Sarva gattah

As we now continue to trace our sampradaya back farther, Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura had taken initiation from Sri Radha Ramana Chakravarti, who was the disciple of Sri Yuta Krishna Charana Chakravarti. He was a follower of one of the great Vaishnavas, Narottama dasa Thakura. Narottama dasa Thakura had been inspired by Jiva Gosvami, and was one of the great preachers in the region of Bengal and Orissa. He had composed many devotional songs, and had powerful disciples, such as Ganganarayana and Ramakrishna, who continued to preach in Manipur, which became a Vaishnava kingdom. Narottama's cousin, Santosh Datta, took initiation from him, and also established a great temple for the pleasure of Narottama and Lord Caitanya. Invitations went out all over India to kings, poets, pandits, etc., for the installation ceremony. Great kirtans, congregational chanting, and feasting took place, while six Deities were installed. Mother Jahnavi, the wife of Lord Nityananda, was the guest of honor. When Narottama lead the kirtans, it is said that Lord Caitanya Himself, along with many of His associates, appeared and manifested the ecstatic spiritual world there. In this way, great preaching went on among many of the Vaishnava authorities and disciples in a most cooperative way with big festivals and temples being established. At the same time as Narottama, Jiva Gosvami had also inspired other great devotees, such as Srinivasa Acharya (who was specifically blessed by Lord Caitanya to be a great preacher) and Duhkhi Krishnadasa (Shyamananda), to preach in the region of Bengal and Orissa. Srinivasa became one of the greatest preachers of that era, and attained the help of many prominent persons. Srinivasa held huge kirtan rallies among the general mass of people, and with his efforts, along with other devotees, and the distribution of the writings of the Six Gosvamis, whole kingdoms took up the Vaishnava tradition. Jiva Gosvami (1513 A.D. to 1598 A.D.) was the son of Anupama, the brother of both Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis. When Anupama left this world, Jiva Gosvami was orphaned when only several years old. He then became the assistant of Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis. Under their care, he made great advancement. After the disappearance of Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis, he became the most prominent Vaishnava preacher and scholar at the time. He was the main acharya of all Vaishnavas in Bengal, Orissa and elsewhere, and guided numerous devotees on the path of devotional service and the teachings of Lord Caitanya. He had also toured Vrindavana with Mother Jahnavi devi, the eternal consort of Lord Nityananda. He wrote at least 25 books and commentaries. It is explained that Srila Jiva Gosvami is the incarnation of Vilasa Manjari. She performs the service of applying mascara on Radha and Krishna in the spiritual abode. It was also during this same time that Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami wrote the Sri Caitanya-caritamrita on the life of Lord Caitanya, after receiving the blessings of the Sri Madana-mohana Deity. Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja is an incarnation of Kasturi Manjari. Her service is in offering Their Lordships in the spiritual world sandalwood pulp for decoration and cooling fragrance. From Jiva Gosvami we trace our sampradaya directly to the other five of the Six Gosvamis, two of whom Jiva was directly related, as mentioned above. We should relate here that these Gosvamis were intimate associates of Lord Caitanya who appeared around 500 years ago. They were also authors of important Vaishnava literature which reveal the science of devotional service to Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. However, they are not merely authorities in the art of devotion, but they have been identified as incarnations of manjaris, intimate associates of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna from the spiritual world. This is why they have a unique perspective and understanding of the pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna, and how to best live one's life to enter into those pastimes in the spiritual world. Therefore, what they offer is not merely a process for attaining knowledge of one's spiritual identity, or how to gain liberation form the material existence, but they provide the doorway into the most intimate pastimes in the spiritual world, and the means to become absorbed in the madhurya-rasa of loving Sri Sri Radha and Krishna as a maidservant. Starting from the youngest to the oldest, this includes the following: Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami (1505 A.D. to 1579 A.D.) met Sri Caitanya when He visited Varanasi and stayed at the house of Tapana Mishra, the father of Raghunatha Bhatta. Raghunatha was just a boy, but washed the Lord's dishes and massaged His legs. When he grew to a young man, he visited Lord Caitanya at Jagannatha Puri for eight months. Later, the Lord ordered him to go to Vrindavana under the care of Srila Rupa Gosvami. By regular recitation of the Srimad-Bhagavatam for Rupa Gosvami, Raghunatha Bhatta attained perfectional love of Krishna. Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami's spiritual identity is Raga Manjari. Her service is painting in the spiritual abode. His history is more fully explained in the Caitanya-caritamrita (Adi-lila, 10.154 onwards). Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami (1503 A.D. to 1578 A.D.) formerly belonged to the Ramanuja sampradaya, but joined the Gaudiya sampradaya. When Lord Caitanya toured South India, He stayed four months at the house of Venkata Bhatta, Gopal Bhatta's father. During that time Gopal Bhatta served the Lord and was later initiated by his uncle, the great sannyasi Prabodhananda Sarasvati. He went to Vrindavana and was cared for by Sanatana and Rupa Gosvami. He also established the Radharamana Deity in Vrindavana and accepted Srinivasa Acharya and Gopinatha Pujari as two of his disciples. Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami is an incarnation of Ananga Manjari or Guna Manjari. She performs the service of offering water to Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. (Cc.Adi-lila, 10.105.pur.) Raghunatha dasa Gosvami (1495 A.D. to 1571 A.D.) came from a family of Vaishnavas. Although he was a family man, he had no attachment for it. Though his father and uncle put up guards to prevent him from leaving, Raghunatha still managed to escape and meet Lord Caitanya at Jagannatha Puri. He went on to write three books, the Stava-mala (Stavavali), Dana-carita and Mukta-carita. He lived a long time, residing mostly at Radha Kunda near Vrindavana. He gave up most eating and sleeping, and was only concerned with chanting the holy names of Krishna. His eyes were always full of tears of ecstasy. Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami is the incarnation of Rasa Manjari, or sometimes called Rati Manjari or Tulasi Manjari. She messages the feet of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. (His story is found in Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila.10.91) Srila Rupa Gosvami (1489 A.D. to 1564 A.D.) was directly instructed by Lord Caitanya. His writings were extensive and quite advanced, many of which have been used as the foundation of the standards the Gaudiya Vaishnavas continue to follow. His writings include the Vidagdha-madhava, Lalita-madhava, Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, Ujjvala-nilamani, and others. Srila Rupa Gosvami is the incarnation of Sri Rupa Manjari. In the spiritual realm of Goloka Vrindavana she engages in offering golden colored betel nuts to Their Lordships. Srila Sanatana Gosvami (1488 A.D. to 1558 A.D.) was also directly instructed by Lord Caitanya. He established temples in Vrindavana and wrote several prominent books and commentaries, such as Brihad-Bhagavatamrita, Hari-bhakti-vilasa, Vaishnava-toshani (commentary on the 10<SUP>th</SUP> Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam), and Brihad-vaishnava-toshani (full commentary on the Bhagavatam). Srila Sanatana Gosvami is Lavanga or Lila Manjari, sometimes called Rati Manjari, one of the leaders of Srimati Radharani's maidservants. Her service is offering garlands of cloves to Their Lordships. (Cc.Adi-lila.10.84.pur) Another associate of Lord Caitanya is Srila Lokanatha Gosvami, who is an incarnation of Manjulali Manjari. Her service is assisting Sri Sri Radha and Krishna in dressing. Other associates of Lord Caitanya are the sakhis in the spiritual world. For example, Svarupa Damodara is an incarnation Lalita Sakhi, also called Anuradha, one of the nitya-sakhis. Her service includes offering betel nuts for the pleasure of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. The person known as Govindananda is Chitra Sakhi. Her spiritual service is offering garlands of cloves to Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. Basu Ramananda is the sakhi known as Indurekha. She offers the Divine Couple honey in the spiritual realm. Shivananda Sena is the incarnation of Champakalata. Her special service is to offer jewels and waving the camara fan for their Lordships. Govinda Ghosh is the incarnation of Rangadevi. Her service is to offer sandalwood pulp. Vakreshvara Pandit is an incarnation of Tungavidya Sakhi. Her special service is singing and dancing for the pleasure of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. Vasudeva Ghosh is the incarnation of Sudevi, the twin sister of Tungavidya. Her special service is in offering water. Ramananda Raya, the person who had the conversation with Lord Caitanya which revealed the highest ideals of spiritual devotional sentiment, has been identified as an incarnation of Visakha Gopi, one of the param-prestha sakhis. Her service in the spiritual realm is to decorate Sri Sri Radha-Krishna with cloths and ornaments. Visakha Gopi would have been the perfect person to help Lord Caitanya reveal the highest levels of service to Srimati Radharani. However, Kavikarnapura has identified Ramananda Raya as Lalita Sakhi, as well as priyanarma sakha Arjuna and pure sambandhi Pandava Arjuna. As Pandava Arjuna, some feel that the conversation between Ramananda and Lord Caitanya is the reenactment of speaking the Bhagavad-gita, but with the roles of teacher and student reversed, and with higher spiritual truths being revealed regarding the devotional love capable of being developed by a devotee. Other associates of Lord Caitanya include Sikhi Mahiti, who was formerly Ragalekha, an assistant of Srimati Radharani. Gauridasa Pandita, was an incarnation of Lord Krishna's friend Subala, according to the Gaura-ganoddesap-dipika. Haridas Thakura was the incarnation of Lord Brahma. It was after Lord Brahma's humble prayers to take birth and become an associate of the Lord in His earthly pastimes did Brahma become blessed to appear as Haridasa Thakura. He was the noted acharya of the chanting of the holy names of the Lord, specifically in the form of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. He used to chant the Lord's holy names 300,000 times a day. Vasudeva Datta was the incarnation of Prahlada Maharaja. Raghunatha Vaidya was formerly Revati, the wife of Lord Balarama. Kashi Mishra was formerly the hunchback, Kubja, during Krishna's time. Bhavananda Raya was formerly Pandu, and his five sons, namely Ramananda Raya, Pattanayaka Gopinatha, Kalanidhi, Subhanidhi, and Nayaka Vaninatha, were formerly the five Pandavas. Lord Caitanya's family brother, Vishvarupa, son of Jagannatha Mishra, was an incarnation of Baladeva, Krishna's brother. Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, one of the greatest logicians at the time, wanted to teach Lord Caitanya Vedanta, but after hearing Lord Caitanya's explanation, he became His student. It is recognized that Sarvabhauma was an incarnation of the great sage Brihashpati. Gopinatha Acharya, husband of the sister of Sarvabhauma, was formerly the gopi in the spiritual world named Ratnavali. King Prataparudra was previously King Indradyumna who had established the Jagannatha temple in Puri many hundreds of years previous. He later took birth again in his own family to participate in Lord Caitanya's pastimes as King Prataparudra. Jagai and Madhai, the ruffians who threatened Lord Nityananda and Hari Thakura, were formerly the two gatekeepers of Vaikuntha, Jaya and Vijaya, who were also Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu in previous incarnations. All of these personalities were direct associates of Lord Caitanya (February 18, 1486 A.D. to 1534 A.D.). It was the Supreme Lord as Sri Caitanya who came in this age of Kali to bestow what no incarnation had ever offered before, the most elevated mellow of devotional service, the mood of conjugal love to Lord Sri Krishna. (Cc.Antya.1.132). Thus, He especially showed by example and taught the principle of offering all of one's love to Sri Krishna in the mood of the gopi maidservants of Vrindavana. It is through Lord Caitanya that Lord Krishna, appearing as His own devotee, can taste His own sweetness (Cc.Adi.6.107). Otherwise such ecstasies are the monopoly of Srimati Radharani (Cc.Mad.2.80). This intense mood (rasa) of devotion, called bhava, is especially attractive to Lord Krishna, and more influential than prema, regular loving devotion in which Krishna reciprocates His devotee's love. However, in bhava, Sri Krishna feels that He is incapable of adequately returning the deep loving sentiment and thinks He is indebted to such affectionate devotees. Therefore, among the Gaudiya Vaishnava devotees, the highest attainment is service to Lord Krishna in the manjari bhava. Such a mood is expressed as follows: "I dedicate myself to the service of Sri Rupa Manjari and Sri Rati Manjari under the guidance of Sri Lalita Sakhi and Sri Visakha Sakhi in trying to please Radha and Krishna. As a gopi of Vrindavana, I become most happy when Radha and Krishna come together and enjoy each other's company." Of course, this is all highly advanced in devotional understanding and realization, and such a mood must be gradually and practically attained through the process of sadhana-bhakti, regulated devotional service under the guidance of a similarly realized devotee spiritual master. Nonetheless, such a path and high mood is available only through this Gaudiya disciplic succession from Lord Caitanya. So to attain such a lofty position or sentiment in one's spiritual realization, one must somehow be connected with this disciplic line, or parampara. In fact, it is said that one can hear Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu through the parampara, and through the books of the pure Vaishnavas of the parampara. One person who was more than simply a devotee associate of Lord Caitanya was Srila Gadadhara Pandit. He is actually described as an incarnation of the pleasure potency of Lord Krishna, Srimati Radharani Herself (Cc. Adi.10.15 and Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 147-53), as well as a combination with Lalita Sakhi. Gadadhara Pandit's descendants and followers were also important devotees (described in Cc.Adi-lila, 12.81 onwards). As many as 33 personalities are described all together, many of which are identified as manjaris or sakhis. These included Sri Dhruvananda who was an incarnation of Lalita, and Sridhara Brahmacari, who was the gopi Chandralatika. Bhugarbha Gosani, a great friend of Lokanatha Gosvami, was Prema Manjari. Krishnadasa Brahmacari was one of the main eight sakhis (asta sakhis) named Indulekha. Sivananda Chakravarti was also said to be Lavanga Manjari.

There are five kinds of sakhis, known as sakhis, nitya-sakhis, prana-sakhis, priya-sakhis, and parama-prestha-sakhis. The regular sakhis are more affectionate toward Sri Krishna, while the nitya-sakhis are more affectionate toward Srimati Radharani. Others are equally affectionate toward Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, while sometimes they are more affectionate toward Srimati Radharani. The manjaris are the direct maidservants of Srimati Radharani. They are younger, innocent girls, not more than thirteen years old, and the exclusive maidservants of Radharani. The manjaris are thus allowed to personally serve in the inner areas of the groves (kunjas) of Vrindavana, where the sakhis have no access. Therefore, they witness the intimate loving pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna and relish the highest levels of devotional bliss. As Srila Raghunatha das Gosvami writes in his Vraja Vilas Stava (text 31): "I take shelter of Sri Rupa Manjari and the other very dear maidservants of the great queen of Vrindavana, Srimati Radhika, who please her by offering Her betel, massaging Her feet, offering Her water, and arranging for Her rendezvous with Krishna. Because these maidservants can enter the area where the Divine Couple enjoy their most confidential pastimes without feeling shy, they are even more dear to Radhika than the sakhis such as Lalita, who themselves are more dear to Her than life itself. In other words, the manjaris, headed by Sri Rupa Manjari, can freely enter those kunjas where even the prana-prestha sakhis hesitate to enter." Starting with Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, among his numerous preaching activities, he wrote over 80 volumes of authoritative translations, commentaries and summary studies of the religious texts of India, such as the Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and others. Many of these volumes have been translated into numerous languages around the world. Due to his efforts, this sampradaya became a global movement, and he was given credit for being the senapati bhakta (great devotee commander) who was predicted by Srila Bhaktivinoda and Lord Caitanya Himself who would come and preach in different countries and flood the world with the chanting of Hare Krishna. Thus, he was especially empowered to deliver this message and took the mission of the previous acharyas and Lord Caitanya to spread love of God to all souls. It was through Srila Prabhupada that we, especially those of us in the West, now have access to this Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya, which is one of the few, if not only, genuine lines of disciplic succession broadcasting the intimate pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna in the company of Their confidential maidservant associates in the spiritual realm of Vrindavana. Hardly anywhere else can you learn such privileged information about the spiritual world. Srila Prabhupada has offered the path to the divine pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna by providing the knowledge as well as methods of meditation and service through which we can learn and absorb ourselves in the ways of the residents and damsels of Vraja. In this way, he has given us everything we need, even more than we can hope to understand in this lifetime. Few people, no matter how spiritual they may be, have any idea of this level of spiritual taste or relations, known as madhurya-rasa. This is what Lord Caitanya came to give 500 years ago, and which is still being offered by the efforts and mercy of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada and his genuine followers. Even now, the mantras that are offered to the brahminical initiates include the Gopla mantra and the Kama-gayatri, which are specifically meant to promote being absorbed in the loving sentiments and mood of the cowherd damsel servants of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. This most transcendental loving emotion is being passed down through the disciplic succession. Even Srila Prabhupada's godbrother, Srila Bhaktiprajnana Keshava Gosvami Maharaja, who gave him sannyasa initiation in 1959, has been recognized as Vinoda Manjari in his spiritual identity. Since all acharyas in our sampradaya from Srila Madhavendra Puri have the same mood as their initiating masters, it is, therefore, most likely that Srila Prabhupada, as a follower of Rupa Gosvami, is also in the same madhurya-rasa, or mood of a loving maidservant of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. So this most beneficial line of spiritual teachers has appeared to allow us to take shelter of them through their instructions and books. Srila Prabhupada took initiation from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta revealed his own spiritual identity (svarupa) as Nayana Manjari to some of his close associates. Plus, Srila Bhaktivinoda had prayed to the Lord to send him one of His associates as a son to help him spread the Lord's mission. Thus, Bhaktisiddhanta is also considered a ray of Vishnu. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta had done wonders in spreading the teachings of Lord Caitanya and expand the efforts of his father, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Bhaktisiddhanta had established the Gaudiya Math institution with numerous temples. It spread Krishna consciousness all over India. He was a forceful and powerful preacher and scholar, and he wrote numerous articles, books and commentaries, including the Bhagavad-gita, Brahma-samhita, Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, and numerous others. All of these contributed greatly to the authority of the Vaishnava tradition and to spiritual consciousness in general. Then it was Srila Prabhupada who greatly expanded the efforts of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta by taking the message of Lord Caitanya far outside the borders of India. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta had taken initiation from Gaura-kishora das Babaji, under the instruction of his father. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura revealed the spiritual identity of Gaura-kishora das Babaji as Guna Manjari in his Gaudiya Patrika. Gaura-kishora had taken babaji initiation from Bhagavat dasa Babaji, who was a direct disciple of Jagannatha dasa Babaji. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura had taken Jagannatha dasa Babaji as his instructing guru, and referred to him as the Commander-in-Chief of the Vaishnavas. Srila Bhaktivinoda did much work and writing to help spread the Gaudiya Vaishnava mission, and foresaw the day when the message would travel throughout the world and bring numerous people from all over to Mayapur to glorify Lord Caitanya. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura also wrote numerous books and many songs in the mood of being absorbed in the pastimes of serving the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radhika and Madhava (Krishna) as a maidservant. In his books, Sri Navadvipa-bhava-taranga and Gita Mala, Srila Bhaktivinoda revealed his spiritual identity as Kamala Manjari, the eternal assistant of Ananga Manjari. Srila Rupa Gosvami explains in his Sri Sri Radha-Krishna ganoddesha-dipika that Ananga Manjari is one of the vara, or topmost gopis, as well as sister of Srimati Radharani. Furthermore, Lord Nityananda is the spiritual brother of Lord Caitanya and incarnation of Lord Balarama, Lord Krishna's brother. As explained in the Sri Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika by Srila Kavi-karnapura, Lord Balarama's two wives are Srimati Varuna-devi and Srimati Revati-devi. These two wives also appeared as the wives of Lord Nityananda under the names of Srimati Vasudha-devi and Srimati Jahnava-devi. Both of them are considered expansions of Ananga Manjari. Thus, Srila Bhaktivinoda is the eternal assistant of Ananga Manjari, the eternal consort of Lord Nityananda. Jagannatha dasa Babaji was the disciple of Srila Madhusudana dasa Babaji, whose guru was Srila Uddhava dasa Babaji, who was the disciple of Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana, the great Gaudiya Vedanta acharya. Baladeva Vidyabhushana was originally in the disciplic line of Madhvacharya, but after meeting Radha Damodara Deva Gosvami he converted to Gaudiya Vaishnavism and became the disciple of Radha Damodara Deva Gosvami. Soon after meeting Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura (late 17<SUP>th</SUP> century) who was the head of the Gaudiya Vaishnava community at the time, he became his ardent follower. Thereafter, Baladeva became a babaji, established the Shyamasundara Deity in Vrindavana, and accepted disciples. However, that was not the most important thing he accomplished. There is a very nice story of what he did that helped give recognition to the Vaishnava tradition. Members of the Ramanuja (or Sri) sampradaya had challenged the authenticity of the Gaudiya sampradaya, especially that there was no proper commentary on the Vedanta-sutra from the Gaudiya school of thought. This was in spite of the fact that the Srimad-Bhagavatam had already been accepted by the Vaishnavas as the ultimate commentary on Vedanta, as expressed by Sri Caitanya. The king of Jaipur notified Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura of this, but he was now too old to travel to meet the challenge. So Vishvanatha sent Baladeva Vidyabhushana in his place. He was able to debate with them successfully on the grounds of philosophy, yet they wanted to see a direct written commentary. The Deity of Govindaji appeared in a dream to Baladeva and instructed him on the proper commentary to write, which he wrote in a very short time. This was called the Govinda-bhashya, signifying that it was the commentary as given by the Govinda Deity. The commentary justified the Gaudiya sampradaya's connection with the line of Madhvacharya, coming through Lakshmipati Tirtha, Madhavendra Puri, and Ishvara Puri. In light of this, it is mentioned by Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya that the associate of Lord Caitanya, Gopinatha Acharya, had heard Lord Caitanya instruct Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya on the accurate elaboration of Vedanta. It was this Gopinatha Acharya who again took birth as Baladeva Vidyabhushana to reveal the Sri Govinda-bhashya, the natural commentary on the Srimad-Bhagavatam. When the commentary was presented in the assembly before the king and members of the Sri sampradaya, they were awed by this presentation and were willing to become Baladeva's disciples. Soon after this, Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura left this world, but only after giving full blessings to Baladeva Vidyabushana, who took charge of the Gaudiya sampradaya at the time.

Yes, agree, where do you get such nonsense? Please read Srila Prabhupada's Srimad Bhagavatam and learn his teachings and the teachings of the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Disciplic Succession (Parampara) The Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Disciplic Succession and ItsUnique Characteristics: of Which We are a Part by Stephen Knapp It is established that everyone who seeks spiritual knowledge and enlightenment must accept a genuine teacher. Even if one has already attained enlightenment in a previous life and is automatically born with such knowledge, proper etiquette dictates that one approaches a spiritual master. Such a master must be in an authorized sampradaya, or line of disciplic succession of other spiritual masters from whom he has received knowledge. In this way, the unique transcendental message flows through the disciplic succession in a continuous, pure and non-contaminated form. This is the mystery of receiving pure spiritual knowledge through a genuine line of masters. The sampradaya of which we are a part is the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya, which descends from Lord Krishna and then Lord Brahma, through Madhvacharya, and through Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (Gaudiya), the great sage, scholar and incarnation of Lord Krishna who appeared only 500 years ago. He appeared with His eternal associates to relish and display the loving sentiments of devotion for Lord Krishna. His mission was not merely to teach the way of devotion to God, especially through the congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, but much deeper than that. He revealed to the world what is rarely obtained and what had never before been given--love of Lord Krishna as practiced by the most intimate inhabitants of the spiritual world in Goloka Vrindavana. Lord Caitanya exhibited this love and instructed His associates, like the Six Gosvamis of Vrindavana, to write volumes of devotional scriptures about the nature of this devotional love for Lord Krishna. The deepest level of this love is to understand how to meditate on becoming a maidservant of Srimati Radharani. She is the topmost devotee of Lord Krishna, and His feminine expansion as the personification of Lord Krishna's pleasure potency, the hladini-shakti. She is the enchanter of Lord Krishna Himself. Just as Sri Krishna captivates all the living entities by His beauty and loving characteristics, Srimati Radharani similarly captivates Lord Krishna by Her love and charming qualities. Srimati Radharani's love for Lord Krishna is so condensed and sweet that Sri Krishna is so maddened by it that He accepts the form of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who descends in the mood of Radharani, in order to more thoroughly understand and relish the love Srimati Radharani has for Him. Therefore, the goal of a devotee of Lord Caitanya, following in the footsteps of His associates, is to meditate on becoming a maidservant of Srimati Radharani to assist Her in giving that love to Lord Krishna. Out of so many spiritual processes for realizing one's spiritual nature, this is the most intimate of all spiritual loving sentiments. You will find none more sublime than this. However, it is not easily understandable, and you cannot comprehend it by the standard materialistic methods. In order to understand the transcendental science of the loving affairs of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna and Their associates, one must learn it from those who are descendants from that supreme spiritual realm. This is the unique character of the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya. It provides a seeker with the knowledge and books from those who have personal experience of such spiritual realms and divine consciousness. The most recent representative of our sampradaya is His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada was the disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, the disciple of Gaurkishora das Babaji and son of Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Bhaktivinoda took shelter and instructions from Jagannatha das Babaji. From there the line of masters and disciples goes back to Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura, then to Narottama das Thakura, Krishna dasa Kaviraj, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and Jiva Gosvami. Then it continues to Sri Rupa Gosvami, along with Svarupa Damodara and Sanatana Gosvami. Then we arrive at Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the most recent incarnation of God who descended to distribute love of God to all conditioned souls. Lord Caitanya taught by example that everyone should accept a spiritual master, and He took initiation from Ishvara Puri. From Ishvara Puri, our line of spiritual masters goes back through Madhavendra Puri, then to Lakshmipati, Vyasa Tirtha, Brahmanya Tirtha, Purushottama, Jayadharma, Rajendra, Vidyanidhi, Dayanidhi, Jnansindhu, Jaya Tirtha, Akshobya, Madhava, Nrihari, Padmanabha, Madhvacharya, Srila Vyasadeva, Narada Muni, Lord Brahma, and Lord Sri Krishna. [We have included separate web pages that more thoroughly describe Srila Prabhupada, Lord Sri Caitanya, Srila Vyasadeva, and Lord Sri Krishna.] It is understood that you cannot give such loving devotion to others unless you have it yourself. However, as we shall see in the descriptions that follow, we do not have spiritual masters in our line who merely have an intense devotion to Lord Krishna and Srimati Radharani. Many of these masters have descended into the material realm to explicitly describe their direct view of these pastimes from their own experience in the spiritual world, and their books are filled with such descriptions. They are already perfected or descended masters who have come to awaken and guide us back to their own areas of intimate service to Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. Providing short descriptions of the spiritual qualities of the great personalities in this sampradaya, we will see how fortunate we are to have come in contact with them since many have been identified as having direct spiritual relationships with Lord Krishna and Srimati Radharani in the form of either manjaris or sakhis. A sakhi is one who expands and facilitates the conjugal love of Lord Krishna and His enjoyment among the gopis, the maidservants. The gopis in general bring Radha and Krishna together and give Them assurance to enjoy spiritual pastimes. That is the transcendental pleasure of the gopis. The gopis never act for their own personal satisfaction. They are simply pleased by engaging others in the service of the Lord. The sakhis of Srimati Radharani, headed by Lalita and Vishaka, are unlimited in number. They are in the same age group of Radharani, and, thus, they sometimes deal directly with Lord Krishna. The sakhis help provide a variety of facilities for the pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. Occasionally, Radharani makes arrangements for the sakhis to have direct association with Lord Krishna.

Yes, very well written, I suggest those who sit back and criticize Narayana Maharaj see for themselves those who have taken shelter of his kind and humble association. Narayana Maharaj has saved so many from the influences of Kali-yuga and that he must be respect for as being a great Vaishnava, the same respect must be given to Govinda Maharaj as well Just by seeing these transcendental souls, you feel the warmth and spiritual potency and immediately, as I did, you beg for forgiveness for being so immature and offensive to them and ALL the devotees in the past. It is alright to have disagreements philosophically but NEVER criticize these great devotees who are so dedicated to Lord Caitanya and Krsna and who are saving so many fallen souls. Dandavats to Narayana Maharaj and Govinda Maharaj I am always begging to them and their disciples to please forgive me for offences. Bhaktivedanta Avaduta Maharaj is a personal friend and Godbrother for 37 years who took sannyas off Narayana Maharaj and is such a humble caring great soul who has cleared the rot from my vision!! Remember, all of us are always evolving. As He once said "Nothing is unforgivable to the devotees of Krsna because they know forgiveness is the greatest assert of a devotee of Lord Caitanya (patita pavana). <TABLE border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle> Sripad BV Avadhuta Maharaja (previously known Upananda prabhu, Srila Prabhupada's first disciple in Australia, initiated in 1970. He would get me to read Krsna Book in April 1971, when I was 16 years old, while he cooked the offering for Radha Gopinath </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

I accept that because I have recently heard him speak however, with great respect to his ability to offer other fallen souls his blissful shelter and the path of Krsna Consciousness, personally my only disagreement with his teachings is about the origin of the jiva soul, found clearly explained as follows that you and others are familar with. Personally I respect him, but I disagree with him on this point. Hare Krsna Quote: <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #666666 1px solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 3ex; BORDER-TOP: #666666 1px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 3ex; BORDER-LEFT: #666666 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #666666 1px solid" bgColor=#e0e0e0>Originally Posted by realist Srila Prabhupada – ‘originally everyone (all marginal living entities) is nitya-siddha’. Srila Prabhupada - “Originally everyone is nitya-siddha. nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti ’sadhya’ kabhu naya sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya. Every living entity originally nitya-siddha, ". Srimad-Bhagavatam Class 7.9.4– Mayapur, February 18, 1977 Our original position is eternal, we are all eternally nitya-siddha which IS our original and eternal position, presently covered while we dream away in the material creation. The Brahmajyoti or Krsna’s effulgence, IS the entire creation, divided up into three zones of conscious thought, from devotional activity in the Vaikunthas, to conditioned activity in the mahat-tattva, to inactivity in the dormant dreamless state - All are aspects of the Brahmajyoti These different aspects of the Brahmajyoti can be achieved or experienced by free will and choice however, ONLY Krsna's abode and the Vaikunthas, that make up 75% of the Brahmajyoti, Spiritual Sky or creation, are without end and situated in the personal active 'eternal present' of Krsna's perpetual pastimes that has no past or future, only the eternal NOW.. The other 25% of the Brahmajyoti is made up of those who have chosen to forgotten their nitya -siddha body in the 'eternal present' and have entered that part of creation known as the perishable mahat-tattva and later on may enter the temporary impersonal Brahman, both in a 'dream consciousness' known as the baddha-jiva. The mahat tattva has no concept of 'present', only the past and future exists in the temporary mahat tattva thats side effect is decay, forgettfulness and impermanance This devotional active original fullness of the Brahmajyoti is eternal personal, which means it is made up of ALL living entities that are perpetually represented there in their perpetual nitya-siddha body serving Krsna For a living entity, who has transmigrated through the lower species to the human biological body, simply means that the living entity had FIRST chosen to ‘consciously (like in a dream), fall down from Krsnaloka, long, long, long ago, from also the eternal body that is their real perpetual ‘self’ (nitya-siddha) whose only activity there is serving Krsna or God. This was achieved by free will and choice; the marginal living entity therefore is able to leave Goloka ‘consciously’ as their secondary lower baddha-jiva consciousness and travel to the heavenly planets within the mahat-tattva creation of Maha-Vishnu. The baddha-jiva may then travel further to the middle planets, then the hellish planets, and the then to lower species of biological life. Some baddha-jivas may also take shelter in the dormant aspect of their own baddha-jiva consciousness that is collectively, along with other baddha-jivas who have also chosen the dreamless dream state, known as the impersonal aspect of the Brahman effulgence The impersonal characteristic of the Brahmajyoti or Brahman IS the nitya-baddha souls in a collective of souls that IS the impersonal aspect of the Brahmajyoti. The brahmajyoti is full of jiva-souls; the word sarva-gatah means life IS the Brahmajyoti and is everywhere. So, what is the Brahmajyoti? The Brahmajyoti or Krsna’s effulgence, IS the entire creation, divided up into three zones of conscious thought, from devotional activity in the Vaikunthas, to conditioned activity in the mahat-tattva, to inactivity in the dormant dreamless state - All are aspects of the Brahmajyoti 1.The Vaikunthas and Krsnaloka those are always active in service to Krsna or Vishnu 2. The mahat-tattva or material creation of Maha-Vishnu that is where the marginal living entity can CHOOSE to go to lead their own way of life without Krsna 3. When those who have entered the mahat-tattva become fed up with the temporary frustrating nature of the material world and the vessels or bodies they move around in, they often seek an inactive dormant state of consciousness. They only seek out such an end to their existence because they still have no memory or recollection of their eternal body in Krsnaloka. Therefore, due to this ignorant state the baddha-jiva is in, they choose to learn through the yogic process, to ‘close their consciousness down’ and stop the generation of thought. (which can be achieved, but is also a temporary dormant 'state of the baddha-jiva's consciousness". This dormant conscious state of the baddha-jiva is known as the impersonal Brahmajyoti, which means it is the ‘inactive ‘state of consciousness of the souls that make up and IS the Personal Brahmajyoti – hence its reflection is the impersonal aspect of that same Brahmajyoti. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> <!-- END TEMPLATE: bbcode_quote -->So we should all try to understand our original position that is our eternal identity in Krsnaloka', as Prabhupada would say’. Actually there is no birth of the jivas. They are all eternal, like Krishna Himself. Many things in the shastra is said to convince the jivas conditioned in the material world, that their real home is Krsnaloka. There are so many things that Vedic sastra has told us, whereas in reality, in Goloka Vrndavana dhama (Krsnaloka), due to the 'eternal presents', where there is no past or future, these things will be seen in another way. What is that other way that many say is conceivable to understand? The simple answer is, on that level or ‘seeing things in an other way’, is the material creation, of trillion upon trillions of years and life times, will appear no-more than a moment of dreaming in Krsnaloka. “Formerly we were with Krsna in His Lila” Letter from Srila Prabhupada in 1972 to devotee in Australia No one like a cowherd boy, lies down and sleeps in Goloka, then dreams they are in the material world. No, it is not like that. WHY?? The cow herd boy laying down sleeping and then dreams, in no way represents how the living entity comes down 'sub-consciously' from their perpetual nitya-siddha body to the material creation as their baddha-jiva dreaming conscious state. Actually because of the ‘concept of time’, there are really no two states of consciousness, which means there is really no sub conscious secondary self, even though it is explained that way. Within the 'eternal presents' there is only one 'concept of time' and 'one eternal nitya siddha form of each marginal living being' that is eternally present in Goloka or Krsnaloka. What is really going on is to do with time, the time that separates the ‘eternal present’ in Goloka from the divided time of ‘past, present and future of the mahat-tattva. The final proof, as clearly explained by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, is that all jiva/souls or marginal living entities are originally (Which means eternally when refering to the Kingdom of God) , serving Krishna perpetually as their full devotional bodily form, but have presently, due to choice, forgotten their real eternal vigraha (form) svarupa (devotional body) that is always present in Krsnaloka. This means all living entities have an imperishable bodily form called ‘svarupa’ which is the full potential and expression of all marginal living beings who are all within the ‘eternal present’ of time and space, devoid of past and future within Gods eternal Kingdom known as Goloka Vrndavana or Krsnaloka right now. Within that unending world, all living entities are perpetually existing, which means they are always present there in ‘the eternal present’ without the concept of past and future as their bodily (vigraha) svarupa (devotional personality) form, whom are the eternal servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Krishna. Therefore, ALL living entities were created as sat, chit, ananda in the form of eternal vigraha in the beginning (which paradoxically was beginningless). In this way, the original residence of all living entities (marginal beings) is their original home Goloka-Vrndavana or Krsnaloka, which is the imperishable Kingdom of God. Srila Prabhupada - We have also come down from Vaikuntha some millions and millions of years ago." - Lecture on Bhagavad-gita on August 6, 1973 Srila Prabhupada: You are already in the spiritual sky, but you are simply covered. Just like the sun is already there. You are also already there…So actually we are always in the spiritual world. But when you forget Krishna by the cloud of illusion, then that is material. Try to understand”. In a Srimad-Bhagavatam lecture given in London, on July 30, 1971 The paradox here is no one never really leaves Goloka, they only imagine they do by falling out of sync with the 'eternal present' The resulting paradox is that while one is in the material world, they are actually in the material world because not only do they have no memory of their 'eternal svarupa' body, but also they have consciously separated themselves from the eternal present’ where their real eternal bodily self resides. It's almost as if the awareness of the living entities nitya siddha body is suspended within the eternal present because of consciously falling out of sync with the ETERNAL PRESENT’ of Krsnaloka where their 'permanent 'real' bodily self is serving Krsna. (At least it is this way to those who have fallen from the eternal present realm) But actually from the point of view of Goloka, everything is still going on in the service of the Lord in relationships with Krishna and His associates nothing is ever suspended there. The only thing that has changed is the ones awareness of 'eternal time' in relation to 'divided time' - hence it is not a division of consciousness, but rather a division of time. Actually, when one again becomes aware of their eternal nitya-siddha body and relationship with Krishna, it will be as if their baddha-jiva dream state never existed. On return to the 'eternal present’, it will be as if they never left because nothing has changed in Goloka. 1. The 'eternal present' in the imperishable Vaikuntha and Krsnaloka Planets, can never be compared to the mahat-tattva dreams of Maha-Vishnu where the time span of a trillion mahat-tattva material universes, that seem an almost eternity in material time, would only appear no more than a mere moment of time in the eternal Kingdom of God and selfless devotion (Vaikuntha) 2. And the divided time of 'past and future devoid of the any present' of the perishable mahat-tattva, that has a further distortions of time and space in the higher, middle and lower material planetary systems, were there is even more dimensions of material time and space within the mahat-tattva, different again from our experience and perception of time on our middle earth planet. Sarva

HH Gour Govinda Swami's Vyasa Puja Celebrations in Mayapur! <!-- start 'content' --><!-- begin content -->By Shyamagopika dd on Mon, 2008-09-01 14:34. Srila Gour Govinda Swami's dedication to the mission and instructions of his spiritual master was glorified by his god brothers, disciples and devotees in Mayapur. On Maharaja’s vyasapuja day, his video lecture was played in the temple hall. To listen to remembrances was a great inspiration to absorb ourselves in the service attitude. 'Instructions of his spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada,are Gour Govinda Maharaja's life and soul. Srila Prabhupada ordered him to translate his books in Oriya language,which Maharaja ardently executed throughout his life. He never used to take even a single drop of water until he completed the translation work for the day. It happened that once when Maharaja traveled overseas, his servant misplaced the key of the trunk which carried books for translation. Maharaja fasted the whole day until he could get the books.' As Bhadracharu das glorified Gour Govinda Maharaja, he cited another instance where in spite of extreme physical discomfort with boils in his arm and leg, Maharaja traveled 250 km to preach vigorously supporting namahatta devotees. He was also successful in establishing Bhuvaneswar Bhakti Vedanta Book Trust. Maharaja was also known for his long and deep Srimad Bhagavatham classes. HH Umapati Swami, Jananivasa Pr, Pankajanghri pr spoke on the occasion. Kamala Pati pr glorifed his gurudeva as a devotee from his childhood where his devotion to Gopal Jiu was extraordinary. When he was awarded sanyasa within a short span of time after his meeting with Srila Prabhupada, many devotees were astonished on Srila Prabhupada’s decision. When they inquired with Srila Prabhupada, he replied that ‘He is a sanyasi from his birth. I just gave him danda!’ After the offerings, washing of lotus feet of Maharaja was performed with kirtan, followed by bhoga offering, arthi and feast prasadam. All glories to Srila Gour Govinda Swami!

Thanks for the link, I have been searching for these inspiring lectures

Yes, very inspiring, and true, how can we live correctly without the association of devotees?

nice photos in link below, you can count the 'whites' on two hands, not that there is anything wrong with that except we all have a lot of preaching in Australia to do. http://flickr.com/photos/rasadd/sets...60173422/show/

nice photos, you can count the 'whites' on two hands, not that there is anything wrong with that except we all have a lot of preaching in Australia to do. http://flickr.com/photos/rasadd/sets/72157606960173422/show/

Yes, this is the purpose of Srila Prabhupad coming to the West however, we cannot deny the fact that the Hindu community has revived ISKCON and possibly saved ISKCON from being lumped in as a werd cult After the guru fiasco and the exudes of white Americans, Australians and Europeans we are now seeing ‘HINDU’S’ coming in to fill the ‘void’ Yes, I also saw, NOT 2% of whites at the Temple, but less than a quarter percent of 12,000 people. It's all good and part of an unfolding bigger picture

There are many, many great devotees in ISKCON who, by their pure presents, have kept the checks and balances in order. Whatever deviations have gone on in the past, it is these un sung pure devotee heroes, who keep the ISKCON movement honest and transparent where no lie can live for too long. Due to them, a lie or deviation will ALWAYS be exposed for what it is as we have seen with so many. We may not recognise such pure devotees in ISKCON due to being too materially contaminated ourselves, but they are there hidden amongst us maintaining the purity of the movement. Two humble souls that come to mind that are faultless are the twin Prajaries or priests at Mayapur. They ARE pure souls but make no big deal of it. Go and seek their association and you WILL feel the presents of Radha and Krsna, Gour Nitai and Srila Prabhupada. It is devotees like them, and there is many of them, that keep the foundations of ISKCON completely pure

Nice posts bija Although; it's unfortunate and a shame that most (not all) of the disciples of Govinda Maharaj (Srila Sridhar Maharaj's successor) that I know of, CLEARY cannot understand these pure teachings. From what I see and hear about their gatherings, all they can do is see the faults of ISKCON devotees and are too materially mundane and less intelligent to see the spirituality or pure eternal soul within all living creatures In all fairness, this does not mean all ISKCON devotees are beyond the same mundane self-righteous fault finding. In fact, whether it's ISKCON, or Govinda Maharaj's flock or Narayana Maharaj’s people, it appears the poisonous contamination of identifying the material body one is trapped in as the pure eternal soul, is deeply riveted within such 'so called devotees' mundane viewpoint of reality. It really exposes how spiritually immature some so called devotees are, it's almost if they want those who have fallen down or struggled, to suffer 'eternal damnation'. I don't know what they read into the teachings of Govinda Maharaj and his Spiritual Master Srila Sridhar Maharaj, or Narayana Maharaj, or even my dear Godbrother Gour Govinda Maharaj I stayed with and shared a room with in Mayapur (A disciple Guru of Srila Prabhupada) who I have had the good fortune to meet all of them and listen to their classes at Navadwip. They certainly do not preach such 'eternal contamnation' and eternal expulsion from the association of devotees' as many fools do who claim to be their followers If such self righteous ignorant so called devotees think this way, then maybe they should become Chtistians because they believe in that nonsense 'eternal damnation' and 'eternal expulsion from the Kingdom of God and the association of Krsna's dear merciful devotees!! We, who are devotees of Srila Prabhupada and those who are devotees of Srila Sridhar Maharaj, KNOW Karma (the reactions of ALL our sins no matter how degrading and offensive they are) are temporary and ultimately eventually, we are ALL uncovered from this material dream, from the material veil of biological body and mind, to realize we are ALL pure souls and servants of Lord Krsna. We therefore, are NOT these troublesome agitating material bodies or mind that technically is a part and parcel of the mahat-tattva and has nothing to do with who we really are in our eternal svarupa devotional form. Srila Sridhara Maharaja - "No matter; up to whatever extent they go, ultimately they end up becoming the worshiper of the self". Even this comment is not eternal in the material World because in the correct understanding of Spitiual life, as also taught by Srila Sridhar Maharaj and Govinda Maharaj, IS there is no such thing as eternal damnation or eternal expulsion from Krsna's Vaikuntha Kingdom. Srila Sridhar Maharaj's grand disciples (followers of Govinda Maharaj) as well as Narayana Maharaj's disciples and other Gaudiya Math followers, as well as ALL members of ISKCON, should TRY and understand this Spiritual fact and elevate themselves above the mundane mental platform that makes them believe they are their material body and everyone else is also their material vessel. Anyway Prabhu, Happy Janamastami and glorious to Lord Krsna's appearance day. Are you going to Melbourne Temple today? I'm there now on my lap top, the place is packed. There was such a beautiful morning program with sweet bhajans sung by young Indian boys. There is even Police directing traffic at the end of Dank street, unless you came early as I did, you won't get a car park within four blocks of the Temple

Srila Sridhara Maharaja: No matter; up to whatever extent they go, ultimately they end up becoming the worshiper of the self. They think that they will become God. The geocentric philosophy is not heliocentric. According to Srila Prabhupada [srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura], they are not heliocentric. They are geocentric. Their limit is only up to their senses. Beyond that, they don't have any understanding whatsoever. Ultimately their goal is Brahmaloka. Brahmaloka is the ultimate goal of these people, and beyond that they don't have any knowledge. The para-bhakti on the brahma-bhuta platform-that when one is situated on the Brahman platform, the transcendental platform, there the pure devotional service begins-they don't have any understanding about that.

Room Conversation March 1977 Srila Prabhupada: I very much want,Sridhara Maharaja, that you come and stay at Mayapura. Because (Bhaktisiddhanta) Prabhupada always desired that you preach. He told me quite a few times, "Why don't you pull him out?" [They both laugh.] You know, I also tried to some extent before, but somehow or other it did not work out. Now, why don't you come and stay at Mayapura? Srila Sridhara Maharaja: The central principle of ISKCON philosophy is surrender, otherwise one will not be able to get to know the substance. Whatever you are seeing externally by means of your intelligence -- that is not going to help you to become acquainted with the real substance. Srila Prabhupada: That Dr. Radhakrishnan [author and one-time president of India] was victimized by Western philosophy. He had no real understanding of Indian philosophy. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: No matter; up to whatever extent they go, ultimately they end up becoming the worshiper of the self. They think that they will become God. The geocentric philosophy is not heliocentric. According to Srila Prabhupada [srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura], they are not heliocentric. They are geocentric. Their limit is only up to their senses. Beyond that, they don't have any understanding whatsoever. Ultimately their goal is Brahmaloka. Brahmaloka is the ultimate goal of these people, and beyond that they don't have any knowledge. The para-bhakti on the brahma-bhuta platform-that when one is situated on the Brahman platform, the transcendental platform, there the pure devotional service begins-they don't have any understanding about that. Srila Prabhupada: But that Radhakrishnan-inwardly he was afraid. I used to invite him from time to time. He used to be quite intimate with me. He used to say, "Please pray to God about me." Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Where did he say that? Srila Prabhupada: Where he used to stay in Delhi. He once wrote to me also, "After I retire, I shall join your movement." Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Sometimes the false prestige spoils everything. Srila Prabhupada: He used to have a lot of respect for me. Once he asked, "Are you writing everything in English?" So I asked him, "What do you do?" and he smiled. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: When he used to teach in Calcutta University, Bon Maharaja used to go to him, and once he took me with him, and before that once he brought him to Prabhupada. So this second time when we went to invite him I went with Bon Maharaja. Srila Prabhupada: Personally he was a fine gentleman. A brahmana, very cultured, but a mayavadi. He is dead now. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Yes, but Rajagopalachari [another Indian political leader/ author] was a Vaisnava. Devotee (to Prabhupada): Your Srila Prabhupada has given you a lot of mercy. Srila Prabhupada: That is all due to your blessings. I do not know for how long I will be able to carry on, so I came to see Sridhara Maharaja. Devotee: If you all go away, then the world will become dark. Srila Sridhara Maharaja (to Prabhupada): It is so wonderful that the will of the Lord becomes manifest through someone. Srila Prabhupada: I very much want, Maharaja, that you come and stay at Mayapura. Because Prabhupada always desired that you preach. He told me quite a few times, "Why don't you pull him out?" [They both laugh.] You know, I also tried to some extent before, but somehow or other it did not work out. Now, why don't you come and stay at Mayapura? Srila Sridhara Maharaja: At last Prabhupada told me: "You are an ease-lover. [Laughter] The qualifications - that you have." Srila Prabhupada: Yes, that's true. He told me also, "He is such a qualified person. Sridhara Maharaja is one of the finest preachers." I want to take you everywhere. At least at the place we have in Mayapura, people are coming from all over the world. Why don't you come and stay there? What is your objection to staying in Mayapura? If you just agree, then whatever kind of building you want, I will arrange it for you. They are trying to build a house for me, so both of us will stay there. And whenever you want, you can come here [to his Navadwipa math]. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Yes, as long as I am alive to fulfill Prabhupada's desire. Srila Prabhupada: This is my earnest desire. Since you could not go around the world and preach, at least stay there and people will come to you. I shall make that arrangement. And if you stay there, then it will be very helpful to me also. Sometimes I need to consult with someone but there is no one. There is no one with whom I can consult. I feel this deficiency very greatly. Devotee: If he stays in Mayapura, then all kinds of people will get to hear from him. Srila Prabhupada: Yes, that's right. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Yes, people from all kinds of cultural backgrounds will come there. Srila Prabhupada: Yes, they are already coming. And in that house I will make arrangements for an elevator so that you won't have to go through the difficulty of walking up and down the stairs. You won't even have to move a step yourself. I'll make arrangements for a car and a lift. Jayapataka Maharaja is telling me that he will build a house for me. So both of us will stay in that house. Most of the time I am just traveling around, so if you are there, then they can get some guidance. So Maharaja, please-give me the order and I will make all the arrangements for you. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Well, I'll think it over and let you know. Srila Prabhupada: Let me make that arrangement, Maharaja. That planetarium [the "Temple of Understanding"] also will be built under your direction. My idea is to combine the Indian culture and the American money-the lame man and the blind man policy. I tell them also that this will be very beneficial for the world. Indian culture and varnasrama. Prabhupada's desire was to establish the varnasrama-dharma. So we have to do that: we have to establish our Varnasrama College. Let the people from all over the world come and learn about varnasrama. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: The effort that you are making to acquire the land in Mayapura-has that been successful? Srila Prabhupada: No, nothing has happened as yet, but we are buying the land. How far one can hassle with the government-of course they haven't yet said either yes or no. But we are buying the land now. They demand a very exorbitant rate, but what to do? We are buying; wherever someone is selling we are buying. When they see the Americans they want a price four times more, but what to do. I feel, let these poor people also have something. They are stealing, but what to do? I feel, let them also have something. Every month I bring one million rupees to this country and spend it for our development work-about seventy to eighty thousand dollars. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: So this is a big income for Indira Gandhi. Srila Prabhupada: That's what I say. With much difficulty I translate the books at night and they print it and sell it and send seventy, eighty thousand dollars every month to me here. Is India benefiting out of this, or losing out of this? Yet they [the Indian government officials] are accusing them [the American devotees] of being C.I.A. agents. [bhakti Vilasa] Tirtha Maharaja used to say, "The American government has given Swamiji two million dollars." As if the American government could not find anything better to do or any better person to give the money. For making them chant Hare Krsna and dance they would give me two million dollars. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: A man from the Central Intelligence Department took initiation from me. He was asking me [about the American devotees]. I told him, "These are nothing but rumors. I know Swami Maharaja for a long, long time. I know him very well, and his movement is nothing but a purely spiritual movement." Actually, what they are thinking is that previously they [the Westerners] used to send the missionaries, then they used to send the merchants, and then the army used to come and take over. But those days are no more. Though if a net of such a faith of universal religion [as Gaudiya Vaisnavism] could be cast throughout the world, then perhaps that could be actualized in future. Srila Prabhupada: Yes, this study has been quite proper. This is what our plan is. I tell them that, "You work in this direction, and in the future everyone will recognize this movement." The American government is already saying that this movement is spreading like an epidemic. (To his disciples Who said this? Devotee: One congressman has said that. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Who said this? Srila Prabhupada: One American congressman from the Senate said this on the television. "The Hare Krishna Movement is expanding like an epidemic, and if we allow them to go on like this, then one day they will capture the government-within ten years." Srila Sridhara Maharaja: All the governments are becoming alarmed. (Laughter) Even this government, if they [the Western devotees] can conquer the masses and get them to support them. Srila Prabhupada: Yes, that is the fear of everybody. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Ultimately, it may become the "world state" religion. Srila Prabhupada: Automatically it will become so; that is the idea I have. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: America was being accused of trying to make a one-state world so that, "Let there be just one state, and then there won't be any wars. If the whole world is made into one state, then there won't be any wars." Srila Prabhupada: Yes, I replied to that, "You may make a one-state world. But if you make the populace into dogs, then there won't be any use, they'll just keep barking. You have to make them into human beings." Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Yes, they'll still go on fighting with each other. Srila Prabhupada: Right, that is their nature to fight. So first of all you have to make them human beings; that is the brahma bhuta prasannatma, sama sarvesu bhutesu. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Then, mad bhakti labhate param. Srila Prabhupada: When they come to that stage, then it will be more useful; otherwise there is no hope. It is not impossible to happen. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Yes, when there is a common center, then everybody can unite. Everybody can be harmonized. But that has to be real. If it is fictitious then there won't be any achievement. Srila Prabhupada: I am hearing that the present American president, President Carter, he has some such plan and he is discussing it with Indira Gandhi. He is consulting with Indira Gandhi quite intimately. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Yes, they are accepting our broad policy. From what I hear from the radio and newspaper, it seems that their policy is becoming much more broader than before. Srila Prabhupada: Besides that, they don't have any other way. Otherwise they cannot achieve what they are actually wanting-the peace through the United Nations; that cannot be achieved. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Yes, nothing less than Krsna consciousness will be able to give them that desired peace; nowhere else will they find it. Srila Prabhupada: Yes, bhoktaram yajna tapasam, sarva loka mahesvaram. So that is what I was telling them, that, "Stop fighting and making all those legal suits; then so nicely the preaching can be done in India in every village, every town." One disadvantage with these people is the language, but still, you must have heard, wherever they are going they are getting a very good reception. My Geetar-gan-first I printed five thousand, then ten thousand, then thirty thousand, but this time we are printing one hundred thousand and they are selling very nicely. In Bengali we are printing various books-Geetar-gan, Bhagavan Ekankatha, Bhagavata Darsan. In Hindi also, we are selling many books, like at Kumbha Mela we sold many, many books. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Yes, this is what Krsna consciousness is, and people will naturally wonder what is there in it that captured the whole world in just ten years. Srila Prabhupada: Now that they are opposing it, this is a great credit. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Yes, that's why the governments are organizing the oppositions. Srila Prabhupada: Yes, they are clearly mentioning that, "If they get a chance to expand unrestrictedly, then in ten years' time they'll capture the governments." Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Yes, if the mass is converted and their votes can be acquired, then the government will be captured. Srila Prabhupada: Yes, and these are all young men. The young class of people have accepted it. One scholar, Dr. Stillson Judah, has already predicted that this movement will not be destroyed, because it has entered into the bones and marrows [of Western culture]. Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Who is he, where is he from? Srila Prabhupada: He is an American, a professor in the Berkeley University.

- Where is Acyutananda (swami) who sang those wonderful bhajans in 1970? Listen to this class and Bhakta Prabhu talks about how he talked to Acyutananda (ex-Swami) a few days ago. The same Acyutananda who sings the beautiful bhajans in the early 70s

First Deserve, Then Desire Morning walk conversation, June 7, 1976 Tamala Krsna: There's another statement, I saw them, where it says, it's a quote, that you can treat Krsna, as your lover and Krsna will reciprocate. Hari-sauri: And they underlined the two words "you can" treat Krsna as your lover. In this way they're taking your quotes out of context. Ramesvara: This is one of their main, the main ideas in their philosophy is that the living entity can desire to have any relationship he wants with Krsna. Prabhupada: That's all right, he can desire. I already explained: first deserve, then desire. Tamala Krsna and Ramesvara: Deserve then desire, oh. Prabhupada: You are rascal, how you can desire? You have no qualification, you desire to high court judge. What is this nonsense? Ramesvara: But then they have an answer. Prabhupada: What is that answer? Ramesvara: That "Let me just try it anyway, to keep my mind thinking..." Prabhupada: How you can try it? First of all, be qualified, a big lawyer. Then you become high court judge. Where is that qualification? You are after illicit sex and biDi and you want to be associated with the gopIs. Ramesvara: They say that "In ISKCON, we do not..." Prabhupada: Let them say all nonsense. They are disqualified. Sahajiya babajis, that's all. Tamala Krsna: There's about forty of them in this temple. Fifty. There's fifty of them in this temple, Prabhupada. Ramesvara: Oh, really? Tamala Krsna: Oh, yes. Hari-sauri: A women's group and a men's group. Tamala Krsna: There's a women's group with about twenty-five or thirty. Hari-zauri: The thing is that they're going around and they're soliciting for people to come and join their group, and then immediately they come, they immediately take them into all the details of the gopIs with Krsna. Prabhupada: Then let them.... Unless they follow the regulative principles, there is no place for that in the temple. Let them go out. Ramesvara: They are following. Tamala Krsna: Yes. Prabhupada: That is their fault. They want to utilize the love affairs of Krsna and gopIs for their debauchery. That is a support for their debauchery. That is sahajiya. Tamala Krsna: That's the meaning of sahajiya. Prabhupada: Yes. Tamala Krsna: So that's on their minds. Prabhupada: Yes. Tamala Krsna: They're frustrated. Prabhupada: We are restricting, "No illicit sex." They will put that "Here is illicit sex between the Gopis and Krsna." Tamala Krsna: So we can also do it. Prabhupada: Yes. That is their... Tamala Krsna: Breaking the principles. Prabhupada: Yes. Hari-sauri: Because sadhana-bhakti is a gradual process, they immediately want the highest perfection quickly. Prabhupada: That is the danger. But if they at once go to rasa-lila, because they are not trained up neither they are liberated, they'll think this rasa-lila is just like our young boys, young girls mix together, have sex like that. So it is supported our.... "Why should we restrict to no illicit sex, no this, no rules and regulations? We shall do all nonsense." That's all. And become a gopI. It is very good to aspire to become high court judge, but how you can become high court judge without qualification? That they are not thinking. They have no qualification, they have illicit sex, pregnant, going to abortion, and they're high court judge. Ramesvara: They say Ajamila had no qualification and he just chanted. Prabhupada: Ajamila had no qualification. Therefore they should have no qualification. Ramesvara: They say... Prabhupada: They say. Now you accept them as authority, "They say." What is they? What they are? Ramesvara: Ajamila's qualification was he thought of Krsna at the time of death. Prabhupada: Yes. But you cannot think. Ramesvara: They want to think of the gopIs at the time of death. Tamala Krsna: Then practice. Prabhupada: What they will think of at the death, why you are conjecturing now? Their habits are rascal, they're making pregnant, illicit sex, what they will think? Anyway, if we give indulgence to these people, then this preaching work will be hampered. Tamala Krsna: No, we're not going to do that. Prabhupada: Or they should be separated. Otherwise, it will be bad example, and all restrictions will be broken. Tamala Krsna: If they don't change their mentality, then they should live separately, do their own society. Prabhupada: And they'll do that. (japa) That sahajiya tendency is very easy to take up. Hari-zauri: It seems like it's an inherent thing in... Prabhupada: Thinking of Radha-Krsna lila, that is in liberated stage, not in the conditioned stage. Tamala Krsna: I could never understand, SrIla Prabhupada, why, I was always wondering why in all of your books you're always blasting so much time on the sahajiyas, and I was not.... Now I see why, because the tendency is so easy. I could never, I'd always think, "Why is Prabhupada saying so much? Because they're only in India." Ramesvara: He's thinking that this is a small group. Tamala Krsna: Yes, in India, but now I see it's an easy mentality for anyone's mind that can be adopted. That's why Prabhupada was stressing. Ramesvara: And as our movement gets more and more members, there will be more and more people who will be exhibiting this sahajiya tendency. Tamala Krsna: That's why it's in every book Prabhupada speaks about it without fail. Prabhupada: Anyway, keep your movement very pure. You don't mind if somebody goes away. Don't mind. But we must keep our principles pure.

Srila Prabhupada opened the flood gates of Krsna katha for EVERYONE to hear, even if they were NOT qualified. Srila Prabhupada reached out to the mid sixties and early seventies hippie and LSD generation of both educated and lost youth for the purpose to gradually educate us all, starting with the first Volume of the Srimad Bhagavatam and gradually progressing to the 12th Canto, becoming more spiritually mature and realized as we progress. This is what his plan was, and for those who followed, they have gradually achieved advancement and spiritual realizations beyond the mundane materialistic boy and girl relationships THIS MERCY OF GRADUALLY ADVANCING SPIRITUALLY IS FOR EVERYONE, NO MATTER HOW FALLEN THEY ARE I remember the days of distributing books with Buddhimana prabhu during the very early 1970s, selling these transcendental Books with the secrets of creation in the most degraded place in Australia known as Kings Cross. We stated selling Krsna Book and Srimad Bhagavatam at 7 pm and distributed Books all night till 4am amongst prostututes, pimps (of which one pulled a gun on me for selling Books to his 'ladies' clients that approached both her and me on the same street cornor!!). We always made sure most of them, and everyone else in Kings Cross, walked away wth a Srimad Bhagavatam and a Krsna Book. In fact one prostitute that night later read the Krsna Book and eventually became a devotee, got initiated by Prabhpada and is still a devotee today. Actually, many devotees came from places like this due to the expert Book distribution by Buddhimanta prabhu and others. We have taken Krsna to the most degraded places so that even the most fallen in society can have the opportunety to have Krsna's mercy.

Radha Krishna Lila is for devotees on the fourth stage of understanding 69-12-13 Letter: Satsvarupa “I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 7, 1969 along with the article of Acyutananda. Your decision not to publish this article is correct. To the neophyte devotees we should issue instruction that there are four stages of understanding the Absolute Truth. The first stage is re-establishing our relationship with Krishna. This is the first stage. The second stage is after understanding our relationship, to perform devotional service under proper guidance. The third stage is acquisition of the desired Object. The fourth stage is relishing the nectar of perfectional love. So Radha-Krishna Lila belongs to the fourth stage of understanding, and we are publishing BTG for people in general to re-establish their forgotten relationship with Krishna. So we should always remember this and from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, and Isopanisad they should try to write how our relationship is revoked from this stage of forgetfulness. They should write articles like this: 1) Krishna, the Omnipotent, 2) How God can be realized as All-Pervasive, 3) The Original Source of Everything, 4) Transcendental Process of Hearing, 5) How one gets out of the Clutches of Maya, 6) Prayers by Arjuna, 7) Prayers by Kunti Devi, 8) Prayers by Bhismadeva.. They should try to understand Krishna first in so many ways which are described in our Bhagavatam. They should read them carefully and pick up subject matters as above mentioned. What general people will understand about Radha-Krishna Lila? Immediately they will take it as ordinary boys and girls in spite of a thousand warnings, "This is not this, this is not this." So you shall issue instruction that they should write articles on the subject matters as above mentioned. They should read our Bhagavatam. The purports are there: They should assimilate them in their own words in a literary career.” A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

As long as the soul has not attained greed for the spiritual world on the path of raga, the description of these pastimes must be kept hidden from him. <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #666666 1px solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 3ex; BORDER-TOP: #666666 1px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 3ex; BORDER-LEFT: #666666 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #666666 1px solid" bgColor=#e0e0e0> "Not everyone is qualified to read the daily pastimes of Radha and Krsna. It is esoteric knowledge of great wonder, which must be kept secret. One should not let those who are not qualified hear these topics. As long as the soul has not attained greed for the spiritual world on the path of raga, the description of these pastimes must be kept hidden from him. As long as the person has no realization of the pure spiritual nature of the transcendental Name, form, qualities and pastimes of Krsna, he has no qualification for hearing these pastimes (meaning the 10th Canto of intImacy). Hearing these pastimes, the unqualified person will simply meditate on material relationships of male and female, under the influence of Maya, and by this he will become degraded. The reader, with great care should attain initiation into the srngara-rasa like Narada, and then he can enter the pastimes." (Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Sri Caitanya Siksamrta, Chapter 6, Part 5) Prabhupada said... Radha-Krishna lila should not be discussed in Back To Godhead 68-12-31 Letter: Satsvarupa Regarding the article suggested by Rayarama, you are correct in your doubts that Radha-Krishna lila should not be discussed in Back To Godhead. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam there are so many philosophical discussions and we should concentrate on these philosophical aspects. Otherwise the less intelligent will surely understand Radha-Krishna lila as simply nonsense boy and girl sex life. Hanuman Prasad Poddar and company are all mundane types and they have no entrance into actual spiritual activities. Superficially they pose themselves as great devotees, but we can feel their pulse; ultimately they are impersonalists. We should not depend upon writings from such unauthorized sources. Strictly we should avoid publishing these confidential topics in Back To Godhead. This is dangerous for the conditioned soul. Although such Krishna lila can do some good to the mundane people in the long run, to understand the philosophical aspects of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam in the beginning is essential and will make for good stride in spiritual life. I do not know why Rayarama has asked you to send such article. It is not to my sanction. We shall be very careful about mundane sex life. That is the pivot center of conditioned life. You are intelligent enough and I hope that Krishna will help you in these matters. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> </I>

There is also the otherside of this to, being obseesed with hating the exploiter as explained as follows - Once, near the peaceful village of Vrndavana, the transcendental place where Krsna manifested His pastimes on earth, there lived a scholarly brahmana (priest) and servant of Krsna. Opposite his home, there lived a prostitute. As a daily observance, the brahmana would sit in his doorway and recite the Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, then cook offering for the Deities in the Temple, his cooking abilities were famous throughout the land. Meanwhile, across the street, the prostitute would tend to her business. As the years passed, the brahmana grew ever more disturbed by the prostitute. ‘Just see how lowly and disgusting she is, how can such a low life who takes pleasure in exploiting others ever leave her disgraceful body near the beautiful land of Vrndavana.’ He would proudly and arrogantly think to himself, then continued with his recitation while cooking various preparations. It so happened that both the brahmana and the prostitute died at the same time. To the brahmana’s surprise, the Vishnuduttas (the Lord of Vaikuntha’s messengers) came to deliver the prostitute while the Yamadutas (the Lord of Death’s messengers) came for him. ‘What is this’? he protested to the Yamadutas. ‘There must be some mistake!’ The Yamadutas replied, ‘My dear brahmana, there is no mistake. While you were busy meditating on the lowly activities of the prostitute, she listened to you recite the Gita and prayed that she could one day elevate herself to your position. In this way the prostitute achieved liberation while you only degraded yourself to take birth on a planet of prostitutes.’

Gauri das Offered Apologies to his Former Students BY: SANAKA RSI DAS Aug 20, UK (SUN) — On Sunday morning I met with Gauri das at the Bhaktivedanta Manor. I have to say that although I had some reservations, I was pleasantly surprised. Gauri das apologized for the pain and suffering he caused me when he was my teacher in Gurukula. He also apologized for taking so many years to acknowledge the distress I endured due to his actions and to offer a suitable apology. My impression is that he was genuine; I am satisfied and feel much relieved. His apology has helped me greatly to let go and forgive him. Gauri das has offered letters of apology to all his former students who initially submitted their testimonies to the CPO, and some of them have expressed satisfaction and relief. Personally I am pleased with the way things have turned out in the end. I am happy to put these distant events to rest and move on with my life. Gauri das will be "downsizing", from the house he occupied as the Temple President, into a smaller apartment. He will continue to work in some capacity at the Ghosala that is being built at the Bhaktivedanta Manor. I spoke with Gauri das yesterday and he further reassured me that he will not be appealing the judgment of the CPO. He wrote to me: "The decision of the CPO and the restrictions they have placed upon me, I have accepted without any form of opposition. I am now in the process of conveying my heartfelt apologies and regret to my past students for my failings. I pray that in this life you may find a place in your heart to forgive me for my wrong doings". There have been times during the course of the case when I was quite frustrated and wished that it could/should be easier to get a little accountability and a straightforward apology. In hindsight, I see that the way things worked out benefited those involved on many levels. Now give the guy a break and stop this lynch mob mentality , it really exposes how spiritually immature some so called devotees are, its almost if they want Gauri to suffere 'eternal damnation' . If such self righteous devotees think this way, then maybe they should become Chtistians because they believe in 'eternal damnation'. We are devotees and KNOW Karma is temporary The Brahmana & The Prostitute <!-- end .psot-top --><!-- the main section of the post goes here --> By Bhakta Rod Once, near the peaceful village of Vrndavana, the transcendental place where Krsna manifested His pastimes on earth, there lived a scholarly brahmana and servant of Krsna. Opposite his home, there lived a prostitute. read more... <!-- end .post-middle --><!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here -->

You are having some pretty amazing realizations theist, sure I've heard it before but reading it the way you have explained penetrates deeper into the heart. You have got me looking at every living creature now thinking Vishnu is there within that material body who is accompanying the covered jiva soul who foolishly thinks they are the material body. Furthermore, I am now 'thinking' EVERY jiva soul in those material bodies is potentially a devotee of Krsna however, they are unfortunately too busy playing out their role of the 'material body' they are in, that restricts them from seeing Krsna right next to themselves. And further restricts them from realizing Vishnu is accompanying ALL the other jiva souls trapped in other material bodies that number 8,400,000 life forms or vessels in the material world I say 'thinking' because I haven't realized this yet Thanks for posting you aspiring realizations theist

Lord Rama as "an emissary from Agartha. The Hollow Earth - Subterranean Civilizations?? Fact or fiction? Underground civilizations link with the 'Hollow Earth Theory and Hinduism'. There are supposedly races that exist in subterranean cities beneath planet Earth. Very often, these dwellers of the world beneath are more technologically advanced than we on the surface. Some believe that UFOs are not from other planets, but are manufactured by strange beings in the interior of the Earth. <TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> The Ramayana one of the most famous texts of India, tells the story of the great avatar, Rama. It describes Rama as "an emissary from Agartha" who arrived on an air vehicle. In India there is an ancient belief, still held by some, in a subterranean race of serpent people who dwell in the cities Patala and Bhogavati. According to the legend, they wage war on the kingdom of Agharta. "The Nagas," according to "The Deep Dwellers,are described as a very advanced race or species, with a highly-developed technology. They also harbor a disdain for human beings, whom they are said to abduct, torture, interbreed with and even to eat." The Entrances. While the entrance to Bhogavati is somewhere in the Himalayas, believers assert that Patala can be entered through the Well of Sheshna in Benares, India. Says William Michael Mott in "The Deep Dwellers": "According to herpetologist and author Sherman A. Minton, as stated in his book Venomous Reptiles, this entrance is very real, with forty steps which descend into a circular depression, to terminate at a closed stone door which is covered in bas-relief cobras.

Despite the success of those heady early days, ISKCON's problems were germinating even then. Suddenly living chaste and temperate fives under the authority of a guru was difficult, especially since so many converts were refugees from the sex-and-drugs counterculture. Some became involved in illegal activities. Despite Prabhupada's progressivism, some refused to initiate women, railed against female sexuality, and were abusive to women and children. In addition, ISKCON was, to a large extent, a victim of its own success. "I don't think Prabhupada was expecting the movement to explode the way it did, and it did. So you had one elderly swami and the next thing, you had tens of thousands of disciples. Who's going to manage all those people?" asks Edwin Bryant, a professor of religion at Rutgers University and co-editor of The Hare Krishna Movement: The Postcharismatic Fate of a Religious Transplant. "Kids that were one minute smoking pot and living hedonistic lifestyles, the next minute they were shaved up and they were temple presidents." Prabhupada "left the planet"--a Hare Krishna euphemism for death--in 1977, as the movement was still expanding. Instead of appointing a successor, he left ISKCON in the hands of a coterie of gurus known as the Governing Body Commission (GBC). Leadership struggles and misbehavior throughout the 1980s led to ISKCON's first major exodus. That also was when devotees began moving out of the temples en masse---for marriage and jobs, and because ISKCON's financial problems made supporting large numbers of monks unfeasible. Though undertaken for pragmatic reasons, Anuttama says the move to "householders"--family-oriented congregations--actually represents a return to Caitanya's original ideals, which never called for large-scale renunciation. Ultimately, the householder trend would be considered the most important factor in ISKCON's survival and a sign that it truly refocused its values after the dark days of scandal and tragedy. Valuing the nuclear family may not seem revolutionary, but to many early devotees, children were little more than a distraction. "Dump the load and hit the road," went a saying about pregnant women in ISKCON. Take Ananda Tiller, for example. Born in 1975 to Hare Krishna parents, Tiller started at the Dallas gurukula (boarding school) when she was four. Her father was the community's head priest, but he had little interaction with Ananda and her brother. Their mother was off proselytizing and made only occasional visits. At the gurukulas, students encountered a rigorous curriculum of religious instruction, and Tiller says she learned to write her name in Sanskrit before English. Teachers--entirely untrained--railed against the evils of the outside world, with which children had few encounters. Tiller endured physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. "As a child, my body, mind, soul-everything--was given to this God and given to these people, and they took it all, even my six-year-old body," she relates. In 1986, Tiller and her brother switched to public school. There, she was terrified, encountering the things her teachers had warned about. "It was extremely confusing," she recalls of the transition. "We really never left that city block when we were in Dallas, and all we knew was that in the outside world were these devilish meat-eaters that were going to poison our minds." Tiller's teen years were filled with drugs, sex, and suicide attempts. Other gurukula alumni are homeless and some have committed suicide. Today, Tiller is the mother of two and has been working to recover from the trauma, though it is a daily struggle. Part of moving on, in her eyes, was joining a $400,000,000 lawsuit brought against ISKCON by nearly 100 former gurukula students. At first unsure she wanted to take part, Tiller visited the Dallas temple in 2001 for the first time in 15 years. "These memories just started flooding me. I became very bitter and wanted to see some changes." Krishna leaders claim those changes already have occurred. By the time the suit was filed, ISKCON had been reeling from the scandal for a decade, since the first whispers about abuse in the gurukulas began circulating in the early 1990s. In 1996, a group of alumni made a presentation to the GBC describing their experiences and, around that time, the last of the North American gurukulas was closed. ISKCON established two organizations in response to the revelations. Children of Krishna offers support and financial compensation to victims; it has distributed about $250,000. The Child Protection Office has three purposes: investigation and adjudication of abuse allegations; grants to victims; and establishing awareness and protection programs in ISKCON temples and schools. In an unusual step, the editor of an official ISKCON publication asked Rochford to write an article documenting the abuse. The piece was published in 1999 and, before long, ISKCON's voluntary revelation of the horrors that took place in its schools became international news. The lawsuit was filed soon after. Insisting they have nowhere near the $400,000,000 demanded by the suit--a claim scholars confirmed--several of the temples filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which allowed them to negotiate a settlement of the lawsuit while ensuring the temples retain enough funds to stay open. As part of the process, ISKCON invited any abused gurukula alumni to submit a claim, and about 400 came forward, on top of the 100 named in the lawsuit. ISKCON officials insist they are working not just to salvage temples but to do right by the victims. "As individual devotees, and as parents, and as elders, and as an institution, we bear a tremendous moral responsibility to help these kids," Anuttama reasons. Critics, though, say the changes do not run deep enough. "There are some really wonderful, smart, liberal people who were always jumping up and down saying that something had to be done," suggests Mafia Ekstrand, a longtime Hare Krishna and Bryant's co-editor. "But the only reason the rest of them listened was out of fear of what would happen if they didn't." Modeled after Indian boarding schools, the gurukulas were supposed to create a new generation of committed Hare Krishnas, but the schools failed their children in a tragic way. "They were going to be the future leaders," Bryant says. "Instead, the vast, vast, vast majority all left." Closing the gurukulas Today, the gurukulas are closed, abandoned in favor of a more Western model: Sunday schools and day schools. Family and home have replaced mission and temple as the center of Hare Krishna life. ISKCON gets credit from observers for dealing proactively with the tragedy once it was revealed. At the same time, though, the attorney spearheading the lawsuit, a veteran of abuse suits against institutions, including the Catholic Church, says the abuse described by gurukula alumni is the worst he has encountered. It will take years for ISKCON to move past the tragedy fully, just as it will take a lifetime for the victims to feel whole again. "Child Protection Office Closing!" The article, written by the head of the office, appears on a Hare Krishna website and blames "tens of thousands of dollars in unfulfilled pledges" for the demise of the six-year-old office. I ask Anuttama about it. He says he has funds saved for the office and is fund-raising aggressively to keep it open. "I will die before that office closes," he insists. Though a false alarm, the office has seen its budget shrink yearly. Nevertheless, it has investigated about 300 alleged abusers, and adjudicated about 100 cases. Punishments include banishment from leadership positions, restitution, and writing apology letters. Lately, the office has focused mostly on running healing seminars for abused children and developing prevention programs. While praising the office for its sincere efforts, critics see the process as inherently flawed. "The GBC is trying to police itself, which never really works in an organization," Ekstrand charges. "If you are accused of doing these horrible things, I think the only thing to do is open up and allow professional outsiders to investigate what happened, let them make decisions based on their investigation, and let those decisions stand." She says that the Child Protection Office's decisions are not always followed, and that the office is not empowered to mete out severe punishments, such as perpetual banishment from positions of spiritual leadership. If an abuser truly repents, Ekstrand says, "You should probably go and wash dishes and clean toilets and show that you' re really humble and you regret things." To most Hare Krishnas, the abuse tragedy is not an everyday presence. Krishnas I encountered expressed several responses to the scandals: many religions have to deal with abuse, so ISKCON is not unique; it is in the past and ISKCON has eradicated it; the perpetrators were acting against Krishna's true teachings. I also found another reaction best summed up in the words of Mangala-Arotick Dasi, a 28-year-old convert who lives with her husband near the Boston temple: "I feel responsible. Just by aligning myself with this society, and with this group, I've voluntarily taken on that experience, that identity, and that responsibility." Worship over, it is time to feast. The vegetarian meal is itself an offering to Krishna, prasadam. As the congregation fans out to eat and socialize, I sit with Nimai Nitai, at 52 something of an elder statesman at the Boston temple. Outside of this community, Nimai Nitai is Nicolas Carballeira, a doctor of naturopathy who teaches at Tufts Medical School and works at a health center. A Hare Krishna since 1977, he is retiring this summer to move into the Boston temple, where he will offer counsel and train young devotees. As his prasadam gets cold, he tells me how he left ISKCON in the mid 1990s, and returned five years later. "I had some gurus who fell down and left the movement," he relates, "and I didn't feel that ISKCON was doing its job of making sure that spirituality was the first and foremost thing." Leaving ISKCON did not mean abandoning Krishna, as Nitai joined an India-based Hindu sect whose founder came from the same spiritual lineage as Prabhupada. Still, he returned to ISKCON in 2001. "If you know the principles and the practices, it's not easy. There's not much support out there for what we do," he reveals. "Without ISKCON, it would be virtually impossible in the West to attempt to follow this path." Coming back, he found ISKCON a vastly changed place. "When the movement had great wealth, it attracted a number of people who did not have fully spiritual motivations," he contends. "Now that the movement is poor--surviving, but poor. Those who have remained have remained because they truly believe; they truly practice; and they truly care." Nitai dreams of creating a fully American ISKCON, one that does not look to India for names, clothing, food, and liturgy. "If we are to have a future--and I believe we are--then we have to adopt forms that are more consonant with Western styles." Listening to him muse about the future, it was easy to forget the challenges threatening ISKCON. For one thing, as his story shows, ISKCON and Krishna-consciousness no longer are synonymous. Schismatic groups are siphoning off ISKCON members, while many individuals worship privately, without temple affiliation. "The tradition has taken root here, but the more time that goes by, it seems that ISKCON does not have a monopoly anymore," Ekstrand observes. Additionally, a major demographics problem looms. Though I met several dedicated young people in Boston, new converts are few in number, and missionary activity no longer is a priority. The children of early converts mostly have fled the movement, scarred by their gurukula experiences. The Indian wave One source of vitality for ISKCON has been Indian immigrants, without whom many temples would be in serious trouble. In some places, ISKCON offers the only Hindu worship, but even given options, many Indians choose ISKCON. The movement, though, remains run almost entirely by white converts and, in many temples, the two groups do not mix much. "We may have, in time, the very curious possibility of having a largely East Indian congregation with white-faced Westerners preaching and serving on the altar in Hindu temples ..." Rochford surmises. Even in ISKCON's much-praised move to householders, Bryant sees a problem: Without monks, who will maintain the temples? Already, many American temples have brought priests from other countries to oversee worship. ISKCON, Bryant says, has failed to produce charismatic individuals who can lead by the example of their high spiritual attainment and bring in new converts. "Ultimately, people want to see," he offers. "They don't just want to hear philosophy." Then there are finances. Bookselling, once the movement's economic backbone, no longer provides substantial income. Communities rely solely on donations and, Rochford indicates, "They're struggling in most every instance to get by." That is true in North America only. Abroad, ISKCON is thriving--especially in India, where the Hindu movement founded for Westerners is surprisingly popular. Bryant suggests that, for Indians eager to Westernize, ISKCON offers a bridge between past and present, traditional religion imported from the coveted West. Even there, though, all is not well. When it comes to child abuse awareness, Anuttama relates, "They're where we were 20 years ago"--which is to say, in denial. At least one American who oversaw a gurukula rife with abuse is rumored to be teaching in India. Anuttama says he tells Indian Hare Krishnas: "Don't make the same mistakes America went through...." Still, the movement's stunning new Indian temples attract political VIPs and religious pilgrims alike, while in the U.S., ISKCON hopes just to keep its existing temples open. "The future is going to be one of continual change, but I think it's going to be one where a movement that's already straggling, financially and otherwise, is likely to continue to struggle," Rochford reasons. The struggle is not just for resources; the soul of ISKCON is at stake. Battles rage on many fronts: the role of women; denominational authority vs. local autonomy; the limits of dissent; the abuse and its aftermath. It would seem that the liberals are winning. More women than ever serve as leaders; websites feature vociferous debate on everything from theology to the lawsuit; and child abuse prevention is a clear priority. "But at the same time," Ekstrand warns, "there is a very strong fundamentalist contingent, and they are going to be fighting all of this tooth and nail." For their part, ISKCON leaders are finding that doing the things an American religion does is not easy. Reaching the proper balance between institutionalization and expressive spirituality is a major challenge, contends Anuttama, who, like many, joined ISKCON to escape organized religion. "How do you address those broader needs of parking lots and playgrounds and marriage counseling but not lose the essential spirituality that inspires religious people?" he asks, offering an answer that centers around core ISKCON values. "People become overwhelmed with wanting to possess more and own more and lust for power and economic exploitation. If we stay true to our principles, then we will be okay. But if we forget that and if it becomes just a superficial affiliation, then we can be in trouble." Schism; lagging attendance; debates over women's issues and the limits of religious authority; struggles to maintain spiritual focus despite pressing material needs--sounds eerily like an American religion. If the Hare Krishnas figure it out, maybe they can inform the rest of us. Michael Kress is a freelance writer based in Cambridge, Mass.