Adi 17.90–One day the Lord ordered Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura to read the Bṛhat-sahasra-nāma [the thousand names of Lord Viṣṇu], for He wanted to hear them at that time.

Adi 17.91-As he read the thousand names of the Lord, in due course the holy name of Lord Nṛsiṁha appeared. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard the holy name of Lord Nṛsiṁha, He became fully absorbed in thought.

Adi 17.92–In the mood of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, Lord Caitanya ran through the city streets, club in hand, ready to kill all the atheists.

Adi 17.93–Seeing Him appearing very fierce in the ecstasy of Lord Nṛsiṁha, people ran from the street and fled here and there, afraid of His anger.

Adi 17.94-Seeing the people so afraid, the Lord came to His external senses and thus returned to the house of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura and threw away the club.

Adi 17.99-On another day a great devotee of Lord Śiva, chanting of Lord Śiva’s qualities, came to Lord Caitanya’s house, where he began dancing in the courtyard and playing his ḍamaru [a musical instrument].

Adi 17.100–Then Lord Caitanya, adopting the mood of Lord Śiva, got on the man’s shoulders, and thus they danced together for a long time.

Adi 17.101-On another day a mendicant came to beg alms from the Lord’s house, but when he saw the Lord dancing, he also began to dance.

Adi 17.102-He danced with the Lord because he was favored by love of Kṛṣṇa. Thus he flowed in the mellows of love of Godhead.

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Hare Krsna-below we put together this series of quotes because of the very first one I read last night before retiring, In this conversation Srila Prabhupada is pointing out that the great Acaryas and sages  in India of days gone  neglected building skyscrapers and instead focused upon simple living.  He asks-why, they were less intelligent? But because their brains were not filled up with this so called material progress nonsense, they were so clear thinking that they left behind to us the clear path back to Godhead. This path does not include building skyscrapers, freeways, incomprehensible  economic systems, and the like.But he says who will understand this? So that simple  life willbe possible if one is bhakta. Bhaktih  paresanubhavo viraktir anyatrasyat. Only by devotion. Not  by otherwise.

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das———————————–

Nov 20 1976 Vrndavna room conversation
Akṣayānanda: …Kṛṣṇa will also increase?
Prabhupāda: Hm?

Akṣayānanda: The ability to remember Kṛṣṇa, that will also increase?Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, if the brain is clear—it is not filled up with rubbish cow dung—then Kṛṣṇa consciousness easy. Yes. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means there is no more material consciousness. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. That is required. In material existence we have got so many obligations, thoughts (indistinct), and so many things. Bṛthā.eta saba chāḍi’ āra varṇāśrama-dharmaakiñcana hañā laya kṛṣṇaika-śaraṇaSarva-dharmān: Everything give up. That is India’s Vedic civilization. They are not concerned with the material advancement. Simple life. That’s all. And our present leaders, they are thinking that “brainwashed.” They are not deeply thinking, “Why our great sages and ācāryas recommended this life, not the skyscraper life? Why? They were not less intelligent.” They are not thinking in that way.They are thinking that “Because we neglected the skyscraper thoughts, we are so backward.” At least this rascal Nehru was thinking like that. “So finish this.” The Russia is… What is called? Opiate, brainwashed. These things are accepted like that. “It has no value, simply some prejudice and superstition, and they are thinking like that and they are spoiling their material side of life.” This is their idea. “What is this? No meat-eating?”

►740525mw.room Conversations Prabhupada: Yes, that was Gandhi’s philosophy, village  organization. These people, they are attracting villagers to work in the  factory, and they are exploiting them…. our philosophy. Make your  life successful. By becoming Krsna conscious, you become free from  allthese troubles of material  condition. This is our education. Don’t be after these  motorcars, television, and all nonsense things, sporting, wine, women. Don’t  be after these. Simply eat sufficiently, keep  yourhealth nicely, chant Hare Krsna, realize Krsna, and  go back  to home This is our  philosophy…

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Once a person begins to worship the Deity of the  Lord with a trace of bhakti it is to be understood that he has sown the seed  of his own food fortune and that he is free from corrupt  ideologies.

After hours of scouring thru two large books by Bhaktivinode Thakur-Jaiva Dharma and Caitanya siksamrita-I finally found the one quote I was looking for-and that would be the above one.These two books are literally a gold mine of nectar and I wish I could read and remember them both verbatim-

“Unless one is under the shelter of a realized spiritual master, his understanding of the Supreme is simply foolishness” quote from TLC

LA July 13 1971—Prabhupāda: Unless one is prepared that “I am accepting somebody as my spiritual master. I must accept whatever he says,” if there is any doubt, that “I cannot accepthis words verbatim,” then one should not accept him as spiritual master. That is hypocrisy
  

 Chapter 8, Jaiva Dharma-Nitya Dharma and Vaisnava  Behavior-translated by Sarvabhavana das starting at pg. 110 

He begins this chapter by quoting Manu samhita 6.92 with  the 10 characteristics of religiosity. Contentment, forgiveness, not  revenging a wrong, self control, remaining in control of the mind in spite of  the presence of allurements, honesty, cleanliness, withdrawing the senses from  sense objects, scriptural knowledge, education, knowledge of the soul,  trutfulness, awareness of reality and freedom from anger, to be not angered when  provoked.Of these, 6 are characteristics directed to oneself and 4  are obligations to others. However the duty or worshipping the Supreme Lord  Sri Hari is not clearly delineated in any of these 10 characteristics.

Then he quotes SB 2.3.19 which states that “men who are  like dogs, hogs, camels and asses praise those men who never listen to the  transcendental pastimes of  Sri  Krsna, the deliverer from evils.”This is meant to distinguish ordinary moral persons, who  are on the material level, from Vaisnavas who are not in the material world. A  huge gulf of difference between the two. Now he begins to make the distinctions between kanistha  (3^rd class), madhyama (2^nd class) and Uttama  (1^st class) devotees.

SB 11.2.47—Arcayam eva haraye, pujam yah sraddhayehate,  na tad bhaktesu canyesu, sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah.A materialistic devotee does not purposefully study  the sastra and try to understand the actual standard of pure devotional  service. Consequently he does not show proper respect to advanced  devotees. He may however follow the regulative principles he has  learnt from his spiritual master or family tradition and worship the Deity in  the temple. He is to be considered as being on the material platform  although he is trying to advance in devotional service.Such a person is bhakta praya or bhakta abhasa, a  neophyte devotee for he is but a little enlightened about the Vaisnava  philosophy. One who worships the Deity of the Lord with faith, but neither  respects the created living creatures of the Lord nor worships and serves His  devotees with devotion is a prakrta-bhakta…To worship the Deity of the Lord  with sraddha is certainly bhakti, but without worshipping and serving the  devotee of the Lord, one cannot execute suddha –bhakti. This position of  serving the Lord but not His pure devotee can be described as being at best a  step inside the portals of the realm of bhakti. 

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“So let us try to make an attempt to organize a New Vrindaban scheme, andI shall request all my students to develop this idea and show a good example to this Western part of the world where people are always engaged in ugra-karma, asuric-karma.”“Everyone has to earn his livelihood by agriculture,..”“Every man must possess a piece of land..”“The first necessityis that you should be self-sufficient. That is God’s arrangement.”“There are so many land. Come here and grow food. Grow fruit. That is… That is the desire of Krsna. Annad bhavanti bhutani. Produce food and eat in sufficiently, be strong, and chant Hare Krsna.That is our philosophy.”“When men are uncivilized, they do not how to growfood, they kill animals in the jungle and eat. When they arecivilized, they know how to grow food now and the nice food grains,fruit, flowers”“There is a proverb: agriculture is the noblest profession. Is it not said? Agriculture is noblest, and Krsna was farmer, His father”.“I wish to introduce this ideal now.Then if we are successful this cheating civilization will stop.”“ The beginning of life is how tobecome cent percent obedient to guru.”“We want two favours. One from guru, one from Krsna.That’s all. We don’t want anyone’s favour. “

Hare Krsna-below and above we have compiled some quotes and realizations based upon these quotes and the application in our personal life of these quotes or instructions by Srila Prabhupada. Everybody knows-chant Hare Krsna and be happy. How that instruction was to be applied as the days move more into kali yuga can be found within this article.

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das————————Srila Prabhupada explains why everyone should grow their own food—this is to be done gradually- because for so many lifetimes we are addicted to city living

May 28 1974 RomeYogeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, the way you’ve been describing our solutions to the problems of the world, they seem to be on two levels. One is the extended solution, that is to say, the ultimate solution of Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Prabhupāda: No, there is no question of extended. You keep yourself in a limited solution. And then, when it is appreciated it will be automatically extended. You don’t touch the extended. You become ideal civilized man. Others will follow.

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Hare KrsnaIn these days of computers, cell phones etc how many devotees can live without these things? Even for a moment?How many of us are actually addicted to these things for hours a day? How have these devices actually  improved the  quality of our lives? How many of us know the radiation risks associated with using these devices  for hours daily? Or even the mental pollution?
Who even cares anymore?
Below I found a nice cartoon that portrays the actual effects of these addictions. The fellow with the BOOK is trying to pump out all the apps that the person has “digested” in hopes he will be able to breathe again-normally without computer technology and electronics.
I see the “book” as Srila Prabhupada trying to pump out of us all the nonsense ideas we have ingested in this lifetime, what to speak of thousands of other lifetimes.
Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur has written that the more one is entangled with electronics and machines the more he is being drowned by Kali Yuga.
And Srila Prabhupada tells us….

June 22 1969 New Vrndavana

So our main business is how to improve Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We should not divert our attention in any other material condition of improvement. That is actually not improvement. It is simply illusion, that “I am making improvement.” What improvement? Suppose you are earning now, say, five hundred dollars per month. If you earn, say, five million dollars, so then what? Will you eat more than four cāpāṭis? (laughter) You’ll eat the same four cāpāṭis. And you’ll occupy the same six feet bed. You may acquire the whole property of West Virginia, (laughter) but you’ll have to lie down on six feet. (laughter) That’s all. And you’ll have to eat four cāpāṭis. So this is māyā. This is māyā, “I am improving.” What you are improving? You’ll not be taller. You’ll not be great eater, nothing of the sort. Whatever you have already, you’ll have so the same thing. You see?

Srila Prabhupada speaks OutGuru or Goru?

 Devotee (3): Then how is it that some people do finally come to accept Kṛṣṇa?

 Srila Prabhupāda: Yes. They come in the paramparā system, through guru. Tad-vijñānārtham sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Therefore, you have to go to guru to understand. You cannot understand personally. That is not possible. Therefore, our system is to see through the guru and śāstra, not by these naked eyes. That is misleading.

 Devotee (3): Then the key would be to recognize and appreciate the importance of the guru.

 Srila Prabhupāda: Parampara. Guru is also not authority by himself. He is authority by his guru, paramparā. If he is coming in the paramparā system, then he is guru. Otherwise he’s not guru. Just like what we are doing? We are simply repeating the Kṛṣṇa’s word. That’s all. Therefore guru. And as soon as I make addition or alteration, I am goru.

 Harikeśa: Goru means?

 Srila Prabhupāda: Goru means cow, animal. Go-kharaḥ. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). The go-kharaḥ, these animals have been, I mean, exemplified because these two animals work for others very heavily. The bull also loads heavily, and the ass also loads very heavily—for others, not for his own benefit. The bull is working day and night and being whipped . . . (break) (end).

 Srila Prabhupada Morning Walk Conversation, Bombay, Maharashtra, India. November. 11, 1975

 Key points:

 Therefore, you have to go to guru to understand. You cannot understand personally. 

• Therefore, our system is to see through the guru and śāstra, not by these naked eyes. That is misleading.
•  Guru is also not authority by himself. He is authority by his guru, paramparā.
• If he is coming in the paramparā system, then he is guru. Otherwise he’s not guru. 
• Just like what we are doing? We are simply repeating the Kṛṣṇa’s word. That’s all. Therefore guru. 
• And as soon as I make addition or alteration, I am goru.
• Goru means cow, animal. Go-kharaḥ. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). The go-kharaḥ, these animals have been, I mean, exemplified because these two animals work for others very heavily. 
• compiled by Yasoda nandan das

Hare Krsna-

Below we have compiled some quotes by Srila Prabhupada about home deity worship. It seems thee are some misconceptions which have arisen that only if one can adopt the same  strict standards that Prabhupada originally enunciated in his temples, then one should not have Deity worship in his home.This is simply not the case at all as you will see from the pages of quotes we have arranged below.If that were the case then as his  iskcon temple worship standards have deteriorated so badly and so many deviations have arisen there in those places then following this logic, we would have no deity worship at all today ! But we do and everyone’s standards will not be the same-but we must all engage in deity worship daily- nonetheless.

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das————————————-

May 6 1968 Mukunda letterIt is very nice that you are keeping the Radha Krishna Murti so nicely there with you. No, it is not improper to keep Them at your home, but it must be kept with due veneration and respect. If we keep the Statue of Krishna in our room, we must know that Krishna is present, and as such we must be careful in our dealings, talkings and behavior, as we are present before Krishna directly. The altar should be so made, with curtain, that it may be closed when Krishna and Radha are taking rest. Dress them as nicely as possible, we have so many Radha Krishna pictures, you can take idea from them.

Jan 12 1968 letter Hamsadutta

Regarding your question, the deity shall be put to rest in time, and if people are still eating prasadam, the arati cannot be performed. It is better if after offering prasadam to the deity you perform arati, close the curtains and then distribute prasadam to the devotees. Please do not accept from Gopala Krishna 6 inch murti. He has promised to donate one pair of 24 inch murtis. Besides that, when you are engaged in the worshipment of the temple deities, you may not install separately deities at your home.

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July 19 1977
Prabhupāda: …known as a religious man so that they can do business very exploitively. They were called by class=”highlight”>Guru class=”highlight”>Mahārāja, dharma-dhvaji.(?) Exploit (Bengali). class=”highlight”>Guru class=”highlight”>Mahārāja used to say dharma-dhvaji. “class=”highlight”>Daṇḍavat class.” Yes. He knows simply to offer daṇḍavats. (laughs) Even so nice word: “Oh, class=”highlight”>he’s a class=”highlight”>daṇḍavat class.” My class=”highlight”>Guru class=”highlight”>Mahārāja was very humorous. He was a Calcutta bhap.(?) Therefore he liked me. All others, they came from East Bengal. I was the only disciple, Calcutta. All others…

Oct 19 1972

So dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ, notpādayed yadi ratim [SB 1.2.8]. This hearing process is very, very important. But people are not interested in hearing. They are simply busy in some other duties. My Guru Mahārāja used to say… One who was not interested in hearing, he used to call him a daṇḍavat-class. Daṇḍavat-class of men. That means simply he knows how to make daṇḍavats, that’s all. (laughter) Anyone who will come to him, he would see whether he is a daṇḍavat-class of man or hearing class of man. So daṇḍavat is nice, but by offering daṇḍavat, if one does not develop the intent of hearing, śravaṇam, then he is not making very much progress. As you know, because I was little interested in hearing, my Guru Mahārāja, he accepted me as his disciple. He marked this. “This boy is interested in hearing. He does not go away.” Actually, I do not know. I could not understand what he was speaking in the beginning, but still I was very much interested to hear him, out of curiosity or something like that. So hearing is very important thing.

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Hare Krsna to all

Over the years we have had hundreds of programs both here on our farm and back in Seattle. I am very grateful and thankful to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krsna for arranging all these events to take place because without devotee association, this material world is a very miserable place.

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das

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Prabhupada’s lecture – Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.10.4 – Mayapura, June 19, 1973

Now here is very important word, that payasodhasvatīr mudā, udhasvatīr mudā. They were very jolly because they can understand whether they are going to be killed or not. Because they have got, they’re animal, they have got sense. I have seen in your country, almost all cows are crying, crying. Because in the beginning, all the calves are taken away and slaughtered in their presence. Perhaps you know. So what is the position of the cow? I have seen when we purchase cows, the calves are already taken away. The cow was crying, regular tears were gliding down. So they can understand that… Who cannot understand? Suppose if you are taken in the concentrated camp? Just like the Germans did. What is the meaning of concentrated…? That he’ll be killed after some days. So how you can be happy? If you are already informed, condemned to death, and kept in a concentration camp, will you be happy? Similarly, when these people take these cows to the slaughterhouse, animal stock room, go down, they understand. Very recently, about few years ago, some…, that animal stock store was some way or other broken and all the cows began to… Perhaps you know. It was published in the… And they were shot down. Shot to death. They were fleeing like anything, that “We shall save ourselves.”
So if the cows are not happy, if they are always afraid, that “This rascal will kill us at any moment,” then how they can be happy? There was no such thing. Therefore it is said: mudā. Mudā. Happy. And as soon as the cows are happy, you not only get sufficient milk, but the pasturing ground, I mean to say, ground, becomes moist with milk. So much milk supplied. Here it is stated, payasā udhasvatīr mudā. Yes. There is another description. Formerly, Kṛṣṇa’s cows, when they were passing on, the whole road will be moistened with milk. Milk supply was so sufficient. Simply manufacture butter, milk products, dahi… Distribute. Kṛṣṇa was distributing amongst the monkeys even: “Take,” the monkey, “come on.”
So by Kṛṣṇa’s grace if we actually become dharmic, follow Kṛṣṇa, the milk supply will be so profuse that everyone, even the animals can take the butter and yogurt. That is wanted. That is civilization. Produce sufficient quantity of grains, let the milk, cows, supply sufficient quantity of milk. All economic question solved. There is no use of industry. No use of man’s going fifty miles to work. No, there is no need. Simply land and cows. Here is the statement. Kāmaṁ parjanyaḥ, vavarṣa parjanyaḥ sarva-kāma-dughā. Everything you’ll get from the land.Even luxury articles. What can be more luxurious article than the jewels? The jewels are also produced. The medicine is produced, the minerals are produced, gold is produced, diamond is produced from the earth. Sarva-kāma-dughā. You get everything. Make your civilization very perfect, very luxurious simply by satisfying Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
————————————

Prabhupada: So you are being cheated for the last two hundred years, not for thousands of years. So it will be finished. Within another fifty years, everything will be finished.—Morning Walk at Cheviot Hills Golf Course — May 15, 1973

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Adi 10.56—Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu bestows His causeless mercy upon His devotees in three features: His own direct appearance [sākṣāt], His prowess within someone He empowers [āveśa], and His manifestation [āvirbhāva].

PURPORT-The sākṣāt feature of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is His personal presence. Āveśa refers to invested power, like that invested in Nakula Brahmacārī. Āvirbhāva is a manifestation of the Lord that appears even though He is personally not present. For example, Śrī Śacīmātā offered food at home to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu although He was far away in Jagannātha Purī, and when she opened her eyes after offering the food she saw that it had actually been eaten by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Similarly, when Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura performed saṅkīrtana, everyone felt the presence of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, even in His absence. This is another example of āvirbhāva. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/adi/10/56

Adi 10.60––Śrīla Śivānanda Sena experienced the three features sākṣāt, āveśa and āvirbhāva. Later I shall vividly describe this transcendentally blissful subject.

PURPORT–Śrīla Śivānanda Sena has been described by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Mahārāja as follows: He was a resident of Kumārahaṭṭa, which is also known as Hālisahara, and was a great devotee of the Lord. About one and a half miles from Kumārahaṭṭa is another village, known as Kāṅcaḍāpāḍā, in which there are Gaura-Gopāla Deities installed by Śivānanda Sena, who also established a temple of Kṛṣṇarāya that is still existing. Śivānanda Sena was the father of Paramānanda Sena, who was also known as Purī dāsa or Kavi-karṇapūra. Paramānanda Sena wrote in his Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (176) that two of the gopīs of Vṛndāvana, whose former names were Vīrā and Dūtī, combined to become his father. Śrīla Śivānanda Sena guided all the devotees of Lord Caitanya who went from Bengal to Jagannātha Purī, and he personally bore all the expenses for their journey. This is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, Chapter Sixteen, verses 19 through 27. Śrīla Śivānanda Sena had three sons, named Caitanya dāsa, Rāmadāsa and Paramānanda. This last son later became Kavi-karṇapūra, and he is the author of Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā. His spiritual master was Śrīnātha Paṇḍita, who was Śivānanda Sena’s priest. Due to Vāsudeva Datta’s lavish spending, Śivānanda Sena was engaged to supervise his expenditures.Śrī Śivānanda Sena actually experienced Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s features of sākṣat, āveśa and āvirbhāva. He once picked up a dog while on his way to Jagannātha Purī, and it is described in the Antya-līlā, First Chapter, that this dog later attained salvation by his association. When Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa, who later became Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, fled his paternal home to join Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, his father wrote a letter to Śivānanda Sena to get information about him. Śivānanda Sena supplied him the details for which he asked, and later Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī’s father sent some servants and money to Śivānanda Sena to take care of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. Once Śrī Śivānanda Sena invited Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to his home and fed Him so sumptuously that the Lord felt indigestion and was somewhat sick. This became known to Śivānanda Sena’s son, who gave the Lord the kinds of food that would help His digestion, and thus Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very pleased. This is described in the Antya-līlā, Tenth Chapter, verses 142 through 151.Once while going to Jagannātha Purī all the devotees had to stay underneath a tree, without the shelter of a house or even a shed, and Nityānanda Prabhu became very angry, as if He were greatly disturbed by hunger. Thus He cursed Śivānanda’s sons to die. Śivānanda’s wife was very much aggrieved at this, and she began to cry. She very seriously thought that since her sons had been cursed by Nityānanda Prabhu, certainly they would die. When Śivānanda later returned and saw his wife crying, he said, “Why are you crying? Let us all die if Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu desires.” When Śivānanda Sena returned and Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu saw him, the Lord kicked him severely, complaining that He was very hungry, and asked why he did not arrange for His food. Such is the behavior of the Lord with His devotees. Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu behaved like an ordinary hungry man, as if completely dependent on the arrangements of Śivānanda Sena.There was a nephew of Śivānanda Sena’s named Śrīkānta who left the company in protest of Nityānanda Prabhu’s curse and went directly to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Jagannātha Purī, where the Lord pacified him. 

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by Ishan das

Krishna Consciousness, a Transcendental Apprenticeship Program

In 1972-73 Srila Prabhupada arranged for some professional mridanga makers to make drums right on our newly acquired land in Sridham Mayapur. He felt that it was a dying art and he wanted some of our boys to learn the process. When I saw that airmail letter on the desk of the temple president in Toronto, Canada, my first thought was, “That’s for me.” A few months later I was crossing the Jalangi River on my way to Sridham Mayapur.

The mridangas are made by two different men. The potter who makes all varieties of clay utensils, makes the shells; and another man does the leather work. In India, learning these processes was an apprenticeship program. This means one has to become the humble servant of the master; there is no other way. Also there’s a very heart-centered aspect of the process; the exchange of knowledge and service is an exchange of love. As the apprentice serves the master with feelings of affection and respect, the master is moved to share the knowledge of his craft, knowledge that has been cultivated for generations.

Serving these men meant doing the most basic of chores, such as digging clay out of the earth and removing every grain of sand by hand, and staking out freshly removed cow hides in the field, and scraping the skins.

The mridanga hut was a bamboo structure, about 10 feet square, set on a slightly raised structure with an earthen floor. I was not the only western boy there with the desire to learn the art; there were some half dozen others. But there was a difference. Whereas I was on the inside of the hut scraping skins, the other boys sat outside with clipboards and note pads, making notes. With the help of a Bengali interpreter they would put their questions to the mridanga mistri (mechanic).

Boy with clipboard: “Why does he do such and such part of the process in that way? Why does he not do it……etc, etc.?” There is a silence as everyone waits for his answer. “My father did it this way.”, he says quietly, and continues his work.

In this way the learning process continues. The clipboard team make their notes. And I do whatever little task that is given to me by our teacher, like a hungry dog that is thrown scraps from the table. And then one day, our teacher pauses. Hunched over in squat position, leather-cutting knife in hand, he looks up from his work. With a very quiet and calm voice, he points his knife, one by one, at the boys on the clipboard team, and in a quiet and calm voice, he says, “Mridanga mistri nay. Mridanga mistri nay. Mridanga mistri nay.” There is a stillness in the hut. And then our teacher points his knife at me, and says with a gentle smile on his lips, “Ishan Prabhu, mridanga mistry.” Then, knife in hand, he draws a map of the world on the dirt floor of the hut indicating that my drums would one day be all over the planet.

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Adi 9.51—The great gardener, Lord Caitanya, personally eats this fruit, and as a result He constantly remains mad, as if helpless and bewildered.

PURPORTIt is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to act Himself and teach the people. He says, āpani ācari’ bhakti karila pracāra (Cc. Ādi 4.41). One must first act himself and then teach. This is the function of a real teacher. Unless one is able to understand the philosophy that he speaks, it will not be effective. Therefore one should not only understand the philosophy of the Caitanya cult but also implement it practically in one’s life.While chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sometimes fainted and remained unconscious for many hours. He prays in His Śikṣāṣṭaka (7):yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me”O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from My eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in Your absence.” This is the perfectional stage of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and eating the fruit of love of Godhead, as exhibited by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. One should not artificially imitate this stage, but if one is serious and sincerely follows the regulative principles and chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the time will come when these symptoms will appear. Tears will fill his eyes, he will be unable to chant distinctly the mahā-mantra, and his heart will throb in ecstasy. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that one should not imitate this, but a devotee should long for the day to come when such symptoms of trance will automatically appear in his body.

Adi 9.53—Persons who had formerly criticized Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, calling Him a drunkard, also ate the fruit and began to dance, saying, “Very good! Very good!”

PURPORT-When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu started the saṅkīrtana movement, even He was unnecessarily criticized by Māyāvādīs, atheists and fools. Naturally we are also criticized by such men. They will always remain and will always criticize anything that is actually good for human society. But the preachers of the saṅkīrtana movement should not be deterred by such criticism. Our method should be to convert such fools gradually by asking them to come and take prasāda and chant and dance with us. This should be our policy. Anyone who comes to join us, of course, must be sincere and serious regarding spiritual advancement in life; then such a person, simply by joining us, chanting with us, dancing with us and taking prasāda with us, will gradually also come to say that this movement is very good. But one who joins with an ulterior purpose, to get material benefit or personal gratification, will never be able to grasp the philosophy of this movement.

Sept 21 1970 letter to Isana...In my books I have tried to explain clearly this simultaneously one and different philosophy acinta beda beda tattva propounded by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But sometimes it happens that this philosophy is given a self-interested interpretation. As soon as personal motivation comes in it is not possible for one to understand our Krishna Consciousness philosophy

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