…So far Narada Muni is concerned, in His previous life He was a maidservant’s son, but by the mercy of the devotees He later on became siddha and next life He appeared as Narada with complete freedom to move anywhere by the grace of the Lord. So even though He was in his previous life a maidservant’s son there was no impediment in the achievement of His perfect spiritual life. Similarly any living entity who is conditioned can achieve the perfectional stage of life by the above mentioned processes and the vivid example is Narada Muni.
So I do not know why you have asked about my previous life. Whether I was subjected to the laws of material nature? So, even though accepting that I was subjected to the laws of material nature, does it hamper in my becoming Spiritual Master? What is your opinion? From the life of Narada Muni it is distinct that although He was a conditioned soul in His previous life, there was no impediment of His becoming the Spiritual Master. This law is applicable not only to the Spiritual Master, but to every living entity.
Letter to: Tamala Krsna Los Angeles 21 June, 1970
Paris My Dear Tamala,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 18th June, 1970, sent by Special Delivery Air Mail.
Krsna philosophy is understood as it is stated in the Vedas:
Yasya deve para bhakti yatha deve tatha gurau tasya ete kathitha hi artha prakasante mahatmanah
“One who has got unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord and similar faith in his Spiritual Master to him only the imports of Vedic knowledge become revealed.”
A Spiritual Master is always liberated. In any condition of His life He should not be mistaken as ordinary human being. This position of a Spiritual Master is achieved by three processes. One is called sadhana siddha. That means one who is liberated by executing the regulative principle of devotional service. Another is krpa siddha, one who is liberated by the mercy of Krsna or His devotee. And another is nitya siddha who is never forgetful of Krsna throughout his whole life. These are the three features of the perfection of life.
Padmapani Prabhu was a very dear friend, and a dear disciple of Srila Prabhupada who is well known as the web master of the pagePrabhupada Connection. He will be greatly missed.
Please join us in prayers for a very special Godbrother, Padmapani Prabhu who just left us in Canada. I never knew him personally, but loved to hear of his daring exploits in the mideast when it was quite a dangerous area! Then I knew him from the marvellous website he managed, The Prabhupada Connection. He’s on the left with Tribhuvanath in Sri Radha Rasabihari Mandir ( Deena Bandhu Das )
So today we recognize the Disappearance day of Madhvacarya, who is in our line of Disciplic Succession dating back to Krsna. His philosophy and writings have distinguished him as one of India’s greatest spiritual teachers. He is the Acarya of the Madhva Sampradaya. So this following post by Chanchalapathi Prabhu is very timely.
“Srila Prabhupada is the Deliverer of all ISKCON Devotees”
By Chanchalapathi Dasa -ISKCON Bangalore
Recently I had the opportunity of interacting with a few scholars of Madhva sampradaya in Bangalore and Udupi. One of them was an elderly Sanskrit scholar, a seventy year old retired university professor, a respected teacher and follower of Madhva philosophy in Bangalore.
The discussion with him led to the subject of the theological differences between ISKCON Bangalore and ISKCON Mumbai.
I am always saddened by the news of another devotee leaving their body, but gladdened by their onward journey. Kamsahanta Prabhu has moved onward, no doubt continuing to assist Srila Prabhupada in his mission.
Keith Haslam / Kamsahanta Das ACBSP
Born March 23, 1941 Bolton, Lancashire, U.K.
He became a graphic artist and cartoonist. He worked as an apprentice at a Manchester newspaper. He then encouraged his family to move to Fowey, Cornwall, which they did and he immigrated to Canada in his twenties. He held a job as an art director in advertising in Toronto, Canada. His search for deeper knowledge made him leave the security of money to roam the U.S.A. and travel across Canada which led him to meet his soon to be wife Lokadrsti devi dasi, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. In 1971 there at a health food store he purchased a book called “Bhagavad Gita As It Is” by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He realized when reading this book, his search and questions were answered. On a journey to Indonesia in 1973 there was a stop in the U.K. where he met his spiritual master this is when he decided to go back to Toronto and dedicate his life to this mission of obtaining and sharing this knowledge.
He received the name Kamsahanta Das in April 1973 in Toronto, Canada
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day homage
by Vyasasan das
Dear Srila Prabhupada
Please accept my fallen obeisance’s, and my love, on this auspicious day of your disappearance. With your arrival on the shores of America, you brought with you the shinning lamp of knowledge; the wisdom on India and the Supreme Absolute Truth. You appeared on the shores of America the way the sun appears on the Eastern Horizon. Slowly revealing itself at first, then dominating the sky with its blazing effulgence. Illuminating the entire world with its golden light. Where there is light there is no darkness. And wherever your words are being sung and repeated, there is a glimmer of hope for the materially conditioned souls.
Your words and instructions are the very life and soul of a genuine disciple. It is said that the best process of understanding Krishna is to hear about Him, either from Krishna Himself as given in statements from the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, or from the self realized pure devotee. One does not even need to change his worldly position; he simply has to hear the message of Krishna.
It is from you only, Srila Prabhupada, that I know anything at all about Krishna or the spiritual world. By your grace only, the knowledge is revealed, and you become revealed to your disciples and listeners. Anyone who submissively hears from you, either by reading your books, or hearing your lectures, can attain the highest perfectional platform. Just as there is the sun and the sunshine, so, there is Krishna and Krishna’s pure representative. When we feel the sunshine, we know the sun is there, and when we hear from you, we know that Krishna is there.
The Appearance Day of Our Beloved Spiritual Master
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Dear Srila Prabhupada
Please accept my humble obeisances, and kindly forgive my offences. I am truly grateful to you for all that you have given me. Every day when I go into our temple room, and I light a candle or stick of incense, sit down and chant japa or sing bhajans, whether I am cooking an offering or preparing the Lord’s plate, picking a flower to offer or washing and drying the Lord’s plate, reading from one of your many books, or simply thinking about Lord Krishna or Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I feel a deep sense of gratitude, and appreciation.
So today we celebrate the Appearance Day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, the Spiritual Master of our Srila Prabhupada. We honor it today with a half day fast a Pushpanjali (offering of prayers and flowers) followed by a nice vegetarian feast.
The Absolute Necessity of a Spiritual Master—The Universal Teacher By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founder-Acharya of the world-wide Hare Krishna Movement
In February 1936, in Bombay, India, the members of a reputed religious society, the Gaudiya Matha, were astonished by the powerful and eloquent words of a young member who spoke in honor of his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami. Three decades later, the young speaker would become the world-renowned founder and spiritual master of the Krishna consciousness movement. Srila Prabhupada’s presentation is a memorable statement on the importance of the guru in spiritual life.
sakshad-dharitvena samasta-shastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya vande guroh sri-charanaravindam
“In the revealed scriptures it is declared that the spiritual master should be worshiped like the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and this injunction is obeyed by pure devotees of the Lord. The spiritual master is the most confidential servant of the Lord. Thus let us offer our respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of our spiritual master.”
“And for all the devotees of ISKCON since you follow the teachings of Srila Prabhupada, read his books, practice what he has taught, Srila Prabhupada is the deliverer for all ISKCON devotees.”
“Srila Prabhupada is the Deliverer of all ISKCON Devotees”
By Chanchalapathi Dasa -ISKCON Bangalore
Recently I had the opportunity of interacting with a few scholars of Madhva sampradaya in Bangalore and Udupi. One of them was an elderly Sanskrit scholar, a seventy year old retired university professor, a respected teacher and follower of Madhva philosophy in Bangalore.
The discussion with him led to the subject of the theological differences between ISKCON Bangalore and ISKCON Mumbai.
In the course of the discussion, I asked the scholar: “In your sampradaya when upanayana is performed, as it is the practice, one may receive the Gayatri mantra from one’s father, uncle or grandfather – in such cases who is considered to be the deliverer of the candidate undergoing upanayana?”
He emphatically and proudly declared, “We are Madhvas! For all Madhvas, the deliverer is Sri Madhvacharya. He is our mula guru. We follow his siddhanta, his understanding, his teachings, his practices and hence he is our deliverer.”
“In case if one receives,” I continued, “the Gayatri mantra from one of sannyasis of the Madhva sampradaya, the head pontiff of a Matha, then who is considered to be the deliverer?”
He was still emphatic in his reply, “Even then the deliverer is Sri Madhvacharya alone.”
“Even if one has received the mantra from a sannyasi…?” I quizzed.
“Deliverance from the material world,” he continued, “and admittance to Vaikuntha is not a small matter. It requires exceptional spiritual qualifications and special blessings of the Lord. And for all Madhvas, Sri Madhvacharya is the one who has such powers from the Lord to deliver.”
“If Sri Madhvacharya is the deliverer,” I asked, “then what is the role played by the giver of the Gayatri mantra – may be the father, grandfather or even a sannyasi of the Madhva Matha?”
“All of them are acting as agents or representatives of Sri Madhvacharya.”
“Is this your own understanding or do all Madhvas hold this view?” was my next question.
“This is the correct understanding of all Madhvas for nearly eight centuries.” And he added further,
“This is so not only for the Madhvas, it is so for all the followers of Sri Ramanujacharya – their deliverer is Sri Ramanuja. Even for the followers of Sri Shankara, the understanding is that one who gives them brahma sayujya is Shankaracharya. There is no doubt about this.”
Next he went on to address our situation in ISKCON, “And for all the devotees of ISKCON since you follow the teachings of Srila Prabhupada, read his books, practice what he has taught, Srila Prabhupada is the deliverer for all ISKCON devotees.”
Recently, while discussing Srila Prabhupada and his glories with a younger devotee, I was surprised to hear him say, “You’re so lucky. You got Srila Prabhupada, but what about us?” Startled by hearing such a despondent remark by a newcomer who should be brimming with hope and enthusiasm in Krsna consciousness, I proceeded to explain that Srila Prabhupada is, in fact, as present now as he has ever been. Throughout his books, letters and conversations, Srila Prabhupada emphasized this point again and again, so there should be no cause for misunderstanding.
In 1975, when asked by a reporter in Berkeley what would happen to the movement after his departure, Srila Prabhupada replied, “I will never die. I will live forever in my books.” In the Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi-lila 1.35, purport), Srila Prabhupada explains, “There is no difference between the spiritual master’s instructions and the spiritual master himself.” Further assuring us all, Prabhupada spoke the following words just prior to his departure in 1977: “If I depart, there is no cause for lamentation. I will always be with you through my books and my orders. I will always remain with you in that way.”
The Spiritual Master is present wherever his sincere disciple is trying to serve his instructions. This is possible by the mercy of Krishna.
In your attempts to serve me, and in all your sincere devotional sentiments, I am with you, as my Guru Maharaja is with me. Remember this always…I shall never leave you. You are my disciple and I am your Spiritual Master, so there is no question, as long as you follow my instructions, that I shall never leave you.
Please accept my humble obeisance’s, and kindly forgive my offences.
We have all come here today to honor and celebrate your disappearance day with prayers and remembrances. While this may seem strange to some, us celebrating your disappearance day, but spiritually there is no difference between your appearance day and your disappearance day. Both are Transcendental.
The proper understanding of the disappearance of a Vaisnava was explained very nicely by you:
“As Lord Krsna’s appearance and disappearance are all spiritual, transcendental, they are not ordinary things, similarly, Lord Krsna’s devotee, His representative, who are sent to this material world for preaching the glories of the Lord, their appearance and disappearance are also like Krsna’s. Therefore, according to Vaisnava principles, the appearance and disappearance of the Vaisnava is all-auspicious.”
Bhaktivinoda Thakura also wrote a short stanza about the influence that a Vaisnava (a pure devotee of the Lord) carries in this world even after his passing:
“He reasons ill who tells that Vaisnavas die When thou art living still in sound! The Vaisnavas die to live, and living try To spread the holy name around!”
So, while it is natural for us to be sorrowful that Srila Prabhupada has passed away, we can know for sure that he will never pass away, for he is “living still in sound.”
It has been my greatest good fortune to have met you and become your disciple. Pure devotees of the Lord are more powerful than even the waters of the sacred river Ganges. One can derive spiritual benefit out of prolonged use of the Ganges waters, but one can be sanctified at once by the mercy of a pure devotee of the Lord.
So thank you Srila Prabhupada, for coming into this world, sanctifying us all with your mercy.
“Please accept my blessings. Just now I have received some more requests for giving first initiation from Dhananjaya, and now I am receiving weekly not less than ten to fifteen such requests from new students. So it is becoming very expensive to send so many sets of beads such long distance, and it has become little bothersome for me also, so I think now you may be appointed by me to give first initiations to new disciples by chanting on their beads on my behalf. In America Kirtanananda Swami is doing that. So now if there are two of you that will give me great relief. Kirtanananda will chant on the beads for new devotees in America, Canada, like that, you can chant on the beads for the European continent new disciples. They shall, of course, still be considered as my disciples, not that they shall become your disciples, but you will be empowered by me to chant their beads and that is the same effect of binding master and disciple as if I were personally chanting.”
Srila Prabhupada’s Letter to: Revatinandana — Bombay 4 January, 1973
Today I was visiting a web page that I like very much, and respect the time d effort that must have gone into its creation. The page is simply titled Srila Prabhupada There are Books, Audio files, Letters, a Reference Glossary, Sanskrit & Bengali Dictionary, Prabhupada Videos, Prabhupada Photos, and Music with Purports. Very impressive Archive!!!
Anyway, I urge all my readers to check it out!
The following was a nice page about Srila Prabhupada…
Please accept my most humble and heartfelt obeisance’s on this most auspicious day of your appearance. Although I am an unworthy disciple, full of faults, I approach you with the greatest appreciation, and utmost respect, for you are the greatest spiritual ambassador to spread Krishna Consciousness all over the world.
Thank you for coming to America, and bringing with you so many matchless gifts. Not only did you bring the message of Krishna and Lord Caitanya, but you brought with you music and art, Vedic medicine, the science of cooking vegetarian food, and the keys to a healthy and productive life, in the service of God. I may never have learned who is God, had you not appeared on our shores.
One of the very first books of yours I read, just a small book called the “Raja-vidya”, on the very first page, you gave the definite description of God. Although I had some conception of God from my early religious training, God is great, God is good, but no one could ever tell me who He was, what He looked like, where He lived, or what He does. But you could. On that very first page you gave the perfect definitive description of God.
“God possesses all opulence’s, the totality of knowledge, wealth, power, beauty, fame, and renunciation. When we find someone who possesses these opulence’s in full, we are to know that He is God…Only Krishna claims to possess them in totality.”
In time as I began to read from the Bagavad-gita As It Is, and the KRSNA Book, all my questions were answered. I came to know who God is, what He looks like, where He lives, what He does, and what is our relationship with Him.
It is interesting, but from the very first moment I saw a picture of you, on the back cover of the KRSNA Book, I knew, that at long last, I had found my spiritual master.
I fell in love with you from the very first moment I saw your picture. and I am still in love with you today. I have no words that convey the love that I feel , only to say, there is nothing that can compare.
Today marks the disappearance day of my dear friend and God brother, Jayananda das. He was such a beautiful devotee, the perfect servant of our Srila Prabhupada, and friend to all. His death was glorious as stated in a letter to Ramesvara das shortly after his death:
Jayananda’s death is glorious. It is very good that he had stated,what is the use of such a useless body, better to give it up. He has left his body very wonderfully, and he has been transferred to Vaikuntha. I have already sent a condolence letter for publication in Back To Godhead. Everyone should follow the example of Jayananda. I am very proud that I had such a nice disciple. If possible Jayananda’s picture should be hung in the ratha of Lord Jagannatha, and in all of our temples a day may be set aside for holding a festival in his honor, just as we do on the disappearance day of the other great Vaisnavas. (letter by Srila Prabhupada 77-05-11)
We have included some personal letters by Srila Prabhupada to Jayananda
The following is an older article but one of great importance, with perhaps the only remaining document of the GBC summary report of the meeting that took place between May 27-29, 1977.
Officiating Acaryas
Editorial: “GBC Suppressed The Truth”
by Locanananda dasa
EDITORIAL, Dec 13 [1999] (VNN)
New evidence has just been discovered that suggests a GBC conspiracy to suppress instructions given by Śrīla Prabhupāda concerning how he wanted initiations to be performed after his departure.
In May of 1977, the members of the GBC were summoned to Vrndavana, India to meet with Śrīla Prabhupāda when His Divine Grace thought his departure from this world was imminent. His Divine Grace revealed to a committee of GBC members that he was going to recommend some of his disciples to act as officiating ācāryas to perform first and second initiations when he would no longer be with us. As evidenced by the following document, the GBC decided at the time that devotees throughout the world should not be informed of this most important revelation made by their beloved spiritual master.
The repercussions of the decision to suppress the truth and the subsequent deviation from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instructions have left devoted followers of His Divine Grace deadlocked over the issue of guru succession and initiations in ISKCON for more than two decades.
The document in question is a summary report of the GBC meetings held during the three days from May 27-29, 1977. The report was sent out to all ISKCON temple presidents and begins with a list of names of the GBC members in attendance. The first point mentioned in the report is that a list of trustees of all ISKCON properties was submitted to Śrīla Prabhupāda. The second point states that committees were formed to improve the original charter and expand the Bureau of Management in India. Point number three deals with the questions posed by the GBC committee concerning how Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission was to be continued under the direction of the GBC after his departure. It is this third item that is of great significance.
A review of the document shows quite clearly that the GBC deliberately omitted from the report Śrīla Prabhupāda’s answer to the question concerning initiations. This intentional omission was apparently made to conceal Śrīla Prabhupāda’s wishes from his disciples worldwide concerning the initiation procedures he wanted followed after his departure. Had this been an honest presentation of the facts, the report would have stated:
“When asked how first and second initiations would be performed after he was no longer with us, Śrīla Prabhupāda said that he was going to recommend some of his disciples to act as officiating ācāryas.”
The text of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s conversation with the GBC committee was not disclosed for many years, which has created a credibility gap between the leaders of ISKCON and ISKCON’s general membership.
Six weeks later, a letter issued on July 9th, 1977 bearing Śrīla Prabhupāda’s signature was sent to all temple presidents to explain changes that were being made in initiation procedures. It was the outcome of a discussion that had taken place two days earlier between Śrīla Prabhupāda and his secretary. In that conversation, to resolve the problem of an initiation backlog, Śrīla Prabhupāda first recommended that senior sannyāsīs could again perform initiation ceremonies as had been done before his illness. However, when the secretary reminded Śrīla Prabhupāda of the May 28th meeting with the GBC, this historic conversation evolved into the naming of the officiating ācāryas, referred to in the letter as “ritvik representatives.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda had said he was going to recommend some of his disciples to perform initiations on his behalf after his disappearance, and the July 9th letter was the fulfillment of that promise. According to the May 28th announcement to the GBC, those initiated during his physical presence by representatives of the ācārya would be considered his direct disciples, while those initiated after his disappearance by officiating ācāryas would be considered his second generation of disciples, or granddisciples. The difference was considered to be one of formalities, since all members of ISKCON throughout the course of its history would perpetually serve, worship and follow the teachings of their great preceptor ācārya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. That is the principle that unifies the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
The document presented below was transcribed exactly from the original which accounts for any spelling or grammatical errors. Because the only remaining copy may be the one in my possession, I recommend that devotees save copies in their files for future reference.
It has come to our attention that our dear God-brother and friend, Hansadutta Prabhu, has left his body yesterday. This news came to us this morning by email from Yasodanandan das
Hare Krishna
Dear Yasodanandan prabhu, obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I’m sad to inform you that Hansadutta has passed. He left his body earlier today. He had been to hospital a few times with pancreatitis, but then in March doctors discovered a mass in his pancreas and diagnosed cancer. He was unable to eat, so for over three weeks had nothing at all to eat, and refused all medication, but remarkably didn’t feel pain. His family brought him to their home and gave him hospice care, and there he spent his last days murmuring the holy names and listening to Srila Prabhupada’s lectures and bhajans. A eulogy has been published at bhaktivedantas.com and namhatta.com.
I hope you are well. — Your servant, Das Dasanudas devi dasi
This morning as we were reading from the Sri Caianya-caritamrta a sentence jumped out at me and I had to reach for my yellow highlighter pen. We were reading…
…how a brahmacārī should behave under the care of a spiritual master. A spiritual master is not an enjoyer of facilities offered by his disciples. He is like a parent. Without the attentive service of his parents, a child cannot grow to manhood; similarly, without the care of the spiritual master one cannot rise to the plane of transcendental service.
The spiritual master is also called ācārya, or a transcendental professor of spiritual science…
I thought this was very funny and a beautiful description of Srila Prabhupada: A Transcendental Professor
The Hare Krishna Movement 