Today marks the most auspicious anniversary appearance of Srila Srivasa Pandit or also known as Srila Srivasa Thakura and it also coincides with the anniversary disappearance of one of our Commanders in Srila Prabhupada's army - Srila Prabhupada is our General - Srila Sridhara Swami. Read the rest of this entry »

A Summary Of Achievements During 2009. Vision For Our Activities For 2010. A Message To The GBC Executive Committee Read the rest of this entry »

Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 9, Chapter 4, Text 28 by Guru-prasad Swami.  Audio only.

Dallas, TX
2010-03-05

TRANSLATION

Being very pleased by the unalloyed devotion of Maharaja Ambarisha, the Supreme Personality of Godhead gave the King His disc, which is fearful to enemies and which always protects the devotee from enemies and adversities.

PURPORT

A devotee, being always engaged in the service of the Lord, may not be expert in self-defense, but because a devotee fully depends on the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is always sure of protection by the Lord. Prahlada Maharaja said:

naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaranyas
tvad-virya-gayana-mahamrita-magna-cittah
(Bhag. 7.9.43)

A devotee is always merged in the ocean of the transcendental bliss of rendering service to the Lord. Therefore he is not at all afraid of any adverse situation in the material world. The Lord also promises, kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati: "O Arjuna, you may declare to the world that the devotees of the Lord are never vanquished." (Bg. 9.31) For the protection of the devotees, Krishna's disc, the Sudarsana cakra, is always ready. This disc is extremely fearful to the nondevotees (pratyanika-bhayavaham). Therefore although Maharaja Ambarisha was fully engaged in devotional service, his kingdom was free of all fear of adversity.

The process of bhakti-yoga, devotional service, is the main river flowing down towards the sea of the Absolute Truth, and all other processes mentioned are just like tributaries. Read the rest of this entry »

I will discuss the sannyasa pastimes because this year we are celebrating 500th anniversary or Caitanya Mahaprabhu taking sannyasa. Read the rest of this entry »

Sri Godruma Kalpatavi ("The Desire-tree Grove of Godruma") is an English translation of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's newsletter collection. A very timely book release, as this year Sri Mayapur's Nama-hatta Department celebrates it's thirtieth anniversary.

Sri Godruma Kalpatavi was originally produced in Bengal one-hundred-and-twenty years ago by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, to guide leaders and members in his preaching movement. The topics discussed are very practical issues often faced by those with families and careers who also want to fully engage in practicing and preaching Krishna consciousness.

HH Jayapataka Maharaja felt Godruma Kalpatavi to be so relevant to the lives of devotees today that he translated the text and inspired the current publication.

From HH Jayapataka Maharaja's introduction ("From the Publisher") to our Congregational Preaching Journal 12:

read more

Anuttama Prabhu, representing the GBC's Guru Services Committee, reported on the Guru Seminars and Guru Retreats program. These programs allow devotees who are serving as initiating or instructing gurus to associate with one another and share their experiences serving Srila Prabhupada in the role of guru. The Guru Seminars and Retreats also aim to enhance skills in counseling disciples and caring for one's own physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Read the rest of this entry »

Modern day occupations connected with factory, industry and all kinds of recently invented hard technologies, have deviated mankind from his more natural occupations connected with land, cows, nature, and God. Read the rest of this entry »

On December 19th 2009, the twenty seventh annual "Bhagavata Satram" (gathering of devotees of the Bhagavat Mahapurana, also known as the Srimad Bhagavatam) the largest such gathering in South India, was held at Kochi, (also known as "Cochin"), Kerala. Read the rest of this entry »

Concerning the distance between the earth and the moon - a question very often asked - I would like to recommend the book: ‘Vedic Cosmography and Astronomy’ by Richard L. Thompson, the late Sadaputa. He wonderfully explains the distance between earth and moon as seen from a higher, transcendental dimension, not from the earth. So Srila Prab hupada is right in his view and the scientists are right from their earthly view.
Nityananda-priya dd

Srila Prabhupada – “One must execute devotional service under the guidance of a devotee or directly under the guidance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is not possible, however, to train oneself without guidance from the spiritual master.

Therefore, according to the instructions of Srila Rupa Gosvami, the first business of a devotee is to accept a bona fide spiritual master who can train him to engage his various senses in rendering transcendental service to the Lord.

The Lord also says in Bhagavad-gita (7.1), asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrinu. In other words, if one wants to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead in completeness, one must follow the prescriptions given by Krishna by following in the footsteps of Maharaja Ambarisha” Srimad Bhagavatam 9.4.18-20 Purport

This subject has gone very deep in the heart and for the nitya-baddhas to again become nitya-siddhas, the above formula of devotional service that pleases the Spiritual Master is really our only way, there is no other way.

Everything else will be revealed according to the seriousness we take our devotional service and chanting and hearing (At least 16 rounds a day) the glorious of Lord Krishna and His devotees.

Without this formula Srila Prabhupada has given us, the mysterious of creation and our original position with Krishna will always remain unknown, vague and hindered with the selfish desires to exploit this material world.

Therefore such selfless service is really the only way to correctly realize we are NOT these material subtle and gross bodies or the nitya-baddha dreaming consciousness that possesses them but are eternal nitya-siddha devotees of Lord Krishna. And this can be realized now, as Pusta Krishna has stated through the strength of ones devotional service.

Jai Sri Caitanya Maha Prabhu, your fallen servant Gauragopala dasa

The basic point both Akruranatha and Pusta Krishna Prabhu’s are writing is to truly advance in Krishna Consciousness is by engaging in selfless devotional service. It’s as simple as that

Actually we can all only understand what ultimately Krishna and Guru allow us to realize and words alone can never reveal the secrets of Spiritual life, only our offenceless selfless caring devotion to devotees and Krishna can lead us back home back to Godhead and that realization can come even while we are in our troublesome material bodies as Pusta Krishna has explained.

The fundamental belief of devotional service is detachment from material activities and attachment to the transcendental service of the Lord. (Bhagavad-gita 15.1 purport)

Thank you Akruranatha and Pusta Krishna Prabhu’s for instilling in me further that only devotional service which is mukti or freedom from material entanglement, is more important than the accumulation of Knowledge (jnan) or any other yoga system.

By absorbing our senses in activities centred on Krishna, we cultivate attachment to Krishna, which will gradually develop into love, and all our attachment to material activities will be forgotten.

The Srimad Bhagavatam 9.4.18-20 says – “Maharaja Ambarisha always engaged his mind in meditating upon the lotus feet of Krishna, his words in describing the glories of the Lord, his hands in cleansing the Lord’s temple, and his ears in hearing the words spoken by Krishna or about Krishna.

He engaged his eyes in seeing the Deity of Krishna, Krishna’s temples and Krishna’s places like Mathura and Vrndavana, he engaged his sense of touch in touching the bodies of the Lord’s devotees, he engaged his sense of smell in smelling the fragrance of Tulasi offered to the Lord, and he engaged his tongue in tasting the Lord’s prasadam.

He engaged his legs in walking to the holy places and temples of the Lord, his head in bowing down before the Lord, and all his desires in serving the Lord, twenty-four hours a day.

Indeed, Maharaja Ambarisha never desired anything for his own sense gratification. He engaged all his senses in devotional service, in various engagements related to the Lord. This is the way to increase attachment for the Lord and be completely free from all material desires”. Srimad Bhagavatam 9.4.18-20

Hare Krishna, Akruranath Prabhu. And thank you for your warm words of welcome. And you are right that this correspondence is getting interesting. You wrote:

Any account that can produce pure devotees of Krishna is valid, whether it be Christian, Muslim, Hegelian, whatever… That is the real “cash value”.

Would that account also include Mayavad and Buddhism as well? I think not. If we’re not going to give these a pass, we shouldn’t so easily make room for Hegelian idealism and American pragmatism. Hegel’s metaphysics quickly transformed into Marxism, and as for American pragmatism — from James onward, American society has become more materialistic and amoral than ever. Marxism and Pragmatism are impersonal philosophies, and being impersonal philosophies, their popularity has made people of the western countries more materialistic than ever.

As per Srila Prabhupada’s second pranama mantra, the western countries are filled with impersonalism and voidism, and Hegelianism and Pragmatism are two examples of impersonalism. Being impersonalist, these philosophies are therefore opposed to the development Krishna consciousness, and spreading Krishna consciousness successfully means that these philosophies must be defeated. Since Mayavad and Buddhism are opposed to Krishna consciousness, we should not so easily assume other religions and philosophies are not opposed to Krishna consciousness. The specific ones we’ve been discussing at length here are impersonal, and mixing them up with one’s spiritual life will make one fall down.

Service in an official capacity as a spokesperson with a high profile as sannyasi, TP, GBC, may also be something we ought to reserve (as we generally already do) for those who are following vows strictly.

I think I am in general agreement with all the commentators here, Locanananda, Suresh, Pskaraksa, and Mukunda, that there are some senses of membership in which very few requirements or qualifications apply.

On the other hand, if someone is called upon to speak on behalf of ISKCON, there may be reasons to restrict the group of eligible persons who can perform that service, so that ISKCON’s message is properly presented.

To use an obvious example, a Mayavadi sannyasi may be very strict in observing severe vows and living a holy, simple life, but we would not want such person to speak on ISKCON’s behalf, or to give a lecture in an ISKCON temple, even if he knows Sanskrt and can recite a lot of verses. He may want to do so. He may even think of himself as a member of ISKCON (or qualified to show us how a real member of ISKCON should be). I have actually seen such cases.

How does this fit into our understanding of ISKCON membership?

And what about the ongoing internecine debates among devotees of different “camps” or splinter groups who have left the main branch of ISKCON? Are they members of ISKCON if they want to be? Or if they say, “We are the real ISKCON”?

Isn’t Srila Prabhupada’s decision to delegate to the GBC the authority to manage ISKCON an important instruction or strategy of Srila Prabhupada to maintain the integrity and unity of ISKCON, to keep us focussed on the task at hand as a united preaching mission and not be divided by squabbles over power, leadership, or authority?

Therefore, perhaps it should also be a criterion of basic membership that one both wants to be a member and one accepts the legitimate authority of the GBC to make final decisions on ISKCON’s policy.

Mind you, that is not the same as saying every ISKCON member agrees with all decisions of the GBC. Just like I may not agree with every law passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by the President, but I still accept that that is the legitimate process by which U.S. laws are made.

As a U.S. citizen I have a basic duty to obey such laws. But even that is a different issue. I may drive above the speed limit, but if a cop catches me I accept: “Yes, he has the authority to give me a ticket.”

Acceptance of such “legitimacy” of the GBC is crucial, IMHO.

Yes, Puskaraksa. Lord Caitanya distributes Goloka Vrindavan prema indiscriminately through chanting the Maha Mantra, without considering who is fit or not fit to receive it.

However, those who really receive that prema are never again attracted to the stale allurements of Maya. How could they be?

Still, even when we get a tiny inkling of the foreshadowing of the taste of that prema, we become very inspired to serve in ISKCON and to help in the distribution to others, in this mood. And we try to become trained in the ways of bhakti yoga so that we can eventually chant in pure prema.

We are enjoined to respect even the devotees who just once chant “Krishna”, even if they do so neglectfully! We have faith that the Holy Name is so great, that if it even appears on the lips of some person, however sinful or deluded they may be, they are to be accepted as having already surpassed all rituals of the Vedas, even if they come from a family of mlecchas or candalas!

If even the great devotees who are free from all vices are thus indiscriminately distributing the Maha Mantra with such great faith, how anomalous it would be for the beginning devotees who still have some unfortunate habits to be more discriminatory than the perfect devotees are?

And yet there is a need to teach the standards of moral behavior and sadhana bhakti to those who have become inspired by this movement to try to achieve perfection in the chanting. We would be short-changing the world if we did not give the actual method for chanting correctly, free from all material association of unwanted things.

So… the definition of “membership” has to take such considerations into account.

It seems necessary therefore that we have different kinds of membership. One kind of membership for serious initiated devotees who continue to strictly try to follow the process correctly. Another kind of membership for those who, whether previously initiated or not, have not been willing to make or keep such a firm commitment.

And yet, nobody wants to hear about how fallen we are, do they? Do we less committed devotees have to walk around with shameful insignias, like “dvija bandhu” armbands? We just ought to discretely not perform services (like Deity worship) that is meant only for the committed, initiated devotees who are keeping their vows very strictly.

But it is really not so shameful to be a beginning Hare Krishna chanter. It is, as noted above, a very respectable thing to be.

Probably there at least should be a standard that unless devotees are initiated brahmanas and are following strictly they should not go on the altar to perform Deity service or cook for the Deities, and they should also not serve as initiating spiritual masters (or at least should not be accepting new disciples).

Srila Prabhupada did make exceptions at times for fallen disciples whom he sent right back onto the altar, but I think there was a tacit understanding that they were doing so in a mood of renewing their commitment to follow all the principles.

It is not good for a devotee to worship the Deities with an offensive mentality (”I will commit sinful activities, I do not intend to stop”). It is not good to reside in the holy Dhama with such a mentality. Devotees should understand these points and act accordingly, for their own sakes.

It is an offense to chant the holy name with such mentality, too, but we do not discourage anyone from chanting. They should keep chanting for purification. But they should not cook or go on the altar. Right?

So these are at least some of the privileges of certain types of membership, twice-born membership. We understand, at least in theory, that spiritual initiation is supposed to be a spiritual birth in which someone becomes a spiritual person. Of course it is a process, not just a ceremony, but the ceremony involves a solemn vow and the expectation of strict adherence.

Those who break the vow are probably something like “dvija bandhus”. Srila Prabhupada was saying in the famous varnasrama conversation with Hari Sauri and Satsvarupa Maharaja that it was not necessary to give brahman initiation to those who were not actually qualified by nature to follow strictly without falling down.

Otherwise, we dilute the meaning of being twice born. We damage our brand.

Not that we need a police force to examine everybody. We should be able to rely on people not to cheat. Who are they cheating? Why?

It is an uncomfortable subject because so many of us have had (and continue to have) problems. I think Sivaram Swami must be partially motivated to address this issue: How can we stop the dilution of the actual standards Srila Prabhupada established?

But to simply establish strict criteria for membership in good standing, we might discourage people who are already our loyal customers. Membership should be defined in a way that helps them and accepts them without watering down the standards we all know.

Giriraj Swami lecture, continued:

“…Any questions?

“Phalguna dasa: Thank you, Maharaja, for a very nice class. Sometimes we get caught up in the routine of practicing Krsna consciousness and chanting the holy name, and then we relate in not such a respectful way with devotees who are not following everything we do. How can we bring them to the right standard and help them?

“Giriraj Swami: Phalguna Prabhu says that sometimes we are very busy in devotional service and do not encourage devotees who are weak. So how can we remember to encourage them? Again we come to the point of humility. After some time we may become impressed with the importance of our service–and certainly our service is important–but what is the goal of our service?

“ISKCON is a preaching mission: Our goal is to become Krsna conscious and help others become Krsna conscious. Srila Prabhupada gave the example of Alexander the Great. Alexander would advance with his army and very quickly conquer new territories. But he wouldn’t consolidate the territories he had already conquered, and while he was going ahead to new territories, he would lose some of the old territories he had conquered. So Srila Prabhupada said, ‘Don’t make me Alexander the Great.’ In other words, preserve what I have done, and in the name of rushing ahead to conquer new frontiers, don’t lose what is already there.

“As Srila Prabhupada said, ‘It is better to maintain a devotee than to try to convince others to become devotees.’ With so much effort we get a devotee to join, and then if he or she leaves, it is a great loss. Devotees may get married, or go out and work, but still they can be devotees and serve Srila Prabhupada. We should see first if they are devotees, and if they are, we should, in a mood of humble service, encourage them. We should not think we are too busy and too important to help them.”

“In India we used to see a nice statement about the customer: ‘The customer is not an interruption to our work; the customer is the reason for our work.’ So, devotees are not an interruption to our work; devotees are our work. We should take care of them and engage them. And if some devotees feel the need to marry or live outside the temple and engage in service from there, still we should encourage them. They are devotees. In fact, they may need more encouragement, because they have less association and less opportunity for direct service. So we should encourage such devotees and not be envious of them.”

I really like all the comments here. It seems that the “self designation”, i.e. the *desire* to be a member of ISKCON, should be the main criterion, at least for the most general level of membership. Obviously we are not speaking of “voting members” or any such concept from corporate law. If someone wishes to make common cause and feel himself or herself a part of ISKCON, why shouldn’t we encourage that?

Of course, guidance is also necessary. How should a serious member of ISKCON behave? Or, what are the different kinds of ways one can behave and still be accepted as an “ISKCON devotee”?

The issue raised by Suresh is critical for today’s ISKCON. We know what the standards are. We know Srila Prabhupada asked the GBC to travel within their zones and see to it that the members were chanting 16 rounds and following four regs. But what about those who aren’t? How to deal with them?

The following excerpt from Giriraj Swami’s Gaura Purnima address published here on Dandavats is very significant:

“…So if we chant the holy name only once with such faith and humble submission to the holy name and the devotees, we can progress step-by-step to the perfect stage of chanting and loving and serving Krsna.

“Of course, it was also Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s desire that we encourage others to chant the holy name as well. If one is actually chanting the holy name properly, he or she will naturally feel happiness and compassion for others. Such a blissful devotee will want everyone to experience the same happiness, and think of ways and means to induce them also to chant the holy names of Krsna. But the first instruction is to chant the holy name and serve the devotees.

“Thus, as Srila Prabhupada said, ‘It is more important to maintain a devotee than to try to convince others to become devotees.’ So if the devotees come together and chant the holy names nicely and deal with each other nicely, they will stay and continue with the process and make advancement. Then, with the strength of unity, on the strength of loving, humble service to the devotees, we can go out and preach. And people will be attracted and want to come to our association and stay in our association. Then the sankirtana movement will really spread in a very consistent, steady, and wonderful way, as desired by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada.

“Hare Krsna.”

The questions and answers continued as follows….