches her own children as well as some others from the neighbourhood. Remuna, who was initiated at the yajna on Sunday (previously Remina), lives there with her children too. Bhakta Steve, who is studying jazz piano at the University of Cape Town, came along. A lot of energy went into preparing breakfast and it was absolutely great – everyone was satisfied.
And then Mukunda brought up the 'hot potato topic' of brahmacary ashrama: Should brahmacarys be trained to become grhastas or should they be trained to become sannyasis?
I said that in the beginning it should be open-ended and then later the brahmacarys can make a choice as to which direction they want to go. Because if people think, I'm going to be brahmacary for two years, then how can they really be serious about it… Still, it may be that a large percentage will get married in the future.
Then we spoke about how most brahmacarys are putting too much emphasis in cultivation but not enough on conviction which can actually lead to fanaticism. When the conviction is strong, in other words when one thoroughly understands that this life is for going back to Godhead, then why get distracted by anything else? Therefore one doesn't need so much cultivation to remain strong in the ashrama and one doesn't need to be so harsh in dealing with women. But if the conviction is weak and one is thinking: Well, I guess I don't really want to be married so I guess I just stay a brahmacary. Then one is not strong despite all the cultivation of a brahmacary mood and one will still feel week. Anyway that gave the boys some food for thought over breakfast!
Then we rushed out the door for the Stellenbosch student program at a beautiful university, in a beautiful area, for beautiful people. And actually there is nice group of students there so we had a good time again. Now we are driving back to the Cape Town temple, the late lunch is waiting and I'm starving.
Tomorrow is the big big flight: Cape Town –> Johannesburg –> Perth –> Sydney and then a drive to Wollongong Australia, to be part of a retreat at Govinda Valley. It looks like it's going to be good!
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, New Ekacakra, Slovakia, 2011)
We must look for purification, and try to bring more Krishna in our life! Still it is described that when Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur was chanting, that he was not doing it in a fanatic mood. He was not pushing himself, and he was chanting so many rounds. But it said that he was chanting quite slow. And that he was chanting in a almost musical way. So in this way we see that when the ācāryas are chanting they are not thinking:
"When will I finish my rounds….when will this chanting be finished! I have to get seriously into it and then my chanting will be finished….just a little more and then my chanting will be finished".
This is the nature of the conditioned soul. What we see in great devotees like Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, is that they were very happy to be chanting! So there was no rush!
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, New Ekacakra, Slovakia, 2011)
The Astanga yoga process is particularly meant to control the senses and fix the mind, but then if one doesn't fix the mind onto the Lotus Feet of the Lord, then such concentration is completely useless, because this is the aim of life:
'Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor,' (SB.9.4.18).
To someohow or other fix the mind onto the Lotus Feet of the Lord,
'Yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet,' (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.4).
Whatever the conditions maybe, to somehow or other fix the mind on the Lord. But the agitated living being is never satisfied and is always seeing some obstacles, and always finds a source for lamentation. Something is wrong….something is missing, and therefore it is not possible to chant Hare Krishna! Or maybe not so well. Therefore, we have already admitted defeat before we started the battle:
"I would have surrendered to Krishna but I have these special obstacles in my life. I have many reasons as to why I actually cannot be in Krishna Consciousness. It's not my fault! It's the unfortunate circumstances. It's the fault of everything and everybody…..but not mine! It is the fault of, my parents, my teachers, society at large, Kali-yuga and all living beings….but it's not my fault. I am the victim! I am simply the victim of all these difficulties!
I am completely sincere, but unfortunately I find myself in unfortunate circumstances. Therefore, in spite of my sincerity I cannot really be in Krishna Consciousness". And in this way we are justifying our maya!
"I am not well, so I need to take some extra rest. Therefore I cannot chant my rounds, since I am not well – it's chronic". One day Haridasa Thakura was found lying on his back. Lord Caitnaya's servant, Govinda would daily bring some remnants of foodstuff from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Haridasa. When Govinda saw that Haridasa was lying on his back, he asked:
"Haridasa what is wrong with you? Are you ill? What is your disease?"
"My disease is that I cannot chant my rounds".
Haridasa was indeed not well, but throughout his life he put the Holy name before anything! We see similar mood in Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, who kept on asking his disciples to chant sixty four rounds! And everyone were saying:
"But there is no time!"
And some said:
"There is too much service!"
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur said:
"If you simply give up prajalpa (discussing mundane subjects), then you'll find the time to chant!"
"Really, we have too much service. We are busy all day doing service".
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur said:
"Along with that service, you chant Hare Krishna all of that time, then you'll surely chant sixty four rounds! Maybe not on the beads but in terms of chanting one lakh of names".
So we can see just how determined these ācāryas were. To just take shelter of Krishna, no matter what the obstacle is and not to accept that obstacle as an excuse!
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that before one can come to spiritual life one must be utterly frustrated with the material energy and he has to come to a point where he realises that, ‘I am a failure and I haven’t made it.’ As long as you think you’re going to make it in this world then spiritual life will be difficult. But when we actually realise that, ‘no, I’m a failure, I haven’t made it….’ then that’s the beginning point where one can really take off in spiritual life….
(Kadamba Kanana Maharaja, 16 September 2011, Durban, SA)
