leyh

"Offering all one's activities to the Lord,one should feel desire,anger and pride only with regard to Him." (Narada Bhakti Sutras,Sutra 65) Srila Prabhupada's anger,according to his personal servant Srutakirti Prabhu,was capable of generating spiritual potency".The following is an excerpt taken from Srutakirti Prabhu's Srila Prabhupada Uvaca. Today Devananda Maharaja came to visit Srila Prabhupada. He was given initiation by Srila Prabhupada and he was also a sannyasi. He had been his personal servant for a period of time around 1970. He was not presently a member of ISKCON. He asked to see Srila Prabhupada and was allowed darsana. When he arrived Srila Prabhupada was sitting behind his desk. Brahmananda Maharaja and I were also in the room. Devananda entered the room wearing a bright orange satin robes. When he entered he did not offer obeisances. His long hair and beard were matted. He had a very strange smile on his face. He began to speak to Srila Prabhupada in such a peculiar way that I couldn't understand anything he was saying. While speaking he was moving his hands about as if he were doing some type of mudra. It was too bizarre to watch. It seemed that he may have had too much intoxication. Srila Prabhupada tolerated his nonsense for a few minutes. There was no conversational exchange as Devananda was incoherent. Finally, his all merciful spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, said, "If you want to come back, you do like him." He pointed to Brahmananda Maharaja and continued, You shave your head and face, put on a dhoti and then it's all right. You may come back." Devananda started flailing his arms about, again and said, "No. This is not why I am here." He continued to move his body about while speaking nonsense. Srila Prabhupada had had enough. He shouted, "Get out." At the same time he started to shake with anger. Brahmananda Maharaja grabbed him and forcefully escorted him out of the room. Srila Prabhupada was furious. I felt like I was just struck by lightning even though Srila Prabhupada's anger was not being directed at me. Just being in the vicinity was frightening. If I could have disappeared now was the time to do it. It is difficult to describe the spiritual potency generated by Srila Prabhupada's rage. His total commitment to his disciples was obvious by this encounter. It was one of the most difficult experiences I faced while with Srila Prabhupada. It was amazing how Srila Prabhupada tolerated his bizarre behavior and offered to accept him back as his disciple even though it was apparent that Devananda had strayed far from the Krishna Conscious path and had crossed the threshold of sanity and teetered on the brink of madness. When His Divine Grace saw that he had no interest in accepting instruction, he mercifully sent him away before he could commit any more offenses. (From Srila Prabhupada Uvaca 83 April 11, 1975: Hyderabad, India) Note:For those who might not know,Srila Prabhupada Uvaca can be read online at http://users.aol.com/vrinda/ppduvaca/uvaca.htm (subsequently edited for typing error) [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 02-22-2002).]

Bhaktashab: Please accept my hunble obeisances.All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. I think you have a point there.Even if you're not part of a religious institution like the Roman Catholic Church or ISKCON,the teachings that you receive could be shaped by the politics of the institution.

Thank you so much,JRdd and Gauracandra for your advice.Please accept my humble obeisances.All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. I agree with with the both of you that I shouldn't start formal,full-scale deity worship.I think I will just place the Divine Couple in a nice place,offer them some nice foodstuffs or flowers and talk to Them... Since Sri Sri Radha-Krsna have captured my heart,it would be churlish of me to send Them packing. Btw,JRdd,I don't stay in China.I live in Singapore,a little South-East Asian island-state south of Malaysia,populated by Chinese,Malays,Indians,Eurasians and others.Singapore is known as the "Garden City" as there are trees planted all over the island.

The following is an extract from the ongoing series Diary of a Traveling Preacher By His Holiness Indradyumna Swami which can be found at www.chakra.org Once Srila Prabhupada was walking on the beach in Mumbai with some of his disciples. At one point, a little girl walked by and with folded hands said to Srila Prabhupada, "Hare Krsna!" Srila Prabhupada smiled and turned to his disciples saying, "You see how successful our movement is?" Confused, one devotee said, "Successful? Srila Prabhupada, only one little girl has said Hare Krsna." Srila Prabhupada replied, "Yes, if you take just one drop of the ocean and taste it, you can understand what the whole ocean tastes like. Similarly, by this one girl greeting us with Hare Krsna, we can appreciate how far the chanting of the Lord's name has spread." (Diary of a Travelling Preacher,Volume 4, Chapter 9)

The following is an extract from the ongoing series Diary of a Traveling Preacher By His Holiness Indradyumna Swami which can be found at www.chakra.org Once Srila Prabhupada was walking on the beach in Mumbai with some of his disciples. At one point, a little girl walked by and with folded hands said to Srila Prabhupada, "Hare Krsna!" Srila Prabhupada smiled and turned to his disciples saying, "You see how successful our movement is?" Confused, one devotee said, "Successful? Srila Prabhupada, only one little girl has said Hare Krsna." Srila Prabhupada replied, "Yes, if you take just one drop of the ocean and taste it, you can understand what the whole ocean tastes like. Similarly, by this one girl greeting us with Hare Krsna, we can appreciate how far the chanting of the Lord's name has spread." (Diary of a Travelling Preacher,Volume 4, Chapter 9)

Thank you very much for your advice,Citta Hari and JRdd,please accept my humble obeisances.All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. JRdd,I have read some of the websites regarding the worship of the Nitai-Gaura deities and I will be very glad to worship them (being an unrealized neophyte) but I don't think its possible to get Nitai-Gaura deities in Singapore.I have not seen any during my shopping trips in the religious paraphernalia shops in Serangoon Road (the "Little India" of Singapore.)Ganesh deities on the other hand,are so popular. The problem is that I have already purchased this small wooden carved Sri-Sri Radha Krsna.They were in this shop with many other wooden carved deities of other demigods and they must have been very bored,so I bought them and now I don't know how to entertain their Lordships.Because I am still unable to fully follow the regulative principles,I fear that it would be offensive if I were to worship Them... I have a very nice devotee friend who is chanting regularly and following the regulative principles very nicely.I am thinking of entrusting the deity to His care,but then They look so alluring that I can't bear to part with Them. A really transcendental dilemma...

And your association is part of this mercy,gHari Prabhu.Thank you so much..... I would like to dedicate this verse from Srila Bhaktivinoda's song Ohe Vaisnava thakura to all the devotees that I've ever associated with whether in vani or vapuh (or both): "Krsna is yours.You're able to give Him to me,for such is your power.I am indeed wrteched and simply run after you crying,'Krsna!Krsna!'" All Glories to you all,Prabhus and Matajis!Hare Krsna! [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 02-14-2002).]

Are those who are not strictly following the regulative principles (No meat eating,no illicit sex,no intoxictants and no gambling) allowed to worship Sri Sri Radha Krsna? I brought this small wooden deity of their Lordships yesterday but am hesitant as to whether or not to worship them as I am still far from perfectly following the regulative principles and also,my family is non-vegetarian...

Yesterday evening,I met two devotees while I was trying to sell a few copies of Krsna,the Reservoir of Pleasure around a bus interchange near where I stay.One of them was chanting on a bead bag and I hailed him with a "Hare Krsna!" It turned out that his companion,a male was also a devotee. The devotees were from Bangladash. (Btw,there are lots of Bangladeshi laboureres here in Singapore) and they seemed amazed and pleased that a Chinese male in Singapore would be a Krsna devotee.One of them affectionately put his hand around my shoulders. We'd probably never meet again,but I am eternally grateful to them for the transcendental memory.

"Now, if I am not this body, then why should I act for this body? I should act for myself. Then, how can I work for myself? What is my position? I am consciousness. But what kind of consciousness? Subordinate consciousness--I am part of the supreme consciousness. Then, what will my activities be? My activities will be under the guidance of the supreme consciousness, just as in the office, the managing director is the supreme consciousness. For example, in the office everyone is working under the direction of the manager; therefore they have no responsibility. They have only to discharge their duties. Either pious or impious duties--never mind. In the military line, too, the order of the captain or the commander is there. The soldier has to execute it. He does not consider whether it is pious or impious. That does not matter. He simply has to act, then he is a real soldier. He acts in that way and he gets his reward. He gets title and honor. He doesn't care. The commander says, Just go and kill the enemy, and he is rewarded. Do you think that by killing one gets reward? No--it is for the duty discharged." (Krsna,the Reservoir of Pleasure By His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)

"Now, if I am not this body, then why should I act for this body? I should act for myself. Then, how can I work for myself? What is my position? I am consciousness. But what kind of consciousness? Subordinate consciousness--I am part of the supreme consciousness. Then, what will my activities be? My activities will be under the guidance of the supreme consciousness, just as in the office, the managing director is the supreme consciousness. For example, in the office everyone is working under the direction of the manager; therefore they have no responsibility. They have only to discharge their duties. Either pious or impious duties--never mind. In the military line, too, the order of the captain or the commander is there. The soldier has to execute it. He does not consider whether it is pious or impious. That does not matter. He simply has to act, then he is a real soldier. He acts in that way and he gets his reward. He gets title and honor. He doesn't care. The commander says, Just go and kill the enemy, and he is rewarded. Do you think that by killing one gets reward? No--it is for the duty discharged." (Krsna,the Reservoir of Pleasure By His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)

Thank you all,Prabhus for your posts on the subject of the future.This is one thread that I will have to take more than just a few scrolls to properly digest. I read in one of the purports of Narada Bhakti Sutras by His Holiness Satsvarupa dasa Goswami that 'Sometimes when Prabhupada was pressed with inquires about the spiritual world, he would reply,"You will know when you get there."'(Purport to Narada Bhakti Sutras Sutra 31-32) Surely,the same can be said about all our queries about the future.We will know 100% when we get to the spiritual world. [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 02-14-2002).]

We're all speculating,and we can't know for sure.When I evetually get to Vrindavana Goloka,I intend to ask one of the nitya-siddhas there or maybe, if I can get a moment with Him,the Supreme Personality of Godhead. "So my Lord,if you already know the future,then what about free will?"

Shasi: Please accept my humble obeisances.All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. I have never been to the Singapore ISKCON temple.But I have heard rumblings of politics and factionalism among local Hare Krishna devotees. And the last time I checked, I am in a male material body.... [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 02-12-2002).]

bhaktashab: I can't really recall his answer,except that he did mention something about the akashic records,which are apparently a sort of bank that records everything that has happened,is happening and will happen in the future.

bhaktashab: Please accept my humble obeisances.All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. I really don't know,bhaktashab.Anyway, all these politics are quite irrelevant to one's spiritual life...

Firstly,I don't know where the temple is and secondly,it seems that there are a lot of politics involved with the Singapore Krsna Consciousness Movement.I have even spoken with a devotee who thinks that "Hansadutta Maharaja" is a pure soul and that ISKCON is a "sinking ship".For now,I'd just like to maintain a low profile,associate with a few devotee friends and struggle with my inner demons by chanting the holy names according to my very limited ability...

Some more nectar from Prabhupada in Malaysia.All Glories to Srila Prabhupada! Early next morning Srila Prabhupada visited the Krishna Temple in Lahat Lane.The committee members had invited him and a large crowd had gathered.Prabhupada walked around the te,ple giving practical hints to the temple leaders how to improve things. Om Prakash Shukala remembers the incident:"as Srila Prabhupada got up from bowing down he said in Hindi --- vamsi he lathi he. Flute or fighting stick? Somebody had put an extremely long stick in Krsna's hands, supposed to be a flute.It looked more like the stick one would use for fighting.I felt ashamed.He just said to those near him.The Deity's thumb had been broken for years.He told us we should replace with new Deity." Prabhupada also gave ideas as to proper prayers to chant. The Shamlal family had become very close to the devotees during the previous few months, and had regularly fed them when they were in Ipoh.That morning they had prepared breakfast of milk, parathas,subji and gulabs and they brought it to the temple. Datin S.P. Seenivasagam brought fruits and milk.Everyone got the mercy of Srila Prabhupada's remanents. After prasadam,Prabhupada led a bhajan and spoke in English and Hindi to the audience. Mr Indrajeet Sharma summarizes the speech:"Srila Prabhupada said how his Guru had sent him to America to spread the word of God.On landing in New York he had no contacts,he did not know where to go. He only had US$9.He said he left everything up tp the Almighty.He started chanting alone and slowly the devotees came forward.Any success was entirely due to the mercy of hid Guru and Krsna,and in having complete faith in chanting the Holy Name. From the Krishna Temple he was to go straight to the airport to ctach a late morning flight to Penang.Somehow the car didn't turn up so Mr A.V Sundram,brother of Tun Sambanthan drove Prabhupada in his car.Around 70 people followed, on motorcycles, taxis or whatever way they could. At the airport the devotees took the cushions off of the chairs in the waiting longue and made a makeshift vyasasana."Prabhupada sat on cushions on the floor. He sat like a Lord,"said Indrajeet Sharma.Everyone else sat on the bare floor at his feet. The devotees were leading kirtan.The passengers stood in amazement. When Prabhupada went through the departure gate the kirtan party just folowed him right on the runway.The airport officials were bewildered and couldn't do anything. No one expected it.The ecstatic chanting went on twenty metres from the plane and continued until the plane disappeared on the horizon.Everyone fell flat on the grass to offer full obeisances. (Prabhupada in Malaysia, Chapter Six:Prabhupada in Ipoh)

"One does not become spiritual master by his own whims. That is not spiritual master. He must be ordered by superior authority. Then he's spiritual master. Amara ajnaya. Just like in our case. Our superior authority, our spiritual master, he ordered me that "You just try to preach this gospel, whatever you have learned from me, in English." So we have tried it. That's all. It is not that I am very much qualified. The only qualification is that I have tried to execute the order of superior authority. That's all. This is the secret of success." (His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,Lecture, Bhagavad-gita 2.2, London, Aug 3, 1973)

"One does not become spiritual master by his own whims. That is not spiritual master. He must be ordered by superior authority. Then he's spiritual master. Amara ajnaya. Just like in our case. Our superior authority, our spiritual master, he ordered me that "You just try to preach this gospel, whatever you have learned from me, in English." So we have tried it. That's all. It is not that I am very much qualified. The only qualification is that I have tried to execute the order of superior authority. That's all. This is the secret of success." (His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,Lecture, Bhagavad-gita 2.2, London, Aug 3, 1973)

Last week when I attended a program graced by His Holiness Bhanu Maharaja,a question was raised by a devotee:"If Krsna knows everything in the past,present and future,what about free will?" (I'm paraphrasing as I can't recall the exact words) In other words,if the future is already something that can be known by Krsna does it follow that the future is already somehow determined? Maybe our future could take the form of an infinite variety of circumstances,and Krsna because He is infinite,knows all these variety of circumstances.It's just like those interactive games where there are a variety of options which could lead to different outcomes and it is up to the player to decide which option to take. I got this idea from reading Conversations with God By Neale Donald Walsch. Any comments? [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 02-11-2002).]

Jndas Prabhu: Please accept my humble obeisances.All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. I really have no idea as to the state of the Singapore ISKCON temple as I have never actually visited it.But it seems to me that the Krishna Consciousness Movement in Singapore is largely limited to the Indian community...

Gauraprema: Please accept my humble obeisances.All Glories to Srila Prabhupada! I don't normally attend programs or meetings with devotees, but I will inform you if I hear of any Maharaja's arrival...

Today,I brought a book entitled Prabhupada in Malaysia from Govinda's restaurant in Serangoon Road which,in Singapore is popularly known as "Little India". Prabhupada in Malaysia cost seven Singapore dollars and it is really worth every penny.Within the book,one can find many nice colour/black-and-white pictures of Srila Prabhupada and his disciples.The book mainly documents the five days that Srila Prabhupada spent in Malaysia (May 3-8 1971),but it also provides the reader with a background of Srila Prabhupada's life and mission and documents some of his disciples (Amogha dasa and Hanuman dasa,etc) early preaching efforts in Malaysia and Singapore in the early 1970s. There are fascimiles of old newspaper articles with headlines like Monks with Mohican hairdo to start 'temple of full bliss' and Heads turn as Krishna men come downtown. The book was published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust in 1996 and is compiled by Janananda das Adhikary. The following is an excerpt from the book which I post here for the reading pleasure of the devotees: IPOH May 5th, 1971 --- Evening St John¡¦s Hall was packed with a crowd of almost 1000, eagerly awaiting Srila Prabhupada¡¦s arrival. The local members of the Ipoh Krishna Temple, plus a few other supporters had arranged for Srila Prabhupada to speak in this large hall. Prabhupada had not come. Unaware of the cause of the hold-up the crowd became restless. Hanuman, who had left Teluk anson early on a motorcycle, jumped up onto the stage, and led a roaring kirtan.The mood changed and everyone was appeased. Around 9pm Prabhupada's taxi pulled in. The crowd thronged around him, covering him with flowers and garlands and touching his feet. They crowded around him all the way to the stage. Children sprinkled flowers at his feet others eagerly reached out for the dust. The enthusiasm was tremendous. The crowd was mixed. Mostly North and South Indians with some Chinese. Many in the crowd seemed surprised how so many educated Westerners from good families had dedicated their lives following an "Indian Swami¡¨. Bhakta Neo was struck with reverence when he saw Prabhupada walking down the aisle:"One thing I remember about that was Prabhupada¡¦s face. He was just emanating that humility, extreme humility. Though he was so great it was like he was constantly remembering that he is an insignificant servant of Krsna. That was the impression I got when I saw him.¡¨ After mounting the stage Prabhupada led kirtan and then spoke from Bhagavad-gita. Mr Indrajeet Sharma remembered some of the topics Srila Prabhupada explained: ¡§Men are greedy for power, everyone is trying to show his superiority over the other. We are forgetting the Supreme power. You have no power,real power,real power is with Krsna. India was once one.Gandhi,one leader,then three.Why? Because of greed leading to destruction.If we want peace we must believe in Him,Lord Krsna.We must give up this greed and take shelter of the Supreme power.¡¨ Mr Shamal:"Prabhupada spoke in English. He seemed very pleased with the large turnout. He explained how he had organised the Hare Krsna movement in the West, and wouild like to see things organised here similarly. Three of the elderly members of our temple garlanded Prabhupada including my father.¡¨ Prabhupada spoke for around 20 minutes. Afterwards he distributed prasadam during another rousing kirtan. Around 10.30 pm, Prabhupada left the hall. Many people followerd Prabhupada back to Dato S.P. Seenivasagam¡¦s residence,hoping to get further darshan with His Divine Grace.It was very late, and Prabhupada had not stopped all day. Amogha:"It is important to note how determined Srila Prabhupada was to preach Krsna consciousness, entirely dependent on Krsna's mercy.It was very hot, humid weather.He had to travel miles by car to repeated programmes,and still he went on. It was almost as if Srila Prabhupada didn't have a physical body at all. He told Bali Mardan,'I could leave my body at this moment.¡¦¡¨ His host Datin S.P Seenivasagam showed him to his room. Again Prabhupada refused to eat more than fruits and milk. Datin S.P. Sennivasagam recalls:"I had no problem serving him because the people of Ipoh brought lots of fruit and milk.I prepared his dinner, but he said he wouldn¡¦t take anything, only fruits and milk, so we offered him that.He called me into his room and gave me some fruits and milk. I asked him about Krsna,¡§Is there really a Lord Krsna?"He said,¡§This is all His work. Can¡¦t you see His work going on?"I asked him, ¡¥Can you see God?'He answered,'Can¡¦t you see that I can see God by my work?'A few days before Prabhupada came I had a dream that Laxmi Narayana were outside my house talking about me. I didn't know what it meant but I realized when Prabhupada came. It was a great pleasure to host such a great man.I must have done something good in my last life.¡¨Prabhupada was very tired and took rest around 11:30pm. (Prabhupada in Malaysia, Chapter Six: Prabhupada in Ipoh) [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 02-11-2002).]

"Devotional service to the Supreme personality of Godhead is explained in the Bhagavad-gita,where the Lord says that a self-realized person is always in the transcendental state known as brahma-bhuta,which is characterized by joyfulness.When one is self-realized he becomes joyful.In other words,he is free from the material contamination of lamentation and hankering.As long as we are in material existence, we lament for the losses in our life and hanker for that which we do not have. A self-realized person is joyful because he is free from material lamentation and hankering." (From Purport to Narada Bhakti Sutras, Sutra 1 By His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)