10 Jan 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Difficulties, Krsna Consciousness, Letters by Srila Prabhupada
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, chant Hare Krishna, compression, depression, difficulities, difficult, guru disciple, krsna consciousness, letters by prabhupada, rectification, repression, the material world
Sometimes when people take to Krsna Consciousness, they think that automatically, all their problems and difficulties will be solved, but unfortunately this is not the immediate case, as the letters from Srila Prabhupada to his disciples so vividly indicate. I was listening to one lecture where Srila Prabhupada was saying “…in this material world there will always be difficulties. This material world was designed in such a way that there will always be difficulties.” I went through some of the letters and highlighted where Srila Prabhupada used the word difficulties. It was interesting to read how he explained about these difficulties.
“Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 27, 1973. I can understand that you are sometimes experiencing difficulties but that you are very sincerely trying to become Krsna Conscious and that you have a number of persons there who are interested in your presentation of Krsna Consciousness. Actually this material world is full of suffering conditions and the only way to become free from these sufferings which are due to past sinful activities is to chant Hare Krsna. In this age no other method of rectification is possible. Along with the chanting of Hare Krsna we have to rigidly observe the prohibition of four sinful activities. If only these things we can do our lives can become perfect. I think you have my books so please study them carefully.” (Letter to: Bhumata — Los Angeles 2 January, 1974)
And in this one famous letter he wrote to Gurudas Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada descrbes his own difficulties in starting this Hare Krishna Movement.
My dear Gurudasa,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 23, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. Do not be depressed. All along my godbrothers gave me only depression, repression, compression—but I continued strong in my duty. So never mind there is some discouragement, continue with your work in full enthusiastic Krishna Consciousness attitude of service…
Hoping this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
The following are the letters that Srila Prabhupada wrote to his disciples wherein he uses the word difficulties. More
09 Jan 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Prahlada Maharaja, Srila Prabhupada's Books, Srimad Bhagavatam
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, books by Srila Prabhupada, even though irregularly composed, fame, form and pastimes of the unlimited Supreme Lord, impious life, kaumara acaret pranjo, misdirected civilization, Preface to Srimad Bhagavatam, SB.7.6.1, sri prahrada uvaca, Srimad Bhagavatam, that literature which is full with descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, transcendental literature
It seems that every time I start a new volume of the Srimad Bhagavatam, I open it and read the Preface first. I must have read the preface now many times, but every time I read it, it seems fresh and new. One could argue that it because my memory is poor, or, that is just the nature of transcendental literature. But what is interesting is to me this morning, is how I never looked up the verse that Srila Prabhupada quotes in his Preface:
kaumāra ācaret prājñodharmān bhāgavatān ihadurlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janmatad apy adhruvam arthadam (Bhāg. 7.6.1)
This morning I was curious, so I went to the Seventh Canto, Chapter 6, Text 1, and it read:
Prahlāda Mahārāja said: One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life—in other words, from the tender age of childhood—to practice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements. The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can give one complete perfection.
Full text and purport follows the Preface More
08 Jan 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavata Dharma Discourses, Srimad Bhagavatam
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Bhagavata Dharma Discourses, dharma means to become a devotee, dharmic life, hindu dharma, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, lectures on the Srimad Bhagavatam, liberation, New Vrindavan 1972, occupational engagements, philosophers, religious life, scientists, Vedic literature
This concludes our series on the “Bhagavata Dharma Discourses” at New Vrindavan in 1972.
…So this Bhāgavata discourse is meant for giving enlightenment to the people of the world. It is not a sectarian religion; it is meant for all human beings. They should take advantage of the instruction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, and make their life perfect. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Lecture
Given by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
New Vrindaban, September 7, 1972
Canto One, Chapter 2, Text 9
Full Lecture More
07 Jan 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Giriraja Swami, Guru & Disciple, guru-tattva, Remembering Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada vani, Vyasasan das
Tags: devotional service, disciple, giriraj swami, Godbrothers, guru, guru and disciple, guru tattva, Krishna, prabhupada, Remembering Srila Prabhupada, service to guru, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, Vyasasan das, Watering the Seed
Recently I was staying at a friends house, and in the room where I was spending the night there was one book by Giriraj Swami entitled “Watering the Seed”. I happened to open it and began reading from the Preface:
…from that first meeting with Srila Prabhupada, my whole life’s purpose became to bring people to meet Srila Prabhupada. And I was able to do that for many years. But when he passed away, I wondered ‘what will be my service now?’. My whole service had been to bring people to Srila Prabhupada.
Now I understand that Srila Prabhupada is always present, and that by speaking of him, hearing about him, remembering him, and, most significantly, by studying his books and following his instructions, we can experience his presence. So I can continue doing what I was doing when he was personally present-introducing soul’s to Srila Prabhupada-and that is what I feel most natural doing. Because I know that somehow or other, if someone comes in touch with Srila Prabhupada, his life will become successful. (Watering the Seed, Preface)
Now, I am always encouraged when I hear my Godbrothers speaking in this way, because this is how I have always felt, and continue to feel. That my main purpose, as a disciple, is to bring people to Srila Prabhupada, and there-by bringing them to Krishna.
06 Jan 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Surya Namaskara, Yoga, Yogi
Tags: activates digestion, bhakti yoga, blood oxygenated, hatha yoga, sun salutation, surya namaskara, suryanamaskara, Synchronizing breath with movement, yoga
Sun Salutation A by Neil Keleher
I heard an interesting fact the other day. That the Number 1 New Year’s Resolution each year is to; “Get Healthy” and/or “Lose Weight”. I usually try to make this my number two, followed by my usual No. 1, which is to read and chant more. Hatha yoga is not something I promote as a means to self realization or increasing God consciousness, for that there is the higher practice of bhakti-yoga, but it is effective in this age for maintaining some semblance of good health and circulation.
This body is our temple, so keeping it clean, strong and healthy, is our duty and responsibility. With this in mind I share with all of you, this nice description of the sun salutation and overview of some the movements. The bulk of this post including the nice images, came from the web page Sensational Yoga Poses so thank you to Neil Keleher for some of the text and drawings.
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06 Jan 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Chapter a Day, Srimad Bhagavatam
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, accepting the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, Asvatthama, atomic bomb, Bhaktivedanta purports, Brahma, brahmastra, causless mercy, chad, chapter a day, chaste, creation of material world, existing, Krsna, Maharaja Pariksit, material world, satim, SB. 2.4, spiritual master, Srimad Bhagavatam, Sukadiva Gosvami, Suta Gosvami, suta uvaca, the process of creation, uttara
click on image to enlarge
As we continue to update our (one of our other sites) Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by posting a chapter at a time, of that great literary work by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, we will continue to share the progress with our readers here at The Hare Krishna Movement.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Canto Two, Chapter Four
The Process of Creation
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01 Jan 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Goloka Vrndaban, Spiritual World, Transcendental Knowledge, Yoga, Yogi
Tags: Bg 6.15, Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1972 Edition, bhakti yoga, brahmajyoti, cessation of material existence, Goloka Vrndavana, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, kingdom of God, Krsna, mystic transcendentalist, Prabhupada books, Sankhya-yoga, supreme abode, yoga
With the beginning of a new year, I am always apt to take up my studies with renewed enthusiasm, a resolution and firmness of purpose, to read more from Srila Prabhupada’s books, and to delve more deeply into the practice of bhakti-yoga. This morning I was reading about the spiritual sky; Goloka Vṛndāvana.
The abode of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, Fifteenth Chapter, sixth verse:
na tad bhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ
yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama
“That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. And anyone who reaches it never comes back to this material world.” (Bg. 15.6)
This verse gives a description of that eternal sky. Of course we have a material conception of the sky, and we think of it in relationship to the sun, moon, stars and so on, but in this verse the Lord states that in the eternal sky there is no need for the sun nor for the moon nor fire of any kind because the spiritual sky is already illuminated by the brahmajyoti, the rays emanating from the Supreme Lord. We are trying with difficulty to reach other planets, but it is not difficult to understand the abode of the Supreme Lord. This abode is referred to as Goloka. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is beautifully described: Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. The Lord resides eternally in His abode Goloka, yet He can be approached from this world, and to this end the Lord comes to manifest His real form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. When He manifests this form, there is no need for our imagining what He looks like. To discourage such imaginative speculation, He descends and exhibits Himself as He is, as Śyāmasundara. Unfortunately, the less intelligent deride Him because He comes as one of us and plays with us as a human being. But because of this we should not consider that the Lord is one of us. It is by His potency that He presents Himself in His real form before us and displays His pastimes, which are prototypes of those pastimes found in His abode. (from Introduction to the Bhagavad-gita As It Is)
…The ultimate goal in practicing yoga is now clearly explained. Yoga practice is not meant for attaining any kind of material facility; it is to enable the cessation of all material existence. One who seeks an improvement in health or aspires after material perfection is no yogī according to Bhagavad-gītā. Nor does cessation of material existence entail one’s entering into “the void,” which is only a myth. There is no void anywhere within the creation of the Lord. Rather, the cessation of material existence enables one to enter into the spiritual sky, the abode of the Lord. (from purport to Bg 6.15)
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31 Dec 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Time
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bg. 11.32, destroyer of the worlds, Happy New Year, I am also inexhaustable time, I am time, New Year 2015, the blessed Lord said, Time, Time I Am
The Blessed Lord said: Time I am… (Bg. 11.32)
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31 Dec 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavata Dharma Discourses, New Vrindavan, Srimad Bhagavatam, Srimad Bhagavatam
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada New Vrindaban, atheist class, Bhagavata Dharma Discourses at New Vrindavan, Bible or Veda or Koran, dharmah svansthitah pumsam, God, grhamedhi, human society, information of the soul, Krsna, New Vrindavan, religious institution, SB 1.2.8
Srila Prabhupada at New Vrindavan West Virginia
Continuning with our “Bhagavata Dharma Discourses” series given at New Vrindavan, 1972.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Lecture
Given by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Canto One, Chapter 2, Text 8
New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972
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29 Dec 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Arrival Lecture
Tags: arrival address, Arrival Lecture, Bhaktisiddhanta Thakura, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, chanting Hare Krishna, every town and village. His name as Krsna Caitanya, Krsna, Krsna's servant, My name will be broadcast, six gosvamis, Spiritual world, Srila Prabhupada lecture
click on image to enlarge
Arrival Lecture
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Los Angeles, May 18, 1972
To hear the Lecture
Prabhupada: (airport noises) (leads Prema-dhvani; says “Los Angeles bhakta-vrnda ki jaya!”) So my dear boys and girls, about six years ago I came to your country single-handed, with this pair of cymbals. Now you are so many chanting Hare Krsna. That is my success. It was the prediction of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra pracara hoibe mora nama
Lord Caitanya desired that “In all the towns, in as many towns and villages as there are on the surface of the globe, My name will be broadcast.” He is Krsna Himself, svayam krsna, krsna caitanya-namine, simply changing His name as Krsna Caitanya. So His prediction will never go in vain. That’s a fact. So my plan was that “I shall go to America. America is the leading country of the world. If I can convince (the) younger generation of America, they will take up.” I am old man. I came here at the age of seventy years; now I am seventy-six. So my warning is already there. In nineteen hundred and seventy-one, I had a severe heart attack. You know, all. So the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu is now in your hands. You are American boys and girls, very intelligent and graced by Krsna. You are not poverty-stricken. You have enough resources, prestige. Everything materially, you are all well-equipped. If you kindly take this Krsna consciousness movement seriously, your country will be saved, and the whole world will be saved.
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27 Dec 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Phalgun Krishna Pancami, Poetry of Srila Prabhupada, Vyas-puja
Tags: A.C. Bhaktiveanta Swami Prabhupada, abundant milk, ecstasy of the glories of Hari, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, milk laden cows, Phalgun Krishna Pancami, qualities of a Vaishnava, Vaishnava kingdom, Vrindavana Radha Damodara
Srila 108 Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur
The following is an offering of prayers glorifying special characteristics of Srila 108 Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur. Presented on the commemoration of his appearance at the Radha-Damodara temple, Vrindavan, India in 1961, by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada . Very important instructions.
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27 Dec 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krishna Nectar, Nectar of Devotion
Tags: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhuapada, bluish cloud, bluish hue of a cloud, bodily features of Krsna, devotee, ecstatic love, Krishna, Krsna, Nectar of Devotion, personal feature of Lord Krsna, remembering Krsna, Srimati Radharani
Attraction and Remembrance
“My dear friend, I was just going to the bank of the Yamunā, and all of a sudden a very nice boy whose complexion is like a dark blue cloud became visible in front of My eyes. He glanced over Me in a way that I cannot describe. But since this has occurred, I am sorry that I can no longer engage My mind in the duties of My household affairs.” This is an instance of preliminary attraction for Kṛṣṇa. (Nectar of Devotion Chapter 44)
Once while Kṛṣṇa was out walking, one of the associates of Rādhārāṇī told Her: “My dear friend, do You think that this walking personality is a tāmala tree? If He is a tāmala tree, then how is it possible for Him to walk and be so beautiful? Then, this personality might be a cloud. But if He’s a cloud, then where is the beautiful moon within? Under the circumstances, I think it may be granted that this person is the same enchanting Personality of Godhead by whose flute vibration the three worlds are captivated. He must be the same Mukunda who is standing before Govardhan Hill.” This is another instance of an argumentative presentation of ecstatic love. (NOD Chapter 30)
One devotee said that even when he was not very attentive he would sometimes, seemingly out of madness, remember the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa within his heart. This is an instance of remembrance resulting from constant practice. In other words, devotees who are constantly thinking of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, even if they are momentarily inattentive, will see the figure of Lord Kṛṣṇa appearing within their hearts.
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24 Dec 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhakti-latā-bīja, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Guru & Disciple, guru-tattva, Spiritual Master, Srila Prabhupada
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, bhakti-lata creeper, devotional creeper, guru, Krishna Consciousness Society, Madhya 19.157, neophyte devotee, non devotees, powerful elephant of offenses, pseudo devotees, pure devotees, Spiritual Life, spiritual master, spiritual masters instructions, Srila Prabhupada
ckick on image to enlarge
“…If one thinks that there are many pseudo devotees or nondevotees in the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society, one can keep direct company with the spiritual master, and if there is any doubt, one should consult the spiritual master. However, unless one follows the spiritual master’s instructions and the regulative principles governing chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord, one cannot become a pure devotee. By one’s mental concoctions, one falls down… (CC Madhya 19.157 purport)
Full verse and purport More
23 Dec 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, BTG magizine, Hayagriva das, Prabhupada, The Hare Krishna Explosion
Tags: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Pabhupada, Back to Godhead Magazine, East Village hippies, Golden Gate Park, Haight Ashbury, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna Mantra, hayagriva das, hippies, Lower East Side, New Vrindaban, Old Vrindaban, Stay High Forever, the hare krishna explosion
I enjoy reading and re-reading to old issues of Back to Godhead Magazine. And it seems the older the issue the more relishable the content, as is the case with this 1969 issue…
The Hare Krishna Explosion
by Hayagriva das
Excerpted from Back to Godhead Magazine 1969 Vol. 1, No. 26
The joyful history of a dynamic transcendental movement
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare vibrates from a walkup temple on New York’s Lower East Side, from the sidewalks of Haight Ashbury, from Golden Gate Park, from a London flat, from student quarters in Hamburg and Amsterdam, from a storefront in Santa Fe, an exbowling alley in Montreal, a sprawling university campus in Ohio, from Old Vrindaban in India to New Vrindaban in the West Virginia mountains, and from Boston and Buffalo to Los Angeles, Seattle and Vancouver and across the Pacific to Hawaii.
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The voices chanting the magic vibrations are invariably young. The chanting, accompanied by khartals (small hand cymbals), tambourines and drums, is often loud and frenetic. The dancing is vigorous. The middle-aged and elderly usually stand in doorways or look through windows, watching in amazement, unaware that they are witnessing a process of spiritual realization that has been practiced on this planet for thousands of years. They do not understand. No one really understands. The chanting just spreads. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna …
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21 Dec 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Ganges, India, Places of Pilgrimage
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bharatavarsa, dhama, holy river, India, Mathura, places of pilgrimage, Prayaga, River Ganges, Spiritual Life, Vrndavana
Whenever I plan a trip to India, it seems the first thing I do, is start looking at maps. I have always been a map person, as there is some romantic imagery for me, especially when I look at a map of India. The shape of this country has always invoked in me, a sense of spirituality and wonderment, as if the very shape of it is somehow what a spiritual holy land should look like.
There are so many ways to travel in India; on foot, by bicycle rickshaw, or the motorized “cockroach” rickshaws, by bus, by plane, or my favorite, by train.
Actually we are planing to go to Vrndavana, but will take in some other places of interest as well. The following are some selections from Srila Prabhupada’s books which describe India, Vrndavana, and the purpose of pilgrimage etc.
The purpose of pilgrimages is to remember the Lord constantly, and therefore the Lord is known as tīrtha-kīrti. The purpose of going to a place of pilgrimage is to get the chance to glorify the Lord. Even today, although times have changed, there are still pilgrimage sites in India. For example, in Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, where we had a chance to stay, people are awake from early in the morning at 4 A.M. up until nighttime and are constantly engaged, some way or other, in chanting the holy glories of the Lord. The beauty of such a pilgrimage site is that automatically one remembers the holy glories of the Lord. His name, fame, quality, form, pastimes and entourage are all identical to the Lord, and therefore chanting the glories of the Lord invokes the personal presence of the Lord. Any time or anywhere pure devotees meet and chant the glories of the Lord, the Lord is present without any doubt. It is said by the Lord Himself that He always stays where His pure devotees chant His glories. (from purport SB 3.1.45)
Places of pilgrimage yield a special advantage for a devotee in quickly advancing his spiritual life. Lord Kṛṣṇa lives everywhere, but still it is very easy to approach Him in holy places of pilgrimage because these places are inhabited by great sages. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that He lives wherever His devotees are chanting the glories of His transcendental activities. (from purport SB 4.8.42)
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19 Dec 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Chanting Hare Krishna, Maha-mantra, Meditation, Sankirtan
Tags: chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Krishna, Hare Krsna, Hare Rama Rama Rama, Krsna! Krsna!, Maha Mantra, mantra meditation, Teachings of Lord Caitanya
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The Spiritual Potency of Chanting Hare Krishna
Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya once asked Lord Chaitanya: “Which item is most important in the execution of devotional service?” The Lord replied: “The most important item is the chanting of the holy name of the Lord.”
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu further explains, ceto-darpana-marjanam the mirror of one’s heart is cleansed by the holy names; and bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam, it extinguishes the blazing fire of material existence. By chanting the holy names one can destroy the sinful condition of material existence and purify the unclean heart.
There is no need, therefore, to understand the language of the mantra, nor is there any need for mental speculation or any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in the chanting without any previous qualification, and dance in ecstasy. (Srila Prabhupada)
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18 Dec 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya, ISKCON, Ravindra Svarupa Das, Srila Prabhupada
Tags: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhuada, Iskcon, ISKCON GBC Press, Ravindra Svarupa Das, Srila Prabhupada, The Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
There is a nice book that was published recently entitled ““Srila Prabhupada: The Founder-Acarya of ISKCON”, written by Ravindra Svarupa Das and published by ISKCON GBC Press.
In our Mission Statement on our About Us Page we have stated;
…”to put it rather simply, we are promoting Srila Prabhupada; The Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, his Original writtings, his teachings, and his instructions for the world.”
So it is with this mind, we share with you this nice publication
click on link to openSrila Prabhupada the FounderAcharya to read or save
16 Dec 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Evolution, Karma, Srimad Bhagavatam
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, birth and death, cycle of birth and death according to the laws of nature, Darwin’s theory of evolution, human beings, laws of nature, liberation, living entities, SB7.13.25, the evolutionary process, undesirable material sense gratification
The evolutionary process
In the course of the evolutionary process, which is caused by fruitive activities due to undesirable material sense gratification, I have received this human form of life, which can lead to the heavenly planets, to liberation, to the lower species, or to rebirth among human beings. (SB7.13.25)
…All living entities within this material world are undergoing the cycle of birth and death according to the laws of nature. This struggle of birth and death in different species may be called the evolutionary process, but in the Western world it has been wrongly explained. Darwin’s theory of evolution from animal to man is incomplete because the theory does not present the reverse condition, namely evolution from man to animal.
Human life, which is obtained in the course of the evolutionary process, is a chance for elevation (svargāpavarga) or for degradation (tiraścām punar asya ca). If one uses this human form of life properly, he can elevate himself to the higher planetary systems, where material happiness is many thousands of times better than on this planet, or one may cultivate knowledge by which to become free from the evolutionary process and be reinstated in one’s original spiritual life. This is called apavarga, or liberation. (from purport to SB 7.13.25)
Some years back I was reading from one book and the author was explaining how within each of us, we have the Keys to the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven, and we also have the Keys to the gates of Hell. It is our choice at every moment which we choose to use. Or as the saying goes “It is Rama, or it is Drama”.
Full text and purport More
15 Dec 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Brahma, Kali Yuga, Time
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Brahma, causal ocean, cycles of kalpas, Dvapara, eternity, innumerable Brahmas, Kali, Kali-yuga, kalpas, lightning flash, material universe, Satya, Srila Prabhupada, Time, Treta, unlimited eternal time, yugas
I was reading about the duration of the material universe this evening, and this whole notion of time, puts presure on my insignificant tiny brain.
…The duration of the material universe is limited. It is manifested in cycles of kalpas. A kalpa is a day of Brahmā, and one day of Brahmā consists of a thousand cycles of four yugas or ages: Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara, and Kali. The cycle of Satya is characterized by virtue, wisdom and religion, there being practically no ignorance and vice, and the yuga lasts 1,728,000 years. In the Tretā-yuga vice is introduced, and this yuga lasts 1,296,000 years. In the Dvāpara-yuga there is an even greater decline in virtue and religion, vice increasing, and this yuga lasts 864,000 years. And finally in Kali-yuga (the yuga we have now been experiencing over the past 5,000 years) there is an abundance of strife, ignorance, irreligion and vice, true virtue being practically nonexistent, and this yuga lasts 432,000 years. (from purport Bg 8.17)
Even if I could grasp the extent of time in the material universe, that is just a fraction of the unlimited eternal time that continues after the termination of the yuga.
…Then the process is set rolling again. These four yugas, rotating a thousand times, comprise one day of Brahmā, the creator god, and the same number comprise one night. Brahmā lives one hundred of such “years” and then dies. These “hundred years” by earth calculations total to 311 trillion and 40 million earth years. By these calculations the life of Brahmā seems fantastic and interminable, but from the viewpoint of eternity it is as brief as a lightning flash. In the causal ocean there are innumerable Brahmās rising and disappearing like bubbles in the Atlantic. Brahmā and his creation are all part of the material universe, and therefore they are in constant flux. (from purport Bg 8.17)
The above calculations Srila Prabhupada uses and I quote; “seems fantastic and interminable, but from the viewpoint of eternity it is as brief as a lightning flash. In the causal ocean there are innumerable Brahmās rising and disappearing like bubbles in the Atlantic.” Wow!
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