09 Oct 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, Lectures, Technology
Tags: chanting Hare Krishna, Krsna consciousness movement, Lecture by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, spiritual master, technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Krsna consciousness movement teaches a science missing from the classrooms of even the world’s best universities.
This movement is for solving the problems of life, and it can be easily done. Anyone can accept it. It doesn’t matter whether one is Indian or American or Hindu or Muslim or Christian. It doesn’t matter. Simply chant this vibration: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Lecture
By His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston—May 5, 1968
om ajnana-timirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-gurave namah
“I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.”
This Prayer Is Offering respectful obeisances to the spiritual master. Why? Because the spiritual master is the person who opens our eyes, complicated in ignorance, with the torch of transcendental knowledge. Timirandhasya. Every one of us is born ignorant, and we require specific education and training for seeing things as they are.
Today I am very glad to meet you. You are all students of technology. This Krsna consciousness movement is another technology. In the modern state of civilization there are different depart-ments of knowledge. There is a department for teaching medical science, there is a department for teaching engineering—so many other departments of knowledge. Unfortunately, there is no department for distributing knowledge of the science of the soul. But that is the most important thing, because the soul is the mainstay, the background of all our movements.
In the Bhagavad-gita [3.42] there is a nice verse:
indriyani parany ahur
indriyebhyah param manah
manasas tu para buddhir
yo buddheh paratas tu sah
The idea is that in the present consciousness I am thinking that I am the body, although actually I am not the body. This is ignorance. “Body” means the senses. When I am talking, I am using my tongue for vibration. So these bodily activities are sensual activities.
If you go deep into the matter, you’ll find that the senses can act only when the mind is sound. A crazy man, or a madman, cannot use his senses properly. Therefore the technology of the mind is a higher science. First of all there is the technology of the senses, and then a higher technology of the mind, which is known as psychology and studies thinking, feeling, willing. Psychologists are trying to understand how these are working.
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06 Oct 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Lectures, Spiritual Life, Srimad Bhagavatam
Tags: Krishna, Krishna consciousness, Parikshit Maharaja, Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam, Sukadeva Goswami, Vedic literatures, what is my duty
Chanakya Pandit says that “If you want to make spiritual advancement, then you should always think that “Death is next moment. Death is next moment.”
Excerpt from lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam
Canto 1, Chapter 4, Text 25, Montreal, June 20, 1968
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Parikshit Maharaja, he was a powerful king. He was equipped with all, everything, but he did not counteract the curse [1]. He could counteract that curse. He was so powerful, but he accepted: “All right. I am cursed. I shall give up my life within seven days.” That means he took it as an opportunity that “I am going to death within seven days. That is certain. And I must prepare myself fully so that my next life I can approach Krishna.” So this is a good opportunity, that “I have got seven days’ time.” We haven’t got seven seconds’ time. We do not know. Nobody has served me notice. We find by practical experience that we are walking on the street—all of a sudden there is some accident, and we die. There is possibility. So the important point is that Maharaja Parikshit was fortunate enough to get seven days’ time before his death. But we do not know how much time is there for our death. So how much serious we shall be. Chanakya Pandit says that “If you want to make spiritual advancement, then you should always think that “Death is next moment. Death is next moment.” Because there is no guarantee when death is coming. If I think that death is next moment, that is not any utopian. The next moment may be my death. And Chanakya Pandit says, “But if you want to be materially happy, you should always think that ‘I shall never die,’ ” although it is false idea. Everyone will die.
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06 Oct 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in People, Steve Jobs
Tags: Apple, Apple Computer, iCloud, iPad, iPhone, Macintosh computer, Microsoft, Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs, Stevenote
‘You’ve got to find what you love,’ Jobs says
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. (June 14, 2005 – Commencement Address at Stanford University)
For a while in his youth, every week, Steve Jobs used to walk seven miles across town to the Hare Krishna temple for the Sunday feast. He was a life-long vegetarian.
Steve Jobs, 1955 – 2011
Wired – Oct 5, 2011
Steven Paul Jobs, co-founder, chairman and former chief executive of Apple Inc., passed away Wednesday.
Steven Paul Jobs, 56, died Wednesday at his home with his family. The co-founder and, until last August, CEO of Apple Inc was the most celebrated person in technology and business on the planet. No one will take issue with the official Apple statement that “The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.”
A visionary inventor and entrepreneur, it would be impossible to overstate Steve Jobs’ impact on technology and how we use it. Apple’s mercurial, mysterious leader did more than reshape his entire industry: he completely changed how we interact with technology. He made gadgets easy to use, gorgeous to behold and essential to own. He made things we absolutely wanted, long before we even knew we wanted them. Jobs’ utter dedication to how people think, touch, feel and interact with machines dictated even the smallest detail of the computers Apple built and the software it wrote.
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02 Oct 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Back to Godhead, Quotes by Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada
Tags: Back to Godhead Magazine, BTG 1978, disciples, final instructions, Srila Prabhupada Speaks out
Remembering Srila Prabhupada
Back to Godhead Magazine
Volume 13, Number 102, 1978
During his last months, Srila Prabhupada was not very active physically, and he spoke relatively little. Yet when he did speak, his words were full of spiritual strength. These excerpts from Srila Prabhupada’s last statements reveal the mind of the pure devotee and universal teacher. And they show that Srila Prabhupada is indeed a transcendental personality, whose devotion to Lord Krsna and to the mission of spreading love of Krsna is undying.
“There is nothing new to be said. Whatever I had to say, I have already said in my books. Now you must all try to understand it and continue with your endeavors. Whether I am present or not present doesn’t matter. Just as Krsna is living eternally, the living being also lives eternally. But especially… kirtir yasya sa jivati: ‘One who has done service to the Lord lives forever.’ You have been taught to serve Krsna, and with Krsna we’ll live eternally. Our life is eternal. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire: the disappearance of this temporary body doesn’t matter. The body is meant for disappearance. So, live forever by serving Krsna. Thank you very much.”
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02 Oct 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Temples
Tags: disciples of His Divine Grace, fire yajna, Ritvik initiation, Singapore mandir, Srila Prabhupada
Initiation ceremony at Sri Krishna Mandir, Singapore
Initiation ceremony in Sri Krishna Mandir, Singapore
By Iskcon Times
In the evening of the most auspicious day of Sri Radhastami, Hare Krishna Mandir, Singapore had a ritvik initiation ceremony. Eight new devotees came forward to take the oath to chant Sixteen rounds of the Hare Krishna Maha mantra and to follow the four regulated principles which is no meat eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication and no gambling for the rest of their lives.
All the initiates were joyous to have been accepted by Srila Prabhupada, the original acharya of the Hare Krsna movememnt and to become His disciples. A yajna was conducted and the vows took by the initiates was solidified. The ceremony ended off with kirtan and the final arati of the day.
Pasted from; http://www.iskcontimes.com
02 Oct 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Back to Godhead, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Brahmananda das, Srimad Bhagavatam
Tags: Back to Godhead Magazine, Brahmananda Swami, Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam, The Books of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
“The words of Srimad-Bhagavatam are Your incarnation, and if people repeatedly hear them in submissive aural reception, then they will be able to understand Your message.”
The Books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Originally published in Back to Godhead No. 52
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust 1973
By Brahmananda Swami ISKCON East Africa
Part 4
In the opening sentences of Srila Prabhupada’s introduction to the Srimad-Bhagavatam, he affirms that the word “God” refers to the supreme controller and that a controller cannot be impersonal. In the first sloka of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, obeisances are offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
om namo bhagavate vasudevaya
om—O my Lord; namah—my respectful obeisances unto You; bhagavate—unto the Personality of Godhead; vasudevaya—unto Lord Krsna, the son of Vasudeva.
O my Lord, the all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.
Whereas others have translated the Sanskrit scriptures conveniently to suit their interpretations, Srila Prabhupada always gives word-for-word English equivalents for each Sanskrit verse, and thus the translations cannot be disputed. This is a painstaking process, considering the length of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, but it is in keeping with the heritage of the Gosvamis to present the literature of devotional service authoritatively and scientifically. Furthermore, the English-reading public can easily learn the meanings to the Sanskrit words from this format.
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01 Oct 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Diksha, Guru & Disciple, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Siksa
Tags: GBC, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, initiator guru, instructor guru, Iskcon, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Madhudvisa Swami
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
“This is the function of the GBC, to see that one may not be taken away by maya. The GBC should all be the instructor gurus. I am the initiator guru, and you should be the instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title, but you must actually come to this platform. This is what I want.” (Letter to Madhudvisa Swami, August, 4, 1975)
for entire letter…
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30 Sep 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Krishna Consciousness, Srila Prabhupada Conversations
Tags: bhagavad-gita, bhakti, conversation with Srila Prabhupada, Krishna consciousness, perfection of yoga, remembering Krishna
Remembering Krishna. This is Krishna Consciousness
Bhagavad-gītā 2.1-10 and Talk
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Los Angeles, November 25, 1968
…It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that we have to try to remember Kṛṣṇa. He’s so beautiful, His instructions are so nice. If we simply remember Kṛṣṇa… That was the perfection approved by Lord Caitanya.
I think I have narrated the story. When Lord Caitanya was traveling in South India in a big temple, Raṅganātha temple, He went to see the Deity, and He saw one brāhmaṇa was reading Bhagavad-gītā. And people were joking him, “Oh, Mr. brāhmaṇa, how you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?” Because they were the neighbors, they knew that this brāhmaṇa was illiterate and he was studying Bhagavad-gītā. So they were joking. But the brāhmaṇa did not about care them. He was taking the book and in his own way he was reading. Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw this incident, He came to the brāhmaṇa. So He asked the brāhmaṇa, “My dear brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?” So he could understand “This persons is not joking with me; He is serious.” So he explained, “My dear sir, I am reading Bhagavad-gītā. Unfortunately, I am illiterate. I do not know even the alphabets.” “Why you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?” So he said that, “My spiritual master knows that I am illiterate, but still, he has asked me to read Bhagavad-gītā. What can I do? Therefore I have taken this book. I am seeing simply. I do not know how to read.” “Oh, that’s all right. You cannot read. But I see that you are crying. How you are crying if you are not reading?” “Yes, I am crying. Of course, there is cause.” “What is that?” “As soon as I take this Bhagavad-gītā, I remember Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is sitting as driver and Arjuna is hearing. I have heard the story. I know something of the instruction but cannot read. So as soon as I take this book, this picture comes before me and I simply think, ‘Oh, how Kṛṣṇa is nice that He has become a charioteer of His devotee. He is so great. Still, He has accepted a menial service of His devotee.’ This gives me so much pleasure that I cry.” Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced him, “Your Bhagavad-gītā reading is perfect. You have taken the essence.” So this is the thing. If you simply remember Kṛṣṇa is teaching Arjuna and Arjuna is hearing, if you simply remember the picture, that is sufficient. Even if you think that you cannot read. Because after all we have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. We haven’t got to become a learned man to argue with another learned man. If it is possible we can do that, but that does not make any difference if I cannot argue with others or if I cannot teach very nicely Bhagavad-gītā to others. Simply if I remember this picture, that is perfection. Because we have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. We have to simply think of Kṛṣṇa. You think in any way. That is your perfection. Smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇuḥ. This is the injunction. You have to think of Viṣṇu always. This is samādhi; this is meditation; this is yoga siddhi, perfection of yoga.
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29 Sep 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Devotional Service, Nectar of Devotion
Tags: 1970 Edition, devotional service, fruitive activities, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, material sense enjoyment, Nectar of Devotion, renunciation, Sri Krsna
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
The Nectar of Devotion – 1970 Edition
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Chapter 3
Eligibility of the Candidate for Accepting Devotional Service
On account of his association with mahātmās, or great souls one hundred percent in the devotional service of the Lord, one may attain a little bit of attraction for Śrī Kṛṣṇa. But at the same time one may remain very much attached to fruitive activities and material sense enjoyment and not be prepared to undergo the different types of renunciation. Such a person, if he has unflinching attraction to Kṛṣṇa, becomes an eligible candidate for discharging devotional service.
This attraction for Kṛṣṇa consciousness in association with pure devotees is the sign of great fortune. It is confirmed by Lord Caitanya that only the fortunate persons, by the mercy of both a bona fide spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa, will get the seed of devotional service. In this connection, Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto, 20th Chapter, verse 8: “My dear Uddhava, only by exceptional fortune does someone become attracted to Me (Kṛṣṇa). And even if one is not completely detached from fruitive activities, or is not completely attached to devotional service, such service is quickly effective.”
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28 Sep 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Book Changes, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's Books
Tags: bhagavad-gita, book changes, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Miss Nedungadi, original books, Srimad Bhagavatam
Bombay, Calicut–2, Kerala State,
Friday, 19 March, 1975:
My dear Miss Nedungadi, please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 6th, 1975 and have noted the contents.
Thank you so much for your kind appreciations. I am so much grateful that you have enjoyed studying my books. Many young intelligent persons such as yourself are studying these books in the colleges and universities all over the world.
Actually anyone who tries to understand these books will become a great realized devotee of Lord Krishna gradually. The original potency of the sastra remains in these books because I have not added or opinionated anything of my own. I have simply presented the scriptures such as Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam as they are. Therefore just see the effect they have on the world.
At present, we have about 100 centers worldwide and about 10,000 fully dedicated students in those centers. You are welcome to visit or stay in any of our centers for your spiritual advancement. We have a nice center in Madras: 50, Aspiran Gardens, 2nd St., Kilpauk, Madras–600010. You can get all the books there.
I will be in Bombay at the end of April and beginning of May. So, if you can come then, I shall see you there. In the meantime please correspond with or visit one of our temples.
I hope this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami
ACBS/ps
25 Sep 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Devotional Service, Krishna Consciousness, Yoga
Tags: bhakti yoga, devotional service, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, krsna consciousness, Krsna's name, master of yoga, Srila Prabhupada, The Topmost Yoga System, yoga, Yoga and the Master of Yoga, yogesvara
Yogesvara, the ultimate object of yoga
Krsna Consciousness The Topmost Yoga System
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter 2
Yoga and the Master of Yoga
Yoga means the connecting link between the soul and the Supersoul, or the Supreme and the minute living creatures. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is that Supreme, the Personality of Godhead. Being, therefore, the ultimate object of yoga, Kṛṣṇa’s name is yogeśvara, the master of yoga.
At the conclusion of the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said: “Where there is Kṛṣṇa, and where there is Arjuna, the greatest of bowmen, there, undoubtedly, is victory.”
The Bhagavad-gītā is a narrative spoken by Sañjaya, the secretary of Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra. This is just like airwaves from the radio: the play is going on in the auditorium, but you can hear from your room. So, just as we now have such a mechanical arrangement, at that time there were also certain arrangements, although there was no machine. Anyway, the secretary of Dhṛtarāṣṭra could see what was going on in the battlefield, and he was in the palace, telling this to Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who was blind. Now, the conclusion made by Sañjaya was that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
When the yoga performance is described, it is said that Kṛṣṇa’s name is yogeśvara. No one can be a better yogī than the master of yoga, and Kṛṣṇa is the master. There are many different types of yoga. Yoga means the system, and yogi means the person who practices that system. The object of yoga, the ultimate goal, is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to practice the topmost type of yoga.
This topmost yoga system was described by Kṛṣṇa in the Gītā to His most intimate friend, Arjuna. In the beginning, the Lord said that this system can be practiced only by a person who has developed attachment for it. This Kṛṣṇa conscious yoga system cannot be practiced by an ordinary man who has no attachment for Kṛṣṇa, for it is a different system, and the topmost—bhakti-yoga.
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22 Sep 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, Devotional Service, Krishna Consciousness
Tags: Back to Godhead Magazine, devotional service, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krishna, krsna consciousness, materialism, spiritual endeavors, Supreme Personality of Godhead
The Urgent Need for Krishna Consciousness
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
This very important Krsna consciousness movement is meant to save human society from spiritual death. At present human society is being misled by leaders who are blind, for they do not know the aim and objective of human life, which is self-realization and the reestablishment of our lost relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the missing point. This Krsna consciousness movement is trying to enlighten human society in this important matter.
According to Vedic civilization, the perfection of life is to realize one’s relationship with Krsna or God. In Bhagavad-gita, which is accepted by all authorities in transcendental science as the basis of all Vedic knowledge, we understand that not only human beings but all living entities are parts and parcels of God. The parts are meant for serving the whole, just as the legs, hands, fingers and ears are meant for serving the total body. We living entities, being parts and parcels of God, are duty bound to serve Him.
Actually our position is that we are always rendering service to someone, either to our family, country or society. If we have no one to serve, sometimes we keep a pet cat or dog and render service to it. All these factors prove that we are constitutionally meant to render service, yet in spite of serving to our best capacity, we are no more satisfied. Nor is the person to whom we are rendering that service satisfied. On the material platform, everyone is frustrated. The reason for this is that the service which is being rendered is not properly directed. For example, if we want to render service to a tree, we must water the root. If we pour water on the leaves, branches and twigs, there is little benefit. If the Supreme Personality of Godhead is served, all other parts and parcels will be automatically satisfied. Consequently all welfare activities as well as service to society, family and nation are realized by serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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21 Sep 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Krsna is the Source of All Incarnations
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Asuri Brahmana, Devahuti, fifth incarnation of Visnu, Lord Kapila, metaphysics, Sankhya philosophy, Srimad Bhagavatam
The instructions of Lord Kapila to His mother Devahūti are fully described in the Third Canto (Chapters 25-32) of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and anyone who follows the instructions can achieve the same liberation obtained by Devahūti. The Lord spoke Bhagavad-gītā, and thereby Arjuna achieved self-realization, and even today anyone who follows the path of Arjuna can also attain the same benefit as Śrī Arjuna. The scriptures are meant for this purpose. Foolish, unintelligent persons make their own interpretations by imagination and thus mislead their followers, causing them to remain in the dungeon of material existence. However, simply by following the instructions imparted by Lord Kṛṣṇa or Lord Kapila, one can obtain the highest benefit, even today.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Canto 1, Text 10
“Creation”
Krsna Is the Source of All Incarnations
The fifth incarnation, named Lord Kapila, is foremost among perfected beings. He gave an exposition of the creative elements and metaphysics to Āsuri Brāhmaṇa, for in course of time this knowledge had been lost.
Purport
The sum total of the creative elements is twenty-four in all. Each and every one of them is explicitly explained in the system of Sāṅkhya philosophy. Sāṅkhya philosophy is generally called metaphysics by the European scholars. The etymological meaning of sāṅkhya is “that which explains very lucidly by analysis of the material elements.” This was done for the first time by Lord Kapila, who is said herein to be the fifth in the line of incarnations.
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21 Sep 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Back to Godhead, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Brahmananda das
Tags: back to Godhead, bhagavad-gita, Books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Brahmananda Swami, Srimad Bhagavatam
The Books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Originally published in Back to Godhead No. 52
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust 1973
By Brahmananda Swami ISKCON East Africa
Part 3
Back to Godhead contained timely articles, essays, book reviews and selections from full-length works in progress such as the Sri Isopanisad. It should be noted that this paper was entirely the effort of Srila Prabhupada. He wrote all the material, edited it, typed it for the printer and checked the galley proofs. Then he sold the copies. Each fortnight he would take batches of Back to Godhead into Delhi. To save a few cents bus fare he sometimes had to walk for miles, and often he would sit in tea parlors until late at night, himself not even taking a glass of water there, preaching and distributing his paper and collecting one cent per copy.
At this time Srila Prabhupada also wrote outlines of his dream. It was a worldwide association of God conscious devotees who actively preached the eternal religion of love of God in all fields of society at large and who used all the modern means at their disposal. The League of Devotees, the forerunner of the now worldwide ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, was thus formally registered. From international sankirtana parties, to gosalas (cow protection reserves), to authorized teaching of Sanskrit, to a printing press solely for flooding the marketplace with Krsna conscious literature, ISKCON is today the reality of that dream.
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20 Sep 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, Lectures
Tags: back to Godhead, Balarama, Gauda, Krishna, Lecture by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Sri Krsna Caitanya, sun and moon
The Rising Sun and Moon
Lecture by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Mayapur, India—March 26, 1975
Back to Godhead 2004, Vol.38, No. 4
vande sri-krsna-caitanya-
nityanandau sahoditau
gaudodaye puspavantau
citrau sandau tamo-nudau
“I offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Krsna Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauda [West Bengal] to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all.”—Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 1.2
SriKrsna Caitanya has many expansions, and the first is Lord Nityananda, who is Krsna’s brother, Balarama. We have to understand these things from the mahajanas, the great sages who are learned in the science of Krsna consciousness. Narottama Dasa Thakura, a mahajana, says, vrajendra-nandana yei, saci-suta hoilo sei, balarama hoilo nitai: “Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Lord Krsna, the son of Nanda Maharaja, and Sri Nityananda Prabhu is Balarama.”
Sometimes foolish people say that Nityananda is an expansion of Radharani. That is not a fact. Nityananda is Balarama. We have to know from the mahajanas; we cannot manufacture our own ideas. That is blasphemy.
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20 Sep 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Krishna Consciousness, Letters by Srila Prabhupada
Tags: Gaudiya Math, Kali-yuga, Kirtanananda Swami, Krsna consciousness movement, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Material nature means dissension and disagreement, especially in this Kali yuga. But, for this Krsna consciousness movement its success will depend on agreement, even though there are varieties of engagements. In the material world there are varieties, but there is no agreement. In the spiritual world there are varieties, but there is agreement. That is the difference. The materialist without being able to adjust the varieties and the disagreements makes everything zero. They cannot come into agreement with varieties, but if we keep Krsna in the center, then there will be agreement in varieties. This is called unity in diversity.
In an October 18, 1973 letter, Srila Prabhupada wrote to Kirtanananda
My Dear Kirtanananda Maharaja:
Please accept my blessings, and I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 16, 1973 and I have noted the contents carefully..
Now this displeasing of god brothers has already begun and gives me too much agitation in my mind. Our Gaudiya Math people fought with one another after the demise of Guru Maharaja but my disciples have already begun fighting even in my presence. So I am greatly concerned about it.
Following in the footprints of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
trnad api su-nicena taror iva sahisnuna
amanina manadena kirtaniya sada harih
“One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.”
We must always remember this verse and be as tolerant as the tree, as we execute the Krsna consciousness movement. Without this mentality we cannot be successful.
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20 Sep 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Diksha, Iskcon Bangalore, Siksa
Tags: Diksha guru of Iskcon, Initiation Ceremony, ISKCON Bangalore, July 9th Letter, Srila Prabhupada, Vaishnava Homa
Srila Prabhupada’s Initiation Ceremony at Iskcon Bangalore
By: Iskcontimes Team
On Sunday, at Iskcon Bangalore one more initiation ceremony was conducted, Reestablishing and Reinforcing the Position of Srila Prabhupada as the only Diksha Guru of Iskcon. 50 devotees took Harinam Diksha and 3 took Brahmana Diksha. Harinam Diksha devotees were given a Vedic name, and Japa Malas chanted upon by the Ritviks. Brahmana Diksha candidates were given a sacred thread. A Vaishnava Homa (fire sacrifice) was performed as the conclusion of the ceremony. The initiation ceremony took place in accordance with the July 9th Letter of Srila Prabhupada.
Pasted from iskcontimes.com
18 Sep 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Temples
Tags: Ganges, Jagadish Ganguli, Jagannatha Temple, Lord Chaitanya, Mayapur, Simantadvipa
History of the Jagannatha temple at Simantadvipa
Five hundred years ago, at the time of Lord Chaitanya, there lived a very wonderful devotee named Jagadish Ganguli. His residence was in a small village near Mayapur. Although he was advanced in age, every year he would go on the 900 kilometer journey to Jagannath Puri on foot to associate with his master Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, take darshan of his beloved Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi, and participate in the all-auspicious Ratha-yatra festival.
One day, less than a month before his scheduled departure for Puri, Jagadish’s plans were foiled. He was stricken with a terrible disease that left him completely blind. Because he was optimistic by nature, this did not dampen his desire to make the yearly padayatra to Puri. He would no longer be able to see the divine, all-merciful forms of Lord Chaitanya and Lord Jagannatha, that was for sure. But still he could relish the sound of sweet kirtana and discourses given by exalted Vaishnavas.
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17 Sep 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Prasadam, Vegetarianism
Tags: Aniruddha, Bhagavad-gita 3.13, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Nandarani dd, non-vegetarian, Prasadam, Srila Prabhupada, vegetarian
Prasadam
. Anyone who is cooking for himself, he is eating simply volumes of sin. So in the material world, either a man is vegetarian or non-vegetarian, they’re eating simply sin, and they will have to suffer the consequence. But so far we are concerned, we are eating remnants of foodstuff which was offered to Krishna, so we are not afraid of anything. If Krishna wants vegetable foodstuff, therefore we supply Him vegetable foodstuff, and if He wants non-vegetarian foodstuff, we can offer Him also, but He does not want it, as it is explicitly stated in the Bhagavad-gita.
So we are concerned with Krishna Prasadam, neither vegetarian or non-vegetarian. … There are many vegetarians animals also; the monkeys are vegetarians, the pigeons are vegetarians, so to become vegetarian is not very good credit.
But to become Krishna Consciousness is the most important business of life. You should try to convince your friends in that way. They should try to learn about Krishna Consciousness. But because they are vegetarians, there is great possibility for them to understand this philosophy.
This article includes both the Bhagavad-gita verse 3.13 and a letter written in 1968 to Nandarani dd which both help explaine the importance of Prasadam
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16 Sep 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krsna Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System, Yoga
Tags: bhagavad-gita, bhakti yoga, hatha yoga, Kali-yuga, krsna consciousness, Srila Prabhupada, the perfection of yoga, topmost yoga system, yoga
Simply to make a show of gymnastics is not perfection of yoga. Yoga means control of the senses. If you indulge your senses unrestrictedly but make a show of yoga practice, you will never be successful.
Krsna Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter One
The Perfection of Yoga
Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, speaks about the topmost system of yoga in the Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. There He has explained the haṭha-yoga system. Please remember that we are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement on the authority of Bhagavad-gītā. It is nothing manufactured. The bhakti-yoga system is authorized, and if you want to know about God, then you have to adopt this bhakti-yoga system because in the Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā it is concluded that the topmost yogī is he who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa within himself.
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