Why  we are sent to this material world? Iccha-dvesa sammutthena, sarge yanti  parantapa, because we wanted to enjoy life independent of God, or Krsna. This  is the disease. We are not independent. If there is no rain and there is no  food grain, what your independence will do? No. Therefore Krsna says in the  Bhagavad-gita, annad bhavanti bhutani, very practical.

produce anna, food grains sumptuously.

Annad bhavanti bhutani parjanyad anna-sambhavah. And there must be  sufficient rain for producing sufficient food grains. Yajnad bhavanti  parjanyah, and you perform yajna, there will be regular rainfall.  Yajnah-karma samudbhavam.

Krsna never says that factories,by factories  bhavanti bhutani. Annad bhavanti bhutani, He says this  is practical.We are not interested how to produce anna.  We are now interested how to produce tire tubes. So eat tire  tube…..

 

Or, you can eat this—

    So this is going on. Take Krsna’s instruction as it is. You’ll be happy. This  is Krsna consciousness movement. It is not a bogus thing, it is very  scientific, authorized. Take it very seriously, especially those who are  born Indians. They’ve got the advantage. Don’t be misled. Thank you very  much. So any questions?….

741220SB.BOM                    Lectures                     That means because we have come to this material nature… How we have  come to material nature? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, that  iccha-dvesa samutthena sarge yanti parantapa. Iccha-dvesa. There are two  things: hatred and desire. Something we desire and something we hate,  iccha-dvesa. Two kinds of propensities there are. So when we want to enjoy  this material world, that is called iccha, and when we want to disobey God,  that is called dvesa. So that iccha and dvesa, there can be. That is two  opposing elements. There are. So iccha-dvesa samutthena. When we think…  That is not very difficult to understand. Everyone is thinking, “Why shall  I worship God? These are all bogus things, they are going to the temple.  No.” That propensity is there, dvesa. Tan aham dvisatah kruran ksipamy  ajasram asubhan yonisu, Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita. Tan aham dvisatah  kruran. These persons who are envious of God and kruran… Krura means, krura  also, envious, very, very atheistic. Duskrtino mudhah asuram bhavam asritah.  This is asuri-bhava. When we become envious, atheist, godless, without any  God consciousness, that is called atheism. That is dvesa.

750304mw.dal                Conversations              

So they have increased the working  capability. That is

civilization. Just like in the prisonhouse you have to  work. Eh? So

they think this working is civilization. This is avidya.  So therefore

they have created more work. From early morning, five  o’clock, till

ten o’clock, simply working. They do not know that  “This working is

our punishment.” But because ignorant, they think that  “Working is

life.” This is called ignorance. He does not  know, “This working is my

punishment. How to get out of this  work?” No. To increase the work

more, complicate, that is civilization. This is called  avidya.

Avidya-karma-samjnanya. Our tendency is not to work  but get things.

Therefore he has asked that question. Because he has to  get cloth by

working, therefore he asking, “Why God has not created?” That means

tendency is not to work. That is spiritual  tendency. Everything,

necessities, automatically available. That is our…  Therefore as soon

as one man becomes rich, he does not work. He gets his  thing by

working others. The tendency is there, to retire from  work. They go to

a solitary place. They retire. They do not go out.  Weekly, at least,

they want to stop worker, working. So why this  tendency? He does not

want to die. He does not want to work. This is spiritual.  Why man

should work like… Therefore real civilization is that  minimize work.

Minimize work, save time, and go back to your spiritual  life. That is

civilization.

Continue reading →

Hare Krsna to all

Pranams

All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha Girihari Manohar

We celebrated the lifting of Govardhana Hill pastime with great fun and of  course very opulent prasadam.

The older I get, the less I am able to “honor” so many sweets at one time  without going into some kind

of sugar shock, but I try anyway.

Many devotees attended and most of them stayed for quite some time after  the whole thing was over.

Seems these devotees like each other and have absolutely no inclination  to squabble with each other and this is all due to Srila Prabhupadas mercy  upon us all. When there is no fighting and only chanting, then it is not  kali yuga anymore– but Vaikuntha and I think all who attended would heartily  agree.

Our grateful thanks to all who came, brought offerings for the Lord  and devotees, and helped out in various ways.

Oh, and Kanhaiya prabhu-thanks for leaving your jimbay drum for me to  practice on—!!

Hare Krsna

Damaghosa das

 

Look–Its  a cow devotee in a punjabi outfit  !!

 

Hare Krsna to all

Pranams

Glories to Srila Prabhupada

Below you will find some interesting points in this abbreviated lecture  about:

1) how to turn a kali yuga debauch- into a mahatma

2) Human life should be for very easy living and not be for hard  working

3) Symptoms of a Mahatma

4) Prabhupada is creating ideal grhastha mahatmas

5) Difference between a grhamedi and grhastha and how to deal with  grhamedis

6) Grhastha has one aim-how to develop love for God

Hare Krsna

Damaghosa das

—————————

690917SB.LON                    Lectures                 They  are simply engaged in sense gratification: eating, sleeping, mating, and  defending. That’s all. Their business finished. They do not know anything  else. If I call some animals… Why people are not taking part in this  Krsna consciousness? Because they are animals. They are appearing with  four hands and legs, but they have been trained to become animals. So  they cannot take. But we are trying to train them from animalism  to humanism by associating with this Krsna consciousness movement. This Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement is to give chance to this  animalistic civilization to associate with devotees and mahatmas so that they  can also become devotee and mahatma. You associate with mahatma,  you become mahatma. You associate with debauch, you become  debauch. Practical. We have taken from the debauchery condition  all our disciples. But they are now mahatmas. It is possible. By this Krsna consciousness movement we can turn debauch into  mahatma. That is possible. Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement is so  nice.

Sat-sanga chadi’ kainu asate vilas. If people give up the association of  this Krsna consciousness society and they simply indulge in the sense  gratificatory process, then more and more they’ll be entangled. Sat-sanga  chadi’ kainu asate vilas, te-karane lagila ye karma-bandha-phans. People  are now entangled in hard working. Actually, human life should be  very easy, very easy. No hard work. Living very  simple life and eating very healthy food, living in open space, no quarrel,  no antagonism, everyone is happy, everyone is free. That is human  civilization. Not to become entangled. But at the present moment we have  become entangled. So Rsabhadeva says that mahat-sevam dvaram ahur  vimukteh. If we actually want liberation from this entanglement, then we  should associate with mahatmas, great souls. And who is a great soul? That  is being described.

  

 We have discussed some of the symptoms  of great soul. The great soul is sama-citta, equal to everyone. Great  soul is never angry; they are friend to everyone. And sadhava.  Sadhava means sadacara, clean habits. A mahatma cannot be implicated  with those four principles of sinful life. That is the first test. No illicit  sex life, no gambling, no meat-eating, and no intoxication. This is called  sadacara, clean habit. Anything beyond this: unclean habit. Here it is  stated,

sadhava. Sadhava means sadacara, clean habit. Then it is said, ye  va mayise krta-sauhrdarthah. Now this mahatma is specifically  indicated for a sannyasa, a perfect sannyasi, renounced order.  Their characteristics is that. And another mahatma… Suppose one is  in household life. Question may be whether a mahatma can be in  the household life or not. That is being described: Yes. In household  life also there can be mahatma. Just like Advaita Mahaprabhu.  Caitanya Mahaprabhu even, Nityananda Mahaprabhu. They were all  householders. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He was a householder. He married twice.  His first wife died–He married for the second time. Regular  householder, although He left household life very early. He was only  twenty-four years old; therefore He had no children. But Nityananda Prabhu  had one child, Virabhadra, and Advaita Prabhu had two, three children,  of which buddhi was very highly elevated. Similarly, Srivasa Thakura,  he had children. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu does not say that one has  to become in the renounced order or sannyasi, then he becomes a  mahatma. No. We also do not propagate such idea. At least, I am not doing  that. I am creating householder, ideal householder. And my ideas are  being fruitful. Here in London I sent six householders, and they are  doing nice, sincerely they are working. Therefore I am very much proud  of

   So here is also the statement that  even… It’s not required that sannyasi is only mahatma, but a grhastha can  be, is also mahatma. So grhastha-mahatma, his symptoms are described: ye  va mayise krta-sauhrdarthah. Their only business is to please Krsna. That is  the first qualification. They have no other business. Ye va  mayise krta-sauhrdarthah. Then how they deal with others? A  grhastha has to live… A sannyasi may live alone in forest or in Himalaya or  in a secluded place in Vrndavana or somewhere, but a grhastha, he has  to deal with ordinary persons, so many others, businessmen or  ordinary people. So that is stated here, that a grhastha-mahatma, his  first symptom is that he has no other business than to please Krsna. That  is his first business. And so far dealing with others, that is  janesu dehambhara-vartikesu grhesu jayatmaja-ratimatsu na  priti-yukta yavad-arthas ca loke. Very nice. What does he say? That people  who are simply interested in maintaining this body and sense  gratification, dehambhara-vartikesu. Deha means this body, and bhara  means maintaining, and vartika means occupation.

    Now you analyze everyone in this world. What is their business? Their  business is how to maintain this body. That’s all. If you ask

somebody, “My dear sir, what you are doing?” “Oh, I am doing  this business.” “Why you are doing this business?” “Oh, I must get  money. Otherwise how can I maintain myself?” This is  called dehambhara-vartikesu. Their only engagement is how to maintain  this body. This is their business. So janesu dehambhara-vartikesu.  And grhesu, a householder has got home. And jaya, jaya means wife.  Atmaja, atmaja means children. Rati, some money, bank balance or some  wealth, rati. Or persons who are engaged simply for the business  of maintaining this body, their only business is how to maintain a  home, how to maintain a wife, how to maintain children, how to have  good bank balance. In this way their life is like that. But a  householder who is mahatma, whose only business is to satisfy Krsna, for  him, these things are not priti-yuktah, not very pleasing. Not  very pleasing. Na priti-yuktah.

   Then what is their  dealing? Yavad-arthas ca loke. They deal as much as required  only. That’s all. I have to deal with some gentleman who is  completely out of our, this Krsna consciousness movement, but I have to deal  with him. Then how I have to deal? As much as possible to avoid him, but  so far the business is concerned, all right. This is all. Just like a  businessman talks with another businessman so far

profit is concerned. That’s all. No more talk. A businessman, a lawyer,  talks with his client so much… Especially in America, they cannot waste  their time. Any businessman will not waste their time. They will talk.  Similarly, a householder devotee whose only business is to satisfy Krsna,  they will deal with other persons… Other person means those who are simply  interested for maintaining this body, wife, children, in this way. They have  no other ideas. We should not have any very intimate relationship, but we  shall have to deal with them only as far necessary. No more. That’s all. We  shall try to avoid them as far as possible. But because we are living with  the human society we have to deal with such persons. So our dealings should  be so far as required. Not more than that. Then, if one lives a  householder life in this way, keeping his viewpoint only in Krsna, in the  lotus feet of Krsna, and other dealings superfluous, he is also mahatma. He’s  also mahatma. Na priti-yukta yavad-arthas ca loke. Mayi  ise krta-sauhrdarthah purusartha yesam.

   A householder mahatma has only one aim: how to attain  the perfectional stage of love of God. That is the aim. Generally, a householder in the modern civilization, they are simply  trying to accumulate money, increase the bank balance and make the  society,

friendship and love as the aim and object of life, and they have  no other business. But a person who is mahatma, his aim is different.  His aim is “How to make my life perfect in Krsna consciousness. How  to please Krsna, how to make friendship with Krsna.” Everyone is  seeking some friend. That is a fact. The businessmen or lawyers  or politicians, everyone is seeking some friend. Without  friend… Society, friendship and love, these things are required. But a  mahatma householder, he is seeking actual friendship with Krsna.  Ise sauhrdarthah. Because he knows, “If Krsna is my friend…” Just  like Arjuna sought friendship with Krsna; Duryodhana sought friendship  with Krsna’s power. Krsna divided Himself. Because it was a family  warfare between two cousin brothers, and Krsna was also related with both  of them by family relationship, so He said, “How can I take part with  one and not with the other? Then that will be partiality. So anyway,  I divide Myself into two. I am alone, one side, and in which side I shall  go, I shall not fight. I shall not touch even a weapon. And the other side,  all My soldiers.” Krsna had many soldiers. So Duryodhana thought that “I  shall take Krsna’s soldiers,” and Arjuna thought, “I shall take Krsna only,  even He does not fight.”   So this is the  determination of mahatmas, that they want simply Krsna’s friendship.  Mayi sauhrdarthah.

                     ye va mayise krta-sauhrdartha

                      janesu  dehambhara-vartikesu                        grhesu  jayatmaja-ratimatsu                   na priti-yukta yavad-arthas ca loke

Yavad-arthas ca loke, just to deal with other persons as much  as necessary, not more than that. But to keep friendship with  devotees, that is necessary. Not that I shall not intimately mix,  intermingle with the devotees. That is required. A devotee has got four  business: isvare priti, love for God, Krsna; friendship with devotees;  and kindness to the neophyte; and rejection to the nondevotees. These  four principles. A devotee’s only lovable object is Krsna. His only  friend is devotee, another devotee.

                          isvare  tad-adhinesu                           balisesu dvisatsu  ca                          prema-maitri-krpopeksa                         yah karoti sa madhyamah

Isvare means krsna-prema, love, to love Krsna. Maitri  means friendship. Maitri with whom? Tad-adhinesu, those who are under  the

control of Krsna. Everyone is under the control of Krsna by this way or  that way, but those who are given to Krsna voluntarily, surrendered souls,  I am speaking of them. Tad-adhinesu.

 

740612mw.par                 Conversations                 366516/53050 Satsvarupa: But by that argument, then, this body is also Krsna,  made of earth and water. Prabhupada: Yes, it is Krsna’s. But you are  thinking you are. That is Krsna’s. Therefore this body should be engaged  for Krsna’s service. That is Krsna consciousness. You, as soon as  you accept this body is Krsna’s, then you cannot employ it for other  purposes. But that realization you have  no. Why do you say it is Krsna’s? You are thinking your body. Or  you are body. Where is that consciousness?…..

Paramahamsa: They argue that Krsna’s in the heart of every  living entity. Prabhupada: Yes. Paramahamsa: Therefore, every living  entity is Krsna. Prabhupada: Why? If I am in the room, I am room? Is that  very good argument? Because I am in this room, I have become room? Is  that argument very sound? Krsna is within this body. I am also within  this body. But does it mean I am body, or Krsna is this body? Devotees:  No. Prabhupada: Krsna is everything; again Krsna is… That is… What  is the verse? maya tatam idam sarvam jagad avyakta-murtina: “I am  spread all over the universe in My impersonal feature.”  Jagad avyakta-murti…, mat-sthani sarva-bhutani. “Everything is in  Me.” Naham te…, “But I am not there.” This is called simultaneously  one and different. Acintya-bheda, that one has to understand. Where there is no Krsna consciousness, that is different from  Krsna. Otherwise, everything is Krsna. Bhagavan: The other  religions do not give any… Prabhupada: We are not talking of religions. We  are talking of science.

Bhagavan: Yeah. Prabhupada: So don’t bring in any religion. A type of  religion is made, “Believe something blindly.” So that is not our concern. We  are talking of the science. If I say that stone is also Krsna, is not  that the science? Bhagavan: It’s the science of how God’s energies are  working. Prabhupada: Yes. Just like if I say heat is also fire. Is there  any wrong? Bhagavan: No. Prabhupada: Is there any wrong? Devotees:  No. Prabhupada: Heat is also fire. But at the same time, heat is not  fire. What is the difficulty to understand? If I say heat is also  fire, but it is not fire, where is the wrong? Devotee: Heat comes from  the fire. Prabhupada: Yes. Therefore the fire quality is there. Heat is  the quality of the fire. Just like I taste sugar. The sweetness is  also sugar. And the form is also sugar. Yogesvara: Well, they would  say, “If stone is also Krsna, then why aren’t we worshiping all  stone?”

Prabhupada: Eh? Yogesvara: Then why don’t we worship all… Here is also  some stone. Why don’t we worship this? Prabhupada: You worship. Because  you are rascal, you worship. Yogesvara: No, they… Prabhupada: We, we  worship Krsna in His form, but you are formless.(the  impersonalists)

You worship that stone. When we make the form of Krsna in stone,  then we worship, not that any stone. Because Krsna  is everything, that does not mean I have to worship the dog. That  you worship. Because you are impersonalist, you worship dog.  And you are doing that. In the morning, you take a dog and worship it. That  is your business. Our business is to worship the form of Krsna. That  is the, required. (pause)

Bhagavan: Could we say that anyone who is engaged in glorifying the body  is actually engaged in idol worship? Prabhupada: Hmm? Bhagavan: Anyone  who’s engaged in… Prabhupada: That is already answered. Krsna says, “The  body is Myself, but still, I am not there.” So you cannot say by worshiping  your body, you’re worshiping Krsna. At that time, he’s not there, although  the body’s also Krsna. Paramahamsa: Sometimes, they argue, “How do  you know this Deity is Krsna, and this one isn’t? Because each Deity looks a  little different to the material eyes.” Prabhupada: So we  have to pluck out the material eyes. Then you’ll see that it is  all right. First of all, let me pluck out your material eyes. Then you’ll  see. Therefore it is said,  premanjana-cchurita: “Eyes with love of Godhead.”  Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He saw Jagannatha Deity, Jagannatha Deity’s  not very beautiful. But immediately He saw Krsna and fainted. You have to  make that eyes, then you’ll see. So your present eye have to be plucked out.  Then you’ll see. Hare Krsna. …..

 

—————— ———–———————————————–

….751027SB.NAI                   Lectures                 

devotional service, especially this sravanam, kirtanam  and arcanam,

arcanam, worshiping the Deity, and sravanam kirtanam.  Even if you

follow one, that is sufficient, but there are nine  different

processes. As far as possible, we shall execute  everything, and, at

least, sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam  pada-sevanam, arcanam. Arcana

is very important. For kanistha-adhikari,  devotee in the lower  stage,

arcana is very, very important.

 

( So for those of us who are wearing the brahmana  thread or who have been given gayatri mantra, this is not a cheap title, it has to be earned. And  we may wonder why tears do not

appear in our eyes while hearing or chanting??Ok, now  back to the original lecture….. )

 

Although the devotee in the higher stage, he also offers worship, but Krsna is everywhere.  For a neophyte devotee Just like some  people say that “Why you should go to the

temple? Krsna is everywhere.” Who was asking that  question? “Krsna

cannot be served…” Here, last night. I think those  girls, svarna(?)

girls. Krsna is everywhere, that is a fact, but that is  for the

paramhamsa, one who is very very advanced. For the  kanistha-adhikari,

he cannot He, like parrot, he can say, “Krsna is everywhere.” He must

be educated, “Here is Krsna in the temple.” Otherwise  it is simply

blaspheme, that “Krsna is everywhere.” That’s a  fact, but where is

your realization? Krsna is within your heart.  Have you got that

realization? Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ‘rjuna tisthati. Have  you

got that realization, that Krsna is within your heart? Can you talk

with Krsna?  He says, Krsna says, “I talk.” Buddhi yogam-dadami tam.

Krsna gives intelligence. Krsna is giving, but have  you got that

realization?

   So  these are all facts, that Krsna is everywhere, Krsna is within

your heart, Krsna is within the atom.  Andantara

stha-paramanu-cayantara-tham. That’s a fact, but where is your

realization? Therefore you have to begin  realization by arcana. That

is very essential. Then more you become expert in  arcana, ye yatha mam

prapadyante, the more you become realized, then  more you become

advanced. So  therefore, for kanistha-adhikari, he has to  raise

himself.

…                          arcayam eva haraye

                       yah pujam sraddhayehate

                       na tad-bhaktesu canyesu

                      sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah

 

By executing this arca-vigraha, arcanam, gradually you  advance. But if

you simply remain in the arcana-viddhi or arcana process,  and you

cannot understand who is a bhakta and what to do with  others… That

is also a bhakta’s duty, not that simply we shall  remain engaged in

arcana. We must know how to respect devotee, how to do  some service to

others also. That is madhyama-adhikari. Simply if you  become

satisfied, that “Now I am initiated and I am offering  arcana. I have

become perfect,” no, the perfection is still awaiting.  You have to

understand who is a devotee. You have to  understand how to give

service to the innocent. If you do not know  that, then if you simply

become packed up by arca-vigraha-seva, arcana,  then you will remain in

the material platform. Na  tad-bhaktesu canyesu sa bhaktah prakrtah

smrtah. Prakrtah means material. He is trying to go to  the spiritual

platform, but if he  simply remains in the arcana and does not preach,

this is na tad-bhaktesu canyesu. Anyesu. Anyesu means  those who are

innocent. That is madhyama-adhikari, middle  stage.

 

                         isvare tad-adhinesu

                         balisesu  dvisatsu ca

                        prema-maitri-krpopeksa

                       yah karoti sa madhyamah

 

Isvara. Then, by arca-vigraha worship, by  sravana-kirtana, by making

your properly advanced you will understand what is the  position of

Krsna, isvara.

 

Some conclusions–

This bhakti yoga is a gradual process. Practically  speaking, everyone begins from the material platform and if he or she follows the actual process of sadhana  bhakti, then they will come eventually to the spiritual platform. As  Srila Prabhupada  describes, there are 4 platforms of realization. The sensual, the mental  the intellectual and eventually the spiritual platform. To actually come to the spiritual platform requires  austerity or purification of the senses. We all know what this means.

 

In the above segments Srila Prabhupada clearly explains  that the neophyte or materialistic bhakta must perfrom Arcana or daily worship  of the Vigraha Form of the Lord. This is not  optional  if one wants  to eventually  within his heart, see or talk with the Lord. If one is  satisfied with just knowing he or she is doing some spiritual activity daily,  then he or she can just chant Hare Krsna or read the books. This is good, but is  not the final goal. The end goal is to have the realization of the Lord in  one’s own heart where you and He can talk with each other, as Srila Prabhupada  explains above. And that level of realization will develop, he says with Arcana,  or daily worship of the Lord, and of course this is along with the chanting of  Hare Krsna maha mantra.

Srila Prabhupada gives the proof of the materialistic  bhakta in this lecture by saying

…”He is trying to go to the spiritual platform, but if he simply remains in the arcana and does not  preach…”this  is na tad-bhaktesu canyesu.

So we can see by the above statement, what has to be  individually done.

And all along that path it is just like biting into some  sugar-because wherever you bite, you will always taste sweetness-Krsna  !!

 

Hari bol

Damaghosa das

Hare Krsna To all

Pranams

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Well its the end of summer now and as you will see from the photos, God has  been good to us here in terms

of a bountiful harvest of fresh vegetables and fruits to offer to Him on a  daily basis. Radhastami is coming up this weekend and I want to make something  special for the pleasure of Srimate Radharani since she is always making Krsna  something delectable every day. I think it will be something to do with milk ,  squash and squash flowers since she likes them a lot.

As Prabhupada once said, food from one’s own garden is a hundred times more  delicious than anything store bought. One of the reasons I continually put out  these beautiful pictures of Krsna’s creations in the area of food is to inspire  others to find out for themselves, what we enjoy, on almost a daily  basis. As we all know living in a city is mode of passion and living in the  country is mode of goodness. If one is not transcendental to the modes of  nature, then he or she will definitely be affected by those modes. So this  is why Srila Prabhupada encouraged us all to live closer to nature, grow our own  food,  and from the sattvic mode of goodness,thru the liberating  process of bhakti yoga, or devotional service, one can then eventually  transcend this material world, altogether.

Hare Krsna

Damaghosa das