KKS Blog: July 2012

11 July 2012

KKSblog.com - A pure devotee develops the qualities of Krishna

A pure devotee develops the qualities of Krishna

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:44 PM PDT

(H H Kadamba Kanana Swami, 21st June 2012, Govinda's, Prague, Czech Republic) Lecture: Free Talk

Srila Prabhupada was in New York and he gave a lecture. He was explaining that:

'Yes I came to this hellish place.'

He said:

'Why would I have done that? I left such a nice place, Vrindavan. It's like everyone is worshiping Krishna, everywhere. Krishna has walked everywhere! Vrindavan is such a nice place! Why would I have left such a nice place to come to a hell like this?'

Prabhupada didn't see New York as the most important place in the world. He saw Vrindavan as the most important place in the world, but when Prabhupada was in New York then that was the most important place in the world, because there in his presence in New York the devotees could perceive Vrindavan more than by travelling to India and going to that town that is known as Vrindavan.

'nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṇṭhe yogināṁ hṛdayeṣu vā
tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ,' (Padma Purana).

'So yes I'm not residing in Vaikuntha,' Krishna says, 'I'm not residing in the heart of the yogis. The place where I really reside Narada is where my devotees are chanting my glories!'

So therefore what I am saying is not just some idea that I came up with, but actually based on scripture, that when Prabhupada was in New York it was the most important place on the planet and really you can see that the International Society for Krishna Consciousness was like that. All the eyes were on wherever Prabhupada was, and everyone just wanted to go there. And anyone who wasn't there was thinking:

'Oh boy, we are not there.'

Because it is so that the pure devotees develop the qualities of Krishna. It's logical and it's certain to develop the qualities of the master, because what is important for the master is important for the servant. So logically the servant develops the qualities of the master! And the pure devotee begins to develop the qualities of Krishna and more and more he becomes the representative of Krishna.

One time Prabhupada was asked:

'How many pure devotees are there on the planet?' (One journalist was asking the question).

So Prabhupada was asking the devotees:

'How many members do we have on this planet?'

They gave some number and Prabhupada said:

'That's how many pure devotees there are!'

So Prabhupada was also very generous!

Kirtana weekend in Villa Vrindavana

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:10 AM PDT

After South Africa, Maharaja's European summer tour continued with his participation in a 24-hour kirtana festival that took place at Villa Vrindavana in Florence, Italy.

Villa Vrindavana is an ISKCON establishment located on the Chianti Hills in the Tuscany region, which is well-known for its medieval historical significance. The main building is a 16^th century Renaissance Villa that overlooks 80 hectares of property, surrounded by green forest and olive plants. An Italian garden with a central fountain and exotic plants add glamour to the property. Peacocks freely roam around and it's no wonder why this this small corner of paradise has been named after Krsna's eternal residence.

The presiding deities of this temple are Sri Sri Radha Vraja Sundara, Jagannatha Baladev & Subadra and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai. The weekend weather was beautiful and devotees from all over Europe joined in. The main kirtana leaders were Madhava Prabhu, Amala Harinama Prabhu, Jahnavi Harrison and HH Kadamba Kanana Swami. HH Candramauli Swami was present as well but as the lead dancer as he spent 20 of the 24 hours in the kirtana!

The prasadam was typical local cuisine – pasta and lasagne. Apart from leading ecstatic kirtanas, Maharaja also gave class twice. In one class, he spoke on the verse 'harer nama eva kevalam' where he highlighted the importance and great benefit of chanting Hare Krsna. In the second class, he spoke on Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.10.15. One thing that he pointed out, is that in India one is likely to be asked his gotra (descent from a common male ancestor) and as devotees we can always say that we are acyuta gotra – descendants of the infallible lineage of Krsna.

Overall, it was an ecstatic weekend and Maharaja is currently at the Summer Camp in Serbia.

If you cannot view the slide show, just visit flickr!

10 July 2012

KKSblog.com - How to be humble?

How to be humble?

Posted: 09 Jul 2012 04:04 PM PDT

(H H Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20th June 2012, Prague, Czech Republic) Lecture: SB.4.12.8

Sometimes the story is told about Lord Brahma, who stole the cows and the cowherd boys from Krishna. Then at that time Krishna took the place of all these personalities of the cows and the cowherd boys. So in the ‘Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya’book it is mentioned that then Lord Brahma went to Navadvipa and he performed austerities there. He eventually got the darshan of Lord Caitanya. It is said that it would appear that Lord Caitanya then told him:

'Yes you will also appear with me in my pastimes. But you will take a very low birth.'

As in the legend Lord Brahma is the original Brahmana, he was initiated by Krishna with the Gayatri Mantra. So he had to take birth as a Mlechchas. As Lord Caitanya explained:

'You may take a low birth as a Mlechchas as Hari Das Thakura, so that you can develop humility.'

So if we originally are from a simple background, then that is in a way a benediction. If we don't have any special talents then that is a benediction. If we are not very learned or very beautiful then they are benedictions too because then we can be servants, but as soon as we have a few attributes, then immediately we can be proud, which is difficult. So even if Lord Brahma and Dhruva Maharaja are struggling with these things, then surely all of us are also struggling!

Even if Ragunatha Das Goswami makes sure that he takes a humble position to protect himself from falling prey to false pride, then it's very sure that we must be very careful to take a humble position. So many times the questions are answered about, 'How to be humble?' By being a servant of the vaisnavas, which is also required!

09 July 2012

KKSblog.com - Is Madhavendra Puri on facebook?

Is Madhavendra Puri on facebook?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 12:54 PM PDT

(H H Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20th June 2012, Govinda's, Prague, Czech Republic) Lecture: Free talk

Madhavendra Puri understood that somewhere the deity of Krishna had to be there hidden somewhere in the bushes – in the earth. And he called all the villagers and they started digging and found the deity and then Madhevendra Puri arranged for the deity to be installed and then he arranged for a huge festival. A festival where a hill of prasadam was made or bhoga actually, so that the deity could satisfy it's hunger.

So that's a transcendental person, who has only transcendental desires. He doesn't need to do anything else. Nowhere to go, nothing to do and no one to call. No emails to send. He's not on facebook! He's not, you can look. Is Madhavendra Puri on facebook? No, he's not. No, he has no need, he simply chants Hare Krishna, but we have so many needs, so we have to balance. If you have needs in this world then we have to balance with spiritual needs!

Selflessly selfish!

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 08:46 AM PDT

(Kadamba Kanana Swami - Cape Town, South Africa - 28 June 2012 – Bhagavad Gita 3.10)

When we are not enlivened in our spiritual life, the fault is ours. It's because of our selfishness! There are so many ways to preserve selfishness. That is an issue that we are living in denial of. One aspect of selfishness is that we have a very selfless conception of ourselves. That's typically a selfish thing. I am very philanthropic… I am very selfless… I am dedicating myself for the good of many others. But we also see that scriptures are often times mentioning that there is extended selfishness. There is direct selfishness and there is extended selfishness. Sometimes extended selfishness means that a man who is very charitable, who gives so much, is actually doing that to be glorified.

So it is deep, this selfishness in us. Therefore one should never just think: Now I am pure! We do not have to do a lot of introspection and a lot of psychological self-analysis to try and figure out how much selfishness we really have. That's not required. We simply look for purification… can I do some service!

If you see what Srila Prabhupada emphasized, it was simply: Can I do some devotional service… what service can I do? It is there is that service that things become meaningful. It's in service that the scripture comes to life. It's in service that we are finding great inspiration.

07 July 2012

KKSblog.com - How can I stay in any ordinary place?

How can I stay in any ordinary place?

Posted: 06 Jul 2012 03:14 PM PDT

(H H Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20th June 2012, Govinda's, Prague, Czech Republic) Lecture: Free talk

I was in India in 1975, and one month before the opening of the Krishna Balarama Mandir, I saw this devotee in the street. I wanted to talk to him and then suddenly he crossed the street and the traffic came, and I missed him! I would have gone to the opening of the Krishna Balarama Mandir, but it wasn't meant to be. Although few years later I joined within that temple, and it became the place that changed my life, and where I found my home. Sometimes people say:

'Why don't you stay here?'

In some country somewhere.

'Why don't you stay in Brazil? Why don't you stay in America? Or in Japan…'

But how can I stay? The only place I can stay is in Vrindavan or Mayapur since that's the same! How can I stay in any ordinary place?

06 July 2012

KKSblog.com - “So what is this feeling if I am not this body?”

“So what is this feeling if I am not this body?”

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 03:40 PM PDT

(H H Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20th June 2012, Govinda's, Prague, Czech Republic) Lecture: Free talk

Devotee:I feel when I touch somebody, or when they touch me. So what is this feeling if I am not this body?

Maharaja: We are not the body but we are in the body, and our consciousness is in the body. The symptom of the soul is the consciousness. So our consciousness is not connected with the body. So we feel the touch; we feel the hunger in our stomach; we feel the heat and we identify with it:

'I am hot. My body is hot. I'm not hot at all!'

So we identify with the body. Therefore it is said that a liberated soul:

'jīvan-mukti īhā yasya
harer dāsye karmaṇā manasā
girā nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu
jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate,'(Rupa Gosvami, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu).

He is so absorbed with his relationship with Krishna that he no longer identifies with what happens to the body. He perceives it but it doesn't agitate his consciousness. So his consciousness doesn't get absorbed in these things.

Like if I miss one meal, then my stomach stays hungry, my mind gets the signal, and then my mind goes:

'Oh my God I'm hungry. I'm hungry. What am I going to eat? Oh no I got to get something to eat. And whatever we have it's got to be tasty. I'm not that hungry yet where I'm going to eat anything and everything! I'm hungry to the point where I want to eat something good. You know.'

So you see the mind is getting active. Of course I wanted to eat something good but I don't have any money. Maybe I should go and visit somebody. In the scriptures it says that a renunciates would go begging, and there are rules for begging. They would go door to door and beg. So they could only beg from a limited number of houses, and they were not allowed to beg in the middle of the day when the smoke would be coming out of the chimney of those houses. If you are in India and smoke is coming out of the chimney then you know that someone is cooking, because they don't have heating and they don't need heating anymore…

All with the idea to conquer the mind. The renunciates would have to conquer the mind. Now renunciates have to conquer the mind in preaching. It is stuff that with somehow or other we carry on and preach and never stop, then one can rise above the bodily platform, and gradually become so absorbed in the service to Krishna and the service of distributing Krishna's mercy everywhere, then who cares about the body? And then when we touch someone we don't care! Whereas when we are on the bodily platform and when we touch someone:

'I want to touch a little more!'

So when we are becoming detached from the body then we can give up sex life! Then we are free from that which is a great relief, and that makes life very simple!

A Cape Winter’s Tale

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 09:18 AM PDT

After visiting the Czech Republic and an overnight stay in Radhadesh, Kadamba Kanana Swami travelled to Cape Town, South Africa for a ten day visit that started on 25 June 2012. The resident devotees of the temple were out on a preaching tour at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, about 800 km away, so we anticipated a relatively quiet time there. However, Maharaj was pleasantly surprised by the arrival of disciples who journeyed from all over the country to be with him. So what started out as just a scheduled visit there actually turned into a sweet 'disciple retreat'.

The Cape is often referred to as the 'Cape of Storms' and this winter it definitely lived up to its reputation as there were intermittent bursts of rain during the week. However, the inclement weather did little to hamper the spirit of the visiting devotees as they followed him around. And due to the nature of the audience i.e. disciples and close associates, each program became very personal and intimate. Two themes that dominated Maharaj's talks were 'positivity & conviction in Krsna consciousness' and 'humility & servitorship'.

During the week, he gave a series of morning lectures from the Srimad Bhagavatam (Canto 8, chapter 1, verses 1-10), with the exception of Sunday where he spoke from the Caitanya Caritamrta (Adi 12.30). In this particular CC lecture, Maharaj displays his extraordinary in-depth knowledge and understanding of the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, and clearly separates authorised literature from those that are not. At the evening programs, some of which were held at the temple and others at the houses of devotees, Maharaj spoke from the Bhagavad Gita. As usual, each program started-off with the long bhajan sessions; sometimes it was melodious and other times energetic but always ecstatic. The final evening program that Maharaj did was dedicated to Srila Sanatana Goswami as it was the occasion of His disappearance day (Tuesday, 3 July).

Apart from all the formal gatherings, there were 2 events for disciples only. On Tuesday (26 June), Maharaj went on a spontaneous japa walk along the promenade at Seapoint beach accompanied by some of the disciples. Two enthusiastic aspiring disciples decided to turn the occasion into a harinama, which just delighted passers-by! On Saturday (30 June), a cosy indoor picnic was hosted by the local disciples. It was a day of good bhajan, prasadam and association.

From a cold and wet Cape Town, Maharaj returned to Europe today to continue his summer preaching tour here.

If you cannot view the slide show, please visit flickr!

04 July 2012

KKSblog.com - Realizations about material world is helpful but not enough

Realizations about material world is helpful but not enough

Posted: 03 Jul 2012 03:24 PM PDT

(H H Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20th June 2012, Prague, Czech Republic) Lecture: SB.4.12.8

When I was a child in a game I tried to cross the Grand Canyon by hanging on the washing line and I fell on my back from about 2 metres high, and I got some realizations! I realised that that doesn't work. I never tried it again. So like that with many things we realise over time.

One time I was in South Africa and I was getting out of the car (it was a low car)so I grabbed the piece of metal and started to pull myself out and as I was just out of the car, a nice helpful devotee closed the door and my fingers were caught in between the door. Well there were two things going: Automatically from my mouth a siren came and said:

'Open the door!!'

And meanwhile in my mind I was thinking:

'I probably lost my four fingers!'

Anyway when the door was opened my four fingers were still on there and I realised that the designer had thought of it – he thought that someone might get his fingers in between the door and he left some space for them. So all glories to the designers! So I got some realizations, and now whenever I get out of the car and I see servants coming, I'm very careful! I learnt, 'Watch out for servants, they can be dangerous!'

So as the years go by you get your realizations about the material energy, and that is helpful but that is not enough. No, we must also get our realizations about Krishna, and we must realise not only that Krishna is the all-attractive but also how Krishna is the all attractive, and as we are serving Him we have to discover His all-attractive nature. Otherwise, if we just serve Krishna because we have suffered in the material world, then we will not last because we still want sense enjoyment! We have to become thoroughly convinced that the most wonderful thing is to serve Krishna, because He is the most wonderful! That is the realization of the spiritual dimension, so both must be there.

So if we get a lot of suffering in the material world, then after that we must get more serious about serving Krishna, and from that by going deeper we can live out some higher taste!

03 July 2012

KKSblog.com - We have to preach to ourselves (to our mind)

We have to preach to ourselves (to our mind)

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 02:18 PM PDT

(H H Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20th June 2012, Prague, Czech Republic) Lecture: SB.4.12.8

As a devotee one has to become very firmly fixed on the identity of being the servant of Krishna. So again and again we have to remind ourselves:

'I am servant, I am servant.'

It is very difficult to act in that way because due to our conditioned nature we will be inclined to act as the enjoyer and controller, which will be our natural tendency, and will spontaneously emerge from within our heart, so that somehow or other we will want to control or enjoy!

So therefore in the conditioned state of devotional service one has to consciously remind himself – in other words we have to preach to ourselves(to our mind) and explain to the mind:

'No, you are servant.'

'Oh yes, I am servant, yes but of course I am the best servant of all this service.'

In this way it is very difficult, and again and again we have to struggle to be a servant. Therefore Srila Ragunath Das Goswami would take a very humble position, and he said that:

'I will not meditate on any of the higher relations with Krishna.'

There are 5 rasas as we know:

'Dasya – servitor ship, sakhya – friendship, or santa – neutral, vatsalya – parental and madhurya – the conjugal relationship with Krishna.'

So Srila Raghunath Das Goswami said:

'I will not meditate on any other relationship with Krishna then dasya – servitor ship with Krishna, and I will not think of any other relationship unless if the vaisnavas are asking me to consider that.'

So in this way we are seeing that Ragunath Das Goswami was conscious that the tendency of the enjoying and controlling spirit is very strong, and he was making arrangements to protect himself from falling prey to that, because the mind is very tricky!

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02 July 2012

KKSblog.com - Is there a risk of being too calculative?

Is there a risk of being too calculative?
Kirtanas in the Czech Republik
Lectures in the Czech Republic

Is there a risk of being too calculative?

Posted: 01 Jul 2012 03:19 PM PDT

(HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, May 2012, Bhaktivedanta Manor, London UK) Lecture: Part 2 seminar – Higher taste

Gurudas: Maharaja you said that we should know our limits, but isn't there a risk of being too calculative?

Maharaja: No, we should know our limits by hearing from senior vaisnavas. We will never know our own limits by our own calculating, but then we go on for sure! So we must really know from senior vaisnavas. You don't just have a spiritual master as a pin up button on your bead bag, since he must become the core – the centre of your spiritual life, and that's where it's happening. Of course, then we say:

'Yes, yes I want that, but my spiritual master is never there, he never answers my mail!'

Then I always say that, that's good because you know that he's chanting Hare Krishna and not on the whole day on the computer. So it doesn't mean only the diksa guru, it means the vaisnavas. So in consultation, you can determine your limits. Like I said to this Prabhu here that the doctor couldn't do the surgery on himself, you know it's hard to cut open your own navel. Therefore if we are setting limits for ourselves, then we will probably set the limits a bit too low, whereas if someone else is setting the limits for us then it will push us just a little bit more than we push ourselves, you see so there must be a consultation, actually with the senior vaisnavas…

Gurudas: If we are limited but we are connected to the unlimited source then would we be able to do more and more?

Maharaja: Yes of course. I often say that when we do a particular service, we think:

'This is my service, now I'm doing service.'

And later that service leads to a greater service, and then we see:

'Actually this we only the preparation for what I'm doing now.'

Then again later we will do something greater, then we realise:

'This was all along only preparation for what I really want, and I was taking myself so serious. Why was I doing it? I thought that I was really doing something, and now I realise that Krishna was only preparing me all along for this service that I'm doing now.'

So it's unlimited and will increase over time and that is the ocean of transcendental love of God! It's always increasing eternally! It's unlimited and the taste is unlimited.

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Kirtanas in the Czech Republik

Posted: 01 Jul 2012 04:22 AM PDT

Please find below kirtanas held by His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami on several occasions during his recent stay in the Czech Republic (20 – 23 June 2012).

To download the kirtanas just right-click each title and “save target as”.

KKS – Kirtana Part 1 – 20 June 2012 in Govinda’s, Prague

KKS – Kirtana – 21 June 2012 in the Czech summer-camp

KKS – Radha Madhava Tune – 22 June 2012 in the Czech summer-camp

KKS – Guru Vandana – 22 June 2012 in the Czech summer-camp

KKS – Nrsmha Pranamas – 23 June 2012 in the Czech summer-camp

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Lectures in the Czech Republic

Posted: 01 Jul 2012 03:36 AM PDT

Please find below the classes given recently by His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami in the Czech Republic (20 – 23 June 2012). Included is a Bhagavatam class in the Prague temple as well as a free talk at the Govinda restaurant in Prague. Else all the lectures of the Czech summer camp are listed.
To see the pictures of these programs click here.