A friend of mine recently sent me a couple of links to check out. The first is Purely Prabhupada.com ,which has the pre-1978 editions of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda’s books, there are videos, testimonials, and more. This site connects with its sister sitePurely Prabhupada.org which is a treasure-house of podcasts, articles, narrations, kirtans, and instructional series for practical application of spiritual life.
I have spent a number of hours now reviewing both sites and there seems to be a wealth of information and links here.
This is an interesting story/history, of the beginning of the Spiritual Sky Incense business started, as told by H.G. Gargamuni das.
How I started Spiritual Sky Incense
by Gargamuni das
This is the Story of How I started Spiritual Sky Incense in the winter of 1968 at 61 2nd Ave Iskcon NYC– with the motto, ”Krsna Makes the Best Scents” (Sense), which increased Sankirtan Literature Distribution 20 times. Myself and Brahmananda thought of the name Spiritual Sky, with Srila Prabhupada’s blessings in the winter of 1968. I started making the Spiritual Sky incense in the very small cellar at the temple. I not only made stick incense but I also packaged resin incense, which I bought from an old East European man who was 90 years old. He used to make frankincense that was used in churches. He had several other mixes with spices and resins which were very fragrant. You would put these on self-igniting charcoal. There were little round charcoals, you would light a match and touch it, and it would self-ignite. Then you would sprinkle on these resins with spices and you’d get very nice fragrance. I made different names with small containers, and sold them to the stores. I also bottled fragances in designer dripless perfume bottles. In this way, I was practically the only one making extra money for the temple.
In India in the early 1970’s, when the devotees held Pandal Programs, Srila Prabhupada referred to them as ”Dancing White Elephants”. Brahmananda Prabhu describes the story…….
Brahmananda: I’m thinking what Srila Prabhupada, when we came here, [India] what he called us. You may know. What did Prabhupada call us? Dancing White Elephants. Now, I did some research about white elephants, what that means, and I found out the term comes actually from Thailand where they have many elephants there and every once in a while there is an albino is born, a white elephant. So when a white elephant is born, it’s considered very special and the white elephant is treated very special, not like the other elephants. He’s pampered, he’s kept very nicely. The thing is, of course, elephants are used to work. In the logging industry, the elephants pull the logs and push them and they work very hard. But the white elephant, they don’t work, they don’t put him to work. They just keep him. So the thing is that it’s very expensive to maintain the white elephant. He has to be given special treatment and all kinds of facilities and so on, whereas the other elephants don’t have this. The other elephants, all they do is work. But the thing is, the white elephant doesn’t produce anything. The white elephant is actually useless, he cannot work, he’s just maintained. So what they do with the white elephant, they teach him some tricks, to perform something, they make some show and they’re entertained. They find it very entertaining to see the white elephant dancing. The black elephant, nobody cares to see the black elephant dance; but the white elephant, oh, that’s very good. But the problem is that the white elephant can’t do anything else. So it’s a very apt description, I think, when we came to India. We could not do anything. Sometimes we thought we were maybe doing something, then Prabhupada had to remind us actually he was doing everything. Actually Prabhupada had to manage everything, every last detail, to how to distribute prasadam, how to teach us to eat the proper way and wash and so many things. So Prabhupada had to micro-manage everything. And why? Just so the white elephants could attract the brown elephants to dance. But this was Prabhupada’s mission. When Prabhupada came to India in 1970, then He made India his headquarters, he stayed in India. From India, then he would go out and visit the West for preaching. But he stayed from 1970 all the way through 1977 in India as His base. So the mission was to have the Indian people become devotees…..And Now that Prediction has become True with Hundreds of Thousands of Indians becoming Devotees of Lord Krsna……….
(from ‘Broadcasting Krsna’s Glories’ by Satsvarupa dasa Gosvami)
“At the studio, everyone accepted the devotees as a regular music group. One of the rock musicians asked them what the name of their group was, and Hayagriva laughed and replied, “The Hare Krsna Chanters.” Of course most of the devotees weren’t actually musicians, and yet the instruments they brought with them — a tamboura, a large harmonium (loaned by Allen Ginsberg), and rhythm instruments — were ones they had played during kirtanas for months.
So as they entered the studio they felt confident that they could produce their own sound. They just followed their Swami. He knew how to play, and they knew how to follow him. They weren’t just another music group. It was music, but it was also chanting, meditation, worship.
I had to laugh the other day when this popped up on my computer screen. “Scientist confirm the Universe has no direction”There are material scientist’s who believe that the universe was created by chance, by an explosion (“Big Bang”), by accident.
But Srila Prabhupada explains it very differently…
Prabhupäda: No, no, no. We don’t accept that. If there would have been accident, so many planets are rotating in, and so forth… There is no collision. There is no accident. Because God is so perfect, although all the planets are rotating in their speed, just like this earth is rotating… At least in twenty-four hours it is completing 25,000 miles. That means its speed is about 1000 miles at least. And similarly, other planets are also moving. And the sun planet is moving at 16,000 miles per minute or second, calculated. But all these planets are moving in this way, so much speed, but they are not colliding. The perfect arrangement is there, and they are floating. How it is possible? This is accidental? Do you think this is accidental? Nature is not working that way. Nature is working very perfectly. We can see. So perfect that the astronomers, they are calculating that on such and such date there will be an eclipse, and it will be seen in India; it will not be seen in Europe; and exactly at this time the eclipse will begin. So how they are calculating unless there is a rigid law? How it is possible? They are calculating mathematically. So the nature’s law is working in that way. Otherwise how one year before you can calculate this solar eclipse and lunar eclipse so rightly? And they can say that from this country it will be seen, and from this country it will be not seen. That means the position of the sun, moon and everything, of the latitude and longitude, everything is so nicely done that you can make calculations very perfectly. How you can say accident? There is no accident.
My wife shared this with me, something she saw on Facebook. Time Tested “Big” Prasadam Recipies. Love Kurma’s cookbooks and recipes. Hare Krishna and happy New Year!
New Kurma Cookbook!
I’ve finally opened my treasure trove of time-tested ‘big’ prasadam recipes from five decades of quantity cooking. Interwoven with hundreds of fascinating stories, realizations and memories from early disciples, FEAST includes Srila Prabhupada’s original recipes, ISKCON Sunday feast kitchen classics, and modern favourites.
This large and beautifully presented 492-page book, designed and published by Srimati Mayapriya devi dasi from Bookwrights Press, is a generous collection of 375 meticulous, large-sized vegetarian and plant-based recipes from myself and veteran chefs Gopati dasa and Apurva dasa, as well as 60 other Hare Krishna kitchen giants.
Feast is a legacy of love, offered by ISKCON’s first generation of cooks for future chefs, and for the upliftment of human society at large. Srila Prabhupada writes “Simply by liberal distribution of prasada and sankirtana, the whole world can become peaceful and prosperous.” (SB 4.12.10)
“The spiritual master is receiving benediction from the ocean of mercy. Just as a cloud pours water on a forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master delivers the materially afflicted world by extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master.”
The Vedic teachers compare the material world in which we live to a forest fire. Although no one wants a forest fire, sometimes a fire spontaneously takes place in the forest, inflicting suffering on the helpless creatures who live there. But if, by the grace of God, storm clouds gather and shower their water, drenching the forest with rain, the forest and its creatures are saved. Similarly, when a bonafide spiritual master, by the grace of Krsna, showers upon human society the benediction of Krsna consciousness, that benediction can save us from the eternal problems of material ignorance and suffering and give us the chance to return to our real life of eternal bliss and knowledge in the service of Krsna. We should therefore glorify and offer our respectful homage unto the lotus feet of such a bona fide spiritual master.
Lecture on Maha-mantra New York, September 8, 1966
By His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Prabhupada: Now, some of you members have asked me to explain the meaning of this chanting, Hare Krishna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Now, this sound is transcendental sound, transcendental sound, incarnation, sound incarnation of the Absolute Truth…
So this sound, this Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, is the sound representation of the Supreme Lord. The sarvam khalv idam brahma. The whole thing, either material or spiritual, whatever we have got experience, nothing is separated from the Supreme Absolute Truth. Nothing is separated. Everything has emanated from the Absolute Truth.
“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.’
Naga Sadhus or holy man of Niranjani Akhara take a holy dip in Ganges River on the occasion of first royal bath of Shivratri festival during Maha Kumbh Festival , in Haridwar on March 11, 2021 . (Photo by Ritesh Shukla/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Srila Prabhupada:…”One cleanses himself daily by taking a bath in water, but one who takes his bath only once in the sacred Ganges water of the Bhagavad-gita cleanses away all the dirt of material life. Because Bhagavad-gita is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one need not read any other Vedic literature. One need only attentively and regularly hear and read Bhagavad-gita.
In the present age, mankind is so absorbed with mundane activities that it is not possible to read all of the Vedic literatures. But this is not necessary. This one book, Bhagavad-gita, will suffice because it is the essence of all Vedic literatures and because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
It is said that one who drinks the water of the Ganges certainly gets salvation, but what to speak of one who drinks the waters of Bhagavad-gita? Gita is the very nectar of the Mahabharata spoken by Visnu Himself, for Lord Krsna is the original Visnu. It is nectar emanating from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the Ganges is said to be emanating from the lotus feet of the Lord. Of course there is no difference between the mouth and the feet of the Supreme Lord, but in our position we can appreciate that the Bhagavad-gita is even more important than the Ganges.
The Bhagavad-gita is just like a cow, and Lord Krsna, who is a cowherd boy, is milking this cow. The milk is the essence of the Vedas, and Arjuna is just like a calf. The wise men, the great sages and pure devotees, are to drink the nectarean milk of Bhagavad-gita.
In this present day, man is very eager to have one scripture, one God, one religion, and one occupation. So let there be one common scripture for the whole world–Bhagavad-gita. And let there be one God only for the whole world–Sri Krsna. And one mantra only–Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. And let there be one work only–the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
Bhagavad-gītā Introduction
—
New York, February 19-20, 1966 660219-20BG.NY
Introduction to Gītopaniṣad
(Earliest Recording of Śrīla Prabhupāda in the Bhaktivedanta Archives)
This is an old photo taken in 1907 that my wife found on Facebook. I remember as a kid, thinking that’s what yogis do. Sit on a bed of nails, or levitate off the ground while meditating.
Before Srila Prabhupada came to the West, bringing with him the Vedic Philosophy, not many people had any idea of what was Yoga or Meditation. Or that there were different types of Yoga and Meditation.
We share with you an excerpt from the small paperback book by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swmai Prabhupada entitled ” The Perfection of Yoga ”
The yogī obviously has to go through a great deal of difficulty to purify the ātmā (mind, body and soul), but it is a fact that this can be done most effectively in this age simply by the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Why is this? Because this transcendental sound vibration is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. When we chant His name with devotion, then Kṛṣṇa is with us, and when Kṛṣṇa is with us, then what is the possibility of remaining impure? Consequently, one absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa and serving Him always, receives the benefit of the highest form of yoga. The advantage is that he doesn’t have to take all the trouble of the meditational process. That is the beauty of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In yoga it is necessary to control all of the senses, and when all the senses are controlled, the mind must be engaged in thinking of Viṣṇu. One becomes peaceful after thus conquering material life.
jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya paramātmā samāhitaḥ
“for one who has conquered the mind, the Supersoul is already reached, for he has attained tranquillity.” ( Bg. 6.7)
This material world has been likened to a great forest fire. As in the forest, fire may automatically take place, so in this material world, although we may try to live peacefully, there is always a great conflagration. It is not possible to live in peace anywhere in the material world. But for one who is transcendentally situated—either by the meditational yoga system or by the empirical philosophical method or by bhakti-yoga—peace is possible. All forms of yoga are meant for transcendental life, but the method of chanting is especially effective in this age. Kīrtana may go on for hours, and one may not feel tired, but it is difficult to sit in lotus position perfectly still for more than a few minutes. Yet regardless of the process, once the fire of material life is extinguished, one does not simply experience what is called impersonal void. Rather, as Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna, one enters into the supreme abode.
“By meditating in this manner, always controlling the body, mind and activities, the mystic transcendentalist attains to the kingdom of God through cessation of material existence.” (Bg. 6.15)
Please accept my humble obeisance’s, and kindly forgive my offences.
We have all come here today to honor and celebrate your disappearance day with prayers and remembrances. While this may seem strange to some, us celebrating your disappearance day, but spiritually there is no difference between your appearance day and your disappearance day. Both are Transcendental.
The proper understanding of the disappearance of a Vaisnava was explained very nicely by you:
“As Lord Krsna’s appearance and disappearance are all spiritual, transcendental, they are not ordinary things, similarly, Lord Krsna’s devotee, His representative, who are sent to this material world for preaching the glories of the Lord, their appearance and disappearance are also like Krsna’s. Therefore, according to Vaisnava principles, the appearance and disappearance of the Vaisnava is all-auspicious.”
Bhaktivinoda Thakura also wrote a short stanza about the influence that a Vaisnava (a pure devotee of the Lord) carries in this world even after his passing:
“He reasons ill who tells that Vaisnavas die When thou art living still in sound! The Vaisnavas die to live, and living try To spread the holy name around!”
So, while it is natural for us to be sorrowful that Srila Prabhupada has passed away, we can know for sure that he will never pass away, for he is “living still in sound.”
It has been my greatest good fortune to have met you and become your disciple. Pure devotees of the Lord are more powerful than even the waters of the sacred river Ganges. One can derive spiritual benefit out of prolonged use of the Ganges waters, but one can be sanctified at once by the mercy of a pure devotee of the Lord.
So thank you Srila Prabhupada, for coming into this world, sanctifying us all with your mercy.
“Please accept my blessings. Just now I have received some more requests for giving first initiation from Dhananjaya, and now I am receiving weekly not less than ten to fifteen such requests from new students. So it is becoming very expensive to send so many sets of beads such long distance, and it has become little bothersome for me also, so I think now you may be appointed by me to give first initiations to new disciples by chanting on their beads on my behalf. In America Kirtanananda Swami is doing that. So now if there are two of you that will give me great relief. Kirtanananda will chant on the beads for new devotees in America, Canada, like that, you can chant on the beads for the European continent new disciples. They shall, of course, still be considered as my disciples, not that they shall become your disciples, but you will be empowered by me to chant their beads and that is the same effect of binding master and disciple as if I were personally chanting.”
Srila Prabhupada’s Letter to: Revatinandana — Bombay 4 January, 1973
This was something that Srutakirti Prabhu posted on Facebook. We are sharing it with you because I truly believe that Ghee was that special ingredient that made the the prasadam in the early days both magical and mystical. We ate huge quantities of prasadam at the Sunday “Love Feast” and danced in ecstasy.
GHEE, GHEE, GHEE AND MORE GHEE!
(from a BTG article by Srila Prabhupada more than 65 years ago.)
“Pure Ghee (Clarified butter) offered on the fire of ‘Yajna’ produces more and more Ghee but non-acceptance of such sacrificial rites, under the plea of non-productive economy, drives away completely the production of ample pure ghee, yielding place to the harmful hydrogenated vegetable oils. In the ‘Ayurvedic’ scriptures oil is particularly mentioned to be harmful for the stomach but in the absence of sacrificial energy of the human being he is forced to accept harmful vegetable oil for the stomach in the name of and absence of pure unadulterated clarified butter. That is the importance of the process of ‘Yajna’ and that is the Law of Nature.
Foolish people think vitamin value of foodstuff in their own way and push into the stomach all sorts of rubbish thing thinking that ‘Vaiswanara’ heat, representative of the Supreme Lord, will accept any such rubbish thing for assimilation. The case is different. The ‘Vaiswanara’ representative power of Godhead in the stomach of the human being can accept only leaves, flower, fruits of the vegetable group and pure water and milk for vitaminising the human energy. The mouth being the entrance door to the region of the stomach, it must guard the tongue of every human being to acquire the quality of a Brahmin, who can accept only foodstuff of ‘Satwik’ quality. Description of Satwik quality foodstuff is mentioned in Bhagwat Geeta and that also of the Brahmin in fact.”
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!
Today I was visiting a web page that I like very much, and respect the time d effort that must have gone into its creation. The page is simply titled Srila Prabhupada There are Books, Audio files, Letters, a Reference Glossary, Sanskrit & Bengali Dictionary, Prabhupada Videos, Prabhupada Photos, and Music with Purports. Very impressive Archive!!!
Anyway, I urge all my readers to check it out!
The following was a nice page about Srila Prabhupada…
The following is a nice compilation of 108 quotes, taken from Srila Prabhupada’s books, lectures, letters, and conversations, on the importance of the 1972 Original Authorized Edition of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is.
This collection of quotes was compiled by Yasoda nandana Prabhu as his Vyasa-puja offering.
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept in playing on His flute, with blooming eyes like lotus petals with head decked with peacock’s feather, with the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique loveliness charming millions of Cupids.
The following is a nice description of Govinda: verse and purport from Srila Prabhupada’s Brahma-samhita, and a short excerpt from a lecture on the Srimad Bhagavatam.
The Hare Krishna Movement 