Become Very Eager To See Krsna

…The idea is that one gopī is advising another gopī, “My dear friend, there is one boy. His name is Govinda. He is standing on the bank of Yamunā near the Keśi-ghāṭa, and He’s playing on His flute. And He’s so beautiful that especially during full moon night, please do not go there.” [laughter] Why? “Now, because if you have got intention to enjoy in this material world with your family members, wife, children, husband, please do not go there.” Smerān bhaṅgī-traya-paricitāṁ sāci-vistīrṇa-dṛṣṭim. Bhaṅgī-traya. “Kṛṣṇa always stands in three-curved way with His flute. That is Kṛṣṇa’s tri-bhaṅga-murāri.” Tri-bhaṅga. Three places, He is bent. (Lecture 1.2.12)

Lecture on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

First Canto, Chapter 2, Text 12

Full lecture

tac chraddadhānā munayo

jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā

paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ

bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā

[SB 1.2.12]

“The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedānta-śruti.”

Very good, thank you. Yes. She has done better than all of you. All right. [chanting resumes] [Prabhupāda interrupts again:] Yes. That’s all.

So people, they sometimes say, “Can you show me God? Have you seen God?” These questions sometimes we meet. So the answer is here. Yes, you can see God. Everyone can see God. I am also seeing God. But there must be the qualification. Just like God is there… Suppose a motorcar is there, something is wrong there. Everyone is seeing. But one engineer or mechanic, he sees differently. Therefore we have to go there. “What is the wrong in this car? It is not running.” He immediately touches some machine part; it runs. So these rascals, they do not know that “How I can see God if I have not the qualification?” The machine has gone wrong, I am seeing the machine. And the engineer, the mechanic, he is also seeing the machine. But his seeing and my seeing is different. He’s qualified to see. Therefore when the machine has gone wrong, immediately he touches some part, it runs. So if for a machine we require so much qualification, and we want to see God without any qualification? Just see the fun. Without any qualification. Rascal, they are so rascal, so fool, that they want to see God with their nuisance qualification.

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā: nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ: [Bg. 7.25] “I am not exposed to everyone. Yogamāyā, yogamāyā is covering.” So how you can see God? But this rascaldom is going on, that “Can you show me God? Have you seen God?” God has become just like a plaything. “Here is God. He is incarnation of God.” Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. They are sinful, rascals, fools, lowest of the mankind. They inquire like that: “Can you show me God?” What qualification you have acquired, that you can see God? Here is the qualification. What is that? Tac chraddadhānā munayaḥ. One must be first of all faithful. Faithful. Śraddadhānāḥ. He must be very much eager to see God, actually. Not that as a proclivity, frivolous thing, “Can you show me God?” A magic, just like God is a magic. No. He must be very serious: “Yes, if there is God… We have seen, we have been informed about God. So I must see.”

There is a story in this connection. It is very instructive; try to hear. One professional reciter was reciting about Bhāgavata, and he was describing that Kṛṣṇa, being very highly decorated with all jewels, He is sent for tending the cows in the forest. So there was a thief in that meeting. So he thought that “Why not then go to Vṛndāvana and plunder this boy? He is in the forest with so many valuable jewels. I can go there and catch the child and take the, all the jewels.” That was his intention. So, he was serious that “I must find out that boy. Then in one night I shall become millionaire. So much jewelries. No.” So he went there, but his qualification was that “I must see Kṛṣṇa, I must see Kṛṣṇa.” That anxiety, that eagerness, made it possible that in Vṛndāvana he saw Kṛṣṇa. He saw Kṛṣṇa the same way as he was informed by the Bhāgavata reader. Then he saw, “Oh, oh, you are so nice boy, Kṛṣṇa.” So he began to flatter. He thought that “Flattering, I shall take all the jewels” [laughter]. So when he proposed his real business, “So may I take some of your these ornaments? You are so rich.” “No, no, no. You… My mother will be angry. I cannot…” [laughter] Kṛṣṇa as a child. So he became more and more eager for Kṛṣṇa. And then… By Kṛṣṇa’s association, he had already become purified. Then, at last, Kṛṣṇa said, “All right, you can take.” Then he became a devotee, immediately. Because by Kṛṣṇa’s association…

So some way or other, we should come in contact with Kṛṣṇa. Some way or other. Then we’ll be purified. Kāmād bhayād dveṣyāt. Just like the gopīs… The gopīs came to Kṛṣṇa being captivated by His beautiful features. They were young girls, and Kṛṣṇa was so beautiful. So actually, they came to Kṛṣṇa being lusty, but Kṛṣṇa is so pure that they became first-class devotees. There is no comparison of their devotion. Because they loved Kṛṣṇa with heart and soul. That is the qualification. That is the qualification. They loved so much Kṛṣṇa that they didn’t care for family, for reputation. When they were going at dead of night… Kṛṣṇa’s flute was there, and they were all fleeing. Their father, their brother, their husband: “Where you are going? Where you are going in this dead of night?” They didn’t care. They neglected their children, their family, everything: “We must go to Kṛṣṇa.” So this is required. We must be very, very eager so that… And many gopīs who were forcibly stopped, going to Kṛṣṇa, they lost their life. Just see how much eager they are. So this eagerness is wanted. Then you can see God. Either you become lusty or a thief or a murderer or whatever it may be. Some way or other, if you develop this eagerness, that “I must see Kṛṣṇa,” then Kṛṣṇa will be seen.

So here is… The first thing is how much eager you are to see Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will respond. If you are actually eager to see Kṛṣṇa… It, the reason may be different, either you are lusty or to steal His ornament. Some way or other, you become attracted to Kṛṣṇa, then your business is successful. Rūpa Gosvāmī has advised that… He says in a poetry. It is on the matter of the gopīs talking. One gopī is advising another gopī that “My dear friend…”

smerān bhaṅgī-traya-paricitāṁ sāci-vistīrṇa-dṛṣṭiṁ

vaṁśīnyastādhara-kiśalayām ujjvalāṁ candrakeṇa

govindākhyāṁ haritanumitaḥ keśi-tīrthopakaṇṭhe

mā prekṣiṣṭhāstava yadi sakhe! bandhu-saṅge ‘sti raṅgaḥ

The idea is that one gopī is advising another gopī, “My dear friend, there is one boy. His name is Govinda. He is standing on the bank of Yamunā near the Keśi-ghāṭa, and He’s playing on His flute. And He’s so beautiful that especially during full moon night, please do not go there.” [laughter] Why? “Now, because if you have got intention to enjoy in this material world with your family members, wife, children, husband, please do not go there.” Smerān bhaṅgī-traya-paricitāṁ sāci-vistīrṇa-dṛṣṭim. Bhaṅgī-traya. “Kṛṣṇa always stands in three-curved way with His flute. That is Kṛṣṇa’s tri-bhaṅga-murāri.” Tri-bhaṅga. Three places, He is bent. So,

smerān bhaṅgī-traya-paricitāṁ sāci-vistīrṇa-dṛṣṭiṁ

vaṁśīnyastādhara-kiśalayām ujjvalāṁ candrakeṇa

govindākhyāṁ haritanumitaḥ keśi-tīrthopakaṇṭhe

mā prekṣiṣṭhāstava yadi sakhe! bandhu-saṅge ‘sti raṅgaḥ

“If you think that you will enjoy more your life in this material world, then you do not go there. You do not go there.”

The idea is that if you once see Kṛṣṇa, then you will forget all this nonsense material enjoyment. That is seeing Kṛṣṇa. No more. Svāmin kṛtārtho ‘smi varaṁ na yāce [Cc. Madhya 22.42]. “My dear Lord I don’t want anything.” Dhruva Mahārāja… Dhruva Mahārāja went to see Kṛṣṇa to get the kingdom of his father, but when he saw Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu… Viṣṇu offered, “Now, whatever benediction you want, you take.” He said, svāmin kṛtārtho ‘smi varaṁ na yāce, “My dear Lord, I have no more any desire.” That is Kṛṣṇa seeing. That if you want to see Kṛṣṇa for some business, that “I shall see Kṛṣṇa…” Just like… Of course, if you are eager to see Kṛṣṇa, the motive may be different, but somehow or other, due to your eagerness, you’ll see Kṛṣṇa. That is the only qualification.

In another poetry Rūpa Gosvāmī says, kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ kriyatāṁ yadi kuto ‘pi labhyate. The, our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I have taken this from this word kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ. This is actual translation in Sanskrit or… Kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ. So Rūpa Gosvāmī advises that “Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if it is possible, please purchase. Don’t delay.” Kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ kriyatām. “Purchase immediately!” Kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ kriyatāṁ yadi kuto ‘pi. “Where it is available? It is very nice thing.” “Yes, it is available. You can purchase. The movement is going on.” “And what is the price?” “Price?” “It is such a nice thing; you have to pay price.” “Yes, there is price.” “What is that?” Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyam: “Simply your eagerness. That is price. This price you have to pay.” Then you get Kṛṣṇa. Immediately. Kṛṣṇa is not poor. And the Kṛṣṇa-seller, the Kṛṣṇa devotee, he is also not poor. He can distribute Kṛṣṇa free. And he’s doing that. Simply you have to purchase by your eagerness. That is wanted. Tatra laulyam. “Oh, eagerness? I have got eagerness.” “Oh, it is not so easy.” Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyaṁ janma-koṭi-sukṛtair na labhyate: “This eagerness cannot be achieved even by pious activities for millions of births.” If you simply go on doing pious activities… Because without being pious, you cannot approach Kṛṣṇa. So if you go on doing simply pious, janma-koṭi-sukṛtaiḥ… Sukṛti means pious activities, simply pious. Still, this eagerness is not awakened.

So this eagerness is very important thing. But it can be awakened by the association of devotees. Therefore we are giving chance to everyone to invoke that eagerness. Then you will see God eye to eye. It is not difficult. Tac chraddadhānā munayaḥ. Those who have developed that eagerness, faith, that “I must see Kṛṣṇa in this life…” This life is meant for seeing Kṛṣṇa. It is not meant for becoming dogs and hogs. Unfortunately, the whole civilization is going on, they are being trained to become dogs and hogs. It is the only institution that is teaching people how to see Kṛṣṇa. This is the only institution, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is so important. Tac chraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā [SB 1.2.12]. By eagerness, automatically you will be enriched with knowledge and detachment. Knowledge does not mean, “Now we have discovered this atomic bomb.” That is not knowledge. What knowledge this is? People are dying. You have discovered something which will accelerate death. But we are giving some knowledge to stop death. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is knowledge. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā. And as soon as you get this knowledge, automatically you become detached to all this nonsense material happiness.

Ref: http://theharekrishnamovement.org/2016/02/24/become-very-eager-to-see-krsna/

Shankha (The Conch-shell)

What is Shankh (Conch)?

A Shankh (conch) is a natural cover/wrapper of an oceanic worm/creature that protects him from the out side attacks/dangers, and when the worm grows up he comes out from it and he throws it away forever.

Types of Shankh (Conch) ......

1. Dakshinavarti Shankha (दक्षिणावर्ती शंख): The Shankha that is open from right side is known as “Dakshinavarti Shankha” Shankha …..!! It is rare, white in color and contains a brownish line on it.

2. Vamavarti Shankha (वामावर्ती शंख): It opens from left side that’s why it is called Vamavarti; it is used in all the religious activities. Astrologers recommend this SHANKHA to remove the negative energy.

There are a lot of more types of SHANKHA but these two are the main types of SHANKHA.

SPIRITUAL IMPORTANCE :-

SHANKHA is one of the 14 gems (RATNA) received from churning sea (SAMUNDRA MANTHAN.)

SHANKHA’s sound is a symbol of victory in VEDAS

SHANKHA produces the sound of OM.

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श्रीमद् भगवद् गीता अध्याय-1 (15)

पाञ्चजन्यं हृषीकेशो देवदत्तं धनञ्जयः |

पौण्ड्रं दध्मौ महाशङ्खं भीमकर्मा वृकोदरः ||

श्रीकृष्ण महाराजने पाज्चजन्य नामक, अर्जुनने देवदत्त नामक और भीमसेनने पौण्ड्र नामक महाशंख बजाया ।

___________________________________________

SHANKHA is produced from SAMUNDRA-MANTHAN and Bhagwan Vishnu accepted SHANKA for his special adornment. So SHANKHA belongs to Bhagwan Vishnu

SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS:

1. According to Vedic science ….. As far as the SHANKHA’s sound goes, it destroys the harmful micro bacteria from the atmosphere or at least makes them unconscious. (Modern science and scientists also accepted the fact)

2. According to ASTROLOGY science, SHANKHA’s sound destroys the negative energy from the atmosphere.

3. Playing SHANKHA regularly is beneficial in respiratory diseases like

asthma and liver problems.

4. Playing SHANKHA is equal to doing PRANAYAM (yoga) that saves us from the most deadly diseases like heart attack, high blood pressure, respiratory diseases, lever related problems etc.

5. Offering water to sun by the Dakshinavarti Shankha protects one from the eye disorders.

6. Regular use of a SHANKHA removes deafness and impediments.

7. A SHANKHA contains plenty of calcium, brimstone and phosphorous in it, and when we put water in a SHANKHA for a while, water becomes fragrant and sterile. That’s why this water is used in religious rituals, prayers and also sprinkled over the people.

8. SHANKHA water is sprinkled over the people that protects them from the skin diseases.

9. Put GANGA WATER in SHANKHA for the whole night and next day in the morning give it to the heart patients and the patients of diabetes to rinse with it. It will surely help.

10. According to VASTU SHASTRA, having a SHANKHA at home removes all the VASTU DOSH (Architectural Defects) of building.

Famous Indian Scientist JAGDISH CHANDRA BOSE did a lot of experiments on SHANKHA and SHANKHA's sound and finally he reached the conclusion that SHANKHA's sound is special, through his experiments he proved many scientific and medical importance of SHANKHA.

Ref: FB Aryavarta Post ...

Science to some extend have been able to observe the vibrations in a shell of a large predatory sea snail only found in Indian Ocean. The species has the scientific name now Turbinella pyrum and is classified within the family Turbinellidae. The Aum like vibrations are powerful and their frequency can alter thin sand to form many sacred geometries which are being studied now.

Shankha bhasma is the conch shell ash prepared mostly as ayurvedic remedy to cure many diseases Shankha bhasma is prepared by soaking the shell in lime juice and calcinating in covered crucibles, ten to twelve times, and finally reducing it to powder ash. This holy Ash(Bhasma)containing calcium, iron and magnesium is used to possess antacid and digestive properties. Shankavati is also prepared for use in dyspepsia. To prepare Shankavati Shankha bhasma is mixed  with tamarind seed ash, five salts (panchlavana), asafoetida, ammonium chloride, pepper, carui, caraway, ginger, long pepper, purified mercury and aconite in specified proportions. It is then triturated in juices of lemon and made into a pills.

If science can just define our Ancient medicines and rituals in different languages then arean’t we re-defining our ancient tribal rituals for the World of Today? We are still to understand and explain many practices and rituals followed since thousands of years in various parts of the word, in the language of Science but that won’t change the belief and effects of these practices.

Dr. Jenny called this new area of research Cymatics, which comes from the Greek kyma, wave. Cymatics could be translated as: the study of how vibrations, in the broad sense, generate and influence patterns, shapes and moving processes. In Hans Jenny’s tonoscope experiments the sounding of ‘OM’ produces the circle O which is then filled in with concentric squares and triangles, finally producing (when last traces of sound have died away) the geometric expression of sacred vibration found in many religions around the globe. In his research with the tonoscope, Jenny noticed that when the vowels of the ancient languages of Hebrew and Sanskrit were pronounced, the sand took the shape of the written symbols for these vowels. Experimentation with modern languages general produced chaos. Is it possible that the ancient Hebrews and Indians knew this? Could there be something to the concept of “sacred language?” Would other sacred languages produce similar results i.e. Tibetan, Egyptian or Chinese. These languages have always proposed that they have the capacity to influence and transform physical reality through the recitation or chanting of sacred syllables and mantras.

There will always be some aspects that science cannot prove but spirituality can.

Our Ancestors knew that when a Shankh is blown its cosmic vibrations can cure diseases. Shankh or Shankham in sanskrit means “a conch holding the sacred water”. Earliest written documentation of Shankh can be traced back to Vedas and other Holy Hindu texts like Bhagwad Gita and Vishnu Purana. They are widely used in many Hindu rituals from bathing of a deity to the starting and ending of a holy ritual.

Each conch shell has a specific name from the Vishnu Sahasranamam(thousand names of Hindu deity Vishnu). Krishna’s conch shell was known as Paanchajanya, Arjuna’s Devdutta, Bhima’s Paundra, Yudhisthira’s Anantavijaya, Nakula’s Sughosa and Sahadeva’s was known as Manipushpaka. Even in the great epic Mahabharata, these were given a lot of importance. According to Hindu mythology, Paanchajanya, the first Dakshinavrutha Sankham, emerged during the churning of the ocean of milk or Ksheerasagara by the gods and demons. As it rose out of the ocean, its tremendous decibel frightened the asuras(demons) who prayed to Lord Vishnu as their savior. Lord Vishnu obliged, taking charge of the conch shell.” The primordial sound of creation, that is the Omkar or Pranavanadham, was then controlled. Hence forth, it became a part of Vishnu’s five weapons.

Conch shells have a significant place in Indian mythology. If we  hold a conch shell near our ear, the sound of the ocean humming gently can be heard. It is actually the natural vibration or cosmic energy of the earth that gets magnified on entering the conch shell and keeps vibrating forever. These unique whorls are directed clockwise in perfect synchronization with universal harmony. That is why a conch shell is blown during sacred rites to get rid of negative energy.  By blowing the conch 3 times before beginning any ritualistic worship, movement of negative energies in the enviroment is reduced

Dr. Hans Jenny, a pioneer in the field of cymatics, the study of the interrelation-ship between energy and matter, conducted a series of experiments on the Hindu mantra “OM”, utilizing a tonoscope which is a device that transforms sounds into their visual representations on a screen. Dr Jenny found that when “OM” was correctly intoned into a tonoscope, a circle appeared which is then filled in with concentric squares and triangles, finally producing, as the last traces of the ‘M’ disappear from the screen, the core structure of the Sri Chakra. These experiments are a scientific confirmation of what the Rishis had cognized.  Dr. Hans Jenny made use of crystal oscillators and an invention of his own by the name of the tonoscope to set these plates and membranes vibrating. The tonoscope was constructed to make the human voice visible without any electronic apparatus as an intermediate link. This yielded the amazing possibility of being able to see the physical image of the vowel, tone or song a human being directly produced. Making it possible for us not only to hear the melody but infact to see it.

ref: http://bhagwadgeeta.co.uk/shankh-aumom-sound-effects-universal-vibrations-science-behind-it/

A Conversation With A Christian

David: Hi. Where do you come from?

Gopal Das: Hare Krishna. I come from Italy.

David: I am David Raja. What is you name?

Gopal Das: Gopal Das.

David: Oh, you have changed your name. What is your original name?

Gopal Das: Spiritual name is the original name.

David: No, I mean the name that your parents gave you.

Gopal Das: I had so many names, so many parents, so many lives. All these things I have changed, but the spiritual name refers to the spirit soul, and the soul is not going to change. So the spiritual name is the real name.

David: Oh, I see. I think that Italy is a Christian country. What is your original religion? You were Christian isn’t it?  And now you have been converted to Hinduism.

Gopal Das: Well, you do not look to me as someone who just came out of Jerusalem, so it must be that you are also converted Mr. David Raja.

David: No, no, I am a born Christian. My grandfather got converted.

Gopal Das: Dear Raja, actually no one gets converted. God is one, there cannot be two Gods. Just like the Sun is one. Is it a Christian’s sun, Muslim’s sun or Hindu sun?

David: The Sun is the sun, it does not belong to anyone.

Gopal Das: The Sun is the same for all, so God is also one for everyone and we all belong to Him. Every soul is an eternal servant of God. Every one of us is created by the same God, so all of us are  brothers and sisters. There is one God and one religion only – service to God. You  may call yourself Christian, Muslim or Hindu, or even change your belief, but the real point is whether you follow what God says or not.

David: So if God is one why then did you change from Christianity to Hinduism?

Gopal Das: I did not change from Christianity to Hinduism. After reading Srila Prabhupada’s books, I have changed from not serving God to serving Him. That is real change. So it does not matter which religion you follow. What matters is whether you have develop love for God or not. Just like your college degree. You may get it from this university or that university, but the real point is whether you have degree or not when you apply for a job.

David: But the Gita is written by man, and the Bible is the word of God, how it can be the same?

Gopal Das: No, in the Bhagavad-gita God speaks Himself, and the Bible is written by so many people like Paul, Mark, Luke etc.

David: But Jesus says that he is the only way and the only truth.

Gopal Das: Krishna says there is no truth superior to Him, and that one should surrender to Him only. So what to do now?

David: Contradiction.

Gopal Das: There is no contradiction. The Vedas say that the only way to come to God is through a guru. We accept Jesus as a guru.

David: No, he is our God.

Gopal Das: He said that he is the son of God, and Krishna says: aham bija pradah pitah I am the seed giving father.

David: But in Hinduism you have so many Gods, whereasin the Bible it says that there is only one God.

Gopal Das: Which one, Jesus or Jahve?

David: Well, there are three things. The father, son and the holy spirit.

Gopal Das: So there are three Gods?

David: No, they are all one.

Gopal Das: It seems like a big confusion.

David: But in the Hinduism there is even more confusion, there are so many Gods.

Gopal Das: The ones who are confused are only the ignorant people who do not read the scriptures. The Vedas say God is one, there are no two Gods. The Sastras describe 33 crores of demigods (God empowered beings), who are all engaged in management of universal affairs under the guidance of one Supreme Lord; Krishna. It is just like in the government where you have many ministers but ultimately one prime minister above them all. There are not two Gods. Ekale iswara Krsna.

David: All those devatas with elephant heads and many arms look to me like imagination.

Gopal Das: Those are beings superior to us and they have different powers, abilities and different bodies. The same thing you will find in the Bible, the angels – humans with the wings.

David: No, it is not the same. Jesus died for our sins. Krishna did not die for us.

Gopal Das: How can God die? Why should He die for your sins? Does He have no power to free you from your sins without suffering Himself? Krishna says in Gita; aham tvam sarva papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah. I will deliver you from all the sins, do not fear. And He does not have to suffer or die for that, thats why He is God.

David: But I have strong faith that Jesus will save me from the sins.

Gopal Das: Faith is not enough, you have to stop sinning. How many times does he have to die for you before you stop sinning.

David: No one can claim that he is sinless.

Gopal Das: Yes, that is true. But we shouldl do our best to avoid sin. Do you agree?

David: Yes, I agree.

Gopal Das: We should be truthful, merciful to other living beings, keep our minds and deeds pure,practice austerity. All religions should teach these basic principles. These are the four pillars of religion.

David: That is a fact.

Gopal Das: The Vedas says that there are four sins which we shall always avoid, otherwise they will destroy those four pillars of religion.

David: Which sins?

Gopal Das: Meat eating, illicit sex, gambling, intoxication.

David: Why meat eating?

Gopal Das: Why is it sinful?

David: Yeah, what is wrong with eating meat?

Gopal Das: It is wrong to kill innocent animals just for the sake of our tongue. Why should we cause unnecessary suffering to other living beings. Better to stop it by avoiding meat eating. The commandment is there in Bible “Thou shalt not kill”.

David: But that refers to the killing of a man.

Gopal Das: Thou shalt not kill means thou shalt not kill anyone. Meat eating is the direct disobedience of the Lord’s instructions. If you love Him, you cannot be disobedient to His orders. And if you are disobedient, your love is not true.

David: But many Hindus are eating meat.

Gopal Das: Again you are speaking about Hindus. Muslims, Christians, Hindus – these are all designations, but here we are discussing how to follow the laws of God. He says we should not kill, so we shouldn’t kill. All of us. Otherwise we are sinners, and we are not going to develop mercifulness towards other living beings, and what to speak of loving God.

David: Still I think that the main point is to have faith. If I believe in Jesus – that is enough.

Gopal Das: But it seems that you do not believe him when he says thou shalt not kill. I believe him, and simply by following Lord Krishna’s teachings  I am automatically following all  the 10 commandments and much more. So the true followers of Jesus or Krishna, must avoid sinful life, follow the laws of God, and glorify Him by chanting His name.

David: Yes, we shall praise the Lord.

Gopal Das: We praise Lord by chanting His holy name; Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. You can chant with us.

David: I will try.

Source : http://iskconbangalore.co.in/conversation-christian

happiness in making others happy

It will take just few seconds to read this and
change your thinking..

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same
hospital room.

One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an
hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from
his lungs.

His bed was next to the room's only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on
his back.

The men talked for hours on end.

They spoke of their wives and families, their
homes, their jobs, their involvement in the
military service, where they had been on
vacation..

Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the
window could sit up, he would pass the time by
describing to his roommate all the things he could
see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those
one hour periods where his world would be
broadened and enlivened by all the activity and
colour of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.

Ducks and swans played on the water while
children sailed their model boats. Young lovers
walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every colour
and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen
in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in
exquisite details, the man on the other side of
the room would close his eyes and imagine this
picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon, the man by the window
described a parade passing by.

Although the other man could not hear the band -
he could see it in his mind's eye as the
gentleman by the window portrayed it with
descriptive words.

Days, weeks and months passed.
One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring
water for their baths only to find the lifeless body
of the man by the window, who had died
peacefully in his sleep.

She was saddened and called the hospital
attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man
asked if he could be moved next to the window.
The nurse was happy to make the switch, and
after making sure he was comfortable, she left
him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one
elbow to take his first look at the real world
outside.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window
besides the bed.

It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have
compelled his deceased roommate who had
described such wonderful things outside this
window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and
could not even see the wall.

She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage
you.'

Epilogue:
There is tremendous happiness in making others
happy, despite our own situations.
Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness
when shared, is doubled.
If you want to feel rich, just count all the things
you have that money can't buy.

'Today is a gift, that is why it is called The Present .'

Why to avoid Tea ???

Chay! Chay!” The calls of tea vendors echo through India’s train stations at any time, whether it be two o’clock in the morning or ten at night. The vendors are always busy selling tea through train windows. Sometimes they climb aboard a train and get off at another station, sure that tea addicts will buy a cup. The voices wake the passengers, reminding them of their daily need, urging them to take a cup of hot tea. “One rupee!” the vendor says.

Drinking tea is not part of our Vedic culture. The British introduced tea in 1834, after they had conquered India.

Once I asked my grandmother, “Dadiji, did you always drink tea?”

“No,” she replied, somewhat embarrassed.

When she was a child, her father, a well-known attorney in town, would not permit tea in the house except to offer British friends. To keep up with the English “sahibs,” however, Indians in the last century have gradually adopted tea as part of our daily lives.

Indian households restricted tea because it is an intoxicant. Even today, the kids are not given tea. They are supposed to drink milk, which is good for them.

The caffeine in tea urges a person to drink tea again and again. I remember traveling in India once on a short bus ride. Halfway through the journey the bus driver had to stop to drink a cup of tea while the passengers waited.

The Vedic scriptures say that intoxication is one of the four pillars of sin. The others are gambling, meat-eating, and illicit sex. We Indians should not have a problem avoiding these sinful activities, but with the influence of Kali-yuga we have become somewhat lax. Most of us know that all of the above are non-religious habits — except when it comes to tea, coffee, or colas.

Devotees do not offer tea to Lord Krishna. Srila Prabhupada wrote in a letter, “Yes, as you have understood, prasadam is offered only from the category of fruits, vegetables, grains, milk products and sugar. This is according to the Bhagavad-gita, wherein Krishna states what He accepts. We have four rules that all my students follow. They do not take any meat, fish, or eggs; no gambling, no intoxicants, including coffee, tea, or cigarettes; and no illicit sex life. Try to follow these four rules, and Krishna will bless you with quick advancement in spiritual life.”

While still in family life, Srila Prabhupada tried unsuccessfully to get his wife and children to give up tea. He once said about his wife, “She was very attached to drinking tea. I was always telling her not to drink tea, because I wanted to have a nice Vaishnava family. So although I was repeatedly telling her, this time [just before he left home] I finally said, ‘You choose between me or tea. Either the tea goes or I go.’ ”

Anything Krishna does not accept, the devotees reject. Eating food not offered to Krishna means bondage in the material world. Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita (3.13):

yajna-sistasinah santo
mucyante sarva-kilbisaih
bhunjate te tv agham papa
ye pacanty atma-karanat

“The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.”

Tea drinking degrades our consciousness. The typical family in India gets up from bed and sips tea, and with tea they either read the newspaper or gossip about mundane affairs. The scriptures recommend that the morning hours are the best time to remember Krishna, perform devotional service, and elevate our consciousness for the day. If we start the day remembering Krishna, the whole day will be spiritual. But if we get up, take tea, and fill ourselves with the rubbish of the material world, we are wasting our valuable morning hours, in which the mode of goodness prevails.

On a recent trip to India I asked people why they drink tea. Most said that tea gives them energy to start the day. Research shows, however, that although tea temporarily increases energy, the body experiences a sudden letdown in activeness after the effect diminishes. The 1983 edition of The Foods and Nutrition Encyclopedia says, “The reason for the lift is that caffeine stimulates the central nervous system (brain) and promotes the breakdown of glucogen to glucose in the liver, which raises the blood sugar level. However, the elevation of blood glucose may be short lived. Hence they feel a letdown due to a drop in their blood sugar.”

Tea makes the body like the hare in the race with the tortoise. The stimulation in caffeine makes the body run. Afterwards the body takes a rest because it cannot function without it. When the body depends on its own strength, it gets much farther.

As with many other drugs, caffeine creates dependency in the body. It also robs the body of nutrients. The stimulation of caffeine has long-term effects and has been implicated in cancer, ulcers, birth defects, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

So the question remains how to give up the old habit of drinking tea morning, noon, and night. The only way to cure the addiction for tea is by getting a “higher taste,” a spiritual lift that will counteract the temporary boost one gets with tea.

One gets so much energy serving Krishna that there is no need of a stimulant. Devotees do not use tea, and still they sleep less, serving Krishna energetically throughout the day. The pleasure of bhakti-yoga, or service to Krishna, is thousands of times greater than the stale material happiness of drinking tea.

Chanting is one of the first processes in bhakti-yoga. The holy names of Krishna are nondifferent from Krishna. Pure chanting of Sri Krishna’s names, specifically the maha-mantra, drives out all desires for material sensations. Krishna’s names are like the sun. Any-thing that comes in contact with that sunlight becomes totally pure. So no material desire can stand before Krishna’s holy name.

In the Bhagavad-gita (2.59), Lord Krishna speaks of the need for acquiring a higher taste:

visaya vinivartante
niraharasya dehinah
rasa-varjam raso ‘py asya
param drstva nivartate

“The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.”

Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport, “Unless one is transcendentally situated, it is not possible to cease from sense enjoyment. The process of restriction from sense enjoyment by rules and regulations is something like restricting a diseased person from certain types of eatables. The patient, however, neither likes such restrictions nor loses his taste for eatables. … But one who has tasted the beauty of the Supreme Lord Krishna, in the course of his advancement in Krishna consciousness, no longer has a taste for dead, material things.”

If we artificially restrict ourselves from tea, we will still aspire for that taste. But if someone gives us something better, we will naturally lose our taste for the inferior. If tea gives us a lift, Krishna consciousness gives us unlimited bliss.

By the way, my grandmother has given up drinking tea after fifty-five years. So can you.