Can we dream of Krishna?

Can we dream of Krishna? (HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, 17th May 2012) Lecture: House program It is said that Arjuna was gudakesha – the one who was the conqueror of sleep. He was known as gudakesha, because it is said that he was always chanting! But then Arjuna was found sleeping. So they asked: 'How is he always chanting, when he is sometimes sleeping?' No, even when he is sleeping, he is chanting. It's like how do we know? You can listen to his hair. His hair is chanting. Therefore he was gudakesha – the conqueror of sleep because he was always chanting. But we also sometimes have that, when you are chanting a lot – 12 hour kirtan or something like that, then you go to bed, and the next morning when you wake up and the tune is still playing in your head. The same tune has been playing the whole night! While you were sleeping the whole night the melody kept on playing! So we are also experiencing it like that – chanting in our sleep. So we become conqueror of sleep. Balarama was also one who was the conqueror of sleep. While Balarama was sleeping he said: 'Krishna, Krishna how long are you going to play with this demon Kaliya. Why don't you just kill him all at once! Dispose of him right now!' The anxiety is too much, so even in his dream Balarama was always absorbed too much in Krishna Consciousness. Prabhupada simply told us: 'Every night take some milk for the finer brain tissue and then read a little from The Krishna book. At least fifteen minutes reading from the Krishna book.' And it used to be, well that was sort of the practice every night. Prabhupada said: 'Then you will dream of Krishna!'

Caught in so many material things = forgetful of Krishna Posted: 30 May 2012 02:11 PM PDT (HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, Sydney, Australia, 13th May 2012) Lecture: SB 5.11.14 Krishna says: 'Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca' (Bg 15.15) – I'm in the heart of all living beings, and from me comes remembrance and forgetfulness. So if we want to forget Krishna, He will help us to forget Him. So be careful. If you really want to forget Him, then Krishna will make us forget him. He will allow us to forget Him, 'Yes have this. You want it? Yes, have it. You want it all? Yes have that also. Still not enough? You are not satisfied? Still you need more.' 'I need.' 'Take it. Yes you can get it. Yes there is more.' Until we get caught in so many material things and totally forget Krishna!

Respect - The Fabric of every Relationship

SB 5.5.26: TRANSLATION My dear sons, you should not envy any living entity - be he moving or nonmoving. Knowing that I am situated in them, you should offer respect to all of them at every moment. In this way, you offer respect to Me.

PURPORT In this verse the word vivikta-drgbhih, meaning without envy, is used. All living entities are the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His Paramatma feature. As confirmed in Brahma-samhita: andantara-stham paramanu-cayantara-stham. The Lord is situated in this universe as Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu. He is also situated within every atom. According to the Vedic statement: isavasyam idam sarvam. The Supreme Lord is situated everywhere, and wherever He is situated is His temple. We even offer respects to a temple from a distant place, and all living entities should similarly be offered respect. This is different from the theory of pantheism, which holds that everything is God. Everything has a relationship with God because God is situated everywhere. We should not make any particular distinction between the poor and the rich like the foolish worshipers of daridra-narayana. Narayana is present in the rich as well as the poor. One should not simply think Narayana is situated among the poor. He is everywhere. An advanced devotee will offer respects to everyone” even to cats and dogs. (Also see Caitanya Caritamrta Mad 15.106-111 )

Six Essential Qualifications of Good Disciple

Srimad Rahasyatrayasara by Sri Vedanta Deshika

Six Essential Qualifications for a Good Disciple
1. The disciple should have the highest devotion for his guru.
2. The wise disciple spreads the good name and fame of his guru to others.
3. The good disciple takes care of the guru's property and his possessions.
4. The good disciple protects his guru's teachings with a view to transferring them to a worthy disciple of his own.
5. The good disciple is always grateful to his guru.
6. The good disciple leads a pure life untainted by wrong habits and practices. Indeed, he should have the eight virtues of the soul spoken of by the sage Gautama: Compassion, Patience, Contentment, Purity, Earnest Endeavor, Noble Thoughts, Absence of Greed, and Absence of Envy.

Remembering Hladini Mataji

“For Hladini, taking care of others was always a pleasure. That’s what she gave her life for – taking care of others.”

Now some time after Mother Hladini left this planet, Vahna, her husband, found this 2 page, hand written letter among other things that he’d kept, like photos , etc.

(reflecting what a great personality she is…)

Dearest Srila Prabhupada,

I beg You, please accept my most humble obeisances at Your Divine Lotus Feet.

I have; after receiving so much mercy, after being rescued from the empty cold platform of material existence, fallen prey to the overpowering illusion that I can enjoy. It’s as if I’ve forgotten everything, a cloud of insanity-”My turn, Krsna.” It breeds from a platform of comfort. Sudama Brahmin could be comfortable and not wish to dethrone the king.

I can’t stand this consciousness. Srila Prabhupada, I want to be a servant-a good one- unconscious of me. Srila Prabhupada I’ve neglected my medicine haphazardly (obviously) thinking- I needed it no more-”How healthy I am-I can relax”. Now I am raging with fever-Embarassed to come back to the doctor due to my disregard for his selfless help.

Please Srila Prabhupada, help me become a serious disciple. Help me go back to a life of austerity, a life of remembering my service I’ve forgotten due to this impure desire. Please let it be gone.

Every second there is a choice: “Which energy do you want????” Maya is so quick to satisfy, but so quick to burn You are not cheap-but how much it is so worth it? Why am I so foolish-stubborn, stupid. Let me hear what You’re saying. Let me follow cent-per-cent. You’ve given me everything- You are my true father. My true deliverer-my greatest friend.

Dear Srila Prabhupada I am the greatest rascal, I only want to become a pure servant. Please don’t kick me away, but give me another chance. I’ll try so hard to be good.

Oct. 13th is Kartika. The gopis worshiped Durga for Krsna as their husband. They ate rice and moong bearns and prayed everyday for a month. Everything I do is motivated, but Prabhupada let me try to offer this austerity to try and gain control of these raging senses. Dear Prabhupada-all I want is Krsna-Please guide me on the right path-I have no desire on my own. You are my strength, my desire.

The road is there straight & clearly marked-though the detours seem easier and more pleasurable- keep my intelligence firm-Thank You. I have this immense loving propensity; let me repose it at Your divine feet.

Finding the satisfaction of the Heart!

"The whole world is full of questions and answers. The birds, beasts and men are all busy in the matter of perpetual questions and answers...Although they go on making such questions and answers for their whole lives, they are not at all satisfied. Satisfaction of the soul can only be obtained by questions and answers on the subject of Krishna."

-- Purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.5

Eagerness to Hear

 

Even if we start with enthusiasm, sincerity, and a burst of eagerness to go for the real thing, the tendency is that somewhere down the line the standard somehow starts to sag. Then, “Whoa!….I need a vacation. I surrendered a lot prabhu. I need alittle sense gratification.” The spirit of ever striving to reach Krishna is eagerness. Niviṣṭah: it is through the ear, receiving Krishna. And if we are receiving that signal, that transcendental vibration enlivens the heart. It transforms the heart. But one can hear the same message and be like stone, very hard.

 

 - Adapted from a lecture given by His Holiness Romapada Swami on SB 1.3.44, given on January 6, 2008 in Brooklyn

Deepening our Relationship with the Holy Name!

What is important, of course, is the effort one makes in chanting, but receiving the holy name is also very important. It is a relationship, and we should want to deepen that relationship with Krsna and the holy name. When we make a commitment to a person, then there is both what we extend and what we receive -- the give and take. In our case, we are with Krsna and we are offering some service. So in our relationship with the holy name, the mood of service is very important. Simply chant as a service to the holy name. When we do that, what does the holy name do in turn? We should be ready to receive that which Krsna in the form of the holy name is extending to us. And we should be very open to whatever that is, because it is a relationship. We should especially bear in mind that the relationship with God is always on His terms. He is always the master and we are His servants.

Establish the relationship, or uncover and deepen that relationship we already have in this receptive mood, because many mysteries happen when we chant like that. The journey with the holy name itself is very mysterious. The theme of all of these is that our relationship with the holy name is deepening, even when the reciprocation is not necessarily according to our expectation. Sometimes it seems very painful to see devotees struggle, being in a valley while chanting, but that is also a relationship if we regard the situation properly.

We all can pray like this: "I am ready, on Your terms Krsna, please show me the way through this chanting of Your holy name that I can find myself more close to You in a deeper sense of relationship and connectiveness with You in the form of Your holy name". So be in the mode of receiving and be committed to the relationship with the holy name.

-- From a lecture by HH Romapada Swami titled 'Entering the Mood of the Retreat' during a Japa Retreat, delivered on September 2008 in Gita Nagari, Pennsylvania, US.

Chant from the Heart!

It is going to be pretty difficult when one is about to die, because everything breaks down and there’s so much pain and heat. The mind does not function. It cannot be like completing your rounds; it has to be from the heart. So we can practice chanting from the heart, because when the body is not working, and the mind is not working, and everything is too much overwhelming, it has to come from the soul itself. Govinda!

Adapted from a lecture given by His Holiness Romapada Swami on SB 1.3.41-42, given on March 1, 2008 in Hoffman Estates

Eagerness to Receive

We have two main categories of service to Srila Prabhupada and Krishna: receiving and giving. Receive that gift of Krishna in the form of the holy name, in the form of these literary incarnations of Krishna. Prabhupada writes that eagerness to receive sustains our enthusiasm to reach Krishna and places us on the spiritual platform. We therefore must accept Srimad-Bhagavatam as the direct representation of Lord Krishna. One who can see Srimad-Bhagavatam can also see Lord Krishna in person. They are identical. We have our Deity form of Radha-Govinda. We have our literary form of Srimad-Bhagavatam. We have the name, the sound form of Krishna. What fortune! We have the association of devotees. We are so fortunate to be in such association. Try it for a while without such association of devotees! We don’t recommend it, but if that happens, one will start to appreciate the association of devotees a whole lot more! And we have the holy dhama, the places where Krishna performs His pastimes. The most sacred powerful things!

Adapted from a lecture given by His Holiness Romapada Swami on Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.44, given on January 6, 2008 in Brooklyn

Satisfaction of the Lord

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.15.20: The Supreme Personality of Godhead is worshiped by the great demigods, controllers of universal affairs. When He is satisfied, nothing is impossible to achieve. For this reason all the demigods, presiding deities of different planets, as well as the inhabitants of their planets, take great pleasure in offering all kinds of paraphernalia for His worship.

PURPORT

All Vedic civilization is summarized in this verse: all living entities, either on this planet or on other planets, have to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead by their respective duties. When He is satisfied, all necessities of life are automatically supplied. In the Vedas it is also stated: eko bahūnāḿ yo vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). From the Vedas we understand that He is supplying everyone's necessities, and we can actually see that the lower animals, the birds and the bees, have no business or profession, yet they are not dying for want of food. They are all living in nature's way, and they all have the necessities of life provided — namely eating, sleeping, mating and defending.

Human society, however, has artificially created a type of civilization which makes one forgetful of his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Modern society even enables one to forget the Supreme Personality of Godhead's grace and mercy. Consequently modern civilized man is always unhappy and in need of things. People do not know that the ultimate goal of life is to approach Lord Viṣṇu and satisfy Him. They have taken this materialistic way of life as everything and have become captivated by materialistic activities. Indeed, their leaders are always encouraging them to follow this path, and the general populace, being ignorant of the laws of God, are following their blind leaders down the path of unhappiness. In order to rectify this world situation, all people should be trained in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and act in accordance with the varṇāśrama system. The state should also see that the people are engaged in satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the primary duty of the state. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started to convince the general populace to adopt the best process by which to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus solve all problems.