Amogha dasa recalls:
We were on a morning walk in Perth.
I asked Srila Prabhupada, “Sometimes when we preach to people they say:‘You say that Krishna Consciousness is a science, but we think it’s a belief! Why do you call it a science?’”
Srila Prabhupada replied, “If you can call your beliefs ‘science’, then we can call our beliefs ‘science’!
But what you’re calling science is really just beliefs. For example, you think that the living entity comes from matter, from chemicals. But where is the evidence? Where is the example of a living entity coming from matter, from chemicals? So it’s simply a belief and you’re calling it science. So if call your beliefs ‘science’, then we can call our beliefs ‘science’!”
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
Monday, 27 January 2014
Hellish planets? Hellish planets?
Narahari Dasa recounts:
After class one young girl, a brahmacharini, put her hand up and asked:
“Srila Prabhupada, does Krishna speaks the Bhagavad Gita in the hellish planets?”
Srila Prabhupada thought for a moment and retorted:
“Hellish planets? Hellish planets! You don’t think that this London is a hellish planet?”
Sunday, 26 January 2014
Can Srimati Radharani's hair be out?
Ambika Dasi remembers:
Srila Prabhupada gave me a few instructions on Deity worship.
I used to dress Radha Rasabihari, and one day I had put a red Ramanuja-type marking inside Krishna's tilaka.
Srila Prabhupada sent a message and said, "You never put anything in Krishna's tilaka; Krishna’s tilaka should always be clear!
Then another time I asked him about spices because he’d restricted spicing. So I asked him, "Can’t we even use mustard seeds?" To which Srila Prabhupada replied, “Just cumin seeds and hing is actually sufficient for the Deities!”
And I also asked him about Radharani’s hair because there was some contention at the time in Bombay that Radharani’s hair shouldn’t be showing; it shouldn’t be out. It should be tied back because She is the most chaste lady. But we often used to put Her hair out.
Therefore I asked Srila Prabhupada, “Can Radharani’s hair be out or does it have to be tied back?”
Srila Prabhupada replied, “Whatever you think looks nice!”
Srila Prabhupada gave me a few instructions on Deity worship.
I used to dress Radha Rasabihari, and one day I had put a red Ramanuja-type marking inside Krishna's tilaka.
Srila Prabhupada sent a message and said, "You never put anything in Krishna's tilaka; Krishna’s tilaka should always be clear!
Then another time I asked him about spices because he’d restricted spicing. So I asked him, "Can’t we even use mustard seeds?" To which Srila Prabhupada replied, “Just cumin seeds and hing is actually sufficient for the Deities!”
And I also asked him about Radharani’s hair because there was some contention at the time in Bombay that Radharani’s hair shouldn’t be showing; it shouldn’t be out. It should be tied back because She is the most chaste lady. But we often used to put Her hair out.
Therefore I asked Srila Prabhupada, “Can Radharani’s hair be out or does it have to be tied back?”
Srila Prabhupada replied, “Whatever you think looks nice!”
Tuesday, 14 January 2014
"They should be the ksatriyas of ISKCON!"
Ambarish Dasa recalls:
In Hawaii, Yogi Bhajan came to visit Srila Prabhupada. He is not so popular nowadays but back then he was quite prominent, with many followers.
He was putting together an international peace conference and was inviting all types of spiritual masters and religious leaders.
So he started to explain that it was all about world peace etc. But Srila Prabhupada stopped him and said that there could never any world peace unless everyone would agree that Krishna was the Supreme Person, and that everything belonged to Krishna.
So he stopped Yogi Bhajan from even presenting this idea of world peace. But Yogi Bhajan kept on trying to sell this idea to Srila Prabhupada. But it was basically just for his own glorification.
Therefore, Srila Prabhupada kept stopping him and reiterating this point: there would never be any peace unless everybody accepts that Krishna was the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that everything was His property.
Yogi Bhajan couldn’t accept this point; he was thinking that he was the supreme personality! So Yogi Bhajan left a little frustrated as Srila Prabhupada didn’t say whether he was going to come or not.
However after he left Srila Prabhupada said that him and his men, because they’re Sikhs, (they wore big turbans), Srila Prabhupada said that they should be the ksatriyas of ISKCON.
So even though there were vast philosophical differences between them, Srila Prabhupada was thinking about how he could bring everybody into Krishna's family.
In Hawaii, Yogi Bhajan came to visit Srila Prabhupada. He is not so popular nowadays but back then he was quite prominent, with many followers.
He was putting together an international peace conference and was inviting all types of spiritual masters and religious leaders.
So he started to explain that it was all about world peace etc. But Srila Prabhupada stopped him and said that there could never any world peace unless everyone would agree that Krishna was the Supreme Person, and that everything belonged to Krishna.
So he stopped Yogi Bhajan from even presenting this idea of world peace. But Yogi Bhajan kept on trying to sell this idea to Srila Prabhupada. But it was basically just for his own glorification.
Therefore, Srila Prabhupada kept stopping him and reiterating this point: there would never be any peace unless everybody accepts that Krishna was the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that everything was His property.
Yogi Bhajan couldn’t accept this point; he was thinking that he was the supreme personality! So Yogi Bhajan left a little frustrated as Srila Prabhupada didn’t say whether he was going to come or not.
However after he left Srila Prabhupada said that him and his men, because they’re Sikhs, (they wore big turbans), Srila Prabhupada said that they should be the ksatriyas of ISKCON.
So even though there were vast philosophical differences between them, Srila Prabhupada was thinking about how he could bring everybody into Krishna's family.
Monday, 13 January 2014
"Prabhupada, what book will you translate after the Bhagavatam?"
Pradyumna Dasa recounts:
Srila Prabhupada always considered that 4 books were necessary: Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu (Nectar of Devotion), and Caitanya Caritamrta.
And outside of that everything is really extra.
One time we were in New York, in Srila Prabhupada’s room. And I think it was Radha Ballabha who asked, “After you finish the Srimad Bhagavatam Prabhupada what book would you like to translate?
Srila Prabhupada answered, “Oh maybe… Jiva Goswami’s Sad Sandarbha … or Vedanta Sutra or… there’s so many…maybe Bhagavad Gita!”
And someone spoke up, “But... Srila Prabhupada, you already did the Bhagavad Gita!”
Srila Prabhupada responded with vigour, “We did the Bhagavad Gita but there are so many commentaries. We did part… We did a small.
There are so many commentaries: Ramanujacarya, Madhavacarya… everyone has given their Gita! We can do many Gitas! Not just one…”
Srila Prabhupada always considered that 4 books were necessary: Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu (Nectar of Devotion), and Caitanya Caritamrta.
And outside of that everything is really extra.
One time we were in New York, in Srila Prabhupada’s room. And I think it was Radha Ballabha who asked, “After you finish the Srimad Bhagavatam Prabhupada what book would you like to translate?
Srila Prabhupada answered, “Oh maybe… Jiva Goswami’s Sad Sandarbha … or Vedanta Sutra or… there’s so many…maybe Bhagavad Gita!”
And someone spoke up, “But... Srila Prabhupada, you already did the Bhagavad Gita!”
Srila Prabhupada responded with vigour, “We did the Bhagavad Gita but there are so many commentaries. We did part… We did a small.
There are so many commentaries: Ramanujacarya, Madhavacarya… everyone has given their Gita! We can do many Gitas! Not just one…”
Temple Dining Room And Theatre Closed During Renovations
Dear Devotees,
We have begun restoring the Dining Room in Prabhupada House. It is almost thirty years since this room was fully restored. When our restoration work is complete we will be able to offer special guests a first class facility in reciprocation for their efforts to enliven our spiritual lives. Work will take one week to complete at the very least. Until then the Dining Room cannot be used.
Since all the Dining Room fittings and equipment are being stored in the Theatre, this room cannot be used either. Besides this Srila Prabhupada's Room is a holy tirtha, a sacred memorial to him that we must all maintain for future generations to the best of our ability. So it should not be used for anything else, except occasional classes and japa.
At the same time, just over the road from the Temple, we have a wonderful low-cost Council-owned facility - the Mary Kehoe Community Centre - that we can use for classes, workshops and meetings. Rental is $12 per hour, a charge that can easily be met by our many groups of devotees needing space to meet. As our devotional community expands beyond the capacity of our Temple Campus, would like to encourage all our special community groups to begin to use this facility as their regular meeting place.
Pinky Mataji (0400-901-303) can help you to make bookings immediately. Just advise her of your requirements, pass on your rental fee and she will do the needful.
I hope you will feel enlivened by the great facilities offered by this new community venue.
We have begun restoring the Dining Room in Prabhupada House. It is almost thirty years since this room was fully restored. When our restoration work is complete we will be able to offer special guests a first class facility in reciprocation for their efforts to enliven our spiritual lives. Work will take one week to complete at the very least. Until then the Dining Room cannot be used.
Since all the Dining Room fittings and equipment are being stored in the Theatre, this room cannot be used either. Besides this Srila Prabhupada's Room is a holy tirtha, a sacred memorial to him that we must all maintain for future generations to the best of our ability. So it should not be used for anything else, except occasional classes and japa.
At the same time, just over the road from the Temple, we have a wonderful low-cost Council-owned facility - the Mary Kehoe Community Centre - that we can use for classes, workshops and meetings. Rental is $12 per hour, a charge that can easily be met by our many groups of devotees needing space to meet. As our devotional community expands beyond the capacity of our Temple Campus, would like to encourage all our special community groups to begin to use this facility as their regular meeting place.
Pinky Mataji (0400-901-303) can help you to make bookings immediately. Just advise her of your requirements, pass on your rental fee and she will do the needful.
I hope you will feel enlivened by the great facilities offered by this new community venue.
“He was a big demon wasn’t he Prabhupada?”
Yogesvara Dasa remembers:
In Geneva another ‘big famous’ person came to see Srila Prabhupada, a Sanskrit scholar. His name was Herbert and he had written a book about Krishna. Srila Prabhupada told him, “I have been looking at your book!”
The scholar proudly replied, “It took me 12 years to write this book!”
Srila Prabhupada responded, “Yes, and there’s still mistakes in it!”
Srila Prabhupada went on to talk about the 4 regulative principles to which Herbert commented,
“I drink… I smoke… but… I can give these things up if I want to, but… I don’t want to!”
Srila Prabhupada’s reply was, “Therefore you have many many births to go on the spiritual path!”
After the scholar had left all the devotees assembled were rubbing their hands expecting Srila Prabhupada to heavily criticise Herbert’s malpractices.
So Guru Gauranga Dasa started it off, “He was a big demon wasn’t he Prabhupada?”
Their jaws dropped in surprise when Srila Prabhupada responded,
“Well he has been influenced by association with mayavadis, but I’ve noticed in his book he has mentioned the name of Krishna many times; this will greatly benefit him!”
In Geneva another ‘big famous’ person came to see Srila Prabhupada, a Sanskrit scholar. His name was Herbert and he had written a book about Krishna. Srila Prabhupada told him, “I have been looking at your book!”
The scholar proudly replied, “It took me 12 years to write this book!”
Srila Prabhupada responded, “Yes, and there’s still mistakes in it!”
Srila Prabhupada went on to talk about the 4 regulative principles to which Herbert commented,
“I drink… I smoke… but… I can give these things up if I want to, but… I don’t want to!”
Srila Prabhupada’s reply was, “Therefore you have many many births to go on the spiritual path!”
After the scholar had left all the devotees assembled were rubbing their hands expecting Srila Prabhupada to heavily criticise Herbert’s malpractices.
So Guru Gauranga Dasa started it off, “He was a big demon wasn’t he Prabhupada?”
Their jaws dropped in surprise when Srila Prabhupada responded,
“Well he has been influenced by association with mayavadis, but I’ve noticed in his book he has mentioned the name of Krishna many times; this will greatly benefit him!”
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