interested Links

http://www.vaisnavacalendar.info/i/fasting-for-apara-ekadasi.html
http://www.srisriradhakrishna.com/
http://www.iskcondesiretree.info/

If you give love, you will get love and If you give respect, you will get respect

There is a story of man who went to north to a place which is called valley of Gods. It's a serene place. Whatever you speak will be echoed there. Very beautiful greenery, snow capped mountains! This person was told-If you go to that place, you will be welcomed very warmly.

This man went to top of mountain and saw valley of Gods. It's completely serene and silent.

He shouted loudly "why don't you say something?"

Sound echoed back "why don't you say something?  Say something?.. Something…".  

He is wondering "I am asking to say something; this fellow is asking me again???"

He shouted again "How rude of you to hurt me?"

Sound echoed back "How rude of you?... rude of you..." 

He again shouted "I hate you"

Sound echoed " I hate you,  hate you…hate you"

He said " I came to experience love here , but I experienced only hate" 

When he came down mountain there was a village where a Sadhu is speaking to people how they are fortunate to be in a village where there is valley of Gods. When it came to Question & Answer session, this person asked "Swamiji!, why are you cheating people? That place(Valley of Gods) is full of hate and  rudeness".

 

The Sadhu took that person to the top of mountain.

Swamiji shouted loudly "O lord, greetings to you!"

Sound echoed back "Greetings to you,,,, greetings …greetings" 

Swamiji again shouted "I love you"

Sound echoed back" I love you… love you…love you"

This man is surprised.

Then Swamiji told him that life is mirror. "Whatever you gave, you got that only back". He gave words like rude n hate and he got them back…

The standard slogan is – " If you give love, you will get love and If you give respect, you will get respect". Very simple slogan.  Life is like a mirror. Whatever you give, you will get that back !!!

 

Volume 9, Chapter 18

From: "Indradyumna Swami" <Indradyumna.Swami@pamho.net>
Date: October 7, 2008 10:32:00 AM CDT
To: "IDS Diary (of a Traveling Preacher)" <IDS.Diary@pamho.net>
Subject: Volume 9, Chapter 18

Diary of a Traveling Preacher

Volume 9, Chapter 18

September 22 - 23, 2008

By Indradyumna Swami


"A History of Discontent"


Several weeks before leaving for Russia, I phoned Uttama-sloka das and asked
him to arrange a program in southern Russia before we attended the annual
Russian yatra festival near the Black Sea. When I arrived in Moscow, he met
me at the airport.

"We have to move quickly," he said. "We're catching a connecting flight to
Adegeya at a domestic airport some distance from here."

"Adegeya?" I said. "I've never heard of it. Where is it?"

"It's a small, autonomous republic in the foothills of the Caucasus," he
said as we jumped into a taxi. "There are only five hundred thousand people
living there, but it has its own president, legislative body, and laws. It
sends three representatives to the parliament of the Russian Federation when
it's in session. Russia keeps a close watch on Adegeya, because 90 percent
of the people are Muslim and the region has a history of discontent."

"If that's the case, what will we be doing there?" I said.

"Your disciple Madira dasi and her family are doing amazing preaching in the
region," he replied.

Two hours later we boarded a three-hour flight to Krasnodar. After we
landed, we drove to Maykop, the capital of Adegeya. We passed through lush
countryside, dense forests, and rustic villages with wooden buildings
reminiscent of 18th century Russia. Many buildings flew the flag of Adegeya,
a green banner with yellow stars and three arrows.

"Forests cover 40 percent of the republic," Uttama-sloka said, "and the soil
is rich. But the people mainly raise hogs and sheep and grow tobacco, so
it's one of the poorest areas in Russia."

After a long drive we finally reached Maykop. It looked much like any other
town in Russia except that I didn't see any churches, just one large mosque
in the center of town. People were out and about, shopping or strolling
along the streets.

"Looks like a great place for Harinam," I said. "Maybe we can all come out
for an hour or two and chant."

"No chance," Uttama-sloka said. "It would be risky. These people are very
religious, and we might get stopped, or worse. There's a lot of tension here
now because of what's happened recently in nearby South Ossetia and
Abkhazia. Although Abkhazia declared independence in 1999, it continues to
be regarded as a breakaway region by Georgia. Recently South Ossetia was
pressing for independence as well, and Georgia attacked it. Russia came to
Ossetia's aid and repulsed the Georgians."

"I know about that," I said. "It's all over the news."

"The republics in the area don't like Georgia because they feel bullied by
it," he said, "but it's also because Georgia is Christian."

"The Western media painted a slightly different picture," I said.

"It's always like that," said Uttama-sloka.

"That's politics," I said. "We're here to share Krsna consciousness with
anyone who is willing to listen."

Just at that moment we arrived at the home of Ramazan and his wife, Madira.
They received us warmly with a large group of people and a subdued kirtan.

"We don't want to draw too much attention from the neighbors," said Ramazan
apologetically as he led us into the house.

When we were inside, however, the devotees closed the door and broke into an
enthusiastic kirtan. As I sat down I noticed a slight touch of Muslim décor
mixed with Krsna-conscious paintings and other paraphernalia. A beautiful
altar graced the room just in front of where I was sitting.

"I must apologize that I don't speak Circassian," I told the group of
devotees and guests. "With your permission I'll speak in English and
Uttama-sloka will translate into Russian."

I then gave a short lecture about the appearance of the Lord and His
representatives in the material world.

"Sometimes the Lord comes Himself," I began, "or sometimes He sends His
representative, like Mohammed, Jesus, or other saintly persons. But the
purpose is always the same: to remind us that we are all children of God,
regardless of where we are born or our nationality.

"The central point is that God is the father. Just as here in Adegeya you
say, "Allahu Akbar,"- 'God is great'- so in Krsna consciousness we address
the father by another name: Krsna.

"The reason our movement is becoming popular all over the world is that we
are giving so much information about the father. The goal of religion is to
love Him, but to love someone you have to know that person."

The audience sat and listened attentively as I tried to present our
philosophy in such a way that they would be attracted but at the same time
not offended. It was not the first time I had addressed people of Muslim
origin, so I felt comfortable speaking to them. At the end I could see they
appreciated my lecture when they all chanted Hare Krsna enthusiastically
during kirtan.

Afterwards Madira and her daughter, Visnu-priya dasi, introduced me to each
of the guests, a number of whom were regular members of their weekly Nama
Hatta meetings.

I congratulated Ramazan and Madira for their success in spreading Krsna
consciousness in the area. "It certainly is not an easy task under the
circumstances," I said.

"On two occasions Federal Security Service agents took my husband in for
questioning," Madira said. "They wanted to know why he was preaching a
different religion here in Adegeya. Somehow he convinced them we are not a
threat, and they haven't disturbed us since, although I suspect they keep us
under surveillance."

Soon prasadam was announced. "The men will honor prasadam upstairs," Ramazan
told me. "It's the custom here."

Upstairs the conversation soon turned to the conflict between Georgia and
its breakaway regions.

"The Georgians killed 16 hundred people when they shelled Tskhinvali in
South Ossetia," said one man.

Another man spoke up. "If it had lasted any longer," he said, "we would have
gone there and fought the Georgians the way we did in the 1992-93
secessionist war in Abkhazia."

As the men continued their discussion, I could see that Krsna consciousness
had strong competition in the deep national and religious sentiments of the
local people. I could understand why Uttama-sloka had advised against
Harinam. It became obvious to me that in many places of the world our
movement must wait for more favorable times to expand, but that this was all
the more reason to preach vigorously in places where circumstances are
conducive.

I wanted to change the subject, so I turned to Madira, who was serving
prasadam. "How many years ago did Ramazan propose to you?" I asked.

She blushed, and Ramazan laughed heartily.

"I didn't propose to her," said Ramazan. "I kidnapped her."

I almost dropped my spoon.

"It's the tradition here," he said. "When you favor a girl and want her as
your wife, you must kidnap her."

"I see," I said, placing my spoon carefully on the table.

"Yes," he said. "One night I climbed into her father's house through the
window and carried her away. The whole family ran after us, but I was too
fast."

"Didn't they pursue you later?" I asked.

"No," he said. "By the next morning she was my wife."

Madira nodded. "That's why we keep our doors and windows locked at night,"
she said, "so that our daughter, who is now 22, will not be kidnapped. We
want her to marry a devotee boy, of course."

"How did you all become devotees?" I said. "The Islamic tradition is so
strong here."

"Visnu-priya and I were visiting Moscow in 1991," Madira said. "We were
watching television when a program came on about Krsna consciousness. The
devotees were chanting and dancing in ecstasy. I was so attracted. During
the next few days I asked around how I could find them but no one could help
me. For the next two years I often prayed to God to help me locate them.

"One day I was walking along the street here in Maykop when a young
sankirtan devotee approached me with books. I couldn't believe my good
fortune. I knew that God had answered my prayers. I purchased the
Bhagavad-gita and Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

"In the back of the Krsna book was a section about how to practice Krsna
consciousness at home. From that day Visnu-priya and I began chanting 16
rounds daily."

"What about Ramazan?" I asked.

She laughed. "He was very busy with his business," she said. "He told me,
'For now, you practice on my behalf. I'll practice later.' Just recently he
has decided to chant 16 rounds.

"Ten years ago we started our weekly Nama Hatta programs, and now many
people in the area are chanting. Although we can't advertise publicly, the
message of Krsna consciousness is spreading by word of mouth from house to
house.

"We know it's the only solution to the problems faced by our people in the
Caucasus. There is so much division, and there has been so much bloodshed
through the years. Krsna consciousness is the only path to peace because we
see all souls equally on the spiritual platform. So although it goes slowly,
we are determined to keep preaching."

"You're a wonderful example for devotees everywhere," I said.

Later that night, as I was lying in bed, I thought about two verses:

yavanto vaisnava loke
paritranasya hetave
ratanti prabhunadista
dese dese grhe grhe

"All the Vaisnavas in the world, on the order of the Lord, proclaimed His
names from home to home, in country to country, just to deliver the fallen
souls."

jagad bandhor jagat kartur
jagatam trna hetave
yatra tatra hareh seva
kirtane sthapite sukhe

"Wherever the service to the Lord, who is the protector and creator of the
universes, and wherever the congregational chanting of His names were well
established, they set the worlds in peace."

[Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, Susloka-Satakam, Text 47-48]

Indradyumna.swami@pamho.net
www.traveling-preacher.com
Audio lectures: <http://www.narottam.com> www.narottam.com

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Something wonderful!!! - Vrindapati

Some of the imp verses from Shrimad Bhagavatam which talks about whom to worship to get ........

 

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SB 2.3.2-7: One who desires to be absorbed in the impersonal brahmajyoti effulgence should worship the master of the Vedas [Lord Brahmā or Bṛhaspati, the

 

learned priest], one who desires powerful sex should worship the heavenly King, Indra, and one who desires good progeny should worship the great

 

progenitors called the Prajāpatis. One who desires good fortune should worship Durgādevī, the superintendent of the material world. One desiring to be very

 

powerful should worship fire, and one who aspires only after money should worship the Vasus. One should worship the Rudra incarnations of Lord Śiva if he

 

wants to be a great hero. One who wants a large stock of grains should worship Aditi. One who desires to attain the heavenly planets should worship the

 

sons of Aditi. One who desires a worldly kingdom should worship Viśvadeva, and one who wants to be popular with the general mass of population should

 

worship the Sādhya demigod. One who desires a long span of life should worship the demigods known as the Aśvinī-kumāras, and a person desiring a strongly

 

built body should worship the earth. One who desires stability in his post should worship the horizon and the earth combined. One who desires to be

 

beautiful should worship the beautiful residents of the Gandharva planet, and one who desires a good wife should worship the Apsarās and the Urvaśī society

 

girls of the heavenly kingdom. One who desires domination over others should worship Lord Brahmā, the head of the universe. One who desires tangible fame

 

should worship the Personality of Godhead, and one who desires a good bank balance should worship the demigod Varuṇa. If one desires to be a greatly learned

 

man he should worship Lord Śiva, and if one desires a good marital relation he should worship the chaste goddess Umā, the wife of Lord Śiva.

 

SB 2.3.8: One should worship Lord Viṣṇu or His devotee for spiritual advancement in knowledge, and for protection of heredity and advancement of a dynasty

 

one should worship the various demigods.

 

SB 2.3.9: One who desires domination over a kingdom or an empire should worship the Manus. One who desires victory over an enemy should worship the demons,

 

and one who desires sense gratification should worship the moon. But one who desires nothing of material enjoyment should worship the Supreme Personality

 

of Godhead.

 

SB 2.3.10: A person who has broader intelligence, whether he be full of all material desire, without any material desire, or desiring liberation, must by

 

all means worship the supreme whole, the Personality of Godhead.

 

SB 2.3.11: All the different kinds of worshipers of multidemigods can attain the highest perfectional benediction, which is spontaneous attraction

 

unflinchingly fixed upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by the association of the pure devotee of the Lord.

A Realization - Vikas pr

Thank you for taking the time to read and allowing me to engage my propensity by accepting this service. I have only repeated the words I have heard from the lectures of our senior leaders and senior devotees and what I have realized from by taking your kind, genuine and sincere association.

Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai.

Arjuna was fighting a battle, a very very severe battle. Our misfortune is that we are not aware that we are also fighting a similarly very very severe battle every moment, because we tend to gravitate to adjustment of imagining our situation to be very very comfortable, even when it is not. We are in an even weaker position than Arjuna's because we are sitting ducks in the battlefield first of all not knowing that we are in the battlefield and then that we are surrounded by demons and enemies on many sides. Not only that, to top that we think that our situation is comfortable, further compromising our position. That leads to most of us not even questioning the meaning and purpose of our existence. What battlefield are we in? Who are the enemies and demons we are fighting with? Are we failing to recognize the enemies because they appear to us as friends? We are in the battlefield of our desires. There is a constant battle between the divine and demoniac in us. The first step is to recognize that we have trusted the demoniac side as a friend. Recognizing the enemy is the first step. We often act (trustingly) on the impulse of material desire triggered by greed and envy, which are our enemies and demons. The next step is to find out who our REAL friend and ally is, for this battle cannot be won on our own strength. Even Arjuna could fight and win ONLY after taking shelter in and of his only ally, Lord Krishna. Then be conscious that every moment not being alert of this battle only leads to further compromise of our position. All the moments we are not conscious of this, we act out of wanting something to enjoy for ourselves, out of the three modes of material nature, creating further karma for us to burn. In one sense our spiritual life will get another kick start AFTER we first realize how much compromised our position is, we feel as helpless as Arjuna, cry as much as he did, tremble as much as he did, and then be desirous to trust and take shelter of Krishna to the extent he did, with the intent and trust that our (real) problems will get solved by doing so by His grace. In Arjuna’s time, greed and envy existed in different members of the same family, but in our time, they exist within the same person.