19900104 Excerpts from NOD.15 and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.5.18

Vande aham sri gurun sri yuta padakamalam sri Gurun Vaishnavams ca

The following is the class given by HH Jayapataka swami on January 4th 1990 at New Talavan farm in Careo, Mississippi.

The class begins with the reading from the Srimad Bhagavatam 10th Canto , chapter 5, text 18. The class is about the qualities of the holy dham, with excerpts from the nectar of devotion 15th chapter.

This devotional service can be easily seen in Krishna’s direct associates in Vrindavana. The spontaneous dealings of the residents of Vrindavana in relationship with Krishna are called raganuga. It means you don’t have to learn anything about devotional service. They are already perfect in all regulative principles and have achieved the spontaneous loving service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For example , the cowherd boys who are playing with Krishna do not have to learn by austerity or penances or yogic practice how to play with him. They have passed all test of regulative principles in their previous lives and as the result they are now elevated to the position of direct association with Krishna as his dear friends. Their spontaneous attitude is called raganuga bhakti. Sri Rupa Goswami has defined raganuga bhakti as spontaneous attraction for something while completely absorbed in thoughts in it. With an intense desire of love. Devotional service executed with such feelings of spontaneous love is called raganuga bhakti. Devotional service under the heading of raganuga can be further divided into two categories one category is called sensual attraction and the other is called relationship. In this connection there is a statement by Narada Muni to Yudishthira in the seventh canto first chapter verse thirty of Srimad Bhagavatam. There, Narada says, “ My dear king, there are many devotees who first become attracted to the Personality of Godhead for purposes of sense gratification, from being envious of him, out of fear of him or from desiring to associate affectionately with him. Ultimately his attraction becomes free from all material contamination and gradually the worshiper develops spiritual love and achieves that ultimate goal of life desired by the pure devotee. The gopis may be considered to be examples of spontaneous love and sensual attraction. The gopis are young girls and Krishna is a young boy so, superficially, it seems that the gopis are attracted to Krishna on grounds of sex. Similarly King Kamsa was attracted to Krishna because of fear. Kamsa was always fearful of Krishna because it had been foretold that his sister’s son Krishna would kill him. Sisupala was also always envious of Krishna and the descendants of King Yadu due to their family relationship with Krishna they are always thinking of him as one of their members. All these different kinds of devotees have a spontaneous attraction for Krishna in different categories and they achieve the same desired goal of life. The attraction of the gopis to Krishna and the affection of the members of the Yadu dynasty are both accepted as spontaneous or raganuga. The attraction of Kamsa to Krishna in fear and the attraction of Sisupala in envy are not accepted as devotional service, however, because their attractions are not favourable. Devotional service should be executed only in a favourable frame of mind. Therefore according to Srila Rupa Goswami, such attractions are not considered to be devotional service. Again, he analyses the affection of the Yadus. If it is on the platform of friendship then it is spontaneous love but if it is on the platform of regulative principles then it is not and only when affection comes to the platform of spontaneous love, it comes under the category of devotional service. There may be some difficulty in understanding that both the gopis and Kamsa achieved the same goal so this point should be clearly understood because the attitude of Kamsa and Sisupala were different from that of the gopis. Although in all these cases the focus is on the Supreme Personality of Godhead and all of the devotees are elevated to the spiritual world, there is still a distinction between these two classes of souls. In the first canto of Srimad Bhagavatam it is said that the absolute truth is one and He has manifested as impersonal Brahman, Paramatma, Supersoul and Bhagavan,the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here is the spiritual distinction. Although Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan are the same and one absolute truth, devotees like Kamsa, Sisupala could only attain till the Brahman effulgence.

Transcription by Dayita H; MSdd

Start date: 15 May 2019

Completed date: 15 May 2019

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They could not have realization of Paramatma or Bhagavan. That is the distinction.

Translation by Srila Prabhupad:

O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the home of Nanda Mahārāja is eternally the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His transcendental qualities and is therefore always naturally endowed with the opulence of all wealth. Yet beginning from Lord Kṛṣṇa’s appearance there, it became the place for the pastimes of the goddess of fortune

Purport:

As stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.29), lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. The abode of Kṛṣṇa is always served by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune. Wherever Kṛṣṇa goes, the goddess of fortune naturally resides with Him. The chief of the goddesses of fortune is Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa’s appearance in the land of Vraja indicated that the chief goddess of fortune, Rādhārāṇī, would also appear there very soon. Nanda Mahārāja’s abode was already opulent, and since Kṛṣṇa had appeared, it would be opulent in all respects.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta swami translation, purport to the 18th chapter canto 5 text 10 of the Meeting of Nanda Maharaj with Vasudeva.

So since Vrajdham and Nanda Maharaj are eternally connected with Krishna, they are always endowed with transcendental qualities, with opulences of all wealth. When Krishna is personally present and the goddess of fortune is also going to be personally serving Krishna, then whatever opulence Nanda Maharaj had, it started to increase even more and more, very special situation which Krishnas and Radharanis presence was creating. This indicates that Vrindavan is always filled with transcendental qualities. It is always filled with opulences. Because the Lord is personally present, it magnifies more and more. It is said that the Holy Dham is more glorious when the Lord is having his pastimes visibly before the whole world. The Holy Dham is always holy, very sacred. Simply when the Lord’s pastimes are visible, that glory becomes more magnified, it becomes projected. But otherwise, still, it is always glorious. So we should know that holy dhams like Vrindavan, Mayapur these are filled with the Lord’s personal qualities. They are not under the domain of external energy, but they are directly under the domain of internal energy. Many times, we find in international dealings that the diplomatic laws are put in the public view. Just like in the present time, America sent its troops into Panama to capture the previous military dictator, whatever, Noriega, I believe..Noriega. But he took asylum in the American embassy. Because according to International Law, the embassy is not under the dominion of Panama, rather it’s directly under the dominion of the country that it represents. So America cannot enter into that without breaking, rather diplomatic wars. This kind of illustrates how although a country is situated many thousands and thousands of miles away, the embassies are like extensions. So this seems like somewhat of a parallel that we can use as a gross example. How the spiritual world is situated far away, out of the material world, but its extensions are here, like kind of like embassies you could say, something like that, which are under the domain of the internal energy, although physically they are situated within the material world. Superficially it appears that they are within the dominion of maya, but actually they are under yoga maya. So this is the nature of the holy dhams that they are under the internal energy. Those who have spiritual vision, they can feel the difference. They can see the spiritual energy manifesting and there are so many pastimes throughout history of the holy dhams which reveal that although the Lord is not obviously manifesting His pastimes, but he is present in His Holy dham for the pure devotee, He can reveal himself even at times when he is not scheduled to be there. These are all there eternally. There are many examples of this. Rupa and Sanatana Goswami, when they were worshipping in Vrindavan, they could meet… Rupa Goswami especially even saw Radharani. Radharani supplied so many ingredients and took a piece to Krishna. Madhavendra Puri was personally able to see Krishna.

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Transcribed by: Dhanya.H

And he supplied them so many ingredients to cook a feast for Krishna. Madhavendra Puri was personally able to see Krishna, while in Vrindavana. Krishna was coming and bringing him a pot of milk. Like this, many of the Acharyas, they had different pastimes with Krishna or Radharani. Just recently, five hundred years ago, even though the Lord , His visible pastimes have been already wound up five thousand years ago. Similarly, Bhaktivinod Thakur, had many visions in Mayapur. That was only a hundred years ago. And, the time of course, Lord Chaitanya’s pastimes were manifested five hundred years ago which is very much more recent. But, even when we do the Navadvipa Parikrama, the pastimes in Navadvipa are dating since the beginning of the universe. Varaha’s pastimes in Navadvip. Varaha was fighting against Hiranyaksha, He touched His lotus foot on the earth, and with the other foot, Gong! He gave him a good kick. The place where he touched his lotus feet is known as Koladvip, one of the nine islands of Navadvip. There’s this Varaha temple there, where Lord Varaha is worshipped. ‘Kola’ is the name for ‘Varaha’. Similarly there is , Lord Narsimhadev killed Hiranyakashipu. Then he went and he settled down in Navadvip for some time, and all the devas or demigods, they took the form of villagers, and they lived around the place where Narsimhadev was, and personally serving Narsimhadev daily making offerings to him and serving Him in a very intimate way. This place is known as Narsimhapalli, and although Mayapur is flat, there are seven hills there, but you don’t find any hills anywhere else. And these are called the devatila or the hills of the devas, where seven predominating devas, they have built hills there to worship Narsimhadev. So they came to the village of Narsimhadev. This pastime, as Ramachandra left Ayodhya and headed to Dandakaranya, he first visited Navadvip dham, and had a pastime there. Before the Kumaras, when they gave instructions to Nimbarka Acharya, they met him for the first time in Navadvip dham. Balaram, when he was visiting all the holy places he visited Navadvip dham, and there he killed the demon called Mayaasura. And Mahamayavat,the place where He killed this asura, it’s there in Navadvipa dham. Because, it is like say, the President is visiting a country, you go and visit his embassy. If Krishna, or Balaram or Narsimhadev or any other Vishnutattva come to this earth, the main extensions of the spiritual world which are here, they visit. They release any accumulated sinful reactions that are there, they clear those away, and they may stay for some time or they may just pass through. But if they know that this is their own place, this is their eternal abode, extended here, although amongst the material world is also there, that’s like an extension, an external energy. But internal potency which is under the direct control of Lakshmi, not under the control of Durga is this holy abodes. So this verse explains, how, the transcendental abode of the Lord is always filled with transcendental qualities and opulences of the Lord. So even today, these opulences are still there in Mayapur and Vrindavan. Otherwise why would Srila Prabhupad want us to build the world headquarters in Mayapur and our Krishna Balaram temple in Vrindavan. If these abodes didn’t have spiritual potency, and, the devotees of course, by their presence, they help to magnify the potency of the dham. This is Krishna, when he was personally present, the holy dham’s glories became more magnified. Prabhupada said in Mayapur that we should always be chanting the holy name of Krishna. If we chant the holy name of Krishna, Krishna is personally present so that magnifies the glories of the dham, because Krishna is personally present. Similarly, in Vrindavan he liked, they did, now I think they are doing also, the akhandnaam. That was their worshipping every day. So this active worship of the deities in Vrindavan helps to magnify. Like when Lord Chaitanya went, he immediately felt ecstasy upon entering Vraja Dham. But that time there was no Deity, people were not conscious that this is Vrindavan, this is the land of Krishna. But Lord Chaitanya, he could feel the ecstasy, he could feel the presence of Krishna in Vrindavan. But then He instructed his followers to construct a temple there and to establish Deities and worship the Lord. So because of the presence of those deities, that has further expanded the opulence of Vrindavan, from when it was just, no one knew that it was Vrindavan. Although it was still, why Lord Chaitanya and even Nityananda Prabhu visited Vrindavan. Before Lord Nityananda met with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he went to Vrindavan. There was no temple there, but he knows this is Vrindavan, he knows where, just a few by, by his time, just a few breaths before, maybe a few seconds, because eternal time, it’s no time at all. He was there as Balaram. Now he came back, he was there as Nityananda. So by having temples, that expands the glories. Because we establish Krishna with his energy and that worship enhances

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Transcription by Dhanya H

Start date: 16 May 2019

Completed date: 16 May 2019

So, by having temples that expands the glories, because we establish Krishna with his energy, and then worship, that enhances the… pastimes of the Lord makes them more accessible to the people, who are coming at the present times. So this way, _____(00:17) said, Now by Lord Chaitanya’s mercy, people know about Vrindavan. But, because Lord Chaitanya who came as a devotee, and he didn’t want to reveal himself, and that he was Krishna himself, so therefore, he never did anything with his own abode. But after he left and Nityananda Prabhu gave many instructions that now, let the world know that Lord Chaitanya was actually Krishna. Now don’t interfere with his own mellow of devotional service. Being a devotee, if you call the devotee god it’s a contradiction, it’s incompatible with their mood. So once Lord Chaitanya was not present, then it was alright to reveal to the world that actually, that person who you know as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he was actually Krishna himself. With some intimate devotees already knew, but the world didn’t necessarily know it. So, then he said, Now we will have, this Mayapur dham will be developed after many hundreds of years. First, there will be a flood, floods here, and people will gradually shift to other parts. It will become an open land, but then after some time someone will come and start a very big temple, he said “Ek Adbhut Mandir hoibe Prakash Ek Adbhut Adbhut”. Mandir you all know, adbudh means incomparable. Wonderful. Amazing, ____ (01:39) many of our songs have the word adbhuta, we say adbhuta when we sing Narsimha Arati, because when the devas saw Narsimhadev, they were just like, Wow. You know like. Adbhuta means there is no word to express it. Like, this is adbhuta, you know. Like, something really out of this world, really wonderful. Really…. Indescribable. So this should be one adbhut mandir. An exceptional mandir, a mandir which doesn’t have any other parallel or comparison. He said, he predicted “Ek Adbhut Mandir hoibe Prakash” Prakash means it will be manifested, it will come to being. Then this temple, it’s ______ (02:14)it will expand the glories of the transcendental worship of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu everywhere. So that’s by the presence of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in that temple that will expand the glories of Mayapur. So that’s actually what Prabhupada wanted us to do. He laid the foundation stone in nineteen seventy seven. He initially laid the first foundation stone 1970 or 71 I believe. That’s for the whole project planned for the temple he laid in 1977. So then, now, ISKCON managers and Mayapur and the whole GBC rather, they last year decided we should have a special marathon kind of fifteen year program, to complete the big temple for Srila Prabhupada so that Prabhupada disciples could complete it in their lifetime. Hopefully, we don’t know how long we’ll live, but maybe most of Prabhupada disciples will still be around after fifteen years. And, thus we could fulfill the instruction of Srila Prabhupad which was the prediction of Nityananda Prabhu. Then, Nityananda Prabhu also predicted that there will be a spiritual city which will come to be around this temple. And which will be filled with devotees of Lord Chaitanya from all over the world. So all these things are already __________(03:34) They’re already predicted and already going to happen by Lord Nityananda’s desire. But it is an opportunity for the devotees of ISKCON to be the instruments in fulfilling the desire of the Lord. But to do that requires a kind of worldwide co-operation, a worldwide consciousness. So about half a mile from the exact birth place, known as Yogapitha, but he said that Prabhupada explained that Krishna was born in Mathura, but he went to Vraja dham, and Vraja is considered more important than Mathura, because Vraja was the place of Krishna’s work, his pastimes were there. Although physically he was born in Mathura, he went to do his pastimes in Vraja Dham. So therefore there is in the Gita, there is that verse. [4.9]

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ’rjuna

That, the place of my birth and activities, is transcendental and someone who understands this at the time of leaving their body, they return to me without having to take re-birth again. So Prabhupada explained, Janma and Karma both are transcendental. So the two, the transcendental activities of the Lord are more important than just the birth, although both are transcendental. So he said that our Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir, the Shri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir Prabhupada sometimes referred to this as Shri Chaitanya Chandradoya mandir, meaning the place where Lord Chaitanya is rising. Should be Krishna’s or Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s karma sthan. The place where they

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Transcription by Harinama Krishna Das

Start date: 13 May 2019

Completed date: 13 May 2019

Chandrodaya mandir the meaning that place where Lord Chaitanya is rising should be Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Karma Sthaan. The place of his transcendental activity. By being the place of transcendental activities of the Lord and the lord of the present wherever activity is going on that means he is also present since the preaching of Lord Chaitanya’s holy name and chanting in Mayapur being going on this is steadily the opulences are increasing more and more people are coming as I was leaving on new year’s eve to come here there were so many buses coming into Mayapur where we have pull over every few minutes atleast 20 buses passed us within 10 minutes it took us to go from Mayapur to the national highway. There will probably be 50 or 60 buses tourist buses in one day if not more. Some times in Gaura Poornima we will get 250 -300 tourist buses coming now and (00:53) . Over Prabhupad first went there in 1971 was living in a grass hut when he was preaching to bala tirtha prabhu who was at that time Bob Cohen peace corp worker in India in the perferct questions perfect answers book is their conversation he was living in the grass hut at that time you didn’t see any body coming into Mayapur except for Gaura Poornima time , that time mainly windows and very religious people in their old age is coming who are natually spiritual minded in India but rest of the year you will see that in the morning 20 boys come on their bicycles drive by their way to work in their warehouses in navadip Jute warehouses or some kind of in the afternoon they come by the whole Mayapur only had an about 5 to 6 rickshaws that was good facility at that time one of the advantages of no people coming, But along with progress you will get more rickshaws and more traffic more traffic jams all kind of other problems but after prabhupad started preaching you can see now steadily the number of people coming the in effect prominence of Mayapur has increased when prabhupad Samadhi temple is opened in Mayapur at that time the effect is going to be atleast many time 5 times are more expanded the amount of people coming. Predicted. Now when I was there for Ras poornima November that time over 200,000 people visited Mayapur over 2 days.But prabhupad Samadhi opened probably this time big time festival probably expect million people to come through. So even the infrastructure to handle that many people we have to really analyse. We are not …. All this shows how ____ (02:44) when Krishna is present the opulence is also increased. Because this is the pastime place of Goddess of fortune. So we are seeing how just even in Mayapur and vrindavan also Krishna Balaram temple so many people are coming. Because of the activities of Krishna going on that means Krishna is present. Similarly like in new Talavan other iskcon projects although this may not be the birthplace of any of Krishna’s avatar but it can be place of krishna’s activity by having deity by worshipping the deity by regularly chanting

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

also for gaur nitai

Sri Krishna Caitanya Prabhu Nityananda
Sri Advaita Gadhadara Srivasathi Gaur Bhakta vrinda.

Actually this also becomes place of krishna’s activity of course here it is like where in the eternal dham the lord appears under the yoga maya that becomes _________ (03:46) in it came like more enhanced the opulence increased more because of Krishna’s personal presence. But here __________(03:59- 04:03) So opulence is here but because Prabhupad came here because activities are going on expanding so by Krishna’s presence it becomes transformed it becomes transcendentalized. But the you can say the responsibility or onus is really upon the devotees to go on expanding the activities of Krishna. Actually there are so many festivals to Krishna there is saying in India that you know 12 months 13 festivals. Meaning like this there are more festivals there are months. So many festivals to Krishna so by various transcendental festivals this year we have damodhar ashtakam damodara masam month of Damodhar many festival different festivities the more these are centered under Krishna the more that conscious of the members of the community the adults the children is focussed on Krishna consciousness there by Krishan’s personal presence the spiritual opulences of

Community of the whole New talavan becomes enhanced. Krishna’s presence means

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Transcription by Harinama Krishna Das

Start date: 14 May 2019

Completed date: 14 May 2019

The spiritual opulence of the Community of the whole New Talavan becomes enhanced. Krishna’s presence means that times it becomes transcendental place here is like all around the material world like in Holland. Nature of Holland is below the sea level but they built the dyke and they have elaborate systems of pumping out water with wind mills and other things. So although they are below the sea level that is the most fertile opulent place you know so many tulips different nice cows things like that in Holland so a very nice fertile land but it is actually below the sea level so although here we are in America United States of America in pursuit of sense gratification one of the basic rights guaranteed in constitution of the nation. People here are naturally very much focussed on sense gratification and devotional service is not always so prominently you remembered.

Although at the same time in God we trust is there in the money so some reference to god is also there so both sides are in this country the freedom of religion and freedom for sense gratification in pursuit of happiness. So here we are saying there is a higher happiness. In the pursuit of happiness that happiness can also be pursued and should be pursued by human beings not in the same way as animals pursue happiness. Animals pursue happiness simply in sense gratification. But human being should pursue happiness in service to god. Service to Krishna. By serving the Lord we can achieve the real transcendental happiness and that is actually is the purpose of the spiritual communities that Prabhupad wanted established here in North America especially personally established personally named personally visited. Actually to provide an alternative when people get frustrated from the rat race frustrated from the difficult material situation let them take shelter in a spiritual environment children grow up in the spiritual community to do that. We are kind of surrounded by maya on all the sides so we don’t have our dyke-ing system is the regular chanting of the holynames. Our regular spiritual practices sometimes like in the dykes leaks little water gets in some times due to our previous bad habits we may bring in certain kind of material tendencies or activities that we have to pump those out through these festivals special occasion over here special classes and special festivities are there to lift up every one’s consciousness. It is an opportunity for us to focus our minds more clearly on our actual ______ (03:03) to create a type of spiritual environment the place of Krishna’s radharani’s,radha kanta’s nitai Gaura’s srila prabhupad’s transcendental pastimes. So that people they can actually by living in this type of spiritual environment they can experience the contact with the internal potency . It is also becomes a type of eternal embassy of the spiritual world. We want it to be upgraded it like consulate to embassy. This is also there in the vedas that is called Sripad dham means is like where lord personally appears. But where some great devotees has sat given his lectures instructed and assigns devotional service establish some temples and the temple is being worshipped the followers are faithfully following that saint that great devotee that pure devotee that is also that’s called as sripad there are may sripads. Sripad Kejari,Sripad Bhagawan bola in india you find many sripads. Where some Acharya has established the temple. Even like Remuna some of these places are some time they call them Dham.

Sometime they call them Sripad.

In remuna Lord Ramachandra personally went there. Some people call it as dham.

Other places like Sripad Haridaspur. Haridas Thakur was there for one day. They consider that as Sripad.

It was there he chanted his 300.000 names of Krishna at that place. Since that time they changed the name of the place to Sripad Haridaspur. There are local junior high school, is Haridaspur high school, the local post office everything is Haridaspur., Haridas Thakur spent 24 hours there. Here chanted his 300,000 names and pleased local people and they become so much dedicated to him that they changed

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Transcription by Medhavini sakhidd

Start date: 13th may 2019

Completed date:14th may 2019

Chanted this 300000 names and preached to the local people. They became so much dedicated to him, that they changed the name of the village , Haridaspur. Everything is centered around Haridas Thakur. And that’s considered, ofcourse that is within, and also he has spent 16 years , one mile from there. But that particular place, he stayed one day. So we are 3 miles from a place where a devotee has resided, a pure devotee like that. That is considered to be transcendentalized. So, you can also this is a shripad, in the future many you would find , new this, new that. People may create. But actually Prabhupad was here, personally, this could also be called Shripad, new Talavan dham. He established his presence and personally actioned here. So this became, Sripad, Srila Prabhupad. This is the eternal shrine where Prabhupada, senapati, bhakta, the commander in chief devotee of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu spread Krishna consciousness all over the world. He personally was here, taught how to cook, taught how to preach, taught how to protect the cows, so many instructions, said to do a big spiritual community here and the devotees have so many obstacles in maintaining dedication to the instruction to Srila Prabhupada, serving his order and so this actually is a very glorious place and we should try to expand the glory by making the presence of Krishna more and more, making his presence more felt, making him more present in the sense of chanting and the spiritual programs, festivals so that everyone can be more conscious of Krishna. Krishna’s presence is to keep out the maya which is surrounding in the material world here. And the people who come naturally feel and gain spiritual blessings just by being here. So, this verse specifically glorifying Vraja Dham is important for us since we work to develop the spiritual places of the Lord and also we are serving the holy Dhams like Vrindavan and Mayapur. And here in New Talavan, Prabhupad has given us certain instructions, we are trying to expand the glories of Krishna’s pastimes here and making him present here by the spiritual activities. So this is all very much authorized by the scriptures , this is the way of enhancing and purifying the whole presence of Krishna in the world .

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Any question?

_____2.46

The Ganges is where she is, but her current has changed from this current was pressing very much against the side of the present banks. Last year , which caused the government to put down millions of rocks to try to dissuade her from consuming more earth. But ultimately, it is her own free will to decide her independence. So this year, the Ganges, was going around. She goes in a curve fashion so, she was going in like a big u. then she goes in the shape of S and in one of the curves, she was coming and was heading straight into Mayapur, then bouncing off and then going over to the other sde. So what happened was that, this year during the rainy season , she cut through, looked like she was making a short cut, she cut through making a huge island. Because that’s much reduced or shorter route for her water, but normal flow is going like this, here in Mayapur, hitting here, so, now if you want I can draw it , but , this stream as you can see, in a mirror, in a reverse image, I am seeing it and you are seeing it backward. Anyhow, she cut through, making an island, and that was the main thrust of her current to go on the other side of the river now. And then certain amount of sand dunes, not exactly in our bank but a little bit upstream. Now in front of the temple, there is no current. You can just swim, it wont even move you downstram. Further down just a little beyond the Samadhi, that’s kind of hidden, quite a bit of current there. We don’t know in the future whats going to happen but in the present, a lot of pressure has been taken off. There has been not more erosion this year since the erosion started on the other side of the river, and sanddunes are gradually forming on this side. The government still realizes that there is potential danger and is very close to their wall. They have sanctioned about 4 million rupees worth additional erosional step so that taking advantage of not so much current. At the present time, there is no immediate visible danger or potentially, we don’t know in the future, which way it could turn. Right now I think, she just changed like that.

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We took Harikesa maharaj when he was there, in November, wewent down by motor boat, we went on a complete round around the island, we went to the new cut off, the cut between the 2 villages, really fast current there, it is like a rapid sshhhhh cut through. So now, the whole fest has gone to the other side of the village, she keeps boating in the other side, she may shift over that way. So the whole village, they say, they have seen every fifteen years , she shifts. In 60 years, 4 times they have seen her come closer than what she is now and gone back mile away the other side. She tends to go back and forth. So she is also further away, that’not bad. She is really wide, really wide now, I mean, seems like almost a mile wide, may be half a mile or something, very wide and I say it is very nice for bathing with the current. But it is one mile an hour, water is moving now. So many pilgrims, now because before it was very dangerous that was fatal bathing, but now they bring their babies and give their babies bath in the Ganges. Obviously, there is a lot of people taking bath now. They had to climb on these rocks because big boulders are put there. So they are supposed to put in some steps and prepare a proper bathing ghat. It’s not very close. You can just walk to the Ganges side. It’s only about 250 to 300 feet. , 100 yards. So, not easy for everyone to go there again and if the current stays on the other side, it will be nice. _____1.47

Yes

Question _____1.57 – 2.15

Realizing that one lacks is the first step. We should always be seeking value added progress in spiritual life. Finding our weakpoints . Sometimes the Guru helps us, sometimes senior vaisnavas help, and sometimes maya helps. In different ways, we realize that weakness, then we have to take the steps to increase, wherever we are lax, to eradicate that. Everyone is an individual, you can further evaluate, why you are laxed, doubts or someone is not properly engaged, they just become lazy spiritually. Until we reach this point of raganuga, as we read today in the nectar of devotion, which is the paramahamsa platform, our tendency is to become lax. That means, we have to push ourselves. When you are raganuga, you don’t have to push yourself. Then your love for Krishna will push you. That will pull you. Because when we are not having raganuga bhakti, we are not having spontaneous love for Krishna. That mind will always have the tendency to go towards Krishna’s external energy. So it is by intelligence, following certain rules and regulations, by sadhana bhakti, we maintain ourselves in spiritual line. And that’s where on the princi9ple of raganuga, we have to be very strict with the principles, , to be very strict about regulative principles, , like you know the practice of devotional activities. You think Ive been a devotee for a long time, so I do it, but the question of time does not enter. It is not the question of time. It is a question of our degree of advancement. Until we are on the paramahamsa platform, until we are in the level of raganuga bhakti, our spontaneous devotion, we have to go on watching all the regulative principles and regulative practices of devotional service. Even someone who is ________, generally they practice very strictly top give good example , even without following, they automatically be engaged in Krishna’s service. They don’t have. Prabhupad explained that the symptom of a paramahamsa, they cannot remain without glorifying Krishna’s qualities , Krishna’s devotional service, glorifying Krishna. Even for a moment, they become very anxious, they have to glorify, they have to engage in devotional service . For them you know, vacation, there is no question of vacation in devotional service. For the vacation is more devotional service, different types. They are in that platform by Krishna’s mercy. But until we are not at that platform, actually we have to see and make a regulated plan for Srimad Bhagavatam classes, Managalaratis, Guru Pujas, Bhagavad Gita classes, different festivals. If we expose ourselves and regulate ourselves in different spiritual activities

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Because as soon as we may become lax, our tendency would be to go more towards maya. This is natural. We are overcoming a momentum of material entanglement which has been there for countless births. So by remaining in the fire of Krishna consciousness, we bring that whole fan as Srila Prabhupada says into a halt. Then, it starts spinning the other way, spinning on Krishna. So that time, it is natural that devotee would be engaging in devotional service. But in the present situation, before reaching raganuga bhakti, the tendency would be there to be in maya. We have to always be vigilant. We have to always be careful. It is not a question of time, you know, you may not use that time effectively. You may have started the bhakti platform, or have been for your whole life, we don’t know, just see. When I observe, I see, when someone gets some spare time, how do they use it? If they are using it very much in Krishna’s service, they symptoms are advancement in Krishna consciousness. So, we try to increase that more and more. How to make Krishna consciousness more interesting for the children, how to make it more appealing to them. We cannot force anyone to become Krishna conscious, but we have to attract them by giving them a good example, by giving them a good environment, by making Krishna consciousness more interesting and exciting for them. More interesting than Maya. Also, developing their intelligence so that they can understand the superficial nature of Maya’s presentation and to see things as they are so that they can also be protected from being swept away by the illusion of material nature and they can remain fixed in God consciousness. It’s a very big responsibility for parents to bring their children to Krishna. It requires a lot of creative preaching, especially when all around there is so much of material propaganda, material presence. But by seeing in the vision of the scriptures, naturally the children can see that this is Maya, this is Krishna conscious, and hopefully they would continue to choose throughout their life, the Krishna conscious alternative.