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Saturday, December 31, 2005 Broadcast from the Ecstatic Road Back to Godhead In the sublime association of the ISKCON devotees in Suva, Fiji =========================================================================== Genuine Spirituality by Surrendering to a Bona Fide Spiritual Master While we can easily accept the principle of loving God, we hesitate at the prospect of completely giving up our independence to do whatever He asks us to do. This means that our "love" for Him is not love in the strictest sense of the term. We have a sentiment for God, but we are still thinking in terms of of how He can facilitate our desires. This is not love. This is business. This mood does not bring satisfaction to the self. It is a greedy, self-centered imagined spirituality, which is nothing more than covered materialism in the name of God. This sort of so-called religion is now the modern day accepted norm of religion. Therefore in spite of so many churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques the entire world is being plunged more and more into chaos. This is why a spiritual master is required. He is the external manifestation of the Lord within us. Krishna instructs in the Bhagavad-gita that we must surrender to a bona fide spiritual master. By fully submitting ourselves to the instructions of the authentic guru we easily give up our false sense of independence and enter into the mood of genuine surrender unto the will of the Lord. This pure devotional mood will automatically bring about the much desired peace and prosperity in our lives and gradually will become more and more manifest throughout the world. Sankarshan das Adhikari =========================================================================== How Do You Have a Knack for Communication? Thank you so much for your kindness. Most of the time, it is not the idea or knowledge itself, but how it is presented that evokes clarity or feelings of confusion. How is it that you have such a knack for communication? Krishna's mercy and the mercy of Srila Prabhupada! Humbly, Milind =========================================================================== I Can Take No Credit Whatever knack that I may be blessed with for communicating the science of Krishna is, as you say, simply due to the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Sri Krishna. I can take no credit in this regard. If I have any credit at all, it is just that I have always tried to faithfully serve the order of my spiritual master. This is the secret of success in spiritual life. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Top of Page |
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Friday, December 30, 2005 Broadcast from the Ecstatic Road Back to Godhead In the sublime association of the ISKCON devotees in Suva, Fiji =========================================================================== Becoming the Most Responsible Person Becoming Krishna conscious does not mean to become irresponsible. It means to become the most responsible person in the human society. A devotee takes the responsibility to do the highest good for all living beings by making his own life perfect and teaching the science of Krishna consciousness for the benefit of all living beings. Sankarshan das Adhikari =========================================================================== Does a Devotee Have to Cut Off All Loving Relationships? I have a number of questions I wanted to ask you. I am so sorry for the number and how abruptly I threw them onto you, but I was hoping you'd be able to enlighten me on the things that are confusing me right now: 1: I have read somewhere the following: "My dear friend, if you are indeed attached to your worldly friends, do not look at the smiling face of Lord Govinda." Does this mean that in order to become a true devotee you must sever all ties to your friends and loved ones? You cannot become close to anyone? That leads into my next question: 2: Is it truly necessary to become indifferent to all things on earth to become close to Krishna? There are some that say that the Lord should be put before all else, which I agree with, but there are those that seem to glorify total isolation from people and things in order to be one with Sri Krishna. In my opinion, if you don't mind me voicing it, I think becoming close to people on this earth and touching their lives and allowing them to touch yours would be one of the ways to become closer to Krishna. You're feeling His love through others, and you're sharing the love and compassion He gave you with them, thus bonding each other to each other, and becoming closer to God through the shared love of each other and the Lord. I understand how people find it necessary to try to give up material possessions that are unimportant and temporary, that drag us farther from the Lord by taking over our lives, but are people just material possessions? We are all creations of the Lord. We are here because He wills us to be here. So why not be together, sharing each other's love? Is it really considered necessary to destroy all friendships to devote yourself to Krishna? 3: Is there any right time of day to chant? I've heard it's best to chant in the morning, because it's the purest point of the day, but is there really a right time? and is it mandatory to chant 16 rounds? I'm just curious; the most I've chanted is 4 rounds- should I keep doing that or try to up it? Thank you so much, Hare Krishna Your student =========================================================================== A Devotee is the Most Loving Person A Krishna conscious person is actually more loving and close than anyone else because he or she relates to others on the factual platform of existence, the spiritual platform. The entire human society is currently in the deep dark delusion of bodily identification, taking the body to be the self. A devotee distances himself from this illusory consciousness and dedicates his life fully to saving himself and others from this illusion. Such a person naturally no longer delights in those things which bind one to the false conception of the self. Rather he delights in those things which bring one into actual consciousness of the self. He renders the greatest loving service to the suffering humanity by spreading the ultimate science of the self-realization, Krishna consciousness, all over the world. Chanting can be done any time of the day, but the early morning hours are the most conducive time for chanting. Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita that we should chant 24 hours daily. Therefore it will be very pleasing to Him if you can increase your chanting to at least 16 rounds daily. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Top of Page |
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Thursday, December 29, 2005 Broadcast from the Ecstatic Road Back to Godhead In the sublime association of the ISKCON devotees in Suva, Fiji =========================================================================== Developing Krishna Prema, Pure Love for God The perfection of consciousness is to develop Krishna prema, pure love of God. In such a state of mind one can see the Lord constantly within and without. In this regard Srila Prabhupada explains, "Lord Sri Krishna's name, fame, pastimes, etc., cannot be understood by material senses. Only to one who is engaged in pure devotional service under proper guidance is He revealed. In the Brahma-samhita (5.38) it is stated, premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti: one can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, always within himself and outside himself if one has developed the transcendental loving attitude towards Him." This is the supreme perfection of existence. One becomes re-situated in one's eternal constitutional position. Anything else we may accomplish is temporary at best. Krishna prema is the one attainment which can be retained eternally. Sankarshan das Adhikari =========================================================================== Why Krishna Has Not Come Now? I live in in India. I have been reading the queries readers are posing and the replies you give them with almost unbelievable patience. I have a query which nobody has explained so far. I have seen it in many movies and have also read the sloka in the Bhagavad-gita in which the Lord has said that He will appear whenever adharma (irreligion) outweighs dharma (religion.) Obviously and without any doubt, the degree of inhuman and immoral activity of the day is exponentially more than what the Kauravas did 5,000 years ago to prompt Krishna's appearance at that time. Everywhere we see the world situation is so much more corrupt both qualitatively and quantitatively than it was in the ancient times when Lord Rama and Lord Krishna appeared. What prevents the Lord from stopping this cruelty and criminality exhibited by human beings against fellow human beings, animals and trees?. This aspect has been puzzling me for quite too long. Also, can I abandon my family (maybe after providing for their lifetime needs) and get out in search of a spiritual master? Please forgive me if there is anything that would indicate arrogance or disrespect in the tone of my query. I request you to clarify as soon as it is convenient. Yours truly, Sastry =========================================================================== Krishna Has Come Now as the Krishna Consciousness Movement Krishna has come again to put an end to adharma. He has appeared now in the form of the Krishna consciousness movement to neutralize the effects of Kali yuga and bring a 10,000 year golden era of spirituality. You should not abandon your family. You may remain with your family and at the same time fully submit yourself to the lotus feet of the bona fide spiritual master. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Top of Page |
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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 Broadcast from the Ecstatic Road Back to Godhead In the sublime association of the ISKCON devotees in Suva, Fiji =========================================================================== Remaining Always Steadily Absorbed in Krishna Consciousness In this material world we are constantly being exposed to so many varieties of ups and downs. These are called the dualities of material existence. Sometimes we are sick. Sometimes we are healthy. Sometimes we have money. Sometimes we don't. Sometimes people are appreciating us. Sometimes they are criticizing us. We must master the art of how to be steady in all varieties of up and down situations. We can do so by seeing the arrangement of the Lord at every step. We should never be intoxicated by material happiness, nor should we be devastated by material distress. We simply must see how Krishna is arranging everything for our purification, for our advancement upon the path of Krishna consciousness. This steadiness of mind will enable us to always take shelter of Krishna's holy names in all varieties of situations: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare Sankarshan das Adhikari =========================================================================== Bhagavad-gita Sold on the Roadsides? Is it right for ISKCON devotees to sell sacred books like Bhagavad-gita on road-sides? Does it earns respect, for our life-saving Bhagavad-gita, when devotees approach a car and the driver winds up the window? Or listening to 'No' again and again from the ignorant world for Bhagavad-gita? I think people will come to Krishna eventually as there's simply no other way to get out of this hellish universe. Please correct me if I am wrong. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare Pankaj =========================================================================== You Should Be Glorifying the Devotees I appreciate very much your humble spirit of asking to be corrected if you are wrong. Thank you for being a gentleman. Your idea that everyone will come to Krishna automatically is not correct. Unless one can be blessed by the mercy of a devotee, who plants the seed of bhakti within his heart, one will remain perpetually in the cycle of birth and death. There is no more solid way to receive the bhakti seed within the heart than to receive a copy of the Bhagavad-gita. Therefore those devotees who sacrifice all personal comfort for distributing the Bhagavad-gita anywhere and everywhere to everyone they meet are the dearmost servitors of the Lord. For them spiritual perfection is guaranteed and anyone who takes advantage of their loving kindness is also guaranteed to achieve spiritual perfection. On all sides we are being solicited by the Kali yuga to become more and more degraded. Therefore the devotees dedicate their lives fully to making the teachings of Lord Krishna as available as possible for the fallen, conditioned souls of this age. Do we criticize a doctor for going to an epidemic area to innoculate the people against a dangerous disease? Of course not. We greatly applaud his efforts. Similarly, instead of criticizing the devotees of the Lord who risk all dangers even up to the point of death for distributing the teachings of Lord Sri Krishna, you should be glorifying them for their compassionate, heroic activities. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Top of Page |
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Tuesday, December 27, 2005 Broadcast from the Ecstatic Road Back to Godhead In the sublime association of the ISKCON devotees in Suva, Fiji =========================================================================== Krishna Consciousness at Pacific Harbor Yesterday was a national holiday, Boxing Day, here in Fiji. It is a day set aside so everyone can watch the world championship boxing match on television or hear it on the radio. Since devotees have no interest in Boxing Day the Suva temple rented a large bus and organized a picnic at a beautiful spot on the ocean known as Pacific Harbor. After several devotees erected a small tent on the beach, the 50 or 60 devotees and guests gathered in and around the tent for a Hare Krishna kirtan and to hear a short lecture I gave on how to dive into and swim eternally in the ocean of unlimited bliss. After the lecture by popular demand we had another Hare Krishna kirtan and then the tent emptied out as practically everyone when to dive into the ocean of salt. A small handful of us stayed in the tent for a prolonged nectarean dive into the ocean of bliss by discussing various Krishna conscious topics. Then one devotee named Yugala Kishore Das came forward with a guitar. I thought I would try strumming on the guitar and singing an English rendition of Hari Hari Viphale by Narottam das Thakur. In English we call it "Uselessly," and the lyrics go like this: Although I've come to this human form, My Lord, I've spend my life uselessly. I did not care for Radha and Krishna, So I shall swallow poison foolishly. So foolishly. Hare Krishna mantra comes straight from Krishnaloka, But with chanting I have no connection. Day and night I'm burning in this dark world Without working to make the correction. No correction. Lord Krishna comes as Saci's son. Balarama descends as Nitai. By chanting the wretched have all been saved, Including Jagai and Madhai. Oh, my Lord, Oh son of King Nanda, Together with Vrishabanu's daughter. I've got no shelter but Radha and Krishna, Humbly prays Narottam Das Thakur. Um huh huh. Although I've come to this human form, My Lord, I've spend my life uselessly. I did not care for Radha and Krishna, So I shall swallow poison foolishly. So foolishly. I did not care for Radha and Krishna, So I shall swallow poison foolishly. So foolishly. So foolishly. It was badly out of tune and the strings were in pretty bad shape. I did not have guitar pick so I tried different objects for strumming to see what would work the best. I tried a business card, but I knew it would disintegrate before the song was over. I tried a piece of a plastic box, but it disintegrated after 60 seconds. Finally I settled on a plastic spoon and we spontaneously cranked out a new arrangement of "Uselessly." Even though I was already hoarse, I did the vocal part and played the guitar while Yugala Kishore accompanied me on the Mridanga drum. After a few bars it sounded so sweet I decided to turn on the MP3 recorder so I could share it with everyone who receives "Thought for the Day?" We started again from the beginning. The recording was pretty rough with a lot of distortion coming in from the drum and background noise. But there was so much spontaneous enthusiasm and joy in it, in spite of it's being a million light years away from studio quality, that I decided to upload it to the Internet anyway so you can hear it. If we get enough positive feedback we can take it into the recording studio and redo it under ideal recording conditions and put it our next CD. Let us know what you think. Here it is: http://www.backtohome.com/song.MP3 Sankarshan das Adhikari =========================================================================== I Need Your Guidance I have been reading the Bhagavad-gita and chanting 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily on japa beads, but recently I have been feeling that because I am still egotistical and hot-tempered I do not deserve to read the Bhagavad-gita. My husband keeps telling me, "You read the Bhagavad-gita. What is the use, if you don't follow it?" I feel that I am only bringing disgrace to the holy book. I think every day that I am going to be more tolerant, but at the end of the day I am still the same. I also want to ask you what is the difference between being egotistical and protecting your self respect. If somebody is treating your badly or taking advantage of your niceness, is it wrong to teach them a lesson? Thank you for your time and consideration. Hare Krishna =========================================================================== Though We are Undeserving, We Must Accept the Lord's Mercy Your idea of not deserving to read Bhagavad-gita is correct. None of us the deserve the mercy of Lord Krishna because we all purposely abandoned His service in the spiritual world to come here to try to enjoy separately from Him. But in spite of our not deserving His mercy, we must accept it because this is our only hope of ever developing saintly qualities and regaining our original position in the spiritual world. If you stop reading the Bhagavad-gita because you think you do not deserve it, you will be giving the greatest displeasure to Lord Krishna. He wants us to read it regularly, chant at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra daily, and qualify ourselves for returning to our original home, His eternal abode. If someone is taking advantage of a devotee's humbleness by disrespecting him, that devotee should train them not to do that. The devotee does not do this out of a spirit of pride. Rather he or she does this out of kindness for the offending person to benefit them in their spiritual progress. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Top of Page |
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Monday, December 26, 2005 Broadcast from the Ecstatic Road Back to Godhead In the sublime association of the ISKCON devotees in Suva, Fiji =========================================================================== A Not So Merry Christmas Without Christ Yesterday after I gave the Sunday feast lecture at our Suva, Fiji temple I was driven by Jairam Prabhu to give another Sunday feast lecture at ISKCON's center in Nausori. Along the way I was seeing Fijian youth along the roadway on what is supposed to be the happiest day of the year, Christmas day. It was obvious from their faces that they were very morose and unsatisfied with life. This was very sad to see. If even on Christmas day they were not happy, then what is their normal condition? Why is it that people are so unhappy in this material world? The answer is quite simple. In spite of the fact that we are eternal spiritual beings, servants of God, we neglect our Krishna consciousness or Christ consciousness or Allah consciousness to pursue a life of material sense gratification. What is the point of giving all of our service to a perishable material body? It can compared to flushing our money down the toilet. Such a life of investing all of our energy in serving something other than ourselves must by its very nature be frustrating and unfulfilling. Sankarshan das Adhikari =========================================================================== Lifted Up Hare Krishna Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Thank You again for Your letter, it really lifted me up from the ignorance to which I had fallen. Today I woke up at 4am and chanted the full sixteen rounds. I really woke up to understand how sleepy and dizzy I have been during the past weeks. Thank you very much, Your student =========================================================================== Passing On Srila Prabhupada's Mercy Srila Prabhupada has lifted me up from the depressing dense darkness of delusion and has ordered me to do the same for others. I am very happy that my humble attempt to purely pass on to you the mercy I have received from Srila Prabhupada has had some uplifting effect. If we make a habit of rising early by 4am, taking bath, and enthusiastically chanting the names of the Lord, the consciousness-dulling effects of the material mode of ignorance can be quickly and easily overcome. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Top of Page |
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Sunday, December 25, 2005 Broadcast from the Ecstatic Road Back to Godhead In the sublime association of the ISKCON devotees in Suva, Fiji =========================================================================== The Messiah's Second Coming The Krishna consciousness movement is meant to lead the world out of chaos into a new age of peace and prosperity. Because of the perfect example and expert teachings of its founder-acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, it is fully equipped to do so. Some people are awaiting the second coming of the Messiah for bringing the kingdom of God to this world. They do not realize that the second coming has already fully manifested in the form of the Krishna consciousness movement for the respiritualization of the entire human society. Any person who fully adopts a life of Krishna consciousness and dedicates everything for spreading it all over the world becomes a true Messiah for delivering the suffering humanity from the clutches of illusion. Sankarshan das Adhikari =========================================================================== Questions from a Sincere Seeker 1. By surrender all doubts and all sufferings are removed. Is that correct? 2. More importantly, the guru is situated beyond the material energy? 3. How do you know if you are not being cheated by a false guru? 4. If the guru's guru is absent, then how do you know you are not being cheated anyway? Could one's guru not fall down and cheat you? Maybe this is not asked properly...Srila Prabupada is gone, so how does your guru serve in absence without falling down? (You mentioned the worship of the mind in your last e-mail and I thought it was insightful. Thus, the aforementioned question.) 5. Having no knowledge beyond the material world places us at a disadvantage; we have no knowledge of that sphere of activity and must have faith in a guru who declares it to us. Are you saying surrender is not full even if we pray for healing- or serving in this sphere? Or any activity for that matter? 6. Would it not be better to see God and be convinced? Who wants to serve a God that is not real? Hare Krishna! =========================================================================== Answers According to the Vedic Conclusion Question 1. By surrender all doubts and all sufferings are removed. Is that correct? Answer: Yes. Surrender is gradually accomplished by devoted regular practice of sadhana bhakti. To the extent that we have mastered the art of surrender, to that extent we become free from doubts and unaffected by the sufferings of this material existence. Question 2. More importantly, the guru is situated beyond the material energy? Answer: The spiritual master is that person who connects us with the spiritual energy. He purely represents the scriptures and the previous acharyas. He may be situated beyond the material energy or he may not be situated beyond the material. If he always faithfully serves the orders of his guru, he is as good as being situated beyond the material energy, and he can deliver you. By dint of his complete surrender to his spiritual masters he is empowered with divine potency for delivering his disciples from the cycle of birth and death. Question 3. How do you know if you are not being cheated by a false guru? Answer: Read Srila Prabhupada's books and see if the spiritual master is purely practicing and representing the teachings of Srila Prabhupada. Question 4a. If the guru's guru is absent, then how do you know you are not being cheated anyway? Could one's guru not fall down and cheat you? Answer: Srila Prabhupada's books are there. They are the standard by which you can judge the legitimacy of the spiritual master. Guru means he cannot fall down. But sometimes in Vaisnava history we see that sometimes someone takes the post of guru without having the qualification. Such persons are not really gurus. It is up to the disciple to be very careful before choosing a spiritual master. The prospective disciple should carefully study Srila Prabhupada's books and develop a very deep understanding of who is a bona fide guru. He should pray very sincerely to the Supreme Lord to guide him for finding a bona fide spiritual master. If the spiritual seeker is genuine, the Lord within his heart will give him all good guidance for finding a bona fide spiritual master and fully surrendering at his lotus feet. Question 4b: Maybe this is not asked properly...Srila Prabhupada is gone, so how does your guru serve in absence without falling down? (You mentioned the worship of the mind in your last e-mail and I thought it was insightful. Thus, the aforementioned question.) Answer: Your spiritual master constantly associates with Srila Prabhupada by being unflinchingly devoted to his instructions. He is never separated from Srila Prabhupada. Because he is constantly taking shelter of Srila Prabhupada at every second he cannot fall down. Question 5. Having no knowledge beyond the material world places us at a disadvantage; we have no knowledge of that sphere of activity and must have faith in a guru who declares it to us. Are you saying surrender is not full even if we pray for healing- or serving in this sphere? Or any activity for that matter? Answer: Again, Srila Prabhupada's books are there to give you everything you need to know. Full surrender is a very, very advanced position. It takes time and training, years of dedicated practice, to gradually master the art of full surrender. Our surrendering process does not actually begin until we submit ourselves as the eternal servant of a bona fide spiritual master. Until then we are at best simply getting ready to begin the process of surrender. Question 6. Would it not be better to see God and be convinced? Who wants to serve a God that is not real? Answer: Yes. You must learn how to see God in everything. This will help you. This is why Krishna says that He is the taste of water and the light of the sun and the moon. Seeing means not only with the eyes. Just like if I make some homemade ice cream and you say that you would to see how it tastes. Your seeing of the taste of the ice cream will be with your tongue. Similarly we see God especially by the tongue, by chanting Hare Krishna and tasting Krishna prasadam. The Krishna consciousness movement condemns blind following. It teaches you to directly experience God with your senses and your mind at every minute in all places and circumstances. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Top of Page |
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Saturday, December 24, 2005 Broadcast from the Ecstatic Road Back to Godhead In the sublime association of the ISKCON devotees in Suva, Fiji =========================================================================== How to Attain Unlimited Happiness Are you tired of suffering in mediocrity? You are meant to achieve true and lasting greatness by reviving the dormant enlightened consciousness which has been there sleeping within you for millions and millions of lifetimes. If you will simply agree to chant the holy names of the Lord under the expert guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, we can assure you that you will quickly taste the sweetest happiness, and you will gradually come to the stage of unlimited happiness. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare Sankarshan das Adhikari =========================================================================== Who is the "I?" This soul is still wandering in this planet earth without settling down to continue to chant and remember the Lord and glorify His name and pastimes. There is a question coming up to this soul. Who is the "I"? Why everybody is representing themselves as "I." When this body is a perishable one and temporary why the "I" is used to represent various actions. Kindly guide this fallen soul as it is more confused as the age is going up now. It is nearing 67 years of stay on this planet earth. Kindly pardon this soul for its inability to perform the sadhana faithfully and to your expectations. Maybe its past actions are so abominable that in the present life it is put into lots of inconveniences that it is forced to walk away from the Lord's remembrance. Kindly help this soul to leave this body peacefully with less disturbances to neighbors. =========================================================================== The "I" is Real. He is the Eternal Servant of Krishna. Your mind is badly polluted with impersonal philosophy. Kindly try to carefully understand that for many long years you have had a completely erroneous conception regarding the nature of the self, the "I." We cannot attribute lack of the Lord's remembrance to our past sinful actions. No matter how abominable our past karma may be, we always have the full power to overcome our past karma by taking complete shelter of the remembrance of the Lord. "I" is the sense of personal identity. "I" is real. It is not false. The impersonalist philosophers propagate the false conception that the "I" is false. Nothing could be further from the the truth. Know for sure and certain on the authority of the Vedic wisdom that the "I" is not false. This is confirmed by Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita as follows: na tv evaham jatu nasam na tvam neme janadhipah na caiva na bhavisyamah sarve vayam atah param "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be." Bhagavad-gita 2.12 The false thing is when the "I" identifies himself as being the material body. The "I" is not the material body. The material body is a merely a covering being worn by the "I", just like today you are wearing a brown shirt and tomorrow you are wearing a yellow shirt. You are not the shirt. This denial of the "I" as being the shirt does not mean that the "I" is false. The shirt is real and the wearer of the shirt is real. The only falsity is when the "I" thinks that he is the shirt. In your correspondence with me you have constantly denied the reality of the "I." This is a big mistake on your part. This denial of the "I" is the reason that you have not been able to take up the pathway of Krishna consciousness seriously. Now your body is growing very old and sickly and you are having many difficulties because of this. Your body may die at any time. Now is that time for you with great force to kick out of your brain this false conception that the "I" is false. The "I" is real. The "I" is an eternal individual spiritual being, and eternal servitor of Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By stubbornly holding on to the impersonal conception for so many long years you have denied Lord Sri Krishna of the love that He has been desiring to receive from you. So now you must firmly and fully reject impersonal philosophy once and for all and fully surrender yourself as an eternal individual "I" who is the servant of Krishna. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Top of Page |
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Friday, December 23, 2005 Broadcast from the Ecstatic Road Back to Godhead In the sublime association of the ISKCON devotees in Suva, Fiji =========================================================================== |
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Thursday, December 22, 2005 Broadcast from the Ecstatic Road Back to Godhead In the sublime association of the ISKCON devotees in Suva, Fiji =========================================================================== Tasting the Nectar in Suva, Fiji After a grueling five hour (not air-conditioned) bus ride from Tavua in the mid day heat on a gravel road through the beautiful mountains we finally arrived in Fiji's capital, Suva. (They call it the King's Highway.) We were greeted by His Grace Jai Rama Prabhu, ISKCON Suva's temple president. Since we were hungry he first took us for a complimentary lunch at one of the five Hare Krishna restaurants that he manages here in Suva. I don't know of any city in the world so that is so well covered with five Hare Krishna restaurants. Suva appears to be in a league all of its own in this regard. After a delightful lunch with many varieties of vegetable preparations we sampled the restaurant's home made ice cream. I sampled Banana and Passion Fruit. They were both inconceivably sublime. From there it was only a five minute ride to the temple. We are now nicely situated in our quarters and I am getting geared up for 11 exciting days of preaching the science of Krishna consciousness. In the morning I will be giving a class on the first canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. In the evenings I will be giving a series of two-hour seminars on the following topics and more: Pure Devotional Service, Loving the Vaisnavas, Preaching is the Essence, Turning Your Home into a Temple, and the Guru-Disciple Relationship. Were it not for the mercy of my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, and his most wonderful followers I would not be able to taste such sweet happiness. I am eternally indebted to them. I humbly bow down at their feet. I am also indebted to you, my readers, because it is you who inspire me like anything to keep writing the glories of Lord Krishna and the most sublime Bhakti Yoga system. May you all be blessed with the ultimate success and happiness of Krishna consciousness. Sankarshan das Adhikari =========================================================================== Suffering Without Pain Why do we have so many sufferings in life? Are all these sufferings due to our past bad karma? Does our karma make our destiny, or can we change it? If yes, please guide me how can we change our destiny. What should we do so that we can come through our sufferings without pain? Regards, Hitesh =========================================================================== The End of All Pain and Suffering Every single bit of suffering we endure is due to our bad karma. We are helplessly carried along on the karmic conveyor belt of material destiny. However, anytime you want out of this nightmare you can immediately leave it. All you have to do is to surrender fully at the lotus feet of Sri Krishna. Suffering means pain. There is no question of suffering without pain. If you want to end your pain, you must end your suffering by completely surrendering at the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna. He will free you from all of your past karma. sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear." Bhagavad-gita 18.66 Sankarshan Das Adhikari Top of Page |
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Wednesday, December 21, 2005 Broadcast from the Ecstatic Road Back to Godhead In the sublime association of the ISKCON devotees in Tavua, Fiji =========================================================================== Krishna Consciousness is the Real Paradise Even though I am here in this material paradise of Fiji I am seeing that people are frustrated and miserable here just like they are everywhere else. Whenever we are on the platform of sense gratification we must suffer. Whenever we are on the platform of Krishna consciousness we enjoy like anything. By the grace of my beloved spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, wherever I go, whether it is material heaven or hell, I am enjoying the sweetest happiness of being absorbed in Krishna consciousness. This is not due to any of my own personal qualifications, for I have none. It is simply due to the unalloyed kindness of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, my eternal guru. As I compose "Thought for the Day" I am sitting here under a mango tree surrounded by a variety of fruit bearing trees: breadfruit, papaya, coconut, and orange to name a few. Everywhere in this area are Frangipani (Plumeria) trees yielding thousands of the most beautiful fragrant flowers. Around me many birds are chirping. On my laptop computer as I compose these words I am hearing an amazingly mystical recording of Srila Prabhupada singing the Siksastakam. On three sides are lush mountains magnificently situated against a backdrop of a crystal clear fresh air blue sky with many varieties of clouds of all shapes, sizes, and colors. On the fourth side is the Pacific Ocean. To finish off the nice atmosphere is an incredibly cooling soothing breeze coming down from the mountains like a wonderful massage to bring perfect comfort to this serene setting. But in spite of all this I feel equally blissful on an austere cold, gray day in downtown Riga, Latvia. Why? Because in both places my business is the same: to cultivate and propagate Krishna consciousness 24 hours daily. In this connection Lord Sri Krishna has very aptly stated: brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate param "One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me." ---Bhagavad-gita 18.54 Sankarshan das Adhikari =========================================================================== Being In Love in Krishna's Abode How does being in love with someone manifest in Krishna's abode? Drebra =========================================================================== Falling Completely Head Over Heels In Love With Krishna Being in love with someone manifests in Krishna's abode in its original perfect form by your being totally head over heels in love with Krishna. In this connection Srila Prabhupada states, "The pure souls are eternally in love with Krishna, and this permanent love, either as a servant, a friend, a parent or a conjugal lover, is not at all difficult to revive. Especially in this age, the concession is that simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra one revives his original relationship with God and thus becomes so happy that he does not want anything material." Now you kindly make your life perfect by falling completely in love with Krishna. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Top of Page |
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Tuesday, December 20, 2005 Broadcast from the Ecstatic Road Back to Godhead In the sublime association of the ISKCON devotees in Tavua, Fiji =========================================================================== We've Made a Hell Out of Paradise Being here in these astoundingly beautiful Fiji Islands reminds me of the reality that Krishna has given us this entire world as a paradise in which we can live happily in His service and then return to our original paradisial home in the spiritual world. Unfortunately because we are so covered by lust, anger, and greed we have transformed this heavenly wonderland into a hellish dungeon where we must struggle like beasts of burden just to have a place to sleep and some food to eat. What a pathetic waste of the human form of life! If we would simply live in harmony with God's laws we could easily cover all of our material necessities with the bare minimum of endeavor and have so much time and energy for diving ever deeper into that sweet ocean of Lord Sri Krishna's unlimited names, fame, forms, pastimes, teachings, qualities, entourage, and paraphernalia. My Dear Krishna, You're so kind to me. So mercifully You've set me free. Can I ever repay Your love, When all that I do is just not enough? I've no choice but to eternally renew My pledge be true to You. Sankarshan das Adhikari =========================================================================== Proper Balance Between Student Life and Spiritual Life. Its very good to get your realizations every day in the form of "Thought for the Day." I am very glad to be enrolled in this self-realization course. I would like to beg some mercy from you. Can you please help me maintain my spiritual life? I seriously want to be part of the spiritual world. Please suggest to me a best way to surrender to the lotus feet of Krishna and at the same time maintain a proper balance between my student life and my spiritual life. Thank you, Sadiskhya =========================================================================== 16 Rounds of Hare Krishna Japa Before Sunrise. Don't study late at night. Go to bed early and rise early. Chant 16 rounds of Hare Krishna japa mala before the sunrise. Then do your homework. Your grades will improve and you will become a spiritually enlightened being. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Top of Page |
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Monday, December 19, 2005 Broadcast from the Ecstatic Road Back to Godhead In the sublime association of the ISKCON devotees in Tavua, Fiji =========================================================================== Back to Fiji, the Abode of Kaliya Today at 5:40am we arrived at Fiji's Nadi airport touching down just as the sun was rising over the beautiful mountains magnificently visible over the right wing of our 747. On the flight which took off from Melbourne at midnight Mataji and I were both very fortunate. By Krishna's grace we both were able to get empty seats to stretch out on. Mataji grabbed a three seat row and I decided to follow suit and grabbed another row. By this stroke of Krishna's mercy we were able to get a little bit of decent sleep on that overnight flight. This morning on the way from the airport to our first residence in Tavua we stopped at ISKCON's temple in Lautoka. The deity chosen by Srila Prabhupada for this temple was Krishna dancing on the hoods of the Kaliya serpent. Hence the temple is known as the Krishna-Kaliya Mandir. Fiji is very special place. This is the place where 5,000 years ago the gigantic Kaliya serpent came after being driven away from Vrindavan by Lord Krishna. According to a centuries-old local legend there is a gigantic, many-hooded snake said to be living in a cave in the interior of one of Fiji's Islands. Srila Prabhupada confirmed that this is snake is indeed the same Kaliya. When Vasudeva Prabhu, one of original disciples of Srila Prabhupada in Fiji, told Srila Prabhupada that are no snakes in Fiji, Srila Prabhupada replied, "Oh? Kaliya must be there." After being chastised by Lord Krishna, Kaliya became a pure devotee. Hence Fiji is doubly blessed. Two of Krishna's most exalted devotees have blessed Fiji by their presence here: Srila Prabhupada and the Kaliya serpent. After crossing over various mountains we finally arrived in Tavua. This town is always a place of wonderful remembrance for me. It was here in 1998 that I took an electric keyboard into the heart of downtown every day and chanted the Hare Krishna mantra. I am not talking about a major city. Tavua is a small village. A mere 100 yards from the center of downtown are the sugar cane fields. Downtown is the crossroads of the Queens Highway and Goldfield Road. Both of them are two lane roads. It consists of some thirty or so shops. Many of the merchants have their shop in the front and their residence right behind the shop. This makes for a pretty mellow commute to work and helps keeps the pristine fresh air of Fiji from getting polluted by exhaust fumes. Everyone in the downtown area became attracted by the kirtan. My regular keyboard kirtans became a daily sensation for the villagers. I was so inspired by this experience that after this 1998 visit to Fiji I decided to produce my first CD, "From Hare Krishna With Love." You can hear and download a free sample track at: http://ultimateselfrealization.com/store/hkwl.htm Stay tuned for more nectar coming to you tomorrow from Fiji. Sankarshan das Adhikari =========================================================================== Is It Wrong to Follow the Sports News? I have a habit of following what is new in the world of sports, I like reading sports news in the newspaper and watching sport news on television. Is this habit wrong? Regards, Sunil R.V. from Mumbai, India =========================================================================== It's More Fun to Be the News than It Is to Watch the News You are free to follow whichever world you want. By doing so, that is the world you will attain. I choose to attain the spiritual world, therefore I am always following the news and sports of the spiritual world. In this connection I've a got a special insider's secret that I would like to share with you: It's more fun to be the news than it is to watch the news. If you will fully dedicate your life to the re-spiritualization of your own heart and the entire global society you will be the news at every minute with your every thought, word, and deed. Your own activities will be so enlivening and exciting that if someone forced you to watch the sports news you would become restless and bored. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Top of Page |
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Sunday, December 18, 2005 Broadcast from the Ecstatic Road Back to Godhead In the sublime association of the ISKCON devotees in Melbourne, Australia =========================================================================== Last Day in Ecstatic ISKCON Melbourne ISKCON's center in Melbourne has an incredibly sweet atmosphere. From the temple president to the new devotees, everyone that we've met here has been very warm and friendly. To hear, chant, and discuss the glories of Krishna and the glorious process of Krishna consciousness in the presence of such enlightened and enlivened persons is indeed a rare treat, an incredible treasure. The more we share our realizations, the more we get realizations. Therefore whatever we've realized about Krishna we must share as far and as wide as possible to the fullest extent of our capabilities. This sharing spirit will greatly endear us to the Lord and greatly benefit those who listen. Sankarshan das Adhikari =========================================================================== I Am Unsure of the Best Spiritual Path For Me. I have been unsure of the best spiritual path for me. If I am starving and you tell me that you have the best food for me, food that is worthy of my veneration as it will cure all my hunger, I feel myself excited and intrigued. But I cannot change my life and agree wholeheartedly with you until I have tasted this food. So while I feel drawn to Krishna Consciousness and many of the teachings make sense to me, I cannot say from this day forth I will follow this path. This is because I have no experience of Krishna Consciousness. You may prefer to say that I have forgotten my relationship with Krishna. I am hoping to gain knowledge and techniques from this course that will allow me to taste the bounty of Krishna. I do feel ready to learn. Hopefully what I have written makes sense. I am very grateful for this opportunity to learn. =========================================================================== Six Months Experiment Our process of Krishna consciousness does not allow blind following. So I request that you make an experiment to try our system seriously for six months without making any permanent commitment. At the end of the six months you can judge whether you want to continue or quit. Do you live near any of our world wide ISKCON centers? Attending one of them will give the best chance to jump start your experiment. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Top of Page |
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Saturday, December 17, 2005 Broadcast from the Ecstatic Road Back to Godhead In the sublime association of the ISKCON devotees in Melbourne, Australia =========================================================================== Leading the World out of Chaos Formerly the entire global society was God-centered, peaceful, and prosperous. Now due to ever-increasing godlessness the world has been descending into deeper and darker distress and chaos. Today's world leaders are simply try to serve their own selfish purposes without any regard for the Vedic injunctions and the actual welfare of the people. In such a society no one can be happy. Therefore the greatest need for the human society is that a class of spiritually enlightened leaders can emerge who can give perfect guidance to everyone how to live always in complete harmony with God. Such enlightened leaders must necessarily teach not only by their words. They must also teach by their perfect example. The Krishna consciousness movement has been started by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada for the purpose of creating such a class of enlightened leaders all over the world. The present suffering humanity should take advantage of this Krishna consciousness movement and thus achieve the desired peace and prosperity throughout the entire world. It is especially up to the leaders of the Krishna consciousness movement to be absolutely pure and perfect both in their examples and in their preaching so that every man, woman, and child on the face of this planet can become attracted to this Krishna consciousness movement and thus become truly happy in this world and the next. Sankarshan das Adhikari =========================================================================== How Can the Non-material Self Be Affected by Chemical Drugs? I hope you are fine and in good health. You say that when I remember something it is the self that remembers it. But scientifically there is a center in the brain to perform this process, and the memory can be affected by chemical drugs. How can the non-material self be affected by chemical drugs? Thanks for your time, Yours, John =========================================================================== When We Invest Our Consciousness in Matter We Become Affected by It. The self is beyond the brain. It simply uses the brain. Because of misidentification with matter the self is affected by different chemical states of the brain. A man who spent the entire afternoon washing and polishing his car took for it for drive. Somebody crashed into the back of his car at a stop sign. He jumped out of his car and yelled, "You hit me!" But was he hit? No. Only his car was hit. Because he invested so much his consciousness in his car, when his car was hit he felt that he was hit. In the same way we misidentify with the body and its brain and are psychologically affected by various psycho-physical phenomena because we have invested so much of our consciousness in this material body. In this way we remain entangled lifetime after lifetime transmigrating from one material body to the next. If we can take the rare opportunity of this human form of life very seriously by awakening our dormant Krishna consciousness, this will be our last lifetime in the this material world. We will go back to home, back to Godhead and enjoy an eternal life, full of knowledge, and full bliss in stark contrast to this material existence which is temporary, full of ignorance, and full of misery. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Top of Page |
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Friday, December 16, 2005 Broadcast from the Ecstatic Road Back to Godhead In the sublime association of the ISKCON devotees in Melbourne, Australia =========================================================================== Home Sweet Home on the Road I am relishing these four days (Dec 15-18) here at ISKCON Melbourne as the sweetest nectar. They are more valuable than the most precious gold. To be in the association of Srila Prabhupada and his followers is indescribably sweet. I could not ask for anything more wonderful than this. Mataji and I have been on the road for so long now (since 1 Sept 2005) living out of our suitcases that it is starting to feel more and more like home. This is not an inaccurate sentiment because actually we have no home in this material world. Our only home is at the lotus feet of Sri Guru and Sri Krishna. By pleasing them we are connected with them and thus factually situated at home. This is real home. Back to home, back to Godhead. My spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, has explained that our duty is to very sincerely preach Krishna consciousness all over the world. Therefore by dedicating my life fully for doing that I am always at home no matter where I am, anywhere in the world. It doesn't matter whether I am at a remote pilgrimage site in India, the mountains of Australia, an American city, a small Fijian village, cruising in a 747 above the Atlantic Ocean at 30,000 feet, or in a bleak cold Eastern European city. Because I am always serving the order of my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, to try to deliver people everywhere from the clutches of material existence I am never away from home sweet home. Sankarshan das Adhikari =========================================================================== Conflicting Truths Regarding Meat Eating? Why does Krishna provide conflicting truths? Through a Biblical prophet, He provides a standard where meat eating is not chastised, and in the Vedas meat eating is a severe offense. =========================================================================== Heaven Would Be Hell For Them Without McDonald's Regarding meat eating the Old Testament clearly states the killing an ox is the same as killing a man. The Ten Commandments forbid killing, but yet because of their uncontrollable lust for blood and flesh the followers of the Bible have twisted the teachings to allow their indulgence in the sinful act of meat eating. Christ reaffirmed this principal of not killing and started his spiritual revolutionary movement to stop the animal slaughter in the temples. If you would like to see the Gospel of Jesus that was not tampered with by the Council of Nicea in 325 AD, check out the following web site: http://www.turnonyoursoul.com/jesus They may think that in spite of eating meat that they are qualified to go back to spiritual world. But the Bible confirms that even the carnivorous lion does not eat meat in the spiritual world. As long as someone is addicted to eating blood and flesh they would not be happy in the vegetarian atmosphere of the spiritual world. Even if they went there, they would not want to stay. They would find it to be like hell to live in a place where there is no McDonald's (popular fast food hamburger chain). Sankarshan Das Adhikari Top of Page |
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Thursday, December 15, 2005 =========================================================================== Broadcast from the Ecstatic Road Back to Godhead In the sublime association of the ISKCON devotees in Melbourne, Australia =========================================================================== Inconceivably Blessed by Residence in the Prabhupada House Today and up until this coming Sunday I am blessed with the inconceivable good fortune of staying in ISKCON Melbourne's Prabhupada House. This is where Srila Prabhupada would stay when he came to Melbourne in the 1970's. To be living in the same building in a room just across the hall from the Srila Prabhupada's room is inconceivable good fortune. His divine presence is fully manifested here. I am totally dependent on Srila Prabhupada for everything. Without him I am nothing. He has picked me up from gutter of material existence and is engaging me on the highest platform of enlightened consciousness, Krishna bhakti (devotion to Lord Krishna). It is only by the continual shower of his mercy that I am able to live in the sublime dimension of Krishna consciousness and simultaneously be fully absorbed in spreading it all over the world. These days spent in Melbourne are a transcendental battery charging session to strengthen and empower me for my humble continuing efforts to be Krishna conscious and spread Krishna consciousness all over the world. Here. Have a look at the Prabhupada House: http://www.backtohome.com/images/ph.jpg Sankarshan das Adhikari =========================================================================== Chanting With/Without Vigor and Vitality Respected Sir, At times one may chant with a lot of vigor and vitality, and at other times one may chant with less vigor and vitality. Do both these types of chanting have the same effect? Regards, Sunil R.V. Mumbai, India =========================================================================== Chanting Hare Krishna is Always Beneficial Chanting is always beneficial. In any condition of consciousness we should go on chanting at least 16 rounds daily on our japa beads. Therefore, although it is a fact that enthusiastic chanting brings better results than unenthusiastic chanting, we should never give up the chanting process. Actually we can always chant with vigor and vitality if, with full faith in the process of Krishna consciousness, we simply dive into the nectar. It is natural that a neophyte devotee will sometimes be very inspired and enlivened in his chanting and will sometimes simply be chanting out of duty without tasting the nectar. The key is to chant based on the knowledge that only chanting can save us. We should learn how to chant for the pleasure of Sri Guru and Sri Krishna instead of for our own enjoyment. By chanting in this way we will become very steady in our chanting and gradually come to the platform of invigoration and vitality every time we chant the Hare Krishna mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare Sankarshan Das Adhikari & |
