We do not accept anything as chance. No. There is no chance. There is cause.

Eve
rything has got cause. So the original cause is K???a...
"Govindam adi-puru?a? tam aha? bhajami ".
So we are worshiping the original person, Govinda. People are embarrassed to fin
d out the cause of all causes. The scientists, the philosophers, they are embarr
assed, the religionists. But we have got information of the original cause.
isvara? parama? k???a?
sac-cid-ananda-vigraha?
anadir adir govinda?
sarva-kara?a-kara?am
[Bs. 5.1]
There must be some cause. We do not accept anything as chance. No. There is no c
hance. There is cause. Everything has got cause. So the original cause is K???a.
So our knowledge is perfect therefore. We know the cause. So you chant this man
tra, govindam adi-puru?a? tam aha? bhajami , and you will be in full knowledge.
Yasmin vijate sarvam ida? vijata? bhavanti.
In the Vedanta-sutra, Vedic language, it is said, "If you know simply Govinda, t
he Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you know everything. All knowledge is pe
rfect." So try to understand K???a; then all other categorical knowledge will be
revealed. Spiritually, knowledge is revealed. By material senses we try to acqu
ire knowledge, but that is always, remains imperfect. And if you receive knowled
ge from the original person, then your knowledge is perfect.
So we have started this K???a consciousness movement to educate people in perfec
t knowledge..."
- (Departure Talks, Lecture, Los Angeles, October 5, 1972, Srila Prabhupada)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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IMPORTANT EKADASI COUNSELLING:
Dear devotees!
Tommorrow, (01.06.16) is APARA EKADASI. Fast can be started from around 5 AM and
broken on dvadasi (02.06.16) between 6.55 AM and 10.05 AM.
PARTIAL FASTING METHOD:
Abstain from: - grains (cereals, breads, wheat, flour, beans, rice, dhals, green
beans, roti, coffee, etc) meat.
Do not cook with: - Powdered hing, shop turmeric (you can use whole turmeric), s
hop masala and chilli powder.

You can cook with the following: - Whole turmeric, clean salt, cinnamon sticks,
clean oil, butter, ghee, ginger, chilli, curry leaves, maas (yogurt), cheese, co
ttage cheese, yogurt, clean sugar, rooibos tea, spinach, dhania, thyme, peppers,
ground pepper, mint, green bananas, fresh cream, sour cream, bay leaves. Potato
es, tomatoes, peanuts, pumpkin, butternut, gem squash, carrots, lettuce, all kin
ds of fruits, paneer.
Those suffering from ailments like Heart problems, Sugar complaints, asthma, sev
ere acidity related problems may abstain from Ekadasi fasting.
The devotees may have sufficient water, milk, fruits to stay fit for performing
official and household duties.
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+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=
I first met Srila Prabhupada early in 1975 in the form of one of his books, Krsn
a, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Vol. II. It had a bright and colourful cov
er, framed in silver, with a beautiful picture of Krsna and Balarama on the fron
t, and no less a beautiful picture of Srila Prabhupada on the back cover. I did
not understand much of the book, though. I found the language unusual and Indian
proper names difficult to comprehend. But there was one instruction that Prabhu
pada gave which I started to follow, at least in a small way: to chant Hare Krsn
a, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Har
e.
When I started reading, I had no idea of the significance of what I was doing. B
ut I was attracted to the effulgent-looking cover and the promise of what awaite
d within. Little did I know that my frustration, emptiness and misery were about
to be finished forever, and that soon I would have a shaved head, tilaka, orang
e robes, a big smile, a bead bag, and a book bag from which hundreds and thousan
ds of such books would issue forth.
About two years before that, my best friend at school had bought some books from
devotees on Oxford Street. He wanted to show them to me but I did not even want
to look, saying that all these Indian swamis are cheaters.
However, by this time I was more ready, and after reading KRSNA I decided to vis
it the devotees. So my next acquaintance with Srila Prabhupada was in the form o
f his devotees and his movement. I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the
community of devotees, and moved in to Bhaktivedanta Manor near London in April,
1975.
At that time, the devotees always took much pleasure in talking about Srila Prab
hupada with great reverence, faith and affection. They taught me the philosophy
and practices of Krsna consciousness, saying, "Srila Prabhupada said this. . ."
or "he showed us to do like that."
And the devotees constantly revelled in discussing Srila Prabhupada's wonderful
activities. Prabhupada was traveling all over the planet, like a transcendental
world conqueror. We got much of our news of His Divine Grace from devotees passi
ng through London. Prabhupada discouraged use of much international phone calls,
and there was no fax or e-mail in those days. Devotees would eagerly gather aro
und a visiting devotee and eagerly relish what exciting things Prabhupada had sa
id: maybe chastisement for some, encouraging words for others, or a new revelati
on; news of the books he was writing, or maybe a new plan to spread Krsna consci
ousness.
Whether in the temple or out on the traveling sankirtana buses, devotees regular
ly heard cassettes of Prabhupada speaking and chanting. So we were all saturated

with Prabhupada consciousness. I worshipped Srila Prabhupada, accepting him as

my guru, even though I knew little of what it meant to be a disciple. But anyway
Prabhupada was my guru and we were all disciples.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thoughts are like guests. Special guests. Even after they have left, their aura
remains and it can have an impact on others. It is best to watch which thoughts
you allow in and entertain, and which ones you show the door the moment they tur
n up.
Let me share an ancient short story with you about the power of thoughts
you wil
l be amazed.
In the capital city of a small kingdom in India, there once lived a Vanika (merc
hant) who was a very close friend of the King.
On one occasion, the King rode in his chariot followed by his royal entourage, a
nd the regal ensemble headed for the street where the merchant lived. As the roy
al procession was passing by, the merchant rushed out of his house to greet his
friend the King. Their eyes met and they courteously exchanged smiles; but withi
n the King s mind, a little hatred manifested itself.
Upon arriving at His palace, the King immediately called for his very trusted an
d faithful minister who was also highly intelligent.
The King sadly revealed to the minister about the momentary ill feelings he expe
rienced towards His friend the merchant.
He then commissioned His minister to find the reason why.
So on the next day, the minister set out to pay the merchant a visit during the
midday lunch break. The merchant was delighted to receive the minister and since
it was lunchtime, he fittingly asked the minister to join him for a meal, as it
was tradition to welcome an atithi (an uninvited guest).
After having lunch, the minister went to the back yard of the merchant s house to
wash his hands and mouth. Whilst performing his ablutions, he caught sight of a
huge pile of expensive sandalwood. Returning back into the house, the minister e
nquired from the merchant about the sandalwood, upon which the merchant expresse
d his disappointment.
It had been an enormous capital investment, which on account of its high price,
the merchant had not found a customer and so the costly item of investment remai
ned untouched for a long time.
It could only be sold when the King dies, for it would be used to cremate His bo
dy.
The intelligent minister said, have no fear, I shall relieve you of your burden i
mmediately by buying it all. He then quickly took away all the sandalwood and sub
sequently ordered the Royal Treasury to pay the merchant in full.
The explanation being that when the merchant saw his friend the King during the
royal procession, he thought of his precious sandalwood and for an instant, he u
nintentionally wished for the untimely death of the King. It was for this reason
that the King felt ill will towards His dear friend the merchant.
It was a simple exchange of bad vibrations unwanted bad thoughts which almost ru
ined a valuable friendship.
Therefore the saying goes: Watch your thoughts for they can make or break relati
onships.
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THE POWER OF PRAYER - THE STORY OF JAI SINGH.
Once there was a King named Jai Singh, who was a great devotee of the Lord. Duri

ng the reign of Jai Singh the Mongols were conquering India. One by one, they at
tacked the small kingdoms of the country. At the same time, even between those b
attles there were many other conflicts. It was a time of war and instability. Ja
i Singhs kingdom was very beautiful and opulent. Being desirous of that opulence
the king of the neighboring kingdom tried to conquer Jai Singhs kingdom again and
again. But whenever he met Jai Singhs army he found it to be undefeatable. Also
the Mongols tried to defeat Jai Singh many times, but they too were unsuccessful
. In this way Jai Singh, who always personally led his army in battle, stayed tr
ue to his name, "victory to the lion".
One day the neighboring king thought to himself, "If I cannot conquer him by fai
r means, I have to employ unfair means." Thus he sent his spies to find out abou
t Jai Singhs habits. The spies soon returned with this message: Every morning Jai
Singh personally worships his deity, Shri Radha Raman. He starts punctually at
8 a.m. and finishes the worship by 9 a.m. No one was to disturb him during that
time. So the neighboring king decided to attack at this time. In this way, one m
orning, exactly one minute past eight he started his surprise attack.
Jai Singh was before Radha Raman. He prayed, "My Lord I have given a vow to wors
hip you. I cannot go and defend my people now." There was a loud knock at the do
or. The prime ministers voice shouted from outside, "King you have to lead your a
rmy! I brought a qualified priest with me, he can do the worship!" Jai Singh ans
wered, "Yes, but you know that I have given this vow to Radha Raman that I will
always worship him personally." "We are lost", said the distraught minister, who
then went to the kings mother for help. She came to jai Singh and said to him "M
y son what do you think the Lord appreciates more? - If you protect his devotees
or if you dress him in a doti! As your mother I order you - lead your army!" Ja
i Singh said "No mother, Ive given a promise to Radha Raman." "Is this all you ha
ve to say to your mother? Our soldier will be slaughtered. Some of the women wil
l be violated and all the citizens will be made slaves." "I cannot break my prom
ise," was Jai Singhs final word. The mother said, "So be it, then we women of thi
s palace will all burn our bodies to ashes so that the enemy will not lay his ha
nd on us!" the king prayed, "My dear Lord, please protect me. Please protect my
people. My Lord, I have said no to my mother because I want to be true to my pro
mise to you. Now you are the only one that can save us."
At this moment something wonderful happened. Jai Singh had a war horse which was
extremely powerful and almost as big as an elephant. Jai Singh was the only per
son who could ride it. Suddenly the servants at the barn of the kings horses saw
a warrior running up to the barn with great speed and force. He wore the armor o
f the king, his covered and he yelled, "Make the horse ready!!!" The warrior had
a sward in both of his hands and immediately began cutting himself through the
army of the enemy. However, everyone who encountered the warrior became supremel
y blissful, even when they fell to the ground by his sword. Jai Singhs army enthu
siastically shouted again and again, "Jai Singh ki jay! All glories to Jai Singh
!"
Meanwhile Jai Singh sat before Radha Raman, continuing his prayer for protection
while he dressed the deity. When he wanted to give earrings to the Lord he saw
that there was only one although he was sure that he had brought two. At that ti
me the enemys army was slain. Soon the prime minister found Jai Singh in the temp
le and started to praise him for fighting the battle single-handedly. "I was not
fighting at all", said the surprised Jai Singh. "I was doing my puja (worship)
here." - When the minister finally took him to his war horse to show him that it
was exhausted from the battle, Jai Singh understood: Radha Raman had fought the
battle. Later, Jai Singh found the missing earring of Radha Raman on the battle
grounds and built a temple at that place. The earring is still being worshiped
there today.
This is the power of prayer. The king prayed with sincerity for the Lords protect
ion and the Lord took care of everything.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++
FIVE ANCIENT LESSONS FOR LIFE

When I was walking today I felt my mind reach out over the blue sea to an island
shimmering in the distance. When my mind returned, it brought a story with it,
a story of spiritual instruction. Strange are the ways of inspiration.
Here is the story:
When Mohan returned from his journey to Jagannatha Puri, he was a changed man. T
hose who had never met him were impressed with his character, but those who had
known him before were suspicious. Why was Mohan so clear-minded and suddenly so
happy? There seemed to be no good reason, because while Mohan was on his way to
Puri, his spiritual master, Gurudeva, had left his body.
Mohan had become Gurudeva s disciple while they were both in the Himalayas near De
vaprayag. Mohan was a slow learner, and he had been too busy with his agricultur
al fields and his two cows to spend much time on spiritual practices. Still, he
had a deep interest in the spiritual tradition of his fathers, so he had continu
ed to go from time to time to learn from Gurudeva.
Then misfortune struck twice. First, Mohan s wife died from tuberculosis. Second,
the cows, who were as good as dependent children, as the couple had none, were k
illed by a tiger one day. Mohan was grief-stricken to have lost so much within o
ne year.
Then Gurudeva asked Mohan to accompany him to Puri. While inviting Mohan, Gurude
va had looked long into Mohan s eyes and said mysteriously, There is an ocean at Pu
ri. I feel that my ship will come and take me back to the land of my origin.
Mohan could not understand what that meant. He knew that Gurudeva was from South
India, but why would he want to return to South India from Puri by ship? There
were more comfortable ways to travel.
As Gurudeva and Mohan were walking to Puri, Gurudeva continued on occasion to me
ntion the ship that would take him to the land of his birth and Mohan continued
to think that Gurudeva would probably find it more convenient to travel by train
. But he did not suggest this to his master; he did not think his guru s travel pl
ans his business and did not want to be presumptuous.
When they finally reached the town of Puri, the aged guru showed Mohan many holy
sites, but the most impressive among them was the Jagannatha temple, home of th
e Lord of the universe. They always entered the Lord s home through the eastern ga
te, the lion gate.
Two weeks after their arrival, Gurudeva contracted a fever that wracked his aged
frame. It was then that Mohan finally understood what Gurudeva had been trying
to tell him. The day after Ratha-yatra, Gurudeva called Mohan to his side. His f
everish eyes were filled with joy as he said in a tremulous voice, My ship has co
me, my son. Sing our Lord s names to create the wind that will carry me to my eter
nal home. Then Gurudeva himself lovingly called out He Gopal! and rode the receding
wave back to the spiritual world.
Mohan helped carry his spiritual master s body to the Svarga-dvara, where he was c
remated and his ashes were thrown into the sacred ocean. Then he returned to his
home village near Devaprayaga.
People had heard the news of Gurudeva s departure, of course, and that s why they no
w suspected Mohan s happiness. Mohan had lost his wife, his two cows, and now his
guru within one year. He had also lost his home; the land he had been working ha
d not been his own, and he had only been able to pay the rent on it by selling t
he milk from his two cows.

Rumors began to circulate. The worst accused Mohan of poisoning his guru to take
his money. Finally, two of the villagers confronted Mohan: There is something yo
u have not told us. The villagers have sent us to discover how you can be so hap
py in the face of so much traumatic loss.
Mohan was grateful to have the opportunity to talk about what was inspiring him.
His life had changed because of a lesson Gurudeva had given him just a week bef
ore his departure. Actually, Gurudeva had given him more than verbal instruction h
e had given him a pencil.
The sun was beginning to set and the temperature was dropping. Mohan invited the
two men into his cottage. With uncertainty, they followed him into his hut and
took the seats he proffered them next to the fire. Then he began.
Please listen carefully to what Gurudeva taught me. It has changed my life. I tha
nk you for allowing me to speak about it. After you have had the chance to hear
and think about what I am about to tell you, please explain it to the other vill
agers. The gift of a pencil can change everyone s life here.
Gurudeva noticed quite early in our relationship that I was a slow learner. Altho
ugh the Lord had taken everything from me, I remained attached to my material pl
ans. Only when Gurudeva invited me to accompany him to Puri, where he said a shi
p awaited him, was I prepared to leave our village and experience something new.
I felt he needed help on his journey, and since I had nothing left here, I thou
ght, Why shouldn t I carry his bag?
But he became ill in Puri. He was preparing for his ship journey home. Not long bef
ore he died he gave me an envelope and said, Open this only after I have boarded
my ship.
After his death I opened the envelope and found a pencil and a handwritten messag
e. I will read this message to you; Gurudeva wrote it with his own hand and prob
ably with this pencil:
My dear disciple, I feel I can best tell you what you need to know in life by way
of an analogy. You have not been the quickest of my students, but you have a go
od heart and I feel you will learn what you need to learn if you think deeply ab
out this pencil.
The pencil teaches you to stop from time to time to sharpen your tools, meaning yo
ur mind, body, and spirit. Just as a pencil needs to be sharpened, so we need to
sharpen ourselves by spiritual practice. Only then can we become one-pointed en
ough to give full attention to the Lord.
Second lesson: Don t be afraid to be yourself. Learn to make your own contribution i
n life with joy. Each pencil has its particular line to draw. This line will bec
ome words specific words and these words form a unique mission, your own life story.
Never be afraid to draw your specific line, live your life.
Third: The pencil teaches you that what is inside is more important than what is o
utside in other words, that the soul is more important than the body. When we have
a pencil we value the graphite at its center more than the dead wood that surro
unds it. Never forget that you are an eternal soul inhabiting a temporary body,
just as the graphite and the message it can create inhabit the wood.
Fourth: Whenever you make a mistake, correct it immediately. Every good pencil and
this one is no exception has an eraser at the end. Whenever one makes a mistake wi
th one end of the pencil, one can immediately erase it with the other end. Learn
from the pencil that it is not dishonorable to correct mistakes. No, correcting
your mistakes is actually your duty. It should be done as soon as you notice th

e mistake. Truthfully, it is not only a duty to correct mistakes but an honor.

Fifth: You may do big things in life, but never forget the hand that guides you. J
ust as the pencil is never proud, thinking how it has written a book, so we shou
ld always give credit to God and strive to become humble and willing instruments
by surrendering to His plan.
My dear disciple, think daily about my gift to you the five lessons of the pencil. A
s you apply these teachings, you will see their wisdom unfolding more and more.
Ultimately, you will be guided to much greater teachings than the ones the penci
l can give you. At that time you might like to make a gift of the pencil to anot
her spiritual learner who is slow but who has a good heart.
Always your well-wisher,
Jagannatha-nandana Swami, whom you know as Gurudeva.
Mohan looked up from the piece of paper on which Gurudeva had written his simple
message. Now you know why I am so happy, he said in a voice trembling with emotio
n. I am practicing Gurudeva s teachings and am making new discoveries every day. If
the villagers have questions, they are welcome to ask me.
From that day on several villagers a day came to Mohan s cottage and asked for spi
ritual advice. Somehow, Mohan was able to give them realized answers. He had mad
e it a point to sharpen his tools of body, mind, and spirit by regularly chantin
g God s holy names and reading holy books. But the simple lessons of the pencil wo
rked wonders for everyone in the village.
Soon, one of the mountain people wrote down these five lessons, showed his work
to Mohan, and asked him to make any necessary corrections. On his next visit to
Haridwar, this man asked a friend who owned a simple hand-printing shop to print
them.
These five lessons contain nothing less than the profound wisdom of the ancient
Vedic culture, offered in a format that is simple to apply and that gives immedi
ate benefits. Therefore, these quaint slips of paper were copied and recopied, a
nd those who applied them saw their lives miraculously uplifted.
Here are the five lessons of the pencil for you:
Lesson 1: Regenerate regularly physically, mentally and spiritually. Live in sattv
a.
Lesson 2: Discover and execute your unique mission and purpose. Live your dharma
.
Lesson 3: Always remain connected with your deepest self, the soul. Live in the
atma.
Lesson 4: Listen to your conscience and correct mistakes. Stay with the higher c
onnection, guided by the paramatma.
Lesson 5: Develop your love for God. Live in bhakti.
Epilogue
My own spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, gave me a pencil simple instructions by w
hich I could change my life. Three years before he passed away, he called me int
o his room and gave me the opportunity to serve him in a menial way. At that tim
e he told me, You should be a good disciple, a good teacher, a servant who helps
others in their spiritual development, and you should be autonomous in your spir
itual life fully dependent on Krsna.
I pray these instructions form my life forever.
Sri Gurudeva Srila Prabhupada ki jaya.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++

THE CRICKET
A Native American and his friend were walking through Times Square in midtown Ne
w York during lunch hour. The streets were filled with people. Cars were honking
their horns, taxicabs were squealing around corners, sirens were wailing, and t
he sounds of the city were almost deafening. Suddenly, the Native American said,
I hear a cricket.
His friend said, What? You must be crazy. You couldn t possibly hear a cricket in a
ll this noise!
No, I m sure of it, the Native American said, I hear a cricket.
That s crazy, his friend insisted.
The Native American listened carefully for a moment and then walked across the s
treet to a big cement planter filled with shrubs. He looked under the branches a
nd, sure enough, he found a small cricket. His friend was utterly amazed.
That s incredible, his friend said. You must have superhuman ears!
No, the Native American said. My ears are no different from yours. It all depends o
n what you re listening for.
But that can t be! said the friend. I could never hear a cricket in this noise.
Yes, that s true, came the reply. It depends on what is really important to you. Here
, let me show you.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a few coins, and discreetly dropped them
on the sidewalk. Then, with the noise of the crowded street still blaring in the
ir ears, they noticed every head within twenty feet turn and look to see if the
money that had tinkled on the pavement was theirs.
See what I mean? asked the Native American. It all depends on what s important to you
.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SHIPWRECKED PRAYERS
A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men aboard
were able to swim to a nearby small, deserted island.
The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no recourse
but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they a
greed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the isl
and.
The first thing they both prayed for was food. The next morning the first man sa
w a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land and was able to eat its fruit. Th
e other man s parcel of land remained barren.
After a week, the first man was lonely and decided to pray for a wife. The next
day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor, a woman, swam to his side
of the island. On the other side of the island, nothing.
Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, and more food. The next day, lik
e magic, all these requests were fulfilled. However, the second man still had no
thing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship so that he and his wife could leave the
island. In the morning he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The fi
rst man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on th
e island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God s blessings since no
ne of his prayers had been answered.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming,
Why are you leaving your companion on the island?" "My blessings are mine alone
since I was the one who prayed for them, the man answered. My companions prayers w
ere all unanswered, so he does not deserve anything.
You are mistaken! the voice rebuked him. He had only one prayer, which I answered.
If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings.
Tell me, the first man asked the voice, what did he pray for that I now owe him for
my success.

He prayed that all your prayers be answered.

For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone but those
of another praying for us.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE LIGHT OF LIFE
Once there was a guru who wanted to train his two disciples by giving them a pra
ctical task, "Take 100 Rps each of you" he said "and use it to fill up your room
s with whatever you are able to purchase. In five days time I will return to insp
ect your work."
When he returned and visited the room of the first disciple, he saw it had been
filled up with rags. That disciple had thought that by hook or by crook he had t
o, somehow or other, fill up the room, and since rags were the cheapest items to
purchase, he had chosen them. The guru was duly shocked.
When the guru came to inspect the second room, he saw that it had been filled up
- not only once, but twice and his disciple returned 80 Rps back to him and sai
d, "Guru Maharaja, I only needed 20 Rps to fill the room twice."
He had lit a ghee lamp in the middle of room, along with an incense stick. Light
and fragrance were spreading everywhere, from top to bottom, from left to right
, from the front to the rear.
The delighted guru said, "You have truly understood. Life is very much like an e
mpty room. It should be filled with the light of knowledge and the fragrance of
service, and not with the discarded filthy things of this world."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE CRACKED WATER POT
A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on one end of the pole he
carried across the back of his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and whil
e the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the
end of the long walk from the stream, the cracked pot arrived only half full. Th
is went on every day for two years, with the bearer delivering only one and a ha
lf pots of water to his master s house.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishment and saw itself as per
fectly suited for the purpose for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot wa
s ashamed of its imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only
half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived as bit
ter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. I am ashamed of
myself and I want to apologize to you.
Why? asked the bearer. What are you ashamed of?
For the past two years, I have been able to deliver only half my load because thi
s crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master s hous
e. Because of my flaws you have to work without getting the full value of your e
fforts, the pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and out of compassion he sa
id, As we return to the master s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers
along the path. Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice
of the sun warming the wildflowers on the side of the path. The pot felt cheere
d.
But at the end of the trail, the pot still felt bad because it had leaked out ha
lf its load, and again it apologized for its failure. The bearer said to the pot
, Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not
on the other pot s side? That s because I knew about your flaw and took advantage of
it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we wal
k back from the stream, you ve watered them for me. For two years I have been able
to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master s table. If you were not ju
st the way you are, he would not have such beauty to grace his house.

Moral: Each of us has his/her unique flaws we are all cracked pots. But a compassi
onate and expert devotee can engage us in the Lord s service, and then we can all
be useful, despite our defects.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A SOCIETY WITHOUT ENVY
All of us in the material world have a problem with envy, which originally comes
because we have turned our back on the Lord. This envy is dormant until we see
someone having apparently more than we have success, attention, wealth, influenc
e, etc. then it comes out, just as a fire springs forth from the rubbing of two
bamboo sticks.
What is the cure of envy, we might ask?
Very simple: instead of thinking What will please me? we have to ask What will plea
se Krishna? In this connection I would like to quote Srila Prabhupada s purport fro
m Srimad Bhagavatam 10.13.60 where he explains the spiritual cure for envy by de
scribing life in Vrindavana:
Envy develops because of sense gratification, but in Vrindavana there is no sense
gratification for the only aim is Krishna s satisfaction. Even in this material w
orld, the animals in Vrindavana are not envious of the sadhus who live there. Th
e sadhus keep cows and supply milk to the tigers saying, Come here and take a lit
tle milk . Thus, envy and malice are unknown in Vrindavana. That is the difference
between Vrindavana and the ordinary world Everyone there is happy by pleasing Kr
ishna. Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau. Whether a goswami or a tiger or other f
erocious animal, everyone s business is the same
to please Krishna Everyone wants t
o serve Krishna in a different capacity, and thus there is no envy.
Next, Srila Prabhupada addresses the problem-makers
those who cause mischief and
how to deal with them. (Those who have visited Vrindavana in India will probabl
y smile as they read on.)
One may sometimes think that the monkeys in Vrindavana are envious, because they
cause mischief and steal food, but in Vrindavana we find that the monkeys are al
lowed to take butter, which Krishna Himself distributes. Krishna personally demo
nstrates that everyone has the right to live. This is Vrindavana life. Why shoul
d I live and you die? No. That is material life. The inhabitants of Vrindavana t
hink, Whatever is given by Krishna, let us divide it as prasada and eat.
Of course, such a vision comes only to one who is mature in devotion, and this m
aturity takes time to develop. How to come to this platform is revealed by Srila
Prabhupada at the end of his purport:
This mentality cannot appear all of a sudden, but it will gradually develop with
Krishna consciousness; by sadhana, one can come to this platform.
In the meantime, along with developing Krishna consciousness, I would like to re
commend two very effective methods:
1) Replacing negative with positive emotions
The great teacher Patanjali recommends that when negative emotions arise, we can
replace them with positive ones. Since the mind generally can only hold one emo
tion at a time, the positive emotion will then dissolve the negative. One of tho
se positive emotions is compassion. It will definitely conquer envy
provided we
can hold on to it long enough.
To develop compassion is often more difficult than easy. There can be circumstan

ces in life where others get on our nerves so much that we become totally incens
ed and forget our good aspirations. Maybe the great Bhaktivinoda Thakura was add
ressing this point when he wrote:
When will compassion for all living entities arise within me? At that time
forget
ting my own happiness I will develop genuine humility and meekly wander about to
propagate the sacred order (1) of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
(Kabe habe bolo by Bhaktivinoda Thakura)
Envy is not given a chance to raise its ugly hoods when we try to see others equ
ally, in their happiness and distress, and with genuine compassion try to act an
d speak for the benefit of all.
2) Take on the Krishna perspective
Generally when we feel the rise of envy upon seeing how others seem to have more
than us, we can switch to the understanding that they have been gifted by Krish
na and feel appreciation and inspiration that the Lord has given them certain ta
lents.
In this regard, Srila Prabhupada wrote the following in his purport to the Caita
nya Caritamrita, Madhya 1.218:
When a Vaisnava sees that another Vaisnava is a recipient of the Lord s mercy, he b
ecomes very happy. Vaisnavas are not envious.
This consciousness is of course possible when we understand that no one is movin
g independently of Krishna.
One should understand that no one is independent, for everything is part and parc
el of K?ishna and is acting and moving by the supreme desire of Krishna. This un
derstanding, this consciousness, is Krishna consciousness. (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.
13.53)
Because we want Krishna to be happy, we will be very pleased when we see other V
aisnavas serving Krishna in a greater capacity than us. Krishna consciousness is
about Krishna not us. And His satisfaction is our goal!
Some tips
You can try the following when you feel envy rise within your heart:
1. Identify the exact qualities, success, or abilities, etc. which you envy in t
he other person.
2. See these qualities or abilities as Krishna s gifts bestowed upon the other sou
l.
3. Ask yourself: What should I do or feel so that Krishna is pleased with me in t
his situation?
4. Pray to Krishna for inner strength to overcome your own negative feelings and
act in a Krishna conscious way
wishing well to all living beings.
5. Connect with your inner voice of conscience and then do something for the ben
efit of the person you envy. If you cannot do something concrete, at least you c
ould offer prayers for his/her benefit.
Remember envy is the emotion that brought you to this material world. If you wis
h to progress and ultimately return to the Lord, you will have to overcome it.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE END OF MISUNDERSTANDINGS
This world is a place where there are often misunderstandings among people becau
se of their different natures, which give birth to different views, perspectives
, standpoints, etc. This is natural and unavoidable.
Queen Kunti saw in her time that dissension among living beings is bound to happ
en because of social interactions. If everyone lived alone in a cage and never l
eft it
there would be no problems. But this is not an option.
What about people who live in a spiritual society
like the Krishna consciousness
movement? Should they not be unified in their beliefs? One movement, one perspe
ctive?
Yes and no. Yes, they have the same focus Krishna
but no, they don t have the same
personalities. Srila Prabhupada wrote in this regard:
Because we are all individuals sometimes there is disagreement between devotees.
When non-devotees quarrel they cannot stop and end up killing each other. But th
e devotees disagreement does not last long because they patch it up for Krishna s s
ake, because they are all working for the same end Krishna s service.
(Letter to Bhumata, Calcutta 10 March, 1973)
The art is to step back before there is friction, which often results in unneces
sary conflict. Unless there is a cause worth fighting for (this is rarely the ca
se), one who is trying to develop Krishna consciousness withdraws from the fire
of dissension before it is too late.
Once my spiritual master remarked about two of his disciples who were quarreling
with each other, They are like little puppies fighting in the litter .
From a perspective of reason such fights appear childish, and from the perspecti
ve of Vaisnavism they are dangerous because of the grave consequences of Vaisnav
a aparadha.
What is the solution in a Vaisnava community?
During his time with us, Srila Prabhupada had to sometimes address his disciples
to help them overcome their differences of opinion. In one of his letters, whic
h was often quoted during the 1970s, he gave a solution: discuss amongst each ot
her how to serve Krishna with unity in diversity.
The letter:
Material nature means dissension and disagreement, especially in this Kali yuga.
But, for this Krishna consciousness movement its success will depend on agreemen
t, even though there are varieties of engagements.
In the material world there are varieties, but there is no agreement.
In the spiritual world there are varieties, but there is agreement. That is the
difference.
The materialist without being able to adjust the varieties and disagreements mak
es everything zero. They cannot come into agreements with varieties, but if we k
eep Krishna in the center, then there will be agreement in varieties. This is ca
lled unity in diversity.
I am therefore suggesting that all our men meet in Mayapur every year during the
birth anniversary of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. With all GBC and senior men pres
ent we should discuss how to make unity in diversity.
But if we fight on account of diversity, then it is simply the material platform
.
Please try to maintain the philosophy of unity in diversity. That will make our
movement successful. One section of men have already gone out, therefore we must
be very careful to maintain unity in diversity, and remember the story of Aesop s
Fables of the father of many children with the bundle of sticks. When the fathe
r asked his children to break the bundle of sticks wrapped in a bag, none of the
m could do it. But, when they removed the sticks from the bag, and tried one by
one, the sticks were easily broken. So this is the strength of unity in diversit
y. If we are bunched up, we can never be broken, but when divided, then we can b
ecome broken very easily.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well wishes,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
(Letter to Kirtananda, 18 October, 1973)
What to do if there is dissension amongst Vaisnavas?
The following steps might help:
1) Take a step back
2) See things from your position. What is your need?
3) See things from the other s perspective. What is their need?
4) Try to see things from a third perspective
best is the position of the Lord (
1)
5) If you have found a third way (not your way, not his/her way but a way that i
s more likely to satisfy both sides) wait and pray and if it still continues to
make sense after some time, go for it.
Epilogue
As I write this, I am conscious that we live in a time which is astrologically s
aid to be very conducive to conflict and misunderstanding, but I am certain that
the spiritual solution to material problems will work nevertheless, at all plac
es and all times. I am aware that there may be situations which require a carefu
l and sensitive analysis and then a well-considered process of conflict resoluti
on but in the meantime it is always good to apply the timeless principles of Kri
shna consciousness for we may find that all of a sudden the conflicts have evapo
rated.
By all means possible try to overcome negative emotions towards those who have s
urrendered everything in order to serve Krishna. Srila Prabhupada once wrote:
Because the devotees have given up everything to serve Krishna
money, jobs, reput
ation, wealth, big educations, everything their lackings have become transcenden
tal because, despite everything they may do, their topmost intention is to serve
Krishna. One who is engaged in devotional service, despite the most abominable a
ction, is to be considered saintly because he is rightly situated.
The devotees of Krishna are the most exalted persons on this planet, better than
kings, all of them, so we should always remember that, and like the bumblebee,
always look for the nectar or the best of qualities of a person.
(Letter to Atrya Rishi, Bombay, 4th of February, 1973)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
RECOVERING THE LOST HEART
I have been thinking often about the need to rediscover our lost heart. What do
I mean by this?
We all have a material heart - in other words the organ which pumps the blood th
rough our body.We also all have an emotional heart - the place where feelings fo
r friendship, family, happiness, integrity, love, inner peace, as well as pain a
nd loss, all reside.
There is, however, a third and most often overlooked heart, which is the most im
portant heart of all - the spiritual heart. In the spiritual heart reside devoti
on and surrender to God. This spiritual heart was with us before we came to this
world. It is our true face throughout eternity.
Unfortunately, during the course of our daily activities in the present world, t
his heart can easily get covered over. Then it is as good as lost...
To revive and uncover the spiritual heart is critical and urgent for our progres
s, for when the spiritual heart is healthy, our spiritual life is healthy. And w
hen the spiritual heart is not healthy, we are nearly spiritually dead.
So how can we locate and revive our spiritual heart?
First, we must enter into a devotional relationship with Krishna. If we do spiri
tual activities mechanically, inspired by a sense of duty or fear about what wil
l happen to us when we dont do all that is described in the sacred texts, then su
ch a state of consciousness will not really help us enter the life-giving realm
we long for. Only a vibrant devotional relationship can inspire the Lord to reci

procate with us and answer our longings. The love the spiritual heart is built t
o experience and express only appears in relationships that are genuinely nouris
hed. Hence, reaching out to Krishna with feelings of devotion and surrender is w
hat will ignite the start to the dynamic life we envision to have in bhakti, and
thus, our three hearts will becomes satisfied all together.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MEETING MY SPIRITUAL MASTER
Upon meeting with ones spiritual master one receives the most valuable gift - the
matih, or the inclination to turn to Krishna. This occurs because the spiritual
master is empowered by Krishnas shakti (potency) and is, thus, mercifully bestow
ed with divine energy. By the strength of that mercy one can progress back home
to Krishna.
Whenever I met Srila Prabhupada I experienced this bestowal of divine energy. Ev
erything became crystal clear, all other insignificant goals in life disappeared
, and the blissful prospect of going back to Godhead - of coming into Krishnas lo
ving presence - became possible. While in the presence of my spiritual master I
felt so close to the kingdom of God, which in fact I was already walking in.
But such an experience is not limited to physical association with the spiritual
master only. Just as it is possible to associate with Krishna in a spiritual wa
y, even though He may seem so far away, it is also possible to associate with th
e bona-fide spiritual master after his disappearance from this planet.
How?
By sincerely connecting to him - through prayer, remembrance, hearing or reading
from him, and most importantly by following in his holy footsteps. Following ou
r spiritual masters instructions quickly relieves the mind from all relative and
narrowing concepts.
Such a realisation happened to me once in the Bosnian mountains. I walked throug
h a fog while listening to the recording of one of Srila Prabhupadas lectures whe
n all of a sudden I heard him say: "What are you doing for eternity?" All the fo
g disappeared and I was re-focused on my spiritual quest.
I pray to remain always connected to Srila Prabhupadas life-giving feet, which li
ke a lotus flower are always above and beyond the influence of material nature.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Becoming Dependent
Srila Prabhupada writes about becoming dependent on the Lord:
In the material world, to be dependent on the mercy of someone else is the utmost
sign of misfortune, but in the case of our transcendental relation with the Lor
d, it is the most fortunate case when we can live completely dependent on Him.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 1.8.37 purport)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Conditioned souls have no choice but to accept their precarious condition under m
aterial nature. The only remedy is to surrender to the Lord and pray to be excus
ed. One should depend only on the causeless mercy of the Lord for deliverance an
d not even slightly on one s own strength. That is the perfect position of a Krish
na conscious person.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 4.7.30 purport)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++
Ultimate Freedom
Becoming dependent on Krishna always means to leave one s self-centeredness. To le
ave this prison of me, myself and and mine is only possible through the doorway of

surrender, where one makes oneself dependent on Krishna. The key to this door i
s humility
real humility whereby one detaches oneself willfully from the false e
go. This is real freedom.
My favorite passage from Caitanya Caritamrta is: One is immediately freed from th
e clutches of maya if he seriously and sincerely says, My dear Lord Krishna, alth
ough I have forgotten You for so many long years in the material world, today I
am surrendering unto You. I am Your sincere and serious student. Please engage m
e in Your service. (Madhya 22.33)
Srila Prabhupada describes this blissful and free life of a surrendered soul. The
perfection of life is to become dependent on the will of the Lord, instead of b
ecoming falsely independent in the material world. Those who try to become false
ly independent from the world are called anatha, or without any guardian, wherea
s those who are completely dependent on the will of the Lord are called sanatha,
or those having someone to protect them. Therefore we must try to be sanatha, s
o that we can always be protected from the unfavorable conditions of material ex
istence. (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.8.37 purport)
There is no greater relief in life no greater gain than when one comes to that t
urning point where one truly considers the pleasure of guru and Krishna to be mo
re important than trying to fulfill one s own plans. Then and only then does our l
ife in spiritual freedom begin. Please try it
you will see it for yourself.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE TREE OF LIFE
The Community of Care - connecting the individual trees
To what degree we are able to genuinely care about each other, is to the degree
that our communities will flourish and the individual members will be blessed wi
th an incredible amount of spiritual strength, enthusiasm and the feeling of bei
ng secure.
To illustrate just how important it is for us to genuinely connect with and supp
ort each other, I would like to give you an amazing example from the Redwood for
est which I once heard from HH Radhanatha Swami.
The Secret of the Redwood Trees
In California you can find the largest trees in the world, namely the redwood tr
ees. Some of them are so huge that it takes forty adults hand-in-hand to form a
full circle around one single tree! They grow over a period of thousands of year
s and some of them may even be 5000 years old or more.
When you enter a redwood forest you are surrounded by a very quiet ancient atmos
phere. The rays of the sun are almost blocked out by the thick foliage. The tree
s grow so close together that they seem to share a secret.
In order to be strong, most trees need to grow their roots very deeply. Otherwis
e they would fall. We can take the example of the palm tree: its roots grow as d
eep into the ground as it is tall. However, the redwood trees - the tallest tree
s in the world - have very shallow roots. Yet, they remain standing for thousand
s of years facing hurricanes, snowstorms, earthquakes, and nowadays acid rainfal
l as well - undisturbed. So what is their secret?
If you ask a forest ranger, he will explain to you that they grow their roots ou
twards. In other words, their roots do not go down but go sideways where they ca
n reach out and then wrap themselves around the roots of their neighbouring redw
ood trees almost like holding hands. In this way - directly or indirectly - each
tree is connected to and supported by every other tree in the forest. This give
s them so much strength that they can continue to grow for thousands of years in
the face of all types of conditions.
This interconnection is also the secret of a community of care. By caring for ea
ch other the weak become strong, the strong get even stronger and all that stren
gth is shared. It is like the aforesaid redwood forest. The small and frail redw
ood trees receive strength from the old ones and grow up to become thousands of
years old. The old ones are in turn connected and strengthened by the young ones
even more.

We are reminded by that saying which Srila Prabhupada would quote: "United we st
and, divided we fall!"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++=
THE EFFECTS OF PURE CHANTING
What power does the name of Krishna possess? My heart constantly burns in the fi
re of worldly desires, just like a desert scorched by the rays of the sun. The h
oly name, entering the core of my heart through the holes of my ears, showers un
paralleled nectar upon my soul.
Rivers of tears flow from my eyes, perspiration completely soaks my body, all my
skin thrills with rapture, my hairs stand on end, and my complexion turns pale
and discolored. My mind grows faint, I begin to experience devastation, and my e
ntire body is shattered in a flood of ecstatic emotions.
While causing such an ecstatic disturbance, the holy name showers liquid nectar
on my heart and drowns me in the ocean of divine love of Godhead. He does not al
low me to understand anything, for he has made me truly mad by having stolen awa
y my mind and all my resources.
The holy name is the bud of the flower of divine love, and is the very abode of
astonishing mellows. Such is the power that Krishna manifests that when his holy
name starts to blossom a little further, it then reveals his own divine form a
nd qualities. Thus my heart is abducted and taken directly to Krishna.
From Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakuras Sri Nama-Mahatmya, verses 1, 3, 4 and 6.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Chk the pictures folder..
Text 1
candrardham kalasam tri-kona-dhanushi kham goshpadam proshthikam
sankham savya-pade tha dakshina-pade konashtakam svastikam
cakram chatra-yavankusam dhvaja-pavi jamburdhva-rekhambujam
bibhranam harim unavimsati-maha-lakshmy-arcitanghrim bhaje
I worship Lord Hari (Krishna), whose feet are endowed with the 19 great opulence
s of, on the left foot, the halfmoon, water-pot, triangle, bow, sky, cows hoofpri
nt, fish, conch, and on the right foot, the eight-pointed star, svastika, wheel,
parasol, barleycorn, elephant-goad, flag, thunderbolt, jambu fruit, urdhva-rekh
a, and lotus.
Text 2
cchatrari-dhvaja-valli-pushpa-valayan padmordhva-rekhankusan
ardhendum ca yavam ca vamam anu ya saktim gadam syandanam
vedi-kundala-matsya-parvata-daram datte nv asavyam padam
tam radham ciram unavimsati-maha-lakshmy-arcitanghrim bhaje
I worship Sri Radha, whose feet are endowed with the 19 great opulences of, on t
he left foot, the parasol, ari, flag, vine, flower, bracelet, lotus, urdhva-rekh
a, elephant-goad, halfmoon, and barleycorn, and on the right foot, the sakti, cl
ub, chariot, altar, earrings, fish, mountain, and conchshell.
Meaning of the Auspicious Marks:
HALF-MOON (ardha-candra) - This mark symbolizes how lotus feet truly provide the
desired objectives of the devotees. It signifies that even devatas like Lord Si
va (whose symbol is a half moon) have decorated their own heads with the soles o
f the feet. It also shows that devotees who likewise decorate their own head wit
h the feet can become exalted like Lord Siva. Just as the moon showers nectar wi
th its cooling rays, similarly the lotus feet shower nectar upon the devotees, e

xtinguishing the threefold material miseries. So that the minds of the devotees
may reside at the feet, they bear the symbol of the moon (which is the devata or
presiding deity of the mind) upon the feet. Just as the moon is one, yet it des
troys the darkness seen by many people simultaneously, similarly the Lord is one
and yet by His cleverness can deliver many souls at the same time. The half-moo
n also indicates that since Lords toenails appear like ten splendorously full moo
ns, the real moon has shriveled up in shame and appears in half-form.
PITCHER (kalasa) - This mark shows that lotus feet hold the golden pitcher full
of purely nectarean ambrosia to be freely consumed by the surrendered souls; ind
eed, they will never be bereft of nectar for this pitcher always remains full. T
his mark also indicates that the feet can pour out nectar that extinguishes the
blazing three-fold miseries of the separated devotees. The full pitcher is a sym
bol to show that no inauspiciousness can come near the devotees. Rather the feet
bring ripples of happiness emanating from divine auspiciousness.
BOW (dhanu) - This mark reveals that those who take shelter of the lotus feet wi
ll be perpetually free from all worries and difficulties. It also shows that tho
se who are stupefied in the material world remain motionless like a target and d
o not come to lotus feet. Whereas those who come to the ultimate goal of the fee
t remain there and never go back to the material world. Further, when the mind o
f the devotee meets the target of the feet, then prema condenses as a result and
overflows as the tears showering from their eyes.
SKY (ambara) - This mark indicates that the feet are all pervading throughout th
e entire creation, both within and without all manifestations. It also shows tha
t even though the feet are everywhere, they are unattached just like the sky.
COW-HOOF (gospada) - This mark signifies that for those who have taken full shel
ter of uninterrupted meditation on the feet, the great ocean of worldy existence
becomes very small and insignificant like the water held in a calf s hoof-print a
nd is thus easily crossed over.
FISH (matsya) - This mark shows that just as a fish cannot live without water, s
imilarly the surrendered devotees cannot live a moment without directly associat
ing with the feet. It also shows that all the most cherished desires and longing
s of those who resort to lotus feet will be truly fulfilled. It also means that
the mind is very fickle, just like a fish who wavers this way and that, and so o
nly after much meditation do the feet finally come into the heart. It also indic
ates that lotus feet will come to live in one s heart only if the heart has been l
iquefied by soft loving emotions; the feet do not thrive where it is dry.
CONCH (sankha) - This auspicious mark indicates that those who take shelter of t
he lotus feet are always rescued from all sorts of distress. Just as during the
arati ceremony the conchshell is used to hold water that is offered directly aft
er the fire of the ghee-lamp, similarly lotus feet hold transcendental water tha
t soothes His devotees from the blazing fire of material miseries. Also this sym
bol proclaims ultimate victory for the devotees, since the conchshell mark on th
e feet contains the entire ocean of material existence that may now be easily cr
ossed. This mark also shows that those who resort to lotus feet become completel
y fearless.
DISK (cakra) - This mark cuts down the six enemies of the devotees - lust, anger
, greed, illusion, envy and bewilderment. It indicates teja-tattva, or the princ
iple of brilliance by which Lord destroys the darkness of sins from within His d
evotee s hearts.
GOAD (ankusa) - This mark indicates that meditation on lotus feet brings the ele
phants of the devotee s minds under control and keeps them on the right path. It a
lso shows that those who thus stay on the path toward the feet become superior a
mong men, just as one riding on top of an elephant travels far above the rest.
FLAG (dhvaja) - This mark announces that for the devotees meditating on the feet
, They give security and safe protection from all sorts of fear.
THUNDERBOLT (vrajra) - This mark reveals that meditation on lotus feet smashes t
o pieces the mountain of the devotee s karmic reactions to past sins. It also indi
cates that whoever holds on to the feet becomes as exalted as Lord Indra (whose
weapon is the thunderbolt).
LOTUS (kamala) - This mark increases greed for nectar in the minds of the beelik

e devotees who meditate on lotus feet. The lotus also signifies that just as a l
otus grows out of water, similarly those whose eyes swell with tears upon holdin
g the Divine lotus feet to their heart receive the highest benefit. This mark al
so shows that the goddess of fortune, Sri Laksmi Devi always resides at His feet
rendering humble service. It signifi es that His feet are so soft that they can
only be compared to lotus petals; indeed upon first glancing at the lotus feet,
you would think you are directly seeing fresh lotus blossoms. It also reveals t
hat just as a lotus blooms by day and contracts by night, similarly those who re
main steeped in meditation on lotus feet always feel the blossoming unfoldment o
f brilliant sattvika ecstasies that dispel the darkness of ignorance. It also me
ans that the bee of the devotee s mind cannot fly beyond the bondage of dry jnana
(knowledge) and vairagya (renunciation) without the temptation offered by the su
perior nectar of the lotus feet.
FLOWER (puspa) - This mark shows that the divine fame of the feet spread everywh
ere just like the fragrance of a flower. It also shows that the feet are not har
d, but soft as flower petals. And it means that just as every fruit comes into b
eing after the plant blooms, similarly all spiritual fruits come into being afte
r first blossoming at the soles of the feet.
CLUB (gada) - This mark is to show that lotus feet are capable of chastising the
elephant of sinful lust. It further indicates that for whoever takes shelter of
the feet, all their ancestors will also receive benefit.
ALTAR (vedi) - This mark proclaims that the sins of those who meditate upon the
feet are burned up as if on the
altar of sacrifice. Furthermore, it indicates that just as the universe is nouri
shed by the brahmanas offering fire-sacrifices, similarly those who offer their
minds in sacrifice to the feet stimulate universal nourishment
that affects all of creation.
UMBRELLA (catra) - This mark proves that those who take shelter of lotus feet ar
e shielded from the incessant rainfall of material miseries. It also denotes tha
t those who sit in the shade of the feet become exalted just like maharajas (gre
at kings), who usually have umbrellas held over their heads.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
BHUTA-SHUDDHI
I am by nature the eternal servant of Krishna, but because of my misfortune I ha
ve been inimical toward Him from time immemorial. Therefore I have identified my
self with my body and wandered continuously in the cycle of birth and death in t
he material world, suffering the burning, threefold miseries. Now as a result of
some unimaginable good fortune, my spiritual master s mercy has enabled me to kno
w that I am Krishna s eternal servant, an individual spiritual being, completely a
part from the gross and subtle body. So by the order of my spiritual master I ha
ve obtained the good fortune of serving his lotus feet and, following in his foo
tsteps, the lotus feet of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Shri Shri Radha-Shyamasu
ndara.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE DIVINE ENCOUNTER
For your personal advancement I would like to suggest a powerful meditation with
which you can establish a conscious connection with Sri Sri Radha and Krishna.
In this world there are many things that divert us from our relationship with Go
d things that focus us on other relationships with other people, our job, societ
y, our dreams, etc. All these relationships are like smoke; one day they will si
mply float away into the air. At that time we will be left with the only one, et
ernal relationship. We may even know this now, but our worldly relationships con
tinue to demand our time and attention, and we often allow them to take up almos
t all of our energy.

So here is a powerful meditation to help you connect with the Divine Couple:
When you can be undisturbed for a little while, sit somewhere comfortably and im
agine you are completely alone. Let everything around you slowly and gently disa
ppear. Your relationship with what is going on in your life
let it slip away. Yo
ur relationships with your relatives let them go as well. Job, important respons
ibilities, future desires
all gone.
You are now absolutely alone. There is no one and nothing in your environment. I
t is as if you have been given anesthesia
a state that induces you to forget eve
rything about your life, including who you think you are. Or imagine you are alo
ne in the midst of a forest or desert or out on the ocean, with no memories of y
our life or yourself. Best if you can picture yourself sitting in a holy place,
where you can feel absolutely safe and spiritually linked.
Become aware that in your truest being you are really an eternal spiritual soul,
an eternal servant of Radha and Krishna. It is only due to some misfortune that
you have been absent from that relationship and instead have been wandering in
the cycle of birth and death, helplessly identifying with one material body afte
r another.
But your fortune has turned. You have finally met a spiritual master and learned
about your real identity as a pure spirit soul, a resident of the kingdom of lo
ve, completely separate from the gross and subtle body. You have been inspired t
o take up the path of eternal loving service to Their Lordships Radha and Krishn
a.
Now think that there is only Radha and Krishna. No one else. You now have the op
portunity to speak to Them to chant, offer puja, pray to Them, reveal your heart
in confidence. Choose any other expression to which you feel drawn. Wrap yourse
lf up in this one relationship and feel bhakti rise in your heart.
You can end your meeting with the Divine Couple with five simple affirmations fr
om an ancient Vedic text:
I surrender to You Sri Sri Radha Krishna.
Whatever is mine is in truth Your property.
Everything is for Your sake.
Everything is for Your enjoyment.
Nothing is meant for my enjoyment.
(Sanat-Kumara Samhita, text 83)
Pay your obeisances in your mind and take your leave.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE SAMMATA MEDITATION
* sammata, Sanskrit = being agreeable
Today I would like to share with you a personal, three-step meditation that help
s me to make direct contact with the Lord even in the midst of a hectic life, an
d feel peace and energy.
First step: Grounding
A meditation by Shrila Prabhupada
One should understand
that no one is independent,
for everything (and everyone) is part and parcel of Krishna

and is acting and moving by the supreme desire of Krishna.

This understanding, this consciousness, is Krishna consciousness.
(purport to Shrimad-Bhagavatam 10.13.53)
Second step: Acceptance Meditation
The source of fear and disturbance is lack of experiencing harmony.
When I am disturbed it is because I can t relate
a particular situation, place, or thing to Krishna.
Rather, that situation, place, or thing seems independent of or separate from th
e Lord.
It appears to be out of the natural, divine harmony and does not make sense.
Therefore I cannot accept it.
When I am unable to accept something, I lose my sense of equilibrium and securit
y. Misery reigns.
Review step 1 and allow its spiritual light to flood the darkened mind.
Watch how things begin to change
slowly, at first, then quickly:
Gradually I come to understand that the situation,
person, place, or thing
is exactly as it should be at this given moment.
Nothing
absolutely nothing at all
happens in Krishna s world by mistake.
Everything and everyone moves around one center only.
And every moment I am at the right place,
in the classroom of God, learning my lessons.
Unless I learn to accept life completely
on Krishna s terms, I cannot be happy.
Let me therefore concentrate not so much
on what I think needs to be changed in the outside world
but what needs to be changed in me
in my consciousness, my attitude.
Third step: The serenity prayer
O Lord, let me accept peacefully everything this day brings.
Let me surrender completely to Your sacred desire.
Direct and help me during every moment of this day.
If there is anything You wish me to change,
please grant me the vision to recognize it
and the inner strength to change it.
No matter what kind of news I receive,
teach me to see it as Your message, even if its import seems hidden.
And if the great wave of my life should overwhelm me
and my emotions and thoughts scatter,
please guide and direct me
back to acceptance and faith in Your all-pervading presence and good will.
Today, let me remember love, service, tolerance, and forgiveness,
and let me remain sammata
one with You
by remaining agreeable to Your arrangements and desires.
Afterword: This sammata meditation is inspired by a verse and purport in the Shr
imad-Bhagavatam (4.12.22) that discusses the prince, Dhruva, who was always abso
rbed in thinking of the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. Shrila Prabhupada comments: I
n the Vaikuntha world all the living entities are in oneness with the Supreme Go

dhead because they never defy His orders. Here in the material world however, th
ey are not sammata, agreeable.... This human form of life is a chance to be trai
ned to be agreeable to the orders of the Supreme Lord.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE SECRET OF CHANTING WITH BHAKTI
It s almost a paradox - only when you stop wanting to enjoy chanting for yourself
will the chanting produce unlimited nectar. To understand this mystery we must a
sk: What is bhakti? What is devotional chanting?
It means you chant, not for yourself, but for Krishna. In what way? Anukulyena! Yo
u do it with a favorable mood that of wanting to give pleasure to Krishna. In th
is way a kirtana leader can think: I want the devotees to chant nicely and for Kr
ishna to relish their call. Thus, activity for Krishna is not done mindlessly.
Krishna has many expansions; you can chant for Nrsimhadeva s pleasure or for the p
leasure of Sri Sri Radha Syamasundara, etc.
In general, devotional service means that you must learn to absorb your consciou
sness in three things so that your activity becomes bhakti (bhakti yoga or devot
ional service in Krishna consciousness).
What are the secrets of bhakti?
anyabhila?ita-sunya??
jana-karmady-anav?tam?
anukulyena k???anu-?
silana? bhaktir uttama
(Brs. 1.1.11)
Devotional service or bhakti means:
i. Activity
ii. For Krishna
iii. In a favorable mood
This you have to learn.
This is called bhakti. Such activities are not jnana (to gain knowledge), nor fo
r our liberation, and they are also not karma (for our sense enjoyment). They ar
e for Krishna.
When you do this, then your practice becomes very sweet, full of taste and you w
ill be able to give up material sense enjoyment even though you may be surrounde
d by cars, mobile phones and computers.
It is important to perform our devotional practice in this way, for as Srila Pra
bhupada said:
Only by drinking the nectar of chanting and hearing the pastimes of the Lord can
one forget the intoxication of material existence. (SB 3.21.17 pp)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE LORDS FEELINGS TOWARD SOMEONE WHO CHANTS HIS NAME
By Sacinandana Swami
Shrila Prabhupada told us that the chanting means to address the Lord. We talk t
o Him by calling His name.
But we may wonder, how does the Lord feel about those who chant? Does He notice
them?
Yes. Krishna notices chanters even if they dont notice Him - and He thinks of the
m. As Shrila Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakura said, "When someone chants the Lords
name, the Lords mind dwells on him. Krishna thinks, This person belongs to Me. I w
ill always protect him! "
Shrila Shridhara Swami explains in this connection: "When the Lord heard that Aj
amila was chanting His name, He thought about Ajamila deeply and then ordered th
e Vishnudutas to bring him to Him. How much more, then, will the Lord remember a
person who chants His Name with a service attitude?"
Let us not try to see the Lord.

Let Him see us.

And let us not try to hear His voice in the beginning.
Let Him hear us first.
Then one day the morning will dawn
when we hear Him say:
"You are Mine."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++
THE SACRIFICE OF NAMA YAJNA - SINGING THE HOLY NAME
By Sacinandana Swami, September 2010
A nama-yajna is exclusively for the pleasure of Krishna and doing it, all partic
ipants can become priests. You might ask how you can become a priest of the Holy
Name? Lord Chaitanya has given the following answer: Make your ears the sacrifi
cial pit. The sacrificial spoon or ladle is your tongue. Use that tongue to pour
the ghee of the Holy Name into the ears and then you will see how in your heart
the fire of bhakti will rise high and strong.
In other words, when we chant the Holy Name, we have to do it with absolute atte
ntion. We should be like priests, who sit before the yajna pit and chant the man
tras in order to invoke the presence of the Lord.
What a wonderful example.
Furthermore the devotees have to consciously sacrifice time, energy and give ful
l attention to their intention. Krishna will be pleased by this sacrifice beyond
measure and reward them with extra time and energy. If you have less time - cha
nt more! Yes, the more we give to Krishna the more He responds. Very important f
or those who chant is to access the area of the heart. It should not be just lip
s which are moving or feet which are dancing. No, chant from the heart. Our hear
t should move and our heart should dance. To enliven the heart in chanting is be
st done by chanting with a feeling of Radha Krishna sambandha or a relationship
to the Deities who are glorified in the maha-mantra. Think about the persons who
se name you chant. Think of Them in a loving way. Glorify Them, praise Them and
chant in a prayerful mood: "O Radha and Krishna, please engage me in Your servic
e. Please take residence in my heart and in my senses, so that I can be your pur
ified servant."
I wish you all the best in your efforts in this beautiful nama yajna!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CHANTING AND DANCING
Behind Lord Caitanya s dancing is an expression of the feeling "My dear Lord, I wa
nt to meet You."
When Krishna hears a devotee formulating the request "My dear Lord, I want to me
et You, I am now separated, but I want to meet You," He comes running from the s
piritual world into the life of the devotee.
This Caitanya bhakti is expressed in the chanting and dancing of Mahaprabhu. Som
etimes people say: "Why so much chanting and dancing?" It is the song of love an
d the dance of love that were brought by Caitanya Mahaprabhu into this world. Wh
at better way to spend life in prison than singing and dancing?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++
CHANTING THE HOLY NAME - THE SUPREME INTELLIGENCE OF THE INTELLIGENT
By Sacinandana Swami
The Bhagavatam tells us in its philosophical language:
The process of bhakti is the supreme intelligence of the intelligent and the cle
verness of the most clever, for by following it one can in this very life make u
se of the temporary and unreal body to achieve Me, the eternal reality. (SB 11.2
9.22)

Srila Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that this verse is the touchstone amon
gst verses and the essence of the Lords teachings. If this verse shines in ones he
art, such a person will shine in the assembly of devotees.
In the material world, one is considered to be intelligent if with a minimum inv
estment one achieves great results. For example, if one obtains one million gold
coins by investing only one coin, than such a person is considered to be highly
intelligent.
Krishna once told his friend Uddhava that amongst all those who are intelligent,
He considers his devotee to be the most intelligent, since by offering his/her
temporary body in devotional service - which is here today and gone tomorrow - i
t is possible to attain Him forever. Krishna said:
The inhabitants of planet earth, who are mortal, can become my devotees and offe
r me their bodies which are not worth much and which are prone to old age and di
sease. In exchange, I, the fountainhead of overflowing joy and sweetness, give M
yself to them together with my priceless ornaments, bracelets and crown.
Then He further clarifies:
Giving ones body to the Lord means to engage the ear and all other organs in serv
ing Me by nicely hearing and chanting my glories. If one can remember Me while d
oing this, it is even better. (Paraphrased from Srila Vishvanatha Cakravarti Tha
kuras commentary on the afore-mentioned verse and verse 12.3.51)
One can also engage the hands and other limbs in the service of the Lord, but th
e Lord is even attained if one just offers only one part of the body. The most u
seful part in this connection is the tongue because in this Age of Darkness, all
processes of devotional service bow down before the chanting of the Holy Names
of the Lord, which is considered the king of them all. Just as limbs are connect
ed to the body, all the processes of bhakti grow from chanting the Lords name.
Thus, Chanting alone includes all other practices, just as the body includes arm
s, hands, legs, feet and the head.
What intelligent person, therefore, will not engage himself/herself in nicely ch
anting the Names of the Lord?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ALIGNING BODY, MIND AND HEART IN THE PROCESS OF CHANTING
By Sacinandana Swami
Step 1:
ALIGN THE BODY AND YOUR IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT
Watch your posture and more important your pronunciation. Sit in a supportive en
vironment (before the deities, sacred pictures, tulasi, in the company of the de
votees and whoever and whatever else helps). Make sure you chant the entire mant
ra without missing even one syllable. If you chant on your prayers beads (japa),
make sure you complete each round in the proper time, not missing any mantra.
Step 2:
ALIGN THE MIND
In order to concentrate on the sound vibration of the holy name, enter or totally
connect with the mantra through the first Hare . After bringing the mind back to th
e first Hare again and again, you will find that your mind has developed the abili
ty to stay with the entire mantra each single name! Be patient - it will work! Giv
e it your best the Lord rewards those who try and surrender.
Step 3:
ALIGN THE HEART
Attentive chanting can bring blessings to your life that are hard to imagine. By
such chanting all obstacles to the pure name (shuddha-nama) can be effectively
removed if one more thing (the most important) is added. Namacharya Haridasa Tha
kura says (Hari-nama-cintamani, chapter 12):
Simply by one s own endeavor, no one in this world can overcome distractedness. Su
ch victory can only come about by your merciful blessings. Therefore, it is abso
lutely necessary to beg for your grace.
After all, deep experiences can only happen if the heart is involved. Thus chant

ing in a devotional and prayerful mood will attract the mercy of the Lord in his
magnanimous form of the holy name. Please don t be hesitant to give your heart to
the chanting.
In one of his songs, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura praises the mercy of the holy na
me by saying that just like the sun which rises in the East destroys all darknes
s, the holy name in his mercy, continuously rises on the horizon of the heart of
the chanter and thus removes the beginningless avidya (inner darkness), which i
s the source of material existence.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
KIRTAN - BINDING KRISHNA WITH IRON CHAINS
By Sacinandana Swami
Sanatana Goswami wrote:
"Hearing about Krishna from scripture and the lips of devotees is like binding H
im with thin silk. However, independent as He is, Krishna soon severs these thre
ads and moves away. We loose Him.
Meditating is a little bit more effective because it involves the king of the se
nses, the mind. So meditating is like binding the Lord with ropes, like those us
ed to bind a cow. However, Krishna cuts these ropes also, and goes somewhere els
e.
The bhakti of kirtana, however, binds Krishna as if with iron chains. The effect
of kirtana is that the mind can also be bound. Kirtana creates exquisite feelin
gs and then nothing has the power to pull the mind away. Krishna stays and does
His work of transformation. You thus become blissful."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES OF LORD GAURANGAS KIRTAN - PART 1
By Sacinandana Swami
There is one foundational principle of the Bhagavata philosophy, which is enacte
d and taught practically by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu during His earthly pastimes
. By understanding it you will be able to live and apply what Sri Caitanya Mahap
rabhu had come to teach us. This foundational principle is to establish a relati
onship with the Lord through the mood of separation. This is best practiced in k
irtan.
RECEIVING THE HOLY NAME
We have heard it so many times in order to receive the holy name we first need t
o become focused. By being mindful to the sound vibration of the holy name we wi
ll bring the mind into connection with Krishna. To do this we need to actually h
ear the mantra and stay with it all the time, which requires some focus, willing
ness, and prayer.
Our biggest problem however is that we feel disconnected and dry while applying ou
rselves to the practice of chanting. We try to focus our minds on the sound vibr
ation, but alas
the mind seems to be more difficult to control than the wind! Wh
at should we do? Where is our hope?
Our hope and solution lies in learning to chant in the mood of separation. This
feeling of separation from Krishna is possible for the conditioned soul because
we have turned away from Him.
How do we come to this mood? It is by feeling: Krishna, I really need You!
LEARNING FROM THE LIVES OF GREAT DEVOTEES
After the death of his mother, the five-year-old boy Narada Muni left his home a
nd went into the jungle. There, under a banyan tree, he sat down and meditated a
ccording to the instructions of the four great saints who had visited his home.
While Narada Muni was meditating under the banyan tree, the Lord appeared to him
.

Narada Muni was so overwhelmed by the darshan of the Lord, that he became so abs
olutely moved and lost both the vision of himself and the Lord. Everything disap
peared. He became frantic and most eager to see the Lord again, but the Lord sai
d to him:
I regret that during this lifetime you will not be able to see Me anymore. Those
who are incomplete in service and are not completely free from all material thin
gs can hardly see Me. Oh Narada Muni, you are virtuous. Only once you have seen
Me in person, and this is just to increase your desire for Me, because the more
you hanker for Me, the more you will be freed from all material desires.
(SB 1.6.21, 22)
When the Lord disappeared, Narada Muni was thrown into an ocean of abject inner
pain. Imagine what happens when a poor man receives a touchstone which can fulfi
ll all of his desires, and then all of a sudden loses it. What will this poor ma
n do? For the rest of his life, he will try to find this jewel again.
In the same way that Krishna disappeared from Narada Muni, He appears and disapp
ears from our lives as well. For example, He appears to us at the beginning of o
ur Krishna Consciousness by giving us some taste which is so strong that we leav
e the material world behind. Otherwise how could we attempt to live a life which
is completely different from what we had learnt and seen before? Krishna is pre
sent to some degree or another when we read the Bhagavatam. It is said that by r
eading the Bhagavatam the Lord appears within our hearts. To some degree or anot
her, we have experienced this as well. And Krishna also appears in our lives whe
n we sing kirtans. At other times we have feelings of deep appreciation and conn
ectedness. In this way we know Krishna is there.
But then He leaves us And we experience states of dryness, separation, disconnecte
dness, etc. In Christian theology, these phases are known as the dark nights of t
he soul. You feel desperate because you don t feel any love of Godhead left.
The question is what will you do then. Will you say: Oh, I ll get another Lord. Thi
s is just too much for me. Or will you understand I need to become purified now. T
here is a reason why the Lord does this to me. He wants to increase my hankering
for Him.
Don t despair! Understand Krishna s principle of wanting to increase your attachment
to Him.
Krishna said to the gopis: The reason I do not immediately reciprocate the affect
ion of living beings even when they worship Me, O gopis, is that I want to inten
sify their loving devotion. They then become like a poor man who has gained some
wealth and then lost it, and who thus becomes so anxious about it that he can t t
hink of nothing else.
[..] I acted as I did only to increase your attachment to Me. Even when I remove
d Myself from your sight by suddenly disappearing, I never stopped loving you. T
herefore, My beloved gopis, please do not harbour any bad feelings toward Me, yo
ur beloved. (SB 10.32.20, 21).
Let us see what Narada Muni did, when the Lord disappeared from Him: He became d
etermined to meet the Lord again and concluded, Thus I began chanting the holy na
me and fame of the Lord by repeated recitation, ignoring all the formalities of
the material world. Such chanting and remembering of the transcendental pastimes
of the Lord are benedictory. So doing, I traveled all over the earth, fully sat
isfied, humble and unenvious. (SB 1.6.26)
Let us also choose this response to Krishna s hiding and thus continue to worship
him in this mood of separation.
To be continued
(In the next part you will learn how to exactly chant in the mood of separation)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES OF LORD GAURANGAS KIRTAN - PART 2
By Sacinandana Swami

What we can learn from Narada Muni is that:

1) We need to take shelter in Krishna by chanting in the mood of separation and
2) We need to be in a humble and non-envious state of mind while chanting
Narada Muni expressed this in his own words:
Thus I began chanting the holy name and fame of the Lord by repeated recitation,
ignoring all the formalities of the material world. Such chanting and rememberin
g of the transcendental pastimes of the Lord are benedictory. In doing so, I tra
veled all over the world, fully satisfied, humble, and unenvious.
(SB 1.6.26)
THE MOOD OF SEPARATION
To come to this anticipating mood, or the mood of longing for Krishna, Krishna I
really need You you can do the following:
* Hear about Krishna from the Bhagavatam. In this way you will develop
your taste for Krishna.
* Serve the Bhagavatas - devotees who talk about and live by the example of
the Bhagavatam. They can infuse us with the bhakti, which they have for Krishna.
In his lecture on Nectar of Devotion, (Sri Vrindavan Dhama, Oct 20th 1972), Sril
a Prabhupada explains that to read regularly from our acaryas means to associate
with them and if we act accordingly, then we are serving their lotus feet .
By hearing the Bhagavatam and serving the devotee Bhagavata, we will come to und
erstand that we belong to Krishna. This understanding will make us turn to Krish
na for shelter. Hence a devotee will pray:
Ayi nanda tanuja kinkaram . . . My dear Lord, I am Your eternal servant, but some
how or other I have fallen into the ocean of this material world. Kindly pick me
up and fix me as a speck of dust at Your lotus feet.
(Siksastaka 5)
HUMILITY
Srila Prabhupada said in the purport to the text 1.6.26, that such devotees who
take the chanting of the Lord s names seriously have no desire for material gain.
Because they have the highest aim of life, going back to Godhead, they are never
envious of anyone, nor are they proud of being eligible to go back to Godhead
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu expresses the same principle in His Siksastaka (3), wher
e He says:
trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena kirtaniya sada hari
"One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking
oneself lower than the straw on the street, being more tolerant than a tree and
always ready to offer all respects to others. In such a state of mind one can ch
ant the holy name of the Lord constantly."
As we can see the way in which Narada Muni chanted fully satisfied, humble and no
n-envious , was also instructed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
We must be free from pride like the straw on the street that people trample upon
and
We must be non-envious - in the words of Mahaprabhu, we must respect others, not
be envious of them.
This instruction of Mahaprabhu does not refer only to social etiquette whereby w
e give respect to those higher than ourselves, Oh Sannyasi Maharaja, you are the be
st.. No, it means that we respect everyone, all souls without wanting anything el
se in return. So the next time we are disrespected, next time someone hurls insu
lts upon us, we should just understand that it is not worth our while to fight.
We want something much higher.
So let us get practical now!
1) When you sit down to chant your japa or kirtan, remember the Lord and how you
are now separated from Him. Turn to Him for shelter:
krsna, tomara hana yadi bale eka-bara
maya-bandha haite krsna tare kare para
My dear Lord Krsna, although I have forgotten You for so many long years in the m
aterial world, today I am surrendering unto You. I am Your sincere and serious s
ervant. Please engage me in Your service.

(CC M 22.33)
2) Then continue to chant by focusing on the maha-mantra. Try to hear each mantr
a all the while staying in the mood of longing.
3) When your mind starts to wander here and there and you cannot easily focus it
on the holy name, then come to a humble state of mind. You may pray to the Lord
, a prayer like:
aparadha-sahasra-bhajanam?
patitam bhima-bhavarnaodare?
agatim saranagatam hare?
krpaya kevalam atmasat kuru
O Hari! I am guilty of committing thousands and thousands of offenses thus I am d
rowning inside this terrible, turbulent ocean of material existence. I have lost
my way, but I desire to find the right path and so I have taken shelter of Your
lotus feet. Please accept me as Your own out of Your mercy alone.
(Stotra-ratna 48)
If you continue to chant in this way, chanting from the heart and thus connectin
g with the Lord, miracles will unfold!
To be continued
++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES OF LORD GAURANGAS KIRTAN - PART 3
By Sacinandana Swami
So far we have learnt from the example of Narada Muni how chanting in the mood o
f separation and in a humble state of mind forms the essence of our philosophy.
This is exactly what Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to teach us, by establishing H
is sankirtan movement:
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu met Isvara Puri in Gaya, He received the Gopal mant
ra, which is chanted to worship Krishna. As a result, He wanted to run to Vrinda
van to meet His Lord.
After travelling awhile, the Lord heard a voice from the sky a representative of t
he demigods saying, O crest-jewel of the twice-born, do not go to Vrindavana now. Y
ou will certainly go when the appropriate time comes. Now just return to Your ho
use in Navadvipa. You are the Lord of the spiritual world and have appeared with
Your associates to deliver the people of the world. When You distribute the wea
lth of ecstatic love of God, Your chanting will inundate innumerable universes.
We are Your servants, and thus we offer this reminder at Your lotus feet.
(CB Adi 17.129-132)
So by this higher intervention the Lord did not go to Vrindavan. He went back to N
avadvipa to start the sankirtana movement. After His return the devotees witness
ed a distinct change in His character, because instead of engaging them in diffi
cult debates, He was now crying Krishna! Krishna! Where are you?
The Lord wanted to explain to His devotees what had happened, thus He invited th
em to the cottage of Suklambara das on the banks of the Ganga. There He explaine
d how on His way back from Gaya, He came to Kanai Natshala where He had the dars
han of Krishna. He expressed in His own words:
There I saw a young, beautiful boy, with a glowing, dark complexion, blackish lik
e the bark of a tamal tree. His enchanting curly hair was decorated with wild fl
owers, a fresh garland of gunja berries, and a colourful peacock feather. His je
wellery and gems were so bright that I could not see Him properly. Thus it is im
possible for Me to describe the beauty of the delicately ornamented flute in His
hand. His soft lotus feet were adorned with attractive ankle bells. His strong,
graceful arms defeated the strength and beauty of blue pillars. How will I ever
be able to describe the wonder of His golden-yellow silk dhoti, His dangling fi
sh-shaped earrings, and His lotus-petal eyes with a beautiful, lazy expression?
He sweetly smiled as He approached Me, and after embracing Me, He suddenly ran a
way.
Sri Chaitanya then fainted. The devotees hastily picked Him up and chanted, Krish
na! Krishna! They pacified Him to some extent, but He could not remain calm. He c

ontinuously cried, Where is Krishna? Where is Krishna?

(Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-khanda 2.180 195)
"Nimai Pandit has become a great devotee," the devotees said. And then they said
to the Lord, "For one who associates with You, what is the value of Vaikuntha?
A single moment with You gives us the fruit of devotion. We are now all dependen
t on You. You are our leader now. You lead us in Kirtan."
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu then started his nocturnal kirtans in the house of Sriv
asa Pandit and chanted throughout the night. He said, "Why should we waste our n
ights with sleeping? Let s chant!"
So this is how it all started. This is the underlying mood, the mood of separati
on. In the words of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, "Where is Krishna?"
From Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu flows a river of the immortal nectar of bhakti. Anyo
ne who has taken a human form of life but does not take advantage of such a rive
r, but instead drinks the poison of material life is baffled in his opportunity.
(CC Adi 13.123)
Do you want to live? Then come to drink from the nectarine river of the Holy Nam
e. According to the Upanisads, we are all born in the ocean of nectar. We are no
t meant to be satisfied with anything else but nectar. This is our birthright.
By appearing in the land of Navadvipa, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu revealed the chan
ting of the Holy Names as the means of obtaining this nectar of immortality and
by taking on the role of a teacher He has revealed how to chant the Holy Names f
or the best results.
Gour-premanandi Hari Haribol!
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"There is no misery as great as attachment. There is no happiness as fine as det
achment."
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