Awareness of the fact that the Supreme Lord Krishna is present in every living being stops us killing or being harsh to other living entities. We think that a nuclear blast in the pacific will keep us safe in the USA. However by trying to preserve our life by harming others means that we ourselves will be killed, this is the supreme law.
Nowadays we have so many speakers of Srimad Bhagavatam who talk very nicely with eloquent English language at command in order to attract the audience and with some ulterior motives. The real motive is not to liberate them from birth and death
In the beginning of the rainy season the fragrance from the earth appears. Now, due to pollution, such as the use of artificial fertilizers, we are not able to feel this pure fragrance. If water is not polluted it will have the aroma of the earth.
The general tendency of "I am the doer" does not go even after we perform devotional service for years together. This is because we attach material values to our bhakti also. Especially while preaching, the tendency is always "I am preaching", "I am making this person a devotee".
Srila Prabhupada in his strong and assertive purport writes: "One cannot argue with the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord is always free, and therefore He can protect and can also annihilate. He is not our order carrier; whatever He likes He will do. Therefore He is the Supreme Lord."
By constantly chanting the holy names of the Lord and by hearing the message and descriptions of the Lord in Srimad Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, one is always nourished by the Lord in His form as transcendental sound.
A few weeks back we were in the city of Trivandrum to participate in our first Ratha Yatra in India. Our experience was not only very satisfying but we also witnessed something which can happen only in India and specially in southern part of India which still retains significant traits of our rich Vedic culture.
Many times we came across in Srila Prabhupada literature of terminology like don’t be like dog, hog, ass, etc., In the following verse Srila Prabhupada in a genius way explains why each animal is taken as comparison.
The following acronym SLIPS FLOATS GASP could be kept in mind to easily remember these 15 places. The living entities SLIPS from the spiritual world, FLOATS in the material ocean and when tossed around by the material waves GASP for breath.
A devotee is never fearful of his death, for he meditates on the Supreme Personality of Godhead always, not for any material profit but as his duty. The Lord however knows how to protect His devotee.
Today, at our workplace, we were nominated to attend a training course on Anti Money Laundering (AML) and the trainer was explaining about the concepts and theory of AML. Anti Money Laundering basically means preventing and reporting any illegal usage of money through financial institutions.
People often demand "Show me God, and I will believe in Him." As Srila Prabhupada often said, "God is present everywhere, but we do not have the eyes to see Him." In Bhagavat-gita Krishna tells in five illuminating verses 7.8-12 at least 15 places where we can see Krishna
In our daily routine apart from the many things we do, one of the most important activities is honoring prasadam. The importance of prasadam in our lives need not be emphasized as we all know its potency.
This verse of Srimad Bhagavatam is very powerful and needs to be read everyday and remembered especially when we sleep in the night and also wake up early in the morning. There is no need for us to get puffed up in material or spiritual activities as we are totally helpless and completely dependent on the mercy of the Supreme Lord.
A devotee who brings funds for the temple thinks that the temple is functioning because he is bringing money for the temple. Then the pujari thinks that because he dresses the deities nicely everyone is attracted to the deities making them come to the temple.
Bhagavatam also explains that the demons who did not receive Mother Lakshmi's glance were frustrated and dissatisfied. In India, usually when a person gets lot of riches in the form of a nice apartment, a royal car, great salary/profits in business etc people tell "This person is blessed with Lakshmi Kataksham
Anybody who associates with Srila Prabhupada's books with little sincerity is bound to speak about Lord Krishna. The mood of preaching is automatically developed by the mercy of the Supersoul and Srila Prabhupada's books. Also Lord Krishna has emphatically told that anyone who preaches His message is very dear to Him.
Once there were a few villagers who were visiting New York City for the first time. Curious to know about the city, they booked themselves in a big hotel. It was a skyscraper hotel having hundred floors. And because it was their first experience, they wanted to have something extraordinary.
Lord Brahma says that the sound vibration of Bhagavat-gita, Bhagavatam, Mahamantra and other such Vedic chanting actually carry the beautiful smell of the Lotus feet of the Lord. And when we hear those transcendental sound, they reveal the taste of devotional service in our hearts.
As soon as we start discriminating people, all sorts of evil thoughts take permanent shelter in our hearts. In so many places in Bhagavad Gita as well as Bhagavatam, Lord Krishna has repeatedly stressed that such discrimanting quality never pleases Him and that He would love to stay in the hearts of only those who possess "sama-darshinah". quality.
Srila Prabhupada says that EAGERNESS is the price we have to pay to see Krsna. This is the mood to get life in our chanting. He then told an incident when he met a beggar in India, who constantly begged some rupees and how he continually refused him, until he noticed the tears in the beggar's eyes.
Whenever we are given a service, we feel that one must do an important service where we can come to limelight of devotees and be recognized. But we do not understand that our devotional service is to please Krishna.
We find that even when Vidura was insulted and tossed out of his own house by Duryodhana, Vidura was not at all sorry (gata vyatah), for he considered the acts of external energy of the Lord to be supreme. He took it as an opportunity by the grace of Duryodana to fully engage in the devotional service of the Lord.
Lord Sri Krishna describes material world as dukhalayam ashashvatam ie. It is full of miseries and temporary. And since we are there in this material world, we are in constant touch with miseries. It is like if someone has fallen in an ocean, then he cannot avoid water.
Once in a village there was boy who lost his mother and father. He was brought up by his aunt. His aunt feeling pity on him pampered him too much and never bothered to correct him. He was doing all the mischievous activities in the village and all the people complained about him to his aunt.
In his lecture, His Divine Grace had quoted so many practical examples to make us realise that Krishna gives everything to us according to what we deserve to get better. One of the examples His Divine Grace quotes is that of a hospital.
In Bible we have a story called "Paradise lost" which describes the story of father with two sons.The elder one was obedient and the younger one was spendthrift. One day the younger son leaves the home taking away his share of inherited wealth and because of his spendthrift nature, soon loses all the money and becomes a pauper.
We are all so much after the maintenance and decoration of our bodies till we live. There are so many variegated ways of decorating even the nails and the hairs that people spend thousands everyday. These are complete nonsensical activities, considering that our body is so temporary.
Real standards begin at home. As parents we have to take extra care to put good values in our kids, like being in a Krishna conscious environment, being truthful, honest etc. Nowadays, the generation coming up is really ignorant about the vedic values, so how can we put all these in them?
material benedictions are not so easy to obtain. One has to endevor a lot to get it. After getting it one has to further struggle hard to maintain it. Hiranyakashipu wanted to get mystic power, wealth, honour fame and above all wanted to conquer death
Of all the incarnations Lord Nrsimhadev's incarnation is the shortest in terms of time because He just came, delivered Hiranyakashipu, blessed Prahlad and then left. But this incarnation of Narahari is the most famous and sought after by almost every devotee.