Govindaram

January 6, 2004

jaya sri-krishna- caitanya prabhu- nityananda

sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta vrinda

LOL Prabhuji so what is your point?

/images/graemlins/grin.gif

January 6, 2004

Letter to: Puri Maharaja

--

Bombay

2 December, 1970

70-12-02

My Dear Puri Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances. I am in due receipt of your letter dated on November 24, 1970. Perhaps you are my only Godbrother who has appreciated my humble service to the cause of Guru Gauranga. All my other Godbrothers are very much envious, as I can understand from their behavior.

In your letter dated November 10, 1970, you have written to say that I should inaugurate the installation ceremony. So I am very much obliged to you for your kind invitation, and my program will be as follows:

Tomorrow I am going to Indore; from Indore I shall come to Surat. From there I shall go to Gorakpur. From Gorakpur I shall go to Allahabad, and most probably from Allahabad I may go to Vrndavana.

So far as Mayapur is concerned, I do not think I shall be able to attend the Gaura Jayanti celebrations at there. The reason is that I have no place of my own, and certainly there will be too much crowd during the occasion. Therefore, I want to avoid this occasion. Sometimes after we may visit.

I shall go to your place from Vrndavana or from Allahabad, and we have to arrange in that way. We are thirty men and women all together. Whether you want us all to visit? Perhaps if we go from Vrindaban we shall have to take advantages of the Grand Trunk Express. Of course there is sufficient time now, and I shall be in regular correspondence with you on my tour, but I accept to visit all the places mentioned by you when I go by that side.

[page MISSING]

January 6, 2004

Sri Caitanya caritamrita: Adi-lila 8.16

TEXT 16

bahu janma kare yadi sravana, kirtana

tabu ta'; na paya krsna-pade prema-dhana

SYNONYMS

bahu --many; janma --births; kare --does; yadi --if; sravana --hearing; kirtana --chanting; tabu --still; ta'; --in spite of; na --does not; paya --get; Krishna- pade --unto the lotus feet of Krishna; prema-dhana --love of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

If one is infested with the ten offenses in the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, despite his endeavor to chant the holy name for many births, he will not get the love of Godhead that is the ultimate goal of this chanting.

PURPORT

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says in this connection that although one may go on chanting the Hare Krishna mantra for many, many years, there is no possibility of attaining the platform of devotional service unless one accepts Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. One must follow strictly the instruction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu given in the Siksastaka (3):

trnad api su-nicena taror iva sahisnuna

amanina mana-dena kirtaniyah sada harih

[Cc. adi 17.31]

"One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly". One who follows this direction, being freed from the ten kinds of offenses, becomes successful in Krishna consciousness and ultimately reaches the platform of loving service to the Personality of Godhead.

One must come to the understanding that the holy name of the Lord and the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself are identical. One cannot reach this conclusion unless one is offenseless in chanting the holy name. By our material calculation we see a difference between the name and the substance, but in the spiritual world the Absolute is always absolute: the name, form, qualities and pastimes of the Absolute are all as good as the Absolute Himself. Thus one is understood to be an eternal servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead if he considers himself an eternal servant of the holy name and in this spirit distributes the holy name to the world. One who chants in that spirit, without offenses, is certainly elevated to the platform of understanding that the holy name and the Personality of Godhead are identical. To associate with the holy name and chant the holy name is to associate with the Personality of Godhead directly. In the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu it is clearly said, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. The holy name becomes manifest when one engages in the service of the holy name. This service in a submissive attitude begins with one's tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau: One must engage his tongue in the service of the holy name. Our Krishna consciousness movement is based on this principle. We try to engage all the members of the Krishna consciousness movement in the service of the holy name. Since the holy name and Krishna are nondifferent, the members of the Krishna consciousness movement not only chant the holy name of the Lord offenselessly, but also do not allow their tongues to eat anything that is not first offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Lord declares:

patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati

tad aham bhakty-upahrtam asnami prayatatmanah

"If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it".(Bg. 9.26) Therefore the International Society for Krishna Consciousness has many temples all over the world, and in each and every temple the Lord is offered these foods. On the basis of His demands, the devotees chant the holy name of the Lord offenselessly and never eat anything that is not first offered to the Lord. The functions of the tongue in devotional service are to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and eat prasadam that is offered to the Lord.

----

Ps, the writing in bold, is amazing!..Srila Prabupada has such a simple and sublime way of explaining, I feel inspired! 

January 6, 2004

Hare Krishna

I came across this site, for Mata's. It is about association for older devotees etc..

Lot of time seems to have been spent building the site, i hope it serves its purpose very well... Haribol!

http://vaisnavi.org/

January 6, 2004

Hare Krishna

/images/graemlins/confused.gifI think

I corrected the error, can i get 1000 lakmi points please.

And your blessings? /images/graemlins/cool.gif

Please? /images/graemlins/grin.gif

January 6, 2004

Correcting Others

"Devotee means he is able to tolerate all kinds of discomfort and whims

of the material nature, and because he is too much absorbed in serving

Krsna he takes no time to become angry or take offense with others or

find out some fault. No. Devotee means very liberal and kind to

everyone, always gentleman under all kinds of conditions of life." (SP

letter to Hansadutta 12/10/72)

1. There is a difference between criticism and correction. A devotee

realizes that criticizing a Vaisnava pollutes the heart and impedes

spiritual advancement.

2. To correct a devotee one must be:

(a) non-envious

(b) desirous to practically assist the devotee in his Krsna

consciousness.

and/or necessitates such intervention.

OR

be personally requested by the devotee to help him in his

difficulty.

3. The devotee offering correction must be practicing what he preaches.

4. Methods of correction:

(a) Correct by personal example and association.

(b) Guide the devotee to the shelter of a more advanced

devotee.

correct another devotee. He should reveal his heart

to a senior devotee whom he feels at ease with and

seek his assistance/advice to adjust the situation.

5. Harsh words and actions have no place in correcting a sincere

devotee. We want to destroy the ignorance in the heart of a devotee

- not the devotee himself.

6. If there is some sincere and honest criticism offered, we should be

grateful, not upset. To react negatively to well-intentioned

correction is to manifest false ego.

7. An advanced Vaisnava will see each and every correction offered as

the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

8. Prevention is better than cure. If all devotees take up the

responsibility to develop proper awareness in their devotional

behaviour the need for correction will be minimized.

Quotes from Srila Prabhupada

SP Letter to Patita Uddharan (12/12/74) "A devotee -- one who is humble

-- doesn't fault-find"

"So in your letter you are not finding fault with anyone. So you are

good Vaisnava. You do not find fault with anyone. This is the

qualification. We should always think ourselves humble and meek. This

you must know. So we all have to cooperate amongst ourselves, otherwise

what will people think if we ourselves fight with one another? A

devotee is always ideal in behavior."

SP Letter to Brahmananda (11/15/69)

"This is called Vaikuntha attitude. In the Vaikuntha factually there is

no fault in anyone, but there is another type of competition. The

competition is that one devotee thinks of other devotees how nicely they

are serving the Lord. In the material world the attitude is that

everyone likes to think that I am doing better than others. This is

material conception. In the Spiritual Sky it is just the opposite:

Everyone thinks that my contemporary devotees are doing better than me.

We are trained to address Godbrothers as Prabhu, which means Master.

This means we shall try to find out always the serving side of our

Godbrothers. Sometimes there are misgivings, but we should try to

overlook."

Otherwise...

Letter to Tamal Krsna (8/23/73) [73-8-26]

"I have received one complaint from an Indian devotee at Mayapur,

Prabharupa Das Brahmacary, that he is maltreated by our American

devotees. Kindly inquire into this matter and do the needful. Either

Indian of foreign whoever joins us they are not under any obligation,

our only tie is Love of Godhead. It should be our definite policy that

nobody is ill-treated that he may go away. We recruit a person to join

us after spending gallons of blood. Everyone comes for reformation, you

cannot expect everyone to be perfect, rather it is our duty to make

everyone perfect as far as possible. So we shall be very much cautious

and careful in this connection."

(Devotee misbehavior) Letter to Upendra (8/18/70)

"Kindly observe the regulative principles, chanting 16 rounds regularly

and see that all your other assistants are doing the same. If someone

is lacking, try to induce him peacefully."

SP Letter to Bhavananda (10/28/70)

"Regarding some misbehavior, that we have to check by training

peacefully. Your attitude of tolerance and kindness is very nice, so

train them in this way."

SP Letter to Upendra (3/11/69)

"Yes, a new man may commit blunders in the beginning, but that does not

mean we may be too impatient with him. After all, training means the man

does not know, so you should train him nicely. A Vaishnava is expected

to be humbler than the blade of grass, so when you train some new man

you should not get agitated with him. After all, we are preachers, and

we do not expect our audience or candidates completely respondent to our

call. If everyone is trained [already] then what is the use of our

preaching?"

SP Letter to Hansadutta (9/29/74) "Mend it; Don't Break it"

"Try to settle up amicably and correct yourself. One man is trained up

with great difficulty, especially in spiritual life. Everyone has got

some weakness and deficiency. It is better to correct or mend it than to

break it."

SP Letter to Nara-Narayana (2/7/69) "Let The Authority Handle It"

"I beg to thank you very much for your letter pointing out some of the

discrepancies of many of the devotees in New York. You are correct

regarding the items which you have stated, such as sleeping in front of

the deities, taking of unoffered foodstuffs, drinking water from the

bathroom, and non-chanting of rounds. But the thing is discipline can

not be observed unless there is obedience. As you are obedient to me,

you should be similarly obedient to my representative. Your statement

about Brahmananda that he is a wonderful devotee is 100 percent agreed

by me. He is in charge of the New York center, and therefore, if proper

obedience is not given to him, it will be impossible for him to manage

affairs of the temple. Under the circumstances, the discrepancies you

have observed in the temple may be referred to him, and he is quite

reasonable, and will handle the matter with the respective devotees."

SP Letter to Madhumangala (11/18/72)

"Regarding general state of affairs at Amsterdam temple, I can

understand there is some disturbance among you, but that is not to be

taken very seriously. Real business is preaching work. And if there is

full attention on this matter only, all other businesses will be

automatically successful. Fighting amongst ourselves is not at all good,

but if our preaching work is neglected, or if we fall down in following

the regulative principles -- such as rising before four, chanting 16

rounds, like that -- if these things are not strictly observed, then

Maya will enter and spoil everything. So my best advice to you is to

strictly observe these things yourself and be the example so that all

others may follow. We should not criticise each other as Vaisnavas,

because there is fault in everyone and we may be ourselves subject to

criticism. Best thing is to be above suspicion ourselves, then if we see

discrepancies and make suggestions, the others will automatically

respect and take action to rectify the matters. Otherwise the whole

thing is doomed if we simply go on fighting over some small thing. So

try to organize things and preach together in this spirit and that will

please me very very much."

SP Letter to Vrndavanesvari (7/28/69)

"You have mentioned about some criticism made by Jayagovinda which upset

you. I do not know exactly what is the point, but if there is some

honest criticism, there should be no cause of becoming upset."

SP letter to Goursundar (8/26/72): THE DEFECT LIES WITHIN YOU

"If there is some incident and I claim that no one is cooperating with

me or no one will work with me, that is MY defect, NOT THEIRS. The

Vaisnava devotee must think like this. We should not find fault with

others and criticise and go away. That is not the Vaisnava way. Better

we should always be willing to offer all respect to others and consider

them as our superiors always."

From Vaisnava Etiquette by Bhakti Caru Swami..

Click to: Download

Site: Here

January 5, 2004

Hare Krishna

How do you know when this desire has manifested?

You could say what are the symtoms, in the Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu it says about Lobha for Krishna, so what about serving devotees, i hope i am not asking an offensive question, if i am please correct me, concerning BRS.

Haribol!

January 5, 2004

Open Mind:

It would be much easier to accept karma if we could find out what we did to get this reaction, dont you think?

Would you really want to know?..all the stuff you/i did, in past lives, and what would that achieve?..the conclution you would come to is-i'd better get chanting!! to get free from karma. Though i wonder sometimes what good deed i must have done to get to have devotee accociation like here on this forum and elsewhere. haribol!

January 5, 2004

Hare Krishna

You must have yourself confuced with me.

Bide your time, my friend, look around there is suffereing going around everywhere, its a hell-hole, have a little faith and chant, talk about your problems too. Haribol.

January 5, 2004

Chapter Ten

Nectar of Devotion

Expecting the Lord's Mercy

In the Tenth Canto, Fourteenth Chapter, verse 8, it is said, "My dear Lord, any person who is constantly awaiting Your causeless mercy to be bestowed upon him, and who goes on suffering the resultant actions of his past misdeeds, offering You respectful obeisances from the core of his heart, is surely eligible to become liberated, for it has become his rightful claim."

This statement of Srimad-Bhagavatam should be the guide of all devotees. A devotee should not expect immediate relief from the reactions of his past misdeeds. No conditioned soul is free from such reactionary experiences, because material existence means continued suffering or enjoying of past activities. If one has finished his material activities then there is no more birth. This is possible only when one begins Krishna conscious activities, because such activities do not produce reaction. Therefore, as soon as one becomes perfect in Krishna conscious activities, he is not going to take birth again in this material world. A devotee who is not perfectly freed from the resultant actions should therefore continue to act in Krishna consciousness seriously, even though there may be so many impediments. When such impediments arise he should simply think of Krishna and expect His mercy. That is the only solace. If the devotee passes his days in that spirit, it is certain that he is going to be promoted to the abode of the Lord. By such activities, he earns his claim to enter into the kingdom of God. The exact word used in this verse is daya-bhak. Daya-bhak refers to a son's becoming the lawful inheritor of the property of the father. In a similar way, a pure devotee who is prepared to undergo all kinds of tribulations in executing Krishna conscious duties becomes lawfully qualified to enter into the transcendental abode.

January 5, 2004

Hare Krishna

(from Folio Base (seach facility!)..

SB 4.25.34

(excert: purport)

This lack of Krishna consciousness is called ignorance.

SB 6.1.49

(excert: purport)

Everything depends on bhagavan, or ajah, the unborn. Why doesn't one please Bhagavan to receive a better body? The answer is ajnas tamasa: because of gross ignorance.

SB 3.25.8

(verse)

Your Lordship is my only means of getting out of this darkest region of ignorance because You are my transcendental eye, which, by Your mercy only, I have attained after many, many births.

SB 1.5.27

(excert: purport)

Ignorance in material existence is compared to darkness, and in all Vedic literatures the Personality of Godhead is compared to the sun.

SB 3.28.36

(excert: purport)

Forgetfulness of one's relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a product of ignorance. By yoga practice one can eradicate this ignorance of thinking oneself independent of the Supreme Lord.

SB 4.26.1-3

(excert: purport)

In these three verses, King Puranjana's going to the forest to kill animals is symbolic of the living entity's being driven by the mode of ignorance and thus engaging in different activities for sense gratification.

---

The living entity is always being influenced by the three qualities..sattva (goodness), rajas (passion) and tamas (ignorance).

SB 4.26.10

(excert: purport)

A person in the mode of ignorance commits many sinful activities. In the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami explains that a man becomes sinful out of ignorance only. The resultant effect of sinful life is suffering.

http://srimadbhagavatam.com

January 5, 2004

12. The Maha-mantra Is a Prayer for Deliverance, Protection, and Engagement in the Lord's Service

The meaning and significance of the maha-mantra:

The word Hara is the form of addressing the energy of the Lord, and the words Krishna and Rama are forms of addressing the Lord Himself. Both Krishna and Rama mean "the supreme pleasure," and Hara is the supreme pleasure energy of the Lord, changed to Hare in the vocative. The supreme pleasure energy of the Lord helps us to reach the Lord.

The material energy, called maya, is also one of the multienergies of the Lord. And we, the living entities, are also the energy, marginal energy, of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior to material energy. When the superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy, an incompatible situation arises; but when the superior marginal energy is in contact with the superior energy, Hara, it is established in its happy, normal condition.

These three words, namely Hare, Krishna, and Rama, are the transcendental seeds of the maha-mantra. The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His energy to give protection to the conditioned soul. This chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of a child for its mother's presence. Mother Hara helps the devotee achieve the Lord Father's grace, and the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee who chants this mantra sincerely.

The Science of Self-Realization

The maha-mantra is a form of prayer:

Simply by offering prayers to the Supreme Lord one can become perfect...one can execute devotional service anywhere and everywhere in the material existence simply by offering prayers unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is also a prayer, for a prayer addresses the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His name and invokes good fortune by petitioning the Lord to allow one to engage in His devotional service. The Hare Krishna maha-mantra also says, "My dear Lord Krishna, my dear Lord Rama, O energy of the Lord, Hare, kindly engage me in Your service."

Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.24.69

The Hare Krishna maha-mantra addresses the Lord and His spiritual potency and is a prayer requesting engagement in Their transcendental loving service:

When we chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra we are saying, "Hare! O energy of the Lord! O my Lord Krishna!" In this way we are simply addressing the Lord and His spiritual potency represented as Radha-Krishna, Sita-Rama, or Laksmi-Narayana. The devotee always prays to the Lord and His internal energy (consort) so that he may engage in Their transcendental loving service. When the conditioned soul attains his real spiritual energy and fully surrenders unto the Lord's lotus feet, he tries to engage in the Lord's service. This is the real constitutional position of the living entity.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 22.16

Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us that we should only beg God for His service life after life. This is the actual meaning of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. When we are chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, we are actually addressing God and His energy, Hara. Hara is Krishna's internal potency, Srimati Radharani or Laksmi. Jaya radhe! This is daivi prakrti, and the devotees take shelter of the daivi prakrti, Srimati Radharani. Thus the Vaisnavas worship Radha-Krishna, Laksmi-Narayana and Sita-Rama. In the beginning of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra we first address the internal energy of Krishna, Hare. Thus we say, "O Radharani! O Hare! O energy of the Lord!" When we address someone in this way, he usually says, "Yes, what do you want?" The answer is, "Please engage me in Your service." This should be our prayer. We should not say, "O energy of the Lord, O Krishna, please give me money. Please give me a beautiful wife. Please give me many followers. Please give me some prestigious position. Please give me the presidency." These are all material hankerings, which should be avoided.

Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti

Chanting Hare Krishna is asking the Lord, "Please engage me in Your service." This is the mantra taught by Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. Hare refers to the energy of the Lord, and Krishna and Rama are names for the Lord Himself. When we chant Hare Krishna, we are asking Krishna to please engage us in His service. This is because our entire material disease is due to our having forgotten to serve God. In illusion, we are thinking, "I am God. What is the other God that I have to serve? I myself am God." Ultimately, that is the only disease, the last snare of illusion. First of all, a person tries to be a prime minister, president, Rockefeller, Ford, this and that, and when one fails or attains such a post and is still unhappy, he wants to become God. That is like becoming an even higher president. When I understand that the presidency does not afford me eternal bliss and knowledge, I demand the highest presidency. I demand to become God. In any case, the demand is there, and this demand is our disease. In illusion, we are demanding to be the highest, but the process of bhakti-yoga is just the opposite. We want to become servants, servants of the servants of the Lord. There is no question of demanding to become the Lord; we just want to serve. That's all.

The Path of Perfection

Ms. Nixon: Could you explain the meaning of the Hare Krishna mantra?

Srila Prabhupada: It is very simple. Hare means, "O energy of the Lord," and Krishna means, "O Lord Krishna." Just as there are males and females in the material world, similarly, God is the original male (purusa), and His energy (prakrti) is the original female. So, when we chant Hare Krishna, we are saying, "O Lord Krishna, O energy of Krishna, kindly engage me in Your service."

The Science of Self-Realization

The maha-mantra is a prayer for engagement in the service of the spiritual energy:

Rama and Krishna are names of God, and Hare is the energy of God. So when we chant the maha-mantra, we address God together with His energy. This energy is of two kinds, the spiritual and the material. At present we are in the clutches of the material energy. Therefore we pray to Krishna that He may kindly deliver us from the service of the material energy and accept us into the service of the spiritual energy. That is our whole philosophy. Hare Krishna means, "O energy of God, O God [Krishna], please engage me in Your service." It is our nature to render service. Somehow or other we have come to the service of material things, but when this service is transformed into the service of the spiritual energy, then our life is perfect.

The Science of Self-Realization

The Hare Krishna mantra is a prayer for acceptance and deliverance:

Hare refers to the energy of the Lord, and Krishna and Rama refer to the Lord Himself. Therefore, when we chant Hare Krishna, we are praying, "O Lord, O energy of the Lord, please accept me." We have no other prayer than "Please accept me." Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught us that we should simply cry and pray that the Lord accept us. As Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself prayed,

ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram

patitam mam visame bhavambudhau

kripaya tava .*-pankaja

sthita-dhuli-sadrsam vicintaya

"O Krishna, son of Nanda, somehow or other I have fallen into this ocean of nescience and ignorance. Please pick me up and place me as one of the atoms at Your (.)*lotus feet."

If a man has fallen into the ocean, his only hope for survival is that someone comes to pick him up. He only has to be lifted one inch above the water in order to feel immediate relief. Similarly, as soon as we take to Krishna consciousness, we are lifted up, and we feel immediate relief.

The Path of Perfection

The maha-mantra is a prayer for the Lord's protection:

The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His energy, to give protection to the conditioned soul. This chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of a child for its mother's presence. Mother Hara helps the devotee achieve the Lord Father's grace, and the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee who chants this mantra sincerely.

The Science of Self-Realization

The Hare Krishna mantra addresses not only Krishna and Balarama but Lord Caitanya and Nityananda as well:

In the Maha-mantra Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, the word Rama refers to Balarama. Since Nityananda is an expansion of Balarama, Rama also refers to Lord Nityananda. Thus Hare Krishna, Hare Rama addresses not only Krishna and Balarama but Lord Caitanya and Nityananda as well.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi Intro.

January 5, 2004

11. The Holy Name Is Ever Fresh

Because the Hare Krishna mantra is spiritual, chanting never becomes hackneyed or tiresome:

In the material world we are simply chewing the chewed, throwing it away, picking it up and then chewing it again. Spiritual variety is not like this. Spiritual variety is anandambudhi-vardhanam: it is constantly increasing. It is even greater than the ocean, because the ocean does not increase. The shores of the ocean are set; they have certain limits. However, the ocean of bliss is constantly increasing. The more we enter into that spiritual bliss, the more we become joyful.

The young people in the Hare Krishna movement chant the Hare Krishna mantra all the time. If this mantra were material, how long would they chant it? It is not possible to chant a material name for very long because the chanting would become hackneyed and very tiresome. No one could be satisfied simply by chanting Hare Krishna unless Hare Krishna itself were spiritual. We may chant, "Mr. John, Mr. John, Mr. John," but after an hour we will be fed up. However, the more we become spiritually advanced, the more bliss we will derive from chanting Hare Krishna.

Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti

God is eternal, and His instructions and followers are also eternal. In Bhagavad-gita (4.1) Krishna tells Arjuna that millions of years ago He spoke Bhagavad-gita to the sun-god. Bhagavad-gita was spoken to Arjuna five thousand years ago, and if we read it today we will still find that it is fresh. Bhagavad-gita and Krishna are never old. Although Krishna is the most ancient one, the oldest of all, He remains like a young boy in His teens. He never appears older than twenty. Krishna's words are absolute, as well as His form, qualities and activities. They are always fresh and new. If they were not, how could the devotees glorify them day after day with greater enthusiasm? The more one glorifies Krishna, the more enthusiastic one becomes in glorifying, glorifying, glorifying. This is the meaning of spiritual. In the material world, if we repeat something once, twice, thrice or four times, it finally becomes hackneyed and disgusting. However, this Hare Krishna maha-mantra can be chanted twenty-four hours daily, and one will still feel fresh and enthusiastic. It is not a material sound like the sounds we hear on the radio. It is a spiritual sound that comes from the spiritual world.

Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti

It is said that it is the nature of a devotee to constantly apply his mind, energy, words, ears, etc., in hearing and chanting about Krishna. This is called Krishna consciousness, and for one who is rapt in hearing and chanting Krishna, the subject matter never becomes hackneyed or old. That is the significance of transcendental subject matter in contrast to material subject matter. Material subject matter becomes stale, and one cannot hear a certain subject for a long time; he wants change. But as far as transcendental subject matter is concerned, it is called nitya-navayamana. This means that one can go on chanting and hearing about the Lord and never feel tired but will remain fresh and eager to hear more and more.

Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

The devotee does not feel hackneyed or stereotyped, nor does he feel that he is in a stagnant position. In the material world, if one engages in chanting a material name, he will feel tired after chanting a few times. However, one can chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra all day and night and never feel tired. As chanting is increased, it will come out new and fresh. Srila Rupa Gosvami said that if he could somehow get millions of ears and tongues, then he could relish spiritual bliss by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.30.20

Our students can chant the Hare Krishna mantra twenty-four hours a day, and they will never get tired. They will continue to dance and chant. And anyone can try it; because it is not material, one will never get tired of chanting Hare Krishna. In the material world, if one chants anything, any favorite name, for three, four, or ten times, he will get tired of it. That is a fact. But because Hare Krishna is not material, if one chants this mantra, he will never get tired. The more one chants, the more his heart will be cleansed of material dirt and the more the problems of his life within this material world will be solved.

The Science of Self-Realization

In the material world one may become very tired if he works all the time, but if one works in Krishna consciousness, he can chant Hare Krishna and engage in devotional service twenty-four hours a day and never get tired. But if we vibrate some mundane vibration, then we soon become exhausted. There is no question of becoming tired on the spiritual platform. The spiritual platform is absolute.

The Perfection of Yoga

January 5, 2004

Hare Krishna

There are many products in the UK that have the V symbol, but contain eggs. The best thing to do is to eat fresh produce, and cook it for Krishna, these sudras will never learn.

January 4, 2004

Hare Krishna

Is this true, or a hoax like Moon landings.

What do you think?

January 4, 2004

Hare Krishna

Thankyou for the post on 'chanting devotees names', i think i may try this suggestion of reading about Maharaja Prithu, i could do with some dough... I mean i hate what money does to ppls, but at the end of the day a nice crisp £20 is lovely. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

January 4, 2004

Interesting conversation (excert)..which I don't understand, but I like.

Conversation with Sridhara Maharaja

--

June 27, 1973, Navadvipa

Prabhupada: : Labor pain.

Sridhara Maharaja: Labor... "Then a big child must come." At last it was seen that a mice, a mouse was produced. So the big, giants of the present world, so-called leaders of the scholars...

Prabhupada: : Scientists.

Sridhara Maharaja: ...scholars, with world, they are producing like a mouse. That is a dying substance, in this form or that form.

Prabhupada: : Punah punas carvita-carvananam [sB 7.5.30].

Sridhara Maharaja: Ah, this is sheer deception, a deception to be a challenge to the real thinkers. We should abhorrently throw it out at once. It is within the boundary of janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. Throw it off.

Prabhupada: : So I, I try to impress upon them this fact, that this Krishna consciousness movement is a challenge for this deception. They’re simply deceived.

Sridhara Maharaja: All sorts of deception. Even Vaikuntha. Paravyome (Bengali) And the calculation, even they, the self is, a sort of calculation comes between the, the servitor and the object of service, then also it throws us down. In Krishna consciousness, that sort of calculation is also absurd. Where there is love, there cannot be any calculation. It is autonomous. Autonomous anuraga. Cultivate, do. No sort of calculation of any benefit. The calculation disturbs autonomy.

Prabhupada: : (Bengali) Goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya devi-mahesa-hari-dhama... [bs. 5.43]. (Bengali) About our temple contemplation, it will be almost a skyscraper building.

Bhavananda: Will be.

Sridhara Maharaja: Eh?

Prabhupada: : Skyscraper building in temple shape, with four divisions. Goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya devi-maheSa... [bs. 5.43]. So Mahesa-dhama, how it will be depicted? Parvati-wise. (?)

Sridhara Maharaja: It has been already described by Sanatana Gosvami in Brhad-Bhagavatamrtam. After crossing Brahmaloka,

Prabhupada: : There is Mahesa-dhama, in between.

Sridhara Maharaja: Mahesa-dhama. And the devotee, Siva is devotee.

Prabhupada: : Yes, everyone is... Siva's devotional prayer is there in Fourth Canto, about the four sons. What are those?

Sridhara Maharaja: Devi-dhama. Viraja to viraja, nirvisesa. The last conception or the highest conception of Devi-dhama is what are the conception of viraja; prakrti ends there... Then begins...

Prabhupada: : Karana, karanarnava.

Sridhara Maharaja: Karana, karanarnava. Then it begins Brahmaloka, the halo of the spiritual world.

Prabhupada: : Effulgence. Yes.

Sridhara Maharaja: Spiritual world. And that is also some, some, somewhat nirvisesa. And then, after crossing that, the Siva is on the other, higher side or he is in lower side. That is differentiation...

Prabhupada: : Siva is...

Sridhara Maharaja: Differentiation on two sides is Siva. This side also, Master of Devi, and this side also. He is searching after something and when the differentiated world ends in Brahmaloka, there also Siva is devotee. This side, Siva is a yogi. He's searching after. And then, there, he's going to meet Narayana, to face (indistinct).

Prabhupada: : Both sides, he's a devotee.

Sridhara Maharaja: This side, he's not such a devotee. But that is pure devotee on the other side, Vaikuntha.

Prabhupada: : Ah. Sadasiva.

Sridhara Maharaja: Sadasiva, Maha-visnu. On the other side, he’s a devotee. Vaisnavanam yatha Sambhuh.

Prabhupada: : Maha-visnu and Sadasiva, the same.

Sridhara Maharaja: Same.

Prabhupada: : Advaitacarya.

Sridhara Maharaja: Advaitacarya. On the other side. and this side, sometimes revolving. The other day, I told a gentlemen that Siva is rather the leader of the opposition party.

Prabhupada: : Yes, in Daksa-yajna, that is the curse.

Sridhara Maharaja: In Daksa-yajna and in many a place, many demons is encouraged by him. We find.

Prabhupada: : But when Pracetas, Pracetas, they met Siva...

Sridhara Maharaja: That, that is that Siva, devotee Siva.

Prabhupada: : Oh, they...

Sridhara Maharaja: Markandeya also in Bhagavatam, Markandeya worshiped Siva. But that is the devotee Siva. It is clearly mentioned in Bhagavatam. Markandeya's worshiping Siva. But that Siva is the pure devotee of Narayana.

Prabhupada: : Pracetas, Siva, the Pracetas met in this material world or in the spiritual world? They met in the material world.

Sridhara Maharaja: I can't remember that particular... But Siva, this side also Siva, in the nirviSesa, on the lower side of the nirvisesa is also Siva, and the higher side of the nirvisesa is also Siva. Then Narayana.

Prabhupada: : Here, he's Bhutanatha, leaders of the atheistic-class of men.

Sridhara Maharaja: Atheistic class. And his paraphernalia is Nandibhrngi, bhuta, and his, and his eldest son is Vinayaka, and he misguided... The leader of the misguided, Vinayaka, Ganesa.

Prabhupada: : Oh, Vinayaka. Vi-gata...

Sridhara Maharaja: Vinayaka. Not proper nayaka. Vikrta-nayakah.

Prabhupada: : Vikrta-nayakah.

Sridhara Maharaja: Vinayanikapamode-suddha-prabhu, (?) that are protected by Krishna, and they, they...

Prabhupada: : But in Brahma-samhita Ganesa is described: vighna-nasa.

Sridhara Maharaja: Vighna-nasa, but with the help of Nrsimhadeva on his kumbha.

Prabhupada: : Oh, I see. Yat-.-pallava-yugam vinidhaya.

Sridhara Maharaja: With the help of His lotus feet, he’s able to... Otherwise, he's Vinayaka.

Prabhupada: : (laughs) Vinayaka. Ganesa.

Sridhara Maharaja: (Bengali) posasas ca...

Prabhupada: : Misleader.

Sridhara Maharaja: Misleader, misguider, Ganesa, his eldest son. And he give support, Siva. Just as C.R. Das, he encouraged the Subash Bose and the other members of opposition party but he himself was a little common person.

Prabhupada: : So, Satsvarupa Maharaja, how do you like this place?

Satsvarupa: Very transcendental.

January 4, 2004

10. The Maha-mantra Is a Spiritual Sound Vibration

The names of the Supreme Lord are not material:

[Daksa to Lord Visnu]: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is inconceivably opulent, who is devoid of all material names, forms and pastimes, and who is all-pervading, is especially merciful to the devotees who worship His lotus feet. Thus He exhibits transcendental forms and names with His different pastimes. May that Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, be merciful to me.

In regard to the significant word anama-rupah, Sri Sridhara Svami says, prakrta-nama-rupa-rahito 'pi. The word anama, which means "having no name," indicates that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no material name. Simply by chanting the name of Narayana to call his son, Ajamila attained salvation. This means that Narayana is not an ordinary mundane name; it is nonmaterial. The word anama, therefore, indicates that the names of the Supreme Lord do not belong to this material world. The vibration of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra is not a material sound, and similarly the form of the Lord and His appearance and activities are all nonmaterial. To show His causeless mercy to the devotees, as well as to the nondevotees, Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears in this material world with names, forms and pastimes, all of which are transcendental.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.4.33

The Hare Krishna maha-mantra should not be considered a material vibration:

In the Padma Purana it is said:

arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhir

visnor va vaisnavanam kali-mala-mathane pade-tirthe 'mbu-buddhih

sri-visnor namni mantre sakala-kalusa-he sabda-samanya-buddhir

visnau sarvesvarese tad-itara-sama-dhir yasya va naraki sah

No one should consider the Deity in the temple to be made of stone or wood, nor should one consider the spiritual master an ordinary human being. No one should consider a Vaisnava to belong to a particular caste or creed, and no one should consider caranamrta or Ganges water to be like ordinary water. Nor should anyone consider the Hare Krishna maha-mantra to be a material vibration. All these expansions of Krishna in the material world are simply demonstrations of the Lord's mercy and willingness to give facility to His devotees who are engaged in His devotional service within the material world.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 20.217

The holy name is a spiritual sound from the spiritual world:

[The maha-mantra] is not a material sound like the sounds we hear on the radio. It is a spiritual sound that comes from the spiritual world. Even in the material world we can release a sound from one place, and it can be heard thousands of miles away. A spiritual sound can be released from many trillions of miles away, and it can be heard, provided that one has the machine to capture it. That machine is bhagavata-prema. Those who have developed love of Godhead can hear it.

Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti

The holy name is eternally pure and transcendental:

Since Krishna and His holy name are identical, the holy name is eternally pure and beyond material contamination. It is the Supreme Personality of Godhead as a transcendental vibration. The holy name is completely different from material sound, as confirmed by Narottama dasa Thakura. Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana: the transcendental vibration of hari-nama-sankirtana is imported from the spiritual world.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 7.74

The name of the Lord is transcendental:

[Amsuman to Lord Kapila]: O completely peaceful Lord, although material nature, fruitive activities and their consequent material names and forms are Your creation, You are unaffected by them. Therefore, Your transcendental name is different from material names, and Your form is different from material forms. You assume a form resembling a material body just to give us instructions like those of Bhagavad-gita, but actually You are the supreme original person. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.8.24

The chanting of the maha-mantra is enacted from the spiritual platform:

By practical experience, one can perceive that by chanting this maha-mantra, or the Great Chanting for Deliverance, one can at once feel a transcendental ecstasy coming through from the spiritual stratum. In the material concept of life we are busy in the matter of sense gratification as if we were in the lower, animal stage. A little elevated from this status of sense gratification, one is engaged in mental speculation for the purpose of getting out of the material clutches. A little elevated from this speculative status, when one is intelligent enough, one tries to find out the supreme cause of all causes-within and without. And when one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind, and intelligence, he is then on the transcendental plane. This chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is enacted from the spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness-namely sensual, mental, and intellectual. There is no need, therefore, to understand the language of the mantra, nor is there any need for mental speculation nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It is automatic, from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in the chanting without any previous qualification.

The Science of Self-Realization

Only the devotee can understand the transcendental nature of Krishna's name:

[The demigods to Lord Krishna in the womb of Devaki]: O Lord, Your transcendental name and form are not ascertained by those who merely speculate on the path of imagination. Your name, form and attributes can be ascertained only through devotional service.

As stated in the Padma Purana:

atah sri-krishna-namadi

na bhaved grahyam indriyaih

sevonmukhe hi jihvadau

svayam eva sphuraty adah

[bRS. atah sri-krishna-namadi

na bhaved grahyam indriyaih

sevonmukhe hi jihvadau

svayam eva sphuraty adah

"No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality and pastimes of Sri Krishna through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him."

(Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.234)1.2.234]

"One cannot understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality and pastimes of Sri Krishna through one's materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him."

Since Krishna and His transcendental name, form and activities are all of a transcendental nature, ordinary persons or those who are only slightly advanced cannot understand them... Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah: Krishna's transcendental name, form, attributes and activities can be revealed only when one engages in His service in full consciousness. This confirms Krishna's own words in Bhagavad-gita (18.55):

bhaktya mam abhijanati

yavan yas casmi tattvatah

tato mam tattvato jiatva

visate tad-anantaram

"One can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God."

Only by sevonmukha, by engaging oneself in the Lord's service, can one realize the name, form and qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead...

The Lord is also known as Giridhari or Girivara-dhari. Because Krishna, for the sake of His devotees, lifted Govardhana Hill, the devotees appreciate the Lord's inconceivable strength; but nondevotees, in spite of directly perceiving the Lord's inconceivable strength and power, regard the Lord's activities as fictitious. This is the difference between a devotee and a nondevotee. Nondevotees cannot give any nomenclature for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, yet the Lord is known as Syamasundara and Giridhari. Similarly the Lord is known as Devaki-nandana and Yasoda-nandana because He accepted the role of son for mother Devaki and mother Yasoda, and He is known as Gopala because He enjoyed the sport of maintaining the cows and calves. Therefore, although He has no mundane name, He is addressed by devotees as Devaki-nandana, Yasoda-nandana, Gopala and Syamasundara. These are all transcendental names that only devotees can appreciate and nondevotees cannot.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.2.36

January 4, 2004

9. The Holy Name of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Is All-auspicious

A brahmana tells Prakasananda Sarasvati that the name "Krishna Caitanya" is all-auspicious to the world:

"His name, Krishna Caitanya, is all-auspicious to the world. Everything about Him-His name, form, and qualities-is unparalleled."

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 17.113

Simply by remembering or chanting Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's holy name one can be delivered from material existence:

[The representative of the Orissan government, the maha-patra, thinking to himself!: "It must be Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself who has changed the Muhammadan's mind. Due to His presence and even due to His remembrance, the world is liberated."

[The maha-patra to Lord Caitanya]: "Simply by hearing Your holy name, a candala, lowest of men, can be purified."

One can be delivered from material existence simply by remembering Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's holy name or by visiting Him. This Krishna consciousness movement is being spread throughout the world, but not even one yavana or mleccha addicted to drinking could have changed and accepted Krishna consciousness without Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's grace. People are often astonished to see many thousands of Westerners converted to Vaisnavism. Generally Westerners are addicted to meat-eating, drinking, gambling and illicit sex; therefore their taking up Krishna consciousness is astonishing. In India, especially, there is much astonishment at this.

The answer, however, is given here: darsana-smarane yanra jagat tarila. This change is made possible simply by the remembrance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The Western devotees are very sincerely chanting the holy names of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates: sri-krishna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. By the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates, people are being purified and their consciousness directed from maya to Krishna.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 16.175-184

Simply by chanting the holy name of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, people throughout the world are becoming devotees:

Although Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not manifest His natural ecstatic love, everyone became a pure devotee simply by seeing and hearing Him.

Srila Rupa Gosvami has described Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as maha-vadanya-avatara, the most munificent incarnation. Although Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is not physically present now, simply by chanting His holy name (Sri-Krishna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda Sri-advaita gadadhara Srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda) people throughout the world are becoming devotees.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 17.51

One who chants the mantra "Gauranga" and one who chants the names of Radha and Krishna are on the same level:

[Nakula Brahmacari to Sivananda Sena]: "You are chanting the Gaura-gopala mantra composed of four syllables. Now please give up the doubts that have resided within you."

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains the Gaura-gopala mantra in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya. Worshipers of Sri Gaurasundara accept the four syllables gau-ra-an-ga as the Gaura mantra, but pure worshipers of Radha and Krishna accept the four syllables ra-dha krs-na as the Gaura-gopala mantra. However, Vaisnavas consider Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu nondifferent from Radha-Krishna (Sri-Krishna-caitanya radha-Krishna nahe anya). Therefore one who chants the mantra Gauranga and one who chants the names of Radha and Krishna are on the same level.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Antya-lila 2.31

January 4, 2004

8. The Holy Name Is All-auspicious

The sankirtana movement of chanting the holy name is the most auspicious activity in the universe:

[sukadeva Gosvami to King Pariksit]: Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear King; the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the sankirtana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe. Please try to understand this so that others will take it seriously.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.31

The chanting of the holy name spreads all good fortune:

[Aditi to Lord Visnu]: The goddess Aditi said: O master and enjoyer of all sacrificial ceremonies, O infallible and most famous person, whose name, when chanted, spreads all good fortune! O original Supreme Personality of Godhead, supreme controller, shelter of all holy places, You are the shelter of all poor, suffering living entities, and You have appeared to diminish their suffering. Please be kind to us and spread our good fortune.

The chanting of the holy name of the Lord-Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare-is pleasing to the ear, and it expands good fortune to the audience who hears it chanted.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.17.8

The holy name as sravana-mangala and punya-sravana-kirtana:

The Lord's holy name is called sravana-mangala. This means that one receives everything auspicious simply by hearing the holy name. In another place in Srimad-Bhagavatam, His holy name is described as punya-sravana-kirtana. It is a pious act simply to chant and hear all about the Lord.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.7.15

The Hare Krishna mantra is the greatest benediction:

It is said that once a poor brahmana worshiped Lord Siva for a benediction, and Lord Siva advised the devotee to go to Sanatana Gosvami. The devotee went to Sanatana Gosvami and informed him that Lord Siva had advised him to seek out the best benediction from him (Sanatana). Sanatana had a touchstone with him, which he kept with the garbage. On the request of the poor brahmana, Sanatana gave him the touchstone, and the brahmana was very happy to have it. He now could get as much gold as he desired simply by touching the touchstone to iron. But after he left Sanatana, he thought, "If a touchstone is the best benediction, why has Sanatana Gosvami kept it with the garbage?" He therefore returned and asked Sanatana Gosvami, "Sir, if this is the best benediction, why did you keep it with the garbage?" Sanatana Gosvami then informed him, "Actually, this is not the best benediction. But are you prepared to take the best benediction from me?" The brahmana said, "Yes, sir. Lord Siva has sent me to you for the best benediction." Then Sanatana Gosvami asked him to throw the touchstone in the water nearby and then come back. The poor brahmana did so, and when he returned, Sanatana Gosvami initiated him with the Hare Krishna mantra. Thus by the benediction of Lord Siva the brahmana got the association of the best devotee of Lord Krishna and was thus initiated in the maha-mantra, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.7.6

By the chanting of Krishna's name, everything becomes white and pure:

When the great sage Narada was chanting the glories of the Lord, the bluish line on the neck of Lord Siva disappeared. Upon seeing this, Gauri, the wife of Lord Siva, suspected Lord Siva of being someone else disguised as her husband, and out of fear she immediately left his company. Upon hearing the chanting of Krishna's name, Lord Balarama saw that His dress had become white, although He was generally accustomed to a bluish dress. And the cowherd girls saw all of the water of the Yamuna River turn into milk, so they began to churn it into butter. In other words, by the spreading of Krishna consciousness, or the glories of Krishna, everything became white and pure.

The Nectar of Devotion

The chief worshipable object is the holy name of Radha and Krishna:

[Lord Caitanya to Ramananda Raya]: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked, "Among all worshipable objects, which is the chief?" Ramananda Raya replies, "The chief worshipable object is the holy name of Radha and Krishna, the Hare Krishna mantra."

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 8.256

January 4, 2004

Hare Krishna

Theist ji:

The fact is no one needs any permission from you or your guru or anyone else to chant the names of Nitai Gaura.

Jai!

----

Guest Prabhuji

Also, to be proud of chanting Nitai-Gauranga, is not very good either, same with maha-mantra, lord caitanya mahaprabhu says in siksastamkam verse 3, to chant without false prestige, just because there are no considerations in chanting nitai-gauranga not mean, anything, what i mean is, srila prabhupada gave us the pancha-tattva mantra (before chanting) which invokes all lord caitanya's associates, so it is POWERFUL, and no idea about what i am about to say is bona-fide or not, but chanting 10 rounds of nitai-gauranga before each round making 20, and chanting 20 chants of pancha-tattva mantra before each round is on the same level, otherwise srila prabhupada would not not emphazized chanting pancha-tattva mantra, also should be noted that nitai-gauranga chanting is most effective in KIRTAN, sorry for the long post, haribol!!

January 3, 2004

Sri Nagar-Kirtan

Congregational Chanting in Public Places

-8 Songs -

Song 1

Ajna-Tahal

The Lord's Order to Process Around Town and Chant

(1)

nadiya-godrume nityananda mahajana

patiyache nam-hatta jivera karana

In the land of Nadiya, on the island of Godruma, the magnanimous Lord Nityananda has opened up the Marketplace of the Holy Name, meant for the deliverance of all fallen souls.

(2)

(Sraddhavan jan he, Sraddhavan jan he)

prabhura ajnay, bhai, magi ei bhiksa

bolo `krishna,' bhajo krishna, koro krishna-Siksa

O men of faith! O men of faith! By the order of Lord Gauranga, O brothers, I beg this one request: Chant "Krishna!", worship Krishna, and follow Krishna's instructions.

(3)

aparadha-Sunya ho'ye loho krishna-nam

krishna mata, krishna pita, krishna dhana-pran

Being careful to remain free of offenses, just take the holy name of Krishna. Krishna is your mother, Krishna is your father, and Krishna is the treasure of your life.

(4)

krishnaera samsara koro chadi' anacar

jive doya, krishna-nam-sarva-dharma-sar

Giving up all improper behavior, carry on your worldly duties only in relation to Krishna. The showing of compassion to all fallen souls by loudly chanting the holy name of Krishna is the essence of all forms of religion.

Purport to the Song Ajna-Tahal

"Patrolling On the Lord's Command"

by Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Bengali prose from the Sixth Chapter of Vaishnava-Siddhanta-Mala

January 3, 2004

Could't forget this verce..

trnad api su-nicena

taror iva sahisnuna

amanina mana-dena

kirtaniyah sada harih

SYNONYMS

trnad api--than downtrodden grass; su-nicena--being lower; taroh--than a tree; iva--ike; sahisnuna--with tolerance; amanina--without being puffed up by false pride; mana-dena--giving respect to all; kirtaniyah--to be chanted; sada-- always; harih--the holy name of the Lord.

TRANSLATION

"'One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor but is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.'

http://caitanyacaritamrta.com/antya/20/21

January 3, 2004

Hare Krishna

I don't think LE offended anybody by her comments, to say she did is an offence in way, i am only coming to her rescue (lol), because she has been very helpful, to a lot of devotees on this forum, i don't know much about paragraphs being changed around etc, but the fact is Swamiji is in my view (its obvious) trying to establish a new Math, many Gurus do this, nothing wrong with it, Swami Gaurangapada should be glorified as should other devotees, for spreading KC, haribol!!

January 3, 2004

7. The Lord and His Holy Name Are Nondifferent

The holy name is identical with Krishna:

"'The holy name of Krishna... is identical with Krishna...'"

Padyavali(24), by Rupa Goswami

[cited: Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Madhya-lila 15.110]

The Hare Krishna mantra is nondifferent from Krishna:

[Lord Sankarkana to King Citraketu] All living entities, moving and nonmoving, are My expansions and are separate from Me. I am the Supersoul of all living beings, which exist because I manifest them. I am the form of the transcendental vibrations like omkara and Hare Krishna Hare Rama, and I am the Supreme Absolute Truth. These two forms of Mine-namely, the transcendental sound and the eternally blissful spiritual form of the Deity-are My eternal forms; they are not material.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.16.51

Krishna's name is identical with His form:

"O Lord," the demigods say, "the impersonalists, who are nondevotees, cannot understand that Your name is identical with Your form." Since the Lord is absolute, there is no difference between His name and His actual form. In the material world there is a difference between form and name. The mango fruit is different from the name of the mango. One cannot taste the mango fruit simply by chanting, "Mango, mango, mango." But the devotee who knows that there is no difference between the name and the form of the Lord chants Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and realizes that he is always in Krishna's company.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.2.36

One must have faith that the holy name is identical with Krishna:

One should accept the holy name of Krishna to be identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Transcendence Himself. The holy name of Krishna is also identical with Krishna and is also cintamani. The name Krishna is the personification of sound perfectly transcendental and eternally liberated from material contamination. One should understand that the name Krishna and Krishna are identical. Having such faith, one must continue to chant the holy name.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Madhya-lila 15.106

In this age, Krishna has descended as

Sound vibration-as His holy name:

Sometimes Krishna descends personally, and sometimes He descends as sound vibration, and sometimes He descends as a devotee. There are many different categories of avataras. In this present age Krishna has descended in His holy name, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu also confirmed that in this age of Kali, Krishna has descended in the form of sound vibration. Sound is one of the forms which the Lord takes. Therefore it is stated that there is no difference between Krishna and His name.

Today people have forgotten their relationship with God, but this incarnation of Krishna in the form of His holy names, this chanting of Hare Krishna, will deliver all the people of the world from their forgetfulness.

Elevation to Krishna Consciousness

Lord Caitanya taught that the holy name of the Lord is nondifferent from the Lord:

Lord Caitanya instructed the mass of people in the Sankhya philosophy of acintya-bhedebheda-tattva, which maintains that the Supreme Lord is simultaneously one with and different from His creation. Lord Caitanya taught this philosophy through the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. He taught that the holy name of the Lord is the sound incarnation of the Lord and that since the Lord is the absolute whole, there is no difference between His holy name and His transcendental form. Thus by chanting the holy name of the Lord one can directly associate with the Supreme Lord by sound vibration.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Unlike the conditioned soul, there is no distinction between Krishna's name and His person:

[Lord Caitanya to a brahmana]: "The Lord's holy name, His form and His personality are all one and the same. There is no difference between them. Since all of them are absolute, they are transcendentally blissful. There is no difference between Krishna's body and Himself or between His name and Himself. As far as the conditioned soul is concerned, everything is different. One's name is different from the body, from one's original form and so on... The holy name of Krishna, His transcendental qualities and pastimes as well as Lord Krishna Himself are all equal. They are all spiritual and full of bliss."

The name of Krishna and Krishna the person are both spiritual. Everything about Krishna is transcendental, blissful and objective. For a conditioned soul, the body is different from the soul, and the name given by the father is also different from the soul. The conditioned living entity's identification with material objects keeps him from attaining his actual position. Although he is an eternal servant of Krishna, he acts differently. The svarupa, or actual identification of the living entity, is described by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as jovera 'svarupa' haya-krisnera 'nitya-dasa.' [Cc. Madhya 20.108].

The conditioned soul has forgotten the real activities of his original position. However, this is not the case with Krishna. Krishna's name and His person are identical. There is no such thing as maya Krishna because Krishna is not a product of the material creation. There is no difference between Krishna's body and His soul. Krishna is simultaneously both soul and body. The distinction between body and soul applies to conditioned souls. The body of the conditioned soul is different from the soul, and the conditioned soul's name is different from his body. One may be named Mr. John, but if we call for Mr. John, Mr. John may never actually appear. However, if we utter the holy name of Krishna, Krishna is immediately present on our tongue.

In the Padma Purana, Krishna says, mad-bhakta yatra gayanti tatra tisthami narada: "O Narada, I am present wherever My devotees are chanting." When the devotees chant the holy name of Krishna-Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare-Lord Krishna is immediately present.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Madhya-lila 17.131-32,135

Krishna invests all His potencies in His holy name:

[Lord Caitanya to Svarupa Damodara and Ramananda Raya]:

"... You have invested all Your potencies in [Your] names..."

Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Antya-lila 20.16

Being identical with Krishna, the holy name is fully transcendental and no less powerful than He:

"'The holy name of Krishna is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Krishna Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Krishna's name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Krishna Himself. Since Krishna's name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with maya, Krishna's name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Krishna and Krishna Himself are identical.'"

Padma Purana [cited: Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Madhya-lila 17.133]

The holy name is as perfect as the Lord Himself in fullness, purity, and eternity:

It is said in the Padma Purana: "There is no difference between the holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself. As such the holy name is as perfect as the Lord Himself in fullness, purity and eternity. The holy name is no material sound vibration, nor has it any material contamination."

The Nectar of Devotion

The name of Krishna is as powerful as Lord Krishna Himself:

[The sages at Naimisaranya to Suta Goswami]:

Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Krishna, which is feared by fear personified.

The almighty Vasudeva has empowered His name with the powers of His personal Self... It is stated herein that the name of Krishna is feared even by fear personified.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.14

There is no difference between meditating on the eternal forms of Radha-Krishna and chanting the maha-mantra:

After rising from bed, Lord Krishna would wash His mouth, hands and feet and would immediately sit down and meditate on Himself. This does not mean, however, that we should also sit down and meditate on ourselves. We have to meditate upon Krishna, Radha-Krishna. That is real meditation. Krishna is Krishna Himself; therefore He was teaching us that brahma-muhurta should be utilized for meditation on Radha-Krishna. By doing so, Krishna would feel very much satisfied, and similarly we will also feel transcendentally pleased and satisfied if we utilize the brahma-muhurta period to meditate on Radha and Krishna and if we think of how Sri Rukminidevi and Krishna acted as ideal householders to teach the whole human society to rise early in the morning and immediately engage in Krishna consciousness. There is no difference between meditating on the etemal forms of Radha-Krishna and chanting the maha-mantra, Hare Krishna.

Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

When one is free from maya he can understand that the holy name and the Lord are identical:

The holy name and the Lord are identical. One who is completely free from the clutches of maya can understand this fact.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Adi-lila 7.73

When one is situated on the absolute platform, he can understand the holy name and the Lord Himself to be identical:

The more one is freed from material identification, the more one can realize that the spirit soul is qualitatively as good as the Supreme Soul. At such a time, when one is situated on the absolute platform, he can understand that the holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself are identical. At that stage of realization, the holy name of the Lord, the Hare Krishna mantra, cannot be identified with any material sound. If one accepts the Hare Krishna maha-mantra as a material vibration, he falls down. One should worship and chant the holy name of the Lord by accepting it as the Lord Himself.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Madhya-lila 15.108

Knowing that Sri Krishna is present in His name, pure devotees chant with full respect and veneration:

Devotees of the Personality of Godhead know that Sri Krishna, the son of the King of Vraja, is the Absolute Truth. They do not discriminate between Sri Krishna's name, form, quality and pastimes. One who wants to separate the Lord's absolute name, form and qualities must be understood to be lacking in absolute knowledge. A pure devotee knows that when he chants the transcendental name Krishna, Sri Krishna is present as transcendental sound. He therefore chants with full respect and veneration.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Adi-lila 2.11

Bhava results from understanding that Krishna's person and name are identical:

The transcendental ecstatic attachment for Krishna which results from perfectly understanding that Krishna's person and name are identical is called bhava. One who has attained bhava is certainly not contaminated by material nature. He actually enjoys transcendental pleasure from bhava, and when bhava is intensified, it is called love of Godhead. Lord Caitanya told Prakasananda Sarasvati that the holy name of Krishna, called the maha-mantra (great chanting), enables anyone who chants it to attain the stage of love of Godhead, or intensified bhava.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Mayavadis offend the holy name by differentiating it from the Lord Himself:

A name which represents an object of this material world may be subjected to arguments and experimental knowledge, but in the absolute world a name and its owner, fame and the famous, are identical, and similarly the qualities, pastimes and everything else pertaining to the Absolute are also absolute. Although Mayavadis profess monism, they differentiate between the holy name of the Supreme Lord and the Lord Himself. For this offense of namaparadha they gradually glide down from their exalted position of brahma-jnana, as confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.2.32):

aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah

patanty adho 'nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah

Although by severe austerities they rise to the exalted position of brahma-jnana, they nevertheless fall down due to imperfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth. Although they profess to understand the Vedic mantra, sarvam khalv idam brahma ("everything is Brahman"), they are unable to understand that the holy name is also Brahman. If they regularly chant the maha-mantra, however, they can be relieved from this misconception. Unless one properly takes shelter of the holy name, he cannot be relieved from the offensive stage in chanting the holy name.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Adi-lila 7.74

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