Attaining Taste to Chant Hare Krishna

“In yesterday’s lecture, Prabhupāda spoke on the verse that says,

“‘By serving great sages, great service is done.’ He says this means rendering service to a pure devotee, a mahat, one who is serving the Lord twenty-four hours a day. The great soul is under the daivi prakriti, or transcendental nature. We are trying to be under the guidance of Radharani. Those who are materialists take shelter of the material energy. The first stage in devotional service is to hear with faith. This is a development of appreciation. We must take the sword. Prabhupāda said, ‘I started in New York, and I had the sword. But not, “Take the scripture or I cut off your head.” That is another type of preaching. I had chanting and hearing. No one was interested, but now thousands are following. Krishna-bhakti is in everyone’s heart, but it is covered with dirty things.’ The more you chant and hear, the more you will become cleansed of dirty things.

“Chanting japa is an all-around practice. It requires mental and physical alertness. It requires going into the heart and calling to Krishna and Radha. When these things are missing, it becomes anemic. But you always take assurance that the names are potent and that any chanting is beneficial. Take refuge in the fact that you chant your quota and you chant on time.

“Krishna is kind and lenient, and He puts all His potencies in the holy name. ‘But I am so unfortunate that I do not have a taste for the chanting because I commit offenses.’ Lord Caitanya’s lament resonates with us if we do not have a good day. He was so kind to put those lines in the ‘Siksastakam’ and show His compassion and understanding of us chanters. He calls out to be just accepted as an atom of dust at the lotus feet of Krishna. In the ‘Siksastakam,’ He goes on to higher states of chanting, feeling the world all void in the absence of Krishna. These are the sentiments of Radharani. They should enter the mind of the devotee who is properly chanting. The chanting is the yugala mantra, a chant composed of the feelings of Radha and Krishna. In successful chanting, one enters that mood. Staying only with the outer syllables of the chanting is going through the motions: ‘When, oh when will that day be mine—when my offenses ceasing, taste for the name increasing, when will that day be mine?’ Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura takes the position of a struggling chanter and encourages us who are actually in that position. We aspire to improve and to chant with taste and offenselessly. One day we will do it by endeavor and the mercy of the acaryas.

(Writings of HH Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami)

Krishna's Mercy - Suffering better than Material Enjoyment :)

Devotee: Maharaja, you were saying that Krishna might take away some of our reactions if He so desires. I was wondering if He would also give more reactions for our purification?

HH Kadamba Kanana Maharaja: Yeah, Krishna can do whatever He wants. He is completely independent. So, if Krishna desires then sometimes a devotee may go through some difficulty, even if there is no karma involved at all!
Sometimes Krishna puts His devotees in difficulties because Krishna desires to glorify His devotees. Sometimes He wants to show that even in difficulties they still perfectly take shelter of devotional service and in this way, they become examples for common men! So yes, sometimes Krishna sends difficulties to His devotees, even though there is no karma to deserve such difficulties.

It is said in the story of Vrtrasura that sometimes Krishna is sending difficulties especially to His most dedicated devotees… many difficulties to purify them very quickly, so that they can go back to Godhead! So like this, whenever any suffering comes our way, then we should always remember Krishna’s mercy! Sometimes it’s a little difficult, but it is true actually. If we are getting experiences of suffering then we become purified… but if we are getting circumstances of material enjoyment then we become tempted.
So, from a spiritual point of view, material enjoyment is worse than suffering. From the absolute point of view, suffering is better. It is a little difficult to see that on a practical platform. But material enjoyment is very dangerous, because we may become compromised, and as a result, we become more entangled in the material energy which slows down our progress towards going back to Godhead!

Whereas when we suffer, then: ‘Yes, I want to chant Hare Krishna.’

So from an absolute point of view, suffering is better than material enjoyment.

Beautiful Form of Krishna

Lord Brahma said: My dear Lord, You are the only worshipable Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore I offer my humble obeisances and prayers just to please You. O son of the king of the cowherds, Your transcendental body is dark blue like a new cloud, Your garment is brilliant like lightning, and the beauty of Your face is enhanced by Your gunja earrings and the peacock feather on Your head. Wearing garlands of various forest flowers and leaves, and equipped with a herding stick, a buffalo horn and a flute, You stand beautifully with a morsel of food in Your hand.

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 10.14.1

Spiritual Culture - Perfection of Society

Present advancement of material civilization, in the opinion of the Indian sages, is going in the wrong way because it has neglected the spiritual side of human constitution. All living beings are spiritual sparks covered by material encagement. In his pure spiritual form a living being eternal, cognizant and blissful, but being covered by matter he is suffering threefold miseries of material existence.

The human form of life is the highest developed stage in the evolutionary process and thus a civilization based on spiritual culture is the right type of human civilization.

The human being must know what he is, where from he has come what is the position after death; why we are suffering threefold miseries of life; what is the ultimate goal of life; what is this cosmic universe; what is matter and what is spirit; which of them is superior etc. There are so many things to be learnt by the human being.

Unfortunately, the present human society by the advancement of scientific knowledge, has manufactured lethal weapons to kill and destroy. They have no discovery for living and building peaceful and progressive life. The world has no information for the great problems life.

(1) Human life is based on spiritual ground

(2) Spirit is separate superior element than matter and

(3) by spiritual culture of life only the human society can be brought into perfection.

This perfection of life will help also in building up the next progressive life after death. The human society is meant for liberal cooperation for this movement of all round perfection of the human society without any bar for class or nation or dogmatic faith. Spiritual culture is not dogmatic faith but it is based on philosophy, reason and culture. This can be introduced very easily through convenient methods of music, dance and refreshment which are acceptable by all grades of human being in all parts of the world. It requires only to be organized by combined effort of the intelligent class of men of all nations.

Without spiritual culture a human society is another polished edition of the animals. There is no value of education in the animal society as the trained up lion in a circus is never to be trusted. The lion is not trusted because it cannot assimilate spiritual knowledge. But a man is able to take up this knowledge and his formation of the brain is meant for it. It is nothing extraordinary for him because he is prepared for this culture and is awaiting proper administration only.

We can take help from the Bhagavata the cream and ripen fruit of the Vedic literature and stop at once the quarrel and turmoil of the present world.

- Srila Prabhupada Letters :: 1961, Delhi

Fixed in Krishna Consciousness

When one is fixed in Krishna consciousness nothing else is appealing to him because everything else is clearly perceived as it actually is, to be of an inferior quality. After all, why would one want to stoop down to low grade pleasure when he is tasting a pleasure that is infinitely better? There would be no compulsion to do so.

This is Krishna consciousness, the natural reawakening of the original pristine consciousness that has been there all along within, as we falsely sought happiness in the repetition of birth and death. It is revived by the mercy of the bona fide spiritual master and maintained and strengthened by the association of the Lord's devotees.

- HG Sankarshan Das Adhikari

A sincere devotee has full faith

"One should chant attentively with full surrender unto the Holy name. A sincere devotee has full faith in the Holy name. He always tries to improve his chanting by pulling out the weeds of illicit desires. The determined sadhaka enthusiastically moves on the path of devotion by surrendering moment to moment to the Lord of attraction."

From Illuminations On Nama Aparadha

by Mahanidhi Swami

Protection of Women

Srila Prabhupada describes in one purport in the First Canto that, in Draupadi’s case, Krishna had some plans. One of those plans was that Bhismadeva should be an instrument to show to the world: It doesn't matter who you are – even if you are Bhishmadeva, pitamaha -- if you don't give protection to women you will be destroyed.

Adapted from a lecture by His Holiness Romapada Swami on Sharing the Japa Retreat Experience,  Houston, September 2011

What Conquers Krsna

sri-bhagavan uvaca

na rodhayati mam yogo na sankhyam dharma eva ca

na svadhyayas tapas tyago nesta-purtam na daksina

vratani yajnas chandamsi tirthani niyama yamah

yathavarundhe sat-sangah sarva-sangapaho hi mam

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: "My dear Uddhava, by associating with My pure devotees one can destroy one's attachment for all objects of material sense gratification. Such purifying association brings Me under the control of My devotee. One may perform the astanga-yoga system, engage in philosophical analysis of the elements of material nature, practice nonviolence and other ordinary principles of piety, chant the Vedas, perform penances, take to the renounced order of life, execute sacrificial performances and dig wells, plant trees and perform other public welfare activities, give in charity, carry out severe vows, worship the demigods, chant confidential mantras, visit holy places or accept major and minor disciplinary injunctions, but even by performing such activities one does not bring Me under his control."

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.12.1-2

Jhulana Yatra Darshana

[SS Radha Shyamsunder, ISKCON Vrindavan]


[SS Radha Gopinath - ISKCON Chowpatty]


[SS Radharasabihariji - ISKCON Juhu]


[ISKCON LA]

Envy is Demoniac

If Krishna is pleased with us only then will our life be successful. Krishna can empower us only if we believe in the power of Krishna and live our life by the principles with sincerity.

How Krishna is pleased by the quality of a devotee - the quality to appreciate, love and glorify other devotees.

Prahalada was never envious of Vaisnavas like the other asuras - if we are envious of a Vaisnava then we are Asura.

Envy of a Vaisnava is a demoniac quality. We have so many demons in our heart; Vaisnava means not be envious.Envy of any living being is the envy of God.

The quickest way to become a pure devotee is to chant Hare Krishna sincerely and appreciating and glorifying the Vaisnavas.

What to do if we have envy which is due to so much past conditioning? We should see the problems in ourself  by not intentionally dwelling on that envy but trying to overcome it.

Blaspheming Vaisnavas is the poison which will kill your spiritual quality and glorifying the devotees is the nectar which will kill all the bad qualities one has. Prajalpa - good devotional qualities that we have cultivated they all are lost through the mouth.

By trying to uplift people's perception of another Vaisnava- this is what a Vaisnava is. That is a test of our spiritual progress; if we feel happiness by hearing the progress and uplift meant / glories of another devotee. If we feel envy, then we are diseased.

- HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj