Vrindavan | The Hare Krishna Movement

Cow Protection; Lord Krishna’s Example

18 Mar 2011 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Cow Protection Tags: cow protection, cows & bulls, flute, Gopal, Govinda, Krishna's ecstatic cow herding lila, Lord Balaram, pastimes, plow, Vrindavan

<Lord Krishna’s Example
To teach by example, the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna and Lord Balaram show us when They descend into this world, how important is to protect, love and serve Cows and Bulls. Krishna is known as Gopala (protector of the Cows) or Govinda (one who gives pleasure to the Cows). Lord Balaram represents plowing the land for agriculture and therefore always carries a plow in His hand, whereas Krishna tends Cows and therefore carries a flute in His hand. Thus the two brothers represent krisi-raksha (protecting Bulls by engaging them in farming) and go-raksha (protecting the Cows). 10.5.20 Purport
“Offering respect to the Cows will help the devotee to diminish the reactions to his past sinful activities” (Skanda Purana)

Vrindavan’s Cows are constant remainders of Krishna’s ecstatic Cow herding lilas (pastimes). By serving the Cows one receives tremendous spiritual benefit. Feeding grains to the Cows, offering puja, or simply a scratch under the neck will please these peaceful personalities and attracts the attention of Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Govinda. The Gautamiya Tantra says, “One should gently scratch the body of a Cow, offer her a mouthful of green grass and reverentially circumambulate her. If Cows are maintained nicely and comfortably, Lord Gopal will be pleased.”

“Do Not Change My Words” — Prabhupada

15 Mar 2011 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Book Changes, Devotee's, Gauridas Pandit das Tags: book changes, disciple, ecstasu of the spiritual master, edit, Gauridas Pandit dasa, Sri Isopanissad, Srila Prabhupada, translate, Vrindavan

“Do Not Change My Words” — Prabhupada
Testimonials — By Gauridas Pandit dasa on January 30, 1998 at 8:37 am

Srila Prabhupada used to like to sit in his garden in Vrindavan especially in the mornings. He liked to hear his books read to him daily. One time Yasodanandan Prabhu was reading Sri Isopanisad when Srila Prabhupada stopped him and asked him to reread the last paragraph. After hearing it again Srila Prabhupada said, “Those are not my words! They are changing my words! Is my English not good enough?” Srila Prabhupada became very angry and continued, “This is the worst thing a disciple can do! Do not become like a leap frog and try to jump over the spiritual master thinking you know better than him. Tell them immediately [the editors] do not change my words!”

Sri Madhavendra Puri

15 Mar 2011 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta Tags: Caitanya Mahaprabhu, devotional service, diksa guru, Gopinath, Ishvara Puri, Madhavendra Puri, Malaya Mountains, Orissa, sankirtan movement of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Vrindavan

Sri Madhavendra Puri
Disappearance day – 17th March, 2011

Madhavendra Puri Discovers Gopala

Madhavendra Puri also known as Madhavendra Puri Goswami appeared in the 14th century.

After making an extensive pilgrimage of India as a sannyasi he passed his life in Vrindavana and Orissa. The main source of knowledge about him is Chaitanya Charitamrita. He belongs to the Madhva line being a disciple of Lakshmipati Tirtha and he was the founder of the Vaishnava centre at Mathura, Vrindavana. He is considered a fountainhead of devotional worship of Krishna and he has started the worship of the Gopala deity, better known as Shrinathji. He is attributed to the discovery of the famous deity of Gopala near Govardhana that was later worshiped by Vallabhacharya, follower of Vishnuswami in Rudra sampradaya, who in turn was influenced by devotional mood of Vrindavana. He is also famed for receiving direct instructions and gifts from the deity of Gopinatha, who commanded him to travel for the supply of scarce sandal wood paste from Orissa to the Malaya Mountains.

Initiating the sankirtana movement
Madhavendra Puri is accepted as the initiator of the movement of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who accepted Madhavendra’s intimate disciple, Ishvara Puri as his diksa guru. He was preaching the principles of Gaudiya Vaishnavism prior to Lord Chaitanya.

I am always thinking of You. From, Letters, Conversations, Lectures, and Walks.

13 Mar 2011 1 Comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Quotes by Srila Prabhupada, Remembering Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada Conversations, Srila Prabhupada's Books Tags: Bhagavad Gita, Brahmananda dasa, conversations, Gaurasundara dasa, God-brothers, Govinda dasi, Hansadutta dasa, Jayananda dasa, Karandhara dasa, Krishna dasa, krsna consciousness, lectures, personal guide, physical association, Sivananda dasa, Srila Prabhupada letters, Srimad Bhagavatam, Suci devi, vani, vapuh, Vrindavan, walks

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I am always thinking of you (Srila Prabhupada)

Prabhupada: So there is nothing to be said new. Whatever I have to speak, I have spoken in my books. Now you try to understand it and continue your endeavor. Whether I am present or not present, it doesn’t matter. (770517ar.vrn Conversations)

“I shall remain your personal guidance, physically present or not physically, as I am getting personal guidance from my guru maharaja” (Srila Prabhupada to Tamal Krishna, 14 July 1977)

You write that you have desire to avail of my association again, but why do you forget that you are always in association with me? When you are helping my missionary activities I am always thinking of you, and you are always thinking of me . That is real association. Just like I am always thinking of my Guru Maharaja at every moment, although he is not physically present, and because I am trying to serve him to my best capacity, I am sure he is helping me by his spiritual blessings. So there are two kinds of association: physical and preceptorial. Physical association is not so important as preceptorial association. (SP Letter to Govinda Dasi, 18/8/69)

But always remember that I am always with you. As you are always thinking of me, I am always thinking of you also. Although physically we are not together, we are not separated spiritually. So we should be concerned only with this spiritual connection. (SP Letter to Gaurasundara, 13/11/69)

You write to say, ….I really miss Swamiji and my God-brothers’ association so much.” But I may remind you that I am always with you. And so wherever I am there, and you are there, all your God-brothers are there. Please remember always the humble teachings that you have received from me, and that will make you always associated with me, and with your other God-brothers. (Letter to: Sivananda dasa. Montreal , 24 August, 1968)

“However, the disciple and spiritual master are never separated because the spiritual master always keeps company with the disciple as long as the disciple follows strictly the instructions of the spiritual master. This is called the association of vani (words). Physical presence is called vapuh. As long as the spiritual master is physically present, the disciple should serve the physical body of the spiritual master, and when the spiritual master is no longer physically existing, the disciple should serve the instructions of the spiritual master.” (SB 4.28.47 purport)

Associate with Srila Prabhupada through his Vani

Same solution as desired by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

05 Mar 2011 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Devotee's, Pradyuma das Tags: Acaryas, devotee, disciples, Godbrothers, guru, Initiation, Iskcon, Pradyumna das, Satsvarupa Maharaj, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, successor, Vrindavan

Same solution as desired by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
Pradyumna Prabhu (ACBSP): 7 August, 1978

Dear Satsvarupa Maharaj,

Please accept my most humble obeisances.

Maharaj, I am writing you this letter with GREAT anxiety in my heart and after days and days and long nights of thought and careful consideration.

I have been staying in Vrndavan for some time and have not visited any other center recently except Delhi. Therefore, my information I have about what is happening at our other centers comes only from devotees visiting here, occasional letters, newsletters and our society’s magazine and other publications. But the news I hear from these sources is very alarming and therefore I am writing you in some anxiety.

Glories of Srimati Tulasi Devi

14 Jan 2011 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Devotional Service, Krishna Consciousness Tags: devotees tulasi leaf, Srimati Radharani, Tulasi devi, Vrindavan

Glories of Srimati Tulasi Devi
By Bharath Singh

Srimati Tulasi devi is one of the most exalted devotees of Sri Krishna. All scriptures stress the importance of getting the mercy of Tulasi devi if one is to make progress on the path of devotion. In the Skanda Purana it is said:

“Tulasi is auspicious in all respects. Simply by seeing, simply by touching, simply by remembering, simply by praying to, simply by bowing before, simply by hearing about or simply by sowing this tree, there is always auspiciousness. Anyone who comes in touch with the Tulasi tree in the above-mentioned ways lives eternally in the Vaikuntha world.”

Above this material world is the eternal spiritual world comprised of millions of Vaikuntha planets. The topmost planet in Vaikuntha is Goloka, which is presided over by Sri Krishna in His original Form. Here resides Vrinda devi, an intimate associate of and an expansion of Srimati Radharani. Her partial expansion is Tulasi devi in the Vaikuntha planets and they are all considered non-different from Her. Five thousand years Ago, when Sri Krishna descended on Earth to perform His pastimes, Vrinda devi created the proper environment for His pastimes in Vrindavana.