Srila Prabhupada says, ”Anyone who comes to me for my help or wants advance in Krishna Consciousness, and whom I initiate and accept as my disciple, I must pray for him and his welfare always… I write at the end of my letters to my disciples, “Your ever well-wisher”, and as such, I cannot become otherwise than being ever well-wisher of my disciples, even though he may leave me.” ( Letter to: Janardana — New York 26 April, 1968)
Full Letter
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Srila Prabhupada: “Regarding your 2 question, For offering prasadam simply prayers to the Spiritual Master is sufficient. The process is that everything is offered to the Spiritual Master, and the Spiritual Master is supposed to offer the same foodstuff to the Lord. When a thing is offered to the Spiritual Master, he immediately offers to the Lord. That is the system, and as we come by parampara system, it is our duty to go through the right channel—namely, first the Spiritual Master, then Lord Caitanya, and then Krishna. So when we chant prayers, we do this, Bande ham Sri Guru . . . and gradually to the Goswamis, then to Lord Caitanya, and then to Radha Krishna. That is the praying system. But offering the prasadam to present everything before the Spiritual Master whose picture is also in the altar, means that the Spiritual Master will take care of offering the foodstuff to the Lord. Therefore simply by chanting the prayer to the Spiritual Master, everything will be complete.”
Srila Prabhupada’s Letter to: Harer Nama — Allston, Mass 28 May, 1968
Sometimes I become surprised how I have written this. Although I am the writer, still sometimes I am surprised how these things have come. Such vivid description. Where is such literature throughout the whole world? It is all Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. Every line is perfect. (Prabhupada Talk About Varṇāśrama, S.B. 2.1.1-5 June 28th 1977, Vṛndāvana)
“When a diamond is set in a golden ring, it looks very nice. The gold is glorified, and at the same time the diamond is glorified. The Lord and the living entity eternally glitter, and when a living entity becomes inclined to the service of the Supreme Lord he looks like gold. The Lord is a diamond, and so this combination is very nice. Living entities in a pure state are called devotees. The Supreme Lord becomes the devotee of His devotees.” (Bhagavad-gita As It Is 9.29, Purport)
This morning as I was driving up our lane, I saw a hawk flying past me with a live squirrel in his talons. And I thought, ‘how fragile is this life’. One moment the squirrel was out collecting nuts to store in his home for the winter, and the next moment, he is being carried away to his sure death. I was reminded of the famous quote “Life takes Life”, and of how all of ours lives, hang in the balance.
There is a famous Quote from the Srimad Bhagavatam:
“Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was asked by Yamarāja, “What is the most wonderful thing in this world? Can you explain?” So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira answered, “Yes. The most wonderful thing is that at every moment one can see that his friends, his fathers, and his relatives have died, but he is thinking, ‘I shall live forever.’”” (The Science of Self Realization)
This is the great illusion (maya)
So today, I am moved to post a chapter from the book “Beyond Birth & Death” by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Chapter One entitled “We Are Not These Bodies”.
Also for a Free PDF download of entire book click the link at bottom of post.
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Yesterday marked the appearance of Srimati Radharani, otherwise known as Radhastami. We honored it with a half day fast, followed by a feast after Her appearance at noon. I have always enjoyed reading Her 25 Transcendental Qualities.
Srimati Radharani has twenty-five transcendental qualities. Her transcendental qualities are as follows:
1. She is sweetness personified
2. She is a fresh young girl
3. Her eyes are always moving
4. She is always brightly smiling
5. She possesses all auspicious marks on her body
6. She can agitate Krishna by the flavor of Her person
7. She is expert in the art of singing
8. She can speak very nicely and sweetly
9. She is expert in presenting feminine attractions
10. She is modest and gentle
11. She is always very merciful
12. She is transcendentally cunning
13. She knows how to dress nicely
14. She is always shy
15. She is always respectful
16. She is always patient
17. She is very grave
18. She is enjoyed by Krishna
19. She is situated on the highest devotional platform
20. She is the abode of love of the residents of Gokula
21. She can give shelter to all kinds of devotees
22. She is always affectionate to superiors and inferiors
23. She is always obliged by the dealings of Her associates
24. She is the greatest amongst Krishna’s girlfriends
25. She always keeps Krishna under Her control
We are seeing everyday in the News, reports of flooding, tornadoes, forest fires, and other natural disasters. There is talk of climate change and global warming. You can blame gas emissions, fossil fuels like coal, over population, and problematic land-use practices etc. But in addition to the above mentioned causes, it can be blamed on an increase of sinful activity in our society. Animal slaughter, promiscuous sex, gambling, and intoxication. This is the opinion of great sages and Vedic scholars.
“When natural disturbances occur on a planet, one should understand that a demon must have taken birth there. In the present age the number of demoniac people is increasing; therefore natural disturbances are also increasing. There is no doubt about this, as we can understand from the statements of the Bhāgavatam.” – Srila Prabhupada purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 3.17.4
The next purport continues the theme:
“When there are natural disturbances like blowing cyclones, too much heat or snowfall, and uprooting of trees by hurricanes, it is to be understood that the demoniac population is increasing and so the natural disturbance is also taking place. There are many countries on the globe, even at the present moment, where all these disturbances are current. This is true all over the world. There is insufficient sunshine, and there are always clouds in the sky, snowfall and severe cold. These assure that such places are inhabited by demoniac people who are accustomed to all kinds of forbidden, sinful activity.”
The following is an older post dealing with the threefold miseries.
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This is a little History on the purchasing of the Bhaktivedanta Manor in 1973 by George Harrison who was working with Dhananjaya Prabhu to secure a preaching center in Watford, just outside of London England.
Dhananjaya Dasa: By the end of 1972, nothing had happened. Prabhupada wrote to me, “Better to take the upper hand and begin very energetically attempting to get some place. Expending energy for Krishna, that is appreciated and not the actual result of our energy. But if there is lack of energy being devoted for some purpose, then everything will be delayed and possibly stopped. Better to seize the iron while the fire is hot, that my Guru Maharaj used to tell me.”
Prabhupada presumed that the iron was getting a little cold. Then in January of 1973, in a freezing cold, miserable British winter, we got information about a property called Piggot’s Manor in Letchmore Heath, 17 miles from central London. This was the one and only time I didn’t go as a devotee, with a shaved head, dhoti, tilak and kurta, but went disguised with trousers, coat and hat. The previous property George and I had looked at was an amazing health spa outside of the city of Oxford with an indoor heated swimming pool, a beautiful conservatory, saunas and mud baths and more than a hundred acres of land. The asking price was 330,000 pounds. After George saw that property he said, This is a bit rich for you people, isn’t it? You’re supposed to be renunciates. Even I would have a hard time remaining Krishna conscious in this environment.”
Then we got the details on the Manor, which was being sold for 220,000 pounds,10,000 pounds cheaper than the previous property.
The Hare Krsna Tunes and the Disciplic Succession
by Gargamuni das
In 1972, I had the opportunity to stay for three days at the Allahabad Gaudiya Math. Srila Prabhupada had assisted in establishing this center in the 1930’s. Srila Prabhupada had lived with His family in Allahabad for nearly 13 years, where he had His Ayurvedic Shop. I attended morning and evening programs at the temple. I was surprised that the inmates had sung the same tunes of the mahamantra as we did at 26 2nd Ave. ISKCON temple in 1966. Srila Prabhupada had introduced a distinct morning tune and different evening tune, which were sung at the Allahabad Gaudiya Math. I was so intrigued by this, that I inquired from the head Brahmachari, which person had introduced these two distinct tunes in Allahabad, which were also sung in NYC 1966. The brahmachari replied to me these two tunes, morning and evening tunes, were introduced by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur Himself. Only then, in 1972, did I realised how important this parampara system was, that even Srila Prabhupada maintained the same tunes He heard from His Guru Maharaj without changing and introducing His own tunes………(Srila Prabhupada wanted Mukunda Maharaj to put these tunes in music script)
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