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News from the spiritual worldNews from the spiritual world
The Gaudiya Vaisnava, generally, following the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they aspire to become one of the assistants of the gopis. There are others also who like to be the assistants of the cowherd boys. So our Gosvamis, Rupa Gosvami, sri rupa sanatana bhatta raghunatha, they were all the assistants of the gopis. Gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari-kallola-magnau muhur vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. These six Gosvamis, rupa sanatana bhatta raghunatha sri jiva gopala bhatta dasa raghunatha, they were all very, very big men, not ordinary men -- ministers, zamindars, learned scholars. They were not ordinary men. And they gave up everything. Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tucchavat. Just like Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, he was, they were ministers in the government of Hussain Shah. Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was the only son of his father and uncle, very, very big zamindar, landholder. Twelve lakhs of rupees' income. Five hundred years twelve lakhs -- twelve crores now. He was so rich man. Similarly, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, Srila Jiva Gosvami, they were very, very learned. Jiva Gosvami was the nephew of Rupa Gosvami, very learned scholar. So either scholar, rich men, big politician -- all of them gave up their occupational, material occupational duty and joined Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His sankirtana movement. So they were always absorbed in the gopis' activities, always thinking. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was always thinking of Srimati Radharani's activities, and the Gosvamis, they were also thinking of the gopis' activities. Gopis' activities means to assist Srimad-Radharani how to serve Krsna. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 1.16 -- Mayapur, April 9, 1975 (Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami's Disappearance anniversary is upcoming)
Intelligence refers to the power to analyze things in their proper perspective, and knowledge refers to understanding what is spirit and what is matter. Ordinary knowledge obtained by a university education pertains only to matter, and it is not accepted here as knowledge. Knowledge means knowing the distinction between spirit and matter. In modern education there is no knowledge about spirit; they are simply taking care of the material elements and bodily needs. Therefore academic knowledge is not complete. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 10.4, Bg 10.5, Bg 10.4-5 Only one who is actually engaged in Krsna consciousness and devotional service can understand what Krsna is. University degrees are not helpful. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 18.55
All forms of incompleteness are experienced due to incomplete knowledge of the Complete Whole. from Srila Prabhupada's purport to Sri Isopanisad's Invocation Mantra.
Book distribution seminar:
An Appeal for the Book Distributors
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2010-07-28
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Hare Krsna Prabhus, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! In 2002 the GBC asked me to be the minister of book distribution. Since then I have been traveling around the world trying to encourage book distribution. One of the obstacles to book distribtuon that I often see as I travel in the third-world countries, and sometimes in first- and second-world countries as well, is that many temples cannot afford books or vehicles. This letter is an appeal to you for donations to the book distributors around the world. Since I've been in this position I have helped four sankirtana teams (in third-world countries) get vehicles for book distribution. You have no idea how happy these sankirtana devotees were to get them. If anyone would like to help in this way, you can either go to Paypal and put my e-mail - vijaya.hdg@pamho.net - as the receiver, or you can write out a check to ISKCON and send it to me at the LA temple: Vijaya Dasa, c/o ISKCON, 3764 Watseka Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90034. It doesn't mater how big or small the donation is -- $5, $10, $50, or thousands. Below are some statements Srila Prabhupada made in his books about the importance of giving charity to spread Krsna consciousness. BG 16.1. purport: "Charity is meant for the householders. The householders should earn a livelihood by an honorable means and spend a portion of their income to propagate Krsna consciousness all over the world. Thus a householder should give in charity to institutional societies that are engaged in that way. Charity should be given only to propagate Krsna consciousness all over the world. That is charity in the mode of goodness." BG 11.54 purport: "As far as charity is concerned, it is clear that charity should be given to the devotees of Krsna who are engaged in His devotional service to spread the Krsna philosophy throughout the world. Krsna consciousness is a benediction to humanity. Lord Caitanya was appreciated by Rupa Goswami as the most munificent man of charity because love of Krsna, which is very difficult to achieve, was distributed freely by Him. So if one gives some amount of his money to persons involved in distributing Krsna consciousness, that charity, given to spread Krsna consciousness is the greatest charity in the world.î There is also this statement by Krsna in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.22.35): Etavaj janma-saphalyam dehinam iha dehisu/ pranair arthair dhiya vaca sreya-acaranam sada: "It is the duty of all living beings to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with their life, wealth, intelligence and words." You may not be able to give your life for preaching or your intelligence or your words. But everyone can give some of their wealth for preaching. Prabhupada wanted his householder disciples to give 50% of their income for preaching. I only know of one devotee that does that. Of course, it isn't easy now because times are difficult, but at least everyone can give something. If a lot of people give a little, it becomes a lot. So if anyone would like to help book distribution around the world, either by monthly donations, occasional donations, or just a one-time donation, then certainly Krsna and Srila Prabhupada would be pleased. Your servant, Vijaya das
As for Srila Prabhupada's own unfamiliarity with Western culture, it was a feature that simply made him more dear to us. If he did not understand the use of a word in the English or American language, it was another occasion to love him. One time a devotee told Prabhupada that he might get fired from his job. Prabhupada was astonished and said, "Fired? They would fire on you?" Prabhupada thought the devotee would be fired with a gun. The devotee replied, "Oh no, Prabhupada! Fired just means they would release me from the job." We would all laugh together about his not knowing these words. We did not expect him to know such things, but neither did we think of him as a "foreigner." Prabhupada knew the transcendental world, the real home. To be unaware of the material world was just another sign of his detachment. >From Prabhupada Meditations by SDG
When a Krishna Conscious person is elevated to a responsible position, he never becomes puffed up. Just like a tree when overladen with fruits becomes humble and lower down; similarly, a great soul in Krishna Consciousness becomes humbler than the grass and bowed down like the fruitful trees because a Krishna Conscious person acts as the agent of Krishna, therefore he discharges his duty with great responsibility. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: Gajendra -- Los Angeles 27 January, 1970
Book distribution seminar:
There Is a Name Written in Each Book
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2010-07-26
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Hare Krsna Prabhus, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I am just finishing up a North American tour, on which I did book distribution and conducted seminars. It has been very enlivening. While traveling I had the good fortune of Jayadvaita MaharajaÕs association in New York City. He gave a very nice class the evening before I left. He spoke about book distribution (it's always nice to hear our leaders speak about it). Here's a little of the nectar: "I was traveling from New Jersey in a train when a Muslim sat next to me. After awhile he turned to me and asked what my religion is. That started a whole conversation about God and spiritual life, and he was very interested. When I travel I always like to carry books with me for people like this. So I and the devotee traveling with me were trying to find where we had put them. Finally we found a ÒPerfection of Yoga,Ó and I gave it to him. He asked if he could give something for it and gave a very nice donation. It was very nice to see someone of another faith so interested in what we have to offer." Maharaja went on to say, "Earlier in the year I was in South Africa. While I was there I asked a devotee how he had joined. He told this story: When I was very young my father visited France, and while waiting in the airport in Paris for his plane back to our home in the Congo, he saw a Bhagavad-gita on a table. Someone had apparently left it there. It was there for a long time, so at last he picked it up and started reading it. No one came looking for the book, so he took it with him on the flight. He found it very interesting. Later, whenever he was home he would often quote from the Bhagavad-gita, saying, ÒKrsna says thisÓ and ÒKrsna says that.Ó I began thinking, ÒWho is this Krsna?Ó When I grew up and was on a visit to South Africa, I met some devotees distributing books, and they told me about Krsna. I put the two together and said, ÒMy father knows all about Krsna!Ó They invited me to the temple and I really liked it and eventually joined. My father is also a devotee and chants sixteen rounds. Maharaja concluded: ÒThere is a saying in India: 'There is a name on every grain of rice.' Similarly, there is a name on every book that goes out, and only Krsna knows whose hand it is going to end up in, just as only Krsna knows to whom every grain of rice will go.Ó Your servant, Vijaya das (Text D:3265232) ------------------------------------------- ------- End of Forwarded Message ------
Book distribution seminar:
Finance person gets mercy.
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2010-07-25
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Hare Krishna ! All glories to Sri Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga ! All glories to Srila Prabhupada ! All glories to all the sankirtan devotees at all the times ! A finance director of an oil exploration organisation visited New Delhi ISKCON Temple. He met His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj who was on his Delhi visit. The visitor explained the oil situation in the world today and in the future times to come. His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj discussed the oil and natural gas situation in Russia, Canada, America and China then Maharaj got to the real point and spoke about the spiritual solutions for a happy world. He explained to the man about Srila Prabhupda and his transcendental books. Thereafter, the gentleman ordered five thousand Bhagavat Gitas As It Is with 100% advance payment. with best regards, your servant, Bhakta Rakesh - New Delhi.
The relationship between the Lord and His servitor is very sweet and transcendental. The servitor is always ready to render service to the Lord, and, similarly, the Lord is always seeking an opportunity to render some service to the devotee. He takes greater pleasure in His pure devotee's assuming the advantageous position of ordering Him than He does in being the giver of orders. Since He is master, everyone is under His orders, and no one is above Him to order Him. But when He finds that a pure devotee is ordering Him, He obtains transcendental pleasure, although He is the infallible master in all circumstances. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 1.21-22
Anyway, keep your movement very pure. You don't mind if somebody goes away. Don't mind. But we must keep our principles pure. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- June 7, 1976, Los Angeles
This initiation means that you should, everyone should remember that whatever sinful activities one might have done in his past life, that is now account closed. Debit and credit closed. Now, from this day, no more sinful activities. What are those sinful activities? That is simple. We have mentioned. You should take it note. No illicit sex life. Beyond marriage, there is no sex life. No intoxication. Even drinking tea, coffee, they are also intoxication-cigarette smoking. No intoxication. No meat-eating. Simple. Only Krsna prasadam. Whatever... If you remain in the temple you will get Krsna prasadam, and if not, outside you prepare your capati, dahl, offer to Krsna and take. Don't take anything except Krsna prasada. The third... And no gambling or unnecessary sporting. People are wasting time. So many sportings they have invented-sporting balls, this ball, that ball. You see? Human life is very short. We do not know when we shall die. Before that, we must prepare ourself for the next life. Next life means directly going back to Krsna, highest perfection. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968
> Daily at GMT 4.45 a.m. and 2 p.m., 22 to 26 July. 24 July there will be no > afternoon lecture. > > vedamedia.ru\kazan Sorry, this morning's lecture was not broadcast. Hopefully the rest in this series will be.
Book distribution seminar:
What a prayer to Prabhupada will do .....
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2010-07-23
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Maha Buddhi dasa "Bhaktitirta Swami, who was Ghanasyam before taking sanyasa was on book distribution with me in the 1970's distributing full sets to the colleges. We went to a small college and found out it was a holiday. Ganasyam decided to give it a try anyway. I said, "Why do you want to waste your time and mine, it's a small school and it is a holiday!" Ghanasyam said, "Alright, I'll just go to the bathroom and be right back. Just in case I find someone I'll bring some books." One hour went by, then two. I was becoming very upset. But I also knew that Ghanasyam sometimes would do amazing things, almost mystical. I decided that I wouldn't immediately chastise him, first I would find out why he took so long. When he finally returned I asked him, "Why did you take so long, you were just going to the bathroom?" He replied," That's what I was going to do, but as I was walking to the bathroom I was praying to Prabhupada, "Prabhupada please help me to serve you, I want to please you by distributing your books, please give me your mercy." "While I was in the bathroom there was a man in there, and we just started talking. He was a professor of history and religion. I told him about the Srimad Bhagavatam that we distribute and showed him what I had, he was fascinated. We went to his office and he bought a set. Then I asked if he knew if the library was open. He said it wasn't, but he is a friend of the person in charge and would call him. When he called, his wife said he was on his way to the college to get some things he needed. Ten minutes later he shows up and also bought a set." I said, "That's amazing, I'm impressed. I guess there are no material formulas if we sincerely want to distribute books."
There is a little story, very interesting. So one poor boy, he was student in a school, and the teacher's annual ceremony of father's death would be held. So he requested all his student, "What you will give me, contribution?" Formerly the teacher was not taking any salary. But whatever he wanted, the students will bring either from parents' house or by begging. That was the system. The teacher would not charge anything. A brahmana cannot be..., charge anything. So this teacher, the original story, the teacher asked the student for... Somebody said, "I will contribute this cloth," somebody said, "I'll rice," somebody said something, something, something. There was one poor student, he had no means. He was very poor. So when he was asked, so he replied that "I cannot say anything without asking my mother." "All right, you ask your mother and tell me tomorrow." So he asked, "My dear mother, all my class friend has promised the teacher to contribute this, that, this, that. So my turn is there. What shall I promise?" The mother said, "My dear son, we are so poor, we cannot give anything. But if Krsna gives, He is dina-bandhu, the friend of the poor. So if He gives something to you, you can promise." "Oh, where is Krsna? What is His name?" "Now, His name is Dinabandhu, friend of the poor." "Where He is?" "I understand that He is in the forest." So he went to the forest and called, "Dinabandhu brother, Dinabandhu brother, where You?" He began to cry. So Krsna came. When a devotee is very much eager to see Him, Krsna comes. He very is kind. So "Why you are asking?" "My mother... You are Dinabandhu?" "Yes." "So this is my condition, sir. What can I promise?" So He said that "You promise that you will supply yogurt, dahi. You will supply dahi." So he was very much satisfied. And he came to the teacher that "My Dinabandhu brother, dada, He will supply dahi, or yogurt, for whatever you require." "Oh, that's nice. Very good." So on the day of ceremony, so he went to the forest again and called Dinabandhu dada, and He gave him a small pot of dahi, yogurt, a small pot. Oh, he was a child. He did not know. And the..., he brought it to the teacher, "Now, this is my contribution. My Dinabandhu brother has given. So you take." "The hundreds and thousands of people will be given foodstuff and this much dahi?" He became very angry. He became angry, he did not care, and the pot fell down, and the yogurt also fell down. But after some time, when he came, he saw that although the yogurt has fallen down, the pot is full. Then he again dropped it; again it is full. He dropped it; again it is full. Then he could understand it is spiritual. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam eva avasisyate [Iso Invocation]. You take the whole thing; still, the whole thing is there. That is Krsna. Not that because you have taken something, one minus one equal to zero. No. In the spiritual world, one minus one equal to one. And one plus one equal to one. That is called advaya-jnana. There is no duality. Plus and minus, they are two things. But in the spiritual world, either plus or minus, the same. That is to be understood. That is called Absolute, advaya-jnana. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.38 -- Bombay, December 7, 1974
Daily at GMT 4.45 a.m. and 2 p.m., 22 to 26 July. 24 July there will be no afternoon lecture. vedamedia.ru\kazan
Because the so-called great leaders of human society are ignorant of this great knowledge of bhakti-yoga and are always engaged in ignoble acts of sense gratification, bewildered by the external energy of the Lord, they are stubborn rebels against the supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they never agree to surrender unto Him because they are fools, miscreants and the lowest type of human beings. Such faithless nonbelievers may be highly educated in the material sense of the term, but factually they are the greatest fools of the world because by the influence of the external, material nature all their so-called acquisition of knowledge has been made null and void. Therefore all advancement of knowledge in the present context of things is being misused by cats and dogs fighting with one another for sense gratification, and all acquisition of knowledge in science, philosophy, fine arts, nationalism, economic development, religion and great activities are being spoiled by being used as dresses for dead men. There is no utility in the dresses used for covering a coffin of a dead body save getting false applause from the ignorant public. The Srimad-Bhagavatam therefore says again and again that without attainment of the status of bhakti-yoga, all the activities of human society are to be considered absolute failures only. >>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 2.9.36
Book distribution seminar:
Krishna immediately recognizes a preacher
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2010-07-20
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letter, December 11, 1975 "The Sankirtana devotees are very dear to Krishna. Because you are doing the field work of book distribution, Krishna has immediately recognized them as true servants. Just like during war time, a farm boy or ordinary clerk who goes to fight for his country on the front immediately becomes a national hero for his sincere effort. So Krishna immediately recognizes a preacher of Krishna Consciousness who takes all risk to deliver His message.
are: argument, false prestige and lack of discrimination. >>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 5.13.22
This is the sure and certain method of propagating Krishna Consciousness, if we simply chant Hare Krishna with karatalas and mrdanga and speak from Bhagavad-gita exactly as we hear it in disciplic succession, then automatically people become attracted. Prabhupada Letters :: 1969.
...inquisitiveness can lead him to the proper knowledge. And where to get that proper knowledge? That is guru. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. But if there is no inquiry, if one is dull like stone and tree, then how there will be inquiry? So our education at the present moment is given just dull like stone and trees. Trees standing, cutting. No inquiry, no... "Why you are cutting?" He cannot. So dull. But this inquisitiveness should be enthused. People should be enthused to inquire: adau gurvasrayam sad-dharma prcchat. Sad-dharma prcchat. To accept guru means the disciple should be very very eager to know. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.5 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1976 |
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