Hare Krishna Society

Last 3 Gaura Purnima festivals here at Sri Sri Gaura Nitai mandir Sedro woolley Wa

Sri Gaura Purnima 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POJ8VSPc2kw&t=12s

Gaura Purnima 2020-despite the covid virus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD_I-KlURGc

class for Gaura Purnima 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4GhIOL6wC8

Gaura Purnima morning 2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz2DPBcsWjY

Hare Krsna-I think everyone will be in bliss when this covid business– has passed over us

damaghosa das

Madhya 13.208–Anyone who hears this description of the car festival will attain Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He will also attain the elevated state by which he will have firm conviction in devotional service and love of Godhead.

Madhya 13.82–TRANSLATION-When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced and jumped high, roaring like thunder and moving in a circle like a wheel, He appeared like a circling firebrand.

PURPORT-If a burning cinder of a firebrand is whirled about very swiftly, it gives the appearance of a circle of fire. This is called alāta-ākāra, or a firebrand circle. This whole circle is not actually made of fire but is a single fire in motion. Similarly, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is a single personality, but when He danced and jumped high in a circle, He appeared like the alāta-cakra.

Madhya 13.83-Wherever Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stepped while dancing, the whole earth, with its hills and seas, appeared to tilt.

Madhya 13.84-When Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced, He displayed various blissful transcendental changes in His body. Sometimes He appeared as though stunned. Sometimes the hairs of His body stood on end. Sometimes He perspired, cried, trembled and changed color, and sometimes He exhibited symptoms of helplessness, pride, exuberance and humility.

Madhya 13.85-When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu fell down with a crash while dancing, He would roll on the ground. At such times it appeared that a golden mountain was rolling on the ground.

Madhya 13.86-Nityānanda Prabhu would stretch out His two hands and try to catch the Lord when He was running here and there.

Madhya 13.101–When Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced and jumped high, eight wonderful transformations indicative of divine ecstasy were seen in His body. All these symptoms were visible simultaneously.

Madhya 13.102-His skin erupted with goose pimples, and the hairs of His body stood on end. His body resembled the śimulī [silk cotton tree], all covered with thorns.

Madhya 13.103-Indeed, the people became afraid just to see His teeth chatter, and they even thought that His teeth would fall out.

Madhya 13.104-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s whole body flowed with perspiration and at the same time oozed blood. He made the sounds “jaja gaga, jaja gaga” in a voice choked with ecstasy.

Madhya 13.105-Tears came forcefully from the eyes of the Lord, as if from a syringe, and all the people surrounding Him became wet.

Madhya 13.106-Everyone saw the complexion of His body change from white to pink, so that His luster resembled that of the mallikā flower.

Madhya 13.107–Sometimes He appeared stunned, and sometimes He rolled on the ground. Indeed, sometimes His legs and hands became as hard as dry wood, and He did not move.

Madhya 13.108-When the Lord fell on the ground, sometimes His breathing almost stopped. When the devotees saw this, their lives also became very feeble.

Madhya 13.109-Water flowed from His eyes and sometimes through His nostrils, and foam fell from His mouth. These flowings appeared to be torrents of nectar descending from the moon.

Madhya 13.111-After performing His devastating dance for some time, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mind entered into a mood of ecstatic love.

Madhya 14.25-.–The prasāda sent by the King had been offered at the Balagaṇḍi festival and included uncooked milk products and fruits. It was all of the finest quality, and there was no end to the variety.

Madhya 14.26-There was curd, fruit juice, coconut, mango, dried coconut, jackfruit, various kinds of bananas and palm fruit seeds.

Madhya 14.27-There were also oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, almonds, dried fruit, raisins and dates.

Madhya 14.28-There were hundreds of different types of sweetmeats like manoharā-lāḍu, sweets like amṛta-guṭikā and various types of condensed milk.

Madhya 14.29-There were also papayas and saravatī, a type of orange, and also crushed squash. There was also regular cream, fried cream and a type of purī made with cream.

Madhya 14.30-There were also sweets like hari-vallabha and sweets made of seṅoti flowers, karpūra flowers and mālatī flowers. There were pomegranates, sweets made with black pepper, sweets made with fused sugar, and amṛti-jilipi.

Madhya 14.31-There was lotus flower sugar, a kind of bread made from urad dhal, crispy sweetmeats, sugar candy, fried rice sweets, sesame seed sweets and cookies made from sesame seeds.

Madhya 14.32-There were sweetmeats made from sugarcane candy in the form of oranges, lemons and mangoes along with fruits, flowers and leaves.

Madhya 14 .33-There was yogurt, milk, butter, buttermilk, fruit juice, a preparation made of fried yogurt and sugar candy, and salty mung dhal sprouts with shredded ginger.

Madhya 14.34-There were also various types of pickles-lemon pickle, berry pickle and so on. Indeed, I am not able to describe the variety of food offered to Lord Jagannātha.

Madhya 14.35–When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw half the garden filled with a variety of prasāda, He was very satisfied.

Madhya 14.36-Indeed, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was fully satisfied just to see how Lord Jagannātha accepted all the food.

PURPORT-Following in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, a Vaiṣṇava should be fully satisfied simply to see a variety of food offered to the Deity of Jagannātha or Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. A Vaiṣṇava should not hunger for a variety of food for his own sake; rather, his satisfaction is in seeing various foods being offered to the Deity. In his Gurv-aṣṭaka, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura writes:

catur-vidha-śrī-bhagavat-prasāda-svādv-anna-tṛptān hari-bhakta-saṅghān kṛtvaiva tṛptiṁ bhajataḥ sadaiva vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam

“The spiritual master is always offering Kṛṣṇa four kinds of delicious food [analyzed as that which is licked, chewed, drunk and sucked]. When the spiritual master sees that the devotees are satisfied by eating bhagavat-prasāda, he is satisfied. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master.”

The spiritual master’s duty is to engage his disciples in preparing varieties of nice food to offer the Deity. After being offered, this food is distributed as prasāda to the devotees. These activities satisfy the spiritual master, although he himself does not eat or require such a variety of prasāda. By seeing to the offering and distribution of prasāda, he himself is encouraged in devotional service.

Some Conclusions—So far today, the day before Gaura Purnima here is our list of offerings to Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Others….

Fresh garden salad with dressing, cauly pakoras, fig chutney, sweet and sour subji, basmati rice, pudding, mango slices, dried cranberries, sour cherries, cherry tomatoes, oranges, walmuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, raisins, plum syrup, fig preserves, veggie sticks, yogurt with elderberry syrup, plum butter, plum jelly, and more to come for sure tomorrow….

This is nothing compared to the list made in Jagannatha Puri, but we do what we can. Some years ago we always made at least 108 different preps, but now we are older, and there will be no devotee gathering here, so we shall adjust for the new “circumstances” and hope the Lord is satisfied with our humble and meager offerings.

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das

damaghosa prasadam on altar -cheese - Copy (2) - Copy.jpg

damaghosa blackberry pie with cream - Copy - Copy.jpg

damaghosa pradam plate closeup-nice one.jpg

Letter Jayatirtha…Nov 10 1975

I have invited Krsna and He may not be insulted by disrespectful behavior. I have introduced this system of Deity worship amongst the non-believers, the atheists, the mlecchas, the yavanas and I pray to Krsna that I am inviting You to come, so please, because You are seated in their hearts, please give them the intelligence how to serve you so that You may not be inconvenienced.

I have introduced this system to the mlecchas, the yavanas and the lowest and the fallen, but still it is successful. I think that you are doing nicely.

Deity worship best benediction and essential for incapable devotees

SB 1.12.9 purport–There is no difference between the thumblike Viṣṇu in the womb of Uttarā and the full-fledged Nārāyaṇa in the Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma, the kingdom of Godhead. He accepts the form of arca-vigraha (worshipable Deity) just to accept service from His different incapable devotees. By the mercy of the arca-vigraha, the form of the Lord in material elements, the devotees who are in the material world can easily approach the Lord, although He is not conceivable by the material senses. The arca-vigraha is therefore an all-spiritual form of the Lord to be perceived by the material devotees; such an arca-vigraha of the Lord is never to be considered material. There is no difference between matter and spirit for the Lord, although there is a gulf of difference between the two in the case of the conditioned living being. For the Lord there is nothing but spiritual existence, and similarly there is nothing except spiritual existence for the pure devotee of the Lord in his intimate relation with the Lord.

SB 4.30.27 purport–Deity worship in the form of temple worship is the most valuable benediction given by the Lord to beginners. All neophytes must therefore engage in the worship of the Lord by keeping the arcā-vigraha (arcāvatāra) at home or in the temple.

SB 7.14.39-TRANSLATION–My dear King, when great sages and saintly persons saw mutually disrespectful dealings at the beginning of Tretā-yuga, Deity worship in the temple was introduced with all paraphernalia.

NoD 35 Neutral Love of God 175614/530501

Without worshiping the arca-vigraha, the form or Deity of the Lord,

one cannot understand such literature as Bhagavad-gita and

Srimad-Bhagavatam.

751030SB.NAI Lectures 223477/530501

So the temple worship is essential. So those who are against temple

worship, Deity worship, they are not very intelligent class of men,

foolish, mudha. NoD 35 Neutral Love of God 175614/530501

Madhya 25.278 : PURPORT :-All the devotees connected with this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement must read all the books that have been translated (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā and others); otherwise, after some time, they will simply eat, sleep and fall down from their position. Thus they will miss the opportunity to attain an eternal, blissful life of transcendental pleasure.

When we have lost that loving feeling

Continue reading →

June 23 1276 New Vrndavana

Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, when one returns to his svarūpa, his natural form, how does…

Prabhupāda: First of all, anartha-nivṛtti. You are accustomed to so many bad habits. First of all try to rectify it, then talk of svarūpa. Where is your svarūpa? Simply wasting time. A man is diseased, he’s thinking, “When I shall be cured I shall eat, go to this hotel, I shall eat like this.” First of all cure, then talk of eating this and that. Svarūpa, when you are cured, that is svarūpa. So long you are not cured, what is the use of talking svarūpa? First business is cure yourself. Anartha-nivṛtti, that is anartha-nivṛtti. Then svarūpa will come. That is the bābājīs. In Vṛndāvana, you have seen? Siddha-praṇālī.

Pradyumna: Ah, siddha-praṇālī, siddha-deha?

Prabhupāda: They are smoking and having illicit sex with one dozen women-svarūpa. Rascal. This is called sahajiyā, a rascal. Condemned. Where is your svarūpa? Don’t talk unnecessarily. First of all come to svarūpa, then talk of svarūpa.

Devotee: So our motivation should be to get free from birth, disease, old age and death.

Prabhupāda: That is already explained. But you must be determined how to execute devotional service. Without determined devotional service, how we can attain that position? So what is the use of talking utopian? First business is anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Ādau śraddhā tathaḥ sādhu-saṅgo ‘tha bhajana-kriyā tato anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. You adopt this means that you have got full faith that “Kṛṣṇa consciousness will save me.” Then you live with devotees who are similarly determined. Then you execute devotional service. Then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, you’ll be free from all these…. These are the stages. There is…. Up to anartha-nivṛtti, you have to struggle very hard with determination, and then automatically everything will come. Tato niṣṭhā tato rucis tataḥ, athāsaktis tato bhāvaḥ. So before svarūpa, anartha-nivṛtti, don’t expect all these. Read.

“Work now, samadhi later”–SP

These are the Lords of this land here

this is our greenhouse waiting for all the tomatoes and pepper plants to be put in soon the peas are already coming up

Madhya 9.361–Please hear the transcendental pastimes of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with faith and devotion. Giving up envy of the Lord, everyone chant the Lord’s holy name, Hari.

Madhya 9.362–In this Age of Kali there are no genuine religious principles other than those established by Vaiṣṇava devotees and Vaiṣṇava scriptures. This is the sum and substance of everything.

PURPORT–One must have firm faith in the process of devotional service and the scriptures that support it. If one hears the activities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with this faith, he can be freed from his envious position. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for such nonenvious persons (nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām). In this age a person should not envy Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s movement but should chant the holy names of Hari and Kṛṣṇa, the mahā-mantra. That is the sum and substance of the eternal religion, known as sanātana-dharma. In this verse the word vaiṣṇava refers to a pure devotee and fully realized soul, and the word vaiṣṇava-śāstra refers to śruti, or the Vedas, which are called śabda-pramāṇa, the evidence of transcendental sound. One who strictly follows the Vedic literature and chants the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead will actually be situated in the transcendental disciplic succession. Those who want to attain life’s ultimate goal must follow this principle. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.19.17), it is said:

śrutiḥ pratyakṣam aitihyam anumānaṁ catuṣṭayam pramāṇeṣv anavasthānād

vikalpāt sa virajyate “Vedic literature, direct perception, history and hypothesis are the four kinds of evidential proofs. Everyone should stick to these principles for the realization of the Absolute Truth.”

Madhya 9.363–The pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are just like an unfathomable ocean. It is not possible for me to enter into them. Simply standing on the shore, I am but touching the water.

1.) Madhya 9.364-–The more one hears the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with faith, analytically studying them, the more one attains the ecstatic riches of love of Godhead.

Continue reading →

Bona fide and bogus Deity worship explained by SP

Nov 3 1973 Delhi BG lectures

…The example, as I gave you the other day, that a soldier is fighting and killing many enemies or killing many persons, but he is not responsible for killing. The same man, when he is not fighting for the country or for the government, if he kills one man, he is hanged. He is to be hanged. Try to understand. So because he is fighting or killing on the order of higher authority, the government, he is not responsible for all those killings. Rather sometimes he is recognized by giving some medal: “Oh, you have killed so many enemies. Very good.” And similarly, if he kills outside the warfield, at home… That is also enemy. Nobody kills nobody unless the other is his enemy. But he will be hanged. If he argues in the court that “In the battlefield I killed so many enemies. I was given recognition. But at home I have killed only one enemy and for which I am going to be hanged. What is this law?” This argument will not stay. So for higher authority’s order, if you do something, you are not responsible.

Note–In the above example Srila Prabhupada is explaining the principle of acting under higher authority by which one may even kill others without reactions.

On the other hand when some person acts on his own without obedience to the higher authority of Guru and God, then he is responsible for his actions and his so called spiritual activity has no good consequence-in other words it is not only useless but sinful.

Dec 23 1970 Surat conversations

Devotee (3): In regard to worshiping arcā-vigraha form, you have explained that if one receives a mantra from a spiritual master who is not bona fide, that mantra has no effect. So I would like to ask if one is worshiping a Deity and his spiritual master is not bona fide, so that Deity cannot be considered the Supreme Lord?

Prabhupāda: Well, first of all, thing is if the spiritual master is not bona fide, how his mantra can be bona fide? Your statement is contradictory. If you say the spiritual master is not bona fide, then how his mantra becomes bona fide? If he is bona fide, then his mantra is bona fide.

Devotee (3): Then why is he giving instruction to worship the Deity? If the spiritual master is not bona fide, then is the Deity also not bona fide?

Prabhupāda: I do not follow. What does he say?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: His idea is that if one receives a mantra from a spiritual master, if the spiritual master is not bona fide…

Prabhupāda: Then there is no question of mantra. There is no question of worshiping Deity. These are all bogus things. If you are not… Just like here is a young medical man. If he has not received instruction from a bona fide medical college, so what is the value of his medical, being… That is… What is called? What is the technical name?

Devotee (4): Quack.

Prabhupāda: Quack! (laughter) (pronounces like “quark”)

Devotees: Quack.

Prabhupāda: A quack is not a medical man, however he may show all red bottles, white bottles.

Continue reading →

SP explains how to make spiritual advancement-simple –two things only

June 27 1976 New Vrndavana

And Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, when He was asked by a gṛhastha devotee what should be the behavior of a Vaiṣṇava, He immediately said asat-saṅga tyāga, ei vaiṣṇava ācāra: [Cc. Madhya 22.87] “Give up the company of all rascals, asat.” Asat means those who are rascals. That is Vaiṣṇava. Do not mix with all rascals, asat. Now how shall I know who is rascal and who is not a (rascal)? Asat eka ‘strī-saṅgī—-eka asādhu, kṛṣṇa-bhakta āra. One who is too much attached with woman, he is rascal. Another rascal, who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That’s all. So we have got everything test tube. Put the test tube and you understand. If one is strī-saṅgī… Strī-saṅgī means not only the man, the man or woman, one who are very much sexually attached, he is a rascal. One should give up his company. And another rascal who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That’s all, finished. So if you want to be a Vaiṣṇava, you must give up the company of these two rascals. Then your progress is guaranteed. Everything is there. There is no difficulty to distinguish between rascals and intelligent, guru and bluffer. Everything is there. And to become a perfect Vaiṣṇava, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said asat-saṅga tyāga ei vaiṣṇava. Don’t talk even with these rascals. But sometimes in the preaching work we have to talk with such rascals, but not to take their theory but to teach them our theory. If you become defeated by their theory, then you are not a preacher. Don’t preach, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You are not fit for teaching. If you become overcome by their teaching, then you are finished. A preacher is madhyama-adhikārī, advanced devotee. He can preach. Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī should be engaged in temple worship, very nicely, then gradually he’ll come to the madhyama-adhikārī. So the preacher is madhyama-adhikārī. A kaniṣṭha-adhikārī cannot become preacher. He is in the lowest stage of devotional service; he cannot become preacher. He’ll be conquered by the asat. And madhyama-adhikārī, he knows how to deal with asat. At least he does not mix with them. That’s all. If he cannot defeat them, he should avoid them, because that valuable time can be utilized for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness to a person who is inquisitive to hear. Bāliśya. Bāliśya means innocent. He wants to know something about Kṛṣṇa. Better deal with him than with the rascals and waste time. Better avoid the rascals. Just like in hospital, emergency cases, the doctor, when they see that this patient hopeless, he does not take care anymore. But when there is hope, they give medicine and try to… So hopeless condition, better not. Don’t talk with them. That’s all. That is vaiṣṇava-ācāra. Then he’ll remain safe. Hopeless person, don’t waste your time talking with them. Īśvare tad-adhīneṣu bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu ca. Four observations. Bhagavān-īśvara; prema-love. And, prema-maitrī, friendship with devotees. And kṛpa, mercy to the innocent person. And upekṣā, no more talking. Don’t waste time, talking with all these nonsense. Better utilize, properly utilize the time by instructing a person who is innocent and eager to hear. Like that.

Note—In this valuable conversation Srila Prabhupada is explaining how to make spiritual advancement-We have to associate with fixed up devotees, who follow the process and who know the sastra, and then avoid those who are not following strictly this line of transcendental thought. Give up those too attached to women and wealth and those who are not actual devotees of God-Krsna.

June 28 1976 New Vrndavana conversations

Prabhupāda: they do not know what is the aim of life. They think that “they are not racing like dog; therefore, they are lazy.” But they are busy, very busy, from the childhood. But they have no eyes to see what is, business means.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The second point is, in connection with this question, that there’s a certain class of people in India—he describes them as being advanced, well-meaning and highly educated people in India today—that they’re accusing Hinduism of inhibiting progress and he wants to know why is this.

Prabhupāda: That is explained. They do not know what is progress. The Vedic civilization is not interested in this so-called false progress. Just like from hut to skyscraper. They think this is progress. But the Vedic civilization thinks how much he is advanced in self-realization. Either he is in cottage or in skyscraper. But if he wastes his time to turn the huts into skyscrapers, then the whole life is finished. And next time he is going to be a dog. He does not know. That’s all.

Note-We see today many devotees who are more interested in economic development, collecting money, and building skyscrapers than in spiritual realization. As SP says above they think that going from hut to skyscraper is advancement, but it is not.

I remember when I joined the movement and was out on the streets the very next day distributing books , shaved head and in dhoti. And then years later that “sankirtan” turned into selling candles, then paintings and they (the so called leaders) still called it “sankirtan” but it was simply the business of making money in the NAME of sankirtana. Today we see this in many places or temples. And this is what Srila Prabhupada warns us about NOT doing in the above conversation. What was once Transcendental has now become karma. Even if one is making money for Krsna, that is called karma yoga but not bhakti yoga. Bhakti yoga is the 9 direct processes of devotional service.

Continue reading →

Hare Krsna-Below we have arranged a series of statements by Srila Prabhupada

who is explaining the three different stages of God realization or consciousness. I have had many arguments with devotees in the past who seem to think they are on the platform of Bhagavan realization, (just because they are looking at some deity of Krsna) when it is easy to understand they and we are all mostly on the bodily platform.-not even the beginnings of the spiritual platform or Brahman realization. Here below are some of the proofs for this assertion.

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das

Madhya 10.175–“I have been meditating on the impersonal Brahman since my birth, but since I have seen You, I have fully experienced Kṛṣṇa.”

PURPORT–Brahmānanda Bhāratī admitted that when there is an argument between the spiritual master and the disciple, the spiritual master is naturally victorious, although the disciple may put forward a strong argument.

Madhya 10.178–“Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura abandoned his impersonal realization for the realization of the Personality of Godhead. I now see that my condition is similar to his, for it has already changed.”

PURPORT—In his early life, Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura was an impersonalistic monist, and he used to meditate upon the impersonal Brahman effulgence. Later he became a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and his explanation for this change is given in a verse (text 178) that is quoted in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Sometimes a devotee gradually comes to the stage of Bhagavān realization, realization of the Supreme Person, after having attained the lower stages of realization-impersonal Brahman realization and localized Paramātmā realization.

Three phases of realizing God

SB 4.30.31 purport–

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is parataḥ parāt. The word para means “transcendental, beyond this material world.” The impersonal Brahman effulgence is beyond this material world, and this is called paraṁ padam. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (Bhāg. 10.2.32). Merging into the impersonal effulgence of the Lord is called paraṁ padam, but there is a higher transcendental position, which is the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (Bhāg. 1.2.11). The Absolute Truth is realized first as impersonal Brahman, then as Paramātmā, and finally as Bhagavān. Thus the Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān, is parataḥ parāt, beyond Brahman and Paramātmā realization.

June 19 1974 Germany–This is a material example. Similarly, self-realization is ultimately, as I taught you, that, first impersonal Brahman, then localized Paramātmā, and then the yogis, they realize the localized Paramātmā. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ [SB 12.13.1]. The yogis, they observe the Supersoul within himself, and they meditate upon Him. What is that verse?

SB 4.9.16 purport-Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura describes that this impersonal feature, or Brahman manifestation, of the Supreme Lord is meant for persons who are essentially very advanced but still not able to understand the personal features or variegatedness of the spiritual world. Such devotees are known as jñāna-miśra-bhaktas, or devotees whose devotional service is mixed with empiric knowledge. Because the impersonal Brahman realization is a partial understanding of the Absolute Truth, Dhruva Mahārāja offers his respectful obeisances.

It is said that this impersonal Brahman is the distant realization of the Absolute Truth. Although apparently Brahman seems to be devoid of energy, factually it has different energies working under the headings of knowledge and ignorance. On account of these different energies, there is continually a manifestation of vidyā and avidyā. Vidyā and avidyā are very nicely described in Īśopaniṣad. It is said there that sometimes, due to avidyā, or a poor fund of knowledge, one accepts the Absolute Truth as ultimately impersonal. But in fact the impersonal and personal realizations develop in proportion to the development of devotional service. The more we develop our devotional service, the more closely we approach the Absolute Truth, which, in the beginning, when we realize the Absolute Truth from a distant place, is manifest as impersonal.

People in general, who are under the influence of avidyā-śakti, or māyā, have neither knowledge nor devotion. But when a person who is a little advanced and is therefore called a jñānī advances even more, he is in the category of a jñāna-miśra-bhakta, or a devotee whose love is mixed with empiric knowledge. When he is still further advanced, he can realize that the Absolute Truth is a person with multienergies. An advanced devotee can understand the Lord and His creative energy. As soon as one accepts the creative energy of the Absolute Truth, the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are also understood. Devotees who are still further advanced, in full knowledge, can understand the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. Only on that platform can one fully enjoy transcendental bliss. An example is given in this connection by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura of a person proceeding towards a destination. As he approaches, he sees the destination from a distant place, just as we see a city from a distance. At that time he simply understands that the city is situated at a distance. When, however, he comes still nearer, he sees the domes and flags. But as soon as he enters the city, he sees various paths, gardens, lakes, and marketplaces with shops, and persons buying. He sees varieties of cinema houses, and he sees dancing and jubilation. When a person actually enters the city and personally sees the activities of the city, he becomes satisfied.

You are not transcendental-but trying to be transcendental–

(Srila Prabhupada Morning Walk, Perth, May 11, 1975

Continue reading →

Jun3 27 1976 New Vrndavana

Brahmanas ascting as vaisyas when nobody can do it

Prabhupāda: Muci, yes. Their business is shoe maker. So when the cow is dead, they take it, they eat the meat and take the skin and the hoof. They make business without any, what is called, investment. Harer nāma [Ādi 17.21]. That is economic. He gets the skin without any price, and he makes shoes and gets full profit. But that is for a class of men, not for all. Economic gain for a cobbler is not the economic gain for a brāhmaṇa. “One man’s food another man’s poison.”

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Is considered, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that when a brāhmaṇa is engaged in the activities of plowing and cultivating, that he has become a vaiśya?

Prabhupāda: No. If there is nobody to help, he can do.

Hari-śauri: As long as he keeps up his brahminical standards.

Prabhupāda: Huh? Yes. This is our car?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

….Prabhupāda: Hmm. Now wherefrom this fragrance have come?

Devotees: From the earth.

Prabhupāda: Get out this fragrance from earth, you scientist. By Kṛṣṇa’s manipulation here is fragrance. Everyone knows it has come from earth. If there is, in the earth, there is no such fragrance, wherefrom it came? So therefore it is there, it is understood, but you get it out.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Well, we can take the chemicals and mix them, produce fragrance.

Prabhupāda: Take the chemicals?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Yes. We can analyze the chemical structure and make…

Prabhupāda: No, the flower has taken directly, without any chemical addition. You do that. It is a fact the flavor is there within the earth, you take the flavor, extract the flavor. Not only this flavor, there are different flavors, all, everything there. There are so many flowers coming out. Huh? Sarva-kāma dugha-mahī. Mahī means earth. Everything’s coming out from the earth. But not in your attempt. It is Kṛṣṇa’s attempt that He can take out. Out of so many different flavors, everything is there within the earth, but Kṛṣṇa’s manipulation takes the different colors, different flavors, different bodies, everything. That is Kṛṣṇa’s manipulation. Mayādhyakṣeṇa [Bg. 9.10]. Just like in our kitchen we have got the ingredients, rice, dahl, āṭṭā, ghee. But the expert can prepare hundreds of preparations. That expert is Kṛṣṇa. And if one is not expert, even the ingredients are there, he’ll spoil everything. He’ll mix the āṭṭā with water then put ghee and then put rice. (laughter) This is the… We have to become expert. If you become expert, then you’ll do very nice purī, dahl, rice, ah… There are so many varieties. You enjoy. And if you are not expert, you’ll spoil. So Kṛṣṇa is expert and Kṛṣṇa bhakta is expert because he takes lessons from Kṛṣṇa. So for them this is not mithyā. Rascals who spoil it, they think it is mithyā. He could not do anything. He mix with a conglomeration, and because he could not get any result, he said mithyā, disappointment. And one who knows, he knows how to utilize it. Just like we are utilizing the cows in so many nice preparations, and these rascals killing them. Finished

…”The brāhmaṇa is thinking, “I am brāhmaṇa.” And the land is lying fallow.“

Continue reading →

Hare Krishna Society

last 3 Gaura Purnima festivals

The Lord Caitanyas dancing at Ratha Yatra description–SP

A brief list of various preps to offer to the Lord On Gaura PUrnima

Deity worship introduced among the atheists non believers and mleccas–SP

When we have lost that loving feeling

Anarthas-get rid of these first then talk of Svarupa-SP

3 Benedictions given by Krsna das Kaviraja– simply for hearing

bona fide and bogus deity worship–SP

How to make spiritual advancement-two ways–SP

you are not transcendental –you are trying to be transcendental–SP

Brahmanas acting as Vaisyas-SP