Jiva Gosvami … says that Krsna, in His plenary expansion as Paramatma, is situated in the moving and the nonmoving entities as the Supersoul, so any neophyte devotee who simply gives his attention to the arca-murti, the form of the Supreme Lord in the temple, and does not respect other living entities is uselessly … Read more
The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment’s association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success. (CC Madhya 22.54) Association with a pure devotee for even half a moment in this material world is the greatest treasure for human society (CC Madhya 22.85) Pure devotional … Read more
I’m utterly convinced that the key to lifelong success is the regular exercise of a single emotional muscle: Gratitude. Thank you KRISHNA! My dear Lord, by Your causeless mercy I am awakened to consciousness, although I am only ten months old. For this causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the … Read more
“A Deliberation on the Methodology of Sadhu-sanga” by HDG Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, originally published in Sri Sajjana-toshani, 1917. Association is the basis of one’s nature A person’s nature is shaped by the company he keeps. In other words, a person develops a nature similar to that of whomever he associates with. The jiva’s association … Read more
I am very happy to see the new article on Sampradaya Sun by Raya Nitai dasa Vanacari on the new GBC ‘Parallel Lines of Authority’ paper. The points he made are very well presented and his article is well worth a careful reading. He has covered the main points very nicely, I just want to add one small observation.
When I joined ISKCON in 1986, the Zonal Acharya system was in full swing and ISKCON was preaching that their gurus were liberated, self-realized paramahamsas who were on the same level as Srila Prabhupada. At that time they had divided the planet into zones and in each zone, the ‘acharya’ was the supreme and absolute authority. In those days all the authority was with the Zonal Acharyas, and practically the GBC had no authority at all. Each zone was independently managed by the Zonal Acharya.
In the mid 80’s it became obvious to almost everyone that ISKCON’s so-called acharyas were not really pure devotees and were far, far below the transcendental platform of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Many of them fell down very publicly and embarrassingly for ISKCON. There was some confusion for some time and even a short period where many devotees in ISKCON rediscovered Srila Prabhupada and took shelter of him after their gurus fell down. Around 1996, in conjunction with Narayana Maharaja, the GBC published a paper stating that the guru does not have to be a pure devotee, does not have to be liberated, can be a conditioned soul, etc. Then the GBC elevated many of the devotees who were very anxious to get promoted to the platform of guru to the status of “non-liberated guru”. Soon there were more than 100 new ISKCON gurus.
A housewife who has a paramour continues to serve her husband while even absorbed in thoughts of her lover. In the same way the devotee submerged in Krishna consciousness routinely carries out his material activities, but in a spirit of devotion to Krishna.
Chapter Six, Journey of Self-Discovery, by HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.
“Contrary to popular belief, current statistics show that the earth produces enough food to easily support its entire population. Yet greed and exploitation force over twenty-five per cent of the world’s people to be underfed and undernourished. Srila Prabhupada condemns unnecessary industrialization for contributing to the problem of hunger and for creating unemployment, pollution, and a host of other problems. In the following speech, recorded on May 2, 1973, in Los Angeles, he advocates a simpler, more natural, God-centered lifestyle.
ime jana-padah svrddhah supakvausadhi-virudhah vanadri-nady-udanvanto hy edhante tava viksitaih
[Queen Kunti said:] “All these cities and villages are flourishing in all respects because the herbs and grains are in abundance, the trees are full of fruits, the rivers are flowing, the hills are full of minerals, and the oceans are full of wealth. And this is all due to Your glancing over them.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.40)
Human prosperity flourishes by natural gifts and not by gigantic industrial enterprises. The gigantic industrial enterprises are products of a godless civilization, and they cause the destruction of the noble aims of human life. The more we increase such troublesome industries to squeeze out the vital energy of the human being, the more there will be dissatisfaction of the people in general, although a select few can live lavishly by exploitation.
The natural gifts such as grains and vegetables, fruits, rivers, the hills of jewels and minerals, and the seas full of pearls are supplied by the order of the Supreme, and as He desires, material nature produces them in abundance or restricts them at times. The natural law is that the human being may take advantage of these godly gifts of nature and thus satisfactorily flourish without being captivated by the exploitative motive of lording it over material nature.
A Son helps his Mother Prepare for the Ultimate Test
ARE YOU READY to hear about a miracle? Don’t worry, I won’t bore you with yet another story about some pseudo-miracle-worker. This story is about a seventy-nine-year-old woman completely set in her ways who, at the most difficult time of death, had a change of heart that brought her from the brink of terror to tears of joy.
The woman was my mother. Born Nadine Alma Eastlack, she was conservative to the extreme. Her early life read like a chapter from John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath. Her family narrowly escaped the dust bowl by migrating from Grinnell, Kansas, to the “Promised Land” of Southern California, landing in the fire of the Great Depression. After struggling to put herself through college and marrying a minor war hero, Leslie Waldo Beck, she attained middle-class status.
While raising me, their only child, in the northern California town of Oroville, my parents both worked — he as a parts manager of a local car dealership, and she as a high school teacher of sewing, cooking, and home economics. My parents watched with pride as their only son excelled in music, scholarship, and athletics, achieving numerous awards culminating in the “Young Man of the Year Award” for the class of 1964 at Oroville High. After high school, I attended UCLA, graduating with honors in 1968 and landing my first job as assistant to the studio manager at Columbia Pictures. About a year later, however, shortly after sweeping my mother off her feet with a whirlwind tour of the studio, I left that promising career, disillusioned with the superficiality of the Hollywood scene.
“My creative urges aren’t being fulfilled,” I thought, so I packed up and moved north to San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district to pursue a career as a professional musician.
Madhudvisa: Is there any way for a Christian to, without the help of a spiritual master, to reach the spiritual sky through believing the words of Jesus Christ and trying to follow his teachings? Srila Prabhupada: I don’t follow. Tamal Krsna Goswami: Can a Christian in this age, without a spiritual master, … Read more
This video is a passionate appeal by Philip Wollen for a vegetarian diet. It covers most arguments ranging from the ecological to the ethical. Se the full debate on YouTube. Who is Philip Wollen? (Find out more on Wikipedia). “Philip was vice president of Citibank, specialising in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions. … Read more
