Hare Krishna Society

*Below is a quick review of guru tattva-something we should never forget because all spiritual life depends upon first pleasing God’s representative. Without that, we are nowhere.

damaghosa das

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Who can become a Bona fide Guru ?

Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.6.8 — Vrndavana, November 30, 1976

Srila Prabhupada….”Guru is the cloud or he is the agent of drying water from the ocean of mercy of Kṛṣṇa and turn it into a mercy cloud and pour water on the saṁsāra dāvānala, and then it is extinguished.Saṁsāra dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam, prāptasya kalyāṇa **

Therefore guru must be authorized person, not that bhūmi-phala-guru(?). No. “I am guru,” no. You cannot become guru unless you are agent to draw out the mercy water from the ocean of mercy of Kṛṣṇa. That is guru. And therefore a guru is not an ordinary person. He is the representative, bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dite pāra: “Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura, Kṛṣṇa is your property. If you like, you can give.” Vedeṣu durlabhaṁ adurlabhaṁ ātma-bhaktau[Bs. 5.33].

You cannot get Kṛṣṇa by studying Vedas. That is not possible. There is Kṛṣṇa in the Vedas, but you cannot pick up. It is not possible. But if you go to the Kṛṣṇa’s favorite person… Kintu prabhor yaḥ priyaeva tasya. Kṛṣṇa‘s very dear servant, confidential servant, is guru. Nobody can become guru unless he is in confidence of Kṛṣṇa. Na ca tasmād manuṣyeṣu kaścid me priya-kṛttamaḥ. These things are there. Not that by magic one can become guru. No.

LA July 13 1971—

Prabhupāda:Unless one is prepared that “I am accepting somebody as my spiritual master. I must acceptwhatever he says,” if there is any doubt, that “I cannot accept his words verbatim,” then one should not accept him as spiritual master. That is hypocrisy.

Jan 29 1973 letter to Sukadeva

Yes, the spiritual master is also present in his picture, though more importantly he is present in his teachings. I think this is explained in one letter that has already been distributed. If you have further questions try to get them resolved by your GBC man, Karandhar, because now I wish to spend all of my time for translating my books like Srimad-Bhagavatam, so I may give them to you.

Madhya 24.330
…. When one has attained the topmost position of
maha-bhagavata, he is to be accepted as a guru and worshiped exactly
like Hari, the Personality of Godhead. Only such a person is eligible
to occupy the post of a guru.

May 28^th 1968 letter

In the absolute world there is no distinction as me, or he, and I. Krishna and His representative is the same.Just like Krishna can be present simultaneously in millions of places. Similarly, the Spiritual Master also can be present wherever the disciple wants. A Spiritual Master is the principle, not the body. Just like a television can be seen in thousands of places by the principle of relay monitoring.

“Unless one is under the shelter of a realized spiritual master, his understanding of the Supreme is simply foolishness” quote from TLC

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So we used to try to think of some gift to give to Srila Prabhupada. What can we think of? So one morning in the Saint Kilda temple in Melbourne, which was quite small and all the devotees from all over Australia were crowded in there, Prabhupada entered the room and we all offered obeisances. I just heard Prabhupada say, “Don’t touch the Bhagavatam to the floor.” Somebody had touched the Bhagavatam to the floor because Prabhupada said, “Don’t touch it to the floor.”

So I had this idea we could get a nice cloth made to wrap around the Bhagavatam, and I asked the ladies who do the sewing for the Deities. So they had this nice gold brocade cloth and with gold tassels at the end, and I asked her to make that. Then I went into downtown Melbourne and I found some really nice-looking mangoes. I think I bought about six. So I put these things all in a Back to Godhead box. Then I went to the house where Prabhupada was staying, and I entered the room where Prabhupada was sitting behind his desk and talking to a whole roomful of devotees.

So at one point he paused and he looked over at my box. He said, “So? What is this?” So I got the book cover cloth out. I guess you could say when I entered the room I thought, “Well, I’ve got these really good gifts to offer to Prabhupada,” thinking this is pretty good, I’ve got something. So I picked the cloth up and I said, “Srila Prabhupada, I heard this morning you said that we shouldn’t touch the Bhagavatam to the floor, so I got you this nice cloth to keep around your Bhagavatam.” Prabhupada said, “I don’t touch my Bhagavatam to the floor.” Then I wanted to explain what I meant, what led to me deciding to do this, but Prabhupada, every time I started to say something he’d interrupt me. So I’d say, “Oh, but I mean…” “No, I don’t touch my Bhagavatam to the floor.” And every time I tried to explain, he stopped me. “I’m keeping my Bhagavatam on the shelf. I don’t touch my Bhagavatam to the floor,” and he was very stern. Then all the devotees started laughing and laughing really loud. Then he said, “This is for you.” So in that way I was totally humbled. I just felt like if I could crawl in a hole and hide, I would. Everybody was laughing at me, and Prabhupada was so stern. I meant to give him a gift, but it sounded like an insult. I didn’t mean it as an insult, but I can’t explain it. I can’t describe the feeling. I just sat there and waited.

Then he said, “Then?” At this stage, if I get these mangoes out, what’s going to happen if I get them out? So I picked the mangoes up and I said, “I also got you some mangoes.” Then Prabhupada looked at the mangoes, and then a big smile came on his face and he said, “Ah, this is a gift! Mango is the king of fruit.” Then his whole mood changed from stern to beaming, and I was totally relieved. But it relates to the idea that if you offer something with pride, then Krishna doesn’t like it, it’s not the right mood. But he created that mood in me, begging, “Please accept this offering.”

Amogha das

compliments vedaveda.com

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Below is a very very important instruction by Srila Prabhupada that we must follow if we expect to honor and consume ONLY Krsna prasadam…and not sinful karma. This applies to each devotee and devotees honoring food or prasadam at others places.

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The Prime Religious Practice for the Kali−yuga Is the Chanting of the Holy name The chanting of the holy name is the most sublime religion for the Kali−yuga:

The Hare Krsna mantra is specifically mentioned in many Upanisads, such as the Kali−santarana Upanisad, where it is said:

hare krsna hare krsna

krsna krsna hare hare

hare rama hare rama

rama rama hare hare

itisodasakam namnam

kali −kalmasa−nasanam

natah parataropayah

sarva−vedesu drsyate

“After searching through all the Vedic literature one cannot find a method of religion more sublime for this age than the chanting of Hare Krsna.” Sri Caitanya−caritamrta Adi−lila 3.40

In Kali−yuga, simply by chanting the holy name one can attain the goal of life: [Karabhajana Rsi to Maharaja Nimi]: ” ‘Those who are advanced and highly qualified and are interested in the essence of life know the good qualitles of Kali−yuga. Such people worship the age of Kali because in this age, simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha−mantra, one can advance in spiritual knowledge and attain life’s goal.’ “

This is a quotation from Srimad−Bhagavatam (11.5.36) spoken by the great sage Karabhajana Rsi, one of the nine Yogendras. The sage was informing Maharaja Nimi about the people’s duty to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to different processes in different yugas.

Sri Caitanya−caritamrta Madhya−lila 20.347

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More on Creation from—- Srimad Bhagavatam3.26. verses 53-72

Below is a very nice description of the creation of all the material elements in this world as well as the demigods who control these on behalf of the Supreme Being-Vasudeva. Srila Prabhupada explains at the end..”The analytical study of the elements of material nature and the concentration of the mind upon the Supersoul are the sum and substance of the Sāṅkhya philosophical system.“

For those of us not interested in this detailed study of how things go on, then we can just chant Hare Krsna, and eventually arrive at the transcendental destination.

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das

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More on Creation from—- Srimad Bhagavatam3.26. verses 53-72

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the virāṭ-puruṣa, situated Himself in that golden egg, which was lying on the water, and He divided it into many departments.

First of all a mouth appeared in Him, and then came forth the organ of speech, and with it the god of fire, the deity who presides over that organ. Then a pair of nostrils appeared, and in them appeared the olfactory sense, as well as prāṇa, the vital air.

In the wake of the olfactory sense came the wind-god, who presides over that sense. Thereafter a pair of eyes appeared in the universal form, and in them the sense of sight. In the wake of this sense came the sun-god, who presides over it. Next there appeared in Him a pair of ears, and in them the auditory sense and in its wake the Dig-devatās, or the deities who preside over the directions.

Then the universal form of the Lord, the virāṭ-puruṣa, manifested His skin, and thereupon the hair, mustache and beard appeared. After this all the herbs and drugs became manifested, and then His genitals also appeared.

After this, semen (the faculty of procreation) and the god who presides over the waters appeared. Next appeared an anus and then the organs of defecation and thereupon the god of death, who is feared throughout the universe.

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Warning signals given to us by Srimad Bhagavatam……the bhaktas who are intelligent will not ignore them

SB 4.22.31-When one deviates from his original consciousness, he loses the capacity to remember his previous position or recognize his present one. When remembrance is lost, all knowledge acquired is based on a false foundation. When this occurs, learned scholars consider that the soul is lost.

SB 3.26.26 purport- In the material world we are producing so many things, and this is called advancement of civilization, but factually the advancement of civilization is a manifestation of the false ego. By false ego all material things are produced as objects of enjoyment. One has to cease increasing artificial necessities in the form of material objects. One great ācārya, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, has lamented that when one deviates from pure consciousness of Vāsudeva, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he becomes entangled in material activities. The exact words he uses are, sat-saṅga chāḍi’ kainu asate vilāsa/ te-kāraṇe lāgila ye karma-bandha-phāṅsa: “I have given up the pure status of consciousness because I wanted to enjoy in the temporary, material manifestation; therefore I have been entangled in the network of actions and reactions.”

SB 3.26.27 purport-The symptoms of the mind are determination and rejection, which are due to different kinds of desires. We desire that which is favorable to our sense gratification, and we reject that which is not favorable to sense gratification. The material mind is not fixed, but the very same mind can be fixed when engaged in the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, as long as the mind is on the material platform, it is hovering, and all this rejection and acceptance is asat, temporary. It is stated that he whose mind is not fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness must hover between acceptance and rejection. However advanced a man is in academic qualifications, as long as he is not fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness he will simply accept and reject and will never be able to fix his mind on a particular subject matter.

SB 3.26.28 puport-The system of yoga entails controlling the mind, and the Lord of the mind is Aniruddha. It is stated that Aniruddha is four-handed, with Sudarśana cakra, conchshell, club and lotus flower. There are twenty-four forms of Viṣṇu, each differently named. Among these twenty-four forms, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha, Pradyumna and Vāsudeva are depicted very nicely in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, where it is stated that Aniruddha is worshiped by the yogīs. Meditation upon voidness is a modern invention of the fertile brain of some speculator. Actually the process of yoga meditation, as prescribed in this verse, should be fixed upon the form of Aniruddha. By meditating on Aniruddha one can become free from the agitation of acceptance and rejection. When one’s mind is fixed upon Aniruddha, one gradually becomes God-realized; he approaches the pure status of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which is the ultimate goal of yoga.

Krsna’s Prasadam always looks- so delicious

Hare Krsna-below we have two very nice purports and one verse about Sound-Anavrttih sabdat– that thru this subtle medium one can become liberated from the cycle of birth and death. If that sound is authorized it can dissolve our material existence. Srila Prabhupada tells us that the secret of this mystical sound is that it must come from the right source of a bona fide spiritual master-otherwise it has NO spiritual potency.

He also adds in that….”seemingly transcendental sound received from an unauthorized person also has no potency.“

The last article we put out about ” intelligence”, explained that one has to learn how to doubt at first, in order to find out what is real and what is illusion. Once we use our intelligence, and with the (Paratmatma) Supersoul’s help to understand who is a bona fide guru and who is a fake, then we can go forward withauthorized spiritual sound from the bona fide spiritual master, who when we follow him can cut our bonds to this material world of repeated birth and death. The whole process can be boiled down to -hearing or giving rapt attention to the sound made by a bona fide spiritual master, and then acting upon it !!

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das

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SB 3.26.32 purport-…It is stated also in the Vedānta-sūtra that sound is the origin of all objects of material possession and that by sound one can also dissolve this material existence. Anāvṛttiḥ śabdāt means “liberation by sound.” The entire material manifestation began from sound, and sound can also end material entanglement, if it has a particular potency. The particular sound capable of doing this is the transcendental vibration Hare Kṛṣṇa. Our entanglement in material affairs has begun from material sound. Now we must purify that sound in spiritual understanding. There is sound in the spiritual world also. If we approach that sound, then our spiritual life begins, and the other requirements for spiritual advancement can be supplied. We have to understand very clearly that sound is the beginning of the creation of all material objects for our sense gratification. Similarly, if sound is purified, our spiritual necessities also are produced from sound.

Here it is said that from sound the ether became manifested and that the air became manifested from ether. How the ethereal sky comes from sound, how the air comes from sky and how fire comes from air will be explained later on. Sound is the cause of the sky, and sky is the cause of śrotram, the ear. The ear is the first sense for receiving knowledge. One must give aural reception to any knowledge one wants to receive, either material or spiritual. Therefore śrotram is very important. The Vedic knowledge is called śruti; knowledge has to be received by hearing. By hearing only can we have access to either material or spiritual enjoyment…. The principle of hearing to properly utilize preconceived materials is applicable to spiritual paraphernalia as well. We must hear from the proper spiritual source.

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SB 3.26.30-Doubt, misapprehension, correct apprehension, memory and sleep, as determined by their different functions, are said to be the distinct characteristics of intelligence.

PURPORT-Doubt is one of the important functions of intelligence; blind acceptance of something does not give evidence of intelligence. Therefore the word saṁśaya is very important; in order to cultivate intelligence, one should be doubtful in the beginning. But doubting is not very favorable when information is received from the proper source. In Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that doubting the words of the authority is the cause of destruction.

As described in the Patañjali yoga system, pramāṇa-viparyaya-vikalpa-nidra-smṛtyaḥ. By intelligence only one can understand things as they are. By intelligence only can one understand whether or not he is the body. The study to determine whether one’s identity is spiritual or material begins in doubt. When one is able to analyze his actual position, the false identification with the body is detected. This is viparyāsa. When false identification is detected, then real identification can be understood. Real understanding is described here as niścayaḥ, or proved experimental knowledge. This experimental knowledge can be achieved when one has understood the false knowledge. By experimental or proved knowledge, one can understand that he is not the body but spirit soul.

Some Conclusions– This is a very instructive purport by Srila Prabhupada for he tells us how we should accept or reject something. When iskcon devotees were first offered the bait of post Nov 1977 bogus gurus being presented to them, many if not most, accepted. But later so many doubts came in due to the intelligence of the devotees and the results of this un authorized guru experiment. Here in the purport Srila Prabhupada tells us that we should first doubt, then after seeing the actual sastric proof, we can then accept something as valid. Now some 42 years later, all the information is out there to make an “intelligent” decision about who is an actual guru or spiritual master and who is not. If one has still not figured this out by now, then he or she is not very intelligent nor are they serious about spiritual life.

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das

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Final Instructions of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada

On December 23rd, 1936, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada gave his final instructions to the assembled devotees: Continue reading →

June 1976 New Vrndavana

Srila Prabhupada: The Western civilization is a nasty civilization, artificially increasing the necessities of life. For example, take the electric light. The electric light requires a generator, and to run the generator you need petroleum. As soon as the petroleum supply is stopped, everything will stop. But to get petroleum you have to painstakingly search it out and bore deep into the earth, sometimes in the middle of the ocean. This is ugra-karma, horrible work. The same purpose can be served by growing some castor seeds, pressing out the oil, and putting the oil into a pot with a wick. We admit that you have improved the lighting system with electricity, but to improve from the castor-oil lamp to the electric lamp you have to work very hard. You have to go to the middle of the ocean and drill and then draw out the petroleum, and in this way the real goal of your life is missed. You are in a precarious position, constantly dying and taking birth in various species of life. How to get free of this cycle of birth and death – this is your problem. And this problem is meant to be solved in the human life. You have advanced intelligence for self-realization, but instead of using your advanced intelligence for self-realization, you are utilizing it to improve from the castor-oil lamp to the electric lamp. That’s all.

Kulasekhara dasa: People would say that your suggestion is impractical. Besides, electricity does many other things besides produce light. Most of our modern comforts depend more or less on electricity.

Srila Prabhupada: In this life you may be living very comfortably, but in the next life you might become a dog.

Srila Kirtanananda Swami: People don’t believe that.

Srila Prabhupada: Whether they believe it or not, it is a fact. For example, a boy does not know that he is going to grow into a young man, but his mother and father know. If the boy says, “No, I’m not going to become a young man,” that is childish; the father and mother know that the boy will grow into a young man and that they should educate him so he can be properly situated. This is the guardians’ duty. Similarly, when we talk of transmigration of the soul, a rascal may say, “I don’t believe in it,” but it is still a fact. A rascal, a mad man, may say transmigration is not a fact, but the real fact is that he’ll have to accept another body according to the quality of his endeavor in this life. (karanam guna-sango ’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu).

Srila Kirtanananda Swami: What if someone says, “This life of growing the castor seeds is very difficult, and farming in general is very difficult. It is easier to go to the factory for eight hours, come home with my money, and enjoy.”

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Hare Krsna-below in one short conversation we find two different things- Srila Prabhupada telling us that he became purified just thinking about some old devotee friend of his,….and that he got initiated by some professinal guru when he was 12 years old-a family guru. Later he rejected this man when he met Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja.

So two things-first one is that we also can become purified thinking of actual devotees and the reverse of that is that we become contaminated thinking of nonsense people who pose themselves as devotees. And second thing is that if one has accepted initiation from a person who is not a real guru, you can reject that person, and there is no sinful reaction. If you can find a bona fide guru (Srila Prabhupada) then your life become perfect. But for that one must become serious or be blessed by Lord Krsna.

damaghosa das

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July 1, 1977, Vṛndāvana

Prabhupāda: In Bhāgavata there are many instances, very old man married. Anyway, this gentleman was such a nice devotee. Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What was particularly nice about his devotional quality?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Which devotional qualities particularly did he…?

Prabhupāda: Because later on he retired—he was a pleader—so whole day and night, simply devotee. Sometimes he would offer obeisances to the Deity. Actually he was old man. He’ll fall asleep by… And he would remain in that two, three hours.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Two or three hours? Wow. Wow. Completely devoted.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. And daily he would go to the Ganges.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What was his name, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: His name was Nanda Dulal Phaini(?). So yesterday I was thinking of him, and I said it in my… I am being purified by thinking of him. All of a sudden.

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Hare Krishna Society

Who can become Guru? Let us not make same mistake- in Iskcon–SP

Offering our gifts to Krsna must be done with Love, otherwise He wont accept them

Chanting Hare Krsna Maha Mantra is the religion for this age

More on Creation from Srimad Bhagavatam

Warning signs given to us from Srimad Bhagavatam

Sound-from the right source means liberation-otherwise-it has no potency

Doubt-first sign of intelligence–SP

Final Instructions of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada

Srila Prabhupada discusses simple living at New Vrndavana 1976

For a real guru, one can give up this professional guru–SP