Why don't we create a loving and caring atmosphere? Then no one will want to leave!

[krsna 3]

 

Bhakti Tirtha Maharaj continued, <font color="red"> "So many people are becoming attracted to Narayana Maharaj. That shows that they are getting something from him that they are not getting in ISKCON. Why don't we create a loving and caring atmosphere? Then no one will want to go away. We are leading the movement rather mechanically, somehow managing to just maintain. We are not really putting our hearts into it." </font color>

 

 

Yes this is the point : a loving caring atmosphere based on hearing Hari-katha from the lips of a suddha-bhakta whose heart is devoid of the desire to criticize others.

 

Please bring me to that niskincana sadhu and then I'll never ever leave his lotus feet. Honest!

 

 

[Guest guest]

The place bhakti starts is in own hearts. I feel it is already becoming more apparent here on this Audarya Fellowship forum. Houston, we have ignition... So much has changed for the better, over the years. Please allow me to express my gratitude to all of you prabhus who have wilfully contributed in this regard, recognizing the need and acting accordingly.

 

Our love may not be "perfect" as yet, but simple kindness and courtesy, along with some appreciation of differences, can become contagious. I believe we find ourselves assembled and interacting for reasons none can fully understand. Except, of course, for the One who brought us together...

[Kulapavana 0]

most devotees have no problem distinguishing genuine devotional maturity in others. be it BR Sridhara Maharaja or Narayana Maharaja or others, ISKCON devotees would gravitate towards such great devotees after Srila Prabhupada's departure.

 

it is not about creating an "atmosphere" of loving and caring. It is the maturity and purity of devotion that acts like a magnet on aspiring devotees..

[Guest guest]

"based on hearing Hari-katha from the lips of a suddha-bhakta whose heart is devoid of the desire to criticize others. "

 

and this is creating prabhupad's iskcon even if the organization is not called in this way

 

iskcon is a way of life more than a church

[Guest guest]

...and who surrenders to a pure devotee is following prabhupad's instructions... so he's iskcon

[Guest guest]

Some people will always move no matter what. A pure atmosphere or pure devotee will not change anything. They will find faults and go away even if they have to come back later.The truth is you can advance from anywhere if you are humble. Krishna will take care. Do people think that one cannot advance if he remains in ISKCON?

[Guest guest]

Anyone who thinks NM's camp is a loving and caring environment obviously has never visited.

[Guest guest]

"A pure atmosphere or pure devotee will not change anything."

 

it is against all religious principles

 

"The truth is you can advance from anywhere if you are humble"

 

if we are really humble and serious krsna comes in the form of uttama adhikari to give us his shelter

 

"Do people think that one cannot advance if he remains in ISKCON?"

 

one has simply to follow prabhupada and bhagavad gita in praying krsna to send to him a pure devotee to serve... that's the international movement of krsna consciousness

 

if you find this condition in a building owned by iskcon organization, you have found the real iskcon

 

difficult?

 

[Guest guest]

I do know that one needs to get initiated primarily for religious knowledge and get disciplined. But if one is already brought up in a religiously disciplined way and if that person is taught by his father and mother, and when that individual is thinking of God all the time and remain humble and simple with no material desires, but just keep doing the duties as long as he live, yet focussing his aim only of Shree Krishna, does he still need to join some organization like ISKON of some mutt just to be called by others as a devotee. If he is not interested in joining or not even being recognized as a devotee by others, but remain devoted to Lord truely in his mind is it not sufficient?

Why there is a big deal in ISKON like registration of people to be called as devotees like christians registering themselves in some church of their family?

Thanks..I just wonder why there is always confusion among ISKONS.

[Guest guest]

we come in the material world because we want to avoid to be servants.... and we come back in the spiritual world when we understand that we have to serve.

This is the real humbleness.

So we have to follow the practical guidance of a pure vaishnava spiritual master including the official act to be linked to sri gaudya parampara'.

We do not see krsna directly, so we can't offer any service to him.. the only way is to serve our spiritual master then our service will be brought hand by hand, master to master, by the parampara's acharyas to krsna. That's the way recommended by krsna and masters.

 

this has nothing to do with taking a name to be recognized

 

the initiation and the following of a spiritual master is not an iskcon obsession but an eternal instruction of sri krsna bhagavan in bhagavad gita:

 

4-34

 

tad viddhi pranipatena

pariprasnena sevaya

upadeksyanti te jnanam

jnaninas tattva-darsinah

 

SYNONYMS

tat--that knowledge of different sacrifices; viddhi--try to understand; pranipatena--by approaching a spiritual master; pariprasnena--by submissive inquiries; sevaya--by the rendering of service; upadeksyanti--initiate; te--unto you; jnanam--knowledge; jnaninah--the self-realized; tattva--truth; darsinah--the seers.

 

TRANSLATION

Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.

 

PURPORT

The path of spiritual realization is undoubtedly difficult. The Lord therefore advises us to approach a bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession from the Lord Himself. No one can be a bona fide spiritual master without following this principle of disciplic succession. The Lord is the original spiritual master, and a person in the disciplic succession can convey the message of the Lord as it is to his disciple. No one can be spiritually realized by manufacturing his own process, as is the fashion of the foolish pretenders. The Bhagavatam says: dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam--the path of religion is directly enunciated by the Lord. Therefore, mental speculation or dry arguments cannot help one progress in spiritual life. One has to approach a bona fide spiritual master to receive the knowledge. Such a spiritual master should be accepted in full surrender, and one should serve the spiritual master like a menial servant, without false prestige. Satisfaction of the self-realized spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. Inquiries and submission constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding. Unless there is submission and service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective. One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master, and when he sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding. In this verse, both blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned. One should not only hear submissively from the spiritual master, but one must also get a clear understanding from him, in submission and service and inquiries. A bona fide spiritual master is by nature very kind toward the disciple. Therefore when the student is submissive and is always ready to render service, the reciprocation of knowledge and inquiries becomes perfect.

[Guest guest]

During the time of Dwapara Yuga, or until earlier times, say about few decades ago, spiritual guru is important certainly for someone to learn the scriptures. Now with the advent of press and especially internet, one can also read and understand (ofcourse by several reading constantly and consistently) and discuss with others the scriptures. Since finding a good guru is actually difficult nowadays as most of the so called guru's by themselves have big ego about themselves while in Krishnaa's time, there were Dharmic values. So when an individual is already disciplined in religious way due to his upbringing, by accepting a "Manasika Guru" who may not be alive, but by reading His works, one can still become his disciple..right?

For example, Madwacharya belongs to 12th century, while we assume that He comes under the Vyasa disciplic succession. Chaithanya Mahaprabhu was influenced by Madwa Philosophy although He was not a direct disciple of Madwacharya.

So in the same way, can I call myself as a disciple of Swami Prabupaadha since I read the Gita purport written by Him with the slokas in sanskrit and english. I am anyway following the religious traditions whatever swami profounded, as celebacy, vegetarianism, humblenss etc etc since I am brought up in a brahminical family in traditional way.

Can I call myself that I am a disciple of Swami Prabupaadha?

Thanks

[Guest guest]

a disciple of srila prabhupada not only reads his books

 

a disciple of srila prabhupada follow his instructions

 

a spiritual master is extremely difficult to find

 

if, after only 25 years from prabhupad's departure, internet would have been a substitute of the guru.. prabhupada should have said it

 

read again the verse and the purport then think if guru is only a sanskrit teacher

 

everything is simple, there's a shastra and the purport of an acharya

[Guest guest]

ah... madvacharya relationates with vyasa, they talk together, they exchange words, they see each other

 

if you can talk with prabhupada, if you see him, if you receive personal instructions and chastizements, you also can take initiation by prabhupada....... but you have also to have an official guru in our plane of existence to show to us the correct behaviour

[Guest guest]

Maybe some people go to Narayana Maharaj & other places because there is no room in Iskcon temples. One Iskcon temple in California with a reputation for being unfriendly to women told me to go to another temple which had no room for women either. Whats up with that? Come to think of it I haven't seen a picture of Narayana Maharaj with women devotees around him.

[krsna 3]

Srila Prabhupada:

 

" As long as you remain a fool, then I can instruct you; but when you think you are very intelligent, then nothing is possible."

[krsna 3]

"One should not proudly think that one can understand the transcendental loving

service of the Lord simply by reading books... One must accept a Vaisnava guru

(adau gurv-asrayam), and then by questions and answers one should gradually

learn what pure devotional service to Krsna is. That is called the parampara

system." (Cc. Antya-lila 7.53, purp.)

 

— AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

[krsna 3]

"One should not proudly think that one can understand the transcendental loving

service of the Lord simply by reading books... One must accept a Vaisnava guru

(adau gurv-asrayam), and then by questions and answers one should gradually

learn what pure devotional service to Krsna is. That is called the parampara

system." (Cc. Antya-lila 7.53, purp.)

 

— AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

[krsna 3]

http://srimadbhagavatam.com/1/15/21/en

[krsna 3]

There is a spiritual sky. There is another nature that is beyond manifestation and non-manifestation. But how will you know that there is a sky where the planets and inhabitants are eternal? All this knowledge is there, but how will you make experiments? It is not possible. Therefore you have to take the assistance of the Vedas. This is called Vedic knowledge."

 

(Sri Isopanisad, Introduction)

 

[Guest guest]

In other words, believe!

[krsna 3]

k

 

Haribol Spirit Soul,

 

Where you from ?

 

/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[krsna 3]

From Prabhupada's Devotional Ecstasy:

 

"Material civilization without the blessing of the Lord is child's play only. As long as the parents allow the child to play, it is all right. As soon as the parents withdraw, the child has to stop. Human civilization and all activities thereof must be dovetailed with the supreme blessing of the Lord, and without this blessing all advancement of human civilization is like decoration on a dead body. It is said here that a dead civilization and its activities are something like clarified butter on ashes, the accumulation of money by a magic wand and the sowing of seeds in a barren land."

 

Let us all pray for the blessings of the Lord and His pure devotees!

[krsna 3]

 

 

 

-Birth appearance at midnight of Shravana k8 to Devakee (July 19/20, year 3228 BC)

 

-taken by Vasudeva from Mathuraa to Nanda and Yasodaa in Gokula

 

 

Untill 3 years

 

-lived in Gokula

-killed Pootanaa, Shakataasura, Trinavarta demons

 

3 - 6 years

 

-moved to Vrindaavana

-killed Bakaasura, Aghaasura, Dhenukaasura (Balaraama killed Pralambaasura)

-moved to Nandagraama

 

7-10 years

 

-Brahmaa steals and returns cowherd boys

-Govardhana-poojaa

-played raasa-leelaa with the gopees

-taken to Mathuraa for wrestling match by Akrura

-killed Canura (Balaraama killed Mushteeka)

-killed His uncle Kamsa (Balaraama killed Kamsa’s brothers)

 

10-28 years

 

-lived in Mathuraa

-intiated with Balaraama into chanting Gaayatree-mantra by Gargamuni

-instructed with Balaraama in the sixty four arts by Sandeepaani Muni

-protects Mathuraa from many demons

 

29 - 125 years

 

-establishes kingdom in Dvaarakaa

-marriage to Rukminee and 7 principal queens

-marriage to 16,100 princesses

-161,080 sons born to Krishna

-speaks Bhagavad-geetaa at Kurukshetra Battle (~90) (3138 BC)

-saves King Pareekshit in the womb

-instructs Uddhava

 

125 years

 

-Disappearance on February 18th 3102 BC

 

-Start of Kali-yuga

 

[Guest guest]

 

http://krishna.avatara.org/

[krsna 3]