Love!

So-called love here means that "you gratify my senses, I'll gratify your senses," and as soon as that gratification stops, immediately there is divorce, separation, quarrel, and hatred. So many things are going on under this false conception of love. Actual love means love of God, Kṛṣṇa. SSR Ch7

Genuine Guru

The genuine guru is God's representative, and he speaks about God and nothing else. The genuine guru is he who has no interest in materialistic life. He is after God, and God only. That is one of the tests of a genuine guru: brahma-niṣtham. He is absorbed in the Absolute Truth. SSR Ch2

In the beginning...

In the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one may not fully discharge the injunctions of the Lord, but because one is not resentful of this principle and works sincerely without consideration of defeat and hopelessness, he will surely be promoted to the stage of pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bg 3.31

Food Van Donation

Bhakta has been working with Bhakta Jason to design a food van for Hare Krishna Food for Life prasādam distribution. Here's an idea of the kind of machine he is looking at.

COMPLETE FOOD VANS from Focus Film Wedding Videography on Vimeo.

Proud of your birth!

As soon as one becomes proud of his birth as the son of a brahmana and neglects to acquire the qualifications of a real brahmana, he at once becomes degraded and falls from the path of self-realization. Thus his life's mission as a human being is defeated. Śrī Īśopaniṣad 18

Surrender's benefits.

By surrendering to the Lord and praying for His causeless mercy, the devotee can progress on the path of complete self-realization. The Lord is addressed as fire because He can burn anything into ashes, including the sins of the surrendered soul. Śrī Īśopaniṣad 18

Can burn up the reactions of all past karma.

agne naya supathā rāye asmān
viśvāni deva vayunāni vidvān
yuyodhy asmaj juhurāṇam eno
bhūyiṣṭhāṁ te nama-uktiṁ vidhema

O my Lord, as powerful as fire, O omnipotent one, now I offer You all obeisances, falling on the ground at Your feet. O my Lord, please lead me on the right path to reach You, and since You know all that I have done in the past, please free me from the reactions to my past sins so that there will be no hindrance to my progress. Śrī Īśopaniṣad 18

Days of cooking like this are numbered

This old style of cooking is on its way out. With the new kitchen we'll be saying goodbye to these old pots. The new Bratt Pans provide an energy efficient, quick cooking method. The pan is shallow so the heat is closer to the grains toasting them in less time. The shallow pan enables the cook to stir the ingredients with less effort. They have a tilting mechanism so cooks don't have to lift heavy pots. Time saving, labour saving, energy efficient.

Food for Life Kitchen Fund Raising Dinner

We had an entertaining evening at the Food for Life Kitchen Fund Raising Dinner last night. The St Kilda Town Hall is a great location to hold these events. We sat in the hall facing North which is how it was designed. It was a much better ambience than in previous events. We far exceeded our target thanks to the enthusiasm and dedication of our wonderful team of devotees.

Why am I attracted by Rādhārāṇī?

It seems strange that Kṛṣṇa, as the Supreme, should be attracted by anyone's love. We search after the love of a woman or a man because we are imperfect and lack something. The love of a woman, that potency and pleasure, is absent in man, and therefore a man wants a woman, but this is not the case with Kṛṣṇa, who is full in Himself. Thus Kṛṣṇa expressed surprise: "Why am I attracted by Rādhārāṇī? And when Rādhārāṇī feels My love, what is She actually feeling?" TLC Intro

Food for Life Kitchen gets a boost!

Here's an article featured in the latest edition of the online Indian Link newspaper. It describes the ground breaking ceremony celebrated at the temple on Nṛsiṁha Caturdasi. The new kitchen, its benefits and how it will increase prasādam distribution are highlighted. Prasādam distribution is a key element to successful community cultivation and development. Thanks to Gaurav Masand for such a comprehensive and detailed explanation of our project.

I also heard from Śukadeva that there are over 500 attendees for the Saturday fund raising dinner. There are more enquiries but we will have to limit the number of places. If you miss out this time, don't worry. We'll be holding another in due course.

Nirmama – nothing is mine.

The cashier may count millions of dollars for his employer, but he does not claim a cent for himself. Similarly, one has to realize that nothing in the world belongs to any individual person, but that everything belongs to the Supreme Lord. Bg 3.30

Sacrifice means not claiming proprietorship of the results of one's actions.

One has to sacrifice everything for the good will of the Supreme Lord, and at the same time discharge prescribed duties without claiming proprietorship. Arjuna did not have to consider the order of the Lord; he had only to execute His order. Bg 3.30

How Ajāmila became degraded.

In the same way that the sun and moon are eclipsed by a low planet, the brāhmaṇa Ajāmila lost all his good sense. Thus he always thought of the prostitute, and within a short time he took her as a servant in his house and abandoned all the regulative principles of a brāhmaṇa. SC 13

An amazing illustration of Kṛṣṇa's teaching by example.

Some of the gopis addressed Him thus: "Dear Kṛṣṇa, because of Your adolescent age, You have just become the spiritual master of these young girls, and You are teaching them to whisper among themselves. You are teaching them to offer solemn prayers, as well as training them to cheat their husbands and to join You in the gardens at night, without caring for the instructions of their superiors. You are enthusing them by the vibration of Your enchanting flute; and, as their teacher, You are teaching them all the intricacies of loving affairs." NoD 24

No wonder people get the wrong idea. Kṛṣṇa is the great Bewilderer!

There are six features of conjugal love affairs, called peacemaking, picking a quarrel, going to meet one's lover, sitting together, separation and support. Lord Kṛṣṇa expanded an empire of these six features, of which He was the ruling prince. NoD Ch 26

This is a description of Kṛṣṇa in his wild teenage years.

Neither beginning nor end!

Although we speak of "when" Kṛṣṇa desires, just when He did desire we cannot say. We only speak in this way because in conditional life we take it that everything has a beginning; however, in the absolute or spiritual life there is neither beginning nor end. TLC Intro

Pleasure potency explained – why Kṛṣṇa doesn't seek pleasure in the material world.

The object of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency is Rādhārāṇī, and He exhibits His potency or His energy as Rādhārāṇī and then engages in loving affairs with Her. In other words, Kṛṣṇa does not take pleasure in this external energy but exhibits His internal energy, His pleasure potency, as Rādhārāṇī. Thus Kṛṣṇa  manifests Himself as Rādhārāṇī in order to exhibit His internal pleasure potency. Of the many extensions, expansions and incarnations of the Lord, this pleasure potency is the foremost and chief. TLC Intro

Pleasure Potency

Kṛṣṇa does not take any pleasure in this material world, but He has a pleasure potency. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, the pleasure potency is within us also, but we are trying to exhibit that pleasure potency in matter. Kṛṣṇa, however, does not make such a vain attempt.

Love of Kṛṣṇa versus materialistic lust.

Some people become interested in Kṛṣṇa because they think that His religion allows indulgence in sex. This is not Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, love of Krishna, but prākṛta-sahajiyā—materialistic lust. TLC Intro

Kitchen funding agreement approved with OMAC

A significant milestone was reached in our Kitchen Project today. The grant contract was approved by the Manager of Community Strengthening and funding of $250,000 will be available before the end of June. We will sign the agreement next week. Demolition has finished. The builder will have his crew in to start work on preparing the foundations and slab in the next week. We are holding a Fund Raising Dinner on the 11th June at St Kilda Town Hall. Contact Member Services if you haven't got an invitation.