hare krishna

"The Absolute Truth is realized in three phases of understanding by the knower of the Absolute Truth, and all of them are identical. Such phases of the Absolute Truth are expressed as Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan." (Bhag. 1.2.11) These three divine aspects can be explained by the example of the sun, which also has three different aspects, namely the sunshine, the sun's surface and the sun planet itself. One who studies the sunshine only is the preliminary student. One who understands the sun's surface is further advanced. And one who can enter into the sun planet is the highest. Ordinary students who are satisfied by simply understanding the sunshine--its universal pervasiveness and the glaring effulgence of its impersonal nature--may be compared to those who can realize only the Brahman feature of the Absolute Truth. The student who has advanced still further can know the sun disc, which is compared to knowledge of the Paramatma feature of the Absolute Truth. And the student who can enter into the heart of the sun planet is compared to those who realize the personal features of the Supreme Absolute Truth. Therefore, the bhaktas, or the transcendentalists who have realized the Bhagavan feature of the Absolute Truth, are the topmost transcendentalists, although all students who are engaged in the study of the Absolute Truth are engaged in the same subject matter. The sunshine, the sun disc and the inner affairs of the sun planet cannot be separated from one another, and yet the students of the three different phases are not in the same category."

Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada... Bhagavad-gita 2.2 (purport)

 

Love Krishna in His original form as a blue skinned flute playing cowherd boy. That's the Supreme controler. haribol!

 

It was 1976, and my friend and I had hitch-hiked down to Kent for a Free Festival, near Canterbury. Travelling down that way, we were retracing the footsteps of Chaucer’s Christian pilgrims of the middle ages,, although the thought never occurred to me at the time. But this is a new age, and we were young, eager to find the event, get stoned……..

On the road we met up with some others who were headed the same way, and eventually we tracked the festival down. It was in a place on the Medway estuary, set back about 500 meters from the sea.

It was nice, the weather was kind, and this was back in the days of nice, peaceful festivals, barring the prescence of some four hundred or so Hell’s Angels who descended on the site for the weekend, wreaked some minor havoc, and then left.

On Friday afternoon, a smart looking silver bus and a couple of ex-army four tonner’s rolled onto site. It was Iskcon, in their Temple Bus. The Devotees were all clad in bright saffron dhotis and kurtas. They opened up the bus, set up a big cooking tent, and cooked a huge amount of truly wonderful Prasada. Devotees went all round the site, performing Kirtan, chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra, inviting all to partake of the Prasad (which many did eagerly!) and inviting us to come and see the Deity of Gopal Krishna, and the plays they would be performing later in the evening on the main stage!

It was like a real new energy – in those days, during Srila Prabhupada’s time in the body, Iskcon were certainly very well organized. Much more so than any of the hippies!

I ate my Prasada – it tasted absolutely great. I watched the play – I can’t recall the whole thing, but it made a big impression. I went over to the Temple Bus; outside, a hippy girl with somewhat greasy long black hair was sitting chanting Hare Krishna. There were a lot of people on the bus, so I decided to return later. Off I went and got very high on morrocan hash.

Next day, I went back to the Bus. The hippy girl was still there, still chanting! She’d been there all nigh, a Devotee told me, chanting Hare Krishna, keeping the Devotees, who stuck exactly to their daily routines of getting up at 3.00 at the festival, awake all night! The girl was going back with them to Bhaktivedanta Manor !

I was invited to come inside so I took off my shoes and entered, for the first time in this lifetime, a Krishna Temple. The Deity though was behind closed doors at this time. Inside were several very fresh and bright looking Devotees (considering they’d had no sleep) a couple of average hippy looking festival goers, and an Indian man, wearing only a pair of shorts, and with long and luxuriant hair and beard.’This guy is a hatha-yogi’ one of the devotees told me with a wide smile, ‘he’s just come back from India’. The gentleman smiled, and his smile seemed to convey a peace, but also an energy….I was intrigued.

One of the Devotees handed me a book, it was ‘Krsna –The Supreme Personality of Godhead’ by Srila Prabhupada. He said he was supposed to ask for a donation, but he wanted me to know that he wanted everyone to know about Krishna and his Spiritual Master so much, he was going to break the rules and give me the book for free! I still have it. We talked about Krishna, I tried chanting a round of Japa on beads. Then came time to offer this day’s Prasada to Krishna. The ‘Deity Doors’ were opened, to reveal Sri Govinda in all his Glory. The Devotees and the Indian gentleman threw themselves prostrate before the Lord, and I wanted to follow suit…. But some false pride or reserve held me back.

I remained on the bus for some hours, talking to Devotees, and engaging in a nice Kirtana . I could feel the transcendental vibration coming through, just like the Devotees said. It was something extraordinary, new, full of promise. They were trying all the time to persuade me to return with them now to the Manor, as Srila Prabhupada would be there a few days later. And they urged me ‘become a Devotee!’ over and over. I thought about it, but for reasons I don’t want to go into here, I knew I wouldn’t go. I also had an inner feeling that, yes, This is something really farout, but did I want to go this particular route? I was unsure. The hatha-yogi gentleman had also impressed me. He never argued with the devotees, but just smiled! At that stage in my life I had just escaped one big trap I’d foolishly committed myself to, and I didn’t want to enter into anything else. I wanted time and some freedom to see what I should do. In the end I didn’t go. I missed my chance to see Prabhupada personally in the body. But it was my karma, and I don’t have too many regrets now. I know that association with Great Devotees doesn’t end with this body. Prabhupada is still with us in his books, and the inner feeling in the heart. And had I joined Iskcon then, I don’t know what would have happened after Srila Prabhupada’s departure.

I took the book, and the blessings of the Devotees, and I believe, of Sri Krishna with me when I returned home.

Such was my first real encounter with Krishna Consciousness.


Shanti.

 

Oh, so close to see Prabhupada Thank you very much, this is indeed priceless, Bill. Your story, wow! That's true- Prabhupada is in his books and if one is sincere enough, he can feel his personal association. Thanks for sharing this story, I must say that it was one of the greatest post I've ever read on this thread. haribol

 

A dear friend of mine, Prtha Devi Dasi, has just sent me a copy of the entire Srimad Bhagavatam online and I thought that I should share it with you all. Enjoy if you haven't already read it or even if you have.

http://www.srimadbhagavatam.com/

 

Hare Krishna is NOT the oldest religion in the world. It has been around a while, but there were other religions before it. Doesn't it stem from Hinduism?
I still love the chanting...

 

It's not a religion, it's a knowledge -u gotta find Krishna by yourself. Yeah, just chant That's it, if you chant yoú know everything about Hare Krishna and if u like it, man, you're a very special person!!!. it goes like this:

 

A few days ago gdkumar had shared this beautiful story with me and I felt it that it was important that I pass it on. Please enjoy it.


This is what was told by Ma(Indira Devi) during one of Her Bhav Samadhis. This is what She had seen and heard(I was not present there but many devotees were present there and most of them are still living) :

There was a great King and everybody wanted to see Him. So many mighty sadhus and pundits crossed the seven seas to win His favour, each of them claiming so many high merits. They have staked so much for Him, learned so much about Him from big books, travelled miles and miles to have an interview with Him. His Secretary asked each of them the reason why he wanted to have an interview with the KIng. Some said they wanted to meet greatness face to face, some said they had heard He granted favours while others said they just wanted to know all about Him from a personal contact and so on.

Among them there was a poor woman standing silently. The Secretary put to her the same question but she only answered : 'I have nothing to recommend myself. Nor do I want to know what sort of a person He is. I have nothing important to tell Him like these others. I have come because I love Him. Just that, nothing else.'

He asked : 'But why do you love Him? What is your achievement? What claim have you on Him?'

She said: 'I just love Him, that is all. I have achieved nothing in life, no distinction at all. I am just an ignorant woman.'

He said : 'Well, I will tell Him thjough I don't think that you are quite a normal woman, perhaps a little mad. But still I will tell Him about you, I promise!'

And she said : 'No you need not take the trouble. I will just stand waiting at His gates. He is bound to come out some time.....I will just wait here at His door. Want? No, no, I want nothing from Him, I just love Him. Salvation? No, no, I do not want salvation. Knowledge? I don't even know what it is, nor want to know. I only know that my whole life has been one long vigil....so I wait and wait, longing for just a glimpse of Him. I have nothing to tell Him. Only this that I have come...just come when the day is done. I have come as I am. I have come to see my Lord because I could not live without seeing Him. I know I have not been able to achieve anything, nor become what He wanted me to become. I have just come to Him as I am. I say: Now do what you like with me. I just offer myself... I do not want anything. I just love you and want only to serve you in any way you want me to serve.

 

yeah, but still it's good to know how to love Him. that's not that easy in this Kali -yuga age full of ignorance. haribol! nice story.

 

I don't remember if I ever shared this before...but I suppose it def wouldn't hurt to share it again if I have...


"Bhakti-yoga is the purification of the senses. At the present moment in material existence the senses are always impure, being engaged in sense gratification. But, by the practice of bhakti-yoga these senses can become purified, and in the purified state they come directly in contact with the Supreme Lord. In this material existence, I may be engaged in some service to some master, but I don't really lovingly serve my master. I simply serve to get some money. And the master also is not in love; he takes service from me and pays me. So there is no question of love. But for spiritual life, one must be elevated to the pure stage of love. That stage of love can be achieved by practice of devotional service, performed with the present senses.

This love of God is now in a dormant state in everyone's heart. And, there, love of God is manifested in different ways, but it is contaminated by the material association. Now the material association has to be purified, and that dormant, natural love for Krsna has to be revived. That is the whole process."

Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada... Bhagavad-gita 12.9 (purport)

 

Just gonna write a quicky since I waisted some time trying to get set up here.

Hari Bol, I have found that the Vedas and Sanskrit are the oldest known Languages recently, and I know that Krishna Consciousness comes from Sanskrit.

I am so happy to hear from other devotees around the world here.

Hare Krishna, and please accept my humble obeisances. KRISHNA DASA

 

Hi! Welcome...its so nice to see a new face! I hope that you do stick around and have fun on the forums! Haribol!

 

Dear Prabhu Krishnadasa,


Welcome to the forum and this thread.

With love,

Kumar.

 

Hello, Krishna dasa!

Hooray for u. Please stick around with us, we are quite devoted out here, so u can discuss Krishna with us and always get a response! Jai Prabhupada!

 

Hare Krishna!


"Patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati
Tadaham bhaktyaupahritam ashnami prayatatmanah"..........The Gita.

That is :

"Whatever in love one offers Me
Fruit, water, flowers or leaves
My heart in joy receives
To bless My devotee"

There was a priest, a very poor Brahmin, in Brindaban, who used to weave garlands daily from dawn to midnight for the Lord. That was his only sadhana.
He went ever on offering such garlands to the Lord. But the Lord was mute like the marble he worshipped till, after twelve years, the Brahmin concluded that the Lord would not come to life in the Image to accept him and make him His own. So, he decided to drown himself in the Jamuna.

As he was about to take the final plunge, the Lord as Balgopal appeared before him, barring his way and said: " If you drown yourself tonight, my dear, who would weave garlands for me tomorrow? "

He said to the Gopis that He absented Himself from them temporarily only to deepen their thirst for Him.

With love,

Kumar.

 

I like that story a lot. Thanks for sharing.

 

Hare Krishna!


Thakur's Naralila:

Lord Krishna came to a few devotees in His own Krishna or Gopala human forms. Yogi Krishnaprem's (Ronald Nixon, a British from the Royal Air Force, who later became one of the greatest Yogis of India) great Guru, Yashoda Ma , once told the following story to Maha-yogi Krishnaprem, his disciple Motirani, his friend Alexander and Dadaji. It goes like this :

" You see that little image of Balgopal on the shelf ? Now, one night, when I was fast asleep, He came to me and woke me up and, pouting His dear little lips said: 'You are sleeping happily because you are comfortable. But what about me? How can I sleep if the blessed ants go on tickling me all the time?' I got up aghast to find that I had inadvertently kept a bottle of honey on the same shelf and so the ants had flocked and quite a few had got on to my little Balgopal. I prayed in tears, to Him to forgive me, removed the bottle and wiped Him clean of the ants. Then I put Him on my bed and He slept happily."

Jaya Gobinda! Jaya Gopala!

With love,

Kumar.

 

Hare Krishna!


Love is faith and faith is love.
Lifeless rituals and blind beliefs do not take us anywhere.
Love has its own laws. But in true love there is no bargain.

There was this man who had faith in the Lord. Once his only son was seriously ill and doctors gave up all hopes. He said nothing will happen to my son, I shall pray to my Lord and my son will become O.K. He entered the puja room, sat in front of the deity and started praying. But alas! His son died after a few hours.
On being informed, the father opened the door of the puja room, grabbed the deity, ran out from the room and threw the deity into the garbage bin and shouted, 'Never I shall pray and worship again!'.

In true love there can not be any bargain. True love is self-giving without asking for anything in return. Laws of reciprocation? He gives Himself to you.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

With love,

Kumar.

 

Hare Krishna !



An infant crying in the night,
An infant crying for the light
With no language but a cry.

........Tennyson.



Devotion - Bhakti - Ahetuki Bhakti !



How to describe the ineffable? It has to be seen to be believed. For such Bhakti is not to be had by the practice of austerities, however arduous. It can come only if one prays for it in tears with one's spirit and flesh made one-a divine boon that descends like beneficent rain when the parched earth cries out for it.

As a Sanskrit poem has it:


Krishnabhakti-rasa-bhavita matih
Kriyatam yadi kutopi labhyate
Tatra lauly amapi mulyam ekalam
Janmakoti sukritair-na labhyate.


That is :


True God-love is not won in a million births
Merely by dint of deep austerities
Only he wins to it - the way-lost child
Who in his heartfelt yearning cries and cries.

The above is all about Mahayogi Krishnaprem. He was Ronald Nixon before and was a British Royal Air Force pilot. He came to India and joined Lucknow University as a professor of English. The great sadhika, mahapremi Ma Yashoda was the wife of the first Vice Chancellor, Jnanendranath Chakrabarty. Ronald Nixon was initiated by Her and the new name given by Her was Krishnaprem. His name was significant. Mahayogi Krishnaprem was a living deity of true love and mahaprem.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

With love,

Kumar.

 

It is so cool to know that there are other devotees of Krishna out there.

I only stumbled onto this site, and what a responce to my first post!

Is this forum moderated?

I want to talk about this, and can not find a place since the other forums are only Propaganda forums. Restricting the truth and allowing the lies.

I am not a real ritvik advocate since I think that (based on what I have read Prabhupada says about Gaudiya Matha) there could be another "self effulgent Acharya" to come someday.