It is important in order for that association to be following in the footprints of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his associates, each and every one of us has to take the responsibility to be that type of association. We both receive it and we also share it. It's not difficult. Help each other to remember Krishna, help each other to chant the names of Krishna and that's what these temples are for. We see on so many festivals, people are coming together to cook for Krishna. They're inspired by each other to be in their homes to cook for Krishna, to decorate the temple for Krishna, to come and hear the glories of Krishna. Association is so crucial to our sadhana. In the heart of our sadhana is hearing and chanting, hearing the glories of Lord, developing a taste for hearing the glory of the Lord. And that taste comes through our humility and our eagerness to serve vaishnavas, our eagerness to help people who spiritually are in need in this world. When we make our life focused in these ways, whatever our occupation or field and Krishna will be pleased. But then it's important that we give the time and the effort to hear the glories of the Lord, to speak the glories of the Lord and to chant, the names of the Lord in japa and kirtan.

Importance of Remembering the Gift That Srila Prabhupada Has Given Us

Srila Prabhupada says that a tree, it so many discomforts in the cold winter standing covered with ice, in the summer blazing sun giving shade to others, and then Prabhupada says and even if you come and chop down the branches of the tree, or even chop the tree down, the tree doesn't even protest. Who could do that? But Lord Chaitanya is giving us an example, to offer all respect to others and not expect respect for oneself. Those two lines ‘don't expect respect for yourself and give respect to others,’ that all those two lines could solve all the conflicts in the world. Yes? We don't need a United Nations or anything. All we need is those two lines. But because we're so complicated, we just can't understand these two lines, so much conflict and even devotees who memorize those lines. We have to take them very deeply in our hearts. This is part of our sadhana. If we want to attain the sadya, this is part of the sadhana.’ rinadapi sunichena,’ ‘amanina manadea.’

What Is Sikshashtakam?

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu understood that ratha yatra was coming in just two days. He called for Kashi Mishra, the superintendent of the temple and Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya. Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami explains it in this way, ‘he asked their permission if he and his devotees could clean the Gundicha temple to prepare for Jagannath’s arrival.’ This is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s nature. He is asking their permission. Kashi Mishra and the others, “you are the supreme independent supreme personality of Godhead.” This is what they’re thinking. “Whatever you say is our order. King Prataparudra had already told them, “Anything that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wants, do it. That is the first priority of the entire kingdom to satisfy his every desire.” And he was saying these things even though Lord Chaitanya was rejecting him, he was not allowing the king to see him. This is the unconditional nature of King Prataprudhra’s devotional service. There was nothing fruitive.

Satisfaction of Lord Is The First Priority

Kishor Gopal - Jagannathastakam

We have to cultivate this humblest position as well. It is question of our consciousness. Are we doing it for our own recognition or are we doing at his service? In the neophyte state we r doing it for both purposes. We have to chant and we have to pray and we have to desire to give up this ego. If we desire to give this ego, gradually through this process u will give up ego. But if u desire to serve your ego, then ultimately Krishna will smash u, he will smash u very hard. Just to show u that u are not the one, he is the one. But in any case, we must perform his order, we must strive internally to do it, with this understanding that we r completely depending on his mercy. We cannot give up our service that is false humility.

What Is Real Humility and False Humility?

Even Srila Prabhupada, “yes, the third world war will purify this world.” To them, they just see the third world war, these bombs are just Krishna’s lotus feet, just dancing on the head of this Kaliya like society, the serpentine society full of venom and poison. And ultimately those feet are meant to just purify through the agency of this type of suffering, purify humanity to the point where they realize – “Krishna I am Yours, I surrender.” And while the bombs are dropping the devotees are singing kirtan, playing Mridangas and showering flowers on Radha Gopinath. This is compassion. It is not cruel. hard heartedness. It is compassion; because real compassion is to pray that every soul can find the supreme joy of taking shelter of the lotus feet of Sri Krishna because even so called pious prosperous conditions of society still everyone has the face the terrible tragedy of the pain of death and everyone has to see the horrible death of all their loved once around them. No matter how nice society is, no matter how peaceful and clean the air may be. This place is a place of suffering. Only taking shelter of Krishna is the relieve. Therefore, a devotee welcomes any opportunity to become purified by the lotus feet of Krishna. However, he decides to dance upon our heads. And as Krishna is dancing upon our heads we are simply more and more and more taking shelter of him.

A Devotee Welcomes Every Opportunity of Distress as the Gift of God

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Trapped more than ever before in an already isolated, dystopian world, you may wonder: "Where have I landed? Where do I belong? How did the unthinkable become ‘normal’?" As winter creeps up on us, perhaps some of us are wondering why things are so difficult. The thought can cross our minds, "What would it be like to run away somewhere to get a break from all this..." But where do you run to? You are where your consciousness is. We are left with the question: what does the road to escape look like?

Join us for an evening of discussion with Devamrita Swami, world-traveling monk and Yale graduate, as he takes us into the realm of consciousness to find the perfect escape the heart dreams about. Make this time of great inner and outer turmoil an opportunity for the greatest transformation.

Talk given by Devamrita Swami for Mantra Lounge, Philly on 16 October, 2020.

Run Away To Nowhere: The New Normal? - Devamrita Swami

Radhanath Swami is a Vaishnava sanyassi (a monk in a Krishna-bhakti lineage) and teacher of the devotional path of Bhakti-yoga. He is author of The Journey Home, a memoir of his search for spiritual truth. His teachings draw from the sacred texts of India such as The Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, and Ramayana, and aim to reveal the practical application of the sacred traditions, while focusing on the shared essence which unites apparently disparate religious or spiritual paths.
Born Richard Slavin, on December 7, 1950, in his teens he came to confront a deep sense of alienation from suburban Chicago life and the civil injustices of mid-century America. At the age of nineteen, while on a summer trip to Europe, his internal struggles culminated in a commitment to search for God wherever it might lead him. Meditating on the Isle of Crete, he felt a supernatural calling and the next morning set off alone to find spiritual India. The Journey Home documents his odyssey as a penniless hitch-hiker though Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and finally India. There he lived as a wandering ascetic, first amongst the forest dwelling Himalayan yogis and later amongst a wide variety of gurus and spiritual practitioners throughout India and Nepal. Ultimately, he was led to the holy town of Vrindavan, where he found his path amongst the Bhakti-yogis.
In Vrindavan he found the teacher he was searching for in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977) the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), and representative of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, (the Krishna-bhakti tradition stemming from the 16th century mystic avatar Sri Chaitanya). In choosing Bhaktivedanta Swami, as his guru, Radhanath Swami felt compelled to shear his matted locks and reenter Western society with a mission to share the sacred wisdom he had received. This return exemplifies the form of devotional yoga which is at the heart of Radhanath Swami’s teachings, a spiritual practice expressed as tangible action meant to bring about personal fulfillment and benefit the world.
At the the age of 31 he took the monastic vows of a Vaishnava sanyassin and became known as Radhanath Swami.
Today Radhanath Swami travels regularly throughout India, Europe and North America, sharing the teachings of Bhakti-yoga. He resides much of the year at the Radha Gopinath Ashram in Chowpatty, Mumbai. For the past twenty-five years he has guided the community’s development and has directed a number of acclaimed social action projects including Midday Meals, which daily serves more than 260,000 plates of sanctified vegetarian food to the children of the slums of Mumbai. He has also worked to establish missionary hospitals and eye camps, eco-friendly farms, schools and ashrams, an orphanage, and a number of emergency relief programs throughout India.


Satisfaction of Lord Is The First Priority

Radhanath Swami

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