Dhotis and Saris are the best - Spiritual Culture!

Each set of clothes brings with it a certain mood and a certain mentality. I was in Bengal on a train, and I was wearing these clothes. There was a young Bengali boy who was wearing Bermuda shorts with some designs….colourful…….and he laughs at me.
He says:
“Look at that! “
I asked:
“What’s your problem?”
“Look at those clothes!”
So I said:
“Well, you know look at those clothes…look at those clothes!”
And what he was wearing.
So I asked him:
“Do you like those shorts?”
“I like them very much”.
“Ok. So do you wear them everyday?”
“No, of course not. Not everyday. Only sometimes”.
I said:
”Well I wear these clothes everyday because they are spiritual and therefore, they are fully satisfying. I do not need to change. But you have your shorts today, and then you wearing something else, only because you are not completely satisfied”.
So if you look at the pictures of Krishna and Lord Ramachandra,They wear these clothes.
Some people they say:
“Why do we have to wear these Indian clothes in the West?”
There is a certain group of devotees who are feeling like that…and are speaking out like that. Even some senior leaders have spoken up like that.
Srila Prabhupada has explained this:
“India is a very special Country. It is very special, because in India they speak Sanskrit…traditionally it is Sanskrit. Sanskrit is ‘deva nagari’ – is the language spoken in the heavenly planets! It is even spoken in Vaikuntha!”
So the Indian culture is parallel to the culture of the heavenly planet, and that means that whatever is in the heavenly planets, is predominating by goodness. Whatever is going on in our regions is predominating by passion. The earthly regions are predominating by passion. So therefore, this dress, this culture has a value because it is related to the culture of the spiritual world, and that is coming through India.
So India is an amazing place. Not only is the Ganges coming from the spiritual world onto material world, but there is a whole culture within it. Both Krishna and Lord Ramachandra wears dhoti…..Sita wears a sari and therefore dhotis and saris are the best!

So it’s not Indian culture, but a spiritual culture!

What is the Difficulty?

Don't loose the opportunity of huam life. Practice bhakti-yoga, be Krishna Conscious and make your life succesful. Our mission is to teach this science. It is not a business - "Give me some money, I will teach you." The knowledge is free. We are simply encouraing everyone, "Chant teh Hare Krishna Mantra." What is the difficulty?

Simply Chant Hare Krishna and Dance. Why go to some club to dance? The whole family can chant and dance at home. You will be happy. Then you will understand your constitutional position as servants of Krishna. This is the mission of human life: to understand our position as servants of the Lord. This understanding naturally results in vairagya, detachment.

One is actually poor who is poor in transcendental knowledge. Material poverty is no consideration. That may come or go and one has to tolerate. And even if we have money, we will be unhappy if we are poor in transcendental knowldege. Therefore transcedental knowledge is real wealth. We ahve been entangled in material life, repeated birth and death due to attachment.  Therefore we must attain detachment for materialistic way of life so that we can end this changing from one body to another.

- Srila Prabhupada

Contrast between Lust and Love

atmendriya priti vancha - tare bali kama
krsnendriya priti iccha dhare preme nama

"Wanting to satisgy the desires of one's own senses is called kama, lust, and wanting to satisfy Krishna's senses is called prema, pure loving devotion."

(CC Adi 4.165)

We see the contrast between kama and prema in the behaviour of Arjuna. At first he wanted to satisy his own senses: "My dear Krsma, I cannot possibly kill my cousin-brothers, my grand father, or my teacher Dronacarya." But after Krsna had imparted the intstructions of Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna and then asked him "What is your decision?" Arjuna replied:

nasto mohah smrtir labdha tvat prasadan mayacyuta
sthiti 'smi gata-sandehah karisye vacanam tava

"My dear Krishna, by Your grace all my illusion is now gone and I have regained my original Krishna Consciousness." And what is his conclusion? "My duty is to satisy You, not my senses." In this way Arjuna again came to his position as Krishna's devotee.

- Srila Prabhupada

Verse of the Week

yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

"Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed."

(Śvetāśvatara Up. 6.23)

Vedic Knowledge is manifested in heart of a Devotee

When all the students thus resolved, criticizing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, their intelligence was spoiled. Thus although they were learned scholars, because of this offense the essence of knowledge was not manifested in them.

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ: when one becomes inimical to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, adopting an atheistic attitude (āsuraṁ bhāvam), even if one is a learned scholar the essence of knowledge does not become manifested in him; in other words, the essence of his knowledge is stolen by the illusory energy of the Lord. In this connection Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura quotes a mantra from the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.23):

yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

(ŚU 6.23)

The purport of this verse is that one who is unflinchingly devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, and similarly devoted to the spiritual master, with no ulterior motive, becomes a master of all knowledge. In the heart of such a devotee, the real essence of the Vedic knowledge becomes manifested. This essence is nothing but surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead (vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ ((BG 15.15)). Only unto one who fully surrenders to the spiritual master and the Supreme Lord does the essence of Vedic knowledge become manifested, not to anyone else.

Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 17.257

Spiritual Life means Anxiety-Less

Pradyumna: Translation: " Arjuna's constant remembrance of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna rapidly increased his devotion, and as a result all the trash in his thoughts subsided. "

Prabhupada: So material existence means full of anxieties. This is the sum and substance of material existence. Everyone is full of anxieties. Not only humans. Just like Karandhara was speaking, there are so many bad news. What is that? Where is Karandhara?

Karandhara: Energy crisis, food shortage.
Prabhupada: Yes, energy crisis, food shortage, and what else?
Karandhara: Economic turmoil.
Prabhupada: Hm. And even Mr. Nixon is in such exalted post, he's also full of anxiety, when he'll be kicked out. You see. So find out any man who is not in anxiety. Not only human being but also animals, birds, beasts -- everyone. That is the symptom of material existence, anxieties.

So spiritual life means anxiety-less. This is the difference between material life and spiritual life. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54], in the Bhagavad-gita it is described what is spiritual life. As soon as you are identified with the Absolute Truth, Brahman, then symptoms will be prasannatma, jubilation: " Oh, I do not belong to this material world. I belong to the spiritual world. I am part and parcel of Krsna. Why should I suffer so many things? " That is jubilation. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. The prasannatma means na socati na kanksati. He has no lamentation, no hankering. Here people are always full of anxieties because they have got hankering, " I want this. I want that. " And there is lamentation. What they possess, if it is lost, they cry, " Oh, my things are lost. " And what they do not possess, they hanker. So their anxiety is there, either he possesses or not possesses. This is material anxiety. If you have no money, then you will hanker after money, " How to get money, how to get money, how to get money? " And when you get money, then how to utilize it, how to, where to keep it, in the bank, or in the house, or who will take away? Somebody will take away. So where is anxiety-less? You possess or not possess, the real disease is anxiety. So when one becomes brahma-bhuta, self-realized, identified with the Absolute Truth, then he has no more anxiety. This is the best education, when you become anxiety-less. That is perfection of education.We, if we want to be anxiety-less, no anxiety, then we have to refuse to accept this material body. Otherwise there is no possibility. All anxieties are due to this material body.
So here, if you simply think of Krsna -- Krsna recommends also that, man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. This Krsna consciousness movement is nothing, just to train people how to think of Krsna and how to become devotee of Krsna. That's all. So you may become devotee... But you will become devotee. If you think of Krsna, naturally you will become devotee. So... But think of Krsna, is it very difficult task? Very simple, very easy, even a child can do it. Here is Krsna. You can think of. So you go on thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, you will be attached. You will be attached. You will be attached. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. And thinking of Krsna in association of the devotees. Alone will not do. Association is so strong that anyone who is coming to our association, we..., not that we are everyone teaching, but by association, he wants to become devotee. By association, automatically. So the association is so powerful. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura says,

tandera carana-sevi-bhakta-sane vasajaname janame haya ei abhilasa

He is praying, " My dear Lord, this is my ambition, birth after birth. " What is that? " That to be engaged in the service of the acarya guru, and in the association of devotees. This is perfection. " Janame janame haya ei: " This is my desire. I don't want to stop my birth, but simply I want that I may take birth -- it doesn't matter -- but bhakta-sane vasa, let me live with the devotees. "
Srila Prabhupada:: Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.29Los Angeles, December 7, 1973

Blog: http://www.gloriouskrishna.blogspot.com/

Powerful Mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu!

Bhagavad-gita (2.40). Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat: 'In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.'

"Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy is so powerful that it acts automatically. If a person renders loving service to Krsna, it never goes in vain. It is recorded in a spiritual account, and in due time it will fructify. This is confirmed by

"Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has particularly bestowed upon all fallen souls in this age the most potent method of devotional service, and whoever takes to it through the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is immediately elevated to the transcendental position. Srimad-Bhagavatam recommends: Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah." *

 

(Caitanya Caritamrta - Madhya 14.16 Purport)

Blog: www.gloriouskrishna.blogspot.com

"My dear Lord, I have simply wasted my time"

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, kita-janma hau yatha tuwa dasabahir-mukha brahma-janme nahi asa

He says that " If I forget You and take by birth as Lord Brahma, I don't want it. I don't want it. " What is the use of taking a birth like Brahma? " But I shall like to take my birth as even a small insignificant insect, where a devotee is there. " This is the ambition of devotee. " I shall prefer to become an insect. " Because there are different varieties of living entities, beginning from Brahma down to the insect, insignificant. In the middle, there are so many varieties -- aquatics, trees, plants, demigods, and men, human being. So many thing. So this is the end and one end to another. Abrahma-bhuvanal... Kita-janma, insignificant ant, nobody cares for, and Brahma is very important, supreme person within the... So Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that " I will not prefer a birth like Brahma if I forget You. But I will prefer to become an insect if I remain with Your devotee. " Because if one remains with a devotee, he will not forget Krsna. That is the advantage. Just like when you go, people address you, " Hare Krsna. " Oh, it is very great benefit. Automatically they chant Hare Krsna. We have seen it all over the world. And when I was going from London to Nairobi, we stopped at Athens, the dead of night. We are in the..., what is called? That transit room.

Devotee: Transit lounge.
Prabhupada: Yes, lounge. So as soon as they saw us, " Hare Krsna! " You see. So this is advantage. Aho bata sva-paco 'to gariyan yaj-jihvagre vartate nama tubhyam. Even a dog-eater chants Hare Krsna, he becomes glorified.

So this chance should be given. Let them chant Hare Krsna, either willfully, or jokingly, or any way, let him chant Hare Krsna. This is the movement. Let him chant once, let his tongue utter this transcendental vibration, Hare Krsna, his life will be successful. It is such nice movement. You haven't got to do anything. Simply you come here and see Radha-Krsna, you will be benefited. It is very easy. Su-sukham kartum avyayam. And once you get the impression of Radha-Krsna for meditation, and if you increase, then life, you are success. Life is successful. Because as soon as you become little inclined to see Radha-Krsna, Krsna within your heart, that means you have developed His love. Just like if you love somebody, you want to close your eyes and see his face, his..., your child, or your lover. Similarly, as soon as you practice this, how to see, meditate upon Krsna, that means you develop. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. Then gradually it will increase, and you will be perfect. It is very easy. This process, Krsna consciousness is so easy, and so pleasant, anyone can take. There is no difficulty. And if you become Krsna consciousness, completely, always thinking of Krsna, bahu anudhyanam, always, anudhyanam, thinking of Krsna, thinking of Krsna -- anyone can do it -- then you become perfect. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. That is the problem. Our, what is that problem? Problem is that we are full of anxiety. Why you are full of anxiety? Because you have accepted this material body. So if you stop accepting material body, there is no anxiety. That can be done by vasudeva-anudhyanam, constantly thinking of Krsna.

So you haven't got to pay any price. You are not losing anything. But you are becoming a great, perfect man. Why do you, don't you accept this process, Krsna consciousness? Why you are after something, false thing? Just see how unfortunate people are in this Kali-yuga. They will not accept the real thing without any payment, without any loss. Everything is gain. They will accept something nonsense and go to hell. Just see. This is Kali-yuga. The Kali-yuga is so powerful that it will not allow you to accept the real thing. You will be after non-real thing and waste your time and valuable life. This life is meant for Krsna realization. It is not meant for anything, any other business. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura sings, hari hari biphale janama gonainu: " My dear Lord, I have simply wasted my time. " Why?
Manusya-janama paiya radha-krsna na bhajiya. " I got this valuable human form of life but I did not worship Radha-Krsna. This is my fault. " Janiya suniya visa khainu, " It is just like knowingly, I have taken poison. "

SRILA PRABHUPADA LECTURE
- Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.29Los Angeles, December 7, 1973

Blog: http://www.gloriouskrishna.blogspot.com/

Darshan From Sri Vrindavan Dhaam - September 12, 2011

Sri Sri Radha Shyamsunder, Lalita Devi and Vishakha Devi

Sri Sri Krishna Balarama

Sri Sri Gaura Nitai

The Only Auspicious Path

Bhakti-yoga is the sunlike illumination for delivering the conditioned souls, whose general condition is described here. They have no eyes to see their own interests. They do not know that the goal of life is not to increase the material necessities of existence, because the body will not exist more than a few years. The living beings are eternal, and they have their eternal need. If one engages only in caring for the necessities of the body, not caring for the eternal necessities of life, then he is part of a civilization whose advancement puts the living entities in the darkest region of ignorance. Sleeping in that darkest region, one does not get any refreshment, but, rather, gradually becomes fatigued. He invents many processes to adjust this fatigued condition, but he fails and thus remains confused. The only path for mitigating his fatigue in the struggle for existence is the path of devotional service, or the path of Krishna consciousness.

(Srimad Bhagavatam - 3.29.5)