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!
From time to time, I like to post some of the old photos from Gurudas Prabhu’s camera. He was one of the first ISKCON photographers and took many of the famous and beautiful pictures of Srila Prabhupada. The following were from Parikama with Srila Prabhupada in India.
Today we are posting some of the very famous photographs taken by me dear friend and senior God brother Gurudas Prabhu. Gurudas was well known for his photography and he traveled around the world with Srila Prabhupada taking pictures and writting. We share some of them with you here today.
This is a continuation of Lectures on the Nectar of Devotion, given by Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavan India at Srila Rupa Goswami’s samadi in 1972. Photos are by Gurudas Prabhu.
…So this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is a process to give chance everyone. Just like we are holding this meeting. It is a chance given to everyone to hear about Kṛṣṇa, to learn about devotional service. And if it attracts him, if he says, “Yes, it is nice,” then it is called śraddhā. So śraddhā, by repeated hearing, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam [SB 7.5.23]. If we hear repeatedly, then we develop our dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In everybody there is dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So that is also stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya. Kṛṣṇa bhakti is there. It is not artificially we acquire it. It is already there. But we are in the forgotten stage. Therefore, by repeated hearing, it is awakened. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. If we hear Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare/Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, then śuddha-citta. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. The, the heart, the mirror of the heart, will be cleansed. And as soon as it is cleansed, we awaken, we remember, “Oh, I am eternal.” Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. This remembrance comes, that “I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.” And when he understands that he’s eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa and he engages himself in that service, then immediately he becomes liberated. (Vṛndāvana, October 19, 1972)
The Nectar of Devotion Lecture
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Vṛndāvana, October 19, 1972
Pradyumna: (reading) “…happiness immediately terminates with his body as long as his life, as soon as his life is over. Death is therefore taken as the representative of God for the atheistic class of men. The devotee realizes the presence of God by devotional service, whereas the atheist realizes the presence of God in the shape of death.”
Prabhupāda: Yes. This point we have discussed last night that everyone can see God. To see God is not very difficult job. There are so many points described in the Bhagavad-gītā. For the devotees, those who are serious about seeing God, they can see God. God is present everywhere. And God Himself, Kṛṣṇa, is describing, raso ‘ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ [Bg. 7.8]. So everyone drinks water. Now Kṛṣṇa says, “The taste of the water, I am.” So who has not tasted the water? Everyone drinks water at least four times, five times. So as soon as you drink water, the taste of the water is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, “I am this.” Kṛṣṇa has described Himself in so many ways. “Amongst the trees, I am this. Amongst the aquatics, I am this. Amongst the nonmovable, I am this.” So why not see God in that way? The atheist class of men, they say, “Can you show me God?” So why don’t you see God? Why you close your eyes? If you have got eyes to see, you can see God everywhere.
…Now our point was that how to see Kṛṣṇa in everything?… By these blunt, material senses, we cannot appreciate, or we can see, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It has to be purified… One must be relieved from all designations. So long one thinks that “I am Hindu. I am Christian. I am Muhammadan. I am this. I am brāhmaṇa. I am śūdra. I am kṣatriya. I am man. I am woman. I am black. I am white.” These are all designations. One has to become free from all these designations. That is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. If you see God, Kṛṣṇa, from the Hindu angle of vision, if you see God from Christian angle of vision, then you cannot see God. That is not seeing God. You have to become freed from all these designations. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us, nāhaṁ vipra na ca nara-patir na yatir vā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, “I am not a brāhmaṇa. I am not a kṣatriya. I am not a vaiśya. I am not a śūdra. I am not a sannyāsī. I am not a gṛhastha. I am not a brahmacārī.” Then “What You are?” Because within these eight categories, we are living. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, “I don’t belong to all these categories.” Then “What You are, Sir?”… “I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa, the maintainer of the gopīs.” (The Nectar of Devotion Lecture Vṛndāvana, October 18, 1972)
Conversations with George Harrison
London, England – July 26, 1976
Srila Prabhupada: “Are you reading sometimes my books? Which one?”
George Harrison: “Mainly Krsna.”
Srila Prabhupada: “That is the main book.” [laughs)
George Harrison: “Mukunda gave me the new books, but there’s so much to read.”
Srila Prabhupada: “Philosophy.”
George Harrison: “I don’t know how anybody could have written it, it’s is difficult to read all that amount”
Srila Prabhupada: “Sometimes, they are surprised how one man can write so many books, but it is Krsna’ s grace. Otherwise, not possible. Human being, it is not possible.”
Somehow or other, I have a large collection of Photo’s taken by Gurudas Prabhu. It is the first snowy day, and I am inside the house staying warm and looking at this large collection of photos on our computer. It would be remiss of me not to share some of these vintage photos with our readers and visitors to The Hare Krishna Movement. So this will be the beginning of our new series entitled ‘Photos by Gurudas’.
..utilize everything for the purpose of Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Most scientific and authorized movement. Trying to place people in his original, constitutional position and cooperate for the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
…So bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu is to taste the mellow of serving Kṛṣṇa. That is the science of serving Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we have named this book, “Nectar of Devotion.” It is summary study of bhakti-rasa, the mellow, the transcendental mellow which one can taste. Everyone is tasting. Otherwise he cannot work. So yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi. Kṛṣṇa says, “Whatever engagement you may have, kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam, do it for Kṛṣṇa.” Don’t take the result yourself. Give it to Kṛṣṇa. Then you’ll taste the rel…, relish the mellow, transcendental mellow, bhakti-rasa. And then you’ll be happy. (The Nectar of Devotion Lectures Vṛndāvana, October 17, 1972)
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