08 Mar 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Hayagriva das, The Hare Krishna Explosion
Tags: Allen Ginsberg, back to Godhead, hayagriva das, Krishna consciousness, Mantra Rock, Swamiji, the hare krishna explosion, The Hare Krishna Movement
The Hare Krishna Explosion
by Hayagriva das
Part I: New York, 1966
Chapter 6
Back to Godhead
“October 21, 1966. I walk into Swamiji’s room, offer obeisances, and he hands me the first three volumes of Srimad-Bhagavatam, which he had printed in India.
“Here,” he says. “Take and read.”
I open the books. In the front of each, he has written my spiritual name. “With my best blessings, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.”
“Oh, thank you, Swamiji,” I say.
“That’s all right,” he says, smiling. “Now you compile this Back To Godhead magazine.”
Back to Godhead! That is, we were there once. It’s a question of recovering a lost land. As Swamiji says: “I have come to remind you of what you have forgot.”
Following the orders of his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, Swamiji began Back To Godhead in 1944. Published bi-monthly in India from 1944 to 1956, Back To Godhead established Swamiji as one of India’s leading personalists. Now Swamiji enjoins Rayarama and me to introduce it to the West.
“Work sincerely,” he tells us,”and make it as big as your Time Magazine.”
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05 Mar 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Devotee's, Srila Prabhupada Conversations
Tags: always think of Me, devotional service, Krishna consciousness movement, Madhudvisa Swami, man mana bhava mad bhakto, sinful activity, surrender to Krishna, there is no difficulty
There is no difficulty
Madhudvisa prabhu (repeating question to Srila Prabhupada): “We have been here for many lifetimes performing sinful activities. So is it possible to counteract all those sinful activities in one lifetime, or does it require many…?”
Srila Prabhupada: “One minute. That is Krishna consciousness movement. One minute. You are not reading Bhagavad Gita? What Krishna says? sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva papebhyo moksayisyami (BG 18.66) ‘You surrender unto Me. Give up your all business. I will give you relief from all sinful reaction immediately.’ So it requires one minute. ‘My dear Krishna, I was forgotten. Now I understand. I fully surrender unto you.’ Then you become immediately free from all sinful reactions.
Without any reservation, without any politics, if you fully surrender, Krishna is assuring, aham tvam sarva papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah. He reassures, ‘Don’t worry whether I will be able to give you relief from all reaction’; ma sucah, finished, guaranteed. You do this. So how much time it requires to surrender to Krishna? Immediately you can do that. Surrender means you surrender and work as Krishna says.
That is surrender. What Krishna says to do? man mana bhava mad bhakto mad yaji mam namaskuru (BG 18.65); four things: ‘You always think of Me, and you become My devotee, you worship Me, and offer your respect, full obeisances unto Me’ You do these four things. That is full surrender. Mam evaisyasi asamsaya: ‘Then you come to Me without any doubt.’ Everything is there. Krishna has given everything fully. If you accept it, then life is very simple. There is no difficulty. Yes?”
05 Mar 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Devotee's, Pradyuma das
Tags: Acaryas, devotee, disciples, Godbrothers, guru, Initiation, Iskcon, Pradyumna das, Satsvarupa Maharaj, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, successor, Vrindavan
Same solution as desired by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
Pradyumna Prabhu (ACBSP): 7 August, 1978
Dear Satsvarupa Maharaj,
Please accept my most humble obeisances.
Maharaj, I am writing you this letter with GREAT anxiety in my heart and after days and days and long nights of thought and careful consideration.
I have been staying in Vrndavan for some time and have not visited any other center recently except Delhi. Therefore, my information I have about what is happening at our other centers comes only from devotees visiting here, occasional letters, newsletters and our society’s magazine and other publications. But the news I hear from these sources is very alarming and therefore I am writing you in some anxiety.
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04 Mar 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Bhagavat das, Book Changes, Devotee's
Tags: bhagavad-gita, Bhagavat das, book changes, devotee, Gour Govinda Swami, Jayawaita Swami, Krishna, Sanskrit, Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam, Surpreme Personality of Godhead
Leave the books alone!
by Bhagavat das
My Dear Godbrothers and Godsisters:
Please accept my most humble obeisances! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I am very glad that we as disciples of Srila Prabhupada are finally doing something about this great offense to our Spiritual Master. I would like to tell three stories that are personal experiences of mine with Srila Prabhupada and his books. It is my earnest hope that these stories will once and for all lay to rest the controversy of anyone ever editing Srila Prabhupadas books.
The first story takes place in Mayapur where Srila Prabhupada was talking about why he came to the material world.
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04 Mar 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Hayagriva das, The Hare Krishna Explosion
Tags: beads, chant and sing the Lord's holy names, chapter 5, devotees, Hare Hare, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, hayagriva das, Krishna Krishna, Mott Street, Rama Rama, Srila Prabhupada, Swamiji, the hare krishna explosion, The Hare Krishna Movement, vegetarian
The Hare Krishna Explosion
by Hayagriva Prabhu
Part I: New York, 1966
Chapter 5
The Hare Krishna Explosion
“If Krishna sees you are taking one step toward Him,” Swamiji says, “He will take ten toward you. He is so happy to see you turn to Him. He is more eager to see us return to Godhead than we are to go.”
Back in the Mott Street apartment, I stare at myself in the mirror and repeat my new name. “Now you are Krishna’s,” I think, inspecting the new kanthi beads around my neck. “These are Krishna’s dog collars, and they don’t come off.”
We all optimistically resolve to try to follow the rules. For most of us, meat eating and gambling pose no problems. Rules governing sex and intoxicants, however, force some rapid changes in living patterns. I decide to convert the old Mott Street apartment into a brahmachari ashram. Down come the psychedelic posters, and up go pictures of lotus-eyed Krishna.
The next day at the temple, we find a new notice posted on the bathroom door. There are additional rules and regulations written neatly in ink by Swamiji himself.
NOTICE
All initiated devotees must attend morning and evening classes. Must not be addicted to any kind of intoxicants, including coffee, tea and cigarettes. They are forbidden to have illicit sex-connections. Must be strictly vegetarian. Should not extensively mix with non-devotees. Should not eat foodstuffs cooked by non-devotees. Should not waste time in idle talks nor engage in frivolous sports. Should always chant and sing the Lord’s holy names, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Thank you.
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Acharya
Umapati says nothing when he reads the notice. Rayarama simply chuckles.
“No coffee, no tea,” he says, shaking his head.
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03 Mar 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Devotee's, Hasti Gopala das
Tags: disciple, guru, Hasti Gopal, Sprititual Master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, Srila Prabhupada
Srila Prabhupada – The Master Disciple
By Sri Hasti Gopala Dasa, Toronto, Canada.
Srila Prabhupada is the master disciple. He’s showing us by his example how to be a first class disciple. That example is continuing and the revelations will continue as we read his original books throughout the rest of our lives. The perfection of life is to follow strictly the bona fide spiritual master and make his orders, the life and soul of our disciplic position. By repeating without change his eternal message of how to love God Krishna, will be the perfection of life. He has told us this many times and he has masterfully followed it himself in the most perfect manner. Indeed he continues to do so.
So as much as we follow purely, we will become leaders but that following means to become as much as sincerely possible a master disciple.
The carpentry master has within himself the apprentice. The master may draw on the experience and knowledge of his apprenticeship but the apprentice cannot draw on the experience and knowledge of being a master carpenter. First we must become first class disciples of Srila Prabhupada…everyone. Then automatically leading others towards the same path of bhakti yoga will take its natural course.
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01 Mar 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Devotee's, Srila Prabhupada, Yasodanandana das
Tags: Acarya, devotees, Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya, golden age, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sampradaya Acharya, spiritual authority, Srila Prabhupada, Yasodanandana dasa
Srila Prabhupada: The Unique Acarya
By Sri Yasodanandana Dasa
The unique position of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada in the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya is supported as follows:
As the Acarya of his movement-
“I wish that each and every center shall keep the Acarya in the center and keep their separate identity” (1967 letter).
His unique position as the foremost spiritual authority for the golden age-
“My books will be the law books for the next ten thousand years”
(Srila Prabhupada statement in Los Angeles, 1976).
Statement by Locana das Thakura (middle of the 16th century)-
In the Caitanya Mangala the future appearance of a great senapati bhakta who would preach Krishna consciousness all over the world is predicted.
Statement by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu-
In the Caitanya-caritamrta the Lord Himself predicts “Prthivite ache yadi nagaradi grama, sarvatra pracara hoibe more nama” (translation: “My holy name will be chanted in every town and village”). Srila Prabhupada fulfilled that prediction by his factual accomplishments.
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01 Mar 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Hayagriva das, The Hare Krishna Explosion
Tags: hayagriva das, India, Janmastami, Krishna consciousness, Lord Krishna, second ave., Swamiji, the hare krishna explosion
The Hare Krishna Explosion
by Hayagriva Prabhu
Part I: New York, 1966
Chapter 4
Second Avenue Fire Sacrifice
September 8, 1966. Janmastami. Lord Krishna, we learn, is not born like an ordinary child. He appears. Five thousand years ago, in Mathura, India, He appeared as four-armed Narayana, attired in His transcendental garments. At His mother’s request, He assumed a two-armed form, like an ordinary child. Sri Krishna is most obliging to His devotees.
“Today we will fast,” Swamiji tells us. “Normally we do not fast all day. Krishna consciousness is not for one who eats too much or too little. Gandhi fasted many days for political reasons, but we don’t. In Bhagavad-gita, that kind of fasting is considered rajasic, or passionate. We fast according to regulations: Ekadasi, the eleventh day of the full moon, we take no grains. That is a partial fast. And Janmastami, there is complete fast all day until midnight. So today we will fast and chant, and tomorrow there will be initiation.”
There are eleven of us to be initiated. Roy buys us beads for chanting, a hundred and eight round wooden beads the size of marbles. Standing in the courtyard behind the temple, I string them into a rosary called a japa-mala. While chanting, I carefully slide each bright, red bead up the string and then knot it. It takes hours to complete knotting all the beads. When I ask Swamiji why there are a hundred and eight, he tells me that they represent the gopis, the Vrindaban cowherd girls beloved of Lord Krishna.
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26 Feb 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Hayagriva das, The Hare Krishna Explosion
Tags: 26 Second Ave., Hare Krishna Explosion, hayagriva das, New York 1966., Srila Prabhupada
The Hare Krishna Explosion
by Hayagriva das
Part I: New York, 1966
Chapter 3
Who is Crazy?
Twenty-six Second Avenue. Matchless Gifts. No doubt, to most New Yorkers, nothing more than the kind of squalid storefront someone might open a pawnshop in. What with traffic noise and our neighbors—Cosmos Parcels Express Corporation, Gonzalez Funeral Home, Weitzner Brothers Memorials, The Red Star Bar, and a Mobil gas station—no one would think it Vaikuntha. But for us, Matchless Gifts becomes a temple, a part of Vrindaban, because of Swamiji’s presence and the words spoken here.
Keith, Wally, and I rummage through the Mott Street apartment, gather souvenirs from the recent India trip—two rugs, a dozen paintings, three silk wall hangings, and two brass hookah tops—and take them to Second Avenue.
Then, unknown to Swamjji, we start decorating the Matchless Gifts storefront, turning it into a temple befitting Krishna’s messenger. That is, as far as we are able.
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22 Feb 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Bhadra Priya Devi, Devotee's
Tags: Bhadra Priya Devi Dasi, Book Distribution, Canada, devotional service, Hari nam sankirtan, milk sweets, Montreal, Radha Ksira Cora Gopinath, Toronto
The Departure of Bhadra Priya Devi Dasi, Srila Prabhupada’s daughter
by Nirmala, Sumati and Devarsi das
Bhadra Priya joined ISKCON in 1972 in Montreal, Canada. Shortly thereafter she moved to the temple in Toronto where she was initiated by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada in 1973. She did many different types of service including nam sankirtan and book distribution. One special service that she was known for was cooking milk sweets for Radha Ksira Cora Gopinath for up to 10 hours each day. She was really absorbed in this service and was especially happy when she was able to create a different type of sweet for the Lord’s pleasure.
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20 Feb 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Arsha Prayoga, Book Changes, Locanananda das
Tags: Arsha Prayoga, book changes, Krishna consciousness, Locanananda, rasalila, spiritual master, translate
Arsha Prayoga Part II
By Sriman Locanananda Prabhu
Srila Prabhupada’s desire was to see his books translated into all of the major languages of the world. By 1970, numerous centers had opened in countries outside of the United States and translation work had begun in Germany, France, Canada, South America and Japan. When the German devotees undertook the translation of the Srimad Bhagavatam, they discovered what they thought were grammatical discrepancies in the original English. The translators reasoned that if their spiritual master could publish his books with flaws included, then their own translation work could also contain mistakes and no harm would be done. In a very strongly-worded letter, Srila Prabhupada chastised his disciples for thinking they could imitate their spiritual master and explained that to avoid this offense, they must follow the principle of arsha prayoga.
One should not see mistakes in the books written by his spiritual master, nor should one think he is able take the same liberties taken by him. His Divine Grace warned his disciples that only if they were able to spread Krishna consciousness all over the world as he had done could discrepancies in their translation work be overlooked, otherwise not.
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12 Feb 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Devotee's, Govinda dasi, Vyas-puja
Tags: Govinda dasi, The Centennial Dream, Vyasas Puja
THE CENTENNIAL DREAM (Vyas Puja offering written in 1996)
This offering was written in 1996, but never published, so I am submitting it now, in 2010, as it is as valid today as it was in 1996. Thank you, your servant, Govindasi
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29 Jan 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Hayagriva das, The Hare Krishna Explosion
Tags: Chanting the holy name, dancing in ecstasy, hayagriva das, Lord Chaitanya, Mott St., playing musical instruments, singing, Srimad Bhagavatam, swami
The Hare Krishna Explosion
by Hayagriva das
Part I: New York, 1966
Chapter 2
Transcendental Invitations
The next morning, when I go alone to see the Swami, he seems to be expecting me. Directly and simply, he begins to explain that he needs help in spreading Krishna consciousness around the world. Noticing that he has been typing, I offer to type for him, and he hands me the manuscript of the First Chapter, Second Canto, of Vyasadeva’s Srimad-Bhagavatam.
“You can type this?”
“Oh yes,” I say.
He is delighted. We roll a small typewriter table out of the corner, and I begin work. His manuscript is single spaced without margins on flimsy, yellowing Indian paper. It appears that the Swami tried to squeeze every word possible onto the pages. I have to use a ruler to keep from losing my place.
The first words read: “O the king.” I naturally wonder whether “O” is the king’s name, and “the king” stands in apposition. After concluding that “O King” is intended instead, I consult the Swami.
“Yes,” he says. “Change it, then.”
As I retype another paragraph, I notice certain grammatical discrepancies, perhaps typical of Bengalis who learned English from British headmasters in the early 1900s. Considerable editing is required to get the text to conform with current American usage. After pointing out a few changes, I tell the Swami that if he so desired, I could make all the proper corrections.
“Very good,” he says, smiling. “Do it! Put it nicely.”
Thus my editorial services begin.
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28 Jan 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Devotee's, Locanananda das
Tags: GBC, Initiation, Iskcon, july 8th, Locanananda dasa, May 28th, officating Acarya, ritvik
May 28th, Initiation Protocols
Interview with Sriman Locanananda Prabhu
May 26, NEW YORK — Interviewer: The issue of initiations in ISKCON has divided devotees for several decades and appears to have evolved into a schism. What is your personal perspective on this issue?
Locanananda dasa: When I was President of the Amsterdam temple in 1977, I received a copy of the Summary Report of the GBC meetings held in Vrndavana that year from the 27th through the 29th of May. In that report, two of the three questions Srila Prabhupada answered on May 28th were included, but the answer to the question about future initiations was not. A few weeks later, I received a copy of the July 9th letter explaining the new initiation protocols. It didn’t seem as if much had changed. Initiations would resume despite Srila Prabhupada’s ongoing illness. The letter also addressed the selection of “rittik” representatives of the acarya and referred to the May 28th meeting with Srila Prabhupada, but there was no detailed explanation as to how the two were connected. We were really left in the dark for years as to what instructions Srila Prabhupada had actually given the GBC as a mandate for future initiations.
Interviewer: Would you say it was a cover-up and hijacking of the movement?
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24 Jan 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Book Changes, Devotee's, Sravanananda das, Srila Prabhupada
Tags: book changes, books by Srila Prabhupada, krsna consciousness, s, sravanananda das
“The Greatest Exponent of Krishna Consciousness in the Western World”
BY: SRAVANANANDA DAS (ACBSP)
Dear Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to you.
All Glories to You and only You for submerging this earth planet with the Glories of Lord Sri Krishna (The Holy Name).
All Glories to You and only You for being “The Greatest Exponent of Krishna Consciousness in the Western World.” It was You that came up with that phrase to be put under your pictures in all of your books. Somehow? That phrase had been removed from your books, but I have been assured it was going to immediately be put back under your picture in all of your books again.
The response I had received was that the BBT leaders had no idea that it was missing nor how it had happened. I think I know…… due to the imperfect senses there are those who have forgotten who you are, and therefore it was ignored. Yet those same imperfect senses allow your books to be ravaged with changes.
I pray they humble themselves to bring back the Original Books as they were perfect, are perfect and always will be perfect. A small grammatical change may occur, but what has been done appears to be major. Therefore since we are all so covered, they should have been just left alone.
All Glories to You and only You for being the “Greatest Exponent of Krishna Consciousness in the WHOLE World “as before you came into this world even India was forgetting who Krishna is and beginning to give up all religious principals. Most people were worshipping everyone but Lord Krishna. They had ignored Lord Krishna and it was………..
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17 Jan 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Devotee's, Devotional Service, Vaisesika das
Tags: Arjuna, bhagavad-gita, bhajate, bhakti, devotional service, dhyana yoga, karma yoga, Krishna, Vaisesika Dasa
Bhakti Notes:
by Vaisesika Dasa
FAQ: Why does it seem that Srila Prabhupada’s translations, word for word renditions and purports all seem to point only to Bhakti?
Answer: Srila Prabhupada’s purpose in presenting the Bhagavad gita As It Is, was to bring out Krsna’s ultimate conclusion of the Gita. This is the meaning of “As It Is.”
Some have speculated that in the Gita Krsna presents many paths and that any one of them is as good as another. However, Krsna clearly presents Bhakti as yoga’s summit even when He explains other processes like Karma Yoga and Dhyana Yoga to Arjuna.
In fact, all such processes are meant to bring one to surrender to the Lord in loving devotional service. The more one advances in devotional service, the more one is considered by Krsna to be advanced in yoga.
At the end of the sixth chapter in which Krsna has explained the arduous process of astanga yoga and meditation, He says:
Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yutatamo matah
“And of all yogis, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me- he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is my opinion.” Bg. 6.47
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17 Jan 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Hayagriva das, The Hare Krishna Explosion
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Calcutta, guru, Hare Krishna, hayagriva das, New York 1966., spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, the hare krishna explosion, Visitor from Calcutta
The Hare Krishna Explosion
by Hayagriva dasa
Part I: New York, 1966
Chapter 1
Visitor From Calcutta
I first see him just after crossing the Bowery at Houston Street. As he passes before the iron-mesh fence of a playground, I distinctly glimpse the aura of saintliness. I watch him through the rushing traffic and stumbling derelicts.
He strolls almost jauntily down the sidewalk. He is an old man whom age has never touched. Aloof from the people and bustle about him, he walks proudly, independently, his hand in a cloth beadbag. He wears the saffron robes of a sannyasi, and on his feet are quaint, pointed white shoes.
Only seven months ago, I had seen many saffron-robed monks and holymen walking the dirt roads of Hardwar and Rishikesh, and stopping beside the Ganges to bathe. For me, that had been a futile journey to the mystic East in search of the all-knowing guru.
But now—what’s this?
I look again at the pointed white shoes. Did this man follow me all the way from North India? Or did he just suddenly descend from the clouds onto Manhattan sidewalks? I decide I must speak to him.
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14 Jan 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Arsha Prayoga, Book Changes, Locanananda das
Tags: Adi-vani, Arsha Prayoga, book changes, Locanananda, MacMillan
Arsha Prayoga And Shakespeare (I)
By Sriman Locanananda Prabhu
The question as to whether the writings of the acarya may or may not be revised by his disciples after his disappearance is answered by the rule of “arsa prayoga”.
This principle states that one should not see mistakes in what the spiritual master has written or think that his writings may be changed to make them more effective or politically correct. To preserve his teachings in their originally published form is the way by which the acarya is honored, and to do otherwise is to dishonor him. That is the rule of “arsa prayoga”, a principle that devoted followers of a bona fide spiritual master must adhere to without deviation.
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