Kadamba Kanana Swami: Holland is known as a free haven for everyone. That is well known, but why is not well known.
The Catholics controlled the North of Europe and forced people to pay a tax. England, Germany, and Holland rebelled, and because Holland was smallest, it was attacked by Spain in a war which lasted 80 years. People were born during the war, and they died during the war.
William of Orange liberated the country. Orange became the color of the freedom. Thus the Dutch are attached to their orange and their freedom. Holland thus became a haven for those who were oppressed and seeking freedom.
For us Kings Day is a festival of giving. If we go for ourselves, we may find it too much, but if we go to give, it is never too much, for we see people are getting the mercy.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura prayed at Nrsimha Palli to Nrsimhadeva to be freed from all obstacles for developing his devotion to Radha and Krishna.
Why do we worship Lord Nrsimha? For protection. But why? Krishna killed so many demons! Ultimately we worship Lord Nrsimha because Lord Caitanya did.
I was reading a description of The Renaissance in a book called A History of Knowledge, and I suddenly realized that ISKCON is in its renaissance. In the global acarya days things were very restricted, but great things were done and great individual surrender took place. Now there is more individual expression, but things are moving more slowly.
The BBT devotees showed Srila Prabhupada their new telex machine. Srila Prabhupada commented that this would only increase gossip in our society. And that was just a telex machine!
If we had a Kumbha Mela, and we all threw our phones in the water, I would lead the ecstatic kirtan after.
The fierce form of Lord Nrsimha is a symbol of the Lord’s soft-heartedness, as He appeared out of compassion to protect His devotee.
The Lord will protect the devotee and drive out the demoniac within us.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura prayed at Nrsimha Palli to be free from all demoniac tendencies.
All our rituals are not just rituals but connect us to important deities for needed mercy.
In South India all people are allowed to enter Nrsimha temples as He is understood to have appeared to the demoniac for their benefit.
In our temples we chant the Nrsimha prayers after almost every arati because we need His destroying of our demoniac tendencies.
The Lord promises to protect one’s soul not necessarily one’s body.
We would be impressed with the different agents of Hiranyakasipu used to tortune Prahlada Maharaja if we saw them employed against us, but he was completely unaffected due to his complete faith in the Lord.
Prahlada does not want to attain the spiritual world alone but wants to bring all others with him.
Prahlada did not pray to serve the Lord directly but to continue to serve Narada Muni, his guru.
Krishna is not only the supreme pure but the supreme purifier. By any contact with Krishna, one becomes purified.
In the beginning we have a speck of Krishna consciousness while maya is all-pervading. Later maya is more localized.
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says the surface of the consciousness is covered with taste at ruci [taste] while at asakti [attachment] that taste goes deeper.
In the material world, we are suffering in our material consciousness, however, in krishna-prema there is no suffering at all.
Pujari, you do not need to ring the bell. I am the bell. The speaker is the bell. It is said in the sastra that kirtana is the bell.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrita is an extension of the Bhagavatam because it is also the pastimes of the Supreme Lord and His devotees.
We are not condemned to be in the prison of the material world, but unfortunately we have no desire to leave.
I think ISKCON has lost something not having the bowl of gulabjamuns [sweets] by the door like in the beginning.
We have many festivals and activities where we can get some taste before we achieve the ultimate taste of krishna-prema. Vaishnava association makes this possible. Therefore, we need to be with Vaishnavas. Let us move to live nearer the devotees. If that is not possible, let us visit them regularly. Let us invite them to our homes.
We are all becoming purified in the association of devotees, and that is a cause for celebration.
I do kirtana alone, but it is not the same.
If we touch our beads as much as our phone, that would be very wonderful.
The holy name is Krishna, the supreme purifier, and therefore everyone becomes uplifted in the kirtan.
Vyasa-puja is important. One should not miss them. You do not have to work. Use your holidays to come. Plan now for next year. These are opportunities to go deeper in our relationships, our commitments.
We have to hear from other Vaishnavas about their spiritual lives. It is essential for going forward.
In Radhadesh, after the book marathon they had a festival for glorifying the book distributors. Then they increased it to glorify all the devotees. It went on for six hours, and physically it was challenging, but spiritually it was purifying.
Krishna prema is not just for the uttama-adhikari [topmost devotee], but the madhyama-adhikari [middle-level devotee] is also described as loving the Lord. [Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.2.46]
In ISKCON in the 1980s, there was a taste for giving out the mercy. People were forced to go out. But when they did it, they got a taste for giving out the mercy, acting as Krishna’s instruments. This giving is the beginning of love. The spirit of giving was something electric. That is the way to get Krishna prema.
There are many ways to preach:
Let devotees to dramas on the streets where the people are.
The BBC published a list of ten cities likely to run out of water soon, and London made the list. We could take advantage of that and explain how because we are not performing sacrifice we are running out of water.
According to Lord Caitanya, by chanting Hare Krishna without stopping and by serving the Vaishnavas, we can become empowered to distribute Krishna consciousness.
Q: How can we preach when our mind gives us problems?
A: Take sweets ourselves, and then distribute them to others.
It is difficult to balance. It is not that we figure it out once and for all, but we are always adjusting to keep the balance.
We have to balance these three:
1. Our personal well-being.
2. Our spiritual practice.
3. Our outreach.
The liberated soul sees the loving attitude of Krishna behind the material world, as providing a facility to gradually uplift souls, and so he is always happy.
Q: How will we celebrate your Vyasa-puja after you are gone?
A: There probably will not be one central celebration but small ones in different places. You cannot say you have celebrated my Vyasa-puja unless some preaching is connected with it. That is why we are continuing this Kings Day as long as possible.