Author Archives: vyasasan

New Years Day 2021

Posted on by under Vegetarian

As is the case on most holidays, I spend the morning in the kitchen learning a new recipe, or preparing an old favorite, to offer the Lord.

This morning my wife suggested I prepare sandesh which is a Bengali Sweet favored by Srila Prabhupada, and one I have enjoyed many times (although I have never personally prepared myself). I have made up a fresh batch of panner (cheese curd) yesterday so will experiment today with this sandesh recipe from the Hare Krishna Cookbook.

Sandesh is a dessert, originating from the Bengal region in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent, created with milk and sugar. Some recipes of Sandesh call for the use of paneer (curd) instead of milk, which is how I will prepare it, as I have a fresh batch of paneer I made last night.

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Trancendental Vision

Posted on by under Uncategorized

…The unmanifested forces of time are so powerful that they reduce all matter to oblivion in due course. In Kali-yuga, the last millennium of a round of four millenniums, the power of all material objects deteriorates by the influence of time. In this age the duration of the material body of the people in general is much reduced, and so is the memory.

The great sage Vyāsadeva could see this by his transcendental vision. As an astrologer can see the future fate of a man, or an astronomer can foretell the solar and lunar eclipses, those liberated souls who can see through the scriptures can foretell the future of all mankind. They can see this due to their sharp vision of spiritual attainment. (from purport to SB 1.4.17-18)

Full Verse and Purport follows

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Happy New Year 2021

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Time I Am

The Blessed Lord said: Time I am… (Bg. 11.32)

Happy New Year to one and all. Hopefully this coming year will bring with it an end to the pandemic that is afflicting the entire world, and end to hunger, poverty, racism, injustice, animal cruelty and slaughter. I know it is wishful thinking, and that it will not happen without the people of this world adopting a higher consciousness and a less harmful lifestyle, but still on this new years day I am hopeful. Best wishes, chant and be happy.

Gita Jayanti; The Advent of Srimad Bhagavad-gita

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Battlefield of Kuruksetra, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Gita Jayanti
Krishna and Arjuna

So today is The Advent of Srimad Bhagavad-gita; Gita Jayanti. It is celebrated on the Ekadasi, 11th day of the waxing moon of Margashirsha month (November-December). It just so happens that today is also Christmas day. So Merry Christmas to all.

In honor of this day we present the Complete 1972 Edition of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami in the PDF format for you to read or save to your computer. Also we include a link to our other page Prabhupadagita Where you can read the entire book online a chapter at a time with the original illustrations.

click on links below:

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Vani Seva

Posted on by under Ananda devi dasi, Guru & Disciple
Srila Prabhupada with cartals

The following article compiled by Ananda devi dasi, has always been one of my favorites. She has captured the essence of the relationship between the disciple and spiritual master in a very scholarly or academic way.

Vani Seva
by Ananda devi dasi
May 12 2009, UK

In Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28.47 we read: “The disciple and spiritual master are never separated because the spiritual master always keeps company with the disciple as long as the disciple follows strictly the instructions of the spiritual master. This is called the association of Vani. Physical presence is called Vapuh. As long as the spiritual master is physically present, the disciple should serve the physical body of the spiritual master, and when the spiritual master is no longer physically existing, the disciple should serve the instructions of the spiritual master.”

Srila Prabhupada makes it crystal clear that after the disappearance of the Spiritual Master, the disciple follows the instructions of the Spiritual Master. The Spiritual Master left His instructions in the form of Books, verbal instructions, letters, tapes, videos, all these are instructions from the Spiritual Master,Vani.

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Taking a Break From Posts

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To all our followers of The Hare Krishna Movement, we wish you all a Happy month of Damodara (Kartik). We will be gone for the month so there will not be any new posts until end of November. But feel free to explore this site and visit our other site which we have archived many articles and posts.

http://theharekrishnamovement.org

Remembering Vishnujana Swami

Posted on by under Radha Damodara Traveling Sankirtan Party, Vaisnava Devotee, Vishnujana Swami, Visnu das




Remembering Vishnujana Swami

By Vishnudas

I met Vishnujana Swami off and on from 1970 to 1976. From the first time I met him to the last, he was always the same, always on a mission, and he was unstoppable. I believe he found his relationship with Krishna in his brief time here on Earth as Srila Prabhupada’s dear disciple. He came to Portland, Oregon temple in 1971 or ’72 I believe, and gave a lecture that put me into a sort of trance that I think I never recovered from. Then he did it again in Los Angeles, and again in New York when I saw him there. So each time I was more inspired to go out on harinamwith him and his traveling group of devotees and experience the real thing, the nectar of the holy name in congregational chanting. Anyone who knew him can tell you that he was created for Harinam Sankirtan. His kirtans set a precedent for full-speed-ahead, lose-yourself-totally-in-the-sound-vibration kirtans. When he danced and sometimes ran with the mridanga in his arms chanting till his voice was cracking, like he was crying out to Krishna, and sweating, and losing contact with the world around him, I would say it affected everyone in an emotional way that would make them also transcend the world around them and transport them into spiritual bliss. He was contagious. The milder side of his nature was deep and mysterious, thoughtful and intelligent. His lectures poured out like some kind of hypnotic river of perfectly timed overflow of nectar. And to this day I have not heard anyone ever preach like that.

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Month of Damodara (Kartika)

Posted on by under Damodara, Damodarastakam, Krishna's childhood pastimes, Music, Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas
mother-yasoda-krishna

” Upon seeing His mothers whipping stick, He cried and rubbed His eyes again and again with His two lotus hands. His eyes were fearful and His breathing quick, and as Mother Yasoda bound His belly with ropes, He shivered in fright and His pearl necklace shook. To this Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara, who is bound with His devotee’s love, I offer my humble obeisances.” (Damodarastakam)

We are now in the month of Damodara (Kartika). In honor and in celebration of the month of Damodara, we will be focusing our attention on the pastimes of Krishna in Vrndavan. Especially Krishna’s childhood pastimes. The following song is sung morning and evening and it is customary to offer a candle or gee lamp as well to a picture of Lord Krsna and Mother Yasoda.

Following song lyrics is a link of Vishnujana Swami chanting the Damodara Prayers

Full song

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We Are Not Concerned with the Skin but with the Soul

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krishna Balarama das, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Soul

Letters by Srila Prabhupada

Bombay, India

April 29, 1977


My Dear Charles, (Krishna Balarama das)

Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you for your very nice letter dated 18th April, 1977.

We are not concerned with the skin but with the soul. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is:

vidya-vinyaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva svapake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
(BG 5.18)

“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater (outcaste).“

So Krsna consciousness means not to make any distinctions of black or white, Christian or Muslim or Hindu, African, American or Indian. Krsna claims everyone as His son. This movement of Krsna consciousness is an attempt to enlighten the whole world on the spiritual platform. We are trying to do this. Please try to help us. By your letter, you appear to be a very intelligent young man. Try to understand this whole philosophy and work cooperatively with Brahmananda Swami to spread Krsna consciousness to all of your countrymen.

Your letter is so nice that I have asked that it be published in our Back to Godhead magazine. Thank you very much for your nice sentiments. I hope this meets you well.

Your ever well-wisher

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

The Hands of Man

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Art, Krishna, Krishna Consciousness

A man who works with his hands is a laborer.

A man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman.

A man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist.

-Louis Nizer

My wife shared this quote with me she saw on Facebook. I have spent the morning thinking about it and drawing inspiration from it. It has aslo reminded me that the Supreme Artist is God (Krishna). The following is a lecture by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada given at an art gallery in Auckland in 1972

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