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  • One Who Follows Is Free.

    How can we always remain in a state of consciousness liberated from illusion, doubt and suffering? Srila Prabhupada, the spiritual master of the Krishna consciousness movement, herein elaborates on the scientific method of staying always liberated, and that one who is not liberated can become very easily. Anyone who is offering, rendering unalloyed devotional service to Krsna, he is already liberated. He has no other desire than to please Krsna or to please the representative of Krsna. One who has got only this desire he is liberated. He has no other desire for sense gratification. He is not doing anything with a motive. His only motive is how to please Krsna through His representative. He is liberated. He is liberated. Jivan-muktah sa ucyate. Iha yasya harer dasye. Jivan-muktah sa ucyate (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.187). He is liberated even in this life. He hasn’t got to change, but change, changing this body, you do the same work. You do the same work. This is his apprenticeship. Just like apprentice, he is trying to, your assistant in the laboratory, when he becomes Professor he also do this, the, the, does the same thing, but more perfectly, and he knows how to do it. But when he is learning, it is the same thing. Devotee: Practice. Prabhupada: Practice. Therefore the action is liberated, and one who is engaged in the action . . . just like, the same example, rod, when it is burning it is fire, it is no more rod. So by the action one is liberated or conditioned. By the action. When the action is liberated, then he is liberated. When the action is conditioned, then he is conditioned. Syamasundara: So it's a matter of realization. Prabhupada: Huh? Syamasundara: Realizing it . . . Prabhupada: Yes. Syamasundara: . . . practically. Prabhupada: Not realization, but actual action. Fact. Just like the rod, it is not the question of realization. The rod being red hot it is burning. It is burning. It is a fact. It is, it is burning, it is both experience and observation. That is scientific. Is it not? Observation and experiment? So observation is that the rod has become red hot, and experience is that it is burning. It is scientific. If you call it fire, then it is scientific. Because the both things are there, observation and experiment. One thing minus will not be scientific.

  • Who Has The Biggest Brain?

    Scientists often challenge the faithful theists that because so-called science has advanced so much there is therefore no need of God. They try to take credit for creation. In the following conversation, Srila Prabhupada challenges them right back. Srila Prabhupada Prabhupada: The other day while coming on the plane you told me that they are trying to make copy of the brain of . . . Syamasundara: Einstein. Prabhupada: Einstein. So still, if you can copy, even if you can copy, you are not the original scientist, because that brain of Einstein is already created. So original creation is God's. So you can imitate. So you are imitator scientist. (break) Is it not? Martin: It's true. Prabhupada: Who has created the brain of Professor Einstein? You have not created. You are trying to make a Xerox copy, that's all. But the original is already there. Now who has created the original brain? Then you have to go to God. But you have not created. It is not my men. If man could create such brain, then, "Ah, never mind the professor has died. We create another person like." That you cannot. So even if you are able to imitate, you are not the supreme scientist. First of all, it is doubtful. So accepting that you will be able to copy, a Xerox copy of Einstein's brain, that does not give you the credit. The credit is already there, God's credit. At least we shall not give you any credit. We shall speak that the original brain is created by God. You cannot create. If you have the power to create, then there was no necessity of copying. You could create better brain. That you haven't got. You are trying to take Xerox copy from that brain. Just like big, big aeroplanes are flying, but their . . . the shape is made after the bird. The original shape, bird, is created by God. He has got the same type of machine even within an insect, small insect flying. You can create a small aeroplane like that? That is not possible. Then what is your credit? Here is God's credit, a small fly, near water. You create it. You see? You can create a big, but you cannot a small. Therefore you are incapable. But God can create the biggest and the smallest. Anor aniyan mahato mahiyan (Katha Upanisad 1.2.20). He can create the greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. Syamasundara: And our big airplane cannot reproduce another airplane. Prabhupada: That's it. You cannot create a male aeroplane and female aeroplane so that you haven't got to manufacture a third one. The third one is produced. Why third one? Third millions. And again third millions, another million, another million. That is God's creation. That means He has got different energies. He pushes on one button of one energy and the production goes on. Sa asrjata, sa iksata. These are the Vedic explanation. His energies are so subtle. Just like nowadays electronic, one television button you press, and thousands and thousands of miles away something is happening you see. So if it is materially possible . . . it is nothing but exhibition of the energy of the human brain. So if human brain can exhibit such wonderful activities, how much God can do? He has got better brain, that's all, or the best brain. If you have got brain, that's all right, but He has got the best brain, param. Therefore He is called parampurusa, paramesvara. Parama means the best, the supreme. God is like you, like me. He has got also two hands, two legs, Krsna. But His brain is different. Just like you are scientist, your brain is better than me, or his brain is better than you, and his brain is better than him. In this way you go on searching. When you find the brain which has no more better, that is God. That is God. As you are finding out better brain than you, he is better than his, he better than his—you go on researching—when you find out some brain which surpasses everyone's and nobody surpasses Him, that is God. This is our definition of God. How can I deny it? We don't accept blindly anyone as God, incarnation of God. We want to see who has got the best brain, who has got the best opulence, who has got the best beauty, who has got the best knowledge, who has got the best strength. All combined together, if we find in some person, that is God. That we have found in Krsna, therefore He is God

  • Darwin's Theory In The Vedas?

    Contrary to popular belief, Charles Darwin was not the first one to talk about the theory of evolution. Actually, the theory has been extant in the Vedic scriptures for almost 5000 years. The details are given by His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in the below conversation. Prabhupada: Marine biologist. How many forms of fishes are there within the ocean? I know. I know. (laughter) Martin: That is why I'm here. Prabhupada: Nine hundred thousands of different forms of aquatics. Nine hundred thousands. Jalaja nava-laksani (Padma Purana). Jalaja means species of living beings born in the water. They are nine hundred thousand. How many you have got experience in your biology? Martin: I studied one. Prabhupada: Huh? Martin: I studied one. Prabhupada: One only? Martin: One. (laughs) I, I concentrated on one. I learned of some of the . . . (indistinct) . . . (sound of thunder), maybe a thousand. Prabhupada: Nine hundred thousand. Exact number. (aside) Bring that socket. Pradyumna: Oh, this? Syamasundara: That two-way. It's on top of the desk. Prabhupada: Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati. And two millions of trees and plants, botany, botanical. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati, krmayo rudra-sankhyaka. Insects, there are eleven hundred thousands forms. Krmayo rudra-sankhyaka. Then, paksinam dasa-laksanam. From insect, they become flies and birds. Paksinam dasa-laksanam, one million. Then from birds, the beasts come, four-legged, trimsal-laksani: three million species of beasts. Then from beasts, the human form comes—either from monkey or from lion or from cows. Out of these three . . . sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. Those who are coming through rajo-guna, their last birth before human form of birth is lion. And those who are coming in the form ignorance, Darwin's father-in-law, (laughs) monkey, and ignorance. And those who are coming in goodness, their last form of birth is cow. So this is our scientific information from the Vedas. We haven't got to make a research. Everything is there. That is Vedic knowledge. They have got already everything written there. The astronomy, everything is written there, simply you have to calculate. Astrology, we say simply mathematical calculation: if the moon is in this position and the other stars is in this position, then the effect will be like this and the result will be like this. Like that. So you haven't got to make search or research. It is already there. Similarly, this Darwin's theory is there in two lines: asitim caturams caivalaksams tas jiva-jatisubhramadbhih purusair praptammanusam janma-paryayat (Padma Purana) Asati, asati means eighty; catura means four. Eighty and four laksani, lakhs, 100,000. Eighty-four hundred thousand, that means 8,400,000. Asitim caturams caiva laksams tas jiva-jatisu. Jiva means living entity; jati means species. Jiva-jatisu. Brahmadbhih: the living entity is wandering, or transmigrating, from aquatics to trees, plants, then insect, then birds, then beasts. In this way, the last is human form of life. Brahmadbhih. Brahmadbhih, wandering. Purusair praptam, last he is getting manusam jiva . . . janma-paryayat, by the evolution of birth. Now this form is for understanding Govinda, God. The other forms, they cannot. So if in this form the living entity does not contact Govinda . . . contacting Govinda means surrendering unto Govinda. As Krsna says: "Surrender unto Me." Bahunam janmanam ante jsanavan mam prapadyate (BG 7.19). So after many, many, many millions of births, when one is actually in full knowledge, he surrenders to Krsna. That is perfection. Then he goes back to home, back to Godhead. That is our program, Krsna consciousness.

  • Wonderful Turnout Last Sunday Love Feast.

    Gloria, Joleen, Debbie, and Annika joined us with three little angels this past Sunday on our Love Feast. As soon as the meditation session started, the atmosphere turned electric and everybody started dancing! It was an ecstatic evening complete with chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, a lively, enlightening class and discussion, and a delicious vegan/vegetarian feast. You can also participate by contacting us through email, whatsapp, Instagram or by signing up on our website. Please sign up or let us know beforehand so that we can make the appropriate arrangements.

  • The Philosophy Of Chance Is Sheer Nonsense.

    Nowadays even modern education teaches people from a young age that everything that we see around us happened perchance. Srila Prabhupada cannot see the sense in this and criticizes it very scientifically in the following conversation with his disciples. Pradyumna: You said in one place, "Man is the architect of his own happiness and distress." Prabhupada: Yes. Yes. That is an axiomatic truth even by the modern man. Yes that, "Man is the architect of his own fortune." So as soon as there is work to make your fortune, then there must be a person to decide to give you a fortunate position. Just like in an establishment, so many men are working, but there is a president. He is considering the work file, "How this man has worked?" And he is being promoted, his salary is being increased; and somebody is degraded, no promotion, rather, transferred in some other place. So natural conclusion is when there are so many varieties of life in our presence, and they are, although in the same place, they haven't got the same facility, so there must be somebody who decides on this point. So how you can deny God? Our point is the Supreme Person, the president, who decides on this fact, He is God. What is the opposite answer? Pradyumna: They would say that you are in your position and they are in their position just by chance, just like . . . Prabhupada: That is nonsense. This is sheer nonsense. There is nothing by chance. What is that chance? By chance one is becoming millionaire, and a chance, one is becoming cockroaches. What is that chance? Explain that chance. It is evasive. It is most foolish reply, "Chance." We have got this nice apartment. Is it by chance? Pradyumna: No. Prabhupada: Then? Bhurijana: There's never an example of chance. Prabhupada: This is all nonsense. People are befooled by all this philosophy. Bhurijana: Albert Einstein, he said that, "I cannot believe that the highest material principle is chance." He's a material scientist. He said: "I cannot believe." Prabhupada: Yes. Yes. Oh, yes. Actually, if one is actually learned, scientific, he must admit. He must admit, unless he is a lunatic, rascal. He will say all these nonsense things, "Chance." Why chance? What is taking place within your practical experience by chance? If by prearrangement we would not come here, then who would care for it? Even on the street we could not lie down. Nobody allow. The police will arrest: "Who are these men?" How do you say chance? Everything is done by prearrangement. The chance is an explanation given by the rascals and fools. They are not sane men. There cannot be anything by chance. We got up on the train, and the train is running, and it is all chance? There is a huge management behind the train. Therefore we are comfortably seated, and we come to the destination right in the time. All these are chances? What is that . . .? He has written such a big book. What is his reason that chance? What reason he has given? I have not read. You have read? Pradyumna: No. Syamasundara: Well, necessity . . . necessity . . . Prabhupada: Necessity means I arrange. There was a necessity to come to this city, so he arranged. So how it is chance? Syamasundara: They would . . . their answer is that there was a necessity to go to the city, so we would have tried hundreds of different ways to come here, and by chance, eventually we would have found the . . . Prabhupada: No. We have not tried hundreds of others. There was a plan. Sudama: But even where does . . . in my mind, if I hear the word "chance," where does chance . . . how does chance come about, if there is such a thing? Prabhupada: No. The rascal says that I am trying in so many ways; one of them by chance becomes favorable. But I am not working in so many ways. We had a plan, to come here, to preach. So according to that plan, we arranged with this man. And it is not chance; it is all prearranged. Where is that I am trying this way or that way? We are going to preach. There is a plan. So our men go before that, before my reaching there, and they make nice arrangement, nice apartment. Then they receive me. These are not chances. This is all prearranged, plan. Bhurijana: They say that . . . but they don't acknowledge the plan. Prabhupada: Why they don't acknowledge? Everything is being done by plan. The rascal who is speaking like that, he is educated by a plan, by his parents. And therefore he is able now to talk nonsense and get the Nobel Prize for talking all these rascals. His education was planned. Sudama: Just like his book was planned, so now he is given the Nobel Prize. He won't say: "By chance I won." Prabhupada: Yes. His plan to misguide the people, that is a plan.

  • Are Hare Krishna's Vegetarians?

    Sometimes the devotees of Lord Krishna are asked why they abstain from eating meat, and sometimes from another side they are asked why they take milk products. His Divine Grace Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada elaborates on the actual nature and reason for the Hare Krishna diet in the following conversation excerpt. Mr. Dixon: The stricture on the eating of meat, does that derive from the fact that animals have their lives which are accorded... Prabhupada: No, vegetable, vegetable has got life. Mr. Dixon: Yes. What I'm asking is that because animals have a higher priority in life than vegetables? Prabhupada: No question of priority. Our philosophy is that we are servant of God. So God will eat, and whatever remnants of foodstuff He'll left, that we shall take. So in the Bhagavad-gita... You find out this verse. Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati (BG 9.26). Just like you have come here. So if I want to offer you something for eatable, it is my duty to ask you, "Mr. Nixon, which foodstuff you'll like to eat?" So you dictate, "I like this very much." Then, if I offer you that foodstuff, then you become pleased. So we have called Krsna in this temple, so we are waiting, what foodstuff He wants to eat? So He said that... Guru-krpa: "If one offer me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it." Prabhupada: Yes. Patram puspam phalam. He is asking very simple thing which everyone can offer. Just like a little leaf, patram, a little flower, puspam, a little fruit, and little liquid, either water or ghee, er, milk. So we offer that. We make different varieties with these ingredients, patram puspam phalam toyam (BG 9.26), and after Krsna's eating, we take it. We are servant; we take the remnants of foodstuff left by Krsna. We are neither vegetarian nor nonvegetarian. We are prasad-ian. We don't care for vegetable or not vegetable, because either you kill a cow or kill a vegetable, the sinful action is there. And according to nature's law, it is said that "The animals which has no hand, that is the food for the animals with hands." We are also animals with hands. We human being, we are also animal with hands, and they are animals—no hand but four legs. And there are animals which has no leg, that is vegetable. Apadani catus-padam (SB 1.3.47). These animals which has no leg, they are food for the animals with four leg. Just like cow eats grass, the goat eats grass. So eating vegetable, there is no credit. Then the goats and the cows are more credit, have more credit, because they don't touch anything except vegetable. So we are not preaching to become goats and cows. No. We are preaching that you become servant of Krsna. So whatever Krsna eats, we eat. If Krsna says that "Give me meat, give me eggs," so we shall offer Krsna meat and eggs and we shall take it. So don't think that we are after vegetarian, nonvegetarian. No. That is not our philosophy. Because either you take vegetable or you take meat, you are killing. And you have to kill because otherwise you cannot live. That is nature's way. Mr. Dixon: Yes. Prabhupada: So we are not for that way. Mr. Dixon: Well, why do you put the stricture on... Prabhupada: Stricture in this way, no meat-eating, because cow protection is required. We require milk. And instead of taking milk, if we eat the cows, then where is milk? Mr. Dixon: So milk is very important. Prabhupada: Very, very important. Mr. Dixon: In terms of production of food for the world, the world would be much better off without eating animals. Prabhupada: No, milk is required. Some fatty vitaminous food is required. That necessity is supplied by milk. Therefore specifically... Mr. Dixon: Couldn't you get all the necessity you require from grains? Prabhupada: Grains, no. Grains, they are starch. According to medical science, we require four different groups: starch, carbohydrate, protein, and fat. That is full food. So you can get all these things by eating rice, dahl, mean pulses, and wheat, and.... These things contain.... Pulses and wheat contains protein. And milk also contains protein. So protein we require. Fat we get from milk. Fat is required. And vegetables, carbohydrate; and food grain, starch. So if you prepare nice foodstuff with all these ingredients, you get full..., and offer to Krsna, then it's purified. Then you are free from all sinful activities. Otherwise, even if you kill vegetable, you are sinful because it has got life. You have no right to kill another life. But you have to live on life. This is your position. Therefore the solution is that you take prasadam. If there is sin by eating vegetable or meat it goes to the eater. We take the remnants, that's all.

  • Srila Prabhupada Vyasa-Puja Offerings 2021

    The Vyasa-puja occasion is a time for devotees to offer their respects and homages to the spiritual master. In the case of the BLISS devotees, they are honoring and glorifying their spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the greatest exponent of Vedic knowledge and culture in the western world. Here are their offerings: His Grace Purujit dasa: Dear devotees, friends, supporters and kind well-wishers of the Bhaktivedanta Lives In Sound Society, kindly allow me to pay my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. It is my great honour and immense privilege to celebrate with you today the 125th Vyasa Puja Day of our beloved Acharya His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada! It is by His grace we have met in this life together to create this society and by his mercy shall we continue engaging in the glorious sankirtana activities that bring the only meaningful benefit to the suffering living entities around us. All glories, all glories, the transcendental magnet, His Divine Grace, has attracted us otherwise-all-useless pieces of Kali yuga iron to the exclusive service of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Just as the gopis curse Brahma, the lord of creation, for creating eyelids that impede vision of the Lord during a wink, we may also curse him for creating a day that has only 24 hours since a mere day can hardly give us an opportunity to fully appreciate the full scope of the divine personality of His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. 5000 years ago, after concluding his great lesson to the humanity contained in the sacred Srimad Bhagavad-gita, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Bhagavan Sri Krishna adds the following divine words. He says: ya idam paramam guhyam mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyati bhaktim mayi param krtva mam evaisyaty asamsayah na ca tasman manusyesu kascin me priya-krttamah bhavita na ca me tasmad anyah priyataro bhuvi For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me. There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear. (Bg 18.70) No one can embody the purport of these two slokas better than our spiritual master A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. In the year 1965, he has fearlessly ventured into the depths of stubborn materialism by boarding a ship to land on the banks of the North American sub-continent. He had a great plan to change the course of the world’s history. After thousands of years, the world would unite again in the glorification of its most loveable Lord Krishna. All nations, all races, all languages would unite again to engage in the glorious sankirtana movement of Lord Caitanya. There would be one God; Krishna, one prayer; the chanting of His holy name, one engagement; loving devotional service. The prophecies of the scriptures about the small edition of Satya yuga within the Kali yuga would be fulfilled. We can hardly imagine a position more exalted than Srila Prabhupada’s since all the previous acharyas within the Brahma Madhava sampradaya could only cherish a fleeting dream of such a scenario ever taking place. They have carefully drafted this transcendental plot over the centuries and endowed Srila Prabhupada with all their blessings and potencies to accomplish this seemingly impossible task. For the first time, people such as myself are now getting an opportunity to know God as He is. This is the real God, with all His beautiful transcendental character, presented with full descriptions of His multitude of potencies and energies. He is the Absolute Truth, Bhagavan Sri Krishna, and just like the sun cuts through all darkness, by knowing the simple information that Krishna is the Supreme Lord, all the relativities of religious sectarianism fade away as incomplete and archaic in the face of the newly arrived pleasing and joyful reality. Srila Prabhupada has patiently laid down the lawbooks for mankind where the nature of Krishna is explained in a simple and yet powerful way. These books are the ticking time bombs triggered in contact with sincere souls who are ready to transcend the material existence and re-connect with their forgotten transcendental lover-Bhagavan Sri Krsna. They are meant to demolish the seemingly unshakeable walls of the present materialistic civilization and present the blueprints of a new beginning on the background of the yuga dharma: congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna mahamantra. Srila Prabhupada is alive with us even today if we truly take his message seriously. Let us become his true representatives by carefully avoiding those unfortunate souls who tend to minimize his instructions or misunderstand his transcendental position and by repeating his words without adulteration to all without discrimination. Everyone is eligible to hear Srila Prabhupada, establish his or her relationship with Srila Prabhupada and based on this relationship become a bona fide spiritual master with the ability to inspire Krsna bhakti in the hearts of others. In this way we may further assimilate the Krishna conscious philosophy and penetrate into its secrets more and more. All that is required is our willingness to enter into this wonderful process. The world is in desperate need of such enthusiastic gurus empowered by Srila Prabhupada to bring in the healing remedy of sweet sankirtan into the wounds of the failing empire. Maitreya rishi dasa: Nama om vinnu-padaya krnna-presthaya bhu-tale srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine nirvisena-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine Your Divine Grace, Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, has kindly come to the western countries to deliver the most fallen souls to the highest perfectional stage of life out of the most downtrodden and lowly conditions. Your capabilties, genious and mercy know no limit, and therefore you are able to purify the whole three worlds. This is not dry sentiment or belief, but something even a layman can clearly see. You have come to the mleccha-desa, the land of those almost completely opposed to surrender to God, practically you have come to hell, and you have inspired and purified even the lowest of the low into enthusiastic and pure Vaishnavas, and you have fulfilled the desires of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura; "Oh, for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German and American people will take up banners, mrdangas and karatalas and raise kirtana through their streets and towns. When will that day come? Oh, for the day when the fair-skinned men from their side will raise up the chanting of jaya sacinandana, jaya sacinandana ki jaya [All Glories to Lord Caitanya! All Glories to Lord Caitanya!] and join with the Bengali devotees. When will that day be? On such a day they will say, 'Our dear Brothers, we have taken shelter of the ocean of Lord Caitanya's Love; kindly embrace us.' When will that day come? That day will witness the holy transcendental ecstasy of the vainnava-dharma [the eternal occupation of devotional service to the Lord] to be the only dharma [eternal engagement], and all the sects and religions will flow like rivers into the ocean of vainnava-dharma. When will that day come?" (Sajjana-tonani in 1885) kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah ye 'nye ca papa yad-apasrayasrayah sudhyanti tasmai prabhavinnave namah Kirata, Huna, Andhra, Pulinda, Pulkasa, Abhira, Sumbha, Yavana, members of the Khasa races and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him. Who is capapble of performing such a feat? Who is capable of understanding so perfectly the necessary adjustments needed so that the western world could take up to the process of self-realization as enjoined in the Vedic scriptures without comprising even an inch. You have revolutionzed the system of initiation, giving a chance to western boys and even girls to come to higher levels of purity and opportunity, much to the shock and opposition of those who are envious and incapable of the same. No mere ordinary man can do what you have done. That is why anyone who refers to you as a “man” or anything of similar caliber makes a great offence at your lotus feet. A person who does so is not really a human being, but rather an ostrich with it’s head in the sand. You have taken demons from streets of the biggest, dirtiest and most sinful cities in the world and have not only purified them but have inspired them to give up materalistic family life, the pursuit of mateiralistic ideals, happiness and positions, and instead dedicate their lives for purifying others. By your words alone the universal situation has changed for the eternal betterment of human, nay, the socieities of all living entities. No one is too much fallen for your Divine Grace. You came in the beginning of your mission to the bowry district in New york, a place even Ravana would fear to tread, with nobody to support you and barely a single penny to your name. But because of your staunch faith in the supreme Lord Sri Krishna and your perfect grasp on the siddanta of Gaudiya-Vaishnavaism, the eternal absolute truth, you have achieved what no-one else in the universe has been able to achieve. No only that, but you have established the law books and guidance for all the three worlds for the rest of the Yuga. It is not a speculation to say that you have unlimited power, for Srila Visvinatha Cakravati Thakura states in his Gurv-astaka: saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair The spiritual master is to be honored as much as the Supreme Lord, because he is the most confidential servitor of the Lord. This is acknowledged in all revealed scriptures and followed by all authorities. Some people may misunderstand our glorifcation of you and our worship of you to be something like man-worship, or that we think of you as God because of a poor fund of knowledge, and although you never accept such worship in your pure heart, you are so merciful that you have allowed and taught us how to worship the spiritual master as the transperent via media to the supreme personality of Godhead. And how can we say that this kind of worship is uncalled for? The spiritual master gives the greastest boon of life, reconnects us with the Lord in an eternal blissful relationship and saves us from the darkest depths of hell. Is it not then appropriate to not only worship the spiritual master with grandeous pomp, reverence and opulence, but also to surrender our lives, words and thoughts to him? Are we not debauches of the highest order if we do not at least try our damnedest to give everything to him? Our spiritual master is an ocean of mercy, the friend of the poor and the lord and master of the devotees. Sri Narottama dasa Thakura has expressed that you are an ocean of mercy, Srila Prabhupada. May you be kind enough to let me aspire for that ocean eternally. I beg you may chastise me when I forget you, and please always keep my mind and actions in serving you. There is nothing a disiciple can do to repay his debt to his spiritual master, but I humbly pray that I might always get the chance to try and please you as much as a fallen wretch like myself can. Paramahamsa dasa: Nama Om Vishnu-padaya krishna-presthaya bhutale Shrimate-Bhaktivedanta Svamin iti namine Namaste sarasvate-deve Gaura-vani pracarine Nirvishesha shunya vadi pashchatya desha tarine Let me start this with essential mantra on this auspicious day, when His Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad appeared in this material world to save lost souls in this material world who for time being have astrayed for a short moment from devotional service, a moment which is not even a split of a second in spiritual world, yet it appears to us like eternity. Thanks to His Divine Grace I was given an opportunity to interrupt this split second of delusion in which I am choking; the split of a second during which I went through hard times and got a chance to understand the bitterness of this world. Is it a mercy or a curse? That´s simply a duality in which I´m being tossed from one side to another. But by the lotus feet of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, out of mercy, even still lusting after material enjoyment and my restless mind full of envy, still my spiritual master is giving me His lotus hand to drag me out of this material ocean. Nevertheless, many times I cannot appreciate it. The fact I am still given a chance to associate with Krishna´s devotees, my dear godbrothers who took so much time to teach me how to serve Krishna, who have so much patience and are so much caring; with the Holy Name; and my spiritual master, is a miracle. Under all the unfavourable conditions, some way or other, I could up until this moment somehow persist. That´s only by the causeless mercy of Lord Shri Krishna and His pure devotee A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. I humbly beg my spiritual master for giving us all the strength so we can continue our service to Lord Shri Krishna in our respective propensities. Please shower us, all the BLISS devotees with your mercy. All glories to the BLISS devotees, all glories to Shrila Prabhupada. Your eternal fallen debtor Paramahamsa Das Bhakta Davor: nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine nirvisesha-sunyavadi-paschatya-desa-tarine I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is very dear to Lord Krishna, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Chaitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism. Srila Prabhupada,, I would like to honor you on this special occasion. Altough I am unqalified I will try my best to ofter at least some words of appreciation in honour of the 125th aniversary of your appearance. 6 months ago I was still a spaced out college dropout looking for some meaning in life. At that time I never imagined that someone might come across who would be able to present conclusive answers to all my questions, but by Krishna's mercy you appeared just when I was ripe enough to assimilate your wonderful teaching of bhagavata dharma. The first thing that stunned me was the power of the pure chanting of mahamantra emanating from your lotus mouth. The sound was so powerful and mystic that it filled my heart with something that I had never experienced before, and opened futher enquiry about you and your mission. I heard that you opened 108 temples dedicated to Lord Krishna, published over 80 volumes of God concious literature and made more then 10,000 devotees in just a span of 11 years within which you were gracing the western hemisphere with your physical presence. The numbers were astonishing to me. I was thinking, “no way this guru is just another guru who is offering me his interpretation of ancient Indian spiritual science.” I met someone whose capabilities exceed any limits opposing the normal mortal being. This person must be empowered by God himself. I drew comparison to lord Jesus and Mohammed but quickly I found out that even their glories cannot match with your own. Next you satisfied the little questioning that my dull brain was able to produce by the wonderful knowledge presented in your books and countless classes in which you were offering completly new views on topics that I, in furstration, already found stale and irelevant. How you proceeded to piece together to a mundane mimd seemingly unrelated topics and answered the questions regarding sociology, God, politics and ecology... In such a wonderful and understandable way is unprecedented. Soon I started attempting to also follow the rules and regulative principles of freedom that you presented based on the vedic knowledge and adapted according to the circumstances that the western world finds itself in today. After some time I became ecstatic and started to preach about how wonderful Krishna conciousness is to everyone that would have a chance to bump into me. Although often misunderstood in my limited understanding of your teachings, after some time it was clear to me that there was no other other way then to start serving your mission of directing all the lost souls back home back to Krishna. By your mercy Prabhupada I was able to come in association of elevated souls fully submitted to your guidance. I only hope that I never stray away from your path and by your mercy become worthy of calling myself your disciple. Jay Srila Prabhupada! Bhakta Nejcs: nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine nirvisesha-sunyavadi-paschatya-desa-tarine Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to you, Srila Prabhupada! How can such a fallen and completely conditioned soul like myself try to describe a great soul like yourself, Srila Prabhupada. I am simply like a frog in the well, unable to grasp your infinite glories, unlimited mercy and spotless character. Who can know you in full, Srila Prabhupada, when your glorious position was even mentioned by the Supreme personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna Himself! "For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me. There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear." (Bg 18.68-69) And also by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu directly, that is simply incredible. yadi papi chadi dharma dure dese yaya mora senapati-bhakta yaibe tathaya "If some sinful people escape and giving up religious principles go to far off countries, then my Senapati Bhakta will come at that time to give them Krsna consciousness." (Caitanya Mangala) You have truly united the whole world as the Senapati Bhakta, military commander of all devotees and you have engaged everyone in this dangerious war with maya. Otherwise there is no chance, but by your unlimited mercy, you have made all the illusions and troubles of this material energy less problematic than the water in a cow's hoof. You are the greatest pioneer in all aspects of missionary activities, for you have travelled on your own to an entirely different continent, fearlessly and gloriously, with your head held high, walked into the land of mlecchas simply out of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls. Out of pure love for your great spiritual master His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, you have undertaken this task that many have failed, to preach to the most fallen and dirty, to make them remember Krsna, have them give up their completely sinful life and become saints of the highest character. Every fortunate man or woman that had the intelligence or simply sheer luck to follow your perfect instructions was spiritually benefited by your grace, and even today you are uniting us all, men and women of every race, every age, every religion under your transcendental instructions as you live forever in sound, guiding us back home, back to Godhead. By your infinite mercy we are given the rarest chance, a chance to chant the holy names; Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. You have made the process very easy for us, so that everyone, even the most fallen souls, can relish the transcendental taste of devotional service and quickly achieve the highest success in life! Srila Prabhupada, it is clear as day that you are even more mercifull than Lord Caitanya Himself! As Lord Caitanya appeared in India and gave the ocean of Krsna prema freely to everyone, you have mercifully surpassed even that, spreading the movement all over the world. Your books are being printed and translated into practically every language in the world and in this way your mercy has no limits, anyone who has at least one spark of desire can immediately swim in the ocean of Krsna prema that you are so freely distributing. Your books, your classes, your talks, morning walks, letters and so much more have all been carefully preserved by the expert devotees you have trained and today everything is avaliable with the click of a button online. This is just one of the infinite reasons why you are the greatest exponent of Krsna consciousness in this world and in this entire universe. Simply by considering the all-expansiveness of your mercy we are inspired to serve your mission, your transcendental instructions keep our hearts and minds fixed on the perfection of all existence, to love you and to love Krsna. I am completely unqualified to serve your great mission, but somehow by your ceaseless mercy you have grazed this fallen soul with a ray of mercy and you are showing me the truth. So if it is your will, please kindly allow me to engage in service unto you and make pleasing you my mission in life. Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

  • A New Movie About Srila Prabhupada

    This is a very nice movie made by devotees from Mumbai about Srila Prabhupada. We would like to share it with you here

  • Janmastami Event Tonight

    Today we celebrate Lord Krishna's Divine Appearance. The program starts at 5pm in our BLISS London center. Entry free to all.

  • Do We Need a Living Guru?

    This highly contested question has been debated amongst devotees for decades. Perhaps the following excerpt from a 1971 conversation with Srila Prabhupada in conversation with Dr. Lancelot Ware, the co-founder of the Mensa society (organization of individuals with high IQs), will shed some light on the issue. Please let us know what you think down in the comments. Syamasundara: But the whole idea is that these personalities have to be in a living form, not just in the past. But they live in the form of a spiritual master who's there to guide us personally—not just praise someone in the past. Unless this process is transmitted in a human form personally, it's not . . . Prabhupada: That is the process in the material world also. You are lawyer because you have studied laws under some big lawyer. So the process is coming.

  • Lord Balarama Appearance Day

    Today we are celebrating Lord Balarama's appearance day. Lord Balarama is the Divine brother of Lord Krishna. The program in our London Center starts today at 5pm.

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