How Can Kali Destroy ISKCON

Most of us have an understanding of “The age of Kali”. There is a nice article at the bottom of this post taken fro Back to Godhead Magizine, wherein Srila Prabhupada lectures on the “Predictions for the Age of Hypocrisy” But an interesting post appeared on Facebook recently, “How Can Kali Destroy ISKCON”, posted by Govinda dasi we share with you.

tatas canu-dinam dharmah
satyam saucam ksama daya
kalena balina rajan
nanksyaty ayur balam smrtih

“My dear King, with each day religion, truthfulness, cleanliness, forgiveness, mercy, duration of life, bodily strength, and memory will all decrease more and more by the mighty force of time.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.2.1)

So here Sukadeva Gosvami is describing the chief symptoms of this age. He says, tatas canudinam: with the progress of this age (Kali-yuga), dharma, religious principles; satyam, truthfulness; saucam, cleanliness; ksama, forgiveness; daya, mercifulness; ayur, duration of life; balam, bodily strength; smrti, memory—these eight things will gradually decrease to nil or almost nil.

How Can Kali Destroy ISKCON

We have heard it all about how Kali entered ISKCON. Here is a detailed, crystal-clear analysis from my good friend. Remember, where there is a disease, there is a cure, which Srila Prabhupada prescribed: “Your love for me will be shown by how you cooperate with one another.” and all its auxiliaries. And don’t say that because it’s AI, it is not valid. Then stay ignorant. Note this. AI gives solid, substantial research of available sources and spits out realized instructions that you will not hear from, adored by the ordinary public, esteemed and prominent preachers, who at best have nothing to say, talk trash, or worse, go against Srila Prabhupada in a covert way.

My question to AI: If you would be the demon Kali how would you destroy ISKCON?

Answer: In Hindu eschatology, the demon Kali (the personification of the Kali-yuga) does not destroy through brute force or external warfare. Kali’s power lies in Dharma-vyadha—the corruption of righteousness from within.

If I were to approach this from the perspective of that archetypal energy, the strategy to dismantle an organization like ISKCON would not be to attack it, but to “poison the roots” by encouraging the four specific vices Kali resides in, as described in the Srimad Bhagavatam.

According to the texts, Kali resides where there is: gambling, intoxication, illicit sex, and animal slaughter. To destroy a spiritual movement, Kali would work to subtly integrate these or their psychological equivalents into the structure:

1. The Corruption of “Truth” (Gambling)

I would encourage intellectual gambling. This means moving away from the “Absolute Truth” of the shastra (scriptures) and instead fostering speculation and corporate politics. By making the leadership more concerned with “winning” organizational power struggles than with spiritual realization, the internal trust—the glue of the movement—would dissolve into suspicion.

2. The Loss of “Austerity” (Intoxication)

I wouldn’t use drugs; I would use the intoxication of prestige. I would make the followers drunk on the idea of being “chosen” or “spiritually superior.” When pride takes over, austerity (the discipline of the mind and senses) vanishes. A movement that seeks fame (pratistha) more than purity is already hollowed out.

3. The Loss of “Cleanliness” (Illicit Connection)

I would foster hypocrisy. By creating a culture where external appearance is strictly monitored but internal struggles are buried in shame, I would create a pressure cooker. When scandals are covered up rather than addressed with “cleanliness” (honesty and accountability), the moral authority of the movement collapses in the eyes of the public and the youth.

4. The Loss of “Mercy” (Cruelty)

I would replace compassion with bureaucracy. I would make the institution so rigid and focused on “rules” and “management” that it forgets to be merciful to its members. When the devotees feel like cogs in a machine rather than souls being cared for, they will naturally drift away, feeling spiritually starved.

The Ultimate Weapon: Internal Strife

In the Puranas, Kali’s greatest success is Bheda (division).

The Strategy: Split the organization into “liberal” and “conservative” camps.

The Result: Instead of chanting the names of God, they would spend their energy arguing with each other on the internet.

The “Kali-yuga” way to destroy ISKCON is simply to wait for it to forget its essence and become just another worldly business.

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The Song of God

Whenever I think about the Bhagavad-gita, this image comes to mind. It is the “Song of God”, the words spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to His dear friend and disciple Arjuna.

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1972 Edition
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter Ten, Text 12-13

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.

PURPORT

In these two verses the Supreme Lord gives a chance to the modern philosopher, for here it is clear that the Supreme is different from the individual soul. Arjuna, after hearing the essential four verses of Bhagavad-gītā in this chapter, became completely free from all doubts and accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He at once boldly declares, “You are Parambrahma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” And previously Kṛṣṇa states that He is the originator of everything and everyone. Every demigod and every human being is dependant on Him. Men and demigods, out of ignorance, think that they are absolute and independant of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. That ignorance is removed perfectly by the discharge of devotional service. This is already explained in the previous verse by the Lord. Now by His grace, Arjuna is accepting Him as the Supreme Truth, in concordance with the Vedic injunction. It is not because Kṛṣṇa is an intimate friend of Arjuna that he is flattering Him by calling Him the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth. Whatever Arjuna says in these two verses is confirmed by Vedic truth. Vedic injunctions affirm that only one who takes to devotional service to the Supreme Lord can understand Him, whereas others cannot. Each and every word of this verse spoken by Arjuna is confirmed by Vedic injunction.

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Krishna Consciousness

People often think that The Hare Krishna Movement (ISKCON) is a Hindu Religion, but it is not. Sometime back in 1968, one reporter asked Srila Prabhupada, “What is this Hare Krishna Movement?”. Srila Prabhupada replied: “We are not a buissness , we are not a Religion”.

…I am not very interested to establish a Hindu temple. Perhaps you know from the very beginning I never described my movement as Hindu religion. Religion means the bona fide process by which we understand God and the first class religion is that which teaches people to develop love for God. To know or accept the authority of God is one thing, but to love God is another. Generally, people are interested in material comforts and they make God as the supplying agent. This kind of devotion is not purified. It is contaminated by material desires, but when one is elevated to the position of giving everything to God out of love and affection, that is the first class position. We are teaching this philosophy in the name of Krishna Consciousness, and it is applicable to all sober persons. The Bhagavat principle is that because we can be happy simply by developing our dormant love of God, this is our first business. (Letter to: Mukunda June 3, 1969)

In the eighteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna in conclusion states:

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

sarva-dharmān—all varieties of religion; parityajya—abandoning; mām—unto Me; ekam—only; śaraṇam—surrender; vraja—go; aham—I; tvām—you; sarva—all; pāpebhyaḥ—from sinful reactions; mokṣayiṣyāmi—deliver; mā—not; śucaḥ—worry.

TRANSLATION

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear. (Bg 18.66)

PURPORT

The Lord has described various kinds of knowledge, processes of religion, knowledge of the Supreme Brahman, knowledge of the Supersoul, knowledge of the different types of orders and statuses of social life, knowledge of the renounced order of life, knowledge of nonattachment, sense and mind control, meditation, etc. He has described in so many ways different types of religion. Now, in summarizing Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says that Arjuna should give up all the processes that have been explained to him; he should simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That surrender will save him from all kinds of sinful reactions, for the Lord personally promises to protect him.

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Teaching and Study Guide to the Bhagavad-gita As It is

Krsna and Arjuna

This is a nice Study Guide on the Bhagavad-gita As It Is.  It begins with the Introduction to the Bhagavad-gita, some notes on the Original Edition, the significance of the Bhagavad-gita, a philosophical synopsis, chapter by chapter summary, Q & A, and a suguested teaching syllabus.  All in all ,a very nice presentation prepared by disciples and followers of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

We are offing it here as a free pdf download that you can view, save or print, by clicking on the following link:

Teaching_and_Study_Guide_to_Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is

Srila Rupa Gosvami

088_-_BTG_Year-1973_Volume-01_Number-59_Page_05.jpg1

Last night as I was falling asleep, this prayer just popped into my head:

SRI RUPA PRANAMA

sri-caitanya-mano-‘bhistam sthapitum yena bhtu-tale
svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam

sri-caitanya-of Lord Caitanya; manah– mind; abhistam-what is desired; sthapitam-established; yena-by whom; bhu-tale-on the surface of the globe; svayam-himself; rupah-Srila Rupa Gosvami; kada-when; mahyam-unto me; dadati-will give; sva-his own; pada-lotus feet; antikam-proximity to.

When will Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?

And as I drifted off to sleep I was thinking about Srila Rupa Goswami, I don’t know why. But I woke still thinking about him. The following is an article from Back to Godhead Magizine.

Obstacles on the Path of Eternity
An Excerpt from Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Upadesamrta
from Back to Godhead Magazine Vol. 1, No.88, 1973

[SRILA RUPA GOSVAMI was one of six exalted devotees especially chosen through the Krsna conscious chain of spiritual masters to teach the devotional service of the Supreme Lord in a scientific manner. Although all of these six great devotees were erudite scholars and prolific writers, Srila Rupa Gosvami is the most prominent, for he most greatly appreciated the nectar of Krsna consciousness. His Upadesamrta (Nectarean Instructions), a short work of only eleven verses, teaches the basic principles for arousing one’s dormant love of Krsna, the Supreme Lord. Written in Sanskrit some 400 years ago, it has now been translated into English, with an illuminating explanation of each verse, by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.]

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Srimad Bhagavatam 7.5.23-24

The following is one of the most quoted verses by Srila Prabhupada, from the Srimad Bhagavatam, and it is also one of the longest purports as well. Very important verse!

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau
bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā
kriyeta bhagavaty addhā
tan manye ‘dhītam uttamam

śrī-prahrādaḥ uvācaPrahlāda Mahārāja said; śravaṇamhearing; kīrtanamchanting; viṣṇoḥ—of Lord Viṣṇu (not anyone else); smaraṇamremembering; pāda-sevanamserving the feet; arcanamoffering worship (with ṣoḍaśopacāra, the sixteen kinds of paraphernalia); vandanaṁoffering prayers; dāsyambecoming the servant; sakhyambecoming the best friend; ātma-nivedanamsurrendering everything, whatever one has; iti—thus; puṁsā arpitā—offered by the devotee; viṣṇau—unto Lord Viṣṇu (not to anyone else); bhaktiḥ—devotional service; cet—if; nava-lakṣaṇā—possessing nine different processes; kriyeta—one should perform; bhagavatiunto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; addhā—directly or completely; tat—that; manyeI consider; adhītamlearning; uttamamtopmost.

Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one’s best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.

When Prahlāda Mahārāja was asked by his father to say something from whatever he had learned, he considered that what he had learned from his spiritual master was the best of all teachings…(from purport)

Full text and purport

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Bringing People to Srila Prabhupada

Srila Prabhupada on Vyasasana

Recently I was staying at a friends house, and in the room where I was spending the night there was one book by Giriraj Swami entitled “Watering the Seed”. I happened to open it and began reading from the Preface:

…from that first meeting with Srila Prabhupada, my whole life’s purpose became to bring people to meet Srila Prabhupada. And I was able to do that for many years. But when he passed away, I wondered ‘what will be my service now?’. My whole service had been to bring people to Srila Prabhupada.

Now I understand that Srila Prabhupada is always present, and that by speaking of him, hearing about him, remembering him, and, most significantly, by studying his books and following his instructions, we can experience his presence. So I can continue doing what I was doing when he was personally present-introducing soul’s to Srila Prabhupada-and that is what I feel most natural doing. Because I know that somehow or other, if someone comes in touch with Srila Prabhupada, his life will become successful. (Watering the Seed, Preface)

Now, I am always encouraged when I hear my Godbrothers speaking in this way, because this is how I have always felt, and continue to feel. That my main purpose, as a disciple, is to bring people to Srila Prabhupada, and there-by bringing them to Krishna.

The Bhagavad-gita in Ten Points

Thank you to whoever posted this on Facebook. I didn’t catch the name of person posting this, but this is real good!

THE BHAGAVAD GITA IN TEN POINTS

On July 13, 1947 Srila Prabhupada wrote a letter to Raja Mohendra Pratap and explained the Bhagavad-gita to him in ten points. The following is Srila Prabhupada’s summary of ten conclusions in the Bhagavad-gita.


1) God is one and everything is in Him and He is in everything.

2) To render transcendental service unto God is to serve everything that be, just like to water the root of the tree is to water the different branches and numerous leaves of the tree or to supply food to the stomach is to vitalize all the senses and the sense organs of the body.

3) The parts are automatically served when the Whole is served but when the parts are served the whole may not be served or not served at all.

4) The parts and the Whole being eternally related, it is the eternal duty of the parts to render service unto the Whole.

5) A recipient of the services of the parts, God’s sat-cit-ananda vigraha, i.e., the all-attractive Cognizant and all-blissful Personality eternal. He can reveal Himself by His own potency without any help of the external potency called maya in order to be cognizable by the limited potency of the parts and as such He is not only the greatest of all but he is the smallest of all. That is His prerogative.

6) He is better realized when He by His causeless mercy agrees to descend in this mortal world but He is never realized by the partial speculations of the empiric philosophers, however systematic and long-termed it may be.

7) Sri Krishna is the Personality of Godhead and is the Summum Bonum Cause of all Causes proved by fact and figures in the statement of Bhagavad-gita, but He reserves the right of not being exposed to the sensual speculations of the empiric philosophers.

One should therefore surrender unto Him if one wants to know Him as He is and that is the real process to approach the Infinite by the infinitesimals.

9) Sri Krishna is easily available by the religion of love, i.e., by love and service as conceived by the damsels of Vraja who had practically no education whatsoever and much less any claim for high class birthright.

10) The highest service that can be rendered to the mankind is, therefore, to preach the philosophy and religion of Bhagavad-gita for all the times, all the places and all the people.

The Supreme Abode

That supreme abode is called unmanifested and infallible, and it is the supreme destination. When one goes there, he never comes back. That is My supreme abode. (Bhagavad-gita 8.21)

Purport

The supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā as cintāmaṇi-dhāma, a place where all desires are fulfilled. The supreme abode of Lord Kṛṣṇa known as Goloka Vṛndāvana is full of palaces made of touchstone. There are also trees which are called “desire trees” that supply any type of eatable upon demand, and there are cows known as surabhi cows which supply a limitless supply of milk. In this abode, the Lord is served by hundreds of thousands of goddesses of fortune (Lakṣmīs), and He is called Govinda, the primal Lord and the cause of all causes. The Lord is accustomed to blow His flute (venum kvanantam). His transcendental form is the most attractive in all the worlds—His eyes are like the lotus petals and the color of His body like clouds. He is so attractive that His beauty excels that of thousands of cupids. He wears saffron cloth, a garland around His neck and a peacock feather in His hair. In the Gītā Lord Krṣṇa gives only a small hint of His personal abode (Goloka Vṛndāvana) which is the supermost planet in the spiritual kingdom. A vivid description is given in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Vedic literature states that there is nothing superior to the abode of the Supreme Godhead, and that that abode is the ultimate destination. When one attains to it, he never returns to the material world. Kṛṣṇa’s supreme abode and Kṛṣṇa Himself are non different, being of the same quality. On this earth, Vṛndāvana, ninety miles southeast of Delhi, is a replica of that supreme Goloka Vṛndāvana located in the spiritual sky. When Kṛṣṇa descended on this earth, He sported on that particular tract of land known as Vṛndāvana in the district of Mathurā, India.

Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives

Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives

Its interesting to note that this lecture also became the Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is

Prabhupāda:

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

sri-caitanya-mano-‘bhistam sthapitum yena bhtu-tale
svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam

vande ‘ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams’ ca
sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam tam sa jivam
sadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam krsna-caitanya-devam
sri-radha-krsna-padan saha-gana-lalita-sri-visakhanvitams’ ca

he krsna karuna-sindho dina-bandho jagat-pate
gopesa gopika kanta radha-kanta namo ‘stu te

tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari
vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye

(jaya) sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda
sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Bhagavad-gītā is known also Gītopaniṣad, the essence of Vedic knowledge, and one of the most important of the various Upaniṣads in Vedic literature. This Bhagavad-gītā, there are many commentations in English, and what is the necessity of another English commentation of the Bhagavad-gītā can be explained in the following way. One . . .

(break) One American lady, Mrs. Charlotte Leblanc, asked me to recommend an English edition of Bhagavad-gītā which she can read.

Of course, in America there are so many editions of English Bhagavad-gītā, but so far I have seen them, not only in America but also India, none of them can be said strictly as authoritative, because almost every one of them have expressed their own opinion through the commentation of the Bhagavad-gītā without touching the spirit of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.

The spirit of Bhagavad-gītā is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā itself. It is just like this—if we want to take a particular medicine, then we have to follow the particular direction mentioned on the label of the medicine. We cannot take the particular medicine according to our own direction or by the direction of a friend, but we have to take the medicine under the direction given on the label of the bottle and as directed by the physician. Similarly, the Bhagavad-gītā also should be taken or accepted as it is directed by the speaker Himself.

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George Harrarison Interveiw: Hare Krishna Mantra–There’s Nothing Higher

George-Harrison-and-Srila-Prabhupada

click on inage to enlarge

In the following conversation, taped at George’s home in England on September 4, 1982, George reveals some memorable experiences he has had chanting Hare Krishna and describes in detail his deep personal realizations about the chanting. He reveals what factors led him to produce “The Hare Krishna Mantra” record, “My Sweet Lord,” and the LPs All Things Must Pass and Living in the Material World, which were all influenced to a great extent by the Hare Krishna chanting and philosophy. He speaks lovingly and openly about his association with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya (spiritual master) of the Hare Krishna movement. In the following interview George speaks frankly about his personal philosophy regarding the Hare Krishna movement, music, yoga, reincarnation, karma, the soul, God, and Christianity. The conversation concludes with his fond remembrances of a visit to the birthplace of Lord Krishna in Vrndavana, India, home of the Hare Krishna mantra, and with George discussing some of his celebrity friends’ involvement with the mantra now heard and chanted around the world.

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Universal Form

I remember back many years ago, when I was a new devotee traveling with the RDTSP, we attended a Rainbow Festival in Oregon. There were many hippy type personalities, and aspiring spiritualists, and I meet this one man, who looked like Jesus, with long hair and sandals, with a sign around his neck that said, “I Am God”.

So I said to him, “If you are God, then show me your Universal Form”. It was stunned silence. He could not reply. I guess maybe he wasn’t God after all. Or I didn’t have the divine vision to see. But either way, he wasn’t still wearing the sign at the end of the day.

O greatest of all personalities, O supreme form, though I see here before me Your actual position, I yet wish to see how You have entered into this cosmic manifestation. I want to see that form of Yours. (Bg. 11. 3)

If You think that I am able to behold Your cosmic form, O my Lord, O master of all mystic power, then kindly show me that universal self. (Bg 11 .4)

The Blessed Lord said: My dear Arjuna, O son of Pṛthā, behold now My opulences, hundreds of thousands of varied divine forms, multicolored like the sea. (Bg 11. 5)

But you cannot see Me with your present eyes. Therefore I give to you divine eyes by which you can behold My mystic opulence. (Bg. 11. 8)

Arjuna saw in that universal form unlimited mouths and unlimited eyes. It was all wondrous. The form was decorated with divine, dazzling ornaments and arrayed in many garbs. He was garlanded gloriously, and there were many scents smeared over His body. All was magnificent, all-expanding, unlimited. This was seen by Arjuna. (Bg 11. 10-11

Full chapter : Universal Form

Krishna and Cows

One of my favorite Krishna Painters is B. G. Sharma. Although he passed away in November 2007 at the age of 83, the B. G. Sharma Art Gallery in Udaipur, Rajasthan, remains open to the public and displays a vast collection of his original miniature and religious paintings.

Krishna and Cows

Krishna and cows have always been together. In His original form in the spiritual world, Krishna is a cowherd boy in the agricultural community of Goloka (“cow planet”) Vrindavan, where He keeps unlimited, transcendental surabhi cows.

When He descends to earth, Krishna brings a replica of Vrindavan with Him, and He spends His childhood tending cows and calves while playing in the pasturing grounds with His friends. His example shows the importance of cows to human society, the practical benefits of caring for them, and the advantages of an agrarian economy based on cooperation between man and cows.

Krishna established the original economic system, varnashrama-dharma, for the spiritual and material progress of all living beings. Protected cows are a major component of this system; bulls and oxen till the fields, and cows give milk. Cows are considered one of the mothers of humankind because cow’s milk—when properly prepared—is perfectly suited to maintaining human life. Milk can be made into a wide variety of preparations, such as yogurt and butter, which are also essential ingredients for use in the ceremonial worship of Krishna in His transcendental Deity form.

In His famous book of instructions for humankind, the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna mentions cow protection as one of the prime duties of any civilized society. The Bible also tells us that cow-killing is as punishable as killing a human being.

Kṛṣṇa had many thousands of cows, and they were divided into groups according to their colors. They were also differently named according to color. When He would prepare to return from the pasturing ground, He would gather all the cows. As Vaiṣṇavas count 108 beads, which represent the 108 individual gopīs, so Kṛṣṇa would also count on 108 beads to count the different groups of cows. (Krishna book CH 35)

The cows taken care of by Kṛṣṇa had different names, and Kṛṣṇa would call them with love. After hearing Kṛṣṇa calling, the cows would immediately respond by mooing, and the boys would enjoy this exchange to their hearts’ content. They would all imitate the sound vibrations made by the different kinds of birds, especially the cakoras, peacocks, cuckoos and bhāradvājas. (Krishna book, CH 15)


Sharma Art Gallery

Arsha Prayoga: No Change


Arsha Prayoga – Part One
April 26, 2010 by Locanananda Prabhu

…For those who saw the Hare Krishna movement spread from city to city and from country to country, it was clear that the original version of Srila Prabhupada’s books was full of spiritual potency and did not require to be changed in any way for his words to act upon the hearts of the conditioned souls…

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.

The rationale for changing Srila Prabhupada’s books was based on a series of false arguments, many of which were defeated by Srila Prabhupada himself as this article will show. To justify their actions, the BBT editors created the illusion that Srila Prabhupada’s books were defective and in need of extensive editing even though they knew His Divine Grace had never authorized anyone to revise his books after his disappearance. Subsequent to his departure, they conveniently overlooked the principle of “arsa prayoga” and proceeded to do exactly what vaisnava tradition strictly prohibits.

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KRSNA The Supreme Personality of Godhead

The Krsna Consciousness Handbook

I first ran across this book some twenty years ago, although it was printed in 1970, I was surprised to learn there was a handbook for devotees. I found it to be a treasure house of basic guidelines for developing our Krsna consciousness, as well as presenting the philosophy very simply. Nice little book.

click on link for free pdf download: The Krsna Consciousness Handbook

Introduction
This is the first annual edition of The Krsna Consciousness Handbook. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was founded in 1966 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and is now becoming firmly established, with centers in thirty major cities around the world and world headquarters in Los Angeles,California. The goal of the Society’s members is to attain love of God by following the principles of bhakti-yoga,as ·taught by the Vedic scriptures and the disciplic succession of spiritual masters, and to spread love of God to all people through the process of sankirtana
(public chanting of the holy names of God). Another important goal of the Society is to present authoritative literature on the science of God in English and other major languages.

Approach Krishna Through the Mercy of Srimati Radharani

The following are just a few of the many quotes from Srila Prabhupada which encourage us to approach Krishna through the mercy of Srimati Radharani, Krishna’s eternal consort. For those of us who feel that there is no hope of making spiritual progress in this lifetime, Srimati Radharani, Who is compassion personified, kindly comes to our rescue if we can humbly invoke Her divine blessings.

tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari
vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye

“I offer my respects to Radharani whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vrndavana. You are the daughter of King Vrsabhanu, and You are very dear to Lord Krishna.”  (Sri Radha Pranama)

“I emphatically say to you, O brothers, you will obtain your good fortune from the Supreme Lord Krishna only when Srimati Radharani becomes pleased with you.”(Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Krishna, September 13, 1965)

“Actually, because Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is very difficult to approach Him. But the devotees, taking advantage of His compassionate nature, which is represented by Radharani, always pray to Radharani for Krishna’s compassion.”  (Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 22)

“There is no comparison to Radharani’s beauty and the luster of Her transcendental body. The so-called beauty of the moon has fallen on the ground in the presence of Radharani’s beauty.”  (From Vrindavana by Srila Narottama das Thakura)

“The beauty of Srimati Radharani’s eyes forcibly devours the beauty of newly grown blue lotus flowers, and the beauty of Her face surpasses that of an entire forest of fully blossomed lotuses. Her bodily luster seems to place even gold into a painful situation. Thus the wonderful, unprecedented beauty of Srimati Radharani is awakening in Vrindavana.”  (Caitanya-caritamrita Antya 1.169)

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How Srila Prabhupada was Received in Mexico

HOW WAS PRABHUPADA RECEIVED IN MEXICO

A memory by Citsukhananda das

I didn’t expect so many people. But literally there were five to six hundred people in the temple room and more were standing outside, and they were all very, very much anxious to see Srila Prabhupada. So Srila Prabhupada gave a wonderful lecture. I wish I could remember some of the things that he said, but one of the things they asked was, “Why do you wear these marks on your forehead?” And he said, “So this is simply to make people chant Hare Krsna, that when they see these marks on our foreheads they will remember, ‘Oh, that is a Hare Krsna devotee.’ And therefore they are beginning to chant, and by chanting they can become happy. The only way to become happy is to chant. So our business is to make everyone chant by one way or another.” So everyone was very pleased with his answers.

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Sastra Sadhu and Guru

Sastra Sadhu and Guru

God’s word cannot be changed. Then what will be the difference between God and ourself? He is always perfect. He is always perfect. What He said forty millions of years ago, what He said five thousand years ago, that is also correct up to date. That is sastra. Not that “So many years have passed and it has become old. Now let us reform it and put it into new way.” No.

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Chant the Holy Name of Krishna

Hare Krishna mantra

The Holy Name Is All There Is
by Hansadutta das  

Although Srila Prabhupada wrote many books, he one day asked me, “So why did I write all these books?” I said, “So we can know the philosophy, learn the philosophy.” He said, “No, the purpose of all these books is to convince you to chant the holy name of Krishna.”

Chanting is exactly like the simple method of inhaling and exhaling. Although it seems like a very simple act, it is nevertheless the essence of the whole thing. Without that inhaling and exhaling, none of the other activities can take place. We also understand that no one simply inhales and exhales, but all the other activities are supportive of the inhaling and exhaling.

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Previous Older Entries

108 Imporant Slokas from the 1972 Bhagavad-gita As It Is

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The Hare Krishna Cookbook

Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas

Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1972 Edition “Online”

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Srimad Bhagavatam Online

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Raja-Vidya the King of Knowledge

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Important Slokas from the Brahma-samhita

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Slokas from the Sri Isopanisad

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Prayers By Queen Kunti (Slokas)

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Gajendra’s Prayers of Surrender (Slokas)

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A Short Statement of the Philosophy of Krishna Consciousness

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July 9th Letter

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The Hare Krishna Explosion

Reference Material/Study Guide

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