Vaishnava Calendar - DECEMBER 2014

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Village Sankirtan Trip 27 November 2014

Light moments with one BIGVC student

Book Distribution

Dancing with Hare Krishna Melodies

Leading the Kirtan

Bal Gopal Ji

Gauranga Sankirtan Party

Stall filled up with Bhagwad Gita

BIGVC students attending the lecture

Dayalu Nitai Das, President, Hare Krishna Community giving lecture

Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Ji

"Maya is always striking"

Advaita: Swamiji, last night our window was broken. Was that maya striking at us?
Prabhupada: Hm?
Advaita: Last night my window was broken. Was that maya striking?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Advaita: Kids broke the window?
Prabhupada: Yes. Maya is always striking. Why do you take only a window? Why do you compact maya in the window? He is without window, within the window. Maya is not only limited to a certain extent. The whole world is maya. Jagan mithya. The whole universe is maya. Only that part is not maya where the chanting Hare Krsna is there.
Devotees: Haribol. Hare Krsna.
Prabhupada: As soon as there was some slacking in Hare Krsna the maya struck. [laughs] Yes. Yes.

(Room Conversation -- New York, April 11, 1969)

Book Distribution Means Success

Prabhupada: So if you simply push on our literature, then our movement is going, you must know. It is really going forward. And there will be no scarcity. You'll get everything. [break] Our neighbors they inquire, is it not? That, "You are living so happily, where do you get money?"
[Morning Walk -- January 5, 1974, Los Angeles]

Our preaching work will be measured by the quantity of books we distribute so continue ever-increasingly.
[Letter to: Makhanlal  --  Los Angeles 11 December, 1973]

Book Distribution Is Samadhi

The books distribution in Los Angeles during the six day period is transcendental samadhi. They are working in trance, not on the material platform. No common man can work so hard, it is not possible. Working without sleep means no death. Sleeping is dead condition. "Jiv jago, jiva jago, gauracanda bole, kota nidra yao maya-pisacira kole.'' Your book distribution is really intoxication. [Letter to: Ramesvara - Calcutta 12 January, 1976]

One should engage in practical service to the Lord. In our Krsna consciousness movement, all our activities are concentrated upon distributing Krsna literature. This is very important. One may approach any person and induce him to read Krsna literature so that in the future he also may become a devotee. Such activities are recommended in this verse. Kriyasu yas tvac-caranaravindayoh. Such activities will always remind the devotees of the Lord's lotus feet. By fully concentrating on distributing books for Krsna, one is fully absorbed in Krsna. This is samadhi. [Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.2.37 purport]

"Book Distribution is Not For Big Profit"

We should not forget. We have presented so many formulas. Why? Not the formulas are important, but the formulas will help me to remember Krsna always. Just like you are going to sell our magazines. So this magazine selling or taking some contribution is not our business. Our business is that we are spreading Krsna consciousness, people are hearing something about Krsna. And because we are helping, we are also hearing. We are also benefiting. (Bhagavad-gita 2.1-10 and Talk — Los Angeles, November 25, 1968)

Prabhupada: There is no consideration of big profit. Simply we want big number, distribution. That’s all.
Gopala Krsna: Also this will increase our prestige as a movement.
Prabhupada: Big number, as big as possible. My Guru Maharaja, he had magazines in six languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, and one Bengali daily. So if our men complained that “Such and such men are not giving their subscription, so, what we can do? Stop the supply?” Oh, he would become very angry. He asked them, “Are you commercial-hired fools? No! Supply free!” He used to say like that. He was asking, “Whether we shall stop supply? The subscription is not coming.” So immediately he became angry: “Are you commercial-hired? If he’s not giving price, supply him free.” That was his policy. So less perfect or…, try to see how many numbers of books. (Room Conversation — January 10, 1977, Bombay)

Book Distribution is the Greater Kirtan

Without literature, how can we enlighten the people at large? My Guru Maharaja used to say that this press is brhad-mrdanga. Brhat means bigger, at large, bigger mrdanga, bigger. Just like we are playingmrdanga. This mrdanga can be vibrated in the neighboring quarter, but our mrdanga, Back to Godhead, that will go far, far away. So therefore this press was considered by my Guru Maharaja as brhad-mrdanga. He said. You’ll find in the picture: there is this mrdanga and press. He was very much fond of press. In the very beginning of his, this life, he started one press. You’ll find in his life a small press. So this press propaganda, this literary propaganda, is required because it is not sentiment. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.12-13 — New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969)

Book distribution is better than the Street Sankirtana (Letter to: Ramesvara:  –  Bombay 25 November, 1974)

According to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, distributing literature is like playing on a great mrdanga. Consequently we always request members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to publish as many books as possible and distribute them widely throughout the world. By thus following in the footsteps of Srila Rupa Gosvami, one can become a rupanuga devotee. (CC Madhya 19.132)

Worshiping Lord Shiva in proper mood

Following is an extract from a morning walk conversation with His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada that took place in Mauritius, on October 5, 1975.

 
Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, I was asked a question by a man. He asked about Lord Shiva, that how was Lord Ramachandra praying to Lord Shiva in the Ramayana, and so He’s taking Lord Shiva as being God. And we didn’t have a clear answer for him.

Prabhupada: Hmm?

Devotee: Could you just instruct us on this matter, why…

Prabhupada: Lord Ramachandra worshiped His devotees. Just as sometimes Krishna worships Radharani and touched Her feet and, just like Krishna was tolerating ear pulling by mother Yashoda. That does not mean that mother Yashoda is the Supreme. Hm? Krishna was carrying the wooden shoes of Nanda Maharaja. So that does not mean Nanda Maharaja is greater than Krishna. It is Krishna’s pleasure. Just as sometimes a father carries his son on his shoulders. Does it mean the father is inferior to the son? This is third-class man’s conclusion. They do not know what is Krishna, what is Rama. Krishna says that aham adir hi devanam [Bg. 10.2]. So He is the origin of Lord Shiva. So how can Shiva be the Supreme? We have to consult shastra. Krishna does not say that Shiva is Supreme. So if a third-class man says Shiva is Supreme, should we accept it? We are preaching Krishna consciousness. Whatever Krishna says, that is supreme, not a third-class man’s version. Is it clear? Yes. We should not take a third-class, fourth-class man’s version. We should take from the shastra.

Indian man: Swamiji, is Shiva not another name of God?

Prabhupada: Yes. Shiva is next to God. Just like yogurt, dahi. You know dahi? What is this dahi? Milk. But it is not milk. Dahi is nothing but milk, but it is not milk. Similarly, Lord Shiva is nothing but Vishnu, but it is not Vishnu. Is it clear now? You can say, “Well, dahi is nothing but milk.” Yes. But it is not milk. If instead of milk you take dahi, the result will be different. And if you take milk instead of dahi, that is…, that will be different, even though the milk and dahi is the same thing, same ingredients. So you have to understand in that way. Lord Shiva is nondifferent from the Supreme Lord. Everyone is nondifferent from Supreme Lord, but he’s still different. This is the perfect philosophy, acintya-bhedabheda, simultaneously one and different.

Indian man : Swamiji, in all the temples in Mauritius, the supreme deity…

Prabhupada: Supreme Deity is Vishnu.

Indian man: But we consider Lord Shiva to be the supreme deity because we…

Prabhupada: But that is your lack of knowledge. I have already explained that, that yogurt is not different from milk. It is milk but still, it is not milk. You have to understand like that. Lord Shiva is not different from Vishnu, but he’s still not Vishnu.

Indian man: No, but do we offer the prayer first to Shiva…?

Prabhupada: That you do. There is no harm. Lord Shiva is also called Mahadeva. Amongst the demigods, he is the chief. So if you worship Lord Shiva… We also worship Shiva. It is not that we disrespect Shiva. We offer our utmost respect to Lord Shiva. But that does not mean that he is the Supreme Lord.

Indian man: The difference that is there, Swamiji…

Prabhupada: Difference I have already explained. You cannot understand?

Indian man: No, no, we pray to Shiva first and then we pray to Krishna.

Prabhupada: So that you do. There is no harm. There is no harm. But you should understand who is Shiva and who is Vishnu. If you offer first prayer to Lord Shiva, there is no harm. It is good. He is… vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh. He is our spiritual master. He is Vaisnava. Why not offer first respect to him? But if you take Lord Shiva as the Supreme, that is insult. You are giving me respect as spiritual master, but if you give me overestimation, that “You are the king of the whole world,” that is insult. That is not prayer. If you offer me prayer as I am befitting, then it is all right. But if you give me prayer for which I am not befitting, that is insult. So you must know what is the position of… Lord Shiva is a Vaisnava. He is the greatest devotee. He is the number-one demigod, and everything is all right. But if you say that he is the Supreme, then he will feel insulted, that “what is this nonsense saying?” So don’t insult him in that way. That will go against your credit. He doesn’t like that.

Weekend Harinaam Sankirtan at GT Mall, Jaipur on 9 November 2014

Devotees of HKC performed Sankirtan at famous GT Mall of Jaipur after a long time. Security men here are not favorable, but the visitors are quite favorable and were asking devotees why they came after long time. 

119 transcendental books of Srila Prabhupada distributed there in four hours. 

'It is less than demonic'

Prabhupada: ...I am your friend, I am God, so you sleep, I shall do everything. In Russia like that. When Arjuna refused to fight He chastised him like anything. What is the anarya-justam? He's just like non-Aryans, talking foolish. People should clearly understand that we don't encourage laziness. We never encourage. According to your capacity, guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13], you must work. Sarira yatrapi te na prasiddhyed akarmanah, Krsna says, "By not working, even if you cannot put on your body and soul together." Krsna says like that.

Dayananda: Isn't laziness one of the demonic qualities, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: It is less than demonic. Demonic qualities, they have some activity and laziness is ignorance, darkness. Therefore too much sleeping is very, very bad. That is another part of laziness. Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau **, one has to conquer over this sleeping and laziness. Eating, nidra, ahara, vihara, sense gratification, vihara means sense gratification. One has to minimize these things up to the point of nil, that is perfect. When there is no more sleeping, no more eating, no more mating, and no more fearing, that is perfection of spiritual life. And that is not possible, but as much as possible. [break] ...they cannot sleep more that the culture (?) is very great gain, profit.

 (Morning Walk - February 12, 1976, Mayapura)

Govardhan Puja Festival

Govardhan Hill decorated with lamps and offerings

Devotees Circumbulating Govardhan Hill

Worshiping Govardhan Hill