The possibility for distributing Srila Prabhupada’s own books and the books of His bona fide and  talented disciples are unlimitedly immense. And the clever follower will make a lifetime business out of it.

After participating in the wonderfully melodious and musically attractive Tulasi Aratik by HIs Grace Sachikumar Prabhu of ISKCON Mayapur, I arrived before sunrise at the Lamberts Look Out, an elevated rocky promontory overseeing the Pacific Ocean. I said to myself: “What else could I want in life?” This is a perfect situation of Krishna conscious happiness. It was Krishna conscious indeed, as I was chanting my 16 rounds as well i.e. chanting the following mantra 1728 times:

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA

KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA

RAMA RAMA HARE HARE.

Please do not listen to those who deprecate distribution of the Hare Krishna cook books. They have no idea. Not only can Hare Krishna cookbook distribution be the door and key to Prabhupada book distribution but Hare Krishna cookbook will often go where the Prabhupada book is banned, banned for the time being that is, thus effectively establishing an initial contact with Srila Prabhupada’s and Lord Caitanya’s Sankirtan movement. Therefore Hare Krishna cook book distribution can be the first field clearing assault in areas where later there will be innumerable and successful Prabupada books assaults as well. On the 15th June 1969, Srila Pabhupada wrote to Srimatee Krishna Devi the following enlightening words:

“I am pleased to learn that you are thinking of putting together a cookbook of our Krishna prasadam recipes. I understand that in London, Yamuna Dasi has already done some work on this same project, so you may correspond with her in this connection. I know that at our feasts especially many persons become interested in preparing foodstuffs in this way, so this cookbook is a nice thing to instruct such persons in preparing and offering nice prasadam for the Lord. So when there is some tangible book ready for publication, please inform me, and we shall try to arrange for its publication. I am pleased to note your description of the increasing interest in vegetarian diet in this country. Actually, the practice of meat-eating is very detrimental to spiritual life, because in spiritual life the goal is to become free from all sinful reactions, and meat-eating means simply to force oneself to suffer the sinful reactions of killing our fellow living entities. So as many people will be taking to practicing spiritual life through the influence of our Sankirtana Movement, such cookbook will be very important, and you should work for this as you are able. Please convey my blessings to your husband, Dinesh, and to your child, Visnu Arati. I hope this will find you all well.”

It was around 05.00 hours in the Australian fall / winter on the 10th day of May 2020. Gradually the light heralding the arrival of the divine sun appeared and increase from zero percent to one hundred percent, culminating with the appearance of his majesty the sun itself. This, of course, is not an instantaneous process, comparable to the clicking of a computer mouse. It would be catastrophic if this process or any other natural processes were an instant process. I mention this because all too often we are conditioned by this clicking of the mouse and think the whole world must dance at our orders and at the clicking of our computer mouse. Through the observation of natural processes, we can therefore often find proper balance and appropriate pace.

But the best part was to come. As the light increased the number of visitors to the Lamberts Look Out increased as well. This was an unexpected situation. I made however sure to approach everyone and offer a book. The result was quite amazing. One lucky and remarkable loving couple bought a cookbook and a Bhagavad-gita As It Is, hardbound. Modern technology allows instantaneous internet payment from one mobile phone to another. I generally carry softbound Bhagavad-gita As It Is. But this instance made me change my approach. And I shall from now on carry hardbound Bhagavad-gita As It Is as well. I made an appointment with another lady to deliver the book to her nearby home and this was successful sometime later. Everyone who buys a cookbook gets a complimentary copy of Srila Prabhupada’s pamphlet Krishna, the Reservoir of Pleasure. Additionally, I had some constructive philosophical conversations / discussions with some. I even got an excellent and free tip about how to restore the functioning of my diesel engine preheating indicator light of my Toyota Sankirtan van. Prabhupada book distribution has always been for me the source of all material and spiritual improvements.

Caitanya Caritamrta enjoins us to induce people to chant the holy names of God, Krishna, in the form of the Hare Krishna mantra. In most cases, therefore, at the conclusion of our meetings, I ask people to kindly chant the Hare Krishna mantra with me. I chant the mantra in eight parts and I ask them to repeat in eight parts. Most of them are very happy to comply with my request and actually feel satisfaction from the chanting and are happy with the experience. Some of course, will decline for various reasons. But we are not the controller of the result of our activities. Neither are we responsible for the result, as long as we act strictly on Krishna’s account. That is an essential message of the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, In other words, Sri Arjuna was not a killer at all.

CC Madhya 7.101

TRANSLATION

Such an empowered person would request everyone and anyone—whomever he saw—to chant the holy name of Krishna. In this way all the villagers would also become devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

In order to become an empowered preacher, one must be favored by Lord Shri Caitanya Mahäprabhu or His devotee, the Spiritual Master. One must also request everyone to chant the mahä-mantra. In this way, such a person can convert others to Vaishnavism, showing them how to become pure devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

We notice here that an alternative is given. It does not say here that one must be favored by both the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form as Prema Avatara AND the Spiritual Master. But it says One or the Other’s satisfaction is a sufficient condition. The satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly is, according to our Vaishnava philosophy, not only an impossible task but also an illegal procedure, whereas satisfaction of the Spiritual Master is a very practical and achievable reality. It also brings about automatically the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as per stanza 8 of Gurvastaka by His Divine Grace Srila Vishvanata Cakravarti Thakura, where the essentially transparent medium position of the Spiritual Master is confirmed.

yasya prasädäd bhagavat prasädo

yasyäprasädän na gatih kuto ‘pi

dhyäyan stuvams tasya yashas tri-sandhyam

vande guroh shri-caranäravindam

“By the mercy of the Spiritual Master one receives the benediction of Krishna. Without the grace of the Spiritual Master, one cannot make any advancement. Therefore, I should always remember and praise the Spiritual Master. At least three times a day I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my Spiritual Master.”

Of course the Spiritual Master may also decide to bestow His causeless mercy upon us. Then we are even more fortunate. And for those who wonder what is the meaning of the expression “causeless mercy of the Spiritual Master” there is a relevant life story in the dealings of the Super Spiritual Master, Srila Prabhupada and His disciples. I am referring especially to one instance of exchange between Srila Prabhupada and His disciple Sriman Guru Das, who did ask directly the same question to Srila Prabhupada. This is to be found in the Vedabase.

All or most of Srila Prabhupada’s books have very catchy slogans as titles, such as Matchless Gift, Perfection of yoga and King of Knowledge etc etc… Srila Prabhupada is without a doubt, the most accomplished and effective marketing manager in the world. But in the pamphlet Krishna, Reservoir of Pleasure, page five, there is a wonderful picture of a pensive Srila Prabhupada holding his chin. We like to remember Srila Prabhupada in this way, as the most influential brahmana the world has seen for a very long time in the past and into the future.

My point is that the book distributor must always be ready 24 / 365 at a few seconds’ notice, just like the soldier in wartime must always have his armament ready to fire. Often, in fact, the window of opportunity lasts only for a few minutes or even a few seconds. It is the duty of the intelligent and alert book distributor to always be ready for the opportunity, to spot and gauge the opportunity, and finally to actually take advantage of the opportunity. Whence my title idea:

Better become one with your fully filled up Hare Krishna book bag. That kind of oneness is not only allowed but also recommended for the successful accomplishment of one’s book distribution duties.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON, Founder of BBT and BTG and His distinguished worldwide family of Hare Krishna devotees!

By Nanda Kumar Dasa (ACBSPgen.1) who was Srila Prabhupada’s personal servant in the early years of ISKCON.

From the time I took initiation from Srila Prabhupada in Los Angeles in June of 1969, I was blessed to be able to keep my vow of chanting 16 rounds a day for some time.

Then not long after becoming Srila Prabhupad’s cook and personal servant, I missed doing 16 rounds for the first time.

It was late in the evening and I had finished 14 of them but was having a hard time staying awake to finish the last 2.

Because we had been told that if you miss any rounds you can make them up the next day, I decided to take rest and do that, instead of pushing through the tiredness and chanting inattentive rounds.

The next morning when I went into Srila Prabhupada’s room, He looked at me and the first thing He said was… “So, are you chanting all your rounds?”

He had the mystic ability to know everything about everyone without anyone telling Him. I experienced it many times, with myself and with other devotees.

I replied… “No, Srila Prabhupad. I missed two rounds yesterday for the first time, and I’m going to make them up today.”

Srila Prabhupad said, with great compassion… “It is like a new child learning to walk. The child will fall down as they first start walking, but because they are holding the hand of the mother, they don’t actually fall… she holds them up.

It’s the same with chanting 16 rounds. Every devotee as they are growing will start to fall down, over and over, just like the child.

However, if you are chanting all your rounds, Krishna will hold you up and not let you fall, just like the mother does with the child.

If you are not chanting 16 rounds, however…” and He stopped for a moment and opened His lotus eyes very wide, moving His hand back and forth in front of His face, and He continued… “then your whereabouts are unknown!”

To understand what that really means, that our whereabouts are unknown and that we don’t have the protection of Krishna’s hand to hold us up, is a very fearful concept, all things considered.

I pray for the strength to be able to always keep my promise to Srila Prabhupad that I will chant 16 rounds a day.

I have become weak in that vow over time, and it is time for me to get serious, as there is not that much time left in this body.

To all the devotees who have kept that vow, I offer my humble obeisances.
All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada”

Srila Prabhupada explains the importance of chanting every day 16 rounds minimum of the Hare Krishna Mantra and how Krishna will protect us if we strictly follow that vow. This particular example is so touching that chanting our sixteen rounds should really becomes a compulsion after reading it. In other words, if we are good boys and girls, Krishna will personally take care of us, especially in moments of difficulty, which will happen unfailingly. And who will be so foolish and careless as to neglect one’s self interest and fail to experience that feeling of total protection by higher authorities.

First of all, there is the power of sound.  The Bible says: ” In the beginning there was the Verb.” Et verbum caro factum est. (latin language) or the Verb became flesh. Verb means sounds. We, Gaudiya Vaishnavas, will say in the beginning there were the syllables ta and pa: tapa for tapasya. Again in the beginning there is sound. So sound is the beginning. Tapasya means austerity. Is austerity not welcome in the modern world? Sometimes we get this impression. There are however many people who are working very hard in the modern world. Any serious thing requires hard work. Tapa is the sound Lord Brahma heard first, while situated on the lotus flower sprouted from the navel of Lord Vishnu lying on the Garbodaka ocean within the universe, so Garbodakashayi Vishnu.

Where else but on book distribution sankirtan can we realize the power of sound. One enters into a shop and even if no one can be seen simply by saying loud and clear: “Good day Madam” or “Good day Sir” soon you will have at least one human face in your front and the sankirtan procedure begins.  The sankirtan procedure can be summed up in five words: “Please accept a Prabhupada book.” Chanting our sixteen rounds minimum of Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare also represents the backbone of our mental, intellectual and spiritual balance in Krishna consciousness. The cultivation of Krishna consciousness can sometimes be felt as mind storming, because we are expected to relinquish our misconceptions and adopt the real perspective on life, the main line being: ” I am not this body, I am spirit soul, eternal servitor of God, Krishna.” And it is a fast paced world in general. I remember one occasion when Srila Prabhupada was so pressed for time that he chanted His gayatri mantra while walking to the waiting limousine. Srila Prabhupada gives the following example:

“This is a verse by Prabhodananda Sarasvati, a great devotee of Lord Caitanya. He submitted this verse, that dante nidhaya trnakam padayor nipatya: “My dear sir, I have taken a grass in my mouth, and I am falling down on your feet, and I am flattering you hundreds of ways,”aham bravimi, “I am submitting something to you.”
So those who are going to preach this philosophy, they have to adopt this means. Humbly, most humbly, submissive, padayor nipatya krtva ca kaku-satam aham bravimi. He sadhavah: “You are very nice man. You are very honest man, sadhu.” Sakalam eva vihaya durat! “You give up all these nonsense things! Any nonsense, give up. Simply,”sakalam eva vihaya durat caitanya-candra-carane kurutanuragam, “simply you submit unto the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya and chant Hare Krsna.” Thank you very much. Lecture on Sankirtana – November 30, 1969, London. So giving up non-sense thing also means giving up our nonsense conceptions of life. So it is a kind of voluntary brain washing indeed, provided there is brain present of course. But even if there is no brain, please dont go away disappointed. We will give you brain. So yes in the begining, the cultivation of Krishna consciousness can be a little destabilizing. Best thing is to take shelter of the sound vibration Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare  /  Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare and never let go, even if everything seems hopeless. Given time things will become very much hopeful again.

Imagine a body without a spine. It cannot exist. Similarly chanting our sixteen rounds minimum daily of Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare /  Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare is the center of our all other activities in Krishna consciousness. Sometimes we may think that we are too busy with other services to Krishna to chant our daily minimum of sixteen rounds and after all, it’s all one service to Krishna. It is indeed all one transcendental service to Krishna but the parampara advises that one must keep a certain number of names and here is Srila Prabhupada’s quote CC Madhya 7.37:

“From this verse, it is clear that Caitanya Mahaprabhu was chanting the holy names a fixed number of times daily. The Gosvamis used to follow in the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and Haridasa Thakura also followed this principle………………………Therefore devotees in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu must chant at least sixteen rounds daily, and this is the number prescribed by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Haridasa Thakura daily chanted 300,000 names. Sixteen rounds is about 28,000 names. There is no need to imitate Haridasa Thakura or the other Gosvamis, but chanting the holy name a fixed number of times daily is essential for every devotee.”

So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu chanted His rounds daily, the six Goswamis chanted their rounds daily, Nam-Acarya Hari Das Thakur chanted 300 000 names daily and Srila Pabhupada also chanted His sixteen rounds daily. His Grace Harisauri Prabhu, the long time personal servant of Srila Prahupada, has just confirmed this fact. E-letter to me dated Dec 17 2021:

Because after all, Srila Prabhupada, as the CEO head of an International Krishna Society was very, very busy.  Still He chanted His 16 rounds daily. So what are we waiting for ???

And then sometimes one is so overburdened with duties and managerial problems that chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare just becomes such a welcome break and AUTHORISED BREAK, forgetting everything else, a balsamic massage for the afflicted mind, an immeditate escape to a realm of beauty, calm and serenity. It is not a cop out, because this sound vibration of Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare /  Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare is fully authorised by the highest authorities and simultaneously awards the highest and greatest benefit of human and other life. A win-win situation for everyone, under all circumstances and at all times. Please chant Hare Krishna regularly and train yourself to come to the PRABHUPADA and ISKCON standards of chanting at least 16 rounds daily and your life will be most successful in all respects. Jai Srila Prabhupada!

J’ ACCUSE.

FACT.

We know that ISKCON is short for or the acronym for INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS.

The INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY for KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS was founded and incorporated in New York, USA in the year 1966, by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the most knowledgeable, educated and wise exponent of Krishna consciousness for a very long time in the past, as well as into the future. In real terms, a divinely empowered individual. When suggested at the time why not make it “The International Society for God Consciousness” with His usual focused resolve He declined firmly. It shall rightly be called “The International Society for KRISHNA Consciousness” and not otherwise.

When Srila Prabhupäda began the Society (in New York City, in 1966), He put into writing the purposes (Charter) He wanted it to achieve. They are as follows:

1. To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all peoples in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.

2. To propagate a consciousness of Krishna, as it is revealed in Bhagavad-gitä and Srimad-Bhägavatam.

3. To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, thus developing the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna).

4. To teach and encourage the sankirtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy names of God, as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu.

5. To erect for the members and for society at large a holy place of transcendental pastimes dedicated to the personality of Krishna.

6. To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler, more natural way of life.

7. With a view toward achieving the aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, books, and other writings.

QUESTIONS:

Has contemporary ISKCON become a closed, carefully monitored and information filtered club of self-interested individuals, instead of an open society of Krishna conscious individuals, as Srila Prabhupada intended it to be?

Has contemporary ISKCON become a closed and carefully monitored and information filtered club of self-interested individuals instead of the House in which the Whole World Can Stay (HOWWCAS maybe?), as Srila Prabhupada intended it to be? Has it perhaps become the seed of a totalitarian system?

If that were the case, then ISKCON has already set its date of caducity and demise, just like any other material organization.

Has ISKCON been highjacked by a class of unqualified usurpers, as happened with the kingdom of the Pandavas 5000 years ago? There is here “extraordinary power” (BGAII 18.78), wealth and influence at stake indeed.

FACT

The members of ISKCON, especially the so-called intellectual leaders of ISKCON, some of them with innumerable diplomas and accreditations from prestigious mundane education institutes from around the world, are clearly and steadily disrespectful and offensive to its own Founder-Acarya as they refuse with great determination to give proper and due respect to its Founder-Acarya. In other words, they do not fully understand the position of Srila Prabhupada and foolishly think of themselves on an equal level with Srila Prabhupada, which in the ultimate analysis is a falsehood. I am especially talking here about the fact that they refuse to capitalize words related to Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON, as is the case for the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna Himself. Such modus operandi is however shastrically supported by stanza seven (7) of Gurvasataka by Visvanatha Cakravarti Takhura, who is also Acarya as confirmed in the next Srila Prabhupada quote.

säkshäd-dharitvena samasta-shästrair
uktas tathä bhävyata eva sadbhih
kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya
vande guroh shri-caranäravindam

säkshät-directly; hari-tvena-with the quality of Hari; samasta- all; shästraih-by scriptures; uktah-acknowledged; tathä-thus bhävyate-is considered; eva-also; sadbhih-by great saintly persons; kintu-however; prabhoh-to the Lord; yah-who; priyah-dear; eva-certainly; tasya-of him (the guru); vande-I offer obeisances; guroh-of my spiritual master; shri-auspicious; carana-aravindam-unto the lotus feet.

The spiritual master is to be honored as much as the Supreme Lord, because he is the most confidential servitor of the Lord. This is acknowledged in all revealed scriptures and followed by all authorities. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master, who is a bona fide representative of Sri Hari [Krishna].

As far as I am concerned, the best school of life is steady and regular Prabhupada book distribution. Please attend that school, please. That will make Srila Prabhupada very, very happy. My Book Distribution Motivational Magazine (BDMM) https://krishnaculture.org/book-distribution/, available on this website, may serve as inspiration for those who lack inspiration. We have here the paradoxical, typically Kali Yuga situation, where a grihastha has to teach by example the sannyasi to go from door to door! We have also the glorious example of HH Janananda Goswami, who last year 2019 amassed a staggering 1299 book distribution points, to name only one glorious book distributor, in this case, a veteran sannyasi distributor.

 “A sannyäsi is supposed to beg from door to door. He does not beg simply because he is hungry. His real purpose is to enlighten the occupant of every house by preaching Krishna consciousness. A sannyäsi does not abandon his superior position and become a beggar just for the sake of begging. Similarly, a person in householder life may be very important, but he may also voluntarily take to the mendicant way of life. Rüpa Gosvämi and Sanätana Gosvämi were ministers, but they voluntarily accepted the mendicant’s life in order to humbly preach Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s message.” CCM 8.39 P

Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And Guru and Acarya, although not God themselves, are the Supreme Personality of Servitor Godhead.

Srila Prabhupada Himself used to give the example of the viceroy who, even though not the king himself, still gets the same respect as the king.

“We have got in practical experience. Formerly, in British government, there was viceroy. Vice means in place of and roy means royal king. Viceroy. So this viceroy was respected as the king, as the emperor. That is the process. When he’s no longer a viceroy, then he’s not respected. But so long he is acting as viceroy… And the rule was that whatever presentation was given to the viceroy, he did not accept it personally. It was kept in the state. So these are the process. So guru, äcärya, being representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he should be worshiped. Nävamanyeta… Na martya-buddhyäsüyeta [SB 11.17.27]. Never think of envying. As soon as we become envious of the äcärya, there is fall down, immediately. Yasyäprasädän na gatih kuto ‘pi. Yasya prasädäd bhagavat-prasädo. This is the teaching of Vishvanätha Cakravarti Thäkura. He’s also äcärya. Äcärya-paramparä.” 761005SB.Vrn

The key ideas and expressions here being “envy of the acarya” brings about a “fallen state.”

Some joke that ISKCON has become a con and a scam.

Semantically true! The acronym ISKCON does contains and terminates with the word CON.

Some will retort: “Because it is Krishna’s CON, therefore it is alright”

The problem with that proposal is that God or Krishna is never a con-person.

He may allow the most abominable things to happen, still He is not a con-man.

The judge may order a murderer to be executed.

That does not make the judge, nor the executioner murderers themselves.

The judge and the executioner act lawfully according to the legislation in vigor, the product of thoughtful legislators over a long period of time. Capital punishment is still in vigor in many states of the world.

Similarly, Sri Krishna is the supreme lawmaker and whatever He does is not only all good but absolute as well.

Another sign of misdirection and betrayal of Srila Prabhupada is the emphasis on mundane education within ISKCON.

Mundane education is only as useful as it can be engaged directly in Krishna’s service. The acaryas call it nescience. If it has no relationship with Krishna and His service it is simply useless and a waste of time, the only purpose of human life being to achieve genuine self-realization and to enhance one’s Krishna consciousness.

Whereas “Krishna consciousness is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.” Bhagavad-gita As It Is, chapter 9, text 2.

“In the Vedas also it is said that a person cannot know the Absolute Truth Personality of Godhead simply by dint of mundane education or intellectual gymnastics. One can know the Supreme Truth if one has unflinching faith in the bona fide spiritual master as well as in the Lord. Such a faithful person, even though illiterate in the mundane sense, can know the Lord automatically by the mercy of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gétä also, it is said that the Lord reserves the right of not being exposed to everyone, and He keeps Himself concealed from the faithless by His yoga-mäyä potency.” SB 2.9.32

Iskcon is playing a cat and mouse game.

I find no one in Iskcon who is prepared to engage in a meaningful dialogue.

There is only silence.

But “Silence may appear helpful for some time, but ultimately it proves a failure.” writes Srila Prabhupada in purport to verse one of Nectar of Instruction. If we examine this statement carefully, we come to the conclusion that silence is always a failure.

What is hidden behind the Iskcon facade?

For example, the current manager / editor of Back to Godhead magazine is very careful to publish only a certain version and perspective of Krishna consciousness. And all articles have to be very polished. But where is the original Prabhupada spirit to speak the truth always? It is lost for good with this type of management! This gentleman has a systematic policy to reject each and every one of my articles. So does dandavats.com. Whence the need to have my own website. But Srila Prabhupada created the Back to Godhead magazine for all His men to publish articles in it. Again a very unacceptably narrow interpretation of things. 

to be continued……

64 Round Japathon for Global Safety

BY: JAGANNATH DAS

Apr 26, 2020 — SRIDHAM MAYAPUR (SUN) —

For the pleasure of Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Guru and Gauranga we are happy to announce that Bhaktivedanta Gita Academy (otherwise known as the Gita Study Course in Mayapur) conducted a massive Japathon inviting all its devotees under the guidance of HH Bhakti Vijaya Bhagavat Swami (Head, Sankirtana Department, Mayapur) and HG Lakshmi Govinda das (Head, Bhaktivedanta Gita Academy).

The devotees of the Gita Academy, which has got various Pathachakras (community gatherings) spread over West Bengal, took a sankalpa (pledge) on the 17th April 2020 to chant 64 rounds japa (which is equivalent to 1 Lakh names of the Lord) each to commemorate the Auspicious Occasion of Varuthini Ekadasi by praying for the safety, betterment, and healing of the society from the World Crisis of COVID-19.

According to the last report of 18th April, the total numbers who successfully completed the japa of 64 rounds were 1,441 devotees! Inspired by this initiative, devotees from across the world participated on the same day, from various major locations like Bangladesh, Middle East countries, so on and so forth, numbering in 1,178 devotees who chanted 64 rounds.

What really encouraged us was that the non-devotees from various locations also participated with the minimal rounds for the good cause too. We are further increasing the spreading of the chanting of the Holy Names to every town and village, organizing such events inspiring every human to protect the society as well as the soul!

Your Servant,
In Service of God and Mankind,
Jagannath Das
Facilitator,
Bhaktivedanta Gita Academy
Sridham Mayapur

In the context of the coronavirus crisis and people’s reaction to it, one prominent Brisbane, Australia,  newspaper, in a slightly mocking and condescending tone, published headlines implying that people were behaving wrongly as if WW III had begun. Well, it may not be WW III yet. But the arms of the doom’s clock have in fact been moved closer to midnight recently, as it was announced in the news.

Therefore the better way to look at the coronavirus events is to take it very seriously and consider it a rehearsal for a possible WW III scenario. As we all know, such a scenario is not at all impossible. Like it or not, everything is already in place for WW III, at the cost of zillions of dollars to the taxpayers. It will take now only one single individual like Adolf Hitler, who is singlehandedly responsible for the advent of WW II.

Let me quote Bhagavad-gita As It Is 16.9 by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedant Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Founder of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, His publishing house, and Founder of the Back to Godhead magazine. This chapter of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is is called “The Divine and the Demoniac Natures.”

“TEXT 9

etäm drishtim avashtabhya
nashtätmäno ‘lpa-buddhayah
prabhavanty ugra-karmänah
kshayäya jagato ‘hitäh

WORD FOR WORD RENDITION

etäm—this; drishtim—vision; avashtabhya—accepting; nashta—having lost; ätmänah—themselves; alpa-buddhayah—the less intelligent; prabhavanti—flourish; ugra-karmänah—engaged in painful activities; ksayäya—for destruction; jagatah—of the world; ahitäh—unbeneficial.

TRANSLATION

Following such conclusions, the demoniac, who are lost to themselves and who have no intelligence, engage in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world.

PURPORT

The demoniac are engaged in activities that will lead the world to destruction. The Lord states here that they are less intelligent. The materialists, who have no concept of God, think that they are advancing. But according to Bhagavad-gétä, they are unintelligent and devoid of all sense. They try to enjoy this material world to the utmost limit and therefore always engage in inventing something for sense gratification. Such materialistic inventions are considered to be advancement of human civilization, but the result is that people grow more and more violent and more and more cruel, cruel to animals and cruel to other human beings. They have no idea how to behave toward one another. Animal killing is very prominent amongst demoniac people. Such people are considered the enemies of the world because ultimately they will invent or create something which will bring destruction to all. Indirectly, this verse anticipates the invention of nuclear weapons, of which the whole world is today very proud. At any moment war may take place, and these atomic weapons may create havoc. Such things are created solely for the destruction of the world, and this is indicated here. Due to godlessness, such weapons are invented in human society; they are not meant for the peace and prosperity of the world.”

Taxes and death are inevitable. And many proud and most respectable citizens, on the order of the government, have sacrificed their lives in a just fight. We shall remember them tomorrow, April 25th, ANZAC day 2020.

During WW II, Australia suffered 39 800 military personal deaths and a total of 40500 total civilian and military death. And during WW I, Australia suffered an even greater number of military personal deaths only of 61 928. In the Vietnam war, 426 Australians were killed in action and in the Korean war 340.

In purport of Bhagavad-gita As It is 12.11, Srila Prabhupada gives another perspective on national service and sacrifice for one’s country:

“It is also found that when one who is not even interested in the activities of Krishna consciousness gives charity to some hospital or some other social institution, he gives up the hard-earned results of his activities. That is also recommended here because by the practice of giving up the fruits of one’s activities one is sure to purify his mind gradually, and in that purified stage of mind one becomes able to understand Krishna consciousness. Of course, Krishna consciousness is not dependent on any other experience, because Krishna consciousness itself can purify one’s mind, but if there are impediments to accepting Krishna consciousness, one may try to give up the results of his actions. In that respect, social service, community service, national service, sacrifice for one’s country, etc., may be accepted so that some day one may come to the stage of pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord. In Bhagavad-gitä (18.46) we find it is stated, yatah pravrittir bhütänäm: if one decides to sacrifice for the supreme cause, even if he does not know that the supreme cause is Krishna, he will come gradually to understand that Krishna is the supreme cause by the sacrificial method.”

In all cases, our best advice is:

Please chant

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA

KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA

RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

and prepare for the final battle now.

Kirtan is naturally more blissful than Japa.

Kirtan means congregational chanting, once the congregation ban is lifted of course. But kirtan can also be practiced as a single individual, why not? The numbers just make it more powerful and transcendentally overwhelming.

Japa means individual chanting on beads, as a means to count the mantras. There has to be a numerical strength as well, as Srila Prabhupada explains in 720622SB.LA for example:

“The Gosvämis, in Vrindävana, they used to chant, keeping in numerical strength. They were all liberated persons; still, for teaching us an example, they also used to chant keeping a numerical strength. Haridäsa Thäkura, he used to chant Hare Krishna mantra keeping a numerical strength, three hundred thousand times. Three hundred thousand times. So our prescription is only twenty-five thousand; not hundred thousand even. So it is not very difficult; it takes utmost two hours. We can find out, out of twenty-four hours, two hours. We can find out time.”

Post Scriptum:

As far as cruelty and death are concerned why not consider the following facts?

This is an extract from the latest newsletter of The International Society for Cow Protection: iscowp.org

“Dairy and Meat Industries

1) 21,000,000 dairy calves are slaughtered for veal or cheap beef every year globally.
2) Due to extensive biological manipulation, today’s dairy cows produce up to 12 times more milk than they would naturally produce to feed a calf.
3) Even so, virtually all dairy calves are stolen from their mothers within hours of birth in order to maximize profit. 97% of newborn dairy calves are forcibly removed from their mothers within the first 24 hours.  The rest are removed in a matter of days. On so-called humane dairy farms, cows are often taken within the first hour of birth as separation of mother and calf is considered less stressful when they have not been allowed to bond.”

Moreover, the slaughter of human beings in large scale conflicts may not, through the link of karma, be unrelated to the very huge and regular slaughter of bovines and other animals as well.

This chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra is such a nice thing!

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA

KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA

RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

Imagine your boss gives you every day two paid hours, where all you have to do is to chant

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA

KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA

RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

You can forget all your worries, be peaceful in your mind, no one is allowed to bother you with anything. Just be cozy with Krishna. And Krishna is not different from His name. Does that not sound wonderful? Maybe it should become a Union claim. It would have to be a claim of the Krishna Union. It is our claim. Please chant two hours of Hare Krishna Maha Mantra every day and just see what will happen in your life! This is self-development. This is self-realization.

To get best results, of course, one also has to follow the four regulative principles of yoga discipline.

1 ) No illicit sex. Sex is allowed, but illicit sex is not allowed.

2 ) No gambling

3 ) No intoxication, including cigarettes, coffee and tea

4 ) no eating of meat, fish or eggs

Seriously, in these dangerous times, two hours of daily peace and tranquility represent a real asset in life. Why not take advantage of the opportunity? When I go on preaching tour, I find that one of the greatest assets of the Australian people is their absolute courtesy. It is really a delight to deal with them, even though our personal views and philosophies may differ. That is just astounding! And when I ask them to please chant the Maha Mantra Hare Krishna they mostly comply. I lead them through the chanting half after half.  The other day at Bunnings, when I asked him to chant, the young gentleman mentioned that he came in contact with Hare Krishna previously in school. He did not at all hesitate to chant. Others mention “My sweet Lord” by George Harrison. Sometimes it is played on the radio, just on the right time.  The CUA lady chanted Hare Krishna Maha Mantra on the phone. And the ANZ phone employee mostly visit the Hare Krishna temple in Melbourne, Albert Park.

There is an important shastra passage in this respect:

Madhya 7.102

TEXT

yäre dekhe, täre kahe,—kaha krishna-näma
ei-mata ’vaishnava’ kaila saba nija-gräma

WORD FOR WORD RENDITION

yäre dekhe—whomever he meets; täre—to him; kahe—he says; kaha krishna-näma—kindly chant the Hare Krishna mantra; ei-mata—in this way; vaishnava—devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kaila—made; saba—all; nija-gräma—his own village.

TRANSLATION

Such an empowered person would request everyone and anyone—whomever he saw—to chant the holy name of Krishna. In this way, all the villagers would also become devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

In order to become an empowered preacher, one must be favored by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu or His devotee, the spiritual master. One must also request everyone to chant the mahä-mantra. In this way, such a person can convert others to Vaishnavism, showing them how to become pure devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

My point is that Australian society is already saturated with Hare Krishna. If we keep on saturating it more and more with Hare Krishna, at some point there will be a Hare Krishna explosion, as there was Hare Krishna explosion in USA in the seventies under the incentive of Srila Prabhupada. Better be present and ready to take part in the Australian Hare Krishna explosion fun.

JAYADVAITA SWAMI, AN ISKCON SANNYASI AND US CITIZEN, THE OFFICIAL FALSIFIER OF THE FOUNDER-ACARYA’S, SRILA PRABHUPADA’S MESSAGE, ESPECIALLY BHAGAVAD-GITA AS IT IS.

FALSIFYING is a  CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN MOST, IF NOT ALL CASES. It is an ILLEGAL ACTIVITY IN ALL CASES.

BGAII 2.24 V1

This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all pervading, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.

BGAII 2.24 V2

This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.

BGAII 2.24 OT (Late discovery and addition on June 22, 2020) You draw the conclusion.

This individual soul is unbreakable, cannot be burnt, insoluble, nondriable, everlasting, present everywhere, non changeable, immovable and eternally the same. 

It may be argued here that there should be no coma after “insoluble” and that “all pervading'” should be written as “all-pervading”, as Grammarly suggests.

Even though important considerations, these are not the real issues here.

The real issue is of a different nature.

The real issue is the freedom that the editor has taken in replacing the word “all-pervading” with the expression “present everywhere.”

This is the real issue!

Both editions agree in the word for word AND in the purport that the rendition of “sarva-gatah” is to be “all-pervading”. But these are not enough arguments for this eccentric editor, who still takes the false freedom to replace “all-pervading” of version 1 with “present everywhere” in the actual rendition of the verse in version two.

The same applies to BGAII 7.2, where the super-and over-intelligent man, in his otherworldly ecstasy and superiority complex and against all conventions replaced “noumenal” with “numinous.” Actually, there is no proof either way of what Srila Pabhupada actually said, as Srila Pabhupada’s systematic policy was erase-and-re-use the tapes. However, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Thakura, our param Guru, uses the expression “phenomenal and noumenic” in page xxi of Foreword of his presentation of Sri Brahma-Samhita. The difference between “noumenal” and “noumenic” is insignificant et perhaps historic only.

But the editor knows better than even the Acaryas themselves and he is most attached to his concoction. I believe in the Caitanya Caritamrta this attitude is described as cause for total rejection. One immediately becomes fallen in such case.

What a sick mind!

What a nuisance!

Quel enquiquineur!

What a dissonance in the orchestra!

Such an editor can NEVER be fully trusted.

He is banned from interfering with the Founder-Acarya’s, Srila Prabhupada’s works altogether!

Sometimes in 1972 or before, Srila Prabhupada ostensibly declared to Pradyumna Prabhu (ACBSPgen1) that one single mistake murders the whole book.

What to speak of three intentional “mistakes”?

What to speak of hundreds of mistakes?

This editor is definitely the one whose crazy interpretations have killed the spirit of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. These are only two examples among many others.

And why doesn’t he have the courage to put his name to it? I see “Second Edition. Revised and Enlarged”. But I do not see anywhere the mention ” by His Holiness Jayadvaita Swami.” He prefers to do it on the sly obviously, like a perfect vaishya.

This conceited individual clearly considers himself the exclusive anointed master of all changes in Srila Prabhupada’s books and as a consequence, he does not cease to overstep his mandate and totally ignores good advice. And other ill-advised persons support him. He is accepted as respectable Vedic scholar, but I am saying he is NONSENSE NUMBER ONE and should be stopped in his tracks without any further delay. And unless he gets very severely insulted, he will definitely not listen or pay attention. Whence this article and more to come, an ungrateful job indeed.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is is NOT a treatise of liturgy, as this editor would like to have it!

Bhagavad-gita As It Is is a philosophical treatise of the highest order.

Moreover, Srila Prabhupada meant it to be a bona fide version “AS IT IS”, true to the original, as if we were reading the text in Sanskrit. This editor has corrupted Srila Prabhupada’s intention!

In other words, the current presentation of  Bhagavad-gita by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada CANNOT be rightly called Bhagavad-gita As It Is. In all honesty and accuracy, it should be called instead Bhagavad-gita as seen by HH Jayadvaita Swami. Restoring Bhagavad-gita As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is, therefore, a task of the highest degree of urgency. It is an entirely different book.

Besides that, he is clearly a dishonest individual. Now that he has done his mischief, of which he is very well aware and is unrepentant of, he is hiding under the guise of retirement. But we all know there is no such thing as retirement in Krishna consciousness. All the elderly members of the family, including Bhisma and Dronacarya, came to the battlefield of Kuruksetra ready to fight and meet their fate, in the presence of Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In His magnanimity, Srila Prabhupada may have once trusted this individual, as He has done with so many others, who have subsequently let Him down and betrayed Him. Everyone gets his chance in Krishna consciousness. And the rest is up to him.

Finally, I need absolutely to underline a third muddled passage of the current presentation of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. This is of the utmost gravity and severe influential consequences, as it concerns proper and improper action. I am referring to BGAII 16.7. This muddle was not at all present in version one and we may therefore conclude safely that again it is the creation of Swami Jayadvaita.

The verse itself is the same for both versions as follows:

“Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done. Neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found in them.”

(And why are there no additional comas in the last sentence of verse 16.7 of BGAII?)

The problems lie with the change the editor has introduced to the word for word rendition.

BGAII V1 word for word (partial)

pravrittim-proper action; ca-also; nivrittim-improper action etc…..

BGAII V2 word for word (partial)

pravrittim-acting properly; ca-also; nivrittim-not acting improperly etc….

This truly represents a wicked way to twist Srila Prabhupada’s words and intentions! In Srila Prabhupada’s own terms, this is truly rascaldom!

Any sane person will easily understand that “acting properly” equals “not acting improperly.”

And if “pravritim” and “nivrittim” are sanskrit synonyms,  the inference is that actually there is no such thing as proper action and improper action and that all is one.

The result of such a proposal will be demoniac chaos, which te demoniac Jayadvaita Swami seems to promote here.

The final conclusion will have to be that Mr. Jayadvaita Swami, born Jay Israel to a Reform Jewish family on November 2nd 1949 in Englewood, New Jersey, USA  (sourced from Wikipedia) is not only a hypocrite but also a pretender, an imposter and a cheater, as he poses himself as a pure servant of God, Krishna, which he is not.

Please find purport of verse 7 of chapter 3 of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, titled “Karma-yoga.” to illustrate my point.

“Instead of becoming a pseudo transcendentalist for the sake of wanton living and sense enjoyment, it is far better to remain in one’s own business and execute the purpose of life, which is to get free from material bondage and enter into the kingdom of God. The prime svärtha-gati, or goal of self-interest, is to reach Vishnu. The whole institution of varna and äshrama is designed to help us reach this goal of life. A householder can also reach this destination by regulated service in Krishna consciousness. For self-realization, one can live a controlled life, as prescribed in the shästras, and continue carrying out his business without attachment, and in that way make progress. A sincere person who follows this method is far better situated than the false pretender who adopts show-bottle spiritualism to cheat the innocent public. A sincere sweeper in the street is far better than the charlatan meditator who meditates only for the sake of making a living.”

Subtitle.

Sexism, sexism, sexism and more sexism.

‬In an attempt to gather a consensus on the definition of the word “Equalitarianism” let us first of all quote Wikipeadia.

“Egalitarianism (from French égal, meaning ‘equal’), or equalitarianism,^[1][2] is a school of thought within political philosophy that prioritizes equality for all people.^[3] Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all humans are equal in fundamental worth or moral status.^[4] Egalitarianism is the doctrine that all citizens of a state should be accorded exactly equal rights.^[5]

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the term has two distinct definitions in modern English,^[6] namely either as a political doctrine that all people should be treated as equals and have the same political, economic, social and civil rights,^[7] or as a social philosophy advocating the removal of economic inequalities among people, economic egalitarianism, or the decentralization of power. Some sources define egalitarianism as the point of view that equality reflects the natural state of humanity.”

Of course, from a Krishna conscious point of view, we must immediately point out that this is not really equaliterianism. This is a false definition, because it is based on a poor fund of knowledge. It is in fact imperialism, because it clearly excludes non-humans. True equalitairianism includes all living beings, such as animal and plants etc..

For the purpose of our article, it is however useful.

We are not these bodies. All living things are spirit souls, part and parcels of God, Krishna. Therefore they are fundamentally equal.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 5.18.

TRANSLITERATION OF THE SANSKRIT.

vidyä-vinaya-sampanne

brähmane gavi hastini

shuni caiva shva-päke ca

panditäh sama-darshinah

WORD FOR WORD TRANSLATION

vidyä—with education; vinaya—and gentleness; sampanne—fully equipped; brähmane—in the brähmaëa; gavi—in the cow; hastini—in the elephant; shuni—in the dog; ca—and; eva—certainly; shva—päke—in the dog—eater (the outcaste); ca—respectively; panditäh—those who are wise; sama-darshinah—who see with equal vision.

TRANSLATION

The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brähmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].

What is the meaning of “transcendental”?

Transcendental means beyond the three modes of material nature, tama guna, raja guna and sattva guna.

In Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 2.45, Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, exhorts His friend Arjuna as follows:

TRANSLITERATION OF THE SANSKRIT

trai-gunya-vishayä vedä

nistrai-gunyo bhavärjuna

nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho

niryoga-kshema ätmavän

WORD FOR WORD TRANSLATION

trai-gunya—pertaining to the three modes of material nature; vishayäh—on the subject matter; vedäh—Vedic literatures; nistrai-gunyah—transcendental to the three modes of material nature; bhava—be; arjuna—O Arjuna; nirdvandvah—without duality; nitya-sattva-sthah—in a pure state of spiritual existence; niryoga-kshemah—free from ideas of gain and protection; ätma-vän—established in the self.

TRANSLATION

The Vedas deal mainly with the subject of the three modes of material nature. O Arjuna, become transcendental to these three modes. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the self.

The three modes of material nature are specifically explained in chapter 14 of the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. This chapter itself is called “The Three Modes of Material Nature.” We invite our readers to carefully study chapter 14 of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, as this concept of the three modes of material nature or the “gunas”, as well as their supervisors, the three guna-avataras, Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva, are conspicuous by their absence in western philosophy. This is not at all astonishing as western man-made philosophy is completely under the dictation of the three modes of material nature. How can a night owl describe the sun? Whereas Bhagavad-gita As It Is has a transcendental source.

The three modes of material nature constantly struggle amongst themselves for supremacy :

BGAII 14.10

Sometimes the mode of goodness becomes prominent, defeating the modes of passion and ignorance, O son of Bharata. Sometimes the mode of passion defeats goodness and ignorance, and at other times ignorance defeats goodness and passion. In this way, there is always competition for supremacy.

The influence of the three modes of nature is all-pervading as, explained in Bhagavad-gita As It Is 18.40:

“There is no being existing, either here or among the demigods in the higher planetary systems, which is freed from these three modes born of material nature.”

Whereas the position of one who has overcome the three modes of nature is very much enviable, as described in Bhagavad-gita As it is 14.26:

One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.

Now to our subtitle: Sexism, sexism, sexism, and more sexism.

Because it originates from the greatest, Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna consciousness is the greatest philosophy. There is no doubt about it. In Bhagavad-gita AsIt Is 15.18, Sri Krishna confirms that He is the greatest: “Because I am transcendental, beyond both the fallible and the infallible, and because I am the greatest, I am celebrated both in the world and in the Vedas as that Supreme Person.” The famous boxer may say he is the greatest. And that may be true in a relative sense. But Sri Krishna will knock him out in just a few seconds if it were to come to that, as He has amply proven in His activities (karma) described in the Krishna Book by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
When improperly practiced and improperly understood Krishna consciousness can lead, like most other things in life, to great abuses as well. This is especially true in our attitude towards women. According to Canakya Pandit, the great Indian philosopher cum politician, all women except one’ s own wife, are to be considered and respected as mothers. He specifically says:

Mätrivat para-däreshu para-dravyeshu lostravat,

ätmavat sarva-bhüteshu yah pashyati sa panditah

He is the learned man who sees all women (except one’s own wife) as his mother, other’s property should be accepted just like refused garbage in the street and treat every living entity as he would like to be treated himself.

In 660803BG.NY, Srila Prabhupada explains the matter very nicely and twice he underlines that education is not at all a matter of university degrees of which contemporary ISKCON has become so proud of, another deviation and betrayal of Srila Prabhupada:

“Pandita. This pandita. This pandita, explanation of panditita. Now, who is a pandita? Now, mätrivat para-däreshu: “He is the learned man who sees all women as his mother.” Except one’s married wife, one should see every woman as his mother. Mätrivat. Mätå means mother. Vat means just like. Mätrivat para-däreshu. Para-däreshu means other women except one’s own wife, married wife.
Mätrivat para-däreshu para-dravyeshu loshtravat: “And other’s property should be accepted just like refused garbage in the street.” Just like we don’t care for all the garbages. Simply if others’ money or others’ property is there, sometimes we hanker, we should think, “Oh, these are nonsense, just like garbage.” Mätrivat para-däreshu para-dravyeshu loshtravat, ätmavat sarva-bhüteshu. And loshtra means that rubbles, just like stone rubbles. You see? There are so many rubbles and, er, strewn over the street. Nobody cares for that. Similarly, if others’ money is thrown over the street, nobody… He should not care. He should not collect: “Oh, here is some money. Let me take.”
So mätrivat para-däreshu para-dravyeshu loshtravat, ätmavat sarva-bhüteñu. And he should see everyone… This ätmavat sarva-bhüteshu was preached by Lord Buddha, this philosophy. This one philosophy was, I mean to say, taught throughout the whole world by Lord Buddha, that there should be no animal killing. Ätmavat sarva-bhüteshu. No living entity should be given suffer, even by words. That is real life. Ätmavat… Yah pashyati. One who has such vision of life, he is called learned. He is called learned—not by educational qualifications. One who has acquired… Phalena pariciyate. Education is understood, how far a man is educated, by his behavior. By his vision of life it will be estimated, not by the degrees. Ätmavat sarva-bhüteshu yah pashyati sa panditah.”

Women are not at all to be considered as sisters, as some speculate. Even less to be considered as sex objects or sex slaves as some wicked men would want to have it. They are to be respected as mothers. Mother holds a respected, a very functional and perhaps a commanding position in the family. Mother is very important. She holds a nurturing role. In most cases, it is therefore possible to have an affectionate relationship with mother.

“According to scriptures, there are seven mothers: (1) the real mother, (2) the wife of the spiritual master, (3) the wife of a brähmana, (4) the wife of the king, (ruler) (5) the cow, (6) the nurse, and (7) the earth. All of them are mothers.” SB 1.11.28

And here we have two paintings of the relationship between Radha and Krishna

These two paintings have both been used by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust as the covers for Srila Prabhupada’s Krishna Book. It may be objected that the second picture is flagrantly sexist in its representation of the transcendental relationship between Radha and Krishna and by extension in its representation of romantic relationships.

Sexism or misogyny comes this time from the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Srila Prabhupada’s publishing company and parallel to but an independent company of ISKCON. Of course, the term “sexism” includes “misogyny”, whereas the opposite is not true, as sexism, or discrimination on the basis of gender, can go both ways.

The first picture is very sweet. The colors and forms are nice. The style of painting is very nice. I was otherwise wondering whether this very pleasant style of painting has got a particular name like other styles are called renaissance or surrealism.  It depicts a relationship amongst equals, full of transcendental familiarity and transcendental affection. According to shastra, this is the Vrindavan mood. Such divine friendliness is confirmed in Caitanya Caritamrita, Antya 7.29. But just the other way round. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself is speaking:

“When Lord Sri Krishna was dancing with the gopis in the räsa-lilä, the gopis were embraced around the neck by the Lord’s arms. This transcendental favor was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune or the other consorts in the spiritual world. Nor was such a thing ever imagined by the most beautiful girls in the heavenly planets, girls whose bodily luster and aroma resemble the beauty and fragrance of lotus flowers. And what to speak of worldly women, who may be very, very beautiful according to material estimation?”

The second picture is not at all the Vrindavan mood, where this relationship is supposed to be developing. We see a very domineering male and a very insignificant and sheepish female pushed in the right hand lower side of the cover. Is this a predator wolf in the guise of a flute player about to attack an innocent woman? I let the imagination and good sense of my readers draw the appropriate conclusions.

The good news is that the next print of minimum 100.000 copies of Srila Prabhupada’s Krishna Book will have the wonderful first picture on the cover. Please make sure to secure your personal copy. This is truly fascinating and educational reading!

I suppose we all make mistakes. Hare Krishna

As one waters the bhakti-latä-bija, the seed sprouts, and the creeper gradually grows to the point where it penetrates the walls of this universe and goes beyond the Virajä River, lying between the spiritual world and the material world. It attains brahma-loka, the Brahman effulgence, and penetrating through that stratum, it reaches the spiritual sky and the spiritual planet Goloka Vrindävana. CC M 19.153

”Being situated in one’s heart and being watered by shravana-kirtana, the bhakti creeper grows more and more. In this way it attains the shelter of the desire tree of the lotus feet of Krishna, who is eternally situated in the planet known as Goloka Vrndävana, in the topmost region of the spiritual sky. CC M 19.154

Further more in the purport of text 154, last paragraph, we find a wealth of transcendental information:

“Goloka Vrindävana is the highest planet in the spiritual world. In order to go to the spiritual world after penetrating the covering of the material universe, one must penetrate Brahma-loka, the spiritual effulgence. Then one can come to the Goloka Vrindävana planet. There are also other planets in the spiritual world, called Vaikuntha planets, and on these planets Lord Näräyaëa is worshiped with awe and veneration. On these planets shänta-rasa is prevalent, and some of the devotees are also connected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in däsya-rasa, the mellow of servitorship. As far as the mellow of fraternity is concerned, in Vaikuntha this rasa is represented by gaurava-sakhya, friendship in awe and veneration. The other fraternity rasa, exhibited as vishrambha (friendship in equality), is found in the Goloka Vrindävana planet. Above that is service to the Lord in vätsalya-rasa (parental love), and above all is the relationship with the Lord in the mädhurya-rasa (conjugal love). These five rasas are fully exhibited in the spiritual world in one’s relationship with the Lord. Therefore in the spiritual world the bhakti creeper finds its resting place at the lotus feet of Krishna.”

COMMENTARY.

First of all, we note that the word “brahma-loka” presents two meanings.

1 ) The residence of Lord Brahma, the engineer of the universe. This is a material planet within the walls of the universe. It is in fact, the topmost planet of the universe.

2) Brahmajyoti and Brahma-loka are synonyms and refers to the spiritual effulgence of the transcendental body of Lord Krishna. Not only is this particular Brahma-loka situated in the spiritual world, but it represents an integral part of the spiritual world itself. Which is basically saying the same thing, as all things in the spiritual world are made of the same transcendental stuff, whose characteristics are well opposed to that of matter, as we perceive it with our gross senses.

From this passage we gather also the information that some devotees of the Lord on the Vaikuntha planets are related to the Lord through the shanta-rasa, the neutrality relationship. Not just some devotees but the majority, as Srila Prabhupada writes that this shanta-rasa is prevalent in the Vaikunthas. That’s very interesting, as my conception of Shanta rasa in this material world was for example, the relationship with the chair I am sitting on. In other words, my relationship with an inanimate object. However here it is clearly stated that the devotees of Vaikuntha enjoy the shanta-rasa with Krishna.

Another interesting point in this paragraph, is that there are two kinds of sakhya-rasa and they are, from the lower to the higher:

Gaurava-sakhya, friendship in awe and veneration found in the Vaikuntha planets

and

vishrambha-sakhya, friendship in equality found exclusively in Goloka Vrindavan. The same distinction applies to madhurya-rasa (conjugal love) also called sringara-rasa. The queens of Vaikuntha do not enjoy the same degree of familiarity with Krishna, as the cowherd girls of Vrindavana do.

What an achievement for a transcendental traveler to become a real friend of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all worlds! The kind of friendship that is not at all imbued with awe and veneration, but allows one to go cow herding every day with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in Vrindavan, share meals with Him, joke with him, and play games like for example climbing on His back for couple wrestling. We sometimes see this type of activity happening on the beaches just for fun. These activities are vividly described in Srila Prabhupada’s Krishna book. The cow herding in the company of Krishna is boys-only activity. Even though we hear of the existence of the cowherd girls, we don’t hear that they accompany the boys for this activity. That does not mean at all that girls have less access to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They have full access, but in a different rasa. And Krishna, being the Supreme Personality of Godhead can manage simultaneously zillions of zillions of relationships. And He does so right now! In that realm, there are consequently no problems at all.

We also learn that Krishna’s planet, Goloka Vrindavan is the topmost of all planets. How about a whole planet to establish one’s exclusive residence? We hear that some rich and influential people purchase a whole island for their residence, others purchase properties of hundreds of thousands and even millions of hectares. But a whole planet? Another display of Krishna unrivaled opulence!  And there you will find desire trees and surabhi cows and other unimaginable marvels. as per Brahma-Samhita 5.29

TEXT 29

cintämani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vriksha-
lakshävriteshu surabhir abhipälayantam
lakshmé-sahasra-shata-sambhrama-sevyamänam
govindam ädi-purusham tam aham bhajämi

SYNONYMS

cintämani—touchstone; prakara—groups made of; sadmasu—in abodes; kalpa-vriksha—of desire trees; laksha—by millions; ävriteñu—surrounded; surabhih—surabhi cows; abhipälayantam—tending; lakshmi—of goddesses of fortune; sahasra—of thousands; shata—by hundreds; sambhrama—with great respect; sevyamänam—being served; govindam—Govinda; ädi-purusham—the original person; tam—Him; aham—I; bhajämi—worship.

TRANSLATION

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of laksmis or gopis. All rights reserved to BBT International and the author of the article.

Here again, (CC M 19.153 purport, last paragraph. ) Srila Prabhupada uses two times the word “mellow” as a noun. This is rather an unconventional use of the word “mellow”, because the english dictionary gives “mellow” as an adjective and as well as a verb, but the English dictionary does not give “mellow” as a noun. At least in this passage, Srila Prabhupada basically uses interchangeably three different words i.e. relationship, mellow and rasa to designate the same phenomenon. Two of these words are English and one is a Sanskrit word. Out of the two English terms, the word “mellow” is used in a unique and exclusive Prabhupada-way.

Another parampara way to call this is the Hare Krishna style or Hare Krishna way, as Srila Prabhupada Himself confirms in 700109let.Satsvarupa. On my website www.krishnaculture.org, one will find the seed of a Prabhupada glossary as well. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

The word “mellow” is used 908 times in the Vedabase.

Srila Prabhupada therefore, makes here a personal and unconventional use of the word. In the beginning it may conflict with our sense of the use of the English language. But we can adopt this Prabhupada-way relatively easily. And why “mellow” should not be used as a noun? Conventionally, it is already used as a verb and as adjective and Srila Prabhupada in His own perfection and completeness, complements even the English language by using “mellow” as a noun. After all the English language, especially in its rules of pronunciation is quite a whimsical affair, as Srila Prabhupada has often pointed out. For example, even though the u spelling is the same, the words “put” and “but” call for a different sound in their pronunciations. According to Srila Prabhupada, such variations are clearly whimsical and do not exist in the Sanskrit language,. Of course the English noun directly associated with “mellow” is “mellowness.” says my World Book Dictionary. 1975 edition, printed in USA. ISBN 0-7166-0275-X. It says also these words are related to mild. And in the explanation of the adjective “mellow” the following words appear: soft, full-flavored, ripe, sweet, juicy, mature, rich. In relation to a person we find the following explanation: softened and made wise by age and experience; having the gentleness or dignity resulting for maturity.

It is therefore no wonder that “mellow” was rightly chosen, because it conveys the intended meaning perfectly and completely and because rasa is, after all, the reservoir of all pleasure. Which brings us to the real point, as HG Dravida Prabhu has just reminded me that His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Thakur, Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master and our param Guru, is the actual initiator of this practice.

In the book Brahma Samhita by our param Guru, the words “mellow” is used 5 times. In Brahma-samhita 5.3, it is clearly suggested that “mellow” is the English equivalent for the Sanskrit “rasa”. The other four times, “mellow” is used conventionally as an adjective.