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On the order of his spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, Sankarshan Prabhu has dedicated his life for the most urgent work of spreading Krishna consciousness all over the world. The more that Krishna consciousness spreads, the more that the suffering, scarcity, and hate on this planet will be replaced with bliss, abundance and love. This is a golden opportunity for us to do the highest good for all living beings and receive the special blessings of the Lord. Therefore we should, as much as possible, sacrifice our time, energy, and resources to assist Sankarshan Prabhu in his most important work. If you would like to help out to any extent, little or big, kindly inform Sankarshan Prabhu of your desire. |
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Monday 31 December 2007 from Melbourne, Australia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Reconnecting with Krishna Even though this material world is a special reconnection facility arranged by the Lord for those who have become disconnected from Him, due to ignorance 99.99% of the world population is misusing this wonderful facility to become even more disconnected from Him. Hence we see a planet that is being plunged into an ever-increasingly chaotic condition. But if we will simply utilize this world in the proper way according the instructions given in the Bhagavad-gita, we will achieve a state of unlimited happiness, and upon leaving this body we will rejoin Lord Krishna in His eternal pastimes in the spiritual world. Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Why Do People Treat You Like God? I have looked at your web site and seen your pictures and I have to say: Wow! People treat you like a god, don't they? You sit in the midst of flower petals and on a raised platform. Why is that? Are you above the people you teach? Why do place the pictures of the gurus of old on the altar? Do you worship them as deities? Thank you, Dennis -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: Guru is Given Same Respect as God Just as a policeman, even though just an ordinary citizen like you or me, is respected as being the government when he is on duty, similarly the spiritual master, even though he is also a living being like you or me, is given the same respect that we give to God because his duty is to act as God's representative. The spiritual master never feels that he is above the people that he is teaching. Rather he considers himself below them. He sees them as his masters because he has to serve them by delivering them back to the spiritual world. He feels completely unqualified and unfit to sit on an exalted seat. But as a matter of duty he is required to accept the respectful obeisances and loving service being offered to him by his disciples. He has this duty because Krishna orders His devotees to learn the science of bhakti by taking shelter of a bona fide spiritual master to whom they are to give the same honor and respect that they would give to Krishna, if He were personally present. Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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Sunday 30 December 2007 from Melbourne, Australia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Getting the Real Taste Sometimes we hear that a person begins Krishna consciousness with great enthusiasm and enlivenment and then gradually it becomes dry and tasteless for him. What this means is that the person was never properly connected with the process. Because real Krishna conscious is ever-increasingly nectarean anyone who is properly practicing it will never lose their taste. If someone loses their taste it means that he was only tasting a shadow of Krishna consciousness mistaking it for being the real thing. The way to avoid this pitfall is to place ourselves under the guidance of someone who is factually experiencing Krishna consciousness, who can teach us how to factually experience it also. This person is described in the revealed scriptures as being the bona fide spiritual master. Srila Rupa Goswami, the great authority of the bhakti science, states the first step on the pathway of Krishna is to take shelter of the bona fide spiritual master. Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Is There Really Unlimited Bliss in Krishna Consciousness? In your daily "Thought for the Day" you often speak about "unlimited nectar of Krishna consciousness and the reservoir of unlimited happiness". While I certainly have experienced to a certain extent the kind of happiness and bliss when one performs activities of devotional service, I am moved to ask how can you experience unlimited nectar or delve into the reservoir of unlimited happiness. Do you really feel SO MUCH of happiness all the time (unlimited reservoir) that at times it becomes difficult to contain it? I know that for one who remains 24 hours a day engaged in Bhakti, it is always blissful but to go to such lengths as employing terms such as "unlimited" & "reservoir", is it not hyperbolic? Another query that cropped up in my mind is the following. You mention in a "Thought for the Day": "If they want to restore balance to the earth's atmosphere, the first thing they must do is close the slaughterhouses and the abortion clinics. And then by the wide scale introduction of nama-sankirtan, congregational chanting of the holy names of God, the fire of lust and greed burning in the hearts of the human society with become gradually cooled down and the entire planet will gradually be transformed into a paradise. At that time a new sustainable economic system based on the cow, the bull, and family farms will naturally emerge." Do you mean to say that if everyone starts chanting the holy names of God, the economic system will revert to the cow, bull and family farms leaving aside the tractor, the automobile and all the sophisticated technological advancements of our time? I think this is pretty unrealistic as there are other non-regressive solutions to the Global Warming problem as I have pointed out earlier. Your humble student, Nitin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: "Unlimited Bliss" is an Understatement We should not consider the glories of Krishna consciousness to be a hyperbole, an extravagant exaggeration. The amazing descriptions of Krishna consciousness given in the revealed scriptures are not imaginary, nor are they exaggerated. The scriptural descriptions regarding the unlimited bliss of Krishna consciousness are perfect and complete. If a devotee is not experiencing Krishna consciousness in this way, it simply means that he is not very advanced in Krishna consciousness. He is only a beginner. Even though the amazing descriptions of Krishna consciousness seem unbelievable to one who is in conditioned consciousness, the fact is that even the most amazing descriptions are grossly understating the factual inconceivable glories of Krishna consciousness. One who is licking the outside of a jar of honey may doubt the the amazing descriptions he hears from others regarding the sweetness of the honey. But if he were to open the honey jar and put his tongue into the jar, he would gain factual confirmation of the truthfulness of all the amazing descriptions of the honey's sweetness. Whatever percentage of bliss I am experiencing has nothing to do with how much bliss is there waiting to be experienced by us in the unlimited ocean of bhakti. As far as I am concerned I am only tasting a few miniscule drops of that inconceivably and unlimitedly sweet ocean. But even a few drops of that ocean of bhakti is enough to bring peace and happiness to the entire world. Therefore even though I consider myself to be completely unfit and unqualified, I have fully dedicated my life for trying to bring about the complete respiritualization of the human society by sharing whatever little bit I have realized about Krishna consciousness with everyone. If everyone becomes Krishna conscious, we will see a natural gravitation towards a more sustainable economic system based on living in harmony with the earth instead of exploiting and raping the earth. This is not to say that we will throw away our technological advancement. What it means is that we will instead utilize our technological advancement for creating a socio-economic system which is in perfect harmony with the laws of God and nature instead of so grossly opposed to these laws as is the case with our present socio-economic system, which is creating a hell on earth. Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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Saturday 29 December 2007 from Melbourne, Australia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Feeling Sheltered in the Prabhupada House It's always a special treat to be a guest lecturer at ISKCON's temple in Melbourne, Australia. The biggest perk is to be allowed the privilege of staying in the same house where my spiritual master, ISKCON Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, stayed when he would come to Melbourne back in the 1970's. Powerful spiritual masters such as Srila Prabhupada remain permanently present in the places where they resided, especially when those places are being lovingly maintained as worshipable shrines by their followers like what is being done here at the Prabhupada House in Melbourne. The spiritual master is the eternal shelter for his disciples, so naturally the more the disciple can feel the divine presence of his spiritual master, the happier he becomes. Sankarshan Das Adhikari
The Prabhupada House, Melbourne -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Savitri Devi Dasi |
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Friday 28 December 2007 from Sydney, Australia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Dispenser of Mercy Today we are heading out from Sydney to Melbourne. What an ecstatic life this is, to be a traveling dispenser of mercy! The entire planet is burning in a blazing fire of materialism. And Krishna consciousness is the beautiful dark blue rain cloud saturated with tons of water, which can completely extinguish this blazing fire of material existence. I cannot even begin to conceive how fortunate I am to have received this unlimited mercy from my spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He blessed me unlimitedly with the science of Krishna bhakti and ordered me to make this knowledge available to the entire human society. Therefore I always remain busy answering an endless stream of emails and circling the globe again and again to share this inconceivably wonderful mercy as much as possible with everyone that I meet. Here's a video of a recent kirtan I led in Sydney. Check it out: http://www.backtohome.com/video/Sydney_Kirtan.wmv Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Dispensing the Mercy in Sydney
Appreciative Audience in Sydney -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Thursday 27 December 2007 from Sydney, Australia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: http://www.backtohome.com/video/Sydney_Kirtan.wmv Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Leading Kirtan in Sydney -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Wednesday 26 December 2007 from Sydney, Australia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Diving into the Ocean of Bliss In Sydney there are unlimited opportunities for diving into the ocean of unlimited bliss by sharing the bliss of Krishna consciousness with others. There is such a huge community of sincere souls here who are eager to advance themselves along the path of Krishna bhakti that I could easily be giving thirty lectures a week in the Sydney area, if I only had the time to squeeze them all in. With such a strong demand we are now thinking how we can come to Australia twice a year instead of once a year. Why is Krishna consciousness so unlimitedly blissful? The reason is that it reconnects us with our original, natural, pure state of consciousness which is eternal, full of knowledge, and full of bliss. One does not need to add anything to one's consciousness to be unlimitedly blissful. One simply has to remove all the clutter that has been imposed upon it by the materialistic society. Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Bhagavad-gita Lecture and the Sydney Skyline
Timeless Wisdom Enlivens the Soul
Sharing the Nectar Expands it Exponentially -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Tuesday 25 December 2007 from Sydney, Australia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: When Will We Have Heaven on Earth? Early in 1971 I was living in Austin, Texas hankering to become a self-realized soul. Understanding that Jesus Christ was a self-realized soul, I embarked upon a program of daily Bible study to try to figure out what was it that made him self-realized, so that I could do the same thing and also become self-realized. Day after day I would read the Bible, but still I could not see what was the formula for self-realization. But one most glorious morning the essence of the mood of Jesus, which made him the self-realized soul that he is, was revealed to me. That morning I read in the Bible where Jesus states, "Father, not my will, but Thy will be done." I was so excited. I knew that this was it. You should forget about doing what you want and simply always from now on do only what God wants. But now I had a problem. I did not know what God wanted me to do. I was waiting for a voice from the sky to give me my assignment and my instructions, but no voice was coming. So what to do? I was bewildered. But one day it was revealed to me through the mouth of a child although I could not hear God, still He was able to hear me. So I began praying regularly, "Dear God, please guide me how I can become your perfect servant." Finally one day my prayer was answered. And it was clear that it was the answer. His Holiness Vishnujana Swami came to Austin and taught me the science of bhakti, the science of how to become a perfect servant of God. Under his wonderful guidance and with his divine blessings I became a disciple of the greatest devotee of Krishna who has ever graced the planet earth with the touch of his lotus feet. I am speaking of none other than my eternal spiritual father and spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.  So I am ever grateful to Lord Jesus Christ. It was my fervent prayers inspired by him begging for God's guidance which opened the door for me to leave behind the hellish quagmire of this material existence. It was Jesus who showed me the way out of the world of death. He saved me.So when the so-called Christians tell me that I will go to hell unless I accept Jesus, within my heart I laugh because I know that I am doing exactly what Jesus wants me to do. And I wonder when they are going to become real Christians by doing what Jesus wants them do by giving up their sinful activities. The time has indeed come for the Christians to really accept Jesus instead of constantly crucifying him by their unrestricted indulgence in sinful activities. Christ reaffirmed the Biblical principle "Thou shalt not kill" but the Christians are killing thousands and millions of innocent animals every day in their slaughterhouses all over the world. "As you sow, so shall you reap." As long as we continue killing, we will continue being killed. And while proudly refusing to hear from the bona fide spiritual master we continue wondering why everything is going amuck in the world. If we will truly accept Jesus by always acting for the pleasure of God by always acting for the welfare of all of His creatures, we will have heaven on earth. When will that day come? Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Are You Self-Realized? Do you have self-realization, and who is your guru? Thanks for your time. Sincerely, Dr. López-Bonilla, Mexico City, Mexico -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: You Can Become Also By the causeless mercy of my beloved spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, I have realized what is the individual self and what is the Supreme Self. And if you like I can guide you how to also become a self-realized soul. Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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Monday 24 December 2007 from Sydney, Australia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Bliss in Govinda Valley Our 2006 retreat in Govinda Valley was so ecstatic we never thought that it could be any better. But our 2007 Govinda Valley retreat burst through the stratosphere and took us sailing right into the Spiritual Sky. The sweet sublime atmosphere of Govinda Valley became so deeply imprinted in our hearts that it was like we had been living there eternally. The return to Sydney on Sunday afternoon had a very surreal feel to it. Our modern day cities are such an unnatural, unhealthy way to live. Something has to be done about this. As a human society we cannot survive if we go on living this way. We have to learn how to get back to a more natural healthy God conscious way of life. This what the bhakti movement is all about. If you are not already into it, make your commitment today to be a member of the bhakti movement for the respiritualization of the entire human society. Sankarshan Das Adhikari More Bliss in Govinda Valley
Retreat Participants
Exotic Birds Serenaded Us
Challenged by Mock Atheistic Arguments
Cliffside Lecture at the Beach Those Newly Committed to Chanting 16 Rounds -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Sunday 23 December 2007 from Govinda Valley, Australia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Spiritual Revolution My life's goal is to try to bring about a world-wide spiritual revolution by teaching everyone how to revolutionize their consciousness by reconnecting with their original, natural pure state of perfect harmonious loving relationship with the source of all existence, the Supreme Person. That Supreme Person is known variously throughout the world by different names such as Krishna, Govinda, Allah, and Jehovah. No matter by what designation we address Him we must learn the art of approaching him in pure selflessness instead of with our selfish desires. This change of consciousness from selfishness to selflessness is what will someday completely revolutionize the course of human history. Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Beautiful Govinda Valley
Exotic Wild Parrots Outside the Window
Flying the Hare Krishna Mantra
Revolution Revealed
Tasting the Bliss -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Saturday 22 December 2007 from ISKCON Temple, Sydney, Australia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: A Perfect Life Would you like to live a perfect, stress free, ecstatic, exciting existence? If so, you have come to the right place. Self-realization is not adding something to your consciousness. Rather it is the subtraction from your consciousness of all those things that are distracting you from being who and what you really are, the eternal servant of Krishna or God. Just as water in its natural state is pure and clean, the consciousness is naturally pure and clean. And just as impure water can be purified and returned to its original natural state, the consciousness can also be purified and returned to its original natural state. That purification process is known as the yoga system. And according to Lord Sri Krishna as spoken in the Bhagavad-gita, the perfection of the yoga system is the bhakti yoga system. Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Eager Hearers of the Bhakti Science in Sydney -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Friday 21 December 2007 from ISKCON Temple, Sydney, Australia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Fully Connected with Everything Just as the sun lights up everything in the daytime, so the consciousness of one who awakens his dormant love for Krishna becomes completely illuminated. This is so because Krishna is the source of all existence and because all that exists is nothing but His energy. The point is that just as when watering the root of a tree all the leaves and branches become watered, when you become fully connected with Krishna you become fully connected with everything. Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Chanting Hare Krishna Recommended by Krishna? Greetings great guru, I am wondering, if chanting the Hare Krishna mantra is the best way to achieve liberation, why didn't Lord Krishna tell us that in the Gita? Thanks, Ted -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: Yes, by Words and Actions This is why Krishna specifically orders in the Bhagavad-gita that we should be chanting His names 24 hours daily and why He personally appears in the Kali Yuga to demonstrate for us the best means of chanting His names: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare God Himself has personally taught us both by words and example that we should always chanting the Hare Krishna mantra as much as possible, but the human society is so unfortunate that they ignore His wonderful instructions. |
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Thursday 20 December 2007 from ISKCON Temple, Christchurch, New Zealand -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Hitting the Bhakti Trail Again
Sharing the Bhakti Bliss -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Wednesday 19 December 2007 from ISKCON Temple, Christchurch, New Zealand -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: The Ultimate Revelation The ultimate revelation of Absolute Truth is given by Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita. This is why there is nothing more enlivening than traveling all over the world to reveal to as many people as possible the Absolute Truth as it is revealed in the Srimad Bhagavad-gita. This knowledge can and will solve all of the problems that are tormenting the world: terrorism, crime, disease, poverty, famine and even the much promoted global warming problem. This science of the Absolute Truth revives the original enlightened consciousness of the living being empowering him to be what he actually is: an eternal spiritual being, full of knowledge, and full of bliss. Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Revealing the Bhakti Science -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Because thinking of Krishna is more enlivening than any amount of sex pleasure, if you will simply bring your mind back to Krishna, you will feel completely satisfied. |
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Tuesday 18 December 2007 from ISKCON Temple, Christchurch, New Zealand -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: On the Radio On 17 December 2007 I appeared on the Plains FM radio station 96.9 here in Christchurch, New Zealand. I was interviewed about my around-the-world lecture tour and the purpose of human existence. It was a great opportunity to reach out to a large audience with the liberating message of Krishna consciousness. The wide scale propagation of this Krishna consciousness message is the only solution for the problems of the suffering humanity. It was a taped show, and will be aired on 23 December at 10:30am New Zealand time. It will also be available for download after it is broadcast. The website of the radio station is: http://www.plainsfm.org.nz/Home Sankarshan Das Adhikari
On the Radio in Christchurch, New Zealand -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Monday 17 December 2007 from ISKCON Temple, Christchurch, New Zealand -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Accepting a Spiritual Master The most important decision we will ever make in our lives is the acceptance of a spiritual master. When it comes to getting married, we are very cautious while accepting our partner thinking it over 100 times because it is a lifetime commitment. Since the guru/disciple relationship is an eternal relationship, how much more careful must we be when choosing a guru? The neophyte may think that he will just be a devotee of Krishna without becoming a disciple of Krishna's representative, the spiritual master. But this sort of philosophy will not stand in the light of Krishna's teachings. This is because Krishna orders in the Bhagavad-gita that we must accept a guru from whom we inquire submissively and to whom we must render loving service. Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Is Activism Good? Your Grace, I read that His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada talked about the blue Kachina in the past. Would Comet Holmes be it since it became very visible for astronomers and is blue? I feel very distressed with all the wars and injustices happening on this physical plane and have been involved in peace activism for the last 4 1/2 years. It is not easy to remain neutral. Is the apparition of the blue sun a positive sign for peace? I am thinking about abandoning all forms of peace or political activism. But is it the right thing for me to do at this moment to stop all this and only concentrate on the spiritual life? It is so tempting! But I want to do "the right thing". I previously looked into many philosophies and religions but never met anyone related to the Krishna Consciousness. I would appreciate any advice from you because I feel that you are a real guru. I am at the point to even wonder if all this activism I already have done is God's will! I thought it was, but I could be wrong. I am only one voice after all. I never had been interested in the affairs of this world until 9/11 and everything that has followed after this date. My interest was triggered only by this event, because seeing it on TV, I had a strong feeling of knowing where it had originated from. The feeling has been confirmed as fact since then. |
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Sunday 16 December 2007 from Christchurch, New Zealand -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Dear to Everyone A devotee of the Lord is dear to everyone because everyone is dear to him. It is natural that if someone truly loves us that we will be also be inclined to love them in reciprocation. This is how the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was started single-handedly in 1966 by our most beloved Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Those who received the loving kindness of Srila Prabhupada were so inspired that they wanted to serve him in any way they could. And when, in this way, they gave their love to Srila Prabhupada, he would give them even more love and they would become even more inspired to serve him even more. And then on his order the followers of Srila Prabhupada spread out all over the world giving that love to as many people as possible, thus laying the ground work for this ever-expanding ocean of loving kindness known as the Hare Krishna Movement. This ever-increasing ocean of love just keeps on expanding more and more and more. One day it will become so much expanded that it will engulf the entire universe. Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Is Scripture Our Guru? Can someone consider sastra (the scriptures) as their guru ? Thank you, Hare Krishna Jayprakash -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: Scripture Not a Guru Substitute Our first birth is from our mother and father. Our second birth is from the guru, who is our second father, and from the Vedic scriptures, which are our second mother. In conceiving a child both the father and mother play distinct non-interchangeable roles. Similarly on the pathway of self-realization the spiritual master and the scriptures both play distinct non-interchangeable roles. The scriptures are like a mega pharmacy which contains hundreds and thousands of different kinds of medicines. The spiritual master is like the skilled physician who has realized the essence of the Vedic scriptures and can specifically prescribe for each individual disciple a customized program which is the most suitable for that individual disciple. When we go to the pharmacy we come with the prescription we have received from our doctor. Similarly when we approach the Vedic wisdom we do so under their guidance of our spiritual master. This is how we are able to come to a proper understanding of the scriptural knowledge. Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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Saturday 15 December 2007 from ISKCON Temple, Sydney, Australia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Creating a New Enlightened World Civilization Since the modern day self-centered global social order is gradually disintegrating more and more to the eventual point of complete, total anarchy, if we want to have in the future any kind of civilization remaining on this planet, the time has come to begin laying the groundwork for a new enlightened world civilization. Such a civilization must be based on the common unifying principle for all living beings. It cannot be based on any sort of self-centered and thus divisive conception, either concentrated or extended. Since we do all in fact emanate from one common source, it behooves us now to scientifically understand what is that common origin and to also understand how we can all live in a state of perfect harmony with that common origin. It is on this principle that we must now build the new enlightened world order. Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Should I Relish the Nectar or Focus on Duties? How do you handle keeping this continual physical daily balance when your consciousness, because of its spiritual intoxication, will not come out of the Divine attention? For example, when we may be preparing a meal or doing other duties and although we may call our consciousness constantly into the physical now and specially knowing that what we are doing is for the Divine therefore we must do it beautifully with full loving attention, still the consciousness suddenly skips away again to dance with the Divine and relish the nectar we receive thereof. Which is the better? Am I doing the right thing by calling my mind back from the Divine presence so often? Samantha King. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: Focus on Pleasing Krishna Your question is nicely answered by the example of a great devotee of Krishna named Daruka. This devotee had the rare privilege of being one of the Lord's personal associates when He was on this planet 5,000 years ago. One day when Daruka was fanning Lord Krishna with a chamara fan, he was filled with so much ecstatic love that his consciousness was being carried away into an ocean of bliss. His mind became so surcharged with bliss that various ecstatic symptoms also became automatically manifested in his body. But Daruka was so serious about doing a first class job of fanning the Lord that he checked all of these ecstatic love manifestations so that he could continue doing his service for the Lord in the best possible way. In other words, he was more interested in giving the Lord happiness than he was in tasting it himself. Of course there is a vast difference between the unlimited ocean of ecstatic emotions experienced by Lord Krishna's personal associates such as Daruka and ourselves. But still even for us neophytes who may sometimes get a little sneak preview of spiritual emotion, the same principle applies. We do not want to selfishly enjoy whatever spiritual bliss may mercifully be bestowed upon us. We prefer to offer the energy that bliss gives us back into the Lord's service. This is the secret of how to rapidly advance in Krishna consciousness. Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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Friday 14 December 2007 from ISKCON Temple, Brisbane, Australia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Blessed Opportunity Krishna is blessing me recently with the opportunity to assist many more sincere souls in attaining the supreme perfection of going back to home, back to Godhead. Here in Brisbane I performed a third initiation ceremony within a five day period. Bhakta Sheamus has now taken shelter of me as his spiritual master and has been renamed as Syamasundar Das. Syamasundar is a name for Krishna and Das means servant. I am very happy to do whatever is necessary to help anyone who is eager to escape the cycle of birth and death in this very lifetime and regain their original position in the spiritual world. There is nothing more wonderful than when someone makes the commitment through the initiation ceremony of sticking solidly to process of bhakti yoga for their entire life. Such vows if accepted and followed with all sincerity and determination, empower the initiates to fully absorb themselves in Krishna consciousness and to thus relish the sweetest happiness throughout their lives and achieve the supreme perfection at the time of death. Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Bhakta Sheamus Becomes Syamasundar Das-- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare and regaining the association of the Supreme Person Krishna or Vishnu in His eternal transcendental kingdom is assured. |
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Thursday 13 December 2007 from ISKCON Temple, Brisbane, Australia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Approaching God Directly According to the Vedic wisdom, if we want to connect with God, we must do so, not directly, but through the via medium of the bona spiritual master. But then from the same Vedic wisdom we can understand that one can also directly approach God by chanting His name or bowing down before His deity manifestation. So how could both things be true? Is this not contradictory? Factually there is nothing contradictory in the revealed scriptures, although there may sometimes appear to be contractions for those who do not have an enlightened perspective. Because Krishna directly orders that we should approach Him through His devotee, even if we approach Him directly in a mood of complete surrender at His lotus we must channel our devotion to Him through the via medium of the bona fide spiritual master. This is confirmed in the Adi-Purana where Lord Krishna is speaking as follows to Arjuna: ye me bhakta-janah partha na me bhaktas ca te janah mad-bhaktanam ca ye bhaktas te me bhakta-tama matah "Those who are My direct devotees are actually not My devotees, only those who are the devotees of my devotees are factually My devotees." So if we are really serious about approaching God in complete submission to His will, we will follow His direction to approach Him through the via medium of His devotee, the bona fide spiritual master. Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Initiation Lecture in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Wednesday 12 December 2007 from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Bitter Sweet Flavor After a brief one day stop to initiate a new disciple and give a lecture in Kuala Lumpur, we are now heading on to Australia. In spite of so many impediments being thrown in my pathway by the material energy I am moving forward. There is a special sweetness to Krishna consciousness in the material world. In the spiritual world there is simply pure bliss with no experience of the miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease. But the unlimitedly sweet Krishna consciousness when tasted in this material world is experienced along with the miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease. Although I abstain from chocolate now, preferring it's caffeine-free substitute carob, when I was small boy and was not yet Krishna conscious I used to take chocolate. There were two choices of Hershey's chocolate bars available in those days back in the 1950's in the USA. There was sweet chocolate and there was bitter sweet chocolate. I always preferred the bitter sweet chocolate because its flavor was somehow or other much more appealing to my sense of taste. In a similar way I am now relishing the bitter sweet nectar of Krishna consciousness experienced within the context of the miseries of material existence. I am sure that the flavor of Krishna consciousness in the spiritual world is unlimitedly sublime. But I am equally sure that the bitter sweet flavor of Krishna consciousness experienced in this material world is also unlimitedly sublime. Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: Proper to Eat a Lot of Prasadam? Dear Master Sankarshan Das Adhikari When I go to eat prasadam here in the ISKCON-temple of Helsinki, why can I and other people eat it as much as we want and not to eat only little like prasadam is supposed to be eaten? Thank You Jukka -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: Eat Enough to Become Addicted One who is fully absorbed in pure bhakti activities twenty-four hours a day relishes so much nectar from serving Krishna that his bodily demands naturally become reduced. He becomes so completely addicted to Krishna consciousness that he becomes naturally free from the bodily tendencies such as overeating or oversleeping. However, most people who live outside the temple do not offer their food to Krishna before eating it. Thus according the Bhagavad-gita they are eating only lumps of sin. When such persons come to the temple we encourage them to eat as much as they can possibly hold so that when they leave the temple they will be so full they will not want to eat anything available outside the temple, which is generally not offered to Krishna. And then we invite them to come back regularly for taking more Krishna prasadam. In this way we are trying to free people from the bad habit of eating unoffered foods by getting them fully dedicated to only eating Krishna prasadam. So kindly take Krishna prasadam to your full satisfaction whenever you come to the temple. And do come often! In this way you will become completely, totally addicted to Krishna prasadam. And we hope that you will also begin the process of offering your meals first to Lord Krishna when eating at home (no meat, no fish, no eggs). Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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Tuesday 11 December 2007 from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Ultimate Elixir As we were leaving Vrindavan for Delhi I could feel that a new virus was coming on. By the time we got to Mumbai its symptoms became fully manifested. It was an especially hideous virus. When I woke up on Sunday morning there was a large quantity of encrusted mucus stuck to my eyelids and my eyes were blood red. That day I had to travel at a considerable distance within Mumbai for giving lectures at Mira Road and Navi Mumbai. However, giving those lectures and reciprocating with the wonderful devotees took me completely away from the diseased state my body was in. It was sweet, sweet nectar. But then at end of the day after the exhaustion of packing and so much traveling with a sick body, we had to go the airport for a late night flight to Malaysia. So much time had to be spent standing at the airport waiting for this and waiting for that. After the overnight flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as we were landing my ears could not clear the pressure due to heavy mucus blockage. Therefore even as I write these words my hearing is almost completely turned off. So here I am with red puffy eyes, a tired sick body, with mucus blockage giving me earaches and deafness. But in spite of all of this I am simply amazed at how wonderful is Krishna consciousness. There is a very sweet special kind of elixir that one can taste while doing the austerity of fully absorbing one's entire life in the respiritualization of the entire human society. This elixir is more valuable than all the opulence of the entire material world. Sankarshan Das Adhikari -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers According to the Vedic Version: Question: No Questions My Siksha Guru, There are no questions. Just thanks. Karl. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: One Question We Must Ask Even if we have no questions to ask of the spiritual master, there is one question that we must ask him, "How can I serve you?" This was the only question my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, ever asked of his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati. Thanking verbally is very nice. But the perfection of thanks is to dedicate ourselves to serving the spiritual master by assisting him in his mission of inundating the entire world with a tidal wave of Krishna bhakti. Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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Monday 10 December 2007 from ISKCON Temple--Juhu, Mumbai, India -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Heading Out from India After two weeks of connecting with Krishna here in India, the original home of the worldwide Krishna consciousness culture, I am heading out once again as Krishna's ambassador on my worldwide Krishna consciousness lecture tour. Although the traces linger on, it is sad to see how modern day India has almost completely lost its connection with its own glorious heritage. But still everyone here has Krishna consciousness in their blood. That's why so many people all over India are joining the Krishna consciousness movement and also why our e-course is more popular in India that it is anywhere else in the world. Here in Mumbai our movement has three thriving centers and a fourth one is now being established. It is especially enjoined in the scriptures that those who have been born in the holy land of India should make their life perfect by becoming solidly fixed in Krishna consciousness and that they should then fully dedicate their lives for spreading Krishna consciousness all over the world. When only one Indian, my spiritual master--His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, did this, the results were startlingly revolutionary. Now if every Indian will do this, within a very short time the original world wide Krishna consciousness culture will be re-established, and the entire world will become peaceful and happy. Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Morning Class at Mira Road Temple
Sunday Feast Lecture at Kharghar Center -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Sunday 09 December 2007 from ISKCON Temple--Juhu, Mumbai, India -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Two New Disciples Here at ISKCON Juhu on 8 December in the auspicious presence Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari I initiated two new disciples. Daniel and Magda, an elderly couple from Belgium are now Dasaratha Das, and Mandakini Devi Dasi. Immediately from the moment of initiation the disciple attains deathlessness, immortality. And if the disciple remains true to the initiation vows, deathlessness remains as his or her eternal asset. The vows required for initiation are to chant at least 16 rounds daily of the Hare Krishna mahamantra on japa beads and to strictly follow the four regulative principles: 1. No illicit sex (Sex is only for procreation.) 2. No intoxication (including coffee, tea, and cigarettes) 3. No meat eating (including eggs and fish) 4. No gambling While some may find these rules to be extreme or unreasonable, what ones factually gets instead of identification with birth, death, old age, and disease is the most amazing reawakening of one's original natural pure state of consciousness, which is eternal, full of knowledge, and full of bliss. This perfectional state of consciousness is known as Krishna consciousness. Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Initiating Two New Disciples in Mumbai
Dasaratha Das (on the left) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Saturday 08 December 2007 from ISKCON Temple--Juhu, Mumbai, India -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: How to Taste Unlimited Nectar at Every Minute It's an open secret. The more you spread the nectar, the more you taste the nectar. So if you want to taste unlimited nectar, you should dedicate your total existence to giving the ultimate nectar to every man, woman, and child on the face of this planet. You've got nothing to lose except for your anxieties and the greatest treasure of all to gain. Plus all those persons whose lives you touch will eternally remain grateful to you for turning them on to the ultimate nectar and thus saving them from the repetition of birth and death. It's a good feeling. This is called love. And what is that ultimate nectar? The ultimate nectar is being reconnected with your original eternal identity as an eternal being, full of bliss and full of knowledge in the association of the supreme source of all existence, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna. Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Sharing the Nectar in Mumbai -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Friday 07 December 2007 from ISKCON Temple--Juhu, Mumbai, India -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Thought: Anxieties a Million Miles Away After a two hour flight from New Delhi and the congested hustle bustle at Mumbai's airport we have arrived at the sublime spiritual sanctuary of the ISKCON temple in Juhu, Mumbai. The spiritual oasis we are experiencing at ISKCON Juhu, is so powerful that it feels as though the entire universe is engulfed within it. It is amazing to see how well this large temple with its hundreds of monks is so nicely organized with its help desks, multi-departments and multi empowered managers. The main Deities are Radha-Rasabihari and they are very, very beautiful. Simply entering into this temple one can feel how all of his anxieties are going a million miles away. This is Krishna consciousness. Sankarshan Das Adhikari< |
