Monthly Archives: January 2019

by Damaghosa dasa

these 2 verses are for those of us who may mistakenly still think we are in the mode of goodness

January 29, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

SB3.29.22-One who worships the Deity of Godhead in the temples but does not know that the Supreme Lord, as Paramātmā, is situated in every living entity’s heart, must be in ignorance and is compared to one who offers oblations into ashes.
PURPORT-It is stated clearly herein that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His plenary expansion of Supersoul, is present in all living entities. The living entities have 8,400,000 different kinds of bodies, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is living in every body both as the individual soul and as the Supersoul. Since the individual soul is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, in that sense the Lord is living in every body, and, as Supersoul, the Lord is also present as a witness. In both cases the presence of God in every living entity is essential. Therefore persons who profess to belong to some religious sect but who do not feel the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in every living entity, and everywhere else, are in the mode of ignorance.

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by Damaghosa dasa

Deity worship and realization-is it a myth for some of us?

January 29, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

SB 3.29.25-Performing his prescribed duties, one should worship the Deity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead until one realizes My presence in his own heart and in the hearts of other living entities as well.
PURPORT-Worship of the Deity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is prescribed herewith even for persons who are simply discharging their prescribed duties. There are prescribed duties for the different social classes of men—the brāhmaṇas, the vaiśyas, the kṣatriyas and the śūdras—and for the different āśramas—brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. One should worship the Deity of the Lord until one appreciates the presence of the Lord in every living entity. In other words, one should not be satisfied simply by discharging his duties properly; he must realize his relationship and the relationship of all other living entities with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If he does not understand this, then even though he discharges his prescribed duties properly, it is to be understood that he is simply laboring without profit.
The word sva-karma-kṛt in this verse is very significant. Sva-karma-kṛt is one who engages in discharging his prescribed duties. It is not that one who has become a devotee of the Lord or who engages in devotional service should give up his prescribed duties. No one should be lazy under the plea of devotional service. One has to execute devotional service according to his prescribed duties. Sva-karma-kṛt means that one should discharge the duties prescribed for him without neglect.
 
SB 3.29.26-As the blazing fire of death, I cause great fear to whoever makes the least discrimination between himself and other living entities because of a differential outlook.
PURPORT-There are bodily differentiations among all varieties of living entities, but a devotee should not distinguish between one living entity and another on such a basis; a devotee’s outlook should be that both the soul and Supersoul are equally present in all varieties of living entities.
 

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by Damaghosa dasa

Srila Prabhupada and the SB explains pure devotion and devotion in ignorance

January 26, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

Hare Krsna-Below are 4 very very nice verses from SB which explain how to advance our understanding and awareness of the Supreme Lord. We must know that God and a living entity are present in every living thing and show the proper respect to each of them. Srila Prabhupada explains that distributing Krsna Prasadam to these entities is real compassion without which doing, we will remain on the materialistic platform of devotion. These verses and especially the purports go along nicely with the previous article entitled 81 kinds of impure devotional service.
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
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SB 3.29.21-I am present in every living entity as the Supersoul. If someone neglects or disregards that Supersoul everywhere and engages himself in the worship of the Deity in the temple, that is simply imitation.
PURPORT-In purified consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one sees the presence of Kṛṣṇa everywhere. If, therefore, one only engages in Deity worship in the temple and does not consider other living entities, then he is in the lowest grade of devotional service. One who worships the Deity in the temple and does not show respect to others is a devotee on the material platform, in the lowest stage of devotional service. A devotee should try to understand everything in relationship with Kṛṣṇa and try to serve everything in that spirit. To serve everything means to engage everything in the service of Kṛṣṇa. If a person is innocent and does not know his relationship with Kṛṣṇa, an advanced devotee should try to engage him in the service of Kṛṣṇa. One who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can engage not only the living being but everything in the service of Kṛṣṇa.
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SB3.29.22-One who worships the Deity of Godhead in the temples but does not know that the Supreme Lord, as Paramātmā, is situated in every living entity’s heart, must be in ignorance and is compared to one who offers oblations into ashes.
PURPORT-It is stated clearly herein that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His plenary expansion of Supersoul, is present in all living entities. The living entities have 8,400,000 different kinds of bodies, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is living in every body both as the individual soul and as the Supersoul. Since the individual soul is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, in that sense the Lord is living in every body, and, as Supersoul, the Lord is also present as a witness. In both cases the presence of God in every living entity is essential. Therefore persons who profess to belong to some religious sect but who do not feel the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in every living entity, and everywhere else, are in the mode of ignorance.
If, without this preliminary knowledge of the Lord’s omnipresence, one simply attaches himself to the rituals in a temple, church or mosque, it is as if he were offering butter into ashes rather than into the fire.One offers sacrifices by pouring clarified butter into a fire and chanting Vedic mantras, but even if there are Vedic mantras and all conditions are favorable, if the clarified butter is poured on ashes, then such a sacrifice will be useless. In other words, a devotee should not ignore any living entity. The devotee must know that in every living entity, however insignificant he may be, even in an ant, God is present, and therefore every living entity should be kindly treated and should not be subjected to any violence. In modern civilized society, slaughterhouses are regularly maintained and supported by a certain type of religious principle. But without knowledge of the presence of God in every living entity, any so-called advancement of human civilization, either spiritual or material, is to be understood as being in the mode of ignorance.
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by Damaghosa dasa

81 types of (impure) devotion…and more

January 24, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

Hare Krsna-Below is a few verse sequence given in Srimad Bhagavatam in which Lord Kapila Dev kindly and briefly explains to His mother the different types of devotion in the material modes of nature-and ending in pure devotional service.
At the end we have included another description of motivated devotion coming from the Purana.
Some may find this very interesting.
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
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SB 3.29.7-Lord Kapila, the Personality of Godhead, replied: O noble lady, there are multifarious paths of devotional service in terms of the different qualities of the executor.
PURPORT-Pure devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is one because in pure devotional service there is no demand from the devotee to be fulfilled by the Lord. But generally people take to devotional service with a purpose. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, people who are not purified take to devotional service with four purposes. A person who is distressed because of material conditions becomes a devotee of the Lord and approaches the Lord for mitigation of his distress. A person in need of money approaches the Lord to ask for some improvement in his monetary condition. Others, who are not in distress or in need of monetary assistance but are seeking knowledge in order to understand the Absolute Truth, also take to devotional service, and they inquire into the nature of the Supreme Lord. This is very nicely described in Bhagavad-gītā (7.16). Actually the path of devotional service is one without a second, but according to the devotees’ condition, devotional service appears in multifarious varieties, as will be nicely explained in the following verses.
SB 3.29.8-Devotional service executed by a person who is envious, proud, violent and angry, and who is a separatist, is considered to be in the mode of darkness.
PURPORT-It has already been stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Second Chapter, that the highest, most glorious religion is the attainment of causeless, unmotivated devotional service. In pure devotional service, the only motive should be to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is not actually a motive; that is the pure condition of the living entity. In the conditioned stage, when one engages in devotional service, he should follow the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master in full surrender. The spiritual master is the manifested representation of the Supreme Lord because he receives and presents the instructions of the Lord, as they are, by disciplic succession. It is described in Bhagavad-gītā that the teachings therein should be received by disciplic succession, otherwise there is adulteration. To act under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master with a motive to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pure devotional service.But if one has a motive for personal sense gratification, his devotional service is manifested differently. Such a man may be violent, proud, envious and angry, and his interests are separate from the Lord’s.
One who approaches the Supreme Lord to render devotional service, but who is proud of his personality, envious of others or vengeful, is in the mode of anger. He thinks that he is the best devotee. Devotional service executed in this way is not pure; it is mixed and is of the lowest grade, tāmasaḥ. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura advises that a Vaiṣṇava who is not of good character should be avoided. A Vaiṣṇava is one who has taken the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the ultimate goal of life, but if one is not pure and still has motives, then he is not a Vaiṣṇava of the first order of good character. One may offer his respects to such a Vaiṣṇava because he has accepted the Supreme Lord as the ultimate goal of life, but one should not keep company with a Vaiṣṇava who is in the mode of ignorance.

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by Damaghosa dasa

January 19, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

Caracas Feb 19 1975 room conversation
Professor: How can I get with my imperfect senses the perfection brought by the master?
Prabhupāda: The same example. Just like the mother has seen the father, and the mother says not only to her son but other gentleman that “Here is the father of the son.” So the other gentleman who has not seen the father but on the verification by the mother, he accepts the real thing. Hearing from the perfect is also perfect. If I get the chance of hearing from the perfect, then I may not be perfect, but because I have heard from the perfect, what I say, that is perfect.
Professor (Hṛdayānanda): He’s saying that he accepts that we can receive perfect knowledge, but then because I am imperfect I make an imperfect interpretation.
Prabhupāda: No, you are not allowed interpretation. As soon as you interpret, you become imperfect. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Don’t interpret. Before this, all these rascals were simply interpreting and spoiling the whole thing. So this is the fact.
Professor: So what you really are asking for is blind faith.
Prabhupāda: Not blind faith. Perfect man is perfect. Unless you understand that he is perfect, don’t hear from him. That is blind. Without knowing that he is perfect, if you hear, that is your imperfectness. Why should you try to hear from a person whom you do not know perfectly well that he is perfect?

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by Damaghosa dasa

Does what we offer to the Lord- remain bhoga or become Prasadam?

January 13, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

Hare Krsna- After many years of chanting Hare Krsna and trying to render some service to the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna, thru His bona fide representative, it can become easy to fall into that trap of becomming slack in even the most basic of devotional principles-like chanting and offering bhoga. Below Srila Prabhuapada gives us a clear instruction to be….very careful.
damaghosa das
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May 6 1973 LA lecture
Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā: yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. Kṛṣṇa says that “A little flower, little water, little fruit, that’s all, if somebody offers Me with devotion and love, then I eat.” Kṛṣṇa is not hungry. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry. He is self-satisfied, pūrṇa. But if His devotee offers Him something with love and affection, then He accepts. So do not think that “We have made such nice, sumptuous plate for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa must eat.” No. There is no such thing, “must.” You cannot make Kṛṣṇa must. That is not possible. So Kṛṣṇa will see how much you have love for Him. Then He will accept. Otherwise He’ll reject. Therefore, it is forbidden, those who are nondevotee, those who are not initiated, those who are not chanting regularly, their offering to Kṛṣṇa will not be accepted. We must be very careful. We must know our position, whether I am sincerely following the principles of devotional service. Then Kṛṣṇa will accept. Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. The real thing is bhakti. So either you offer Kṛṣṇa prayers or you offer foodstuff, everything must be along with bhakti, devotion, love. Then Kṛṣṇa will accept.
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by Damaghosa dasa

Who and where is our authority for daily work??

January 11, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

Hare Krsna-below is a very instructive conversation with Srila Prabhupada about how householders should live “outside” a temple and conduct their affairs. Good time of year to make some good resolutions for behavioral changes as Vaisnavas.
damaghosa das
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 BG 9.12 purport-There are many devotees who assume themselves to be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service but at heart do not accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, as the Absolute Truth. For them, the fruit of devotional service-going back to Godhead-will never be tasted. Similarly, those who are engaged in fruitive, pious activities and who are ultimately hoping to be liberated from this material entanglement will never be successful either because they deride the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. In other words, persons who mock Kṛṣṇa are to be understood to be demonic or atheistic. As described in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, such demonic miscreants never surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore their mental speculations to arrive at the Absolute Truth bring them to the false conclusion that the ordinary living entity and Kṛṣṇa are one and the same.
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Below here we now have a very instructive exchange of questions and answers…..One should always be in a questioning mood to the spiritual master…otherwise we are brain dead…Athato brahma jijnasu…human life is meant to inquire….. And this questioning mentality takes place after one has favorably served the guru.
Hawaii Feb 3 1975
Rāmeśvara: Many devotees who have moved outside of the temple are feeling that if they just continue to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, they can go back to the spiritual world, but they are not giving up their independence.
Prabhupāda: So? What is your philosophy?
Rāmeśvara: Well, it seems somewhat hypocritical because chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa means you are praying to Kṛṣṇa to please be engaged eternally in His service and to become completely dependent on Him. So we try to explain like that. And to follow all the teachings and instructions, attending maṅgala āratik and morning and evening class.
Prabhupāda: So they are doing that or not?
Guru-kṛpa: No. They are not even following regulative principles.
Prabhupāda: Then?
Rāmeśvara: They think just by chanting, they will go back to the spiritual world. That is enough.

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by Damaghosa dasa

Who can become Guru? Let us not make same mistake- in Iskcon–SP

January 11, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

*Below is a quick review of guru tattva-something we should never forget because all spiritual life depends upon first pleasing God’s representative. Without that, we are nowhere.
 
damaghosa das
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Who can become a Bona fide Guru ?
 
Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.6.8 — Vrndavana, November 30, 1976
Srila Prabhupada….”Guru is the cloud or he is the agent of drying water from the ocean of mercy of Kṛṣṇa and turn it into a mercy cloud and pour water on the saṁsāra dāvānala, and then it is extinguished.Saṁsāra dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam, prāptasya kalyāṇa **
Therefore guru must be authorized person, not that bhūmi-phala-guru(?). No. “I am guru,” no. You cannot become guru unless you are agent to draw out the mercy water from the ocean of mercy of Kṛṣṇa. That is guru. And therefore a guru is not an ordinary person. He is the representative, bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dite pāra: “Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura, Kṛṣṇa is your property. If you like, you can give.” Vedeṣu durlabhaṁ adurlabhaṁ ātma-bhaktau[Bs. 5.33].
You cannot get Kṛṣṇa by studying Vedas. That is not possible. There is Kṛṣṇa in the Vedas, but you cannot pick up. It is not possible. But if you go to the Kṛṣṇa’s favorite person… Kintu prabhor yaḥ priyaeva tasya. Kṛṣṇa‘s very dear servant, confidential servant, is guru. Nobody can become guru unless he is in confidence of Kṛṣṇa. Na ca tasmād manuṣyeṣu kaścid me priya-kṛttamaḥ. These things are there. Not that by magic one can become guru. No.
 
LA July 13 1971—
Prabhupāda:Unless one is prepared that “I am accepting somebody as my spiritual master. I must acceptwhatever he says,” if there is any doubt, that “I cannot accept his words verbatim,” then one should not accept him as spiritual master. That is hypocrisy.
 
Jan 29 1973 letter to Sukadeva
Yes, the spiritual master is also present in his picture, though more importantly he is present in his teachings. I think this is explained in one letter that has already been distributed. If you have further questions try to get them resolved by your GBC man, Karandhar, because now I wish to spend all of my time for translating my books like Srimad-Bhagavatam, so I may give them to you.
Madhya 24.330
…. When one has attained the topmost position of
maha-bhagavata, he is to be accepted as a guru and worshiped exactly
like Hari, the Personality of Godhead. Only such a person is eligible
to occupy the post of a guru. 
 
May 28th 1968 letter
In the absolute world there is no distinction as me, or he, and I. Krishna and His representative is the same.Just like Krishna can be present simultaneously in millions of places. Similarly, the Spiritual Master also can be present wherever the disciple wants. A Spiritual Master is the principle, not the body. Just like a television can be seen in thousands of places by the principle of relay monitoring.
 
“Unless one is under the shelter of a realized spiritual master, his understanding of the Supreme is simply foolishness” quote from TLC

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by Damaghosa dasa

Offering our gifts to Krsna must be done with Love, otherwise He wont accept them

January 9, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

So we used to try to think of some gift to give to Srila Prabhupada. What can we think of? So one morning in the Saint Kilda temple in Melbourne, which was quite small and all the devotees from all over Australia were crowded in there, Prabhupada entered the room and we all offered obeisances. I just heard Prabhupada say, “Don’t touch the Bhagavatam to the floor.” Somebody had touched the Bhagavatam to the floor because Prabhupada said, “Don’t touch it to the floor.”

So I had this idea we could get a nice cloth made to wrap around the Bhagavatam, and I asked the ladies who do the sewing for the Deities. So they had this nice gold brocade cloth and with gold tassels at the end, and I asked her to make that. Then I went into downtown Melbourne and I found some really nice-looking mangoes. I think I bought about six. So I put these things all in a Back to Godhead box. Then I went to the house where Prabhupada was staying, and I entered the room where Prabhupada was sitting behind his desk and talking to a whole roomful of devotees.

So at one point he paused and he looked over at my box. He said, “So? What is this?” So I got the book cover cloth out. I guess you could say when I entered the room I thought, “Well, I’ve got these really good gifts to offer to Prabhupada,” thinking this is pretty good, I’ve got something. So I picked the cloth up and I said, “Srila Prabhupada, I heard this morning you said that we shouldn’t touch the Bhagavatam to the floor, so I got you this nice cloth to keep around your Bhagavatam.” Prabhupada said, “I don’t touch my Bhagavatam to the floor.” Then I wanted to explain what I meant, what led to me deciding to do this, but Prabhupada, every time I started to say something he’d interrupt me. So I’d say, “Oh, but I mean…” “No, I don’t touch my Bhagavatam to the floor.” And every time I tried to explain, he stopped me. “I’m keeping my Bhagavatam on the shelf. I don’t touch my Bhagavatam to the floor,” and he was very stern. Then all the devotees started laughing and laughing really loud. Then he said, “This is for you.” So in that way I was totally humbled. I just felt like if I could crawl in a hole and hide, I would. Everybody was laughing at me, and Prabhupada was so stern. I meant to give him a gift, but it sounded like an insult. I didn’t mean it as an insult, but I can’t explain it. I can’t describe the feeling. I just sat there and waited.

Then he said, “Then?” At this stage, if I get these mangoes out, what’s going to happen if I get them out? So I picked the mangoes up and I said, “I also got you some mangoes.” Then Prabhupada looked at the mangoes, and then a big smile came on his face and he said, “Ah, this is a gift! Mango is the king of fruit.” Then his whole mood changed from stern to beaming, and I was totally relieved. But it relates to the idea that if you offer something with pride, then Krishna doesn’t like it, it’s not the right mood. But he created that mood in me, begging, “Please accept this offering.”

Amogha das
compliments vedaveda.com
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Below is a very very important instruction by Srila Prabhupada that we must follow if we expect to honor and consume ONLY Krsna prasadam…and not sinful karma. This applies to each devotee and devotees honoring food or prasadam at others places.

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by Damaghosa dasa

Chanting Hare Krsna Maha Mantra is the religion for this age

January 8, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

The Prime Religious Practice for the Kali−yuga Is the Chanting of the Holy name The chanting of the holy name is the most sublime religion for the Kali−yuga:
 The Hare Krsna mantra is specifically mentioned in many Upanisads, such as the Kali−santarana Upanisad, where it is said:
hare krsna hare krsna
krsna krsna hare hare
hare rama hare rama
rama rama hare hare
itisodasakam namnam
kali −kalmasa−nasanam
natah parataropayah
sarva−vedesu drsyate
 
“After searching through all the Vedic literature one cannot find a method of religion more sublime for this age than the chanting of Hare Krsna.” Sri Caitanya−caritamrta Adi−lila 3.40
In Kali−yuga, simply by chanting the holy name one can attain the goal of life: [Karabhajana Rsi to Maharaja Nimi]: ” ‘Those who are advanced and highly qualified and are interested in the essence of life know the good qualitles of Kali−yuga. Such people worship the age of Kali because in this age, simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha−mantra, one can advance in spiritual knowledge and attain life’s goal.’ “
 This is a quotation from Srimad−Bhagavatam (11.5.36) spoken by the great sage Karabhajana Rsi, one of the nine Yogendras. The sage was informing Maharaja Nimi about the people’s duty to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to different processes in different yugas.
Sri Caitanya−caritamrta Madhya−lila 20.347

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by Damaghosa dasa

More on Creation from Srimad Bhagavatam

January 5, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

More on Creation from—- Srimad Bhagavatam3.26. verses 53-72
Below is a very nice description of the creation of all the material elements in this world as well as the demigods who control these on behalf of the Supreme Being-Vasudeva.   Srila Prabhupada explains at the end..”The analytical study of the elements of material nature and the concentration of the mind upon the Supersoul are the sum and substance of the Sāṅkhya philosophical system.“ 
For those of us not interested in this detailed  study of how things go on, then we can just chant Hare Krsna, and eventually arrive at the transcendental destination.
 
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
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More on Creation from—- Srimad Bhagavatam3.26. verses 53-72
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the virāṭ-puruṣa, situated Himself in that golden egg, which was lying on the water, and He divided it into many departments.
First of all a mouth appeared in Him, and then came forth the organ of speech, and with it the god of fire, the deity who presides over that organ. Then a pair of nostrils appeared, and in them appeared the olfactory sense, as well as prāṇa, the vital air.
In the wake of the olfactory sense came the wind-god, who presides over that sense. Thereafter a pair of eyes appeared in the universal form, and in them the sense of sight. In the wake of this sense came the sun-god, who presides over it. Next there appeared in Him a pair of ears, and in them the auditory sense and in its wake the Dig-devatās, or the deities who preside over the directions.
Then the universal form of the Lord, the virāṭ-puruṣa, manifested His skin, and thereupon the hair, mustache and beard appeared. After this all the herbs and drugs became manifested, and then His genitals also appeared.
After this, semen (the faculty of procreation) and the god who presides over the waters appeared. Next appeared an anus and then the organs of defecation and thereupon the god of death, who is feared throughout the universe.

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by Damaghosa dasa

Warning signs given to us from Srimad Bhagavatam

January 3, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

Warning signals given to us by Srimad Bhagavatam……the bhaktas who are intelligent will not ignore them
SB 4.22.31-When one deviates from his original consciousness, he loses the capacity to remember his previous position or recognize his present one. When remembrance is lost, all knowledge acquired is based on a false foundation. When this occurs, learned scholars consider that the soul is lost.
 SB 3.26.26 purport- In the material world we are producing so many things, and this is called advancement of civilization, but factually the advancement of civilization is a manifestation of the false ego. By false ego all material things are produced as objects of enjoyment. One has to cease increasing artificial necessities in the form of material objects. One great ācārya, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, has lamented that when one deviates from pure consciousness of Vāsudeva, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he becomes entangled in material activities. The exact words he uses are, sat-saṅga chāḍi’ kainu asate vilāsa/ te-kāraṇe lāgila ye karma-bandha-phāṅsa: “I have given up the pure status of consciousness because I wanted to enjoy in the temporary, material manifestation; therefore I have been entangled in the network of actions and reactions.”
SB 3.26.27 purport-The symptoms of the mind are determination and rejection, which are due to different kinds of desires. We desire that which is favorable to our sense gratification, and we reject that which is not favorable to sense gratification. The material mind is not fixed, but the very same mind can be fixed when engaged in the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, as long as the mind is on the material platform, it is hovering, and all this rejection and acceptance is asat, temporary. It is stated that he whose mind is not fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness must hover between acceptance and rejection. However advanced a man is in academic qualifications, as long as he is not fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness he will simply accept and reject and will never be able to fix his mind on a particular subject matter.
SB 3.26.28 puport-The system of yoga entails controlling the mind, and the Lord of the mind is Aniruddha. It is stated that Aniruddha is four-handed, with Sudarśana cakra, conchshell, club and lotus flower. There are twenty-four forms of Viṣṇu, each differently named. Among these twenty-four forms, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha, Pradyumna and Vāsudeva are depicted very nicely in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, where it is stated that Aniruddha is worshiped by the yogīs. Meditation upon voidness is a modern invention of the fertile brain of some speculator. Actually the process of yoga meditation, as prescribed in this verse, should be fixed upon the form of Aniruddha. By meditating on Aniruddha one can become free from the agitation of acceptance and rejection. When one’s mind is fixed upon Aniruddha, one gradually becomes God-realized; he approaches the pure status of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which is the ultimate goal of yoga.
 
                                       Krsna’s Prasadam always looks- so delicious
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by Damaghosa dasa

Sound-from the right source means liberation-otherwise-it has no potency

January 2, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

Hare Krsna-below we have two very nice purports and one verse about Sound-Anavrttih sabdat– that thru this subtle medium one can become liberated from the cycle of birth and death. If that sound is authorized it can dissolve our material existence. Srila Prabhupada tells us that the secret of this mystical sound is that it must come from the right source of a bona fide spiritual master-otherwise it has NO spiritual potency.
He also adds in that….”seemingly transcendental sound received from an unauthorized person also has no potency.“
The last article we put out about ” intelligence”, explained that one has to learn how to doubt at first, in order to find out what is real and what is illusion. Once we use our intelligence, and with the (Paratmatma) Supersoul’s help to understand who is a bona fide guru and who is a fake, then we can go forward withauthorized spiritual sound from the bona fide spiritual master, who when we follow him can cut our bonds to this material world of repeated birth and death. The whole process can be boiled down to -hearing or giving rapt attention to the sound made by a bona fide spiritual master, and then acting upon it !!
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
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SB 3.26.32 purport-…It is stated also in the Vedānta-sūtra that sound is the origin of all objects of material possession and that by sound one can also dissolve this material existence. Anāvṛttiḥ śabdāt means “liberation by sound.” The entire material manifestation began from sound, and sound can also end material entanglement, if it has a particular potency. The particular sound capable of doing this is the transcendental vibration Hare Kṛṣṇa. Our entanglement in material affairs has begun from material sound. Now we must purify that sound in spiritual understanding. There is sound in the spiritual world also. If we approach that sound, then our spiritual life begins, and the other requirements for spiritual advancement can be supplied. We have to understand very clearly that sound is the beginning of the creation of all material objects for our sense gratification. Similarly, if sound is purified, our spiritual necessities also are produced from sound.
Here it is said that from sound the ether became manifested and that the air became manifested from ether. How the ethereal sky comes from sound, how the air comes from sky and how fire comes from air will be explained later on. Sound is the cause of the sky, and sky is the cause of śrotram, the ear. The ear is the first sense for receiving knowledge. One must give aural reception to any knowledge one wants to receive, either material or spiritual. Therefore śrotram is very important. The Vedic knowledge is called śruti; knowledge has to be received by hearing. By hearing only can we have access to either material or spiritual enjoyment…. The principle of hearing to properly utilize preconceived materials is applicable to spiritual paraphernalia as well. We must hear from the proper spiritual source.

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by Damaghosa dasa

Doubt-first sign of intelligence–SP

January 2, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

SB 3.26.30-Doubt, misapprehension, correct apprehension, memory and sleep, as determined by their different functions, are said to be the distinct characteristics of intelligence.
PURPORT-Doubt is one of the important functions of intelligence; blind acceptance of something does not give evidence of intelligence. Therefore the word saṁśaya is very important; in order to cultivate intelligence, one should be doubtful in the beginning. But doubting is not very favorable when information is received from the proper source. In Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that doubting the words of the authority is the cause of destruction.
As described in the Patañjali yoga system, pramāṇa-viparyaya-vikalpa-nidra-smṛtyaḥ. By intelligence only one can understand things as they are. By intelligence only can one understand whether or not he is the body. The study to determine whether one’s identity is spiritual or material begins in doubt. When one is able to analyze his actual position, the false identification with the body is detected. This is viparyāsa. When false identification is detected, then real identification can be understood. Real understanding is described here as niścayaḥ, or proved experimental knowledge. This experimental knowledge can be achieved when one has understood the false knowledge. By experimental or proved knowledge, one can understand that he is not the body but spirit soul.
 
Some Conclusions– This is a very instructive purport by Srila Prabhupada for he tells us how we should accept or reject something. When iskcon devotees were first offered the bait of post Nov 1977 bogus gurus being presented to them, many if not most, accepted. But later so many doubts came in due to the intelligence of the devotees and the results of this un authorized guru experiment. Here in the purport Srila Prabhupada tells us that we should first doubt, then after seeing the actual sastric proof, we can then accept something as valid. Now some 42 years later, all the information is out there to make an “intelligent” decision about who is an actual guru or spiritual master and who is not. If one has still not figured this out by now, then he or she is not very intelligent nor are they serious about spiritual life.
Hare Krsna 
damaghosa das
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