As one of the most senior and respected spiritual leaders of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Hridayananda das Goswami (Howard J. Resnick, Ph.D.) is an early pioneer and renowned teacher of bhakti yoga in the Western world. At the forefront of contemporary religious dialogue, he is celebrated for his unique ability to adapt the wisdom of ancient Indian philosophy into teachings that are comprehensible for Western audiences. (Based in Los Angeles, California.)
His Holiness Hridayananda Das Goswami Acharya Deva retires into a book writing samadhi.
Pease find more info here: https://www.hdgoswami.com/important-request-retirement/
DNI for Director of National Intelligence.
The director of national intelligence (DNI) is a cabinet-level United States government intelligence and security official. The position is required by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to serve as executive head of the United States Intelligence Community (IC) and to direct and oversee the National Intelligence Program (NIP). All 18 IC agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA), report directly to the DNI. Other federal agencies with intelligence capabilities also report to the DNI, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Wikipedia
“February 12, 2025- In a 52-48 vote, Tulsi Gabbard, a former four-term member of the US House of Representatives and Lt. Colonel in the US Army Reserves, was confirmed by the full US Senate to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). One of the most powerful positions in the US government, the Director serves as the head of the expansive US Intelligence community and as a principal advisor to the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council. This high-level position was elevated to cabinet-level status during the first presidency of Donald Trump, a rank that was retained under former President Joe Biden.
The 43-year-old ex-Congresswoman for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District is a practicing Vaishnavi in the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya and was the first Hindu to join either chamber of the US Congress. She was also the first national politician to take the oath of office on her personal copy of the Bhagavad-gita, which was later gifted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2014 visit to New York City.
Tulsi served for a year in Iraq as the 29th Brigade’s Medical Operations specialist. Later, in 2008, she was deployed to the Middle East for a second combat tour of duty as a Military Police platoon leader charged with training the Kuwait National Guard’s Counter-Terrorism unit. “Tulsi Gabbard stands as a unique figure in American politics, not just as a former congresswoman and military veteran but as a dedicated Vaishnava who has long supported religious minorities and championed the cause of interfaith harmony,” said Madana-gopala Dasa, Co-Director of ISKCON Communications North America.
While not putting her faith center stage in her political career, Gabbard isn’t shy about her beliefs, regularly releasing videos appreciating significant Hindu holidays. In interviews and a speech before the United Nations, Tulsi has openly shared how the Bhagavad-gita has shaped her values and decisions. She has been a long-time friend of ISKCON, visiting our temples in places like Honolulu and New Delhi and speaking at the 2019 LA Ratha Yatra while a Democratic candidate for the 2020 US Presidential elections. Tulsi was also the keynote speaker at ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary Gala Event held in Washington, D.C. in 2016 which commemorated Srila Prabhupada’s arrival to the United States and his founding of ISKCON in 1965.
Gabbard’s political career has not been without controversy. Like many of President Donald Trump’s nominations, her recent appointment sparked debate among political circles. “Her independent stance on various issues, coupled with her past interactions with figures across the political spectrum, has led to both praise and criticism,” noted Madana-gopala Dasa, “However, as devotees, we focus not on political discord but on the potential positive impact that individuals can bring to the world.”
Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON’s Global Minister of Communications, said “We pray that Tulsi Gabbard’s background in government service, coupled with her foundation in the values of Vaishnavism—including selfless service, determination, care for others, equal vision, tolerance, humility, and integrity—will serve her well in her new role.” ISKCONNEWS.ORG
We have to have the qualified vision to see MIRACLES.
Miracles are happening every day and everywhere. The lack of proper vision and the stubborn atheistic and willful desire to ignore them are the problem.
The fact that the most powerful sun appears everyday at the appropriate time is a miracle in itself. The beauty of nature is a miracle and, especially in this great and most diverse country of Australia, people’s kindness is also a miracle. Among all countries, Australia is truly outstanding. And I am an immigrant indeed.
Here is what happened earlier in the week. My Toyota Hiace SLWB Samkirtan Book Distribution Van stopped moving for no apparent reason. SLWB stands for Super Long Wheel Base. There is no reason here for not naming Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan, which has always been helpful in my Krishna service over the past so many years and decades. Yes indeed, “Toyota, oh what a feeling!” All glories to the Japanese engineers! Toyota’s space management is even more thoughtful and consequently better than the famous German VW. Besides that, from the evolution of Toyota Motor Company, we may conclude that the Japanese people are not as contaminated by the disease of “CHANGE ALWAYS AND AT ALL COSTS”, as we see in the restless West and as Srila Prabhupada was always complaining about His western disciples’ attitude. Additionally, the Japanese people have a great tradition of courtesy and respect for the person him- or herself, so much so that Srila Prabhupada said one day that the Japanese people are more respectful to Him that His own disciples. We would do well to learn from the Japanese people about courtesy. Indian culture is also anchored in courtesy. Srila Prabhupada Himself was a perfect gentleman and could easily handle any situation with a cool head, dignity and respect for all the parties involved. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, the world teacher.
I was extremely baffled as to why this sudden immobilization occurred. There was no water or mud. I did not make a wrong vehicular move. But the vehicle, very unexpectedly, got stuck with the right hand back wheel in some rouble, gravel and sand, the left hand rear tyre was still on the road’s bitumen. Due to their size and lack of four wheel driving, these SLWB HIACES tend to immobilise themselves very quickly, as soon as one leave the bitumen. I had to call the RACQ and for the first in a long time I had to mention that this was a bit of a dangerous situation, as the full and at times heavy road traffic was passing within less than one meter from the back of my vehicle. Besides that I was blocking 50 to 60 % of the entry of a wrecking yard. And here is the point. Why was the vehicle stubbornly refusing to move in the front of this particular wrecking yard as if saying: “Here, this is where you get what a need and want and I shall not move until you get my point? I was actually looking for better tyres than the mismatched type I had now. These tyres were too big and did not even fit in emergency tyre bay. This was a bit of an unwholesome situation and had to be remedied too. Was the vehicle indicating that here it will get what it wants. Yes it did indeed and this sounds all as if the vehicle had its own will and decision making. After considering the whole situation, I did go back for the second time to the same wrecking yard a couple of days later and not only did I find FOUR SUITABLE TYRES ON RIMS AT A VERY EXCELLENT PRICE, but the entry to the wrecking yard had also been leveled up, as to prevent further immobilisation. Now we just have to swap the four rims cum tyres and the problem is solved. My conclusion: Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead kindly and personally had His hand in this event. Mind you: because He is the Supreme Powerful Person (or SPP), He has got huge and powerful hands as well. This is indeed a miracle of divine intervention. Amen!
TULSI GABBARD, AMERICAN POLITICIAN.
TULSI GABBARD. Posted on October 5th 2024. Yesterday, October 4th 2024, I met the sister in law of Tulsi Gabbard, who runs a business on the Sunshine Coast. Her name was obviously Mrs. Gabbard, even though today we may find variations to the societal rules and customs of alliance. Today we may find variations in just about everything. Just be prepared for it. First I thought it was another Gabbard family, but upon enquiry she confirmed the relationship. I was a little surprised to meet on the Sunshine Coast the sister in law of the famous American politician, who is an US Army Reserve Officer as well and I look indeed forward to meet Tulsi in person. I did give the sister in law a free piece of Hare Krishna literature, even though she declined to make a Krishna donation.
Tulsi Gabbard (/ˈtʌlsi ˈɡæbərd/ TUL-see GAB-ərd; born April 12, 1981) is an American politician, United States Army Reserve officer, and conservative political commentator who served as U.S. Representative for Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2021. She became the first Samoan-American voting member of Congress. A then-member of the Democratic Party, she was a candidate for its nomination in the 2020 United States presidential election;[1][2] she left the party in October 2022 to become an independent politician.[3][4] …………. In October 2022, Gabbard announced that she had left the Democratic Party altogether, citing their positions on foreign policy and social issues as reasons for her departure.[21] Gabbard campaigned for several Republican candidates in the 2022 midterm elections.[22] She was also a featured speaker at the 2022 and 2024 Conservative Political Action Conferences (CPAC).[23][24] In 2024, Gabbard endorsed former President Donald Trump for the 2024 United States presidential election.[25][26][27] (Source: Wikipedia.)
My comments: Recently I came across at least three Samoan or groups of Samoan ladies, one lady at the Byron Bay, NSW, Post Office and some others in the main Mary street of Gympie QLD and they all seem to be extremely lively, sociable, gentle ladies as well as attractive ladies.
Let us remember Srila Prabhupada’s words in Bhagavad Gita, version 3, chapter 10, text and purport 41:
10.41 Everything opulent and worthy of strong (feelings or attention) that may exist within the universe, all should be understood as only a part and fragmental manifestation of Krishna‘s opulence. Actually they are born of Krishna’s opulence.
Purport. Whether in the spiritual world or the material world, any glorified and beautiful existence should be understood to be but a fragmental manifestation of Krishna’s opulence. Anything extraordinarily opulent should be considered as a presentation of Krishna’s opulence.
or as per Bhagavad Gita, version 2 text 10.41, a more word for word rendition:
“Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.”
Both version 3 and version 2 for verse 10.41 are acceptable because Srila Prabhupada, the Acharya in all things Shastra, brings additionally a very interesting dimension to the matter. He brings the perspective of the beholder. As the saying goes: “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.” Srila Prabhupada’s version therefore cannot be sacrificed and put in the bin. Not at all, unless we agree to be irreverent to the Acarya again, unless we agree to be irreverent to Srila Prabhupada again.
We don’t accept Bhagavad Gita 10.41, version 1. This particular presentation is too freewheeling and remote.
So if a husband such as the initiator of the great Taj Mahal has strong feelings for his (departed) wife that would be an expression of Lord Krishna’s opulence.
“The Taj Mahal (/ˌtɑːdʒ məˈhɑːl, ˌtɑːʒ -/ TAHJ mə-HAHL, TAHZH -, Hindi: [taːdʒ ˈmɛɦ(ɛ)l]; lit. ’Crown of the Palace’) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (r. 1628–1658) to house the tomb of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 17-hectare (42-acre) complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.
Construction of the mausoleum was completed in 1648, but work continued on other phases of the project for another five years. The first ceremony held at the mausoleum was an observance by Shah Jahan, on 6 February 1643, of the 12th anniversary of the death of Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around ₹5 million, which in 2023 would be approximately ₹35 billion (US$77.8 million).” (Source: Wikipedia)
INCIDENT on Friday 4th of October 2024 around noon time or before. Posted on October 5th, 2024. Yesterday again I fell while on Krishna Book Distribution Duty, while trying to access a slightly more elevated land area beyond the side walk to shorten my path. Old age just quickens the process of physical fatigue on any particular day and the feet just feel heavier to lift. I might also have been tired. That in turn causes stumbling, which may result in falling. The worst places are wet, polished stone staircases or any wet polished stone area, especially if one wears thongs. Thongs are deadly slipery when wet. That’s why I stopped driving to Cairns Qld and Merimbulah NSW, which represented the two extremities of my regular yearly Krishna Book Distribution Samkirtan Trips for roughly 25 years, sometimes interrupted by right around Australia trips, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin, Cairns, Brisbane. And I really miss beautiful Cairns. By Krishna’s grace it was a soft landing on wood chips. My Hare Krishna tally counter was propelled out of my right hand and as I fell on my knees, my pants were damaged on knee level. But hey, don’t you see all the people, mostly women, walking around with holes in the legs of their pants? They even manufacture them with holes so that they can sell them with holes. I sometimes jokes with them, saying if you buy the book we shall supply a free and brand new pair of pants (without holes) as well. So Krishna has kindly increased the trendiness of my outlook for more attraction. When I spoke to the postal attendant later she commented ” Yes, especially in this town, holes-in-pants is very trendy.”
I have seen much worse, where I could have smashed my head on rocks but again by Krishna’s Grace, I landed on the sand with my head. But the rocks were only centimetres away. Still I had some nasty gaping wound on my right (or perhaps left?) elbow and some scratches on the upper part of my nose and different other parts of my body. I remember how some years ago, there was an instance of a Russian members of ISKCON, perhaps a disciple of HH Jayapataka Maharaja, who had just arrived in Sri Dham Mayapur, near Kolkata, and our world headquarters, for the yearly Gaura Purnima Festival in Feb/March. In his haste and happiness to be in the Holy Dham, he dived into the Ganges without due diligence. He was killed instantly by hitting head first a submerged rock. “His brain was hanging out of his skull” described HH Jayapataka Swami in his homily. Especially in foreign terrain, we must double or triple our attention and awareness because there is always more danger at every step.
Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.58 says as follows:
samasrita ye pada-pallava-plavam
mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh
bhavambudhir vatsa-padam param padam
padam padam yad vipadam na tesam
WORD FOR WORD RENDITION.
samasritah — having taken shelter; ye — those who; pada — of the feet; pallava — like flower buds; plavam — which are a boat; mahat — of the total material creation, or of the great souls; padam — the shelter; punya — supremely pious; yasah — whose fame; mura-areh — of the enemy of the demon Mura; bhava — of the material existence; ambudhih — the ocean; vatsa-padam — the hoof-print of a calf; param padam — the supreme abode, Vaikuntha; padam padam — at every step; yat — where; vipadam — of material miseries; na — none; tesam — for them.
TRANSLATION
For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murari, the enemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf’s hoof-print. Their goal is param padam, Vaikuntha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step.
The Surf Live Saver whom I approached cleaned the wounds and advised me to go to hospital to get some stitches for my elbow, which I did not, trusting my body’s power of self-regeneration. And I was correct. Everything worked out ok after due time, perhaps 14 days or so. That was a couple of years ago on the Noosa Beach and I was having a relaxing time. So not exactly on duty, even though we consider ourselves on Krishna duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, just like an emergency medical officer.
Some doctors are just mad and / or money hungry, or whatever it is, and one should be very careful about them. My previous doctor was talking about amputation for both my feet because I feel some permanent numbness in them. The numbness, I attribute to 50 plus years of walking on cold ISKCON temples marble floors. No need to say, I have quickly changed my doctor and my new doctor is Indian and we get along just fine. This brainless demon unconsciously and probably wanted to make me unfit for book distribution.
Anyway, should the worst ever happen, and stumbling and falls are far from being the only sources of threat on Krishna Book Distribution Samkirtan–dogs and humans themselves being the others– I may say right now that dying on the battlefield fighting for Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is most glorious and will be highly rewarded. This is confirmed throughout the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, and the typical example is Arjuna himself. I have now performed this service of Krishna-and-Pabhupada-Samkirtan-Book-distribution since June 1973, so throughout 51 years and 4 months, with various degrees of intensity, and I have no intention to retire any time soon. One should stick to one’s Krishna business till death. Even Grandfather Bishma joined the war of Kurukshetra and having that particular benediction, decided to leave his body willfully then and there. His body was indeed pierced with arrows, perhaps Arjuna’s arrows. Because of his heroic renunciation, in order to please his lusty father, he acquired the power to leave his body at will. Gandhari also acquired mystic powers because of her faithfulness and surrender to her blind husband Dhritarashtra, and thus tried vainly to protect her son Duryodhana from the blows of Bhima’s club. Om Tat Sat.
Book distribution news. One. Posted October 1st 2024. Today, Ist of October 2024, I revisited the butcher who bought a Bhagavad Gita some 3 or 4 years ago. At that time, I impressed upon him that after the perhaps at the most one hour long philosophical exchange and conversation between Krishna and His friend Arjuna, the famous battle of Kurukshetra would rage soon and tons of blood will be spilled. This battle and World War took place some 5000 years ago at a place called Kuruksetra, about 150 air kms North of New Delhi, India, on the way to Chandigarh. The fact that we are not being taught these matters at school means that we are passively BRAINWASHED. We are taught about World War One and World War Two, but we are not taught about this Krishna Kurukshetra World War. Fair or not fair??? Unfair!!! THIS IS CULTURAL IMPERIALISM. “POUR L’ AMOUR DE DIEU” LET US PUSH BACK!!!
It seemed to me that was the convincing argument at the time and, at least in my mind, it was a memorable event. I often tell the story when visiting other butchers and one of them assured me that actually butchers don’t deal much with blood at all, as the carcasses are delivered to their door. If he is correct, then I may say that Hare Krishna Book Distribution Samkirtan is a constant learning curve, where I am constantly given the chance to re-adjust my illusions to reality. I am very thankful for this process both to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna and to His pure emissary and representative His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who has left us in the year 1977 but Who is ever-present through His books. “I shall never die” answered He truthfully to a US reporter once. That’s why I am saying and repeating over and over again to all Krishna devotees that Hare Krishna Book Distribution Samkirtan is the best school of life. Please take part in it as much as possible. Please distribute as much as possible the unadulterated books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. After all our clearly publicised goal is to conquer the whole world on His behalf and many, many book distributors and many, many books will additionally be needed, as we have already distributed about 600 000 000 pieces of literature worldwide since the start of operation in 1966 i.e. 58 years ago. And this is a process of 10 000 years. Yes, believe it or not, the Samkirtan Movement is meant to still last for the next 10 000 years minus 58 equals 9942 years. We may notice in this regard that Sriman Hitler promised a 1000 years Reich to the German people and he lasted about 12 years from 1933 to 1945 and resulted in complete, utter and absolute ruin and defeat, not to mention the millions of dead caused by his madness. What a cosmic joke–and cheater–Hitler was!!! So the Samkirtan Movement in contrast is meant to last for another 9942 years. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, its modern days initiator!
Today this Krishna inclined butcher agreed to buy a second copy of Bhagavad Gita and admitted that he had probably given away the first copy but that he would have a look at this second copy. Our business is not to judge people condescendingly or otherwise . Our business is to strictly distribute the unadulterated books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of the International Hare Krishna Movement and let appropriate agents of Lord Krishna or Lord Krishna Himself sort things out. Let us strictly mind our own book distribution business!!!
Another wonderful encounter was just about ten minutes into the book distribution day. I noticed how this young lady just could keep neither her hands nor her eyes of Bhagavad Gita As It Is, version one, with the wonderful and colorful battlefield shot. My estimation is that she was eighteen years of age or less. She complimented on the full cover page, as many other people do. It’s a mixture of red, blue, white for the horses, brown and yellow for Krishna’s dress and exudes an atmosphere or powerful and action. The dull saffronish cover of ISKCON’s version two of Bhagavad Gita cannot match the cover of version one by a thousand miles and generally it seems to me that Krishna is giving much better book-design-intelligence to the version one team. Anyway competition is fully legal and encouraged in the Krishna Consciousness Movement but underhand blows, such as Jayatvaita’s rendition of Bhagavad Gita As It Is are banned and illegal. Krishna will take care of him in due course.
She said many things in the style:” No I can’t do it today” and “I have to wait for payday” or “Please come back later”. And I thought at times “This is a lost cause”. But finally the pull of Bhagavad Gita was just too strong for her to resist and she surrendered to it. With the business owner’s permission, she retrieved the appropriate amount from the cashier, with a promise to pay back ASAP. I was so impressed by what I had just witnessed about the attractiveness and magnetic power of Bhagavad Gita that when I went back to my Toyota Samkirtan van, I still noticed this mis-upside-down-bound Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1. I thought this was an excellent opportunity to make good use of this somewhat printer-damaged Srimad Bhagavatam. I went back and gifted the SB to her. She was very happy and smiled broadly. I think I touched her heart. And that is an aspect of our mission: to steal people’s hearts for Krishna. As Srila Prabhupada says: “It is a compact of love”. She will positively remember this exchange for a very long time and I pray to Lord Krishna that THESE TWO VERY HOLY BOOKS, SRIMAD BHAGAVAD GITA AND SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM will change her life for the much, much better, as they changed mine. Here is what Srila Prabhupada says about Srimad Bhagavatam in His now famous lecture in Los Angeles dated January 5th 1974 on Srimad Bhagavatam 1.16.8:
There is no comparison. There is no literature throughout the universe like Srimad-Bhagavatam. There is no comparison. There is no competition. Every word is for the good of the human society, every word, each and every word. Therefore we stress so much in the book distribution. Somehow or other, if the book goes in one’s hand, he will be benefited. At least he will see, “Oh, I have taken so much price. Let me see what is there.” If he reads one shloka, his life will be successful, if one shloka, one word. This is such nice things. Therefore we are stressing so much,
“PLEASE DISTRIBUTE BOOKS, DISTRIBUTE BOOKS, DISTRIBUTE BOOKS!
And even mundane leaders of society will do good and well to take note of the wise words contained in Bhagavad Gita As It Is and Srimad Bhagavatam, if they are truly interested in their respective society’s and people in general’s welfare.
Krishna is the supreme, most reliable and topmost object of love and love for God or Krishna it is not an artificial imposition either. Love for God or Krishna is latent in every living entity’s heart, including animal’s, just like fire is latent in the wood and it just needs a little fanning, a little creating of favourable conditions to become manifest. Jai Sri Krishna and thank you!!!
Lord Mayor of Noosa agrees to buy Bhagavad Gita As It Is.
The Right Honourable, the Lord Mayor of Noosa, Councillor Frank Wilkie.
Posted September 26, 2024. Yesterday, the 25th day of September 2024, at about 10.30 AM, and by Lord Krishna’s superior and unexpected arrangement, I met the Right Honourable, the Lord Mayor of Noosa, Councillor Frank Wilkie at Noosa Outlook shopping centre, St Andrews drive, and he courtesly accepted to purchase a copy of Bhagavad Gita As It Is, version ONE (1) by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the glorious Founder of the International Hare Krishna movement. Contrary to and in opposition to ISKCON, the Australian Society for Krishna Culture or AUSKCULTURE does ABSOLUTELY NOT AT ALL PROMOTE OR ENDORSE VERSION TWO OF BHAGAVAD GITA AS IT IS, EDITED BY THE IMPERSONALIST, IMPOSTER AND TRAITOR — IN ONE WORD: THE CRIMINAL JAYADVAITA SWAMI from NEW JERSEY. USA. To avoid future embarrassment, it would have been much wiser for the leadership of ISKCON, also known as the GBC, to stick to their original choice of Bhagavad Gita version one, edited by Hayagriva. Not everything new is better, as silly people will be led to postulate by cunning individuals.
Councillor Jessica Philips was assisting Lord Mayor. The irony of the situation was that at the time of the sale, I only recognised Lord Mayor Wilkie as a Noosa councillor as per his badge. A few minutes later councillor Philips informed me of the real situation. I went back to Lord Mayor and added a freebie to the sale. Noblesse oblige. According to the prominent French dictionary Larousse and for those of us who are not too familiar with the French language: “noblesse oblige” is an expression coming from “Maximes et Reflections” of the Duke de Lewis (1808) and means that one is duty bound to honour everyone according to his or her rank in society.
Lord Mayor mentioned how he read Bhagavad Gita As It Is in his twenties and remembered how one of the main themes of Bhagavad Gita As It Is is the overriding principle and obligation to perform one’s duty, whatever the circumstances may be, even if one has to fight family members and friends. He also liked to chat about our Hare Krishna restaurants, as he appreciates prasadam (holy food offered to God). I mentioned how Govinda’s, at 358 George st. Brisbane City QLD 4000, even though just a little smaller in size than our previous premises in Elizabeth st., is going strong under the expert management of Bhakta Michael Hastie. Thank you very much Lord Mayor! Please accept our very best wishes of continued success. A Hare Krishna restaurant in the Noosa area will be a thundering success! This is an openly offered position. Who will snatch it up and bless the people of the Noosa area with an unlimited supply of the delicious and karma-free Krishna prasadam??? Training in Krishna consciousness can be provided. The place is heavenly and includes the three SSS: Sun, Surf and Sand. So what are you waiting for ?????
“THE LADIES FROM USA.“
Yesterday, September 25th, 2024, I met Sepi Valizadeh, a female real estate agent, in Noosa Junction, of Iranian origin, a US citizen of San Fransisco – Berkeley area and a resident of Australia.
This happened to me the third time now and is worth noticing. This is the third time that US ladies, either visitors or residents relate to, connect to and agree to buy a copy of Bhagavad Gita As It Is within 30 seconds or so, with no hesitations whatsoever. Jai Sri Krishna and His sometimes inscrutable plans! The first lady was from the state of New York, the second and third ladies were both from the San Fransisco area. This may have to do with “yoga-bhrasto” as expressed in Bhagavad Gita As It Is, version 3, chapter 6, verse 41 and right up to the end of the sixth chapter of Bhagavad Gita As It Is, version 3, as follows:
6.41 The unsuccessful yogi, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people or into a family of some rich aristocracy.
In the word for word rendition of the Original Transcript (OT) of BGAII 6.41 by Srila Prabhupada Himself we find the meaning of “yogabhrastah” as “one who is fallen from the path of self-realisation.”
6.42 Or, those who have been unsuccessful after prolonged practice of yoga, do take their births in the families of transcendentalists, who are surely great in wisdom. Such a birth is very rare in this world.
6.43 On taking such a birth, those transcendentalists do again revive the consciousness of their previous lives, and thereupon they try to make further progress in the line in order to achieve complete success, O son of Kuru.
6.44 Such a yogi, by revival of the consciousness of his previous birth, automatically becomes attracted to the yoga principles– even without seeking them. Such an inquisitive transcendentalist stands always above the ritualistic principles of the scriptures.
6.45 When the yogi thus engages himself with sincere endeavor in making further progress, being washed of all contaminations, then ultimately, after many, many birth of practice, he attains the supreme goal.
6.46 A yogi (one who is trying to link up with the Supreme) is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all circumstances become a yogi.
6.47 Of all yoga practitioners, he who is always abiding in Me within himself with great faith, and renders transcendental loving service unto Me, is the highest of all yogis.
End or beginning depending on one’s perspective.
--The Australian Society for Krishna Culture. AUSKCULTURE, operation start 1984 -- ABN 65 231 425 870. 