06 July 2012

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

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!

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