Lecture By His Grace Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa on Nov 9, 2012 at Srila Prabhupadas ISKCON Bangalore, Cord Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore.

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SB 2.9.20_HG Chanchalapathi Dasa_Nov 9.mp3

Month: November

Day: Friday
Date: 09
Year: 2012

Speaker: Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa

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Deepotsava 2012 Images at ISKCON BANGALORE

Images of Celebrations in Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON BANGALORE, Cord Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore.

November 2012

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The Face of the Lord is the Embodiment of Beauty

…The essence of everything is the Supreme Lord: He is called the sāram. And those who sing and talk about Him are called the sāraṅgas, or the pure devotees. The pure devotees are always hankering after the lotus feet of the Lord. The lotus has a kind of honey which is transcendentally relished by the devotees. They are like the bees who are always after the honey. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, the great devotee ācārya of the Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya, has sung a song about this lotus honey, comparing himself to the bee: "O my Lord Kṛṣṇa, I beg to offer my prayers unto You. My mind is like the bee, and it is after some honey. Kindly, therefore, give my bee-mind a place at Your lotus feet, which are the resources for all transcendental honey. I know that even big demigods like Brahmā do not see the rays of the nails of Your lotus feet, even though they are engaged in deep meditation for years together. Still, O infallible one, my ambition is such, for You are very merciful to your surrendered devotees. O Mādhava, I know also that I have no genuine devotion for the service of Your lotus feet, but because Your Lordship is inconceivably powerful, You can do what is impossible to be done. Your lotus feet can deride even the nectar of the heavenly kingdom, and therefore I am very much attracted by them. O supreme eternal, please, therefore, let my mind be fixed at Your lotus feet so that eternally I may be able to relish the taste of Your transcendental service." 
or full verse and purport
Srimad Bhagavatam
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Canto One, Chapter Eleven, Text 26
Lord Kṛṣṇa's Entrance into Dvārakā
śriyo nivāso yasyoraḥ
pāna-pātraṁ mukhaṁ dṛśām
bāhavo loka-pālānāṁ
sāraṅgāṇāṁ padāmbujam
śriyaḥ—of the goddess of fortune; nivāsaḥ—residential place; yasya—one whose; uraḥ—chest; pāna-pātram—the drinking pot; mukham—face; dṛśām—of eyes; bāhavaḥ—the arms; loka-pālānām—of the administrative demigods; sāraṅgāṇām—of the devotees who talk and sing of the essence or substance; pada-ambujam—the lotus feet.
The Lord's chest is the abode of the goddess of fortune. His moonlike face is the drinking vessel for eyes which hanker after all that is beautiful. His arms are the resting places for the administrative demigods. And His lotus feet are the refuge of pure devotees who never talk or sing of any subject except His Lordship.
PURPORT
There are different classes of human beings, all seeking different enjoyments from different objects. There are persons who are seeking after the favor of the goddess of fortune, and for them the Vedic literatures give information that the Lord is always served with all reverence by thousands and thousands of goddesses of fortune at the cintāmaṇi-dhāma, the transcendental abode of the Lord where the trees are all desire trees and the buildings are made of touchstone. The Lord Govinda is engaged there in herding the surabhi cows as His natural occupation. These goddesses of fortune can be seen automatically if we are attracted by the bodily features of the Lord. The impersonalists cannot observe such goddesses of fortune because of their dry speculative habit. And those who are artists, overtaken by the beautiful creation, should better see to the beautiful face of the Lord for complete satisfaction. The face of the Lord is the embodiment of beauty. What they call beautiful nature is but His smile, and what they call the sweet songs of the birds are but specimens of the whispering voice of the Lord. There are administrative demigods in charge of departmental service of cosmic management, and there are tiny administrative gods in the state service. They are always afraid of other competitors, but if they take shelter of the arms of the Lord, the Lord can protect them always from the attacks of enemies. A faithful servant of the Lord engaged in the service of administration is the ideal executive head and can well protect the interest of the people in general. Other so-called administrators are symbols of anachronisms leading to the acute distress of the people who are governed by them. The administrators can remain safely under the protection of the arms of the Lord. The essence of everything is the Supreme Lord: He is called the sāram. And those who sing and talk about Him are called the sāraṅgas, or the pure devotees. The pure devotees are always hankering after the lotus feet of the Lord. The lotus has a kind of honey which is transcendentally relished by the devotees. They are like the bees who are always after the honey. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, the great devotee ācārya of the Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya, has sung a song about this lotus honey, comparing himself to the bee: "O my Lord Kṛṣṇa, I beg to offer my prayers unto You. My mind is like the bee, and it is after some honey. Kindly, therefore, give my bee-mind a place at Your lotus feet, which are the resources for all transcendental honey. I know that even big demigods like Brahmā do not see the rays of the nails of Your lotus feet, even though they are engaged in deep meditation for years together. Still, O infallible one, my ambition is such, for You are very merciful to your surrendered devotees. O Mādhava, I know also that I have no genuine devotion for the service of Your lotus feet, but because Your Lordship is inconceivably powerful, You can do what is impossible to be done. Your lotus feet can deride even the nectar of the heavenly kingdom, and therefore I am very much attracted by them. O supreme eternal, please, therefore, let my mind be fixed at Your lotus feet so that eternally I may be able to relish the taste of Your transcendental service." The devotees are satisfied with being placed at the lotus feet of the Lord and have no ambition to see His all-beautiful face or aspire for the protection of the strong arms of the Lord. They are humble by nature, and the Lord is always leaning towards such humble devotees.

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Krishna & the Spiritual Master

 

Letter by Srila Prabhupada
“Lately there has been some misunderstanding amongst our devotees about our Krishna Consciousness philosophy. Particularly there has been some confusion about the relationship between the Spiritual Master and Krishna.
The Vedas say that there is a Master Krishna. This Servant Krishna is the Spiritual Master and this is the conclusion. The Spiritual Master is the Mercy Representative of the Supreme Lord and as such He is given honor as good as Krishna, but He is never identical with Krishna.
Perhaps you know the picture of Madhvacarya, one of the great Acaryas in our line, who is holding two fingers up to indicate Krishna and jiva. The impersonalists hold up one finger because their idea is that everything is one. So if we make the Spiritual Master identical with Krishna, then we will also become impersonalists.
If we say that our Spiritual Master is Krishna, then the conclusion is that if we become Spiritual Master some day, then we will also become Krishna. Please try to understand how dangerous this kind of reasoning is.
In my books I have tried to explain clearly this simultaneously one and different philosophy acinta beda beda tattva propounded by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But sometimes it happens that this philosophy is given a self-interested interpretation. As soon as personal motivation comes in it is not possible for one to understand our Krishna Consciousness philosophy.”

(From Letter to Isana and Vibhavati, 21 September, 1970, Calcutta)
Full Letter
Letter to: Isana, Vibhavati
Calcutta
21 September, 1970
Lachine, Quebec
My Dear Isana and Vibhavati,
Please accept my blessings.
Lately there has been some misunderstanding amongst our devotees about our Krishna Consciousness philosophy. Particularly there has been some confusion about the relationship between the Spiritual Master and Krishna. The Vedas say that there is a Master Krishna. This Servant Krishna is the Spiritual Master and this is the conclusion. The Spiritual Master is the Mercy Representative of the Supreme Lord and as such He is given honor as good as Krishna, but He is never identical with Krishna. Perhaps you know the picture of Madhvacarya, one of the great Acaryas in our line, who is holding two fingers up to indicate Krishna and jiva. The impersonalists hold up one finger because their idea is that everything is one. So if we make the Spiritual Master identical with Krishna, then we will also become impersonalists. If we say that our Spiritual Master is Krishna, then the conclusion is that if we become Spiritual Master some day, then we will also become Krishna. Please try to understand how dangerous this kind of reasoning is.
In my books I have tried to explain clearly this simultaneously one and different philosophy acinta beda beda tattva propounded by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But sometimes it happens that this philosophy is given a self-interested interpretation. As soon as personal motivation comes in it is not possible for one to understand our Krishna Consciousness philosophy.
You have both been very nice devotees and I would like you both to continue to make nice advancement. So please patch up any crack that may have come between yourself and ISKCON. As husband and wife you must always remain together and raise your daughter in Krishna Consciousness. I would like you to go back to New Vrndavana and fix up a nice living place for yourselves and help to develop the New Vrndavana scheme. Our ISKCON should be taken as being a family based upon love and trust, so as the father becomes unhappy when one of his children wishes to break family connections I also become unhappy when there is difficulties within our ISKCON family. So please do not consider leaving as you are spiritual children of mine.
While writing this letter dated September 12th, 1970, I do not think at this time you should come to India. Your both service is required in New Vrndavana.
Please chant your rounds sincerely and read carefully all the books and dedicate your life equally to Krishna and your Spiritual Master. This will make you happy.
Hope you are both well and your daughter Vrajadevi also.

Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS:ds

 

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Lecture by His Grace Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa on Nov 7, 2012at Srila Prabhupadas ISKCON Bangalore, Cord Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore.

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SB 3.2.15_HG Madhu Pandit Dasa_Nov 7.mp3

Month: November

Day: Wednesday
Date: 07
Year: 2012

Speaker: Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa

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Lecture by His Grace Sri Stoka Krishna Dasa on Nov 8, 2012 at Srila Prabhupadas ISKCON Bangalore, Cord Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore.

Posted: 07 Nov 2012 09:23 PM PST

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SB 2.7.23_HG Stoka Krishna Dasa_Nov 8.mp3

Month: November

Day: Thursday
Date: 08
Year: 2012

Speaker: Sri Stoka Krishna Dasa

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A noteworthy effort of Team Surya in aiding Akshaya Patra

Akshaya Patra is the world's largest NGO-run mid-day meal program. The Foundation serves over 1.3 million underprivileged children with freshly prepared, nutritious meals every day. Akshaya Patra is the world's largest NGO-run mid-day meal program. The Foundation serves over 1.3 million underprivileged children with freshly prepared, nutritious meals every day. There are many children for whom the lunch provided by Akshaya Patra is the only complete meal for the day. For More Information  read more

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