Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for the survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet. -Albert Einstein
I personally feel it is very important to eat as healthy as possible. That is one of the reasons I plant a garden. Although not everyone has that luxury to plant a garden, still there are so many fresh fruits and vegetables available in every American grocery store, there is ample opportunity to eat a healthy vegetarian diet.
Back in 1972 when I first became a vegetarian, the challenge was learning how to cook vegetarian meals. Therefore I am including the first cookbook that taught me the basics as a free pdf download (just click on link at bottom of post). Wishing you all a happy and healthy life. -V
“I liked Prabhupada’s humbleness. I always liked his humility and his simplicity. The servant of the servant of the servant is really what it is, you know. None of us are God—just His servants. He just made me feel so comfortable. I always felt very relaxed with him, and I felt more like a friend. I felt that he was a good friend. Even though he was at the time seventy-nine years old, working practically all through the night, day after day, with very little sleep, he still didn’t come through to me as though he was a very highly educated intellectual being, because he had a sort of childlike simplicity. Which is great, fantastic. Even though he was the greatest Sanskrit scholar and a saint, I appreciated the fact that he never made me feel uncomfortable. In fact, he always went out of his way to make me feel comfortable. I always thought of him as sort of a lovely friend, really, and now he’s still a lovely friend.
“That was the thing about Prabhupada, you see. He didn’t just talk about loving Krishna and getting out of this place, but he was the perfect example. He talked about always chanting, and he was always chanting. I think that that in itself was perhaps the most encouraging thing for me. It was enough to make me try harder, to be just a little bit better. He was a perfect example of everything he preached.
This morning as I was looking at a picture of Srila Prabhupada, this verse from the Bhagavad-gita just came into my mind:
O Kṛṣṇa, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the gods nor demons, O Lord, know Thy personality. (Bg 10.14)
And I was thinking, that is exactly how I think of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, to us. “I totally accept as truth all that You have told me“. Ever since I picked up my first book by Srila Prabhupada, I have just accepted every thing he has written as truth. I didn’t always believe my school teachers, or the nuns, or my parents for that matter. Sure they knew some things, and much of it true, but they didn’t know everything.
For some reason I just accepted as truth everything Prabhupada told us. He told us who was God (Krsna), then he told us what God looked like, what God was doing, where God lived, who’s Gods friends were, and much much more. There wasn’t a question he couldn’t answer, and he backed it up with sastric evidence.These were questions I asked of the nuns and priests, of parents and college professors, but I never got a reasonable answer from anyone when I asked; ‘Who is God, who am I, what is my relationship with Him?’
Happy New Year everyone, hopefully This will be a good year.
Ya know, every year I make New Years’ resolutions, to be a better person, or to wake up early every day, stop eating so much white sugar and white flour, practice yoga, exercise, walk, chant my 16 rounds, etc. Typically my resolutions don’t even make it past the first week in January. But this year I am going to try something a little different. Keeping it simple. I am going to try to love God [Krishna] more.
I am reminded of the George Harrison song “My Sweet Lord”
My Sweet Lord
…I really want to see you Really want to be with you Really want to see you, Lord But it takes so long, my Lord
My sweet Lord My Lord My Lord
I really want to know you Really want to go with you Really want to show you, Lord But it won’t take long, my Lord (Hare Krishna)
full song below
But I am also reminded of the words of Srila Prabhupada in the KRSNA Book;
...Since Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive, one should know that all his desires should be focused on Kṛṣṇa… if we concentrate our loving propensities upon Kṛṣṇa only, then immediately universal love, unity and tranquillity will be automatically realized. When one waters the root of a tree, he automatically waters the branches, twigs, leaves and flowers; when one supplies food to the stomach through the mouth, he satisfies all the various parts of the body.
The art of focusing one’s attention on the Supreme and giving one’s love to Him is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (from Preface)
And from the Introduction of the KRSNA Book;
The supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is also described in the Brahma-samhita as the abode of cintamani. That abode of Lord Krsna known as Goloka Vrindavan is full of palaces made of touchstone. There the trees are called desire trees, and the cows are called surabhi. The Lord is served there by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune. His name is Govinda, the Primeval Lord, and He is the cause of all causes. There the Lord plays His flute, His eyes are like lotus petals, and the color of His body is like that of a beautiful cloud. On His head is a peacock feather. He is so attractive that He excels thousands of Cupids.
Krishna is so attractive, that it shouldn’t be hard to love Him more. Maybe this is a New Year Resolution I can actually keep.
With all the political discussion going on this election year, I have been paying attention to some of the language. There are some words being used that I think I know, you know, words, we heard before, think we understand, but never actually took the time to look up in dictionary. Words like tyrant, autocracy, totalitarianism, liberality, etc. So this morning I took some time to look up the definition of some of these words. I began with the word “Tyranny”.
Simple definition: a government in which all power is in the hands of a single ruler. 2. : harsh, cruel, and severe government or conduct. 3. : a tyrannical act.
“The government is people’s men. So if you are, we are ourselves fools and rascals, the government will also be a set of fools and rascals. And if you are intelligent, the government will be intelligent, because now it is democracy. You select some man. So don’t blame government. You are government. If you are fools the government are fools. If you are intelligent the government is intelligent. It is up to you to change; then everything will be all right.” Srila Prabhupada (Conversation with News Reporters — 25 March 1976, Delhi)
…The so called democratic government means some of the sudras, rascals without any knowledge of the highest aim of life. By hook and crook they get some votes and get the responsible chair in government. Naturally they can whimsically enact any law which is against the interest of the people in general. (Letter to: Madhudvisa Kenya 15 September, 1971)
For some time now I have been meaning to look up the word Sociopath. Srila Prabhupada has wrriten a very nice essay, which was published in our Back To Godhead Magazine, entitled, “Who Is Crazy” (which is at bottom of post). Today we see leaders and public figures who seem to fit the category of ‘Crazy’, or ‘Sociopathtic’. So I wanted to look into the description of the Sociopth, to get a better understanding.
Profile of the Sociopath
Pathological Lying Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.
Manipulative and Conning They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.
So today in America Martin Luther King Day is being observed. Although his main intent was to fight for the equality of African-Americans during the 1960s, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s quotes about nonviolence are still relevant today.
I thought it might be fitting to do a post on Ahimsa, nonviolence. Ahimsa, nonviolence, means that one should not do anything which will put others into misery or confusion. That which furthers the future spiritual happiness of the people in general is called nonviolence.
Violence is an ongoing cycle that is hard to break, and in todays world, violence is an epidemic.
“I liked Prabhupada’s humbleness. I always liked his humility and his simplicity. The servant of the servant of the servant is really what it is, you know. None of us are God—just His servants. He just made me feel so comfortable. I always felt very relaxed with him, and I felt more like a friend. I felt that he was a good friend. Even though he was at the time seventy-nine years old, working practically all through the night, day after day, with very little sleep, he still didn’t come through to me as though he was a very highly educated intellectual being, because he had a sort of childlike simplicity. Which is great, fantastic. Even though he was the greatest Sanskrit scholar and a saint, I appreciated the fact that he never made me feel uncomfortable. In fact, he always went out of his way to make me feel comfortable. I always thought of him as sort of a lovely friend, really, and now he’s still a lovely friend.
“That was the thing about Prabhupada, you see. He didn’t just talk about loving Krishna and getting out of this place, but he was the perfect example. He talked about always chanting, and he was always chanting. I think that that in itself was perhaps the most encouraging thing for me. It was enough to make me try harder, to be just a little bit better. He was a perfect example of everything he preached.
“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.’
My dear friend Gurudas Prabhu has just released a new photo journal. Follow the link below to view.
“My latest photo essay book about the genesis of the the International Society For Krishna Consciousness with rare photos of our founder Acharya, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.”
Available on hardcover or Kindle. Order now on Amazon. Voted #1 on Amazon for New Photo Journal Release!
The Science of Self Realization Foreword By Mukunda Das
From the very start, I knew that His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda was the most extraordinary person I had ever met. The first meeting occurred in the summer of 1966, in New York City. A friend had invited me to hear a lecture by “an old Indian svāmī” on lower Manhattan’s Bowery. Overwhelmed with curiosity about a svāmī lecturing on skid row, I went there and felt my way up a pitch-black staircase. A bell-like, rhythmic sound got louder and clearer as I climbed higher. Finally I reached the fourth floor and opened the door, and there he was.
Eric Clapton’s Guitar with Hare Krishna Stamp.George Harrison placed a Hare Krishna sticker on the headstock of Eric Clapton’s famous guitar—the red Gibson ES-335 that he played throughout his career until auctioning it for charity to benefit his Crossroads Centre in Antigua, a residential-care facility dedicated to the treatment of drug and alcohol dependency and addiction.“
‘I think this is the star of the show,’ Clapton said prior to the 2004 Crossroads Guitar Auction at Christie’s, where it sold for $847,500. Even though the guitar was 40 years old when Clapton sold it, it was in remarkably good shape. Even the Hare Krishna stamp that George Harrison affixed to the back of the headstock was still in good shape. ‘It’s worked really hard,’ Clapton said. ‘It was on a lot of albums, went everywhere, and was played regularly over the years, but it never got old or worn down or lost anything. It’s amazing that it’s survived in this condition. I’d still play it today.”
Gibson produced a reissue of the guitar—an exact replica numbering 250—complete with the Hare Krishna stamp.
I posted this some years ago, but this morning I happened upon it again, and so enjoyed it, we thought we would post it again. In this treatise Ajitananda Prabhu describes how Srila Prabhupada perfectly displayed the twenty-six qualities of a pure devotee of Lord Krishna.
In Praise of Srila Prabhupada . by Ajitananda dasa ________________
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who successfully distributed the message of Lord Krsna throughout the world, was not an ordinary conditioned soul, governed by the harsh laws of material nature. Although to the unenlightened he may have appeared to exhibit commonplace characteristics, it is evident through the careful study of his life and activities, that Srila Prabhupada perfectly displayed the twenty-six qualities of a pure devotee of Lord Krsna. We learn from Vedic literature that one who possesses these qualities is necessarily free from material bondage, and enjoys an eternal position in the intimate association of the Supreme Lord. Such a great soul is very rarely found within this material realm, and owing to his unparalleled purity and exalted status, he is worshipable by the entire world. Individually, and as a collective society of aspiring devotees, we must always strive to appreciate Srila Prabhupada’s divine qualities, teach this application to others, and perform all of our devotional activities for his satisfaction. This treatise is an imperfect but hopeful attempt to please Srila Prabhupada by illustrating, in a practical way, how he perfectly displayed the twenty-six qualities of a pure devotee of Lord Krsna.
My wife ran across this on Facebook and shared it with me. After reading it I thought it would make a good post, so I am sharing it with all you you.
At the age of 70 perhaps most of us wold think of retiring in a cozy cottage or in a farmhouse in the serenity of solitude. But this extraordinary persona embarked upon an extra ordinary journey that can be termed as the greatest achievement so far by an Indian in America.
Latley I have been making it a practice to visit my favorite web page The Prabhupada Connection. I either go to “Whats New” or visit the “Editorial Notes”. Today we share with you Editorial Note #13.
Krsna Consciousness is for Everyone
by Padmapani das
Oftentimes those who are practising Krsna consciousness are challenged that merely tending to spiritual life can’t possibly solve one’s problems in the real world. How can chanting Hare Krsna help someone who is constantly worried about putting food on their dinner table? So-called spiritual solutions seem vague and impractical. However, if we make the effort to study Srila Prabhupada’s teachings in full, we soon discover that he was always down-to-earth along with being committed to living and preaching a godly life.
Some mornings after I do my morning meditation (japa), reading and study, I will pick out a nice sloka (verse) from the Bhagavad-gita or Srimad Bhagavatam, write it out on a note card and stick it in my pocket and throughout the course of the day refer to it in hopes of memorizing it. So today this sloka from the Bhagavad-gita will be my meditation and memorization exercise.
arjuna uvāca
paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma
pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān
puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam
ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum
āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve
devarṣir nāradas tathā
asito devalo vyāsaḥ
svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me
Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.
I must admit I watched the presidential debate last night. It was a travesty. Never before have I seen such rudeness and harshness on the presidential stage. Our President revealed what a low class character he truly is, with his interruptions, lies, false allegations, failure to denounce “white supremacy”, and rejecting the validity of mail in voting and our democratic process for free and fair elections. I was not surprised by behavior, rather I expected it, but was appalled by it nonetheless. Very unprecedented; not befitting a president of the United States.
…for speech is the most important quality of any man. It is said that a fool is undiscovered as long as he does not speak, and certainly a well-dressed fool cannot be identified unless he speaks, but as soon as he speaks, he reveals himself at once. (from purport to Bagavad-gita 2.54)
This is a very shocking list or catalog of our current President’s misdeeds that I recently ran across. Click on link below to veiw entire list.
Lest We Forget The Horrors: A Catalog Of Trump’s Worst Cruelties, Collusions, Corruptions, and Crimes
by Ben Parker, Stephanie Steinbrecher, Kelsey Ronan, John McMurtrie, Sophia, DuRose, Rachel Villa, and Amy Sumerton
Early in President Trump’s term, McSweeney’s editors began to catalog the head-spinning number of misdeeds coming from his administration. We called this list a collection of Trump’s cruelties, collusions, and crimes, and it felt urgent then to track them, to ensure these horrors — happening almost daily — would not be forgotten. This election year, amid a harrowing global health, civil rights, humanitarian, and economic crisis, we know it’s never been more critical to note these horrors, to remember them, and to do all in our power to reverse them. This list will be updated between now and the November 2020 Presidential election.
Various writers have compiled this list during the course of the Trump administration. Their work has been guided by invaluable journalistic resources, including WTFJHT, NPR, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other sources, to whom we are grateful.
The Hare Krishna Movement 