28 Jun 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Care for Cows, Cow Protection, Devotee's, Kurma Rupa das
Tags: Care For Cows, careforcows, cow protection, cows, Kurma Rupa das
Kurma Rupa Prabhu Passes
Kurma Rupa left us on the morning of Sunday 28 June, Ekadasi-tirtha in the Vaishnava calendar, in the most auspicious month of Purushottama, in the sacred land of Vrindavan.
Kurma Rupa is always overcome with bliss and love, an affectionate and kind soul who will be missed. We bow down to him, salute his sacrifices, honour his legacy, and lament his leaving us. Thank you, my dear friend, from all of us…
Visit the cows online, and support Kurma’s legacy:
http://www.careforcows.org
Untill The Cows Come Home
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27 Jun 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Ekadasi
Tags: ekadasi, fasting, fasting from grains and beans on ekadasi, observing fasting on ekadasi
Today is Padmini Ekadasi. We honor it by fasting from grains and beans. The following I found in my mailbox this morning, submitted by Vidura Prabhu.
“In the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa it is said that one who observes fasting on Ekādaśī day is freed from all kinds of reactions to sinful activities and advances in pious life. The basic principle is not just to fast, but to increase one’s faith and love for Govinda, or Kṛṣṇa. The real reason for observing fasting on Ekādaśī is to minimize the demands of the body and to engage our time in the service of the Lord by chanting or performing similar service. The best thing to do on fasting days is to remember the pastimes of Govinda and to hear His holy name constantly.” (NoD 7: Evidence Regarding Devotional Principles : Observing Fasting on Ekadasi)
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27 Jun 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Diksha, Disciplic succession, Guru & Disciple, guru-tattva, Hencefoward, July 9th Letter
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Acharya, disciples, diska, guru disciple, Initiation, initiation system in Iskcon, initiations ceremonies, Iskcon, officiating acharyas, ritvik, ritvik representatives, Satsvarupa das Goswami, Srila Prabhupoada, Tamal Krishna Goswami
There is an ongoing debate on how initiations were to go on after Srila Prabhupada’s physical disappearance. Many devotees don’t like to talk about it or think about it, so conditioned are we to accept the status quo. But I think it is important not to turn a blind eye on the issue of initiation, and how it was meant to go on, as initiation (accepting a spiritual master), is a very important step in progressing in spiritual life. Success in spiritual life is in following the instructions of the spiritual master. So for the sake of keeping the very important issue alive we present the following post that we saw recently on the Prabhupada News website.
It is widely known that Srila Prabhupada instituted a ritvik or representative (proxy) initiation system throughout ISKCON as early as 1971 in order to meet the growing need to initiate his disciples worldwide. However what is not widely known is that he instructed his disciples to continue initiating new disciples on his behalf even after his physical disappearance.
He called those disciples who performed the initiation ceremonies ritvik representatives of the acharya (officiating acharyas). Below are quotes directly from Srila Prabhupada for the evidence of these instructions as well as explanations, philosophical insights, and historical background.
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26 Jun 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam, Srimad Bhagavatam Index
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Jan Alexander, Krsna, Srimad Bhagavatam, Srimad-Bhagavatam Index, Supreme Personality of Godhead, Topical Guide
Sometime back one of our readers submitted this Index on the Srimad-Bhagavatam, and asked if I could post it. It is truly a very impressive piece of work, and represents a great deal of time and study. We applaud the effort that Jan has put into this Index, and with great pleasure we post it here, in the hopes that others can benefit.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Index, Notes, Topical Guide
compiled by Jan Alexander
This was written to help me find, understand and remember the massive truth found in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Every abbrieviated, shortened, misused, form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s name, fame, and pastimes is just in attempt to cram the Srimad-Bhagavatam into this being that I am. I hope that this will be of great help to others who are studying the Srimad-Bhagavatam. I offer this handful of rice to the Lord.
– Jan Alexander
This file is so large we will have to post it in parts. This Third part is letters L – P
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20 Jun 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Lectures, Nectar of Devotion Lecture
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Narayana, Nectar of Devotion Lecture, prabhupada, Pradyumna das, Vaikuntha, yamadutas, Yamaraja
click on image to enlarge
The Nectar of Devotion Lecture
given by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Vṛndāvana, October 19, 1972
Pradyumna: (reading) “…happiness immediately terminates with his body as long as his life, as soon as his life is over. Death is therefore taken as the representative of God for the atheistic class of men. The devotee realizes the presence of God by devotional service, whereas the atheist realizes the presence of God in the shape of death.”
Prabhupāda: Yes. This point we have discussed last night that everyone can see God. To see God is not very difficult job. There are so many points described in the Bhagavad-gītā. For the devotees, those who are serious about seeing God, they can see God. God is present everywhere. And God Himself, Kṛṣṇa, is describing, raso ‘ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ [Bg. 7.8]. So everyone drinks water. Now Kṛṣṇa says, “The taste of the water, I am.” So who has not tasted the water? Everyone drinks water at least four times, five times. So as soon as you drink water, the taste of the water is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, “I am this.” Kṛṣṇa has described Himself in so many ways. “Amongst the trees, I am this. Amongst the aquatics, I am this. Amongst the nonmovable, I am this.” So why not see God in that way? The atheist class of men, they say, “Can you show me God?” So why don’t you see God? Why you close your eyes? If you have got eyes to see, you can see God everywhere.
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12 Jun 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Absolute Truth, approaching a fona fide spiritual master, Bg 13.8-12, bhagavad-gita, cleanliness, humility, knowledge, nonviolence, pridelessness, renunciation, self-control, sense gratification, simplicity, steadiness, tolerance
Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth-all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.
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08 Jun 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Brahmananda das, Guru & Disciple
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Brahmananda dasa, leaving vrindavan, Sriman Brahmananda Prabhu, Vrindavan Dham
Brahmananda das Departs
We are sad to report the departure of Sriman Brahmananda Prabhu, on of the very first disciples of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He was well loved by many.
The following is a report from the Sampradaya Sun News and a letter that arrived in my mailbox this morning from Aprakrita Dasa, reporting the news.
Jun 07, 2015 — CANADA (SUN) — We have received news of the departure of Brahmananda das (ACBSP), who left his body in Vrindavan-dham earlier today. Brahmananda Prabhu (Bruce Scharf) joined Srila Prabhupada in New York in September 1966, as one of Prabhupada’s first disciples in New York. He was ISKCON’s first temple president.
Brahmananda was involved in nearly all aspects of Srila Prabhupada’s early preaching mission, from Ratha yatra to harinam and book sankirtan, and publishing the first issues of Back to Godhead magazine. He also arranged many lectures and meetings for Srila Prabhupada.
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05 Jun 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Chanting Hare Krishna, Devotee's, Hansadutta das, Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, Mantra Meditation
Tags: books by Srila Prabhupada, chanting, chanting Hare Krishna, Handadutta das, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna Maha-mantra, holy name of Krsna, mantra meditation, philosophy of Krsna Consciousness, Srila Prabhupada
I have been going through my older files of late, and ran across this fine article posted by Hansadutta Prabhu some years ago on his site Krsna World.
Although Srila Prabhupada wrote many books, he one day asked me, “So why did I write all these books?” I said, “So we can know the philosophy, learn the philosophy.” He said, “No, the purpose of all these books is to convince you to chant the holy name of Krishna.”
The Holy Name Is All There Is
by Hansadutta das
Chanting is exactly like the simple method of inhaling and exhaling. Although it seems like a very simple act, it is nevertheless the essence of the whole thing. Without that inhaling and exhaling, none of the other activities can take place. We also understand that no one simply inhales and exhales, but all the other activities are supportive of the inhaling and exhaling.
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04 Jun 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Devotee's, Guru & Disciple, guru-tattva, Madhudvisa das, Spiritual Master
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, devotee, disciple, guru, Iskcon, Krishna, Madhudvisa das, prabhupada, pure devotee, quotes by Srila Prabhupada, spiritual master
click on image to enlarge
The following is a very nice post written by Madhudvisa Prabhu, it is heavy, but is backed up by scripture and quotes by Srila Prabhupada himself. It was worth my time reading, and thus I share it with all of you. Hare Krishna!
The Guru Is A Pure Devotee!
by Madhudvisa dasa
During Srila Prabhupada’s physical presence there was no confusion in ISKCON over the qualifications and qualities of a bona fide guru. Srila Prabhupada was personally present and he exhibited all the qualities perfectly and all the devotees understood the spiritual master was a pure devotee. That’s what Srila Prabhupada demonstrated by his personal actions, that’s what he wrote in his books, that’s what he preached in his classes and that’s what the devotees understood and accepted. The spiritual master is a transparent via-medium to Krishna. His words are non-different from Krishna’s, hearing him is just as good as hearing Krishna personally. And his words are absolute and perfect because he is not presenting his own ideas, he is simply repeating what Krishna and the previous acaryas have said in a way suitable for the understanding of the audience. He’s not changing the message, adulterating it or adding in any ideas of his own, he’s presenting Krishna’s words and Krishna’s philosophy AS IT IS.
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