31 October 2011

KKSblog.com - The most important service!

KKSblog.com - The most important service!

The most important service!

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 04:20 PM PDT

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, October 2011)

The main thing in all our devotional service is the chanting of Hare Krishna. This is the most important devotional service of all! This chanting must be done very faithfully, and with quality, as much as we can!

Destiny in our hands

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 03:50 PM PDT

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, October 2011)

Srila Prabhupada was the best spiritual master. What better spiritual master could one possibly think of? The best, but still many of his disciples were not successful in following their vows! Because everyone has his own destiny in his hands, so the spiritual master can only help us. Like Prabhupada says:

"When the plane is on the ground, then there is a lot of people around the plane – putting fuel, this and that; checking the tyre, and so many things are going on………..the ground staff are everywhere! But once the plane is up in the air, then you are on your own!"

He says that everyone's flying on the plane. So in that way you’re flying your own plane!

30 October 2011

KKSblog.com - Attracting the blessings of Krishna!

KKSblog.com - Attracting the blessings of Krishna!

Attracting the blessings of Krishna!

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 02:38 PM PDT

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, October 2011)

The mercy of Krishna comes through the spiritual master, and our service is offered through the spiritual master to Krishna. By serving our spiritual master, we are offering service to Krishna!

We can also try and leave the spiritual master out, and do some other service for Krishna. It's possible, but to serve our spiritual master is the activity that attracts the blessings of Krishna!

Kurma’s kind mercy

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 02:14 PM PDT

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, October 2011)

If you want to be a good cook, then you have to be trained. You can ask Kurma! Every detail is strict when Kurma is in the kitchen. Nothing is left to chance. And this temple (not only the kitchen) is living by the legacy of Kurma Prabhu.

I was talking with Aniruddha yesterday, and how Kurma was one of the founding fathers here in the Melbourne temple. Especially in deity worship, and in the kitchen, and everything else was related to that – cleanliness and some standards. So many standards from Kurma. Whenever we walk here we see Kurma, it is true! I still see Kurma's presence today. It is his kind mercy upon us!

27 October 2011

KKSblog.com - Taking on personal responsibility

KKSblog.com - Taking on personal responsibility

Taking on personal responsibility

Posted: 26 Oct 2011 03:10 PM PDT

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, October 2011)

In the gṛhastha-āśrama we cannot take full advantage of the temple – it's not possible. Temple devotees they live in the temple and there is a full program, whether they want it or not. For instance, with maṅgala-ārati sometimes they do not want it:

"I hope that there will be no maṅgala-ārati today.”

But it goes on everyday, without fail! That is the nature of the temple. So therefore, in the temple there is so much push to help us to overcome our weakness.

In the gṛhastha-āśrama it is not so. In the gṛhastha-āśrama, one has to take personal responsibility. If a brahmacāri did not go to the maṅgala-ārati for a few days, then he will be chastised and pulled up:

"What's going on! Pull your socks up!! It cannot go like this! Understood? Or else sanctions will follow!"

But it's not like that for the gṛhasthas, since they have to do it……..it's difficult….very difficult, but together it becomes possible. So therefore, between the two of them, one must inspire the other, by setting an example:

'A competition of who can get up first…..who can get up the earliest – not who can get up the last! And the last one loses! The one who gets up first, wins for the day. Let's see who is going to win the next day'.

Like that, we must try and invest in our spiritual life!

The weekend is for Krishna!

Posted: 26 Oct 2011 03:02 PM PDT

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, October 2011)

The weekend is for Krishna. In the weekend we go to the temple as much as we can and partake in different things. In that way in the weekend we are free to be ourselves.

In the week, all right we have to play the game in our profession, and work life. The kids have to go to school, which is the same since we have to be part of the worldly side of life. But that isn't what we really want! We really want Krishna!

26 October 2011

KKSblog.com - To see the good in devotees

KKSblog.com - To see the good in devotees

To see the good in devotees

Posted: 25 Oct 2011 03:01 PM PDT

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, October 2011)

Srila Prabhupada said:

“If we chant sixteen rounds, follow the four regulative principles and don't offend any vaisnavas, then surely this process will be successful!"

He said it all in one breath…this is so important! So have to try to see the good in devotees…..We have to exercise this.

There was a book about a manager, who used to catch people doing something right, instead of something wrong. It was difficult, but he was waiting the whole day. Instead of catching people out by saying:

"How many times do I have to tell you….Is there anybody who can do anything here, if I wasn't here? Then all of this wouldn't go on! "

That's the usual, but this manager was different. He would just say:

"That's amazing!! What you just did!"

He would glorify the person and so on. So when I read that I was thinking:

"They use it as a technique, but this is actually our approach. This is our approach – to catch people who have done something right!”

It takes practise. We cannot just do it automatically!

Nama Tattva Part 1 – Lecture in Helsinki

Posted: 25 Oct 2011 02:26 PM PDT

Below is a media file to download, containing Part 1 of the Nama Tattva lecture given by Kadamba Kanana Swami earlier this year in Helsinki, Finland.

Helsinki – Nama Tattva I

25 October 2011

KKSblog.com - Refreshing our enthusiasm!

KKSblog.com - Refreshing our enthusiasm!

Refreshing our enthusiasm!

Posted: 24 Oct 2011 03:09 PM PDT

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, October 2011)

On just patience alone, how long can one function? We are not so strong in this age. In our determination, we do not have so much patience. Therefore, we need to refresh our enthusiasm! So for that we can do things:

We can make pilgrimages; we can go to Vrindavan; we'll go regularly to the temple; we are with devotees; we take the trouble to go on harinama and so on, because such things renew our enthusiasms!

Only Krishna gives Krishna-prema

Posted: 24 Oct 2011 02:42 PM PDT

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, October 2011)

Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva can give so many benedictions, but they cannot give what Lord Vishnu can give, which is liberation from birth and death! Of course, Lord Vishnu cannot give what Lord Krishna can give – that is
Krishna-prema.

Therefore, we understand that demigods are to be respected but they cannot compare to Vishnu. We worship Lord Vishnu but our deity is Lord Krishna….especially, because Krishna….only Krishna can give us Krishna-prema – the love of God that exists in Goloka!

24 October 2011

KKSblog.com - Spiritual strength and inspiration!

KKSblog.com - Spiritual strength and inspiration!

Spiritual strength and inspiration!

Posted: 23 Oct 2011 02:44 PM PDT

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, October 2011)


Please spend time in the temple, because you will find spiritual strength and inspiration there!

Morning is for auspiciousness

Posted: 23 Oct 2011 02:27 PM PDT

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, October 2011)

If we read Lord Krishna's daily activities in the Bhagavatam or the Krishna book (of when He was in Dwarika) then we would find out by reading that Krishna would avoid inauspicious influences in the morning. Krishna would try to see only auspicious things – like a cow, or hear only auspicious things. He would mediate and give to charity in the morning. The whole idea was that the morning was reserved for auspiciousness.

How different is the worldly lifestyle, where people drink a cup of coffee and place it on the top of the newspaper, which is on the table – like that and possibly smoke at the same time! Or maybe have some breakfast at the other corner of the paper, and in between the horrible news! So they have un-offered foodstuff and get sinful reactions in what they eat, and throw some intoxication on top…………….and meanwhile pollute the mind with the newspaper…………..and that's normal and all over in India…..that's everywhere. So that is their morning.

But for the devotee it is different. In the morning there is auspicious sound vibration, and in that way by hearing auspicious sounds, by reciting, by chanting every morning we are purified! And this is required because that will give us the strength to deal with the three modes of material nature!

23 October 2011

KKSblog.com - Forgetting our identity

KKSblog.com - Forgetting our identity

Forgetting our identity

Posted: 22 Oct 2011 02:50 PM PDT

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, October 2011)

We can also sometimes step out of the identity of being a devotee. Time is such a thing, we forget to chant our rounds…….everyday you are trying, but then you forget:

' Did I chant them anyway? What can I do? There is no time. Tomorrow again – no time again, well I cannot manage sixteen rounds, I will manage eight………..I cannot manage eight. I will manage four……or even that is impossible.’

Suddenly, Krishna Consciousness has disappeared:

‘How it happened? I don't know?’

So that sometimes happens, but of course we may forget Krishna, but Krishna will not forget us!

Offering our whole existence

Posted: 22 Oct 2011 02:40 PM PDT

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, October 2011)

On this day of initiation, we are making the ultimate offering. We are offering our whole existence, in every aspect; in every fibre of our existence – in every aspect the soul, the mind, the intelligence, the body…….we are offering everything to Krishna.

The Spiritual Master is the external manifestation of the super soul or the mercy manifestation of Krishna. So the Spiritual Master is the representative of Krishna. In that way the Spiritual Master is receiving our vows and he will take care of us, throughout our life with these vows. But the vows are made to Krishna and they cannot be taken back!

21 October 2011

KKSblog.com - The body is a temple

KKSblog.com - The body is a temple

The body is a temple

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 04:01 PM PDT

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, October 2011)

When we are marking the body with tilak in twelve different places, it is said that the meaning of the tilak is that the body is a temple. It is not only that the body is a temple – we are actually installing deities:

"Om Keśavāya namaḥ,"

And in twelve directions we are installing twelve deities of Visnu. So literally, the body is a temple, when we are wearing tilak.

So what auspiciousness is this movement offering to us?

Therefore, early in the morning when we rise we put tilak on. Even if we get up late, and we have five minutes only before we go to work, we can wear tilak for five minutes – that is auspicious. In other words we must try to fix ourselves in this new identity!

Krishna owns everything!

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 03:43 PM PDT

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia,October 2011)

Everything in this world belongs to Krishna, including our bodies, our children and all of our possessions. Therefore, everything is meant to be used for Krishna. Of course, we ourselves also need to live – we need a residence for shelter, we need to eat and so on, but we are doing that all on behalf of Krishna:

"yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo
mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ" (Bg3.13).

One should only eat 'yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ'- remnants that has been offered to the Lord! Only that which is left over from 'yajña', no other things a devotee will take! It is said that otherwise one will get involved in sinful reactions! Because whatever is the consciousness of the cook, will affect whatever he has eaten and subsequently it will affect our consciousness. Thus new material desires will be born! Therefore, we are careful in our eating, that in our house is Krishna's house! In that house we are only doing things that are favourable to Krishna!

Being active

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 10:27 AM PDT

…It was the marathon and there was one devotee, whose name was Purusottama, he was so fired up that he would start sleep walking and in his sleep he started to distribute books! So he would shake you while you was sleeping and try to sell you a book! And the only way to go back to sleep right away was to buy it! You can understand…he won the marathon! There’s no way to compete with somebody like that. But he got the mercy by being active. So devotional service is active, it’s not passive. It’s not just passively looking at how to receive the mercy. We become active and the more active one becomes the more mercy. And the more one becomes absorbed, then the smaller the material world becomes…

(Kadamba Kanana aharaja, October 2011, Melbourne, Australia)
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