December | 2022 | The Hare Krishna Movement

The Gifts of His Divine Grace

28 Dec 2022 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, bhagavad-gita, chanting Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krsna, krsna consciousness, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada

Excerpted from Back to Godhead Magazine

Vol 13, Number 102, 1978

In just a dozen years His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada gave the world a legacy that will last forever.

by Jayadvaita dasa

samsara-davanala-lidha-loka-
tranaya karunya-ghanaghanatvam
praptasya kalyana-gunarnavasya
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam

“The spiritual master is receiving benediction from the ocean of mercy. Just as a cloud pours water on a forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master delivers the materially afflicted world by extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master.”

The Vedic teachers compare the material world in which we live to a forest fire. Although no one wants a forest fire, sometimes a fire spontaneously takes place in the forest, inflicting suffering on the helpless creatures who live there. But if, by the grace of God, storm clouds gather and shower their water, drenching the forest with rain, the forest and its creatures are saved. Similarly, when a bonafide spiritual master, by the grace of Krsna, showers upon human society the benediction of Krsna consciousness, that benediction can save us from the eternal problems of material ignorance and suffering and give us the chance to return to our real life of eternal bliss and knowledge in the service of Krsna. We should therefore glorify and offer our respectful homage unto the lotus feet of such a bona fide spiritual master.

Watering the Root

08 Dec 2022 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krishna Consciousness Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krishna, Krsna, krsna consciousness, Srimad Bhagavatam

Just make Krsna the center and work for Him. Then everyone will be satisfied. As it is stated in the Fourth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam:

yatha taror mula-nisecanena
trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah
pranopaharac ca yathendriyanam
tathaiva sarvarhanam acyutejya

As pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches, twigs and everything else, and as supplying food to the stomach enlivens the senses and limbs of the body, simply worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service automatically satisfies the demigods, who are parts of that Supreme Personality. (SB 4.31.14)

If you simply pour water on the root of a tree, all the branches, twigs, leaves, and flowers will be nourished. Similarly, everyone can be satisfied simply by acyutejya. Acutya means Krsna, and ijya means worship… So this is the formula: make Krsna (God) the center and do everything for Him. There are no classes in our International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Now you are writing philosophy, but if I want you to wash dishes, you will do so immediately because you know that whatever you do, you are working for Krsna and for your spiritual master. In the material world different kinds of work have different values, but in Krsna consciousness everything is done on the absolute platform. Whether you wash dishes or write books or worship the Deity, the value is the same because you are serving Krsna. That is a classless society. Actually, the perfect classless society is Vrndavana. In Vrndavana, some are cowherd boys, some are cows, some are trees, some are fathers, some are mothers, but the center is Krsna, and everyone is satisfied simply by loving Him. When all people become Krsna conscious and they understand how to love Him, then there will be a classless society. Otherwise it is not possible.: if one is engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, everything is automatically accomplished.

Who Do We Have to Thank?

08 Dec 2022 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Jack Lord, Krishna, Krishna Consciousness Movement, Krsna Tags: Hare Krishna, Krishna, youtube

Chanting Hare Krishna

04 Dec 2022 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, chanting, Chanting Hare Krishna, Maha-mantra Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, chanting Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krsna, Srila Prabhupada

The Meaning of the Hare Krishna Mantra

Lecture on Maha-mantra New York, September 8, 1966

By His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Prabhupada: Now, some of you members have asked me to explain the meaning of this chanting, Hare Krishna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Now, this sound is transcendental sound, transcendental sound, incarnation, sound incarnation of the Absolute Truth…

So this sound, this Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, is the sound representation of the Supreme Lord. The sarvam khalv idam brahma. The whole thing, either material or spiritual, whatever we have got experience, nothing is separated from the Supreme Absolute Truth. Nothing is separated. Everything has emanated from the Absolute Truth.

George Harrison

03 Dec 2022 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, George Harrison, Krsna, Krsna Consciousness, Sriman George Harrison Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Georgr Harrison, Iskcon, Krishna, Srila Prabhupada

“I am always a bit dubious about organizations and since the Swami left the planet it does seem to be chaotic, with all kinds of guys thinking they’re the gurus. To me, it’s not important to be a guru, it’s more important just to be, to learn humility.”

(George Harrison interview with BP Fallon, The Sunday Tribune, October 18th, 1987)

Just before Srila Prabhupada left this world in 1977, he removed the ring on his right hand and said to the disciples around him, ‘This is for George, give it to him.’

Prajna Earth

03 Dec 2022 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Buddha, Holy Places of Pilgrimage, India Tags: Angkor Wat, bali, Cambodia, Java, PBS America, Prajna Earth

A friend shared this with me. It is a very beautiful documentary on a place I have always wanted to visit; Angkor Wat, is Cambodia. It also explores the Island Nations of Bali and Java.