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Packed Temple Celebrates Lord Krishna's Appearance With Great Pomp
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If You Stay With Krsna
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"Atheists-Blind Bluffers"
Death Is God
Letter to Karandhar
Tittenhurst,  October 1969
Why not become
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It is a very great mistake
Glories and Pitfalls part 4
Glories and Pitfalls part 3
 Glories and Pitfalls Part 2
Glories and Pitfalls of Chanting the Holy Names
Simple Method of Krishna Consciousness
HKS Montreal, Canada
Festival of Nityananda
The Position of Imitation Spiritual Masters
What is a Devotee?
If Only 5% Becomes
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HKS Montreal Gaura Purnima Festival
Gaura Purnima Sedro Woolley, WA
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Most Recent Update
21 February 2007
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"Society,
Friendship and Love"

Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
tatrapasyat sthitan parthah
pitrn atha pitamahan
acaryan matulan bhratrn
putran pautran sakhims tatha
svasuran suhrdas caiva
senayor ubhayor api
 [Bg. 1.26]

tan samiksya sa kaunteyah
sarvan bandhun avasthitan
krpaya parayavisto
visidann idam abravit
 [Bg. 1.27]
Translation: "There Arjuna could see, within the midst of the armies of both parties, his fathers, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, friends, and also his father-in-law and well-wishers -- all present there. When the son of Kunti, Arjuna, saw all these different grades of friends and relatives, he became overwhelmed with compassion and spoke thus."
Prabhupada: This is the problem. Now Arjuna is facing the problem. What is this problem? Suppose you bring all my friends, my relatives, my sons, grandsons, my father-in-law, brother-in-law, friends, my animals... Because there were soldiers, senayor ubhayor api, there were animals also. Horses, elephants. They are also within the membership. According to Vedic conception, the animals, they are also members of your family. Because they are giving service. Not that one section of the members of my family I give protection, and the other section, I take everything from them and then cut throat. This is not civilization. You keep your sons, wife, daughters, cows, dogs, they are animals, asses, domestic animals, horses, elephants. If you are rich, you can keep elephants also. It does not mean... Either family-wise or state-wise, it does not mean that you give protection to some members and cut throat of the others. Oh, how horrible it is. So all of them were present now. And the problem is that he has to kill them, Arjuna. It is fight, it is a family fight.
So some of the family members on the other side, and some of the family members this side. So other side also, what are they? Tatrapasyat sthitan parthah pitrn atha pitamahan. Pitrn, teachers, and pitrn also. Pitrn means those who are on the status of father. And Bhismadeva was a grandfather, a real grandfather, pitamaha. He is on the other side. Dronacarya, he is on the other side, teacher. They had to be respected. Actually Arjuna did so. Before fighting with Dronacarya, he first of all throw one arrow on his lotus feet, obeisances. This is the etiquette. "My dear sir, you have taught me this fighting science, now it is being used against you, duty. So I offer my obeisances." And Dronacarya also, threw another arrow, touching his head: "My dear boy, become blessed." This is duty. How blessed? "By killing me. I know you will kill me, so I give you blessings that you kill me." This is duty. The disciple is fighting, touching the feet of Dronacarya: "My dear sir, it is duty. Now we are face to face to fight. So give me your blessing." This is one side. The other side, blessing, "Yes, you have my all blessings."
So this is the problem. This material world is problematic, especially when we have got these family relationships. "Society, friendship, and love, divinely bestowed upon man." They say. (laughs) It is not divinely bestowed. It is not. It is entanglement. It is entanglement. Dehapatya. There is verse in the Second Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Dehapatya. What is that verse? Dehapatya-kalatradi. Deha, first affection is with our body. "I am this Mr. Such and such. This is I am, this body." I have got attraction for this body. Then the offsprings, the by-products of this body. Apatya. Apatya means children. And how this by-product is made? Kalatra, through wife. Stri. Stri means which expands. Vistara, expands. I am alone. I accept wife, stri, and with her cooperation I expand. So one who helps me to expand, that is called stri. Every Sanskrit word has got meaning. Why woman is called stri? Because she helps, expanding myself. How expanding? Dehapatya-kalatradisu [SB 2.1.4]. I get my children. First of all I was affectionate to my body. Then, as soon as I get a wife, I become affectionate to her. Then, as soon as I get children, I become affectionate to children. In this way I expand my affection for this material world. This material world, attachment. It is not required. It is a foreign thing. This material body is foreign. I am spiritual. I am spiritual, aham brahmasmi. But because I wanted to lord it over the material nature, Krsna has given me this body. Daiva-netrena. He is giving you body. He is giving the body of Brahma, He is giving you the body of ant. As you desire. As you desire. If you want the body of a tiger, Krsna will give you. If you want the body of a hog, He will give you. If you want the body of Brahma, He will give you. If you want the body of a demigod, He will give you. If you want the body of American, He will give you. Englishman, He will give you. Indian, He will give you. That is Krsna. He is so kind. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham [Bg. 4.11]. Krsna is very kind. Just like a son disobedient to the father, but he wants to enjoy something. Still, father giving him, "All right, you take money, and enjoy." Father is so kind. "You become free. Whatever you like, you can do. You take some money." This is our concession.
This material life is a concession to us, given by God, for gratifying our senses. This is material life. Krsna does not want that you become entangled in this material world. That He doesn't want. Why He should want? Krsna... Just like you produce your sons, children. Why? To remain in household life, enjoy in the company of wife, children, friends. This is... One can understand. Why I take so much responsibility of family? I was alone. Why I get married? Why I beget children? Why I make friends? Because I want to enjoy. So Krsna is also a person. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). He has produced so many children, these living entities. Why? To enjoy along with them. Just try to understand the psychology. Yato va imani bhutani jayante, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Where this idea came from, that "I shall be happy within society, friendship and love, children?" Wherefrom this idea came? Where is the origin? The origin is there in Krsna. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Janmady asya yatah. The origin of love. Just like Krsna is loving Radharani. So the loving idea came from Krsna. Anything that is within our experience, that is in Krsna. So Krsna cannot be impersonal. That is nonsense. Krsna is exactly a person like me, you. But the difference is that He's very, very, unlimitedly powerful. I am limited. This is the difference. So Krsna also wants that to live with His family. Our Krsna consciousness movement is just to train ourselves again to enter into the family of Krsna. This is our movement. With these families, the so-called families, we are suffering. We are suffering. But this family idea is there this. That is perfect in Krsna, with Krsna. The family idea, wherefrom family idea comes without it is being situated in Krsna? Because nothing can be visible without being in Krsna. He is the origin. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Aham sarvasya prabhavah: [Bg. 10.8] "I am the origin of everything."

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