by Damaghosa dasa

No more upadhis-material designations

May 20, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa

Jaya Srila Prabhupada

 Na Jayate  Mriyate va kadacin—For the soul,  there is never birth nor death, Nor having once been does he ever  cease to be. (Bhagavad Gita 2.20)

Self realization means to be able to see the soul. I look at you and  see your body, you look at me and see my body. This is not self  realization.
Aham brahmasmi means I am soul, not this body. ..”Dehino’ smin yatha  dehi… Deha and dehi means this body and the owner of this body. When  we  are able too see the soul we are on the brahma bhuta platform. This is  self realization.
If we want to be free of this material bondage and see ourselves as we  are, then we must purify our self of all the upadhis or material  designations.
Prabhupada writes…”Krishna consciousness is  actually a purificatory process. Its purpose is to make people free from  all designations. When our consciousness becomes purified of all  designations, the activities we carry out with our purified senses make us  perfect. Eventually, we reach the ideal perfection of human life. Krishna  consciousness is also a very simple process. It is not necessary to become a  great philosopher, scientist, or whatever. We need only chant the holy name of  the Lord, understanding that His personality, His name, and His qualities are  all absolute.”
Most everyone thinks that if he or she gets a nice  birth in a nice family, has good looks, education and some wealth, then all this  has been Divinely bestowed upon him by God. But from the spiritual  perspective all these things are no more than gifts of the illusory energy,  Maya. These things keep us trapped in the bodily conception of  life.  We see that is true when we hear the story of Nalakuvera and  Manigriva, the sons of Kuvera. They were both devas or demigods, and they were  devotees of some sort of the Supreme Lord, but because of the easy life their  material benedictions gave them, they condemned themselves to a life of  debauchery. They misused their material assets which is quite natural for one in  that position.This is what naturally happens for most if one takes to the field  of material piety instead of trying to purify the heart, thru bhakti  yoga, of all the (unwanted) anarthas present.
Prabhupada gives an example-when we are sitting comfortably in our easy  chair, we have the remote in one hand, our cell phone in the other, some chips  and fizz nearby , and we think , now I am comfortable!
But then somebody comes along and tells us NO, you have to come with me.  You MUST come with me dragging you off, and then your comfortable position  is now ruined. This is called Death. Nobody wants it, but it has to come to us  all. Yet how many of us are ready for this? How many of us are ready to get  ripped out of our comfortable situation and not even complain about  it? Only one who knows without any doubting that he or she is not this  material body.
He gave another nice example-once while on a train ride somewhere in India,  a few others were fighting over their train seat. He mentioned that even though  they know they will only be there a couple of hours, they are taking that seat  as some permanent arrangement and that is why it is worth fighting  over.  And we as kids, also had a similar situation while traveling  with parents in the family car. We would all fight over who got the window  seat !.
So how is this  child like fighting different than what we do as  adults on a daily basis fighting with others over some meager  material gains? Like the childs game of musical chairs whereby a group of kids  will circle a row of chairs which are one short of the number of participating  kids. When the music stops, everyone has to grab a chair. One kid is always  out of a chair ! This is how material life works. Its always a struggle for  everything. Nothing in this material world comes without some sort of  struggle-either with others or with our own limitations to accomplish  something.
Self realization means this material struggle for things related to this  body is over- because we realize without any doubt, that we are not matter,  not this body, not connected to any so called material family or race, do not  belong to some country and in fact have absolutely nothing to do with this  material world. Unfortunately for most of us we think we are free to do what we  like, but at any moment,  if the Devas disagree, we could lose motion  in our arms  hands or legs and become paralyzed. Yet we  all will  say, this is MY body. If its our body then why cant we make it do what WE want  it to do?
This conditional life always will be a source of problems to us.  In  this verse from BG it says we are never born and we never die, so if we  are eternal and believe it, why do we then bother so much- with the  temporary? BG says we dont take birth, yet all of us will say we were born on  such and such a date, and if we consult astrologers,  they say we will die  at such and such time as well. This is body consciousness only- because  according to BG we dont take birth and we do not die.
So the next question would be, then if we were originally with Krsna in the  spiritual world, how did we get ourselves into this present predicament? How did  we become so fallen?

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by Nityananda Rama dasa

Lessons from Kishkindya (Part 2): “Vaisnavas Live Forever”

May 20, 2012 in Articles, Narasimha Dasa by Nityananda Rama dasa

The Vijayanagar Empire

In my first article on Kishkindya Kshetra I mentioned that this area was the former center of the famous Vijayanagar Empire, which historians believe was the most opulent empire on Earth in the last three thousand years. The whole empire suddenly declined, shortly after the disappearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and was sacked by a conspiracy of three other kings around 1565 AD. Mysteriously, no other kingdom, city or town every reemerged at Hampi, its capital. This empire reached its zenith during the times of Lord Caitanya, under the leadership of the renowned Vaisnava emperor, Krishna Deva Raya, who is adored in the region to this day. Interestingly, he was born and departed this world around the same dates as Lord Caitanya. He was the son-in-law and ally of Lord Caitanya’s great devotee Maharaja Prataparudra.

This powerful empire based at Hampi helped make the whole of South India a safe place for pilgrims. Had this not been the case, Lord Caitanya’s confidential associates might have found it even more difficult, or nearly impossible, to allow Him to leave on His long tour of South India with only one servant. Lord Caitanya had preferred to go alone, but His devotees, specifically Lord Nityananda, begged Him that if He was unwilling to go with a party of Vaisnavas, He should at least take one brahmacari servant who could assist Him without breaking His mood of manifesting full ecstatic symptoms of  nama-sankirtana all over South India.

Most western people come to Hampi to tour the ruins of the Vijayanagar Empire or view the amazing scenery, but many Indians come here with the understanding that this unique tirtha on the banks of Tungabhadra Nadi is highly sacred. I have met Christian and Muslim pilgrims here who also appreciate the powerful sanctity of the Hampi area and visit regularly.

Lord Caitanya Visits Kishkindya

Srila Krsnadas Kaviraja Goswami

mentions in Sri Caitanya-caritamrita that Lord Caitanya did not manifest His spiritual potencies in Navadvipa Dhama but waited until he went to South India. In this connection Srila Prabhupada cites Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura saying there are three principle dhamas of Gauidiya Vaisnavas: Vrindavan, Navadvipa and Jagganath Puri, or South India. The whole of South India is considered the third principle dhama of Gaudiya Vaisnavas, along with Jagganath Puri itself.

“Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not manifest His spiritual potencies at Navadvipa, but He did manifest them in South India and liberated all the people there.”

(Cc. Madhya 7.109)

Lord Caitanya visited Kishkindya and bathed at Pampa Sarovar, where there is an ancient temple of Sri Lakshmi Devi and a large temple tank with granite steps all around. The pond is crystal clear and overgrown with lotuses. Not much detailed information about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s visit here is found in Gaudiya Vaisnava literature, but the Kishkindya-vasis and local sadhus say He used to chant japa under a large mango tree at Pampa Sarovar. This tree survived until recently when some electrical workers mistakenly cut it down. Many of the local residents are the descendants of the great souls who were liberated when Lord Caitanya toured South India and visited Kiskindya Kshetra, where He manifested His full spiritual potencies through hari-nama sankirtana. To this day the fortunate people of Kishkindya spontaneously chant the holy names of Hare Rama and Hare Krishna.

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by Nityananda Rama dasa

GBC vs. Prabhupada: Heresies of the Governing Body Commission Rejected

May 18, 2012 in Articles, Vikramasingha Dasa by Nityananda Rama dasa

The Iskcon GBC philosophy on guru-tattva and initiations has evolved over the years. In the late 1970s and early 80s, they conceded, due to the insistence of a few leading members, that eleven individuals had been appointed and empowered by Srila Prabhupada to act as zonal acharyas in Iskcon. The GBC conceded that these eleven could create their own authority structure called “The Acharya Board”. The GBC agreed that only these eleven could be initiating spiritual masters in Iskcon and, in the future, only they could appoint other spiritual masters, or diksa-gurus, from among their disciples or Godbrother followers.

In the latter part of the 1980s, after few of the “chosen eleven” fell down and went insane, these contentions were overturned under mounting pressure from a so-called guru reform movement. GBC reformists decided that these eleven “Iskcon acharyas” could no longer be zonal autocrats above the authority of the GBC. The GBC resolved that only a majority vote of the GBC body would have authority to sanction and regulate initiating spiritual masters in Iskcon. They resolved that any devotee sanctioned by the GBC could initiate his own disciples in Srila Prabhupada’s mission, and they recommended that “diksa-gurus” no longer accept elaborate public worship in Iskcon temples and titles and prayers meant for maha-bhagavatas. They thus tried to reduce the power and ritual status of “Iskcon acharyas” while opening the door for all senior preachers “in good standing” to covet the post of “Iskcon guru”. In this way the GBC quelled the “guru reform movement” within Iskcon.

GBC resolutions regarding initiations and guru-tattva have been inconsistent and contradictory. It is hard to find two “Iskcon gurus”, GBC members, or Iskcon devotees with the exact same views on these topics. New devotees often doubt whether the praises they sing to the spiritual master at mangala-arotika and guru-puja should be directed toward their so-called Iskcon guru or to Srila Prabhupada. Should they hear primarily from Srila Prabhupada, or more from their “living guru”? Should they offer prayers and worship to a picture of their “guru” on the altar before doing Deity worship or offering food? If so, would he even know? Are all prayers to the spiritual master just ritualistic hyperbole that can be applied to any so-called Iskcon (or gaudiya math) “guru”?

Below is summary of the stance of the GBC today and in the recent past, with samples of their clearly implied philosophical ideas that are against the teachings of Srila Prabhupada. Immediately after each GBC idea, we have provided the correct understanding of guru-tattva and diksa according the Srila Prabhupada’s books, conversations, letters, and classes. Authorized references are cited at the end.  Throughout Srila Prabhupada’s books there are many dozens of references similar to the few cited below.

GBC: The spiritual master may be a self-made guru who is nominated by his peers or followers and sanctioned by the GBC, an ecclesiastical board. There is no need for a direct, specific order from Srila Prabhupada to become a diksa-guru in Iskcon.

Srila Prabhupada’s siddhanta: “A guru can become guru when he is ordered by his guru. That’s all. Otherwise nobody can become guru.” (See below references 1, 2 and 10.)

GBC: Srila Prabhupada authorized the GBC to sanction and dismiss diksa-gurus in ISKCON.

SPS: “Mundane votes have no jurisdiction the elect a Vaisnava acharya. A Vaisnava acharya is self-effulgent, and there is no need of any court judgment.“ Prabhupada authorized the GBC to select (or dismiss) representatives (ritviks), who initiate on His behalf. No one can be guru without the direct order of Krishna or His perfect devotee. (See below references 1, 2, 10 and 15.)

 GBC: Lord Caitanya gave a blanket order for every devotee to initiate his own disciples.

SPS: Lord Caitanya ordered His followers to become “gurus” by asking everyone they meet to chant Hare Krishna. He never ordered all devotees to initiate their own disciples. Even Lord Caitanya’s eternal associates, like Sri Gadadhara Pandita, refused to initiate disciples without a direct order from Lord Caitanya. Many great devotees never initiated their own disciples. (References 2 and 3.)

GBC: Persons who are not self-realized souls or topmost Vaisnavas can be diksa-gurus if the GBC approves.

SPS: “Only a topmost devotee, a maha-bhagavata, is eligible to occupy the post of guru.” (See below reference 4.)

GBC: Spiritual masters must be sanctioned, overseen, regulated and, if necessary, disciplined by the GBC.

SPS: The genuine spiritual master is never to be regulated or disciplined by ecclesiastical boards. (See below reference 5.)

GBC: A spiritual master may sometimes fall down and become demoniac.

SPS: “There is no possibility that a first-class devotee will fall down…” — “The bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession since time immemorial.” (See below references 6 and 18.)

GBC: One may ignore, neglect, or reject his spiritual master who falls from grace with the GBC.

SPS: A genuine disciple never rejects his spiritual master. (See reference 7.)

GBC: A student of Krishna consciousness may select any spiritual master, according his or her personal tastes and the ecclesiastical conventions current in Iskcon.

SPS: “Srila Jiva Goswami advised that one not accept a spiritual master in terms of hereditary or customary social and ecclesiastical conventions. One should simply try to find a genuinely qualified spiritual master for actual advancement in spiritual understanding.” (See below reference 8.)

GBC: There are dozens of gurus in Iskcon and each is entitled to his or her own ideas and opinions.

SPS: “Guru is one. He has no independent ideas or opinions.” (See reference 9.)

GBC: Iskcon gurus who have fallen down, if rectified, may be reinstated by the GBC.

SPS: “A bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time eternal, and he does not deviate at all from the instructions of the Supreme Lord.” (See below reference 10.)

GBC: There are various levels of spiritual masters, or diksa-gurus, and not all are uttama-adhikaris.

SPS: “The spiritual master is always considered either one of the confidential associates of Radharani or a manifested representation of Sri Nityananda.” Only such a Vaisnava can impart transcendental knowledge into the heart of a disciple. (See below references 4, 7 and 11.)

GBC: The bona fide spiritual master dies, like all mortal men, and thus becomes useless in the matter of initiating and guiding students of Krishna consciousness.

SPS: “The spiritual master is eternal…” — “He lives forever through his divine instructions, and his follower lives with him.” — “He reasons ill who tells that Vaisnavas die!” (See reference 12.)

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by Damaghosa dasa

This Saturday-h​ere, 2pm

May 14, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa

Hare Krsna Prabhus
Obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
And a good morning to you all–
just finished inspecting the “fields”, chanting for a while, serving
the Silas, send out some mail then will read SB for class-
this is the life and I dont know why more dont take to it. Actually  yesterday some fellow, who works over in Oak Harbor for the Navy stopped by,  heard about us from somewhere, and he remarked after looking over the fields of  green along with the mtns, said this place is really beautiful  ! I think he was transcendentally stunned by everything he saw here.
So he said he will attend the program this coming Saturday here. He has  been to India and finds it very
attractive-.
see you all Saturday for some chanting dancing and feasting.
Hari bol
Damaghosa/Daria
740502mw.bom                 Conversations                 362344/530501
Prabhupada: This means these things, these  sentiments–anxiety, grief, anger, all these things–they are constant  companion with the living entity. You cannot give it up. But when they are  used for Krsna, that is perfection. That is upadhi-sunya, without  any designation. Satsvarupa: Prabhupada, we are only neophytes. How we can  know if our anxiety is still material when we feel anxiety in devotional  service? Prabhupada: No, no. If you feel anxiety for Krsna, then  it is not material. That anxiety is not… That is love. That is pure  love, that… Why you become anxious for our children? Because there  is love. So whole scheme is that you have to transfer your  attachment to Krsna. Dr. Patel: All bhakti should be directed  to the sacred feet of Krsna. Prabhupada: Yes, yes. Mayy asakta-manah partha  yogam yunjan. This is called bhakti-yoga. Mayy asakta. The asakti, the  attachment, is for so many things. Now we have to concentrate it on Krsna.  This is bhakti-yoga. Mayy asakta manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. Simply by this concentration of an attraction to Krsna, you become  liberated. This is the process. Dr. Patel: First you must perfect  your thinking of Krsna. Prabhupada: Yes. When you think of Krsna, you  are on the transcendental position. You are not in the material  world. Mam ca vyabhicarini bhakti-yogena yah sevate, sa gunan  samatitya etan. He is immediately transcendental to all the qualities of  material world. Dr. Patel: Then he becomes brahma-bhuta. Prabhupada: Yes. So if continuously…

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by Damaghosa dasa

Srila Prabhupada​-the one whose blessings- never fail

May 11, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa

740412mw.bom                 Conversations
Prabhupada:  (break) …social divisions. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah.  The other varnas, they would give simply to the brahmanas charity. And the brahmanas were so advanced that simply by their blessing,  they will get all benefit. So there must be a class of men who  can actually benefit simply by blessing and the society must maintain them.  This is real society. And everyone is sudra, engaged  in technology–then what benefit you will get? Kalau  sudra-sambhavah. There must be a brahminical class, a  ksatriya class, a vaisya class, a sudra class. Not that all sudras. Then what  will be going on? That is the condition. Everyone is being educated as sudra.  Then what benefit you will get? That is the defect. Hare Krsna.  (break) Therefore there must be a brahminical class.
SB 10.7.13-15 P    The blessings of brahmanas who  are not envious, disturbed or puffed up with pride and false prestige and who  are fully qualified with truthfulness will be useful. Therefore a  class of men must be trained as brahmanas from the very beginning.  Brahmacari guru-kule vasan danto guror hitam (▼Bhag. 7.12.1). The word dantah  is very important. Dantah refers to one who is not envious, disturbing or  puffed up with false prestige. With the Krsna consciousness movement,  we are trying to introduce such brahmanas in society. Brahmanas must  ultimately be Vaisnavas, and if one is a Vaisnava, he has already acquired  the qualifications of a brahmana. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma (▼Bg.  18.54). The word brahma-bhuta refers to becoming a brahmana, or  understanding what is Brahman (brahma janatiti brahmanah). One who is  brahma-bhuta is always happy (prasannatma). Na socati na kanksati: he is never disturbed about material necessities.  Samah sarvesu bhutesu: he is ready to bestow blessings  upon everyone equally. Mad-bhaktim labhate param: then he becomes a Vaisnava. In this age, Srila  Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura introduced the sacred thread ceremony for  his Vaisnava disciples, with the idea that people should understand  that when one becomes a Vaisnava he has already acquired the  qualifications of a brahmana. Therefore in the International Society for  Krishna
Consciousness, those who are twice initiated so as to become  brahmanas must bear in mind their great responsibility to be truthful,  control the mind and senses, be tolerant, and so on. Then their life will  be successful. It was such brahmanas that Nanda Maharaja invited  to chant the Vedic hymns, not ordinary brahmanas. Verse thirteen  distinctly mentions himsa-mana. The word mana refers to false prestige or  false pride. Those who were falsely proud, thinking that they were  brahmanas because they were born in brahmana families, were never invited  by Nanda Maharaja on such occasions.
SB 7.7.17 P   In this verse the word bhuyat may be  understood to mean “let there be.” Prahlada Maharaja offers his  blessings to his class friends, saying, “Also become faithful like  me. Become bona fide Vaisnavas.” A devotee of the Lord desires for everyone  to take to Krsna consciousness. Unfortunately, however, people sometimes  do not have staunch faith in the words of the spiritual master who comes by  the disciplic succession, and therefore they are unable to  understand transcendental knowledge.

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by Damaghosa dasa

4 seasons harvest-how to do it

May 7, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa

Hare Krsna to all
Pranams
All glories to Prabhupada
Below is some photos of cauliflowers which over wintered in our  greenhouse and now
are giving us some food in springtime-the hardest time of the year to  have fresh food.
Srila Prabhupada has told us repeatedly to grow our own food and  thereby we will
become independent or at least somewhat self sufficient of the Karmi  rat race civilization.
Who doesn’t want to be free or have as much freedom in is life as possible and not be under
someone’s economic thumb all the time ?? I would guess almost  everyone.
As devotees we know nobody can ever be totally independent, but as  devotees, we should be as independent as possible of the materialistic  civilization at least in the food for eating department. Our dependence should  be  directly upon Krsna and His material energy for our sustenance-and that  one does
when one grows food for him self and family.
In the pictures below this particular variety of cauliflower has a  ripening time of about 210 days which is a
very long time to wait for some food. Like 7 months !  And being  somewhat impatient
I really dont like waiting that long. But in this case I had to wait.
So Krsna has kindly arranged other varieties of this same type plant  that can yield its
fruit (or vegetable in this case) in differing times of a growing  season.
For example just in the cauliflower species alone, one can plant 7  different kinds of
cauliflower and harvest them from sept thru may of the next spring.  Thats 9 months you
can have fresh vegetable subjis to offer to Krsna ! And then we  have the other 3 months in the actual
summer here where we grow all kinds of other things. So just with  cauliflower alone, one can have it fresh all year. This assumes of course,  that you  like cauliflower , which I do.
The types available here  are Amazing,  Cassius   Cheddar, Needles (the one below), Purple Cape, Galleon, and  Maystar. Each variety has a different germination time or staggered so  that if one plants them at the correct times, and is a little bit lucky as well,  he or she can have fresh cauliflower all year long.
So what I have given here is a brief look at just one vegetable and  how thru 4 seasons , you can have it.
And there are also many others which will give you fresh food all year  long. For example- beets, kohlrabi, brussel sprouts, spinach, brussel sprouts,  cabbage, all kinds of lettuce, radishes, etc etc etc.
One adds these fresh vegetables to one’s already harvested and stored  foodstuffs  like potatoes squash and beans, and you can make what  seems like unlimited varieties of delicious meals to offer to the Lord and then  honor that meal, savoring every morsel of that fresh food that Krsna has nicely  provided for you.

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by Damaghosa dasa

The disappearance day of Jayananda das brahmacari

May 4, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa

Hare Krsna to all
Today is the disappearance day of Jayananda das brahmacari, whom Srila  Prabhupada stated went back to Home back to Godhead. We should remember him and  his service to Srila Prabhupada. He was an inspiration to all he met.
Jayananda in his final days in LA Calif.
77-02-26.Jay
Letter:  Jayananda               317798/530501
 My dear Jayananda,    Please accept my blessings.  I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated February 21st, 1977, and I  thank you for the check as well as the nice sentiments you have expressed. In the beginning you also gave me $5,000 and now again you have  sent.    This body is today or tomorrow finished. We should not  be very much bothered about the body. Trees also live for thousands of years  but that does not mean a successful life. A successful life is one  of Krishna consciousness. By the grace of Krishna from the very  beginning you are a devotee and that is the real profit of your  life.    I thank you for your check, but I would prefer that  you may require the money for your treatment. So if you like I can return  it. But I hear that you have some income. I pray to Krishna for your  more advanced Krishna conscious life.    About a sadhu it is  said, “jiva va mara va,” a sadhu may live or die, it doesn’t matter. While  living he is engaged in Krishna Conscious business and when dying he goes  back home back to Godhead.    Hoping this finds you improving in  your health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS.tkg —————–
77-05-05.Jay
Letter:  Jayananda               318287/530501
My Dear Jayananda,    Please accept my  blessings.   I am feeling very intensely your  separation. In 1967 you joined me in San Francisco. You were  driving my car and chanting Hare Krsna. You were the first man to give me  some contribution ($5000) for printing my Bhagavad-gita. After that, you  have rendered very favorable service to Krsna in different ways. I so hope at  the time of your death you were remembering Krsna and as such, you have been  promoted to the eternal association of Krsna. If not, if you had any tinge of  material desire, you have gone to the celestial kingdom to live with  the demigods for many thousands of years and enjoy the most opulent  life of material existence. From there you can promote yourself to  the spiritual world. But even if one fails to promote himself to  the spiritual world, at that time he comes down again on the surface  of this globe and takes birth in a big family like a yogis’ or  a brahmanas’ or an aristocratic family, where there is again chance  of reviving Krsna Consciousness. But as you were hearing  Krsna-kirtana, I am sure that you were directly promoted to  Krsna-loka.
                        janma karma ca me divyam
                     evam yo vetti  tattvatah
                                                   tyaktva deham punar  janma
                 naiti man eti so’ rjuna
   Krsna has done a great favor to you, not to continue your  diseased body, and has given you a suitable place for your service. Thank  you very much.
Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS.tkg
—————-
77-05-11.Ram
 Letter:  Ramesvara               318337/530501
  Jayananda’s death is glorious. It is very good  that he had stated, what is the use of such a useless body, better to give it  up. He has left his body very wonderfully, and he has been  transferred to Vaikuntha. I have already sent a condolence letter  for publication in Back To Godhead. Everyone should follow the example of  Jayananda. I am very proud that I had such a nice disciple. If possible  Jayananda’s picture should be hung in the ratha of Lord Jagannatha, and in  all of our temples a day may be set aside for holding a festival in  his honor, just as we do on the disappearance day of the other  great Vaisnavas.

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by Nityananda Rama dasa

Jai Srila Prabhupada​…

May 2, 2012 in Articles, Kanhaiya Dasa by Nityananda Rama dasa

Obesiances to all the Devotees of The Lord

Please accept my humble obesiances with all glories to Srila Prabhupada
I was meditating this morning on Srila Prabhupada’s Orders/Dream/Vision/Desires/aspirations….
And thinking that we, as His disciples, should fulfill them even at the cost of our lives…..
 
        4 Principles:
                –       No meat eating
                 –       No Intoxication
                –       No Illicit relationship
                –       No Gambling
        Morning Program:
  • At least Chant 16 rounds everyday (with no offences)
  • Attend Mangala Aarti (early morning 4:30AM)
  • Tulsi Seva and Aarti
  • Narsimha Aarti
  • Read Smd Bhagwatam (at least one verse and purport)
  • More association with Lord Devotees (all day long via sound vibrations, if physically not possible) – and Less association with Karmis:
        Srila Prabhupada on Association:http://www.iskcontimes.com/Srila_Prabhupada_is_eternally_living
        “So we should associate by vibration, and not by the physical presence. That is real association.”.  Srila Prabhupada lecture, Srimad Bhagavatam, August 18, 1968
        Real association means hearing the teachings of the spiritual master, not physically associating with him. Srila Prabhupada speaks about some of his god brothers, who had extensive physical association with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, but have become USELESS due to their NOT following the orders of their spiritual master:
       
        “So far as personal association with Guru is concerned, I was only with Guru Maharaj 4 or 5 times, but I have never left his association, not even for a moment. Because I am following his instruction, I have never felt any separation. There are some of my God brothers here in India, who had constant personal association with Guru      Maharaja, but who are neglecting his orders. This is just like the bug who is sitting on the lap of the king. He may be very puffed up by his position but all he can succeed in doing is biting the king. Personal association is not so important as association through serving.”
        “I went to your country for spreading this information of Krishna Consciousness and you are helping me in my mission, although I am not physically present there but spiritually I am always with you.” – Srila Prabhupada letter to Nandarani, Krishna Devi and Subala, October 3, 1967

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by Damaghosa dasa

Jwala Nrsimhadev-story and video

May 1, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa

Hare Krsna to all
Pranams
All glories to Srila Prabhupada and
LORD NRSIMHADEV
His appearance is this friday.
Below is some information (taken from the Bindu magazine) about Jwala  Nrsimhadev a deity that appeared some time ago in Southern India. Also included  is a video of this Deity of
Lord Nrsimhadev
Hare Krsna
Damaghosa das
————————————
The Deity of Jwala Nrsimhadev
 

Blazing Nrsimhadev

In district Sangli in southwestern Maharashtra lies a little known  village by the name of Nrsimhapur, and an even lesser known form of Lord  Nrsimhadeva. Known to the locals as “Jwala [flaming] Nrsimha”, this  impressive sixteenhanded form of the Lord standing on one foot has been  the protector and benefactor of his reverential devotees for thousands of  years. The local tradition related to this deity has been compiled in a  book known as Kṛṣṇa-māhātmya. A verse reads as follows: yadā punas-tadā  bhaktyā tapaḥ kartuṁ parāśaraḥ nārasiṁhaṁ tadā dhyāyan kṛṣṇā-tīre  muneśvaraḥ

The foremost amongst the sages, Parashar, performed austerities on the  bank of the river Krishna with a heart full of devotion, meditating on Lord  Nrsimhadev. According to the local tradition, Lord Nrsimhadev was pleased  with the devotion of Parashar Muni and hence appeared in a wonderful  sixteen-handed form. This was the same blazing form that the Lord had  assumed while killing Hiranyakashipu. Seeing that it was not possible for  anyone to establish this ferociously blazing form on earth, the Lord  ordered Parashar Muni to immerse him in the river Krishna. With a heavy  heart, the sage immersed the deity in the water. Centuries later, around the  year 178 A.D., a brahmin couple staying at a village named Anjana had  been cursed to become blind and dumb by a sage.

On begging forgiveness, they were advised by the sage to perform  austerities for the pleasure of Lord Nrsimha to absolve themselves of the  curse. After twelve years of rigorous austerities, the Lord appeared in  their dreams and told them that he now wished to establish himself on earth  as a deity and asked them to approach the local king named Bhimadev to get  him out of the river. When asked how they would find the exact location where  he was under the water, the Lord told them to place some dry kuśa grass in  the stream and that they would find him exactly under the place where  the grass caught fire. After that darśana of the Lord, the couple  immediately regained their sight and speech and set off to inform the  king. On hearing the request of the couple, the king sent his entourage to  discover the deity. While searching in the river according to the procedure  specified by the Lord, one of the blades of grass caught fire and the  wonderful sixteen-handed form of the Lord was discovered from the depths of  the river. On examining the deity, the devotees could see that the Lord  was positioned with his left leg raised and bent in order to place the demon  Hiranyakashipu upon it, and also to hold the left arm of the demon to  prevent him from escaping. His other foot was placed firmly on the doorstep  of Hiranyakashipu. On the left side of the Lord were small deities  of Lakshmi-devi and Prahlad Maharaja. On the right side were deities of  Bhudevi (the earth goddess) and Garuda. All around the form of Lord Nrsimha  were wonderful carvings of the famous daśāvatāras, ten incarnations of  Lord Krishna.

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by Nityananda Rama dasa

“Awaiting that Disaster” Srila Prabhupada Predicts Doomsday

April 29, 2012 in Articles, Narasimha Dasa by Nityananda Rama dasa

Like death itself, no one likes to talk about nuclear war. We prefer to avoid such talk. But although we tend to ignore the possibility of nuclear holocaust, that doesn’t make the problem go away. As death is certain, war is also certain. It is a direct result of wholesale animal slaughter and other vicious karmic reactions. In a nuclear-armed world, nuclear war is certain.

“You are maintaining so many slaughterhouses, and when it will be mature [karmic reactions], there will be war, the wholesale murder. Finished. One atom bomb—finished…  Wait for accumulation of your sinful activities, and there will be war. And America will drop the atom bomb, and Russia will be finished. Both will be finished.” (Lecture, SB. 6.1.32, Honolulu, May 31, 1976)

“Well, anyway, they [nuclear weapons] must be used. There is no doubt about it. Therefore we can say there will be war. It is no astrology; it is natural conclusion.” (Morning Walk, July 18, 1975, San Francisco)

“The whole world is awaiting that disaster. America has got atom bomb and Russia has got atom bomb. As soon as there is another war [world war], the whole world will be finished.” (Lecture, BG. 13.14, Bombay, October 7, 1973)

In his last years on Earth, Srila Prabhupada repeatedly warned of the certain doom of blind, materialistic civilizations. He explained that according to the laws of nature, mass destruction is unavoidable due to the heavy weight of accumulated sins in human society, particularly wholesale cow slaughter. Srila Prabhupada repeatedly predicted the nuclear destruction of nations and social systems based on unbridled sinful activities. Speaking to two disciples whose main service was book publication and distribution, he asked, “What you will do when the cities are closed?”

“So, it is very difficult to preach Krishna consciousness. The whole world is overburdened by these rascals and demons. So, atom bomb is waiting for them. Yes. It will be finished. All the demons will be finished.” (Lecture, SB.1.8.34, Los Angeles, April 26, 1973)

We find numerous graphic references to nuclear devastation in Srila Prabhupada’s conversations, morning walks, lectures, purports, and BTG articles. He repeatedly advised devotees to start farming communities and live self-sufficiently, without depending on outside resources for basic necessities, but very few devotees have seriously attempted to follow this advice.

One misleading argument we often hear against making any preparations for WW3 or living on Vedic farms is that devotees just need to depend on Krishna and chant Hare Krishna. Yet when it comes to other practical work, the same devotees offering this advice are seen to depend on a doomed way of life in cities or at country retreats that depend not on “Krishna’s mercy  and the beauty of nature” but on modern technology and urban finances. Such devotees are often heavily invested in city real estate, artificial enterprises or high living and plain thinking. Contrary to this attitude of expecting Lord Krishna to do our practical work for us in the matter of protecting the devotees, cows, and Deities, we find in Krsna Book that Nanda Maharaja and Sunanda, during a meeting with other cowherd men of Sri Gokula, decided their residence was no longer safe; therefore they decided to move immediately to a safer location in Vrindaban. In other words, as responsible leaders, they made practical plans to avoid a dangerous circumstance.

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