Prabhupada conversations MP3 / PDF download

http://krishna.org/download-prabhupadas-1977-conversations/

Shri Radha Krsna Kunja aashram, Snohomish WA USA

Hare Krsna Dear Devotees of the Lord…
Please accept my humble obesiances with all gloiries to Srila Prabhupada!

We had a wonderful festival celebrations of Smt Radha Rani’s appearance day.
Lots of Beautiful Devotees from United States, and from Canada came, mesmerizing ecstatic Kirtans, Wonderful Prayers and class of Radha Rani’s Pastimes, Beautiful poem by Anu Prabhu….delicious Prasaadam (actually never ending Prasaadam)…and Gifts exchanges….and finally a very intimate and personal, deep realizations of Srila Prabhupada by devotees….(I wish I had recorded it….)

I would like to share the moments with all of the dear ones out there for Your pleasure….
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vikasnoble/sets/72157631600116490/show/


Our Revered Spiritual Master Srila Prabhupada


Our Beautiful Queen Smt Radha Rani….


Beautiful Cake By Radhika Devi Dasi (Riya) for Radhika


And “The MOST MAGNIFICIENT Shri Shri Radha ShyamSundar ji…with His new Friends….



Hari Bol
Your Humble Servant
-Kanhaiya DasAnudas

“He reason ill who tells that Vaisnavas die, When thou art living still in sound! The Vaisnavas die to live, and living try, To spread the Holy Name around !”

(Poem by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura)

“I will never die. I shall live from my books, and you will utilize.”

His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
(Interview, July 16th, 1975, Berkeley, California)

Are we really on the spiritual platform, or somewhere else??

Hare Krsna to all

Pranams

All glories to Srila Prabhupada who is  forcing open our eyes with the lamp of transcendental

knowledge.

Below is a very short excerpt from two  lectures which very clearly explain the process of bhakti yoga

beginning with  the 3rd class  or materialistic bhakta employing sravanam kirtanam and arcana seva–then  on to Madhyama or 2nd class bhakta.

These things are important to  hear for one who is somewhat serious about coming at least to the  actual spiritual platform.

Hare Krsna,

Damaghosa das

—————— ———–———————————————–

….751027SB.NAI                   Lectures                 
devotional service, especially this sravanam, kirtanam  and arcanam,
arcanam, worshiping the Deity, and sravanam kirtanam.  Even if you
follow one, that is sufficient, but there are nine  different
processes. As far as possible, we shall execute  everything, and, at
least, sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam  pada-sevanam, arcanam. Arcana
is very important. For kanistha-adhikari,  devotee in the lower  stage,
arcana is very, very important.

( let us take a little diversion for a moment,  and see what Srila Prabhupada has to say about

the 3rd class devotee…. kanistha  adhikari…. )

770214r2.may                                             Prabhupada: Kanistha-adhikarimeans he must be a  brahmana. That is kanistha-adhikari. The spiritual life,  kanistha-adhikari, means he must be a qualified  brahmana. That is kanistha. What is esteemed as very high  position in the material world, brahmana, that  is kanistha-adhikari.

                           arcayam eva  haraye                         pujam yah  sraddhayehate                         na tad-bhaktesu  canyesu                        sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah

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

( So for those of us who are wearing the brahmana  thread or who have been given gayatri mantra, this is not a cheap title, it has to be earned. And  we may wonder why tears do not
appear in our eyes while hearing or chanting??Ok, now  back to the original lecture….. )

Although the devotee in the higher stage, he also offers worship, but Krsna is everywhere.  For a neophyte devotee Just like some  people say that “Why you should go to the
temple? Krsna is everywhere.” Who was asking that  question? “Krsna
cannot be served…” Here, last night. I think those  girls, svarna(?)
girls. Krsna is everywhere, that is a fact, but that is  for the
paramhamsa, one who is very very advanced. For the  kanistha-adhikari,
he cannot He, like parrot, he can say, “Krsna is everywhere.” He must
be educated, “Here is Krsna in the temple.” Otherwise  it is simply
blaspheme, that “Krsna is everywhere.” That’s a  fact, but where is
your realization? Krsna is within your heart.  Have you got that
realization? Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ‘rjuna tisthati. Have  you
got that realization, that Krsna is within your heart? Can you talk
with Krsna?  He says, Krsna says, “I talk.” Buddhi yogam-dadami tam.
Krsna gives intelligence. Krsna is giving, but have  you got that
realization?
   So  these are all facts, that Krsna is everywhere, Krsna is within
your heart, Krsna is within the atom.  Andantara
stha-paramanu-cayantara-tham. That’s a fact, but where is your
realization? Therefore you have to begin  realization by arcana. That
is very essential. Then more you become expert in  arcana, ye yatha mam
prapadyante, the more you become realized, then  more you become
advanced. So  therefore, for kanistha-adhikari, he has to  raise
himself.
…                          arcayam eva haraye
                       yah pujam sraddhayehate
                       na tad-bhaktesu canyesu
                      sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah

By executing this arca-vigraha, arcanam, gradually you  advance. But if
you simply remain in the arcana-viddhi or arcana process,  and you
cannot understand who is a bhakta and what to do with  others… That
is also a bhakta’s duty, not that simply we shall  remain engaged in
arcana. We must know how to respect devotee, how to do  some service to
others also. That is madhyama-adhikari. Simply if you  become
satisfied, that “Now I am initiated and I am offering  arcana. I have
become perfect,” no, the perfection is still awaiting.  You have to
understand who is a devotee. You have to  understand how to give
service to the innocent. If you do not know  that, then if you simply
become packed up by arca-vigraha-seva, arcana,  then you will remain in
the material platform. Na  tad-bhaktesu canyesu sa bhaktah prakrtah
smrtah. Prakrtah means material. He is trying to go to  the spiritual
platform, but if he  simply remains in the arcana and does not preach,
this is na tad-bhaktesu canyesu. Anyesu. Anyesu means  those who are
innocent. That is madhyama-adhikari, middle  stage.

                         isvare tad-adhinesu
                         balisesu  dvisatsu ca
                        prema-maitri-krpopeksa
                       yah karoti sa madhyamah

Isvara. Then, by arca-vigraha worship, by  sravana-kirtana, by making
your properly advanced you will understand what is the  position of
Krsna, isvara.

Some conclusions–
This bhakti yoga is a gradual process. Practically  speaking, everyone begins from the material platform and if he or she follows the actual process of sadhana  bhakti, then they will come eventually to the spiritual platform. As  Srila Prabhupada  describes, there are 4 platforms of realization. The sensual, the mental  the intellectual and eventually the spiritual platform. To actually come to the spiritual platform requires  austerity or purification of the senses. We all know what this means.

In the above segments Srila Prabhupada clearly explains  that the neophyte or materialistic bhakta must perfrom Arcana or daily worship  of the Vigraha Form of the Lord. This is not  optional  if one wants  to eventually  within his heart, see or talk with the Lord. If one is  satisfied with just knowing he or she is doing some spiritual activity daily,  then he or she can just chant Hare Krsna or read the books. This is good, but is  not the final goal. The end goal is to have the realization of the Lord in  one’s own heart where you and He can talk with each other, as Srila Prabhupada  explains above. And that level of realization will develop, he says with Arcana,  or daily worship of the Lord, and of course this is along with the chanting of  Hare Krsna maha mantra.
Srila Prabhupada gives the proof of the materialistic  bhakta in this lecture by saying
…”He is trying to go to the spiritual platform, but if he simply remains in the arcana and does not  preach…”this  is na tad-bhaktesu canyesu.
So we can see by the above statement, what has to be  individually done.
And all along that path it is just like biting into some  sugar-because wherever you bite, you will always taste sweetness-Krsna  !!

Hari bol
Damaghosa das

What the scholars say about the original Pre 1978 editions of Srila Prabhupada’s books.

All these below reviews are from scholars that read the 1972 Macmillan edition of the Gita that the BBTI/BBP ‘scholars’ like Jayadvaita and Dravida and company say are (and I quote) substandard, wrong, erroneous, offensive, insensible, embarrassing, and don’t make a damn bit of sense etc etc:
“I am most impressed with A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s scholarly and authoritative edition of Bhagavad-gita. It is a most valuable work for the scholar as well as the layman and is of great utility as a reference book as well as a textbook. I promptly recommend this edition to my students. It is a beautifully done book.”
- Dr. Samuel D. Atkins, Professor of Sanskrit, Princeton University
“The scholarly world is again indebted to A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Although Bhagavad-gita has been translated many times, Prabhupada adds a translation of singular importance with his commentary….”
- Dr. J. Stillson Judah, Professor of the History of Religions and Director of Libraries, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California
“…It is a deeply felt, powerfully conceived and beautifully explained work. I don’t know whether to praise more this translation of the Bhagavad-gita, its daring method of explanation, or the endless fertility of its ideas. I have never seen any other work on the Gita with such an important voice and style….It will occupy a significant place in the intellectual and ethical life of modern man for a long time to come.”
- Dr. Shaligram Shukla, Professor of Linguistics, Georgetown University
“There is little question that this edition is one of the best books available on the Gita and devotion. Prabhupada’s translation is an ideal blend of literal accuracy and religious insight.”
- Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins, Professor of Religion, Franklin and Marshall College

“I have had the opportunity of examining several volumes published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust and have found them to be of excellent quality and of great value for use in college classes on Indian religions. This is particularly true of the BBT
edition and translation of the Bhagavad-gita.”
- Dr. Frederick B. Underwood, Professor of Religion, Columbia University
“No work in all Indian literature is more quoted, because none is better loved, in the West, than the Bhagavad-gita. Translation of such a work demands not only knowledge of Sanskrit, but an inward sympathy with the theme and a verbal artistry. For the poem is a symphony in which God is seen in all things….The Swami does a real service for students by investing the beloved Indian epic with fresh meaning. Whatever our outlook may be, we should all be grateful for the labor that has lead to this illuminating work.”
- Dr. Geddes MacGregor Emeritus, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy University of Southern California
“…As a successor in direct line from Caitanya, the author of Bhagavad-gita As It Is is entitled, according to Indian custom, to the majestic title of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The great interest that his reading of the Bhagavad-gita holds for us is that it offers us an authorized interpretation according to the principles of the Caitanya tradition.”
- Olivier Lacombe, Professor of Sanskrit and Indology, Sorbonne University, Paris
“The increasing numbers of Western readers interested in classical Vedic thought have been done a service by Swami Bhaktivedanta. By bringing us a new and living interpretation of a text already known to many, he has increased our understanding manyfold.”
- Dr. Edward C Dimock, Jr.  Department of South Asian Languages and Civilization, University of Chicago
“The Bhagavad-gita, one of the great spiritual texts, is not as yet a common part of our cultural milieu. This is probably less because it is alien per se than because we have lacked just the kind of close interpretative commentary upon it that Swami Bhaktivedanta has here provided, a commentary written from not only a scholar’s but a practitioner’s, a dedicated lifelong devotee’s point of view.”
- Denise Levertov, Poet

Grihamedi vs Grihastha Mahatma

By: 

Dama Ghosha Dasa (Seattle, USA)

Below you will find some interesting points in this brief lecture about:

1) How to turn a kali yuga debauch into a mahatma

2) Human life should be for very easy living and not be for hard working

3) Symptoms of a mahatma

4) Prabhupada is creating ideal grihastha mahatmas

5) Difference between a grihamedi and grihastha and how to deal with grihamedis

6) Grihastha has one aim - how to develop love for God

 

Lectures, September 17, 1969, London       

 

They are simply engaged in sense gratification: eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That's all. Their business finished. They do not know anything else. If I call some animals... Why people are not taking part in this Krishna consciousness? Because they are animals. They are appearing with four hands and legs, but they have been trained to become animals. So they cannot take. But we are trying to train them from animalism to humanism by associating with this Krishna consciousness movement. This Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's movement is to give chance to this animalistic civilization to associate with devotees and mahatmas so that they can also become devotee and mahatma. You associate with mahatma, you become mahatma. You associate with debauch, you become debauch. Practical. We have taken from the debauchery condition all our disciples. But they are now mahatmas. It is possible. By this Krishna consciousness movement we can turn debauch into mahatma. That is possible. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's movement is so nice.

 

Sat-sanga chadi' kainu asate vilas. If people give up the association of this Krishna consciousness society and they simply indulge in the sense gratificatory process, then more and more they'll be entangled. Sat-sanga chadi' kainu asate vilas, te-karane lagila ye karma-bandha-phans. People are now entangled in hard working. Actually, human life should be very easy, very easy. No hard work. Living very simple life and eating very healthy food, living in open space, no quarrel, no antagonism, everyone is happy, everyone is free. That is human civilization. Not to become entangled. But at the present moment we have become entangled. So Rishabhadeva says that mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimukteh. If we actually want liberation from this entanglement, then we should associate with mahatmas, great souls. And who is a great soul? That is being described.

 

 

We have discussed some of the symptoms of great soul. The great soul is sama-citta, equal to everyone. Great soul is never angry; they are friend to everyone. And sadhava. Sadhava means sadacara, clean habits. A mahatma cannot be implicated with those four principles of sinful life. That is the first test. No illicit sex life, no gambling, no meat-eating, and no intoxication. This is called sadacara, clean habit. Anything beyond this: unclean habit. Here it is stated, sadhava. Sadhava means sadacara, clean habit. Then it is said, ye va mayise krta-sauhrdarthah. Now this mahatma is specifically indicated for a sannyasa, a perfect sannyasi, renounced order. Their characteristic is that. And another mahatma... Suppose one is in household life. Question may be whether a mahatma can be in the household life or not. That is being described: Yes. In household life also there can be mahatma. 

 

 

Just like Advaita Mahaprabhu. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu even, Nityananda Mahaprabhu. They were all householders. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, He was a householder. He married twice. His first wife died - He married for the second time. Regular householder, although He left household life very early. He was only twenty-four years old; therefore He had no children. But Nityananda Prabhu had one child, Virabhadra, and Advaita Prabhu had two, three children, of which Buddhi was very highly elevated. Similarly, Srivasa Thakura, he had children. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu does not say that one has to become in the renounced order or sannyasi, then he becomes a mahatma. No. We also do not propagate such idea. At least, I am not doing that. I am creating householder, ideal householder. And my ideas are being fruitful. Here in London I sent six householders, and they are doing nice, sincerely they are working. Therefore I am very much proud of them.

 

 

So here is also the statement that even... It's not required that sannyasi is only mahatma, but a grihastha can be, is also mahatma. So grihastha-mahatma, his symptoms are described: ye va mayise krta-sauhrdarthah. Their only business is to please Krishna. That is the first qualification. They have no other business. Ye va mayise krta-sauhrdarthah. Then how they deal with others? A grihastha has to live... A sannyasi may live alone in forest or in Himalaya or in a secluded place in Vrindavana or somewhere, but a grihastha, he has to deal with ordinary persons, so many others, businessmen or ordinary people. So that is stated here, that a grihastha-mahatma, his first symptom is that he has no other business than to please Krishna. That is his first business. And so far dealing with others, that is janesu dehambhara-vartikesu grhesu jayatmaja-ratimatsu na priti-yukta yavad-arthas ca loke. Very nice. What does he say? That people who are simply interested in maintaining this body and sense gratification, dehambhara-vartikesu. Deha means this body, and bhara means maintaining, and vartika means occupation.

 

 

Now you analyze everyone in this world. What is their business? Their business is how to maintain this body. That's all. If you ask somebody, "My dear sir, what you are doing?" "Oh, I am doing this business." "Why you are doing this business?" "Oh, I must get money. Otherwise how can I maintain myself?" This is called dehambhara-vartikesu. Their only engagement is how to maintain this body. This is their business. So janesu dehambhara-vartikesu. And grhesu, a householder has got home. And jaya, jaya means wife. Atmaja, atmaja means children. Rati, some money, bank balance or some wealth, rati. Or persons who are engaged simply for the business of maintaining this body, their only business is how to maintain a home, how to maintain a wife, how to maintain children, how to have good bank balance. In this way their life is like that. But a householder who is mahatma, whose only business is to satisfy Krishna, for him, these things are not priti-yuktah, not very pleasing. Not very pleasing. Na priti-yuktah.

 

Then what is their dealing? Yavad-arthas ca loke. They deal as much as required only. That's all. I have to deal with some gentleman who is completely out of our, this Krishna consciousness movement, but I have to deal with him. Then how I have to deal? As much as possible to avoid him, but so far the business is concerned, all right. This is all. Just like a businessman talks with another businessman so far profit is concerned. That's all. No more talk. A businessman, a lawyer, talks with his client so much... Especially in America, they cannot waste their time. Any businessman will not waste their time. They will talk. Similarly, a householder devotee whose only business is to satisfy Krishna, they will deal with other persons... Other person means those who are simply interested for maintaining this body, wife, children, in this way. They have no other ideas. We should not have any very intimate relationship, but we shall have to deal with them only as far necessary. No more. That's all. We shall try to avoid them as far as possible. But because we are living with the human society we have to deal with such persons. So our dealings should be so far as required. Not more than that. Then, if one lives a householder life in this way, keeping his viewpoint only in Krishna, in the lotus feet of Krishna, and other dealings superfluous, he is also mahatma. He's also mahatma. Na priti-yukta yavad-arthas ca loke. Mayi ise krta-sauhrdarthah purusartha yesam.

 

 

A householder mahatma has only one aim: how to attain the perfectional stage of love of God. That is the aim. Generally, a householder in the modern civilization, they are simply trying to accumulate money, increase the bank balance and make the society, friendship and love as the aim and object of life, and they have no other business. But a person who is mahatma, his aim is different. His aim is "How to make my life perfect in Krishna consciousness. How to please Krishna, how to make friendship with Krishna." Everyone is seeking some friend. That is a fact. The businessmen or lawyers or politicians, everyone is seeking some friend. Without friend... Society, friendship and love, these things are required. But a mahatma householder, he is seeking actual friendship with Krishna. Ise sauhrdarthah. Because he knows, "If Krishna is my friend..." Just like Arjuna sought friendship with Krishna; Duryodhana sought friendship with Krishna's power. Krishna divided Himself. Because it was a family warfare between two cousin brothers, and Krishna was also related with both of them by family relationship, so He said, "How can I take part with one and not with the other? Then that will be partiality. So anyway, I divide Myself into two. I am alone, one side, and in which side I shall go, I shall not fight. I shall not touch even a weapon. And the other side, all My soldiers." Krishna had many soldiers. So Duryodhana thought that "I shall take Krishna's soldiers," and Arjuna thought, "I shall take Krishna only, even He does not fight."

 

So this is the determination of mahatmas, that they want simply Krishna's friendship. Mayi sauhrdarthah.

 

 

 

ye va mayise krta-sauhrdartha

janesu dehambhara-vartikesu

grhesu jayatmaja-ratimatsu

na priti-yukta yavad-arthas ca loke

 

Yavad-arthas ca loke, just to deal with other persons as much as necessary, not more than that. But to keep friendship with devotees, that is necessary. Not that I shall not intimately mix, intermingle with the devotees. That is required. A devotee has got four business: isvare priti, love for God, Krishna; friendship with devotees; and kindness to the neophyte; and rejection to the nondevotees. These four principles. A devotee's only lovable object is Krishna. His only friend is devotee, another devotee.

 

isvare tad-adhinesu

balisesu dvisatsu ca

prema-maitri-krpopeksa

yah karoti sa madhyamah

 

Isvare means Krishna-prema, love, to love Krishna. Maitri means friendship. Maitri with whom? Tad-adhinesu, those who are under the control of Krishna. Everyone is under the control of Krishna by this way or that way, but those who are given to Krishna voluntarily, surrendered souls, I am speaking of them. Tad-adhinesu. 

 

 

Copies of Srila Prabhupada’s Books that have not been re-edited since his physical departure

Bhajahari Das: To any devotees in Europe that want copies of Srila Prabhupada’s books that have not been re-edited since his physical departure, you can find them at Krishnastore.com or if you are in the UK we have at stock at GoKula Vegetarian Cafe (Watford)
In stock at the moment are boxes of the following:
Bhagavad Gita As It Is
Krsna Book
Teachings of Lord Chaitanya
Raja Vidya
Sri Isopanisad
Perfection of Yoga
Beyond Birth & Death
On Chanting Hare Krsna (16 page full colour booklet)
Krsna the Reservoir of Pleasure (16 page full colour booklet)

ISKCON INC EUROPEAN-- CROATIAN FESTIVAL 2012 PICTURES

HARE KRSNA PRABHU!
JAY PRABHUPADA!
DANDAVAT PRANAM!

We recently had a Prabhupadanuga festival in Zagreb, Croatia which though small was very powerful. All participants went back to their respective places in Europe with lot of enthusiasm. 4 books in 4 diff languages were decided to be printed for Srila Prabhupada's pleasure in next 6 months. We in Newyork also proposed book distribution training for some of the devotees from an affiliated Prabhupadanuga master book distributor traveling Sankirtan devotee in USA. A plan for buying land for farm community was proposed. A lot of the focus was on improvement of sadhana, chanting and reading. Hopefully 6 months later at the next festival when we take stock of development then the sadhana would have been improved.

We also discussed about Iskcon, inc., Constitution ,Varna ashrama, Gurukuls and various means to raise donations.