Kardama Muni Prabhu gives a glowing comment on Pada-Yatra in India.

“My time with Pada-Yatra in India was one of the best times in my life.” Mooloola, The land of the Queen (Queensland) February 10th 2022.

After 37 years of service all around this great country of Australia, in systematically distributing the books of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta, the founder of ISKCON or Hare Krishna movement, such as Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Srimad Bhagavatam, Caitanya Caritamrita, and others, along with some of his disciples’ not-to-be-neglected vegetarian cookbooks, such as Kurma Dasa’, with the purpose of lifting the spiritual standards of our Australian public-readers, this extended traveling, door to door, book distribution is now coming to an end. We shall instead distribute books locally and continue to distribute books online. Currently, we offer to anyone in the world a free Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, version one, also called the 1972 Macmillan edition, softbound, here: https://krishnaculture.org/special-offers/. Our best years of traveling netted 5000 pieces of literature distributed door to door. For the record, this Hare Krishna books distribution mission has actually started in Paris, France, in June 1973. So all together 48 years of international service with some interruptions, through Switzerland, Germany and India, the spiritual hub of the world. Srila Prabhupada always stressed book distribution very much. Please see https://krishnaculture.org/book-distribution/ So we are changing with the times and the coronavirus pandemic is a contributing factor among others. We practice and promote, both privately and in the streets the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, or great, designated chant of deliverance for this age of quarrel and hypocrisy:” HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE / HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE and various other Sanskrit mantras. With accordion and all, chanting Hare Krishna can actually be quite fun. Just watch the dancy wancy kirtan by Madhava’s rock band here: https://krishnaculture.org/2021/09/01/3803/, recorded in Vrindavan, Krishna’s birthplace, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is also the Hare Krishna charitable tradition that, as far as is possible, anyone who is destitute and hungry is welcome to have a free meal at one’s home, or at the ISKCON Hare Krishna free or low-cost meals distribution centers. Our website remains https://krishnaculture.org.

CHANGE OF PLAN: Traveling book distribution along with Hari Nam Sankirtan has resumed again.

“European and American civilisations will be finished on account of this sinful activity of killing the cows.” 750531let.Kirtanananda

This lady is definitely chanting very loudly

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA

KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA

RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

and calling all others to do so as well. Thank you very much! The combined sound vibration will be both powerful and pleasing as well. It will also be healing, healing to the heart especially. In her haste to chant the Holy Name of the Lord she neglected her tilak. Tilak is important. When Srila Prabhupada stripped down Vaishnava attire to the bear minimum, He insisted that Tilak must be worn (and perhaps kanti-mala), even though otherwise we may wear “karmi” dress.

“Householders may wear dhotis in the Temple, or as they like, but not of the saffron color. They may wear white, yellow, or whatever. Outside the Temple they may wear American gentleman’s dress, with Tilaka, flag,(sika) and beads. It is not required to wear dhotis, as this society does not understand, so outside the Temple dress suit is more socially acceptable. If they so desire, for ceremony, they can dress in dhotis for Kirtana.” 680312let.Balai

The strength of a woman lies in her feminine appeal or as Srila Prabhupada puts it below “the captivating potency of woman.”

“There are many instances in the history of the world of a great conqueror’s being captivated by the charms of a Cleopatra. One has to study the captivating potency of woman, and man’s attraction for that potency. From what source was this generated? According to Vedanta-sutra, we can understand that everything is generated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is enunciated there, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. This means that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or the Supreme Person, Brahman, the Absolute Truth, is the source from whom everything emanates. The captivating power of woman, and man’s susceptibility to such attraction, must also exist in the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the spiritual world and must be represented in the transcendental pastimes of the Lord.
The Lord is the Supreme Person, the supreme male. As a common male wants to be attracted by a female, that propensity similarly exists in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He also wants to be attracted by the beautiful features of a woman. Now the question is, if He wants to be captivated by such womanly attraction, would He be attracted by any material woman? It is not possible. Even persons who are in this material existence can give up womanly attraction if they are attracted by the Supreme Brahman. Such was the case with Haridasa Thakura. A beautiful prostitute tried to attract him in the dead of night, but since he was situated in devotional service, in transcendental love of Godhead, Haridasa Thakura was not captivated. Rather, he turned the prostitute into a great devotee by his transcendental association. This material attraction, therefore, certainly cannot attract the Supreme Lord. When He wants to be attracted by a woman, He has to create such a woman from His own energy. That woman is Radharani. It is explained by the Gosvamis that Radharani is the manifestation of the pleasure potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When the Supreme Lord wants to derive transcendental pleasure, He has to create a woman from His internal potency. Thus the tendency to be attracted by womanly beauty is natural because it exists in the spiritual world. In the material world it is reflected pervertedly, and therefore there are so many inebrieties. SB 3.31.38

The strength of a male lies in his brahmacarya.

“The vow of brahmacarya is meant to help one become completely abstinent from sex indulgence in work, words, and mind– at all times, under  all circumstances, and in all places.” No one can perform any kind of yoga practice through sex infulgence. Brahmacarya is taught, therefore, from childhood when one has no knowledge of sex life. Children at the age of five are sent to Gurukula, or the place of the spiritual master, who trains the young boys in the strict discipline of becoming a brahmacari. Without such practice of brahmacarya, nobody can make any advancement in any kind of yoga, whether it be dhyana, jnana or bhakti. One who, however, follows the rules and regulations of married life, having no sexual relationship with any woman except his wife ( and that also under regulations) is also called brahmacari. Such a restrained householder brahmacari may be accepted in the bhakti school, but the jnana and dhyana schools do not allow for even a householder brahmacari. They require complete abstinence without any compromise. In the bhakti school, a householder brahmacari is allowed because the cult of bhakti-yoga is so powerful that one automatically loses any sexual attraction, being engaged in the superior service of the Lord. BGAII V 3 6.13–14

“The yogi must also be “completely free from sex life.” If one indulges in sex, he cannot concentrate; therefore brahmacarya, complete celibacy, is recommended to make the mind steady. By practicing celibacy, one cultivates determination. One modern example of such determination is that of Mahatma Gandhi, who was determined to resist the powerful British empire by means of nonviolence. At this time, India was dependent on the British, and the people had no weapons. The Britishers, being more powerful, easily cut down whatever violent revolutions the people attempted. Therefore Gandhi resorted to nonviolence, noncooperation. “I shall not fight with the Britishers,” he declared, “and even if they react with violence, I shall remain nonviolent. In this way the world will sympathize with us.” Such a policy required a great amount of determination, and Gandhi’s determination was very strong because he was a brahmacari. Although he had children and a wife, he renounced sex at the age of thirty-six. It was this sexual renunciation that enabled him to be so determined that he was able to lead his country and drive the British from India.” Path of Perfection 4: Moderation in Yoga

Moreover Srila Prabhupada makes this intriguing remark in Srimad-Bhagavatam:

“Every living entity, being classified as energy, is supposed to be originally a woman, or one who is enjoyed. “SB 3.31.41 P.

For scribe my I-dictionary gives:

scribe | skrʌɪb | noun

1. historical a person who copies out documents, especially one employed to do this before printing was invented. • informal, often humorous a writer, especially a journalist. 

2. historical a Jewish recordkeeper or, later, a professional theologian and jurist. 

We need only four things: We need a smooth writing pen, a piece of paper, a Prabhupada book, and a strong desire to know Srila Prabhupada. Ultimately all these modern contraptions are nonsense and the digital world encourages the cheating propensity on a vast scale. That does not mean however that we shall not use these modern, nonsense contraptions in Krishna’s service. Srila Prabhupada’s own slogan is: Utility is the principle.” We shall use anything that is of value, that is useful in Krishna’s service, including ICBM with MIRVs, if Krishna puts us in such a position. I am saying “nonsense” because most of these contraptions are produced by demoniac brains and the ICBM are ultimately meant to destroy the world. Most of these things, like the internet itself, originate from military research. So let us get back to basics and I repeat again we need a pen, a piece of paper, a Prabhupada book-any Prabhupada book- and you may start anywhere in the book and a sustained desire to become acquainted with Srila Prabhupada’s thinking and formulation. Anywhere you start in the book just make sure you finish, just to make it complete.

Both Srila Prabhupada’s trail of thought and the formulation of His thoughts are important. And by repeating in writing the sentences issued from Srila Prabhupada’s lotus mouth we get the closest we can to Srila Prabhupada, the preacher. The way to nail down one’s powerful and flickering mind to the task, is to repeat a sentence over an over again until the mind gets the full import and implication of the sentence. The mind is powerful no doubt, and needs discipline. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Maharaja encouraged that much force on the mind as to encourage beating it one hundred times with a shoe in the morning and again in the evening one hundred times with broom stick.

“You say that your mind unfortunately runs away now and then. That is the business of the mind, but if you simply fix up your mind on the Lotus Feet of Krishna, the rascal mind cannot disturb you anymore. My Guru Maharaja used to say that just rise early in the morning and then kick the mind with a shoe one hundred times. Then while going to sleep, one should take a broomstick and strike the mind another hundred times. The mind is so restless, that it can be brought to tameness only by the process suggested by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. So you should try this process and stop the mind from running away now and then. If you follow the process of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, naturally He will help you in controlling the mind and bestow all His blessings upon you.”

Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: Rayarama — Los Angeles 29 June, 1969

This is the best way I know to imbibe Srila Prabhupada’s literary and philosophical personality. The more we do that the more we become one with Srila Prabhupada in purpose. That is a good thing because the original message comes directly from Krishna and Sri Krishna wants this to happen, therefore it will happen, just ike the victory of the Pandavas happened on the battlefield of Kuruksetra. It is amazing how the message of Lord Caitanya is transcendental to time and sometimes pre-printing time methods can be used to our greatest advantage. By writing Srila Prabhupada’s text we are feeding Prabhupada’s Vani through our own brains and if done repetitively this process will leave an undeniable and indelible mark on our personality. We will start thinking like Srila Prabhupada and we will start talking like Srila Prabhupada. We shall even learn some Sanskrit words in the procedure. It will again fade progressively as soon as we start neglecting the procedure. But the more we repeat the procedure the more we shall become proficient in Prabhupada Vani and that is really the goal of our lives: Become a direct instrument of both Srila Prabhupada and Krishna.

asmat tvam uttistha yaso labhasva
jitva satrun bhunksva rajyam samrddham
mayaivaite nihatah purvam eva
nimitta-matram bhava savya-sacin

Word for word translation

tasmat — therefore; tvam — you; uttistha — get up; yasah — fame; labhasva — gain; jitva — conquering; satrun — enemies; bhunksva — enjoy; rajyam — kingdom; samrddham — flourishing; maya — by Me; eva — certainly; ete — all these; nihatah — killed; purvam eva — by previous arrangement; nimitta-matram — just the cause; bhava — become; savya-sacin — O Savyasaci.

TRANSLATION

Therefore get up. Prepare to fight and win glory. Conquer your enemies and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasaci, can be but an instrument in the fight.

Ref. VedaBase => Bg 11.33

One note of caution: once you have created your multiple pages of Prabhupada Vani, or even if just a few words, you have created Shastra or scripture and it behoves to treat it as such. Please don’t bin it. It can be destroyed by fire or just leave it to desintegrate in a designated place.

in construction ….more to come soon

• Maleny, Qld. Australia. January 27th 2022
• Q: Hello, what kind of plant do you carry in your vehicle?

A: This a specimen of Holy Basil. In the Hare Krishna movement we call it also Tulasi Maharani or Tulasi Devi

Q: O, I see. I know about this as I have been living in Nepal. Do you make tea with it? (self-centred)

A: No not really. Krishna likes to have a few leaves of Tulasi on His meals. (Krishna centred) So we try to please Him in that way when we make offering of food to God, Krishna, as he invites in Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 9.26, version 3:

patram puspam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami prayatatmanah

WORD for WORD TRANSLATION

patram — a leaf; puspam — a flower; phalam — a fruit; toyam — water; yah — whoever; me — unto Me; bhaktya — with devotion; prayacchati — offers; tat — that; aham — I; bhakti-upahrtam — offered in devotion; asnami — accept; prayata-atmanah — from one in pure consciousness.

TRANSLATION

Whoever offers Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I accept that offering of the pure and loving heart.  

Q: Silence.

Wombye, Qld. Australia. January 4th 2022.

A: Sir, this looks like a really fine vehicle you’ve got here. It really exudes opulence as a Rolls Royce would. And it is really none of my business but this must come with a hefty price tag.

Q: Yes, I bought this vehicle only 5 weeks ago, and paid AU $ 80.000 for it!

A: How wonderful! Sir would you kindly accept a Krishna-book and make a donation for our Krishna charity?

Q: Na, na, na, na that I cannot do. (Very self-centred.)

Shastra or scripture warns often that if we do not employ our wealth in Krishna’s or God’s service and act like thieves, that very wealth may become the cause of our demise. How many millionaires or rich politicians died while driving their vehicles or died in a plane crash? In Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 5.29, version 3, Krishna’s ownership of all wealth is acknowledged. He who creates a thing, may claim ownership of that thing and not otherwise.

“A person in Krishna consciousness, knows it well that Lord Krishna is the ultimate goal of all kinds of sacrifices and austerities, that He is the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and that He is the benefactor and well-wisher of all living enitites and with that knowledge the person in Krishna consciousness achieves the greatest relief from the pangs of material miseries.” 

There is also Isopanishad mantra 1:

isavasyam idam sarvam
yat kinca jagatyam jagat
tena tyaktena bhunjitha
ma grdhah kasya svid dhanam

“Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.”

Ref. VedaBase => SB 6.14.10

The Takbir (تَكْبِير, pronounced [tak.biːr], “magnification [of God]”)^[a] is the name for the Arabic phrase ʾAllāhu ʾakbar^u (ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ, pronounced [ʔaɫ.ɫaː.hu ʔak.baru] (listen)), meaning “Allah (God) is the greatest”.^[1][2]

It is a common Arabic expression, used in various contexts by Muslims and Arabs around the world: in formal Salah (prayer),^[2] in the Adhan(Islamic call to prayer),^[3] as an informal expression of faith, in times of distress or joy, or to express resolute determination or defiance. The phrase is also used by Arab Christians.^[4] SOURCE: Wikipedia.

We simply say HARE KRISHNA, the Addressee remaining the very same person, i.e. God, the Supreme Being, among all beings. We should reflect upon these words “the Supreme Being” and how extraordinarily powerful He is. And yes, like it or not, He is a male entity. And He had in the past, has currently and will have in the future His emissaries, also called prophets. This is because He cares deeply about the souls imprisoned in this material world, a place of reformation and full of conditions. This imprisonment is the souls’ own doing. Only the foolish criminal will seek to charge the state for his imprisonment. The state very well knows that criminal behaviour will occur and therefore wisely creates the prison to accomodate the offenders for reformation. But the state bears not the least responbility for the criminal’s behaviour. And where there are conditions, there will be no question of freedom. Some politicians make it a freedom slogan. But it is simply illusory freedom. Of course freedom can be a very subjective feeling. For example, after passing stool one may feel free. But is this real freedom? Is this our very best conception of freedom? As long as the conditions of birth, death, old age and disease prevail, there cannot be any question of real freedom.

So we say “Hare Krishna.” Declension-wise, Hare is a vocative, the nominative being Hara. Hara represents the internal pleasure energy of the Lord or hladini shakti and the personification of the internal energy of the Lord is represented by Srimatee Radharani, His most intimate lady companion. So ladies first,” Hare.” Being God Himself, Lord Krishna did not fail to marry 16108 princesses and Krishna, being also called Yogesvara or the master of all mystic powers spent His time permanently with all of His 16108 wives in their 16108 palaces. It is not that each princess had to wait 16000 days and something to be with Their husbands. Krishna expanded Himself in 16108 forms to please His 16108 wives. Krishna clearly states in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is both in verse 9.5 and in verse 11.8 “pasya me yogam aisvaram” or “Just consider my mystic power.”

Neither can we approach the Lord directly, just like we may not be able to approach Prime Minister Morrison or President Biden directly. We have to go through the proper channels. Similarly to approach Krishna or the Supreme Personality of Godhead we have to go through the spiritual master or Guru.

First of all let me quote the prophet for the current times, His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami, on God nomenclature:

“Srila Jiva Gosvami instructs that chanting of the holy name of the Lord should be loudly done, and it should be performed offenselessly as well, as recommended in the Padma Purana. One can deliver himself from the effects of all sins by surrendering himself unto the Lord. One can deliver himself from all offenses at the feet of the Lord by taking shelter of His holy name. But one cannot protect himself if one commits an offense at the feet of the holy name of the Lord. Such offenses are mentioned in the Padma Purana as being ten in number. The first offense is to vilify the great devotees who have preached about the glories of the Lord. The second offense is to see the holy names of the Lord in terms of worldly distinction. The Lord is the proprietor of all the universes, and therefore He may be known in different places by different names, but that does not in any way qualify the fullness of the Lord. Any nomenclature which is meant for the Supreme Lord is as holy as the others because thzey are all meant for the Lord. Such holy names are as powerful as the Lord, and there is no bar for anyone in any part of the creation to chant and glorify the Lord by the particular name of the Lord as it is locally understood. They are all auspicious, and one should not distinguish such names of the Lord as material commodities. The third offense………..”

Ref. VedaBase => Srimad Bhagavatam 2.1.11

Of which the essence may well be:” Any nomenclature which is meant for the Supreme Lord is as holy as the others because they are all meant for the Lord.“

In simple terms, any name applied in good faith and respect to God is as good as any other: “Father” is as good as “God,” which is as good as “Krishna,” which is as good as “Allah,” which is as good as “Yahweh,” which is is as good as “Buddha,” which is NOT as good as John Lennon or Bjorn Ulvaeus, although these two gentlemen may be excellent music composers.

Now one may ask what does all this have to do with the title of the article “Allahu Akbar”? Recently, in the context of my Guru ordained Prabhupada Book Distribution, which IMHO is the best school of life, I visited Sunny Bank, a Brisbane suburb, which we may justifiably call “little China.” Subsequently I visited Moorooka, another Brisbane suburb, which again we may justifiably call little Africa, because of a predominance of Ethiopian, Sudanese and Congolese people. There are also some Afghans and some Lebanese people. I found that there are two predominant religions: Christianity and Islam and they seem to coexist nicely and peacefully. In one of the shops, there was a lone woman attendant in a niqab. This was a first for me. Never before did I talk with a woman in a niqab. She was totally covered in dark cloth from head to toe and I could only see her eyes. If one cannot see a woman, a man will not develop attachment for her. That is the definitive advantage and wise Koran planning. Her interpretation of the Holy Koran is very strict and her style seemed to be the result of her own volition. A couple of youngsters also challenged me on religious grounds. One of the conversations lasted for quite sometime and was constructive. My interlocutor expressed that our meeting was arranged by higher authorities, to which I agreed. Another lady offered VIP dates for Krishna from the Sami Salman Al-Samail Factory in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“A niqāb or niqaab (/nɪˈkɑːb/; Arabic: نِقاب niqāb, “[face] veil”), also called a ruband, is a garment that covers the face, worn by many Muslim women as a part of an interpretation of hijab (modest dress). The terms niqab and burqa are often confused; a niqab covers the face while leaving the eyes uncovered, while a burqa covers the entire body from the top of the head to the ground, with only a mesh screen allowing the wearer to see in front of her. According to the majority of Muslim scholars and Islamic schools of thought, face veiling is a requirement of Islam; they assert that women are required to cover their faces in public. Those Muslim women who wear the niqab, do so in places where they may encounter non-mahram (un-related) men.” Wikipedia.

According to this definition, this lady was wearing both a niqab and a burqa because she did not veil her eyes. I could clearly see her eyes. That’s all I could see. So we talked for a little while. And at the end, to practically test the situation, I attempted to touch elbows with her as we generally do in Covid 19 times, instead of shaking hands. She declined that bodily contact as well. No bodily contact whatsoever with the opposite sex: that is her philosophy and strict interpretation of the Holy Koran. We are very lucky to live in Australia because of its tolerance of religious diversity. As we all know, this type of dress is illegal in some European countries. And it is just wonderful that this lady’s religious feelings are being respected in Australia, a great credit to this great country, among many other credits. Christianity and Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism are all bona fide and authorised religions. It will be best if we accept these facts a priori. It is notable that some Thai ladies, for example, belonging to Buddhism clearly know the meaning of the Sanskrit word Dharma, through family tradition and subsequently accept a copy of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. It happened to me yesterday, January 4th 2022 in Cotton Tree, Maroochydore, Queensland. I also came across a book titled “You are not this body” by my dear and humorous Godbrother, HH Bir Krishna Swami, who has got some disciples in Maroochydore. There is something for everyone on a well supplied and stocked religious market and we don’t understand how some individuals stubbornly stick to atheism, which is in fact nothing but another, separate religion by negation, in the sense that God is still the center of the philosophy of atheism, but His existence is strongly denied or alternatively “God’s death” is advertised.

To be or not to be, that is the question! To actually deny someone’s existence is very offensive, so the offender is shown the buttocks and at the time of death he will be shown the whole form. Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is 10.34:

mrtyuh sarva-haras caham

udbhavas ca bhavisyatam

kirtih srir vak ca narinam

smrtir medha dhrtih ksama

Word for word translation

mrtyuh — death; sarva-harah — all-devouring; ca — also; aham — I am; udbhavah — generation; ca — also; bhavisyatam — of future manifestations; kirtih — fame; srih — opulence or beauty; vak — fine speech; ca — also; narinam — of women; smrtih — memory; medha — intelligence; dhrtih — firmness; ksama — patience.

TRANSLATION

I am all-devouring death, and I am the generating principle of all that is yet to be. Among women I am fame, fortune, fine speech, memory, intelligence, steadfastness and patience.

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 10.34

In other words, atheism represents God’s back side or more formally atheism represents God’s buttock. And we definitely reject the accusation that religion is the source of all wars. Clearly, the biggest warmongers and killers in the history of the world are politicians such as Stalin and Hitler. Religion, even though a dirty word in some quarters, is on the contrary a most essential function in human society. Human society without religion is nothing but animal society.

“So without religion, human society is nothing but animal society. It is simply polished animalism.”

Ref. VedaBase => Srila Prabhupada. Initiation of Rukmini Dasi – August 15, 1968, Montreal

Fishing needs a state licence, driving a car needs a state licence, gold prospecting needs a state licence, similarly, sex needs a licence which is called marriage. The difference being that fishing is about taking fish lives and licit sex is about propagating human life. Human life is superior to fish life and killing is at the antipode of propagating life. Granted Australia is a free country. But do we really need to emphasize that illicit activities will always get us into troubIe sooner or later? And even though we may escape by chance or design the vigilance of the state laws, there is no such hope for escaping the laws of Karma. The laws of karma are infallible– sharper, faster with a better memory than the fastest and most sophisticated computers.

In Australia and other countries, marriage license is a kind of a double license or if you insist you can make it a single licence as well, in both cases through a registered marriage celebrant by the Federal Department of Justice, the Attorney General’s Department, currently Senator The Honourable Michaelia Cash of the great state of Western Australia.

As far as the double licence is concerned, one gets it from one’s God representative, Who (God) may not always bear the name Krishna, it may be Allah or Jehovah or Lord Buddha or another name. He is the same ONE God though, from a different perspective, sporting different names. It would have to be a sad and poor God Who would have only one or two Holy Names, as most of us have more than “one or two” names ourselves. But that’s a contradiction in itself. There is no such thing as a poor God or in Sanskrit “Daridra Narayana.” No, on the contrary, God is the richest and that’s only one of six reasons why He is God, the other five being: God is the most knowledgeable, God is the most powerful, God is the most beautiful, God is the most renounced and God is the most famous. These are the six reasons which make Him “Bhagavan” or the possessor of all riches. When you have found the person who possesses these six qualities in full, as decribed, then you research is over. You have just found God. Congratulations to you!

The Almighty God, Krishna has thousands of names. There is a book in Sanskrit language which is called “Vishnu Sahashra Nam” or “The thousand names of Lord Vishnu.” As Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of the Hare Krishna Movement and current prophet writes:

“Any nomenclature which is meant for the Supreme Lord is as holy as the others because they are all meant for the Lord. Such Holy Names are as powerful as the Lord, and there is no bar for anyone in any part of the creation to chant and glorify the Lord by the particular name of the Lord as it is locally understood. They are all auspicious, and one should not distinguish such names of the Lord as material commodities.” Ref. VedaBase => SB 2.1.11

God is also called “asamordhva.” The word is a combination of three elements — a, meaning “not,” sama, meaning “equal to,” and urdhva, meaning “greater than,” which combine to mean “no one is equal to or greater than God, Krsna.” The Sanskrit sandhi rules dictate that the combination makes asamordhva,

Ref. VedaBase => FM 6: Concerning Corrections on VedaBase Updates

To get back to our actual subject matter:

“As mentioned before, there are four basic characteristics of an impure life — illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. According to the Vedic principles, sex should not be indulged in outside of marriage. In human society there is therefore a system of marriage which distinguishes us from the cats and dogs. Whether we are Hindu, Moslem, or Christian, we acknowledge the system of marriage. The purpose of this system is to avoid illicit sex. According to the Vedic system, intoxication is also discouraged; nor is meat-eating advocated, for human beings should be nonviolent. We have been given sufficient grains, fruits, milk, and vegetables, and there is no necessity to kill poor animals. Some people argue that if we do not eat meat we will be undernourished, but we can see that the students of this Krsna consciousness movement have given up meat and are very healthy, whereas people who are eating meat are still, despite their meat-eating, subject to so many diseases and unhealthy conditions. Gambling is also discouraged because it simply agitates the mind.”

Ref. VedaBase => EK 3: Toward a Peaceful Society

“So this Krsna consciousness movement, there is austerity, but it is not very difficult. We recommend our students not to have illicit sex. We don’t stop sex, but regulate. We don’t stop eating, but regulated, krsna-prasadam, no meat-eating. No… We don’t say “No eating,” but “No meat-eating.” So what is the difficulty? Now see. In our krsna-prasadam, we have got so many varieties of fruits, vegetables, nicely cooked. What is the difficulty? “No illicit sex” means don’t be cats and dogs. Be married man and have one wife, one husband, and be satisfied.”

Ref. VedaBase => Lecture – July 20, 1971, New York

But best of all is to renounce sex altogether. “One must be convinced that sex-life without exception means trouble,” Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: Kirtiraja — Mayapur 28 February, 1972.

Actually, at least for some, at some stage of life, there is no need for sex. There is need for air, there is need for food and water, but there is no compelling need for sex in some cases. There is defintely no need for meat-eating. In my preaching activities, I have come across men who are not claiming to belong to the Hare Krishna Movement but have been celibate for quite sometime. So it is not such an unusual thing in society at large. Besides that semen is a valuable bodily fluid, not to be wasted unnecessarily. In this particular domain we should really take our inspiration from some animals who mate only when reproduction is possible.

“The system of brahmacarya has been current since the birth of Brahma. A section of the population, especially male, did not marry at all. Instead of allowing their semen to be driven downwards, they used to lift the semen up to the brain. They are called urdhva-retasah, those who lift up. Semen is so important that if, by the yogic process, one can lift the semen up to the brain, he can perform wonderful work — one’s memory is enabled to act very swiftly, and the duration of life is increased. Yogis can thus perform all kinds of austerity with steadiness and be elevated to the highest perfectional stage, even to the spiritual world. Vivid examples of brahmacaris who accepted this principle of life are the four sages Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanat-kumara, as well as Narada and others.” Hare Krishna.

Ref. VedaBase => SB 4.8.1

Date and time: Sunday 23rd day of  January 2022. 18 hours.

Place: Hastings st, Noosa Heads, Queensland 4567, Australia.

We have decided to add a Hari Nam program to our offensive against the powerful material energy also called Maya. Our choice of time is in unison with Srila Prabhupada’s own time in 1966, in Tomkins Square, New York, i.e. Sunday afternoon. Srila Prabhupada is the Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, first incorporated in New York City in 1966. Srila Prabhupada is also God’s current prophet. This movement has been growing more and more all over the world and will continue to grow more and more now and in the future as people of the world will come to realize the essential functionality of this movement. Of course, demons will oppose it. That is expected and is a very old phenomenon. But why should demons dictate their terms? Why shouldn’t the devotees of God, Krishna dictate their values? These values are sane, wholesome, beneficial for all living entities and above all these values are bona fide and authorized by the highest authority. And Who is the highest authority? Without any doubt whatsoever, God or Krishna is the highest authority at all times. And He has expressed His views in Bhagavad-gita As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. Positively these values are as follows: please chant the Holy Names of God, Krishna as in

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

as much as you can. Committed members will chant a minimum of at least 1728 Hare Krishna Maha Mantras per day and to make the chanting more effective please follow the four regulative yoga principles of No meat, fish or egg eating, No gambling, No illicit sex and No intoxication. Whereas the activities of the demons destroy the world in every aspect,  including environmentally. They destroy people’s livelihood and would rather use machines than pay people a decent wage, thus putting in danger their mental health and certainly destroying their sense of self-worth. And they have created the ultimate threat of atomic destruction. These are the activities of the demon class and we should be careful not to unwittingly support them in their nefarious activities.

This was our second Hari Nam session and during the first Hari Nam session, we noticed police driving past and paying attention to the Sankirtan Party.

This second time, without leaving their four wheel drive vehicle, they have clearly banned the use of kartals. “It is too loud,” a very subjective statement in the sense that to my knowledge no scientific measurements in terms of decibels were made. Some diners at the Hastings street restaurants just felt that the sound of kartals was clashing with the enjoyment of their evening meal and caused the police to be called into action.  We are very sorry that some people felt like that, but we may also ask: Is this really a police matter? Or is it police abuse? Whether is it a permanent ban or not is not clear either at this stage. What will happen the third and next time remains to be seen as well and whether there will be a gradual further escalation of police Hare Krishna religious repression in NOOSA. But we can easily imagine that some individuals fundamentally antagonistic to Lord Caitanya’s of Bengal, India, most beautiful and most peaceful International Hari Nam Sankirtan Movement take advantage of the anonymity of a phone call and abuse police services to give vent to their anti-Hare Krishna feelings. “Hello police, we are peacefully eating our humanely slaughtered animals in Hastings street, Noosa Heads, Queensand, Australia and these Hare Krishnas come around and make some noise and chant God knows what. Please stop them at all costs. Arrest them if you have to.” Police fall into the trap and embarrass themselves. Genuine Hare Krishna members are self controlled and consequently self policed and therefore do not require the attention of the state police. Hari Nam Sankirtan or the public chanting of the Holy Names of God or Krishna is clearly a public religious function and we are not “busking” as one of the officers was suggesting. They did not ask for my identity, neither did I ask for theirs. We remember that 500 years ago in Bengal the Chand Kazi, a Muslim ruler, tried unsuccessfully to stop Lord Caitanya and His Sankirtan Movement. Later he was converted to a devotee.

“After the mass nagara-sankirtana in protest against the magistrate Chand Kazi, the Kazi was converted to a devotee. Then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned with His sankirtana party to the house of Sridhara, and Chand Kazi followed Him. All the devotees rested there for some time and drank water from Sridhara’s damaged iron pot. The Lord accepted the water because the pot belonged to a devotee. Chand Kazi then returned home. The place where they rested is still situated on the northeastern side of Mayapur, and it is known as kirtana-visrama-sthana, “the resting place of the kirtana party.”
Adi 17.71

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Adi 17.71

One of the officers naturally also asked whether we have to chant the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra in the main street and at peak hour? We replied; “But of course Sir, absolutely Sir, we are not obscurantists, this is sound vibration therapy, we need maximum exposure to the most beneficial sound vibration in the three worlds that of

Hare Krishna

Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna

Hare Hare

Hare Rama

Hare Rama

Rama Rama

Hare Hare 

Whether we believe it or not, the mass chanting of this especially designed mantra by the great sages of India will solve most if not all the problems of our miserly modern and degrading life. Therefore our simple and typically Australian request is:

“Please give it a fair go”

We are not sectarian, we are not charging any money for it, it is free of charge, and the benefits are incalculable even in dollars terms. Everyone irrespective of gender, skin color, creed, and age is invited to take advantage and participate to their heart’s content. Even animals are benefitted and sometimes react positively to the chanting because animals as well are divine spirit souls, parts and parcels of God, Krishna just like human beings are. From that point of view that is no difference between man and animal. So we should definitely not kill and eat cows. So again:

“Please give it a fair go”

We are like doctors trying to cure recalcitrant patients from a very serious virus. Besides coronavirus covid 19, there is another permanent virus called Maya Virus or the Virus of Illusion. It has been heard that nowadays sometimes the patient are so very disturbed that they sometimes physically attack the benevolent doctor. In that case, we shall call for your help officer, please do not neglect us. In that case, we shall be totally dependent on your assistance, on the assistance of the law and its enforcers. Please do not neglect us in that case. Thank you very much, officer.

We replaced kartal playing with hand-clapping and found that hand clapping is a very good invitation for people to participate and clap along. This means that people are actually engaging in Lord Krishna’s service, the most therapeutic activity of all.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is V1, 16.11-12:

cintam aparimeyam capralayantam upasritah
kamopabhoga-paramaetavad iti niscitah

asa-pasa-satair baddhahkama-krodha-parayanah
ihante kama-bhogarthamanyayenartha-sancayan

Word for word translation

cintam — fears and anxieties; aparimeyam — unmeasurable; ca — and; pralaya-antam — unto the point of death; upasritah — having taken shelter of them; kama-upabhoga — sense gratification; paramah — the highest goal of life; etavat — thus; iti — in this way; niscitah — ascertain; asa-pasa — entanglement in the network of hope; sataih — by hundreds; baddhah — being bound; kama — lust; krodha — anger; parayanah — always situated in that mentality; ihante — desire; kama — lust; bhoga — sense enjoyment; artham — for that purpose; anyayena — illegally; artha — wealth; sancayan — accumulate.

TRANSLATION

They (the demoniac class) believe that to gratify the senses unto the end of life is the prime necessity of human civilization. Thus there is no end to their anxiety. Being bound by hundreds and thousands of desires, by lust and anger, they secure money by illegal means for sense gratification.

PURPORT

The demoniac accept that the enjoyment of the senses is the ultimate goal of life, and this concept they maintain until death. They do not believe in life after death, and they do not believe that one takes on different types of bodies according to one’s karma, or activities in this world. Their plans for life are never finished, and they go on preparing plan after plan, all of which are never finished. We have personal experience of a person of such demoniac mentality, who, even at the point of death, was requesting the physician to prolong his life for four years more because his plans were not yet complete. Such foolish people do not know that a physician cannot prolong life even for a moment. When the notice is there, there is no consideration of the man’s desire. The laws of nature do not allow a second beyond what one is destined to enjoy.
The demoniac person, who has no faith in God or the Supersoul within himself, performs all kinds of sinful activities simply for sense gratification. He does not know that there is a witness sitting within his heart. The Supersoul is observing the activities of the individual soul. As it is stated in the Vedic literature, the Upanisads, there are two birds sitting in one tree; the one is acting and enjoying or suffering the fruits of the branches, and the other is witnessing. But one who is demoniac has no knowledge of Vedic scripture, nor has he any faith; therefore he feels free to do anything for sense enjoyment, regardless of the consequences.

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 16.11, Bg 16.12, 1972

The good news however is that a few minutes and a few hundred meters later, we met Tony, of Italian origin and from Melbourne. He is of retirement age and travels around Australia with his female partner. After a long conversation, he seemed to have an instant conversion to Krishna consciousness and concluded: “Look I am not religious at all, but if I had to choose any religion it would have to be Krishna consciousness.” He accepted a copy of Bhagavad-gita As It Is and we wish him not only a great, exciting holiday but also the greatest success in his newfound religion i..e. Krishna consciousness.

Please chant always: 

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare 

..to be continued…..stay tuned.

PS: We acknowledge her inspiration and thank you very much, Q. Lazzarus, for creating your famous  song “GoodBye Horses.”

Q Lazzarus says,

As the writer, musician, and producer of the song, I wanted to add a bit of light to it, as it has a rather grisly association with the serial killer in The Silence of the Lambs, but really the song is about transcendence over those who see the world as only earthly and finite. The horses represent the five senses from Hindu philosophy (the Bhagavad Gita) and the ability to lift one’s perception above these physical limitations and to see beyond this limited earthly perspective.

Wikipedia:

Q Lazzarus (born December 12, 1960)^{[citation needed]} is an American bus driver and retired singer known for her 1988 song “Goodbye Horses“. She is noted for her mysterious profile as little is known about the singer’s identity or private life.^[1]…….

Q Lazzarus has a deep, husky, contralto voice. She was born in New Jersey, married young, and fled an abusive marriage that later inspired her to write the song “Tears of Fear.” Moving to New York City, she became a nanny for an English man named Swan, who tried to steer her toward a “practical occupation” rather than encourage her musical gifts. Q decided to drive a taxi instead and continued making music independently with her band, The Resurrection. It was while working as a cabbie that she was discovered as a singer.^[2] One of her fares was director Jonathan Demme, who heard her demo playing in the taxi. Demme took her to Hollywood, where, despite his encouragement, record companies refused to sign her because they believed she couldn’t be marketed. Q replied, “I market myself, I’m an African-American woman who wears locks and sings American rock and roll.”

All glories to Q Lazzarus’ Krishna-service!!! Please keep it up and increase it, Q Lazzarus. You have a “deep, husky, contralto voice.” Congratulations and please use your voice further for Krishna-service. Thank you very much again.

by

By hook or by crook (Wikipedia)

For other uses, see By hook or by crook (disambiguation).

“By hook or by crook” is an English phrase meaning “by any means necessary”, suggesting that any means possible should be taken to accomplish a goal. The phrase was first recorded in the Middle EnglishControversial Tracts of John Wyclif in 1380.^[1][2]

The origin of the phrase is obscure, with multiple different explanations and no evidence to support any particular one over the others.^[3] For example, a commonly repeated suggestion is that it comes from Hook Head in Wexford, Ireland and the nearby village of Crooke, in Waterford, Ireland. As such, the phrase would derive from a vow by Oliver Cromwell to take Waterford by Hook (on the Wexford side of Waterford Estuary) or by Crook (a village on the Waterford side); although the Wyclif tract was published at least 260 years before Cromwell. Another is that it comes from the customs regulating which firewood local people could take from common land; they were allowed to take any branches that they could reach with a billhook or a shepherd’s crook (used to hook sheep).^[4]

The phrase was featured in the opening credits to the 1960s British television series The Prisoner.^[5] It appears prominently (as “by hook andby crook”) in the short stories “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” by Ernest Hemingway^[6] and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving.^[7] It was also used as the title of the 2001 film By Hook or by Crook directed by Silas Howard and Harry Dodge. It was also used (as “By hook or by crook, you’re coming with me”) by the bounty hunter Cad Bane in the Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode “Bounty Lost”.

The term is based on the tools of a shepherd. It is alternatively translated in modern day English Bibles as “rod and staff” as in Psalm 23:4. In the psalm there is assurance that God will use all possible means to successfully protect and guide his sheep.