Love Of Krishna’s Practices And Prayers

By the practices and prayers I mentioned (and of course by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and Radha Govinda), I am feeling a radical softening of the heart and the feeling of intense love for Krishna’s parts and parcels. The process actually works! And of course this intense love for Krishna and his parts and parcels is the greatest happiness. Sometimes when I see people I become overwhelmed by love for them and desire to help them become happy in Kcon. I don’t know if it is so good to... Read more »

Krishna’s Body is Spiritual and No Loss of Diminution

Krishna’s Body is Spiritual. Krishna is non-different from His body. His body is eternal, full of bliss, and knowledge. He never changes His body, but in His selfsame body appears in different ways, according to His desires, in His various incarnations .This is the same as a dramatic artist who can expertly assume different roles according to the scripts which he is called upon to perform. It is stated in the Vedic literatures, that when we see God in His original manifestation, He is known... Read more »

In Real Love/Empathy/Compassion There is Equality, and Hierarchy Vanishes Like the Mist

This is different from sympathy in which one from a superior position simply feels sorry for those who are suffering. In real love/empathy/compassion there is equality and hierarchy vanishes like the mist being burnt off by intense sunshine. By understanding this particular point, so much in Prabhupada’s work becomes very very clear. We oftentimes speak about how a Vaisnava is an ocean of compassion (Kripa sindhu-usually mistranslated as “full of compassion”). It is important to... Read more »

Inmate’s Experience of Bhagavad Gita As It Is and Surrendering To Krishna

The following is a compilation of inmate’s quotes about their experience reading Bhagavad Gita As It Is: One can attain happiness and peace by surrendering unto Krishna and six promises of Lord Krishna: In verse 2.66 it is stated that ‘One who is not connected with the Supreme (in Krishna Consciousness) can have neither intelligence nor a steady mind, without which there is no possibility of peace and how can there be any happiness without peace.’ I am very impressed with the Bhagavad... Read more »

Have Love And Self-Esteem For Yourself And Krishna

That’s an interesting title for a Krishna conscious blog-”Love Yourself.” Many devotees are under the impression that we should love Krishna and denigrate ourselves! It is understandable that they think this way because there is many statements that one may misunderstand such as: Thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street, the soul is one ten thousandth the tip of the hair in size, the individual soul is tiny, one should be selfless and Etc. Also we may come in contact... Read more »

Understanding How To Live In The Real World And How Material Energy Affects The Mind And Body

So, Pariksit Maharaja now understands that the ultimate solution to the pangs of material existence is the chanting of the Holy Names. So, as far as our becoming Krishna conscious is concerned; we need to be anxiety about the suffering of the souls in this material world and impelled by that anxiety we need to always be thinking of how to get people to chant and hear about Krishna. In other words that is our preaching goal. And in order to achieve this we have to do the needful (utility is the principle).... Read more »

Sometimes Wanting More Is Not Always What You Want

I just arrived in Houston, Texas for our North American GBC and leadership meetings which will last 4 days. Management is not a sannyasi’s traditional duty nor is it something that is high up in my list either. When I first joined the movement, I definitely had a desire to control and wanted to have a position within ISKCON. Part of the desire to control was also a desire for autonomy (to not be controlled by anyone). One devotee even commented that in the next life I was likely to become Lord... Read more »

Spiritual And Physical Needs Of Krishna

Hiranyaksa means one who has his eyes always on gold. Many years ago when I first joined the movement I would feel a definite antipathy towards persons like Hiranyaksa. Now I feel quite different (hopefully I have not become a demon!). When I read about Hiranyaksa and his ilk I feel sorry for how they are suffering due to their great desires and needs. So what we did today in class is to analyze the needs that Hiranyaksa had that caused him to have such emotional outbursts against God. These emotional... Read more »

Not Always Getting What The Heart Desires

There is a philosophy going around that if you desire something enough in a positive way, and you visualize it continually the universe will deliver the fruits of that desire. There are some instances depicted where a man really wants something like a new sports car and he meditates on it (don’t try this!), sees it in his minds eye, tries it out in his imagination, surrounds himself with picture of it, etc; and low and behold this sports car manifests one day on the gross plane and he is able... Read more »

Desire Good Things For Others And Good Things Will Happen

So, the person who is desiring to get a new sports car, beautiful wife, etc. is simply exhausting the fruits of his previous pious activities. If he knew this he would be more careful about his desires! This is the same concept Krishna describes in the Gita when he describes the plight of the souls who go to the heavenly planets because their good karma has bought them a vacation there. When their good Karma runs out they get kicked out of heaven and have to come back here. But, what about the devotee’s... Read more »