Protection from Material Desires

Summary: Material desires can easily draw us to the position of being taken far from the path of devotional life. A sincere devotee is quite aware of this danger, and takes all precautions to not indulge; even a small indulgence very quickly draws one into significant foolishness! To receive the Lord's protection from these desires, we need to be very very sincere in our purpose! Due to the amazingly merciful nature the Supreme Lord, recognizing our deeper sincerity of purpose, He may, according to His sweet will, both provide us with the means to see our desires fulfilled (as the cow supplies milk to the calf), but also supply protection from the sense gratification component of consciousness when coming in contact with the very object of those desires (as the cow protects her calf).

Dhruva recognizes this amazingly merciful nature of the Lord, just by dint of the purity he has received from the mercy which came from Narada, and the purification received from the devotional service rendered under the direction of Narada. He is feeling *extremely grateful* for this mercy of Narada! To qualify ourselves for this unique mercy of the Lord, as Dhruva did, what must each of us do? We must place ourselves in the care of Sri Naradaji or his representative, which means we must sincerely carry out the instructions we receive from such representative, stirred by feelings of great gratitude in our hearts for the mercy received. That was Dhruva's qualification, and it needs to become ours.


a) Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.9.17
TRANSLATION My Lord, O Supreme Lord, You are the supreme personified form of all benediction. Therefore, for one who abides in Your devotional service with no other desire, worshiping Your lotus feet is better than becoming king and lording it over a kingdom. That is the benediction of worshiping Your lotus feet. To ignorant devotees like me, You are the causelessly merciful maintainer, just like a cow, who takes care of the newly born calf by supplying milk and giving it protection from attack.

PURPORT Dhruva Maharaja was cognizant of the defective nature of his own devotional service. Pure devotional service is without material form and is not covered by mental speculation or fruitive activities. Pure devotional service is therefore called ahaituki, unmotivated. Dhruva Maharaja knew that he had come to worship the Lord in devotional service with a motive - to get the kingdom of his father. Such an adulterated devotee can never see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. He therefore felt very grateful for the causeless mercy of the Lord. The Lord is so merciful that not only does He fulfill the desires of a devotee who is driven by ignorance and desires for material benefit, but He also gives such a devotee all protection, just as a cow gives milk to a newly born calf.
In the Bhagavad-Gita it is said that the Lord gives intelligence to the constantly engaged devotee so that he may gradually approach the Lord without difficulty. A devotee must be very sincere in his devotional service; then, although there may be many things wrong on the devotee's part, Krsna will guide him and gradually elevate him to the highest position of devotional service. The Lord is addressed herein by Dhruva Maharaja as purusartha-murti, the ultimate goal of life. Generally purusartha is taken to mean execution of a type of religious principle or worship of God in order to get material benediction. Prayers for material benediction are intended for satisfying the senses. And when one is frustrated and cannot fully satisfy the senses in spite of all endeavor, he desires liberation, or freedom from material existence. These activities are generally called purusartha. But actually the ultimate goal is to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called pancama-purusartha, the ultimate goal of life. Lord Caitanya therefore taught us not to ask from the Supreme Personality any benediction such as material wealth, popularity or a good wife. One should simply pray to the Lord to be constantly engaged in His transcendental loving service. Dhruva Maharaja, being cognizant of his desire for material benefit, wanted protection from the Lord so that he might not be misled or deviated from the path of devotional service by material desires.

What to do when you don't have control over the Mind?

You practice. Best to practice bringing the mind to that which will make the mind pure. The Supreme pure is the best for making the mind pure. So in the condition that you described, what should the person do? They should continue to chant, calling from their heart: “My dear Lord Krishna, I know that my mind is all over the place and that it is not with You. That’s my condition. I am disclosing my condition which You already know because You are in my heart. But that's my condition. Please help me. Please pick me up from this dark place of an uncontrolled mind, by Your supreme compassion and purity.” That's what one should do.

Adapted from a lecture entitled “Limbs of Surrender: Humility”, given by His Holiness Romapada Swami in Chicago during March 2012.

Earnestly Awaiting for Lord's Causeless Mercy

Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.8

tat te ’nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo
 bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam
hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
 jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk

Translation:
My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.

Purport:
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains in his commentary that just as a legitimate son has to simply remain alive to gain an inheritance from his father, one who simply remains alive in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, following the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga, automatically becomes eligible to receive the mercy of the Personality of Godhead. In other words, he will be promoted to the kingdom of God.

The word su-samīkṣamāṇa indicates that a devotee earnestly awaits the mercy of the Supreme Lord even while suffering the painful effects of previous sinful activities. Lord Kṛṣṇa explains in the Bhagavad-gītā that a devotee who fully surrenders unto Him is no longer liable to suffer the reactions of his previous karma. However, because in his mind a devotee may still maintain the remnants of his previous sinful mentality, the Lord removes the last vestiges of the enjoying spirit by giving His devotee punishments that may sometimes resemble sinful reactions. The purpose of the entire creation of God is to rectify the living entity’s tendency to enjoy without the Lord, and therefore the particular punishment given for a sinful activity is specifically designed to curtail the mentality that produced the activity. Although a devotee has surrendered to the Lord’s devotional service, until he is completely perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness he may maintain a slight inclination to enjoy the false happiness of this world. The Lord therefore creates a particular situation to eradicate this remaining enjoying spirit. This unhappiness suffered by a sincere devotee is not technically a karmic reaction; it is rather the Lord’s special mercy for inducing His devotee to completely let go of the material world and return home, back to Godhead.

A sincere devotee earnestly desires to go back to the Lord’s abode. Therefore he willingly accepts the Lord’s merciful punishment and continues offering respects and obeisances to the Lord with his heart, words and body. Such a bona fide servant of the Lord, considering all hardship a small price to pay for gaining the personal association of the Lord, certainly becomes a legitimate son of God, as indicated here by the words dāya-bhāk. Just as one cannot approach the sun without becoming fire, one cannot approach the supreme pure, Lord Kṛṣṇa, without undergoing a rigid purificatory process, which may appear like suffering but which is in fact a curative treatment administered by the personal hand of the Lord.

Deity Darshana

Science of Daiva Varnasrama

This is an excerpt from “The Science of Daiva Varnasrama” by His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami, pages 29-31. 

Very often this argument is presented by some devotees, i.e., the position of Lord Caitanya giving less importance to varnasrama or even rejecting varnasrama, both in his conversation with Ramananda Raya and also in his conversation with the Tattvavadis when visiting South India. We need to analyze these discussions very closely.

Actually, Lord Caitanya did not reject varnasrama. Lord Caitanya is Lord Krsna Himself. He has established varnasrama. He cannot reject it; it is his own creation. The conversation in the context of Ramananda Raya and Lord Caitanya was what is the best activity that one can take up to actually become successful in life, to attain self-realization. So Ramananda Raya began by explaining the importance of varnasrama. Lord Caitanya considered that as externaland explained that actually there is something higher. So we need to understand that varnasrama is not an end in itself. In that conversation Lord Caitanya rejected varnasrama as being the ultimate goal and also as being the highest activity for attaining that higher goal. The higher goal, as we mentioned before, is to attain pure love of Krsna-Krsna prema. Varnasrama is a means to attain that and  the process which will actually help one to develop pure love of Krsna is bhakti, or devotional service.

When we see it in this way, we should understand that Lord Caitanya rejected ordinary varnasrama as a means, let us say as the best means, and that’s why Srila Prabhupada spoke about daiva-varnasrama which has the element of devotional service. When that varnasrama is imbued with bhakti then that varnasrama, although normally seen as a material arrangement or material system, when covered with bhakti, becomes transformed as devotional activity. So Lord Caitanya’s purpose in the whole conversation was meant to bring out the bhakti element. That is how varnasrama, without bhakti, is simply a material activity and is generally motivated. So it is not the ultimate aim of life. It is not the best or the highest way by which one can attain bhakti for bhakti in itself or varnasrama imbued with bhakti is what will help us attain that highest goal.

In the conversation with the Tattvavadis in South India, the initial question raised by Lord Caitanya was related to the goal, being liberation, and the means to attain that goal, being varnasrama dharma. So Lord Caitanya naturally rejected it because the goal even within daiva varnasrama dharma is not liberation. The goal in daiva varnasrama ramains bhakti or to develop pure love for Krsna. So Lord Caitanya replied to the Tattvavadis that actually activities of bhakti are the best means to attain the highest goal, which is not liberation. The highest goal is to develop love for Krsna. So automatically liberation is included. For Vaisnavas that is actually liberation.

Srila Prabhupada mentions that the simple fact that Lord Caitanya accepted sannyasa, means he accepted varnasrama because sannyasa is part of the varnasrama system. So we should not prematurely or wrongly conclude that bhakti replaces varnasrama. No. Bhakti is always the primary, the highest activity and the highest goal. “Krsna bhakti nitya siddha” that is the eternal perfection of the living entity. We can begin developing this eternal activity of bhakti most ideally through the system of varnas and asrama, that’s the point. That is for those of us who are here, all of us who are here in this material world, it is very, very rare to find someone who can just be absorbed with pure devotional service and Srila Prabhupada gave the example of Haridas Thakur. Haridas Thakur was such a personality that he could chant 24 hours a day. He was not preoccupied with varnasrama and so also Lord Caitanya, He is the Personality who established and introduced the bhakti element which was missing earlier. Therefore, He was much less concerned about the externals.

So the other point to understand, as one of the conclusions from this, is that we should regard varnasrama in the same context that Lord Caitanya explained as being eternal. As Srila Prabhupada explains, varnasrama, “it is like a drama.” Externally, we take up these different roles of brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, etc., in different asramas, but internally, we cultivate bhakti, that is the main thing. That is why Srila Prabhupada spoke about varnasrama as being a “classless society.” Classless refers to “no class”, that all of us are aspiring devotees of Krsna. We are all endeavoring to practice devotional service to attain the highest goal of pure devotional service or pure love for Krsna. So it is a tool as mentioned by Srila Prabhupada. It is as like a drama. We voluntarily agree to carry out this drama knowing fully well that ultimately, as Srila Prabhupada says ad Lord Caitanya also, that I’m not a brahmana, I’m not a ksatriya, I’m not a male nor a female or whatever I am none of these things which are external and temporary.

Krishna is pleased only by Devotion

After receiving initiation at Gaya from Srila Iswara Puri, Sri Gaurasundar, the son of Mother Sachi, returned to Nadiya with a happy heart. One day, Vishwambhar gave transcendental knowledge to some pure brahmin boys of Nabadwip who were his students.

Lord Gaura Hari said: pana eka satya vastu - krsnera carana sei vidya - yathe hari-bhaktira laksana
You should study only the one truth - Krishna's feet. One who knows that truth has the ornament of devotion for the Lord. (Text 11)

The sastras describe that anything other than this is ignorance. Do not study anything other than devotion to Sri Sri Radha-Krishna! (Text 12)

Persons intoxicated with pride in their learning, wealth, and birth do not attain Krishna. By devotional service one easily attains Krishna, the Lord of the Yadus. (Text 13)

Krishna is conquered by the nectar of devotional service. To prove this I quote these words from the sastras: (Text 14)

Where was the hunter Dharma's piety, Dhruva's maturity, and Gajendra's knowledge? Where was Kubja's beauty? Where was Sudama's wealth? Where was Vidura's noble birth? Where was Ugrasena's chivalrous strength? Lord Madhava is pleased only by devotional service and not by material qualifications. (Text 15: quoting Rupa Goswami's Padyavali, text 8).

--Adapted from Srila Lochan Das Thakur's Caitanya-mangala, Madhya 1.11-15

Krishna is There!

Kṛṣṇa is there. You haven't got to search out Kṛṣṇa. He is already within you. Simply He wants to see whether you are sincere. That's all. You cannot deceive, you cannot deceive Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa. He is always present. Anumantā, upadraṣṭā. In the Bhagavad-gītā, He is upadraṣṭā. So śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. If you simply hear about Kṛṣṇa from the lips of pure devotees, then it is puṇya. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). It will cleanse your heart. It will cleanse your heart.

- Srila Prabhupada 

Daily Deity Darshana - 21.08.2012

LOVE

Awaken that Love for God and there is no more suffering!

Vrindavan Sounds with HH Radhanath Swami

[A clipping from Vrindavan Yatra 2008]

Maha Harinaam in Amsterdam - August 20, 2012

[HH Sacinandana Swami; HH Radhanath Swami; HH Lokanath Swami; HH Candramauli Swami; HH Kadamba Kanana Swami; HH Bhakti Purshottama Swami and many more]

Trusting Krishna - Our Best Friend!

(HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, Modra, Slovakia, 16 July 2012)

Even devotees seem to go through heavy things.  Devotees die.  Yes, but Krsna is there on the other side.  He's waiting for them. "Yes, come! Come with Me, now!" So for a devotee, death is no problem.  No problem because Krsna is there.  So Krsna will come.  Krsna will arrange.  He will protect us.  So we must trust in Krsna.  Krsna will protect us.  He's bhakta vatsala, so there is no need to be afraid. Krsna is all good, so if somehow or the other we can come to the point where we can accept in our heart that Krsna is all good, then we can become free of fear.  Oh when, oh when, oh when will that day come?

(HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, Modra, Slovakia, 16 July 2012) We have to trust that Krsna is good.  He is all good.  Yes, so we have to slowly trust Krsna, that He is kindness personified, that He is always merciful, and that He sends His devotees the best.  Exactly what we need, even if He puts us in front of a firing squad, it's exactly what we need. Krsna is good.  He is all good.  He is very kind, completely merciful.  He sends us only what we need. We deserve it because we are rascals – big rascals!  Therefore He sends us only a diminished reaction for our purification. But it is all His mercy, so there is no reason to fear.  Krsna will always protect us.  Even if there are difficulties, a devotee always comes out victorious.

(HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, Modra, Slovakia, 16 July 2012) There are many reasons why we fear. "Oh Krsna, please don't let me suffer!  Oh Krsna, please give me some happiness!  I promise to chant Hare Krsna as long as You give me some happiness.  Please, if You so desire." And we have ideas about what that happiness is.  But we are like pieces on a chess board – standing on a little square and looking around and thinking, 'That looks good! That's where I want to be, on that square!' But we cannot see what Krsna's plan is, because He's the player.  And suddenly this big hand comes from the sky, takes us by the hand, and puts us somewhere in totally unexpected situations.  There is no point in trying to control, so we have to trust. (HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, Modra, Slovakia, 16 July 2012) Prabhupada said Krsna is our best friend.  Krsna is our best friend, a better friend than any friend in this world.  Prabhupada said why – because Krsna will never disappoint you. Someone from this world will disappoint you.  Even if they want to help you, which is not sure, can they help you?  Even if they want to help you, which is not sure, the question is, can they help you?  It's like that in this world – often we are helpless.  Your friends are helpless, there is nothing we can do.  That is the nature of the material world. But somehow or the other, we don't have much desire to go to the spiritual world.  That's really what is going on. "Yeah, yeah, Krsna is my best friend in a way, but in another way, my best friend is someone I can talk to.  Someone who is sitting next to me.   I can throw flowers at him.  I can talk to him if I want to." Whereas, you know, throwing flowers at Krsna!!!  Carefully, at His feet, maybe!  Respectfully, whereas with your friend, you can just offer it in different ways.  Anyway, to develop this friendship with Krsna may take some time.

Friendship and Affection for Krishna

SB 4.20.12: Lord Viṣṇu told King Pṛthu: My dear King, the constant change of this material world is due to the interaction of the three modes of material nature. The five elements, the senses, the demigods who control the senses, as well as the mind, which is agitated by the spirit soul — all these taken together comprise the body. Since the spirit soul is completely different from this combination of gross and subtle material elements, My devotee who is connected with Me in intense friendship and affection, being completely in knowledge, is never agitated by material happiness and distress.


Purport: 
The question may be raised that if the living entity has to act as the superintendent of the activities of the bodily combination, then how can he be indifferent to the activities of the body? The answer is given here: these activities are completely different from the activities of the spirit soul of the living entity. A crude example can be given in this connection: A businessman riding in a motorcar sits in the car, supervises its running and advises the driver. He knows how much gasoline is used up, and he knows everything about the car, but still he is apart from the car and is more concerned with his business. Even while riding in the car, he thinks of his business and his office. He has no connection with the car, although he is sitting there. As the businessman is always absorbed in thoughts of his business, so the living entity can be absorbed in thoughts of rendering loving service to the Lord. Then it will be possible to remain separate from the activities of the material body. This position of neutrality can be possible only for a devotee.
The word baddha-sauhṛdāḥ, "bound in friendship," is particularly used here. Karmīs, jñānīs and yogīs cannot be bound in devotional service. Karmīs fully engage in the activities of the body. Their aim of life is to give comfort to the body only. Jñānīs try to get out of entanglement by philosophical speculation, but they have no standing in the liberated position. Because they do not take shelter under the lotus feet of the Lord, they fall down from the exalted position of Brahman realization. Yogīs also have a bodily concept of life — they think that they can achieve something spiritual by exercising the body through dhāraṇā, āsana, prāṇāyāma, etc. A devotee's position is always transcendental because of his intimate relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, to remain always aloof from the actions and reactions of the body and engage in one's real occupation, namely rendering service to the Lord, can be possible only for devotees.

Bodily Concept of Life

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.20.5: Those who are in full knowledge of the bodily conception of life, who know that this body is composed of nescience, desires and activities resulting from illusion, do not become addicted to the body.

Purport:

As stated in a previous verse, those with good intellect (sudhiyaḥ) do not accept themselves to be the body. Being a creation of nescience, the body has two types of activities. In the bodily conception, when we think that sense gratification will help us, we are in illusion. Another kind of illusion is to think that one will become happy by trying to satisfy the desires that arise from the illusory body or by attaining elevation to the higher planetary systems or by performing various types of Vedic rituals. This is all illusion. Similarly, material activities performed for political emancipation and social and humanitarian activities performed with an idea that people of the world will be happy are also illusory because the basic principle is the bodily conception, which is illusory. Whatever we desire or perform under the bodily conception is all illusion. In other words, Lord Viṣṇu informed Pṛthu Mahārāja that although the sacrificial performances set an example for ordinary people, there was no need for such sacrificial performances as far as his personal self was concerned. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (2.45):

traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā

 nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna

nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho

 niryoga-kṣema ātmavān

“The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the self.”

The ritualistic performances recommended in the Vedas mainly depend on the three modes of material nature. Consequently Arjuna was advised to transcend the Vedic activities. The activities Arjuna was advised to perform were the transcendental activities of devotional service.

Change Must Come From Within!

[HG Gaur Gopal Prabhu]

Chapter 15 - Yoga of the Supreme Person (recommended for Purshottama Month)

Bg 15.1 - The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is said that there is an imperishable banyan tree that has its roots upward and its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas.

Bg 15.2 — The branches of this tree extend downward and upward, nourished by the three modes of material nature. The twigs are the objects of the senses. This tree also has roots going down, and these are bound to the fruitive actions of human society.

Bg 15.3-4 — The real form of this tree cannot be perceived in this world. No one can understand where it ends, where it begins, or where its foundation is. But with determination one must cut down this strongly rooted tree with the weapon of detachment. Thereafter, one must seek that place from which, having gone, one never returns, and there surrender to that Supreme Personality of Godhead from whom everything began and from whom everything has extended since time immemorial.

Bg 15.5 — Those who are free from false prestige, illusion and false association, who understand the eternal, who are done with material lust, who are freed from the dualities of happiness and distress, and who, unbewildered, know how to surrender unto the Supreme Person attain to that eternal kingdom.

Bg 15.6 — That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world.

Bg 15.7 — The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.

Bg 15.8 — The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another, as the air carries aromas. Thus he takes one kind of body and again quits it to take another.

Bg 15.9 — The living entity, thus taking another gross body, obtains a certain type of ear, eye, tongue, nose and sense of touch, which are grouped about the mind. He thus enjoys a particular set of sense objects.

Bg 15.10 — The foolish cannot understand how a living entity can quit his body, nor can they understand what sort of body he enjoys under the spell of the modes of nature. But one whose eyes are trained in knowledge can see all this.

Bg 15.11 — The endeavoring transcendentalists who are situated in self-realization can see all this clearly. But those whose minds are not developed and who are not situated in self-realization cannot see what is taking place, though they may try.

Bg 15.12 — The splendor of the sun, which dissipates the darkness of this whole world, comes from Me. And the splendor of the moon and the splendor of fire are also from Me.

Bg 15.13 — I enter into each planet, and by My energy they stay in orbit. I become the moon and thereby supply the juice of life to all vegetables.

Bg 15.14 — I am the fire of digestion in the bodies of all living entities, and I join with the air of life, outgoing and incoming, to digest the four kinds of foodstuff.

Bg 15.15 — I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.

Bg 15.16 — There are two classes of beings, the fallible and the infallible. In the material world every living entity is fallible, and in the spiritual world every living entity is called infallible.

Bg 15.17 — Besides these two, there is the greatest living personality, the Supreme Soul, the imperishable Lord Himself, who has entered the three worlds and is maintaining them.

Bg 15.18 — Because I am transcendental, beyond both the fallible and the infallible, and because I am the greatest, I am celebrated both in the world and in the Vedas as that Supreme Person.

Bg 15.19 — Whoever knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without doubting, is the knower of everything. He therefore engages himself in full devotional service to Me, O son of Bharata.

Bg 15.20 — This is the most confidential part of the Vedic scriptures, O sinless one, and it is disclosed now by Me. Whoever understands this will become wise, and his endeavors will know perfection.

Purshottam Month Vrata

PURUSOTTAMA MONTH VRATA (ADHIKA MASA)
2012 18TH AUG - 17TH SEPT
(NEW VERSION BY MAHANIDHI SWAMI)



INTRODUCTION TO PURUSOTTAMA MONTH:
Purusottama month, or adhika masa (extra month) is also called mala masa, which means dirty or useless month. In India the sadhus, sadhakas and pious people of all sampradayas (Vaisnvava and Advaitan) undertake serious penances and austerities (vratas) during Purusottama Month. Now let us examine the name, history, benefits and method of practice of this age old, scripturally bonafide “King of All Vratas” or month long penances.

WHY IS IT CALLED MALA MASA? (dirty or useless month)
This is because all forms of karma-kanda (reward seeking) pujas and yajnas don’t give any results this month. Our Gaudiya Vaisnavas, however, disagree, saying it is called mala masa because devotional activities performed in this month quickly and easily destroy the dirt and contamination caused by sins, ignorance and aparadhas.

WHY IS IT CALLED ADHIKA MAS? (extra month)
It is called adhika (extra) masa because Sri Krsna has placed all His potencies, mercy, blessings in this month, and also because one gets more results from any religious spiritual activities. Thus only works of devotion (Krsna-bhakti) give results in Purusottama month. AND THE RESULTS ARE BIG!!

WHAT MAKES THIS MONTH SO GREAT?
Firstly, the Puranas say that Bhagavan Sri Krsna’s FAVORITE MONTH Purusottama Month. Bhagavan Sri Krsna has not only personally created this month, but He also named it after Himself. Remember, Sri Krsna alone is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Purusottama. As Swayam Bhagavan Sri Krsna is the most magnanimous, topmost origin of all the avataras and incarnations, Purusottama Month is the topmost, super best, most powerful spiritual reward giving month among all the twelve onths.
Purusottama month is the holiest month, far superior to the pious months of Magha, Vaisakha and Karttika, which the Vedas praise as the three best, reward blessing months of the year. Not only on the earth planet, but all over the universe the Purusottama Month is honored and worshiped by all devotees, sages, demigods and even Laksmi Devi Herself.

BENEFITS OF PURUSOTTAMA MONTH VRATA
If one sincerely worships Radha and Krsna in Purusottama month, he will attain everything he wants. One who observes Purusottama vrata, will burn up the reactions of all his bad karma and attain the direct service of Radha and Krsna. Purusottama month is the best month for all spiritual advancement because Krsna overlooks all the aparadhas. Residence in the holy dhama in P.M. yields 1000 times the benefit.

PURANIC EVIDENCE ON MONTH’S GLORIES
All these sastric quotations are from Padma and Skanda Purana”
1. Lord Sri Krsna: “Purusottama Month has all the power I have to bless its observer. One who follows
Purusottama vrata will destroy all his past sinful reactions. Without performing Purusottama vrata, one cannot perform pure devotional service. The value of Purusottama month is far more valuable than all other types of austerities and religious activities mentioned in the Vedas. Anyone who observes Purusottama vrata will return to my abode, Goloka, at the end of his life."
2. Durvasa Muni: “Just by bathing in a holy river during Purusottama Month, one becomes sinless. The glory of all other months is not equal to one-sixteenth of the glory of the Purusottama Month. By bathing in a holy place, giving charity and chanting the Holy Name of Krsna during Purusottama Month, all miseries are destroyed, one attains all kinds of perfection and fulfills all his desires".
3. Valmiki Muni: "By observing Purusottama vrata, one attains more benefit than performing one hundred horse sacrifices. All holy places live within the body of a Purusottama Month vrati (an observer of this penance). Anyone who faithfully performs Purusottama vrata will go to Goloka Vrndavana".
4. Narada Muni: "Purusottama Month is the best of all months, vratas and austerities. Just by faithfully hearing the glories of Purusottama Month, one attains Krsna-bhakti and immediately nullifies his sinful reactions. One who performs Purusottama vrata properly will attain unlimited piety and spiritual merit (sukrti) and go to the spiritual world".
5. Naimisaranya Sages: "Merciful Purusottama Month acts like a desire tree to fulfill a devotee's desire".
HOW TO OBSERVE THE PURUSOTTAMA MONTH VRATA
OBSERVE celibacy for one month. (Sleep on floor, optional)
Bathe daily BEFORE SUNRISE (best in a holy place, or at least 3 days in a month)
1. Rise and jump out of bed, chanting Jaya Radhe! at brahma-muhurta. (1½ hours before sunrise)
2. Chant Hare Krsna Mahamantra and meditate on Radha-Krsna's beautiful divine forms, qualities, and ecstatically purifying and heart stirring transcendental pastimes in Sridhama Vrndavana. Daily chant fixed number extra rounds for entire month: 24, 32, 64, 108, 192.
3. Maximum Benefits and Bliss by Observing Vrata in Vrndavana, Mayapur or a holy dhama.
4. Daily offer full puja, or at least a ghee lamp to Radha-Krsna Deities or Picture. 33 lamps daily, or at least for one auspicious day this month (ekadasi, sankranti, purnima etc).
5. Daily aratika and parikrama of Tulasi Devi.
6. Daily mandira parikrama (4 times).
7. Daily offer Radha-Krsna Deities or Picture roses, lotus flowers and 100,000 Tulasi leaves (or as many as you can).
8. Daily read Srimad Bhagavatam Radha-Krsna lila ; acaryas say it is a rule to daily read SB Tenth Canto cp. 14 Brahma Stuti. (confirm your reading program with your own guru)
8. A. Hear Radha-Krsna Katha from advanced Gaudiya Vaisnavas.
9. Daily chant Sri Jagannathastakam (because vrata named after and often performed in Purusottma Ksetra Jagannatha Puri Dhama; Espeically focus on chanting and singing astakams, prayers and bhajans glorfying Radha-Krsna Yugala. (with devotees is very powerful and joyful)
10. Take a vow to remain peaceful, and 100% truthful throughout the month.
11. Be careful not to blaspheme any devotees, brahmanas, saints, cows, sastras or especially anyone observing the Purusottama Month Vrata.
12. Don’t ask anyone for anything; be satisfied with whatever you have, and don’t endeavor to acquire any material thing during this month.
13. Try your best to please Radha and Krsna by performing devotional austerities according to your abilities. Don’t break your vow in the middle of the month. Be determined, pray intently for mercy and tolerate your crazy monkey mind. Be deaf to your mind, at least this month.
14. Eat on leaf plates sitting on the floor (optional).
15. No cutting of hair or nails (optional).
16. No cooking in oil or rubbing of oil on your body.
17. No eating or rubbing of mustard oil.
Diets: Be your own guide and choose an eating program that is realistic within your means. The main vrata and austerity is to everyday Krsna consciously associate with serious devotees around the platform of hearing about and glorifying Radha-Krsna in Vrndavana. Best to eat once a day after sunset or at noon the following diets:
i) only milk ; ii) only fruits (no milk, no veg.); iii)no grains (selected veg., fruits, nuts, milk); iv) selected foods (all categories as per caturmasya standards).

INTERESTING VRATA!!!!
Hari-bhakti-vilasa (Vol 4, Vs 437): "During Purusottama Month, one should remember Lord Krsna, and then donate thirty three milk cakes cooked in ghee to grhastha Vaisnava brahmanas, who are well versed in sastras. Failing to do so, one loses all the piety he accumulated in the previous year." Comment: Vrndavana vaisnavas usually observe this by donating two kilos of good quality milk cake from a sweet shop to a few Vaisnava pandas or pujaris or good temple devotees.

ADDITIONAL OBSERVANCES FOR PURUSOTTAMA MONTH
Acaryas say chant daily some japa of Kaundinya Muni’s mantra:
govardhana dharam vande, gopalam gopa rupinam /
gokulutsava me isanam, govindam gopika priyam.
“I worship the lifter of Govardhana Hill, Who has the beautiful form of a cowherd boy, and who continually plays with the gopas. He is the Lord of Gokula wherein everyday is a festival. Daily offer 33 dandavats to Bhagavan Sri Krsna or the vaisnavas.

SRILA BHAKTIVINODA THAKURA’S Purusottama Month VRATA:
Perform the Nirapeksa Vrata, which means 30 days of concentrated, one pointed worship and service to Radha-Govinda Yugala by hearing, chanting, remembering Their divine names, forms, qualities, pastimes. All day and night, hear about Bhagavan Sri Krsna, chant the Hare Krsna Mahamantra, take mahaprasada.

BEST DAYS TO GIVE CHARITY TO DEVOTEE BRAHMANAS:
Ekadasi, Dvadasi, Purnima, Amavasya, Sravana Naksatra Day; DO offer money, gold, cloth, shoes, fruits, etc. Also offer 33 plantains or mangos plus dana and daksina to Brahmanas and Vaisnavas. Very Important Point: With you give dana (i.e. diff. items like cloth, land, gold, cows, books, sweets, flowers, clothing, shoes, umbrellas) to a brahmana, one must simultaneously donate daksina (i.e. money equal to the monetary value of the dana). For example, if give a 300 rupees pair of new shoes, then must give 300 rupees in laksmi or money to that same person.

BREAKING THE PURUSOTTAMA VRATA
1. Day and Time: consult local calendar.
2. Bathe in brahma-muhurta time
3. Perform Deity Worship: Radha-Syamasundara Deities, personal Deities or Picture.
4. Chant this mantra: "O Supreme Lord, O Sanatana, O Purusottama,
O Lord Hari ! I offer my obeisances unto you. May you and your beloved Radhika, please accept my offerings. I offer my repeated obeisances unto Syamasundara, who wears effulgent yellow garments on His beautiful body.
5. Offer puspanjali (handfuls of fresh fragrant flowers or petals) and then dandavat obeisances to Radha- Syamasundara Deities, your personal Deities or Picture.
6. Feed and give charity to 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 brahmanas/ Vaisnavas to the best of your ability (e.g., new clothes, two pairs of shoes, umbrella, ghee, yogurt, gumsas, sweets, lotas, plates: and and then equal value in Laksmi or money. The best charity is to give a Srimad Bhagavatam to a qualified grhastha vaisnava brahmana. This act will deliver all your ancestors to the spiritual world and award them the association of Lord Purusottama!

SPECIFIC VRATA BREAKING ACTIONS
If you ate fruits, ghee, rice, wheat etc, donate the same to brahmanas.
If you slept on the floor, give a bed and pillows to a brahmana.
If you ate on a leaf plate, feed brahmanas with ghee and sugar.
If you didn’t cut nails or hair, donate a mirror to a brahmana.
If you offered ghee lamps, give new lamps and pots to a brahmana
If you broke any rules or regulations during Purusottama vrata, feed different sweet juices to brahmanas.

Mahadeva Lord Siva says that the best charity is to: "Fill a bell metal pot with thirty malpuas (a pancake like sweet), bind the pot with seven new threads and give to a worthy brahmana." Comment: many humble niskincana Vaisnavas have no money or sufficient wealth to donate substantially to brahmanas. But according to your means, donate some small laksmi or some new object to a qualified person, begging for his mercy and blessings. And in your mind, (manasi-seva), you can sincerely donate generously to many good devotees. Remember that sastras say, bhava grahi janardana, Bhagavan Sri Krsna is pleased with the purity and sincerity of one’s attitude, mood love and purity of purpose. Try your best to break your vow by donating something within your means.

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT:
May Giridhari Syama bless everyone with full success in their devotional attempts to observe the Purusottama Month Vrata solely for the divine pleasure of Sri Guru, Nitai Gauranga and our beloveds Radha and Krsna.
PURUSOTTAMA VRATA KI JAI !!!
RADHA­GIRIDHARI KI JAI!!!
PREMA DHAMA
SRI VRAJABHUMI
VRNDAVANA DHAMA KI JAI!!!
SRI SYAMA KUNDA, RADHA KUNDA, GIRI­GOVARDHANA KI JAI!!!
THE MOST MERCIFUL, ETERNALLY KIND AND LOVING SPIRITUAL FATHER
OF ALL HUMANITY-
SRILA A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI SRILA PRABHUPADA KI JAI!!
JAI JAI SRI RADHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
HARE KRSNA HARE KRSNA KRSNA KRSNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE HARE
OM TAT SAT

How Free are We?

Celebration is in the air and freedom is what they guarantee
Slogans and spirits are high but envy is the propensity

Originally dependent we are on the Supreme
Materially engulfed we reflect we are Supreme

Shadows of independence are a sign of gullibility
Birth, Death, Old Age and Disease is the grieve intensity

Originally dependent we are on the Supreme
Materially engulfed we reflect we are the Supreme

Independent of God happiness becomes a commodity
Dependence on God, happiness becomes a reality

Originally dependent we are on the Supreme
Materially engulfed we reflect we are the Supreme

Spiritual service is our innate ability
Material service is our imposed complexity

Originally dependent we are on the Supreme
Materially engulfed we reflect we are the Supreme

But, freedom is there for everyone's availability
In engaging our free will to join Krishna's territory!

Freedom on Independence Day!

mamaivamso jiva-loke
jiva-bhutah sanatanah
manah sasthanindriyani
prakrti sthani karsati
"Lord Krishna says: The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind." (Bg. 15.7)

The jivas, or living entities, are now detached from the whole due to material contact. It is therefore necessary for us to strive to attach ourselves again through the latent Krsna consciousness that is within us. Artificially, we are trying to forget Krsna and live independently, but this is not possible. When we strive to live independent of Krsna, we come under the influence of the laws of material nature. If one thinks he is independent of Krsna, he becomes dependent on the illusory energy of Krsna, just as if one thinks that he is independent of the government and its regulations, he becomes dependent on the police force. Everyone is trying to become independent, and this is called maya, illusion. Individually, communally, socially, nationally, or universally, it is not possible to become independent. When we come to realize that we are dependent, we will have attained knowledge. Today so many people are striving for peace in the world, but they do not know how to implement that peace formula. The United Nations has been striving for peace for so many years, but still war is going on.

yac capi sarva-bhutanam-
bijam tad aham arjuna
na tad asti vina yat syan
maya bhutam caracaram
"Furthermore, O Arjuna, I am the generating seed of all existences. There is no being--moving or unmoving--that can exist without Me." (Bg. 10.39)

Krsna is thus the proprietor of everything, the ultimate beneficiary and the receiver of the results of everything. We may consider ourselves to be the proprietors of the fruits of our labor, but this is a misconception. We must come to understand that Krsna is the ultimate proprietor of the fruits of all our works. Hundreds of people may be working in an office, but they understand that whatever profit the business makes belongs to the proprietor. As soon as a teller at the bank thinks, "Oh, I have so much money. I am the proprietor. Let me take it home with me," his trouble begins. If we think that we can use whatever wealth we have amassed for our own sense gratification, we are acting out of kama, lust. But if we come to understand that everything we have belongs to Krsna, we are liberated. We may have the same money in our hands, but as soon as we think that we are the proprietor, we are under the influence of maya. One who is situated in the consciousness that everything belongs to Krsna is an actual learned man.

isavasyam idam sarvam
yat kinca jagatyam jagat
tena tyaktena bhunjitha
ma grdhah kasya svid dhanam
"Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one must not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong." (Isopanisad, Mantra 1)

This consciousness of isavasya-- everything belongs to Krsna--must be revived, not only individually but nationally and universally. Then there will be peace. We often tend to be philanthropic and altruistic, and we strive to be friends with our countrymen, with our families and with all the peoples of the world--but this is based on a wrong conception. The real friend is Krsna, and if we want to benefit our family, nation or planet, we will work for Him. If we have our family's welfare in mind, we will try to make all members Krsna conscious. There are so many men trying to benefit their families, but unfortunately they do not succeed. They do not know what the real problem is. As the Bhagavatam says, one should not attempt to become a father, or mother, or teacher unless he is able to save his children from death, from the grip of material nature. The father should be in knowledge of Krsna, and he should be determined that the innocent children who are entrusted to him will not have to undergo the cycle of birth and death again. He should be resolved to train his children in such a way that they will no longer have to be subjected to the painful cycle of birth and death. But before one can do this, he has to make himself expert. If he becomes expert in Krsna consciousness, he can help not only his children but his society and nation. But if he himself is bound by ignorance, how can he untie others who are similarly bound? Before one can make others free, he must be free himself.

Actually no one is a free man, for everyone is under the spell of material nature, but one who is surrendered to Krsna cannot be touched by maya. He, of all men, is free. If one places himself in sunlight, there is no question of darkness. But if one places himself in artificial light, it may flicker and go out. Krsna is just like sunlight. Where He is present there is no question of darkness and ignorance. The wise men, the mahatmas, understand this.

- Srila Prabhupada (On the way to Krsna; Chapter 3)

Bhagavad-Gita Verse of the Day!

nasti buddhir ayuktasya na cayuktasya bhavana
na cabhavayatah santir asantasya kutah sukham

One who is not connected with the Supreme [in Krsna consciousness] can have neither transcendental intelligence nor a steady mind, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?

[Bhagavad Gita 2.66]

Daily Darshana - August 14, 2012

Filling the basket of our heart with love on Krishna Janmashtami

Krishna took birth at midnight, the darkest hour, to fill our lives with the transcendental light of divinity.  There were also huge rains and storms during Krishna’s appearance. This is to signify that Krishna can give us shelter from the torrential rain of miseries that storm our lives unexpectedly. His birth in a prison cell amidst chains and shackles signifies His compassion on us by awarding us the freedom from the cycle of birth and death. Krishna also appeared in the city of Mathura, the abode of evil Kamsa who was motivated by greed, hate and envy. Krishna took birth in this city to release us from these negativities, and to fill our hearts with the rich experience of love of God.

Amongst the various pastimes that Lord Krishna performed during His earthly sojourn is His delivering a fruit vendor. A fruit seller came to Vrindavan, and being attracted by little Krishna’s exquisite beauty, offered her fruits to Him. With His tiny hands, Krishna accepted the fruits but not before dropping a few grains on her fruit basket. Lo and behold, her basket was instantly filled with priceless jewels. These were not ordinary jewles; they represent the priceless jewel of love of God. If we offer to God our work and its results, for His pleasure, our own hearts get filled with the rich treasure of pure love. Arjuna was a classic example of a warrior who had his duties to perform but he did them in the spirit of service to please the Lord. Ironically Duryodhana too fought the same war but the difference was in his consciousness; Arjuna was motivated by service to Krishna, and Duryodhana by envy. Therefore while Duryodhana lost the grace of Lord, Arjuna came closer to liberation and love.

Although Krishna appeared 5000 years ago, He appears even today wherever there is chanting of His Holy Names, for in this day and age, the Supreme Lord appears in the form of his Name. When we chant Hare Krishna, we experience the light of divinity; we experience shelter in this stormy material world and we also experience freedom from the shackles of anxieties caused by hate. Krishna then fills the basket of our heart with love.

Therefore Janmashtami is not only an occasion to remember what happened 5000 years ago but it’s also an opportunity to transform our lives now by taking shelter of Krishna who has mercifully appeared as His Holy Names. This descent of Krishna in our heart takes places particularly when we hear and chant Krishna’s Holy Names in the association of other sincere devotees of Lord Krishna.
On this day let us fill our hearts with rich Krishna consciousness and offer our lives for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord and His loving devotees.

- HH Radhanath Swami

Got Married, Get Spiritual!

There is more to marriage than romance. I remember as an eight year old seeing my parents consider divorce. I cried and later, both of them discussed about us - their children's future- and vowed to remain together for our sake. Romance in a marriage comes and goes. It's the heart to heart connection to a higher sense of responsibility that keeps the spark in a relationship burning. Then even the difficulties provide rich lessons to serve together.

The higher spiritual principle of marriage is seen in the vows the couple takes. Traditionally marriages were held in a temple or a place of worship so that the Lord sees us take the vow and helps the couple centre their lives on service to God and humanity.

Mother nature teaches us that the best of all jewels, the diamond and gold, are purified when put under high pressure or put in fire. Similarly by faithfully passing through the good and the bad times; the easy and hard times and being with each other, that's what marriage is meant to be and internalizing this principle transforms marriage into a sacred act and makes one spiritually perfect.

Each of the partners in marriage considers the other to be a child of God, entrusted in his or her care. How you treat your partner is how God will receive you; how you speak, treat and protect each other on the physical, emotional and spiritual level is how you will make spiritual progress. The foundational structure of a spiritual marriage is respect, forgiveness, appreciation for each other, and the serious responsibility to make the other person happy.

It’s practice of these principles that make married life a divine, spiritual experience.

- HH Radhanath Swami

Devotional Service without material motives

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.20.9: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, continued: My dear King Pṛthu, when one situated in his occupational duty engages in My loving service without motive for material gain, he gradually becomes very satisfied within.

Purport: 

This verse is also confirmed by the Viṣṇu Purāṇa. Occupational duties are known as varṇāśrama-dharma and apply to the four divisions of material and spiritual life — namely brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra, and brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. If one works according to the varṇāśrama-dharma system and does not desire fruitive results, he gets satisfaction gradually. Discharging one's occupational duty as a means of rendering devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the ultimate goal of life. Bhagavad-gītā confirms this as the process of karma-yoga. In other words, we should act only for the satisfaction and service of the Lord; otherwise we will be entangled by the resultant actions.

Everyone is situated in his occupational duty, but the purpose of material occupations should not be material gain. Rather, everyone should offer the results of his occupational activities. A brāhmaṇa especially should execute his occupational duties not for material gain but to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra should work in a similar way. In this material world everyone is engaged in various professional and occupational duties, but the purpose of such activities should be to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Devotional service is very simple, and anyone can adopt it. Let one remain what he is; he need only install the Deity of the Supreme Lord in his house. The Deity may be Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa or Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa (there are many other forms of the Lord). In this way a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra can worship the Deity with the results of his honest labor. Regardless of one's occupational duty, one should adopt the devotional means of hearing, chanting, remembering, worshiping, offering everything to the Lord and engaging in His service. In this way one can very easily engage himself in the service of the Lord. When the Lord is pleased with one's service, one's mission in life is fulfilled.

Vedic Ritualistic Ceremonies

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.20.6: How can a highly learned person who has absolutely no affinity for the bodily conception of life be affected by the bodily conception in regard to house, children, wealth and similar other bodily productions?

Purport: 

The Vedic ritualistic ceremonies are certainly meant to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu. However, by such activities one does not factually satisfy the Lord. Rather, with the sanction of the Lord, one tries to satisfy one's own senses. In other words, materialists, who are especially interested in sense gratification, are given permission or license to enjoy sense gratification by executing the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. That is called traiguṇya-viṣayā vedāḥ. The Vedic performances are based on the three modes of material nature. Those who are elevated above the material condition are not at all interested in such Vedic performances. Rather, they are interested in the higher duties of transcendental loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such devotional service is called nistraiguṇya. Devotional service to the Lord has nothing to do with the material conception of bodily comfort.

Sri Krishna Janmashtami Darshan from around the world - 10.08.2012

[ISKCON CHOWPATTY]



[ISKCON VRINDAVAN]


[ISKCON ARAVADE]


[ISKCON NASHIK]


[ISKCON NIGDI]


[ISKCON MIRA ROAD]


[ISKCON BARODA]




[ISKCON DAMODARDESH]


[ISKCON DAMODARDESH]


[ISKCON VRINDAVAN]


[ISKCON JUHU]


[ISKCON MAYAPUR]


[ISKCON SOHO ST, LONDON]


[ISKCON BELGIUM]


[ISKCON MELBOURNE]

Why Krsna Comes To This World

By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada
August 1973 at the Bhaktivedanta Manor, in the countryside near London.

Several thousand guests (including the Indian High Commissioner) listen to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada speak about the day Lord Krsna made His appearance on earth.
Your Excellency the High Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your coming here and participating in this ceremony -Janmastami, the advent of Krsna. In the Bhagavad-gita [4.9] Krsna says,
janma karma ca me divyam
evam vo veto tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti so’rJuna
“One who knows the transcendental nature of My advent and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode.”

It is a fact that we can stop our repeated births and deaths and achieve the state of immortality. But the modern civilization our great philosophers, great politicians, and great scientists they have no idea that it is possible to attain the stage ofamrtatvam, immortality. We are all amrta, deathless, immortal. In the Bhagavad-gita [2.20] it is said, na jayate na mriyate va kadacit: we living entities we never die and never take birth. Ajo nityah sasvato yam purano na hanyate hanyamane sarire. Every one of us we are primeval and eternal, without beginning and without end. And after the annihilation of this body, we do not die. But when the body is finished, we will have to accept another body.

dehino ’smin yatha dehe
kaumdram yauvanam jara
tathd dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati
“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change:” [Bg. 2.13]
At the present moment, all over the world people are lacking knowledge of this simple thing: that all of us living entities are part and parcel of Lord Krsna that like Krsna, we are eternal, we are blissful, and we are cognizant.

Krsna is described in the Vedic literatures:
isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam
“The supreme controller, the uncaused cause of all causes, is Krsna, whose transcendental form is full with eternity, knowledge, and bliss.” [Brahma-samhita 5.1]

Krsna when I say Krsna, that means “God.” It is sometimes said, “God has no name:” That’s a fact. But God’s name is given by His activities, For instance, Krsna accepted sonship to Maharaja Nanda and Yasodamayi and also to Vasudeva and Devaki. Of course, no one is actually the father or mother of Krsna, because Krsna is the original father of everyone. But when Krsna comes here, when He makes His advent, He accepts certain exalted devotees as His father, as His mother. Krsna is adi-purusam, the original. Adyam purana purusam nava-yauvanam ca: He is the original person.

Then must Krsna be very old? No. Nava-yauvanam ca: always a fresh youth. That is Krsna. When Krsna was on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra you have seen the picture He was just like d boy of twenty years or, at most, twenty-four years. But at that time He had great-grandchildren. So Krsna is always a youth. These are the statements of the Vedic literatures.

But if we simply read the Vedic literatures as a formality, it will be very difficult to understand what Krsna isalthough all the Vedas are meant for understanding Krsna. In the Bhagavad-gita [15.15] Krsna says, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah: “By all the Vedas it is I who am to be known:” What is the use of studying the Vedas if you do not understand Krsna? The ultimate goal of education is to understand the Supreme Lord, the supreme father, the supreme cause. As it is said in the Vedanta-sutra, athato brahma jijnasa “Now in the human form of life is the time to discuss the Supreme Absolute Truth, Brahman:”

And what is this Brahman? Janmady asya yatah. Brahman is the one from whom everything emanates. So science and philosophy mean finding out the ultimate cause of everything. And this we are getting from the Vedic literature that Krsna is sarva-karana-karanam, the cause of all causes.

Therefore Krsna says, “Just try to learn about the transcendental nature of My advent and activities.” The advent of Krsna it is a very important thing. We should try to understand Krsna, why He makes His advent, why He comes down to this material world, what His business is, what His activities are. If we simply try to understand Krsna, then what will be the result? The result will be tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so’rjuna: we will get immortality.The aim of life is amrtatvaya kalpate, to achieve immortality. So today, on the advent of Krsna, we shall try to understand the philosophy of Krsna.


If we are anxious for peace . . .”
His Excellency was speaking of peace. The peace formula is there in the Bhagavad-gita spoken by Krsna. What is that?
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati
“The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.” [Bg 5.29] The politicians and diplomats are trying to establish peace in the world. We have the United Nations and many other organizations. They are working to establish real peace and tranquility, to eliminate misunderstanding between man and man and nation and nation. But that is not happening. That is not happening. The defect is that the root is wrong. Everyone is thinking, “It is my country,” “It is my family,” “It is my society,” “It is my property.” This “my” is illusion. In the Vedic literatures it is said, janasya moho ‘yam aham mameti: this “I-and-my” philosophy is maya illusion.

So if you want to get out of this maya, this illusion, then you have to accept Krsna’s formula. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te: whoever surrenders to Krsna can easily cross beyond all illusion. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gita,for our guidance, If we accept the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita as it is everything is there. Peace is there, prosperity is there. That is a fact.

Unfortunately, we do not accept it; or we misinterpret it. This is our misfortune. In the Bhagavad-gita [9.34] Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru. Krsna says, “Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me, and offer obeisances unto Me.” Is it a very difficult task? Here is Krsna’s Deity. If you think of this Deity, is it very difficult?

You come into the temple, and just as a devotee would do, you offer your respect to the Deity. As far as possible, try to worship the Deity.

Krsna does not want your property. Krsna is open to the poorest man for being worshiped. What is He asking? He says, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati: “With devotion, if a person offers Me a little leaf, a little fruit, a little water, I accept it.” [Bg. 9.26] Krsna is not hungry, but Krsna wants to make you a devotee. That is the main point. Yo me bhaktya prayacchati: “Offer something to Me with devotion.” That is the main principle. Offer Krsna some little thing. Krsna is not hungry; Krsna is providing food for everyone. But Krsna wants your love, your devotion. Therefore He is begging a little water or fruit or a flower. In this way man-mana bhava mad-bhakto: you can think of Krsna and become His devotee.

There is no difficulty in understanding Krsna and accepting Krsna consciousness. But we’ll not do it that is our disease. Otherwise, it is not difficult at all. And as soon as we become a devotee of Krsna, we understand the whole universal situation. Ourbhagavata philosophy, our God conscious philosophy, is also a kind of spiritual communism, because we regard Krsna as the supreme father and all living entities as sons of Krsna. And Krsna says, sarva-loka-mahesvaram: He is the proprietor of all planets. Therefore whatever there is, either in the sky or in the water or on the land, it is all Krsna’s property. And because we are all sons of Krsna, every one of us has the right to use our father’s property. But we should not encroach upon others. This is the formula for peace. Isavasyam idam sarvam . . . and ma grdhah kasyasvid dhanam: “Everything belongs to God, and since you are sons of God, you have the right to use your father’s property. But do not take more than you need. This is punishable.” [Isopanisad 1] If anyone takes more than he needs, then he’s a thief. Yajnarthat karmano ‘nyatra loko ‘yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]: whatever we do, we should do it for the satisfaction of Krsna. We should act for Krsna; we should do everything for Krsna.
That is what we are teaching here. In this temple we are all residing happily. Americans, Indians, Englishmen, Canadians, Africans people from all different parts of the world. You know that. It is like that not only in this temple, but wherever people are Krsna conscious, throughout the world. Krsna makes His advent to teach this lesson.

When we forget this philosophy that Krsna is the supreme father, Krsna is the supreme proprietor, Krsna is the supreme enjoyer, and Krsna is the supreme friend of everyone when we forget this, then we come into this material world and struggle for existence, fight with one another. This is material life.

Nor can we get any relief through our politicians, diplomats, philosophers. They have tried so much, but actually nothing they have tried has become fruitful. Take the United Nations. It was organized after the second great war, and they wanted, “We shall now settle everything peacefully.” But there is no such thing. The fighting is going on, between Pakistan and India or between Vietnam and America or this and that. Mundane politics and diplomacy and philosophy this is not the process. The process is Krsna consciousness. Everyone has to understand this point that we are not proprietors. The actual proprietor is Krsna. That’s a fact. Take America, for example. Say two hundred years ago, the European immigrants were not the proprietors, Somebody else was the proprietor, and before that somebody else was the proprietor, or it was vacant land. But the actual proprietor is Krsna. Artificially we are claiming, “It is my property.” This is called maya, illusion. So Krsna makes His advent to give us this lesson. Krsna says, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata: “My dear Arjuna. I come when there are discrepancies in the process of religious life:” [Bg. 4.7]

And what is real dharma, real religious life? The simple definition of dharma is dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam: “Real religious life is that which is enunciated directly by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” [Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.19] For instance, what do you mean by civil law? Civil law means the word given by the state. You cannot make civil law at home. That is not possible. Whatever the government gives you “You should act like this” that is law. Similarly dharma, religious life, means the direction given by God. That is dharma. Simple definition. If you create some dharma or I create some dharma or another man creates another dharma, these are not dharma.

Therefore Krsna ends the Bhagavad-gita by saying, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: “Just give up all your concocted ideas about dharma and surrender to Me.” [Bg. 18.66] This is dharma surrender to Krsna. Any other “dharma” is not dharma. Otherwise why does Krsna ask, sarva-dharman parityajya give it all up”? He has already said. In every age I make My advent to establish the principles of religion.” And at last He says that we should give up all the so-called religious principles that we have manufactured. All these man-made principles are not actually religious principles. Real dharma, real religious life, means what is given by God. But we have no understanding of what God is and what His word is. That is modern civilization’s defect.

But the order is there, God is there it is simply that we won’t accept. So where is the possibility of peace? Everything is there, ready-made. But we won’t accept. So what is the remedy for our disease? We are searching after peace, but we won’t accept the very thing that will actually give us peace. This is our disease. Therefore, this Krsna consciousness movement is trying to awaken the dormant Krsna consciousness in everyone’s heart. Just consider: four or five years ago, these Europeans and Americans had never even heard of Krsna so how are they now taking Krsna consciousness so seriously? Krsna consciousness is already there in everyone’s heart. It simply has to be awakened. And this awakening process is described in the Caitanya-caritamrta[Madhya 22.107]:
nitya siddha krsna-prema ’sadhya ‘kabhu naya
sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya
Love for Krsna, devotion for Krsna is within everyone’s heart, but we have forgotten. So this Krsna consciousness movement is simply meant for awakening that dormant love by giving everyone the chance to hear about Krsna. This is the process.

For instance, when you are sleeping. I have to call you loudly. “Mr. Such-and-such! Such-and-such! Get up! You have to tend to this business:” No other senses will act when you are sleeping. But the ear will act. Therefore in this age, when people are so fallen that they will not listen to anything, if we chant this Hare Krsna maha-mantra they’ll be awakened to Krsna consciousness. This is practical. So if we are actually anxious for peace and tranquility in society, then we must be very serious about understanding Krsna. That is my request. Don’t take the Krsna consciousness movement lightly.

This movement can solve all the problems of life, all the problems in the world. Social, political, philosophical, religious, economic everything can be solved by Krsna consciousness. Therefore, we request those who are leaders like His Excellency, who is present here “You should try to understand this Krsna consciousness movement.” It is very scientific and authorized. It is not a mental concoction or a sentimental movement. It is a most scientific movement. So we are inviting all leaders from all countries. “Try to understand.” If you are sober, if you are actually reasonable, you’ll understand that this Krsna consciousness movement is the most sublime movement for the welfare of the whole human society.

The Unlimited, Endless Pleasure
Anyone may come we are prepared to discuss this subject matter. The ultimate goal of human life is to achieve immortality. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti. This is our mission, but we have forgotten this. We are simply leading the life of cats and dogs, without any knowledge that we can achieve that perfection of life where there will be no more birth, no more death. We do not even understand that there is the possibility of amrtatvam, immortality. But it is totally possible. Nobody wants to die. Nobody wants to become an old man; nobody wants to become diseased. This is our natural inclination. Why? Because originally, in our spiritual form, there is no birth, no death, no old age, no disease. So after moving through the evolutionary process, up through the aquatics, plants, trees, birds, when at last we come to this human form of body then we should know what the goal of life is. The goal of life is amrtatvam, to become immortal.
Immortal you can become simply by becoming Krsna conscious. Krsna says it. It is a fact. We simply have to understand. Janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah. If you try to understand Krsna in truth, then tyaktva deham punar janma naiti: after giving up this body, you won’t have to accept any more material bodies. And as soon as you don’t accept any more material bodies, that means you have become immortal. The thing is, by nature we are immortal. So Krsna makes His advent, Krsna comes to teach us this lesson:

mamaivamso jiva-loke
jiva-bhutah sanatanah
manah-sasthanindriyani
prakrti-sthani karsati
“You are immortal by nature. As spirit soul, you are part and parcel of Me. I am immortal, and so you are also immortal. Unnecessarily, you are trying to be happy in this material world.” [Bg. 15.7]
You have already tried and tried to find happiness in sensuous life, through so many bodies as cats, as dogs, as demigods, as trees, as plants, as insects. So now that you have a human body, with its higher intelligence, don’t be captivated by sensuous life. Just try to understand Krsna. That is the verdict of the Vedic literatures. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [Bhag. 5.5.1]: to work very hard like dogs and hogs for sense gratification is not the ambition of human life; human life is meant for a little austerity. Tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam suddhyet: we have to purify our existence; that is the mission of human life. Why shall I purify my existence? Brahma-saukhyam tv anantam: because then you will get spiritual realization, the unlimited, endless pleasure and happiness. That is real pleasure, real happiness.

ramante yogino ‘nante
satyananda-cid-atmani
iti rama-padenasau
param brahmabhidhiyate
“The mystics derive unlimited transcendental pleasures from the Absolute Truth, and therefore the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, is also known as Rama.” [Padma Purana]
All the great saintly persons of India have cultivated this spiritual knowledge so nicely and fully. Formerly, people used to go to India to find out about spiritual life. Even Jesus Christ went there. And yet we are not taking advantage of it. It is not that these literatures and directions are meant only for the Indians or for the Hindus or for the brahmanas. No. They are meant for everyone, because Krsna claims, aham bija-pradah pita: ”I am everyone’s father.” Therefore, He is very anxious to make us peaceful, happy. Just as an ordinary father wants to see that his son is well situated and happy, similarly Krsna wants to see every one of us well situated and happy. Therefore He comes sometimes. This is the purpose of Krsna’s advent. Thank you very much.