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Let Everything That Has Breath Praise the Lord!

Posted On: Mon, 2009-09-21 03:27 by sitapatiShare

Psalm 150

1 Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
2 Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.
3 Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre.
4 Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
5 Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!

jivera svarupa haya krishnera nitya dasa [CC Madhya 20.108]
The natural function of living entities is to serve the Supreme, All-Attractive Personality of Godhead.
kali kale nama-rupe krishna avatara [CC Adi 17.22]
In the age of Kali, Krishna has descended in the form of His Holy Name.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD! [Psalm 150.6]

O Lord, please make me a humble servant of Your Holy Name.

( categories: )

H.H Prahladananda Swami - BG 3.13 - Xmas Day, 2007

Posted On: Wed, 2007-12-26 07:16 by sitapatiShare

Filmed at a home program at Ryan and Bea's house, Brisbane, Australia.

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Varnasrama System Must Be Introduced

Posted On: Wed, 2007-05-09 00:29 by sitapatiShare

Causelessmercy - Room Conversation Varnasrama System Must Be Introduced February 14, 1977, Mayapur

Room Conversation
Varṇāśrama System
Must Be Introduced
February 14, 1977, Māyāpura

770214r2.may      

Satsvarūpa: …thought they were suppressed.

Prabhupāda: Revolution means they are dissatisfied.

Satsvarūpa: French Revolution, Russian Revolution.

Prabhupāda: These things were not going nicely. Therefore
gradually it broke. But if things are going nicely, people will be
happy. They will not revolt. You have to keep the citizens satisfied in
all respects. You must know the necessity how people are satisfied.
You have to arrange the government in that way. Then there will be
no revolution. Mass of people, if they are satisfied, they will not
revolt. But they do not know the process. The “demoncracy,” the
common man is allowed to vote. He has no knowledge and he’s
voting. This is most condemned process. Camara-bhangi, a
sweeper, he is voted to become Minister of Defense. His business is
to cleanse the street, and now he’s voted to become because he has
got number of votes. So many bhangis, they vote, “Yes, he is our
leader. He should be Defense Minister.” You have to do that. This is
democracy. His business is to sweep, and he’s voted a defense
minister.

Hari-śauri: But in, say in America, they argue that everybody’s
educated now. In America…

Prabhupāda: What educated? Educated means hippies. That’s all.
This is their education. They do not know what is meant by
education. Education… University student was informed that “Next
birth you may become a dog,” so he said, “What is the wrong there?”
This is education. Is that education, that he agrees to become a dog
very happily? There is no education. Simply waste of time.

Satsvarūpa: But at least if there is extreme exploitation by a king or
dictator it can’t be changed. But the people…

Prabhupāda: There cannot be exploitation if things are made in
order. Just like kṣatriya should be trained up as kṣatriya. Then he is
king. Not that a bhangi by vote becomes a king. This is education.

śauryaṁ tejo dhṛtir dākṣyaṁ
yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam
dānam īśvara-bhāvaś ca
kṣātraṁ karma svabhāva-jam

[Bg. 18.43]

He must be very powerful, very strong, strongly built. You have seen
the picture, Rāmacandra? Sturdy body. You see. Lakṣmaṇa. Because
kṣatriya. They should be trained up as kṣatriya. Therefore the
varṇāśrama college is required to train people who is able to
become a brāhmaṇa, who is able to become a kṣatriya, who is able
to become… In this way division must be. And according to the
quality and work there must be division for cooperation. There is a
big scheme. They have lost. They do not know. All bhangis, camara,
śūdras
, they are simply given vote. That’s all. Where is the training?

Hari-śauri: But what is the use of having big strong body if now
they’re using airplanes and tanks and guns.

Prabhupāda: That is your useless waste of time. Why? Therefore the
war does not stop, unnecessary war, and such a big war, Kurukṣetra,
in eighteen days it is finished. This is decision. And this is going on,
continually war, strain, politics, diplomacy, lecture, Parliament.
There is no finishing of war. There is no finishing. It will go on. Just
like same example: If you keep the dogs as dogs, they’ll going on
barking. It will never finish. So this is the civilization of dog work. It
is not human civilization. Therefore it is going on. War is not
stopped. Where is stop? War is stopped? No. Going on. And it will go
on because they are dogs. You cannot stop their barking. There are
so many things. If we follow the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, then
whole world will be… This is a fact. Now, how to implement it, that
is another thing. It is a fact.

Hari-śauri: Because even the yavanas and mlecchas were following
the kṣatriya system in Kṛṣṇa’s time. Just like Jarāsandha. He had all
the chivalrous respect of a kṣatriya even though he was a demon.
But nowadays everybody’s… No one is…

Prabhupāda: Everybody’s śūdra. Nobody’s brāhmaṇa, nobody’s…

Hari-śauri: No.

Prabhupāda: Śūdra is to be controlled only. They are never given to
be freedom. Just like in America. The blacks were slaves. They were
under control. And since you have given them equal rights they are
disturbing, most disturbing, always creating a fearful situation,
uncultured and drunkards. What training they have got? They have
got equal right? That is best, to keep them under control as slaves
but give them sufficient food, sufficient cloth, not more than that.
Then they will be satisfied.

Hari-śauri: If that’s done then how will those who have some
potential to be educated, how will we recognize them?

Prabhupāda: Either educate them or control them. Give them facility
of education. But there is no education at all. Even for the whites
there is no education. So we are stressing on the point of education.
You educate certain section as brāhmaṇa, certain section as
kṣatriya, certain section as vaiśya. In that education we don’t
discriminate because he’s coming of a śūdra family. Take education.
Be qualified. Then you talk. Not by votes.

Satsvarūpa: Lord Caitanya, when Rāmānanda Rāya brought this up
He said it was not possible in this age to introduce this.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not… He did not say possible. Ihā bāhya. Caitanya
Mahāprabhu was interested only on the spiritual platform. He had
no idea of material side. He rejected material side.

Satsvarūpa: But don’t we do that also?

Prabhupāda: No. Our position is different. We are trying to
implement Kṛṣṇa consciousness in everything. And Caitanya
Mahāprabhu personally took sannyāsa. He rejected completely
material. Niṣkiñcana. But we are not going to be niṣkiñcana. We are
trying to cement the troubled position of the… That is also in the
prescription of Bhagavad-gītā. We are not rejecting the whole
society. Caitanya Mahāprabhu rejected everything, ihā bāhya.
Rejected meaning, “I do not take much interest in this.” Bāhya. “It is
external.” He was simply interested in the internal, the spiritual. But
our duty is that we shall arrange the external affairs also so nicely
that one day they will come to the spiritual platform very easily,
paving the way. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, personality like that,
they have nothing to do with this material world. But we are
preaching. We are preaching. Therefore we must pave the situation
in such a way that gradually they will be promoted to the spiritual
plane, which is not required.

Satsvarūpa: Varṇāśrama is not required.

Prabhupāda: Not required. Caitanya Mahāprabhu denied, “I am not
brāhmaṇa, I am not kṣatriya, I am not this, I am not this.” He
rejected. But in the Bhagavad-gītā, the cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam
[Bg. 4.13] So we are Kṛṣṇa…, preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It
must be done.

Hari-śauri: But in Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s practical preaching He
only induced them to chant.

Prabhupāda: That is not possible for ordinary man.

Hari-śauri: What, to simply induce people to chant?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Hari-śauri: He only introduced just the chanting.

Prabhupāda: But who will chant? Who’ll chant?

Satsvarūpa: But if they won’t chant, then neither will they train up in
the varṇāśrama. That’s the easiest.

Prabhupāda: The chanting will be there, but you cannot expect that
people will chant like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They cannot even chant
sixteen rounds. (And) these rascals are going to be Caitanya
Mahāprabhu.

Satsvarūpa: No. But if they at least will chant and take some
prasāda…

Prabhupāda: Chanting will go on. That is not stopped. But at the
same time the varṇāśrama-dharma must be established to make the
way easy.

Hari-śauri: Well, at least my own understanding was that the
chanting was introduced in the age of Kali because varṇāśrama is
not possible.

Prabhupāda: Because it will cleanse the mind. Chanting will not
stop.

Hari-śauri: So therefore the chanting was introduced to replace all
of the systems of varṇāśrama and like that.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it can replace, but who is going to replace it?
The… People are not so advanced. If you imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura
to chant, it is not possible.

Satsvarūpa: We tell them go on with your job but chant also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Thākaha āpanāra kāje, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura.
Āpanāra kāja ki. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended, sthāne
sthitaḥ
. And if they do not remain in the sthāna, then the sahajiyā’s
chanting will come. Just like the sahajiyās also have got the beads
and…, but they have got three dozen women. This kind of chanting
will go on. Just like our (name withheld). He was not fit for sannyāsa
but he was given sannyāsa. And five women he was attached, and he
disclosed. Therefore varṇāśrama-dharma is required. Simply show-
bottle will not do. So the varṇāśrama-dharma should be introduced
all over the world, and…

Satsvarūpa: Introduced starting with ISKCON community?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriyas. There must be regular
education.

Hari-śauri: But in our community, if the…, being as we’re training up
as Vaiṣṇavas…

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: …then how will we be able to make divisions in our
society?

Prabhupāda: Vaiṣṇava is not so easy. The varṇāśrama-dharma
should be established to become a Vaiṣṇava. It is not so easy to
become Vaiṣṇava.

Hari-śauri: No, it’s not a cheap thing.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore this should be made. Vaiṣṇava, to
become Vaiṣṇava, is not so easy. If Vaiṣṇava, to become Vaiṣṇava is
so easy, why so many fall down, fall down? It is not easy. The
sannyāsa is for the highest qualified brāhmaṇa. And simply by
dressing like a Vaiṣṇava, that is… fall down.

Hari-śauri: So the varṇāśrama system is like for the kaniṣṭhas,
Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī
.

Prabhupāda: Kaniṣṭha?

Hari-śauri: When one is only on the platform of neophyte.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, yes.

Hari-śauri: Varṇāśrama system is beneficial.

Prabhupāda: Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī means he must be a brāhmaṇa. That
is kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. The spiritual life, kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, means he
must be a qualified brāhmaṇa. That is kaniṣṭha. What is esteemed as
very high position in the material world, brāhmaṇa, that is kaniṣṭha-
adhikārī.

arcāyām eva haraye
pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate
na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu
sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ

The brāhmaṇa means from the material stage gradually he is
elevated to the spiritual stage. And below the brāhmaṇa there is no
question of Vaiṣṇava.

Hari-śauri: No question of?

Prabhupāda: Vaiṣṇavism.

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi
vidhunoti suhṛt satām

[Bhāg. 1.2.17]

By becoming a brāhmaṇa, hearing, hearing, hearing… Or by hearing,
hearing, hearing, he becomes a brāhmaṇa. The other qualities,
śūdra quality, kṣatriya, vaiśya, means finished. So then next stage is,
śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, hṛdy antaḥ…
Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu
. By this process, hearing… Without
becoming a brāhmaṇa nobody is interested to hear. Then, by
hearing, naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu, then abhadra, means the base
qualities, means ignorance and passion… These are the base
qualities. So naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu. When these base qualities
are finished almost, not complete, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, by
hearing from Bhāgavata or by serving the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement—

naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu
nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā
bhagavaty uttama-śloke
bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī

[SB 1.2.18]

Then he becomes fixed up in devotional… This devotional service is
the first-grade quality of sattva-guṇa.

naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu
nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā
bhagavaty uttama-śloke
bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī

[SB 1.2.18]

Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ [SB 1.2.19] When one is situated as a
devotee, then this base quality, rajas-tamaḥ, ignorance and passion,
the symptoms: kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye. Kāma, lusty desires, and
greediness. Sex desire, strong sex desire or satisfy the senses,
eating too much, lobha, greediness—these things go. Nityaṁ
bhāgavata-sevayā bhagavaty uttama…
When one is situated in
devotional service, tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. These are rajas-tamo…
These are the symptoms of rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. Tadā rajas-tamo-
bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye, ceta etair anāviddham
[SB 1.2.19].
The mind is no more disturbed with all these things. Sthitaṁ sattve
prasīdati
. Then he is to be understood… He’s in the sattva-guṇa.
That is perfect brahminical life. Then he’ll be pleased. Prasīdati. In
this way, gradual step… So it is very difficult to bring, introduce
varṇāśrama, but at least there must be some idea. Just like in the
university, nobody is going to study higher mathematics, higher
English literature. Nobody goes even in your country. The classes
are almost vacant. But still, the government does not close it. The
expenditure is high, but there is no student, no income. Therefore
the professors coming to us, “Give us some student.” You know that?

Satsvarūpa: Religion professors.

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, higher studies…

Satsvarūpa: Yes. “Send us some of your men.”

Prabhupāda: Nobody is interested with higher study. They want
some technological understanding so that they can earn money.
That’s all. This is only interest.

Satsvarūpa: In our ISKCON, one becomes a brāhmaṇa after a year.
It’s not very hard. Everyone becomes a brāhmaṇa.

Prabhupāda: That is due to chanting. That lift very easily.

Hari-śauri: Where will we introduce the varṇāśrama system, then?

Prabhupāda: In our society, amongst our members.

Hari-śauri: But then if everybody’s being raised to the brahminical
platform…

Prabhupāda: Not everybody. Why you are misunderstanding?
Varṇāśrama, not everybody brāhmaṇa.

Hari-śauri: No, but in our society practically everyone is being
raised to that platform. So then one might ask what is…

Prabhupāda: That is… Everybody is being raised, but they’re falling
down.

Hari-śauri: So then we should make it more difficult to get…

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: …brahminical initiation. After four or five years.

Prabhupāda: Not necessary. You remain as a kṣatriya. You’ll be ha…

Hari-śauri: No need for even any brāhmaṇa initiation, then…

Prabhupāda: No, no.

Hari-śauri: …unless one is…

Prabhupāda: No, brāhmaṇa must be there. Why do you say,
generalize?

Hari-śauri: Unless one is particularly…

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: …inclined.

Prabhupāda: Not that a śūdra man is by force become a brāhmaṇa.
You cannot improve. That is not possible. But even if he remains a
śūdra and does accordingly, he will get the same position as
devotee. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya sam… He’ll get the perfection.
At the present moment the idea is: if one remains a śūdra, then he
cannot get perfection. No. Even a śūdra can get perfection provided
he does the work of a śūdra perfectly.

Hari-śauri: For Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Therefore why a śūdra artificially should be a
brāhmaṇa? Let them, let him remain a śūdra, and if he follows
strictly the rules and regulation of śūdra, he’ll also be as good as a
brāhmaṇa. The same example: Just like head is as important as my
leg. It is not that because it is leg, it is less important than my head.
And if you ask the head, “Do the work of a leg,” it is impossible. And
if you ask the leg to work as a brain, that is impossible. Let him
remain brain, let him remain leg, and do your duty and you become
perfect.

Satsvarūpa: Today you’ve been saying that the Vaiṣṇava is the
highest, above the brāhmaṇa. But then we’ve also understood that
everyone in ISKCON is a Vaiṣṇava.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Vaiṣṇava everyone, even if he’s not brāhmaṇa.
Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa
[Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. But
you have to gradually bring him to that pure consciousness that “I
am servant of Kṛṣṇa.” Here the bodily conception is going on, “I am
American,” “I am Indian,” “I am this,” “I am that.”

Satsvarūpa: If in our society we say, “Śrīla Prabhupāda wants some to
be śūdra…”

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. I don’t want. I want everyone to become
Vaiṣṇava. But because he’s a śūdra, it is not possible to bring him
immediately to the platform of brāhmaṇa, or Vaiṣṇava. Therefore
falling down. Therefore system must be. But even if he remains a
śūdra, he’s a Vaiṣṇava.

Hari-śauri: So we’d have to completely revise the whole system that
we have now.

Prabhupāda: No. Whatever we have, that is all right. But we see by
experience that they’re falling down. There must be systematic. Why
falling down? Because he was not fit for the position, therefore he
has fallen. Better remain in his position and become perfect. Why
artificially bring them? There is no need. Kṛṣṇa says. Bring that
Bhagavad-gītā. Sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ?

Hari-śauri:

sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ
sva-karma-nirataḥ siddhiṁ
yathā vindati tac chṛṇu

“By following his qualities of work, every man can become perfect.
Now please hear from Me how this can be done.”

Prabhupāda: Yes. He is śūdra, clerk. He can… As a śūdra, he can get
the perfection. Why he should artificially become a brāhmaṇa and
sannyāsī and fall down? This has to be checked.

Hari-śauri: So that depends upon our men who are giving
recommendations.

Prabhupāda: So that recommendation is not good. Bible is giving so
many recommendation. He’s also not following them. (laughs)

Hari-śauri: Following them. So how will we implement? Right now
we have… Every temple president can…

Prabhupāda: That is supposed. Where there is no tree, a castor seed
tree is very big tree. That is going on.

Satsvarūpa: If there’s no tree?

Prabhupāda: You know castor seed tree, a plant? it does not grow.

Satsvarūpa: Small.

Prabhupāda: Small. So there is no banyan tree. It is taken—“Oh, it is
very big.”

Hari-śauri: I don’t follow the analogy.

Satsvarūpa: In the complete absence of trees, then a small tree is
considered big.

Hari-śauri: Oh. (laughs) Well, say, like here in Māyāpura now we
have a situation…

Prabhupāda: No, no. Why? Why one should stress to become big
tree? Here it is clearly said even if you are small tree, you can get
perfection. So we should take that.

Hari-śauri: So in Māyāpura here now we have that situation, that so
many…

Prabhupāda: Everywhere, wherever, Māyāpura or anywhere. Question
is that here it is clearly said, sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ. Brāhmaṇa
has his duty, kṣatriya has his duty, vaiśya has his duty, śūdra has his
duty. And if he performs his duty nicely, then he also becomes
perfect. So why artificially he should be called a brāhmaṇa? Let them
do, according to śāstra, the work of śūdra, or vaiśya. He’ll get the
perfect. Perfection is not checked. But why artificially he should be
made a brāhmaṇa or he should be made a sannyāsī and fall down
and become a ludicrous? That is the point. Better let him live in his
position and become perfect. That’s good. That looks very nice. And
that is possible. That is possible. Varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa
paraḥ pumān viṣṇur ārādhyate
. Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu, can be worshiped
if you perfectly follow the rules and regulation of four varṇas and
four āśramas. Here it is also said, sve sve karmaṇi. You work as a
perfect brāhmaṇa or a perfect kṣatriya, perfect śūdra; you get
perfection. The perfection is available in your natural life. Why
should artificially you become unnatural and fall down and become
ludicrous? Perfection is not checked.

Satsvarūpa: But in most of our temples, the duties are either Deity
worship, brāhmaṇa…

Prabhupāda: Brāhmaṇas are available. Why you are bothering about
this? Brāhmaṇas are also available, śūdras are also available. Why
śūdra should be artificially become a brāhmaṇa?

Satsvarūpa: What will the śūdras do in the big city temple, in all the
temples?

Prabhupāda: Why you are bringing our temples? I am talking of the
principle.

Satsvarūpa: Oh.

Hari-śauri: The principle we follow. We’re just thinking how it can be
implemented. You were saying that it should be started in our
society.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is a very broad idea. Now we are speaking of
some of them, training them. That is another thing. That is small
scale.

Hari-śauri: The principle we’re following.

Prabhupāda: Yes. In the… For the big scale, this is the required. In
big scale you cannot make all of them as brāhmaṇas or sannyāsīs.
No. That is not possible. This is a small scale. How many percentage
of people of the world we are controlling? Very insignificant. But if
you want to make the whole human society perfect, then this Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement should be introduced according to the
Kṛṣṇa’s instruction, if you want to do it in a large scale for the
benefit of the whole human society. Now we are picking up some of
them, best. That is another thing. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said
para-upakāra. Why a certain section should be picked up? The whole
mass of people will get the benefit of it. Then it is required,
systematic. Sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ.
Para-upakāra
means mass benefit, not there is certain section. Then
we have to introduce this varṇāśrama-dharma. It must be done
perfectly, and it is possible and people will be happy.

Satsvarūpa: It requires powerful influence in the society to…

Prabhupāda: Yes. If the leaders of the society, they agree. They are
barking like dogs in the United Nation. They should take rightly the
instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. Then everything will be all right.
They’re simply barking like dogs. What benefit is there? What benefit
people have derived from the United Nation? Nothing. So if they
want actually world peace, world unity, they must take the formula
given by Kṛṣṇa. That is our duty. Because we are preaching Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, so our duty is to convince that “You are uselessly
wasting your time for unity, for benefit of the human… You take
this. You’ll be happy.” We are safe. We have taken to Kṛṣṇa’s lotus
feet shelter. There is no doubt. But… Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. He
said that “I am quite happy. I have no problem. But I am thinking of
these rascals.” Tato vimūḍha-cetasa indriyārtha: “They have made
the whole aim of life sense gratification.” Indriyārtha. “And for that
purpose, a few years, they’re making huge arrangement, how we
shall become happy?” And next life a dog. It is risky. So as Kṛṣṇa
conscious men, we should try to save them. That is the duty. But this
civilization as it is going on is very risky. They do not know how
nature’s law is working, how he’s going to be a dog next life. He
does not know. Mūḍho nābhijānāti. To save the mass people from
falling down to the repetition of birth and death, that is welfare
activity. To save them by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we have to keep this
ideal at least, varṇāśrama, that “Here is the position.”

Hari-śauri: At this time should we try to introduce it in our centers
or not?

Prabhupāda: Always we shall try. Human society will be always
there. We have to serve them, para-upakāra. We have to keep them
in the right position.

Hari-śauri: I just remember two or three years ago there was a
thing… A pamphlet came out about introducing the varṇāśrama
system in the society, but actually nothing came of it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That time was not right. Now you can do
something.

Satsvarūpa: That was the beginning of emphasis on farms when
Prabhupāda said that, when more and more farms start, the idea of
the vaiśya. But nothing else happened.

Prabhupāda: Every business is important. Brāhmaṇa business is
important, kṣatriya… Just like the body. Head is important; the arm
is important; the belly is important. They must be kept in order. Just
like I am in trouble because my belly is not working. Digesting
power is not good. So in spite of brain, hand, and leg, I am diseased.
If any part of the society remains diseased, the whole society will
suffer. Therefore they must be maintained in correct order. You
cannot say if there is some trouble in the leg, “Neglect the leg. Take
care of the brain.” No. Brain will be taxed due to the pain in the leg.
This is nature. Therefore everyone should be kept in order. Then
things will go on. That is varṇāśrama. They do not know that.
Sometimes they are giving stress… That communist is giving stress
to the śūdra class, and the capitalist are giving to the belly class.
And what about the head? What about the arms? And therefore
topsy-turvied. Everything is disorder. There are two classes of men
now—capitalist and communist. The communist is giving stress,
“No. Simply the legs shall be taken care.” What is called? Proly?

Hari-śauri: Proletariat.

Prabhupāda: What is that proletariat?

Satsvarūpa: The laborers.

Prabhupāda: That’s all. These rascals are giving stress on the legs.
And the capitalists, they are giving stress on production. And where
is the kṣatriya and brāhmaṇa?

Hari-śauri: Well, they’re all giving stress to accumulation of
weapons. They’re all giving stress to…

Prabhupāda: That is not kṣatriya’s business. That is… That is… No,
that is described. Kṛṣṇa said… He arranged the battlefield, because
the kṣatriyas, they became very powerful by individual military
strength as it is now…

Hari-śauri: Accumulation.

Prabhupāda: Ha. So Kṛṣṇa arranged: “All right, you come together
and finish yourselves.” So this arrangement will be done that all
atomic bomb will come in warfield—one, next, third war, finished.
All these, all these demons will be finished. That is not kṣatriya. This
is demonic. Kṣatriyas’ business is to see that the four orders of life
are maintained properly, not increasing military strength only,
overburdened. Everyone is spending 75% of the revenue for military.
Huh? Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg. 4.8]. So they
are demons. Why so much money should be spent for military? They
are not kṣatriyas. They are not kṣatriyas. They are demons. So
demons… As soon as there will be number of demons increased,
there will be war and finish all.

Hari-śauri: So at least if we successfully introduce the varṇāśrama
system in our own society, then when all the demons finish
themselves…

Prabhupāda: At least… At least… At least they will see, “This is the
ideal.”

Hari-śauri: Yes. Then if there is a war after that, it will be all right.

Prabhupāda: At least ideal must be there. That we are doing.

Hari-śauri: This will more or less revolutionize the way we’re
running our centers. If we introduce it, it will more or less
revolutionize the way we’re running our centers.

Prabhupāda: Why? Why revolution?

Hari-śauri: Because right now our only emphasis is just to simply
produce brāhmaṇas.

Prabhupāda: So why you are taking “we”? Why not others? This is
kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. You are thinking of “we.” That is kaniṣṭha-
adhikārī
. It is not that “we.” Na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu. You have to
think for others also.

Satsvarūpa: But the people are not at our disposal to organize.

Hari-śauri: We are thinking of “we” because actually we only have
our own society at the moment to organize.

Satsvarūpa: We cannot approach the masses to organize.

Hari-śauri: It can’t be implemented on such a big scale.

Prabhupāda: I do not follow what you say.

Satsvarūpa: Just like…

Prabhupāda: Ideal. We are giving the ideal.

Satsvarūpa: But no one’s listening and no one’s taking it up except a
few…

Prabhupāda: But you take. You show them.

Hari-śauri: That’s why we say, “we.”

Prabhupāda: That “We said” means not we are going to take them,
but we are simply giving the ideas. We are not going to be a śūdra.
But to show the… Just like you play in a drama. You are playing the
part of a king. You are not a king.

Hari-śauri: No.

Prabhupāda: So similarly, just to give them idea, we have to play like
that.

Hari-śauri: Well, again, that’s…

Prabhupāda: Not necessarily that we are going to be śūdra. So that
is it. That is the thing. We are servant of Kṛṣṇa. That’s all. And as
servant of Kṛṣṇa, we have to execute the order of Kṛṣṇa.

Satsvarūpa: So we can ideally organize ourselves and then for the
rest of the people all we can do is hope that they’ll follow it.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhavānanda: Set the example.

Prabhupāda: Example. Just like Bhavānanda, when there was no
commode here. He was taking my stool and urine. Does it mean he
is a sweeper? He’s a sannyāsī Vaiṣṇava. Similarly, āpani ācari’ jīve
śikhāilā
. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “I am not a sannyāsī.” But He
took sannyāsa. Actually He is God, so what is the benefit of
becoming a sannyāsī, for God? But He became that. [break] In order
to serve the mass of people, to bring them to the ideal position, we
should try to introduce this varṇāśrama, not that we are going to be
candidates of varṇāśrama. It is not our business. But to teach them
how the world will be in peaceful position we have to introduce.
Now the days of wind will come from March.

Satsvarūpa: Winds begin?

Prabhupāda: And April this wind is…

Satsvarūpa: Winds begin now?

Bhavānanda: Yes. They’ll start to come from the south. Vaikuṇṭha
breezes.

Prabhupāda: Now here is a very nice institution for the benefit of the
whole society human.

Bhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, in our preaching in Bengal, many
times we come to villages and the people are very sincere. They say
that “We have our village, but we need someone here to guide us.”

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhavānanda: “If you could make one small little temple with Gaura-
Nitāi and have someone here to tell us what to do…” They want to
become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Bhavānanda: But there’s no one there to guide them.

Prabhupāda: So you reply this, that “You come. I shall train you. You
will guide. We are prepared to guide you, but it is not possible to,
bring men outside to guide you. You come to us. I shall train you
how to guide.” This is the reply. And that is wanted. This Bon
Mahārāja failed. Why? He wanted… Guru Mahārāja wanted that you
start one temple in London. But he was thinking of bringing, taking
men from India. Actually he had no…. [break] That is the fact.
Therefore he failed. Instead of serving Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, he
wanted to serve Vivekananda. To become like Vivekananda and “I
shall be very much eulogized in my country, second Vivekananda.”
That was his ambition. He never wished to defy Vivekananda and
elevate Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He has introduced in his Oriental
Institute, Gandhi philosophy, Vivekananda philosophy. Just see his
position. He’s appreciating… We are simply condemning Gandhi
philosophy, and he’s appreciating Gandhi. We are simply
depreciating Vivekananda, and he’s introducing Vivekananda. This is
his position. He cannot understand even that where is philosophy in
Vivekananda and Gandhi? Gandhi is nationalist. Again problem with
your finger. Twenty-four hours, finger problem or nose problem.
That I am observing. No attention. So where is philosophy in
Vivekananda or Gandhi? He was nationalist. Nationalist means
dehātma-buddhi. Dehātma-buddhi means sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB
10.84.13], cows and asses. He worked throughout his whole life for
Indian people. In Africa also, he wasted twenty years, and India,
thirty years. Fifty years. He lived for seventy-eight years. So twenty-
seven years was for his education or something like that and fifty
years wasted. This is his position. And he’s a big man. Actually he
wasted fifty years. Twenty years in Durban and thirty years in… He
started in 1917, and svarāja was, independence was given to India in
’47. He had nothing… It is not due to him. It is that Subash Bose’s
INA. So twenty years there, thirty years—fifty years he wasted of his
life. And balance, twenty-seven, education, sex with wife and so on,
so on. He was so sexually inclined, he has written in his biography
that when his father was dying he was enjoying sex life with his
wife. Just see how he was sexually inclined. He could not take the
serious illness of his father. He’s going to die. He was enjoying his
wife. We can… Just from one point we can understand. Everyone is
sexual in young days. That is generally. But just see his position,
that his father was going to die and he was enjoying sex.

Satsvarūpa: I read that. They called him, so he stopped having sex
and went to the bedroom, but it was too late. His father was already
dead. So he must have been actually having sex just at the moment
his father died.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He has written. Not only that. Nowadays somebody
has accused that even in his old age he was having sex with young
girls. I do not know. But it is a fact, when he was coming in the
meeting he would touch two young girls, granddaughter and
granddaughter-in-law, and then come in the meeting. I have seen.
One gentleman in our, the Mullick’s Thakur Badhi, when we were
there. He was attorney. So when there was some function, so all
neighboring men were invited. So he was also invited. He would
come with at least three, four prostitutes. And he was old man,
blind. Asutosh Bhan. He became very rich man by cunning lawyer.
He was a lawyer. So he would take a credit that “When I go to a
friend’s house to keep my invitation, I take some three, four
prostitute and flatterer. Then…” And he’d be received very nicely. We
have seen when, when we were boys, ten years, twelve years old. I
have seen it. Formerly, in our father’s time, it was aristocratic to
keep one prostitute and keep one garden also. Then he’ll get… So
this man, dehātma-buddhi and sexually inclined, he is mahātmā.
This is the standard of… Ramakrishna, he was worshiping goddess
Kālī. It is condemned in the Bhagavad-gītā, kāmais tais tair hṛta-
jñānāḥ prapadyante ’nya-devatāḥ
[Bg. 7.20], that “Anyone who is
worshiping a demigod, he is lost of all sense.” So this man, by losing
his all senses, worshiping a demigod, he became God. People do not
take reference from Bhagavad-gītā, that “A demigod worshiper has
no sense, and he has become God?” What kind of God? Senseless
God? And God’s definition is aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya
yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ, jñāna
. God means full in knowledge. And a man who
has no sense, he has become God? From logic. Jñāna-vairāgyayaś
caiva
. God means he has got full knowledge. And this man is
senseless and he has become God. Logic, how you can defy? And
they’re accepting: “Ramakrishna is God.” How you defend it? I am
giving this logic. Defend.

Satsvarūpa: I’ve given that argument, and people have said back,
“Oh, he didn’t say he was God.” They say… He said that…

Prabhupāda: No, you are advertising, “Ramakrishna Avatara.”
“Bhagavan Ramakrishna.” “Bhagavan Ramakrishna.” Everyone is
God—then why you are after God? You remain. You are servant of
your wife, your prostitute. Then you are also devotee because
everyone is God. A prostitute-hunter is also devotee because he’s
devoted to the prostitute and prostitute is God. Then why you search
out another God? Hm? Everyone is God. Why you search out another
God? Why you bring Ramakrishna God? Better remain satisfied with
your prostitute, your dog. (pause—talking in background) That Dr.
Sharma has given very good (indistinct)?

Satsvarūpa: Yes. Of all commentaries his is the best, including
Rāmānuja and Madhva.

Bhavānanda:

ye yathā māṁ prapadyante
tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante
manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ

[Bg. 4.11]

“Everyone follows My path in all respects.” So even if I worship the
demigods, I am worshiping ultimately Bhagavān. Kṛṣṇa says,
“Everyone follows my path in all respects.”

Prabhupāda: That is not the meaning. The meaning is: “Everyone is
searching after Me, but they, unless they come to Me, they will
search one after another position.” What is the purport?

Bhavānanda: “Everyone is searching for Kṛṣṇa in different aspects of
His manifestations. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is
partially realized in His impersonal brahmajyoti effulgence and as
the all-pervading Supersoul dwelling within everything including the
particles of atoms. But Kṛṣṇa is only fully realized by His pure
devotees. Consequently Kṛṣṇa is the object of everyone’s realization
and thus anyone and everyone is satisfied according to one’s desire
to have him. In the transcendental…”

Prabhupāda: Brahman… Brahman is also Kṛṣṇa, and Paramātmā is
also Kṛṣṇa. So if one is attached to Brahman, he’s also worshiping
Kṛṣṇa. That is the meaning.

Satsvarūpa: Or even a demigod.

Prabhupāda: Demigod. Everyone is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. But he’s
searching after real Kṛṣṇa.

Bhavānanda: But what is the harm? Durgā, she is in charge of… She
is Kṛṣṇa’s agent, so what is the harm in worshiping Durgā?

Prabhupāda: Harm means you remain with Durgā’s province. Yānti
deva-vratā devān
[Bg. 9.25] You cannot expect to go to Kṛṣṇa’s
place. You have to satisfy yourself and remain within this material
world. This is Durgā’s place.

Bhavānanda: “Men in this world desire success in fruitive activities
and therefore they worship the demigods. Quickly, of course, men
get results from fruitive work in this world.”

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhavānanda: So if I can become happy by worshiping Durgā in this
material world…

Prabhupāda: But that… That is māyā. You’ll never be happy. You are
thinking like that. Who is in the material world happy? Nobody’s
happy. But because you are fool, you are thinking this is happiness.

Hari-śauri: He says the results are only temporary, anyway.

Prabhupāda: Temporary but it is miserable also. But you are eternal.
Why you should be satisfied with temporary happiness? If you be
satisfied, be satisfied. That is your business. But that is not real
happiness. Why you should take repeated birth and death? If there is
another life where there is no birth and death, why should you not
take that? You are eternal. But because you are a fool, you think that
“If I get ten thousand years of life and very comfortable life, that is
happiness.” That is mistake. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ [Bg. 7.20].
That is also said. Why don’t you refer to that…? “Such persons have
lost that intelligence.”

Satsvarūpa: I’ve heard that Ramakrishna said that even if by mistake
one worships the wrong Deity, God won’t hold that mistake against
him. Even though he’s worshiping a demigod and he thinks that’s
God, so that’s a mistake, but God is not so…

Prabhupāda: But the Ramakrishna rascal saying. Kṛṣṇa says, yānti
deva-vratā devān
[Bg. 9.25]. If you worship demigod, you go to the
demigod. You can say…

Satsvarūpa: God Himself says.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. We have not to take the instruction of a
man-made God. We have to take instruction of the real God.

Hari-śauri: The second half of that verse says that “As they
surrender unto Me I reward accordingly,” So it’s not that everybody
gets the same results.

Prabhupāda: Yes, accordingly, because nothing can happen without
Kṛṣṇa’s desire. Even if you want some benefit from the demigods,
that must be sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa. That is stated. Mayaiva vihitān hi
tān
. Find out. Ye ’py anya-devatā. Ye ’py anya-devatā-bhaktāḥ.
[break]

Bhavānanda: They also say that everything… They accept everything
as part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Everything is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa
and everyone has same qualities as Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: No, that is not the fact. That is rascaldom.

Bhavānanda: One drop of the ocean contains all the qualities of the
big ocean, the chemical components…

Prabhupāda: Then all the qualities, not the quantity. Then how it can
be equal?

Bhavānanda: But absolute means that a part is also equal to the
whole.

Prabhupāda: Equal to the whole in quality, not in quantity.

Bhavānanda: Then in quantity means universal form.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Bhavānanda: Not Kṛṣṇa. Not Kṛṣṇa but universal form.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is… Kṛṣṇa is bigger than the universal form.
Kṛṣṇa assumed the universal form, not that universal form made
Kṛṣṇa.

Bhavānanda: No, but everyone taken together makes Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa… Arjuna wanted to see His universal form; then
Kṛṣṇa assumed. Then Kṛṣṇa is the origin of the universal form.
Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ… [Bg. 10.8] Even universal form is
coming from Kṛṣṇa. These rascals, they do not know.

Bhavānanda: Their philosophy is that everyone taken together forms
Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: That is their philosophy, but everything taken together
means that is a partial manifestation of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is still greater.

Bhavānanda: If Kṛṣṇa says that “Everything material and spiritual is
coming from Me.”

Prabhupāda:“Coming from Me.” Therefore He is greater than both
material…

Bhavānanda: Does that mean Kṛṣṇa is beyond even spiritual?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri:

ye ’py anya-devatā-bhaktā
yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ
te ’pi mām eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam

Prabhupāda: Next verse.

Hari-śauri:

ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ
bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca
na tu mām abhijānanti
tattvenātaś cyavanti te

“I am the only enjoyer and the only object of sacrifice. Those who do
not recognize my true transcendental nature fall down.”

Prabhupāda: Hm. Next verse.

Hari-śauri:

yānti deva-vratā devān
pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā
yānti mad-yājino ’pi mām

[Bg. 9.25]

Prabhupāda: There is discrimination, yānti mad-yājino mām, not
that everyone. Another verse… Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty
alpa…

Hari-śauri:

antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ
tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām
devān deva-yajo yānti
mad-bhaktā yānti mām api

“Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are
limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the
planets of the demigods, but my devotees ultimately reach My
supreme planet.”

Prabhupāda: That is the…

Bhavānanda: Then how yato mata tato patha, became so strong?

Prabhupāda: This is rascal. Therefore we say they are rascal. Path is
one: mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, and they have manufactured this,
yato mata tato patha. Mata is one. Food has to be given to the
mouth, not to the eyes. You can say, “Here is a hole, here is a hole.
Here is a…” Anybody… No. This hole. There are nine holes all over
the body. You cannot put food in either of them, only this one. You
cannot water every part of the tree. Put water on the root, and
everything is satisfied.

Bhavānanda: “I am not qualified to worship Kṛṣṇa, so let me just
worship the Mother. She is part of Kṛṣṇa, so let me just worship
her…”

Prabhupāda: You’ll get the path of yānti deva. You go to Mother and
become a goat and be sacrificed. You cut throat of a goat now by
satisfying Mother, and next life the goat will cut throat, yours. Go to
mother. That’s all. If you like, you can go. And if you think that is
good—by worshiping Mother, “I am getting daily nice goat flesh. Why
shall I go to Kṛṣṇa?” That’s all right, but be prepared, that so many
times you’ll be also cut, your head, and this goat will get chance to
cut your head. Mother is witness. Mother is for the goat and for you
also. So you are cutting the throat of the goat, so why the Mother
will not give the chance to the goat to cut your head? Why do you
think like that, rascal? “The Mother is kind to me and unkind to the
goat?” That means naṣṭa-buddhi, lost intelligence. If you think
Mother, then you must think that Mother of the goat also. Why
Mother will tolerate? This is justice. Actually the mantra is there, that
“Goat, you are sacrificing your life. You get immediately chance of
human being.” That is his profit. He would have evolved himself in
so many lives and then get a human life. But because he’s
sacrificing his life before Mother, he gets immediately an lift to
become a human man. And the human, because he becomes, he has
got the right to cut the throat of the man who sacrificed him. This is
the mantra. So if you take this risk, do that because how to become
a goat, how to become a man, that is in the hands of Mother. That is
not in your hand. So Mother, if she gives lift to the goat to become a
man and if she degrades you to become a goat, that is in the
Mother’s hand. You cannot check it. Prakṛteḥ kriyamā… Mother is
just to everyone. “All right, this man is cutting your throat. You just
become human being and cut his throat. I shall make him a goat.”
How you can say, “No”? Can you say? And Mother is all-powerful.
Then you take the risk. And why Mother will make injustice? The
poor goat, you shall cut the throat, and you remain human being,
Mother’s pet son? What is this logic? She is Mother means she is
equal to every son. The goat is also her son; you are also her son. So
you are taking advantage of this poor goat, and now he’ll get this
advantage. You, you become a goat. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ
karmāṇi
[Bg. 3.27] When you are being made into a goat, you
cannot check it. That is in the hand of mother. Then what is your
answer? Will you take that risk?

Bhavānanda: Not if I’m intelligent.

Prabhupāda: (chuckling) Therefore anyone who worships the other
demigod, they are hṛta-jñānāḥ, there is no sense.

Hari-śauri: Alpa-medhasa.

Prabhupāda: Less intelligent. Yānti deva-vratā devān [Bg. 9.25]. You
will remain within this material world. That is Mother’s kingdom.
This external world is controlled by the Mother Durgā. She’s in
charge of this material world. So if you become a perfect devotee of
Mother, you get all good chances in this material world but not
eternal life. Within this material world wherever you go everything is
limited, either you become Indra or Brahmā, or ant. Just like
President Nixon, so long he was President he was doing everything
as he liked, and now he’s an ordinary man, (indistinct). This is
Mother’s kingdom. Is that Mr. Nixon the same Nixon when he was
President? But same Nixon is he, but the atmosphere and the
circumstance is the same? Does he not realize it? “How I was
enjoying as President and what is my position. Everyone kicks on my
face.” Is that very good position? Therefore alpa. Antavat tu phalaṁ
teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām. Antavat tu phalam
. This
position ultimately will be ended. Therefore less intelligent class are
after this, not very intelligent men. What is time?

Hari-śauri: Twenty to eleven. (end)


 

 

 

 

 

( categories: )

Fluoroquinone poisoning

Posted On: Wed, 2007-03-14 03:30 by sitapatiShare

Jack, it definitely sounds like you've been "floxed". Here are the resources for fluoroquinones:

I also recommend these two sites, for a more general insight into the "sickness industry" and a guide to constructing a counter strategy:

Basically you cannot "fight fire with fire" and take another drug to reverse the effects. The best course of action will be to change your dietary and chemical usage patterns to empower your body's physiological response. The body can do all these things automatically, but a lot of our lifestyle today degrades its ability to do it. If anyone can help you more specifically with this, I'd say Mike Adams can.

best wishes and good luck

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In case you blinked and missed it...

Posted On: Thu, 2006-12-28 13:02 by sitapatiShare

We mentioned this in a previous podcast:

In an interview with CNBC, a vice president for a prominent London investment firm yesterday urged a move away from the dollar to the "amero," a coming North American currency, he said, that "will have a big impact on everybody's life, in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico."

Steve Previs, a vice president at Jefferies International Ltd., explained the Amero "is the proposed new currency for the North American Community which is being developed right now between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico."

The aim, he said, according to a transcript provided by CNBC to WND, is to make a "borderless community, much like the European Union, with the U.S. dollar, the Canadian dollar and the Mexican peso being replaced by the amero."

Previs told the television audience many Canadians are "upset" about the amero. Most Americans outside of Texas largely are unaware of the amero or the plans to integrate North America, Previs observed, claiming many are just "putting their head in the sand" over the plans.

London stock trader urges move to 'amero' - Says many unaware of plan to replace dollar with N. American currency.

This was November 28, 2006. We were discussing it at Atma tonight with some guests, one who was from Canada but hadn't heard of the "Amero".

Here's where they announce that they are merging the three countries, without calling it that (don't you love the way that they just call it something, or don't call it something and think that doing that changes everything - and the way that it actually does for 99% of the population? - "A rose by any other name..." It seems that for the vast majority until they are actually told it by a talking head on the TV, they just can't see it. ):

North American Leaders Unveil Security and Prosperity Partnership

Here are a bunch of Canada-related links from the archives:

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Integrating Temple and Bhakti-vriksha - A Temple Manager's Perspective

Posted On: Wed, 2006-12-27 00:26 by sitapatiShare

Temple managers may become frustrated in implementing the Bhakti-vriksha Program. This may happen in two ways; first: the high expectations from the Bhakti-vriksha Program don’t manifest. Second (just the opposite): the Bhakti-vriksha program is “too successful” and the temple manager suddenly finds himself competing with a seemingly independent program that is “out of control.” These two problems have their roots in misconceptions or misapplications of the micro- and macro-dynamics of the Bhakti-vriksha Program, both characterized by decentralization and empowerment of the individual. These two concepts may cause nightmares for preachers and managers as they may conjure up visions of rampant speculation, deviation, or Gaudiya Math style fragmentation. However, this doesn’t have to be the case.

Micro-dynamics

The Bhakti-vriksha group functions differently from other preaching efforts. This isn’t to say that the Bhakti-vriksha Program is something new; in Krishna consciousness things are not “new and improved,” they are timeless. Bhakti-vriksha is not a new invention or even discovery. It is simply the logical development of what Srila Prabhupada gave us; it’s a matter of going deeper into it, understanding it more profoundly and adjusting our application accordingly. The Bhakti-vriksha vision is found in Sri Caitanya-caritamrita and in the writings of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura; many preachers are already familiar with Bhakti-vriksha concepts and techniques, as they have already applied them in a spontaneous, improvised or intuitive manner. This led to flashes of brilliant success in individual Yatras; the Bhakti-vriksha Program formalizes such techniques and makes success replicable on a grand scale.

We can analyze the Bhakti-vriksha micro-dynamics by examining one aspect of the group meeting, the discussion. Traditionally a session on the scriptures means that one person speaks and the others listen. Power—in this case the right to speak—is centralized in one person. In the Bhakti-vriksha discussion however, this power of speaking is decentralized; it’s given to all the members of the group. The purpose of the discussion is not simply to educate the members by presenting them information, but to empower them to convert information into knowledge. Information is jñana, knowledge is vijñana—information in context. By encouraging the members to speak, to think, and to analyze, the facilitator encourages them to relate the theoretical information with their own experience, and thus to identify themselves with the knowledge. This process forms devotees who are more deeply identified with Krishna consciousness. The information-gathering function is served through home-studies and seminars, and as the members discover that their personal study empowers them to make valuable and valued contributions to the discussions, they gain more enthusiasm for studying Srila Prabhupada’s books outside the meetings.

It is important that the facilitator understand the goal of the discussion, which is not to elicit “correct” answers, to test the members’ knowledge, or to display great erudition and discourage others from “displaying their ignorance.” It is about encouraging the members to apply, in a practical way, their theoretical knowledge. The speculators should be gently nudged around. Correct knowledge of the scriptures should be self-evident. Someone should be able to demonstrate how an explanation or vision based on the scriptures gives a more complete, more useful understanding. This should be done in a gentle way, rather than just coming down on someone, openly or subtly, for speculating.

This dynamic can also be applied in the temple for programs with the public. The lecture to a mixed audience—devotees and guests—can become a little schizophrenic; is it preaching or education? The new people need to be preached to at a very basic level, while the devotees want and need to go deeper. One solution is to have two classes to cater to the two groups; another solution is to use the underlying principles of the Bhakti-vriksha discussion: the lecture becomes theme-based rather than verse-based. The speaker addresses a specific issue relevant to everyone, bringing in the scripture to illustrate and explain the points. This is the format used in Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. Interaction can be stimulated by asking the opinion of the audience, and then working that into the presentation. Basic philosophical points are thus introduced in a context that simultaneously demonstrates their practical applicability; this helps devotees to deepen their realization of the application and to learn how to preach. The newer members of the audience identify more with the discourse because it includes their input and the content is relevant to them.

My first involvement with Krishna consciousness was in “The Loft” congregational preaching center in New Zealand, with Devamrita Swami, Candrasekhara Swami, Bhaktisiddhanta Swami and Param Satya Devi Dasi giving classes in this way. I also watched them do it in temples and in people’s houses. The guests always feel more enlivened when they can talk freely. We should learn how to let the guests disclose the prevailing thought-patterns in society and then direct the preaching to their needs. In this way everyone benefits.

When we apply this interactive approach we should be careful that devotees in the audience don’t “show off” (as they sometimes do) their superior erudition. Sometimes the devotees contribute formula-answers that sound dogmatic and are packed with jargon. On hearing such pronouncements the new guests get the idea that if they speak they will look like fools, as they can’t talk the slang. They feel scared to participate; they feel intimidated, unwilling to reveal anything and afraid to contradict the prevailing paradigms. In this way the whole attempt at helping them to open up is spoiled.

My experience: doing in a temple anything that breaks the schema always generates resistance. If the preacher is experienced at least the new people immediately hook into the vibe; the old school might find this fresh approach a bit unsettling and might even become contemptuous. However, when it is well done everyone enjoys it.

We have to give up the atmavan manyate jagat mentality (thinking that others must be the same as oneself), a barrier to effective communication. An expert doctor diagnoses his patient before prescribing the medicine. The principle is progressive: accept the favorable and reject the unfavorable. One man’s food is another man’s poison. Or, as Srila Prabhupada put it more succinctly, “Do the needful.” As His Holiness Sacinandana Maharaja described in an article, Srila Prabhupada considered keeping the seats in a recently purchased church, so that guests would feel comfortable.

On 5th June 1976, during a morning walk in Los Angeles, Srila Prabhupada delineated a plan to host even those people who are unable to immediately follow everything:

Ramesvara: We’ve been planning for some time to prepare one flyer advertising our Vrindavana guesthouse . . . So the question is, these students and professors, they cannot control their senses from smoking and so on. So do we want to allow them to stay in our guesthouse, because it is certain that they will smoke in their room.

Srila Prabhupada: That is very difficult thing . . . Make one room, smoking room, that’s all right. Just like that kind of restriction is there in the airplane, smoking, not, non. So you keep a room separately, a smoking room.

Tamala Krishna: One time when I was staying in the Krishna-Balarama Mandira, I saw a man smoking a bidi in his room. If that happens—in the bedroom—should the managers go and say this is not permitted?

Srila Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krishna: They should. They should go down to the smoking room.

Srila Prabhupada: “Kindly go to the smoking room.”

This shows how dynamic a preacher Srila Prabhupada was; he analyzed the situation and tried different methods to reach the people, rather than following a prefabricated one-two-three plan.

Focus on the Individual

The personal approach, sensitive to the needs of the individual, is the practical manifestation of the Krishna conscious philosophy. Speaking to people in their own language will be more effective than demanding that they learn our language. Srila Prabhupada decoded the Sanskrit literatures into English so that we could have access to them; now we need to present it in the language of the present-day society so that everyone can appreciate and have access to Srila Prabhu-pada’s books.

A good example of the personalized style of preaching is His Holiness Bhakti-tirtha Swami. Maharaja can give a class that captivates both first-timers and seasoned, senior devotees. Another good example is His Holiness Devamrita Swami. Maharaja can give an interactive presentation that absorbs the audience and keeps people on the edge of their seats, waiting for what will happen next, and also laughing along with everyone else at themselves when Maharaja, in a good humored mood, disarms their speculation. Of course it takes maturity to preach in this way, but the Bhakti-vriksha Program can produce devotees whose nature is to appreciate the philosophy and such style of presentation.

Another aspect of the micro-dynamics is that it’s very personal. In the standard ISKCON scenario a guest may come to the temple, sit down, listen to a lecture, take some prasadam, and then leave, without ever having any personal contact with anyone. The Sunday Program doesn’t have to be impersonal, but unfortunately it can be and often is. The lecture, for instance, can be “impersonal.” It is one-way communication and often the speaker doesn’t take into account the needs of the audience. After a Sunday feast I accosted a new guest who was leaving and whom I had observed sitting by himself. I invited him for some more pizza and we sat down to talk. After a few minutes he revealed his mind: “I didn’t understand anything of the lecture, and no one treated me nicely.” The Bhakti-vriksha does not allow this to happen when the micro-dynamics are correct. The group leader is responsible for contact-ing each member of the group during the week and maintaining a personal relationship. At first it may seem a little artificial, but after a while it becomes natural for both the leader and the members. Relations are the real “glue” of the Krishna conscious society—not living in the same location, wearing the same clothes, having the same hairstyle, or knowing the secret handshake, “Haribol Prabhu.” For devotees who grow up in a personal environment like that of Bhakti-vriksha it is natural to go up to new people at the Sunday feast and make friends with them.

“Books are the basis” is a principle of our movement. The Bhakti-vriksha’s decentralization and empowerment of the individual mean that every member is a preacher. This means that every member can be a book distributor. First of all, the Bhakti-vriksha member grows up in a devotional culture where the basis of devotional life is the study and discussion of the books of Srila Prabhupada, along with japa and kirtan. For such a person, presentation and dissemination of these books is a natural part of devotional life. The Bhakti-vriksha home-study program should be structured in such a way that all members gradually accumulate a collection of Srila Prabhupada’s books in their home and systematically study them. The personal nature of the relationships makes the financial arrangements for paying the full Srimad-Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrita easier. The old mentality was to sell to as many people as possible. We have to add the new mentality: to sell as much as possible to the same person—quality and quantity. In this way book distribution becomes more personal and cultivation becomes an integral part of the equation.

These are a few points about the micro-dynamics of a healthy Bhakti-vriksha Program: it’s dynamic, personal, and very much based on the study and distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s books. In this sense it’s a return to the past, to the essential, more than being anything “new.” Adoption of the essential aspects of the Bhakti-vriksha micro-dynamics in the temple programs will be more beneficial than trying to replicate the existing temple programs in someone’s house and calling it “Bhakti-vriksha.”

Macro-dynamics

This brings us to the second part of the article, the macro-dynamics of the Bhakti-vriksha Program. The word Bhakti-vriksha can refer to a Bhakti-vriksha group or to the overall Bhakti-vriksha Program. Problems with the interaction between the temple and the Bhakti-vriksha Program occur at the macro level.

One of the first things that the Bhakti-vriksha Manual tells us is that for Bhakti-vriksha to function properly it needs someone to run it. This means that the temple should make some devotees available and make sure that they have access to the resources they need. Who wants only half a hen won’t get any egg. The Bhakti-vriksha Program promises great results, and this requires great sacrifice. If the Bhakti-vriksha manager is also the head-pujari and the cook or is always collecting to maintain the establishment, then the Bhakti-vriksha Program is not really being given a fair chance to show its stuff. Temple managers who have not captured the vision of the Bhakti-vriksha system will be hesitant to commit resources to it. For this reason it is imperative that the first stage of implementation should be the deep examination of the Bhakti-vriksha approach, to understand what it is in essence.

On the other hand, what becomes apparent in a successful Bhakti-vriksha implementation is that the temple is not absolutely necessary. Decentralization and empowerment of the individual challenge the traditional role of the temple. Gone are the days of the myth: “you can’t become Krishna conscious without living in the temple.” However, this does not mean that the temple is not useful or that it should be done away with. It just means that its role needs to be redefined. In the new, deregulated marketplace of the holy name the temple has lost its monopoly and needs to reengineer (rediscover itself) to remain competitive (relevant). This can be scary for the temple manager and he may find himself approaching his regional authorities to complain that the Bhakti-vriksha Program is “out of control.”

In his book The Cellular Church Larry Stockstill explains that there are two different things: the cellular Church and the Church with cell groups. The Bhakti-vriksha model is that of the cellular Church, however, many temple managers have in mind the Church with cell groups. They view Bhakti-vriksha within the context of the temple—as another of its many programs—rather than viewing the temple in the context of the community built on Bhakti-vriksha principles.


Church with cell groups


Cellular Church

In Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Lord Caitanya says that He Himself is the Bhakti-vriksha, the tree of devotion. In His pastimes as Matsya and Varaha He grew unlimitedly from a small size. When a temple manager permits the planting of the seed of the Bhakti-vriksha in his temple, he often doesn’t realize that the tree that will grow will be too big for his temple to contain. Decen-tralization and empowerment of the individual have an exponen-tial effect on growth. The result is that the total Bhakti-vriksha Program will grow to the point that the congregation won’t be able to physically fit in the existing ISKCON facility. This should be the goal of every Bhakti-vriksha Program Director. The recommendation in the Bhakti-vriksha Manual is that all members of the Bhakti-vriksha Program should meet once a week for the Sunday feast. As the congregation expands, more Sunday feasts can be held in different locations, for the local groups, by hiring facilities such as school halls. The entire Bhakti-vriksha community of a city can meet for large festivals by renting a sports stadium.

What would the role of the temple be if it loses its monopoly as the physical structure for meetings? What would the special role of the temple be if every home becomes a temple and every Bhakti-vriksha mem-ber a book distributor? Temple managers may feel uneasy as the Bhakti-vriksha Program advan-ces and these questions become more pressing. Ksatriyas control through manipulation of power—permitting or denying access to it. Decentralization of power threatens a management structure based on underlying ksatriya mentality and principles. Brahmanas influence others through knowledge and illumination rather than through the exercise of executive power. The potential exists for any Bhakti-vriksha node to outdo the temple, so the temple has to ensure its excellence in being the ideal Bhakti-vriksha node. The temple has the advantage that it can be hundred percent dedicated to preaching and educa-tion. The temple residents should include devoted brah-manas who have mastered the Bhakti-vriksha educational syllabus and can give seminars on a variety of topics, from “Communication” to “Conflict Resolution in the Bhagavad-gita.” There must be brahmanas who develop the home-study programs that allow the Bhakti-vriksha members to imbibe the scriptures. There must be experts in cooking, Vaisnava music, Deity worship, sankirtana, and all the other devotional activities. In other words, the temple should transform into the backbone of the brahminical culture that regulates the otherwise largely decentralized Vedic varnas-rama society. The temple must become the training and educational facility that ensures the propagation of Vaisnava and ISKCON culture in the Bhakti-vriksha community. Without this a massive expansion will lead inevitably to dilution and ISKCON runs the risk of becoming the new Hinduism.


The "Demigods" model of the temple

While all the members of the congregation might eventually not be able to fit in the temple at once, the Bhakti-vriksha groups can rotate to offer services in the temple, while the residing temple staff would provide the needed continuity. Using the same system that Krishna Himself established in the universe, the temple staff become the “demigods” of the temple resources, managing them and instructing the congregation in their correct use. A team of Bhakti-vriksha group members, for instance, may work in the kitchen under the direction of the temple cook, who teaches them kitchen etiquette and how to cook, and ensures that nothing gets broken and everything goes back where it belongs.

The leaders of the Bhakti-vriksha groups could meet in the brahminical atmosphere of the temple—an ambient purified by high-standard Deity worship—to discuss realizations and strategies, to pray for the spiritual strength to realize the desires of the acaryas, and to draw strength from each other’s association.
Gone are the days of accepting as a “brahmacari” anyone who needs a place to stay. In the Sri Sri Radha-Gopinatha Temple in Mumbai, India, His Holiness Radhanatha Swami only accepts candidates who have been following the four regulative principles and chanting sixteen rounds for a year and a half. Where will you find candidates like that? Up goes the poster in the lobby: “Join the Temple, Be All You Can Be.” Seasoned Bhakti-vriksha members who want to have a go at temple life can join the temple staff and dedicate full-time to powering Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana movement. They enter already trained and ready for action.

A huge congregation plus a temple that adds value to the devotional community equal financial support from grateful congregational members. In this scenario the congregation recognizes the temple as a vital resource in the Bhakti-vriksha community. The congregation doesn’t belong to the temple, any more than the varnasrama society belongs to the brahmanas; both exist in a symbiotic relationship. In this way all the devotees can work together to realize the vision of Srila Prabhupada and the previous acaryas for a Krishna conscious world. It takes vision to see a tree in a seed, and knowledge to plant it right. It will take time and energy to water and cultivate it, but the results will be worth it—a tree that can offer its cooling shade to the whole world. Don’t be afraid of the future, Bhakti-vriksha. Participate in the pastime.

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Articles

Posted On: Wed, 2006-12-27 00:24 by sitapatiShare
  • Devotees are made one at a time - An article summarising the first few years of our preaching in Brisbane, Australia. Written for ISKCON's Congregational Development Journal in 2008.
  • Loft Preaching - An article about the Loft Preaching paradigm. Written while in Australia, 2006. Published on Dandavats.com, Namahatta.org, and an upcoming edition of the Congregational Preaching Journal magazine.
  • What's Really Going On? - An environmental scan done at the end of 2006, analyzing the present situation from a scriptural perspective. Written in Australia, 2006. Published on Dandavats.com.
  • Integrating Temple and Bhaktivriksha - A Temple Manager's Perspective - An article on the integration of the classic ISKCON temple structure with a small groups based congregational structure. Written in Peru, 2003. Published in the Congregational Preaching Journal in 2003.
  • Network-centric Preaching - A collection of articles and emails written in 2004 about harnessing the power of networks to spread Krishna Consciousness.
  • Everyone wants to be on a winning team - An article about teams - small groups with a purpose.
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Vraj and Bhakti's Engagement Address

Posted On: Wed, 2006-12-20 13:29 by sitapatiShare

May 2006, Brisbane Australia

Sita-pati das:

This is Vrajadhama, and Bhakticandrika devi dasi from Peru. I’ve known Vrajadhama for now, let’s see, 17 years I think - something like that. No, 15 years. 15 years, and we’ve been through a lot together. We came to this Hare Krishna movement, this Vaisnava tradition together, and then we went and we spent some time in Peru, spent three years there, and while we were there Vraj met Bhakticandrika. It was obviously fate’s divine arrangement for them to connect in that way, because being such a small guy, Vraj probably wouldn’t be able to find someone his size anywhere else.

(laughter)

Yeah, so it was perfect. Everything worked out perfectly.

So today we are observing the engagement, their engagement ceremony. Now, according to the “classical”, in quotes, Vedic tradition there is no engagement ceremony, because there is actually no engagement. People are either married or not married. You see, the ancient Vedic culture is very strict about the mixing of the sexes. In Yoga one of the preliminary practices is brahmacarya, which means basically “celibacy” - and it means conserving the energies, and so they have a very strict way of social interaction where they don’t have that. Today we don’t really have that culture so much in our society, but we try to follow the Vedic tradition, the Vedic way of life, because it promotes elevation of consciousness. Now, there is no engagement ceremony in that ancient tradition, so we are basically making one up ourselves.

Because you see the Vedic tradition - it’s not a stereotypical culture that belongs to a particular time and place. It’s actually a living thing. Just like within our bodies there is the living energy, and when the living energy is gone from the body, the body just falls to the ground. It’s inert - it’s lost its life. But while that living energy is there, the body changes. Once I was a small boy, like our young friend here, now I’m a young man, and I’ll go through different changes. The body has changed so much, but I’m still the same person - still me - experiencing that. So there’s something within me that’s vital, that’s living, and the outer thing changes. So it is with the Vedic tradition. The outer appearance of the tradition changes, but the inner thing remains the same always.

And the inner thing, the inner substance of the Vedic tradition, it is the platform of absolute transcendental reality - that’s the spiritual platform. You know, the part of us that doesn’t change during our life, that’s our spiritual aspect, our spiritual identity. The physical part of us - that goes through changes. So the idea of the Vedic culture is to help people to connect to that identity, to that aspect of our identity. And that thing never changes - that absolute platform, which is known as Brahman in Sanskrit, that doesn’t change. That is eternal and unchanging - immutable. But society does change, so therefore the Vedic tradition changes along with that. You know, it tracks along with that, to keep connecting the people with the absolute platform. So as time goes on the Vedic tradition changes, so now we are introducing the idea of the engagement ceremony.

So why do we have this engagement ceremony? Why are they doing this? What are they doing?

They’re making a public commitment. They’re not just making a public commitment to each other, they’re making a public commitment to all of us. Because life is not just about “me”, and life is not just about “you”. Life is about all of us, and we all, because we’re all interrelated, we all have a duty to each other, and especially in family life. Family is the basis of human society.Community, human community needs continuity, it needs stability.

So when you enter into this kind of relationship, it’s not just about “what do I want to get out of this? What do I want?” It’s actually about “what can I do for others?” It’s not even about “what can I do for this other person?” It’s about “what can we do together? What can we together do for everyone else?” Now if we begin to live from that platform, instead of thinking “What can everyone do for me? What can I do for myself?” If we begin to live from the platform of “What can I do for others?” then the whole relationship becomes different. Instead of “What can I get out of this other person?” it becomes “what can we together do for others?”, and that makes for such a difference in the relationship.

So the commitment is not simply the two of them to each other, but it’s a commitment to all of us. It’s a commitment to contributing to stability and continuity. Community needs stability, and it needs continuity. We need to create a stable community, a stable society, so that people can have a stable situation in which they can pursue spiritual realization. You know when you’re so disturbed and there are so many disturbances, and you don’t know what’s happening from one day to the next, and your future is so uncertain - it’s very difficult to concentrate on anything higher than just getting through the day. But if we can have a stable situation underlying us for our practice, then we can apply ourselves to that practice, and we can make advancement, we can make progress.

So the duty of those who come together in this way is to provide that stability, and making this public commitment in this way to all of us also helps them with their commitment to each other, because they can realize as they go through it that “it’s not just about us, it’s about everyone, and the public commitment that we’ve made.”

It’s called the “Edison method”. Thomas Edison was a famous inventor, and what he would often do is call a press conference, and he would announce a wonderful new product that was coming out. Then after making that announcement in the press conference he would go into his lab and invent it.

So by making a public commitment like this, it helps to achieve your goals, and to be committed to your goals.

There is another aspect to it, as well.

The other day I was reading Madison magazine. I don’t know if anyone here reads Madison magazine? I don’t - generally I don’t read Madison magazine, but this particular Madison magazine - I was waiting - OK, wait a minute, let me tell you how it happened.

I was waiting for the bus down in Adelaide St, and this particular Madison magazine, the cover jumped out at me, and it’s not because it had a picture of Angelina Jolie on the cover. She’s on the cover of practically every magazine this month - or at least the ones that Jennifer Aniston isn’t on. So what it was, actually, that jumped out at me was a headline that said: “Married versus Living Together: Who’s happiest?”

These are the kinds of things that I like to think about, and I was particularly intrigued to know - what did they have to say about that? I didn’t really want to saunter up to the stand and pick up the magazine in case someone coming from the class saw me reading it. So I waited until we were in Stafford, at Woolworths, where I was sure we wouldn’t run into anyone - but actually we did, we ran into Lou. Anyway, the Supersoul goes with us wherever we go - we can’t escape it.

Anyway, I picked up that magazine and I just flicked through the article, and one thing jumped out at it me, and it said: “Statistically it’s proven that people who don’t live together before they get married, have longer marriages.” That’s what it said. And then they gave their interpretation, or a little bit of their commentary on that. They said: “This is because people who don’t live together before they get married, these days especially, they often don’t do so because of cultural or religious reasons, and those same cultural or religious reasons often preclude divorce as an option.”

I think there is some validity in that, but at the same time I think that is a little bit of a disempowering view to take of it. I think a more positive and empowering view of that can be understood from a principle that we find in the science of Yoga, and that is something that Krishna explains about the yogi in the second chapter of Bhagavad-gita, where He says: “sama sukha-dukham dhiram”

In this particular verse He says:

yam hi na vyatayanyete
purusa purusarsabha
samo-dukha-sukham dhiram
so’mrta vaya kalpate

That the yogi, he is “samo-sukha-duhkam dhiram” - he is equanimous. He is the same - sama means “same” - dukha-sukham - dukha means misery and sukha means happiness. He is the same in both misery and happiness. This is this universal principle. This is something that doesn’t change. The rituals might change, the society might change, but let me tell you this - this is something that doesn’t change. This is an eternal principle: If you cannot regulate attachment, you will not be able to regulate aversion - and these two things are the two sides of the same coin. Attachment and Aversion. The two functions of the mind. If you watch what your mind does as you go around - your mind is always saying: “I like that. I don’t like that. I like it. I don’t like it.” Things that you like, the mind says: “Go. Go. Get it. Get it.” The things that you don’t like the mind says: “Get away. Get away. Give it up.”

“Sankalpa Vikalpa” it is called. So the yogi has to learn to control the impulse towards attachment or engagement. Our society today glorifies the uncontrollable whirlwind romance, you know, it’s kind of like: “I was just swept off my feet. I just couldn’t help myself. I just had to get up on the couch and jump up and down. I was madly in love.” That’s kind of celebrated - you know?

But there is another saying: “Easy come, easy go”. If he can’t control his mind on the way in, he’s not going to be able to control his mind on the way out - and wherever there is attachment or attraction there will always be aversion, that will always come. That is the nature of this world. Whenever there is some attraction, some desire, some attachment - there will always come a time where there will be aversion, there will be repulsion. So if we can’t regulate ourselves and control ourselves when the attachment comes, then we certainly won’t be able to control ourselves when the aversion comes. If we can’t control ourselves when kama, or lust, comes, then we won’t be able to control ourselves when krodha, or anger, comes.

So I think that persons who, for whatever reason - because of their own realization, their own control, their own understanding, or even by social tradition - if they can control, if they can learn to control on the outset - then when the difficult times come, and the mind starts pushing them to come apart, they will also find it a lot easier to control that. And then if they also have the understanding that “it’s not just about us and what we think and what we feel”, but “we have a duty to all these people around us, to the whole society, to the whole community” then that commitment that they are making now to all of us, that commitment will push them together. It will help to hold them together. So by doing it in this way they get the support of the whole community, behind them, to help them in their endeavour, together, to serve - to serve the community.

So that is something about the concept behind this engagement ceremony that we are doing tonight. As I said there is no formal ritualistic ceremony for this in the ancient Vedic tradition, so we are creating one as we go, because the Vedic culture is always relevant to our situation.

So it is very simple what we have planned for tonight. We have the garlands for them? And there are some flowers for puspanjali? So we have some flowers - and we are going to hand these flowers around. Last night we were hearing something about the demigods showering flowers? It is very auspicious.

So they are going to exchange garlands, and there is also a ring, which is a sign of commitment in the West.

Anything that is done beginning with the syllable OM is said to be permanent and binding, so we will chant the Guru Pranam mantra, then you can exchange the garlands and give the ring, and we’ll all throw the flowers.

Hari!
Om ajnana timirandhasya
jnananjana salakaya
caksur un militam yena
tasmai sri gurave namah

Esa puspanjali!

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We know what time it is

Posted On: Wed, 2006-12-06 05:56 by sitapatiShare

"A manned moon base within 20 years - Nasa's bold plan"

The space agency Nasa yesterday unveiled plans to build a permanent base on the moon within 20 years that will allow humans to live there. The base will be used as a launching site for missions to Mars, as well as for analysis of the Earth from space.

"We're going for a base on the moon," said Scott Horowitz, Nasa associate administrator for exploration, at a press briefing in which he detailed plans for the first permanent human presence on an extraterrestrial body, 50 years after Apollo astronauts walked on the moon.

These guys are obviously reading my blog. About three weeks ago I laid down the gauntlet to NASA:

One would expect to see a similar increase in our technological capability in that area, such as low cost moon missions with a high presence on the moon - a moon based observatory, some type of exploratory mining, a moon base from which to launch interplanetary missions.

And three weeks later they release a press statement promising just that. Coincidence? I think not. Let us see, let us see. A postdated cheque is no good until it clears...

In other news that proves that I know what time it is, Rolf Harris has had to publicly apologize for the "Abo" lyric in his 1967 hit song "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" after it was featured in the Red Hill Conversations Podcast last month.


Rolf Harris - back in the limelight after featuring on an episode of the Red Hill Conversations Podcast.

Folks, we're not just reporting the news here, we're making it up as we go along.

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Socialization and Schooling

Posted On: Mon, 2006-11-27 02:46 by sitapatiShare

I'm not just making this stuff up:

Socialisation is actually the process of developing the skills required to function effectively in adult society. It does not happen by osmosis from other children. It happens as they imitate the mature people around them. We simply can't stop our children from imitating us - it is natural.

While being with other children is a chance to practise their social skills, all too often their behaviour degenerates to the level of the child with the lowest skills. Sadly this even happens in more formal situations, such as organised sport or music, community groups, etc.

So what effect does sheltering children "from the real world" have? (There are quote marks around "real world" to highlight the fact that school is not the real world - it is school children who are locked away from the real world five days a week.) Most of the research is American - but it ties in with what we observe in the home educating community in New Zealand.

The findings of most research are that home educated children tend to have a higher than average level of social development. This manifests itself in areas like increased independence (less susceptibility to peer pressure), self-control and initiative, as well as more effective communication skills.

Of course most home educated children benefit from not being forced into artificial social environments. They can develop socially, as well as academically, at their own pace.

from home.school.nz

I take Prahlad to circus classes on Saturday mornings, and I do notice the difference between him and the other kids there. Children learn to be responsible well-integrated adults by being with responsible well-integrated adults.

According to the Wikipedia entry on Home Schooling:

Home education, also called homeschooling or home school, is the process by which children are educated at home rather than in an institution such as a public or private school. Prior to the introduction of compulsory school attendance laws in the 19th century, most education worldwide occurred within the family or community, with only a small proportion of the population attending schools or employing tutors.

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  1. Catalyse communities of kirtan — creating memorable experiences and facilitating relationships


jani va na jani, kari apana-sodhana


  1. "Whether I realize it or not, it is for self-purification that I write this blog."


Sita-pati das



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