Receiving without Questioning and Cultivating appreciation 8/7/16- Sweden

**(Excerpted from a round of questions and answers in Nimaihuset, Sweden, May 2016)Question:

What is the purpose of Kali Yuga?

 Answer: I like this question because it forces us to be self-critical.

  prayenalpayusah sabhya

 kalav asmin yuge janah

mandah sumanda-matayo

 manda-bhagya hy upadrutah

 

Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada: 

 

O learned one, in this iron Age of Kali men almost always have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed. (Sb 1.1.10)

That is one of the first verses in Srimad Bhagavatam which explains the effects of Kali Yuga. There it is stated that Kali Yuga in a way has come to wake the laziest, the "unintelligent", the "less sincere," those who have received the invitation of Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga but continue to pursue the idea of "I want this and that" (...) then the atmosphere of Kali Yuga becomes necessary to (hopefully) wake them up.

 Actually this is not exactly a very lovely answer, right? This means that there is another alternative as well. Srila Prabhupada used to say "learn either by listening or suffering; yet there are people, when suffering comes, who will not learn". This means that there is another opportunity. First of all, at the time of destruction of the material world you rest in Mahavishnu and then come back. The cycle begins again. Because God loves us regardless of our own stupidity, but He does not want to take away our free will.

 Another thing I would add is that we should not question the good intentions of the Lord towards us. Do not do that!, Do not let your mind do it! Because the moment you do it is like falling again and say, "God, you can sit in the chair of the accused?" And you feel yourself being in the position of Judge saying, "Be attentive my Lord because now I'll check." That should not do for any reason; the position to question the Creator's intention towards us is not for us. That destroys something inside us and creates a kind of artificial ego. It is that  very artificial ego which otherwise is very popular, among those who deny the existence of God, that makes us not only put God in the chair of the accused but remove Him as if He didn't even exist.
 The question about why Kali Yuga is perfectly answered in the Srimad Bhagavatam, I just wanted to branch out a little more, I only wanted to explain what happens when we allow our minds to question the good intentions of God. What if we ask ourselves whether we have the right to breathe? And if we do, who gave us that right? We have never paid for the air we breathe. How is it that we have the right to drink water? How is it that we have the right to eat a plate of food? After thinking about these questions the only thing left is to be grateful and say "thank you to whoever is responsible for it." You can call "the responsible" as you want, but you must recognize that he exists and be grateful to Him. That's what even the native tribes teach us. This is what we call the "United Nations of the Spirit" human beings united in the spirit of gratitude.

 Without a deep spirituality nothing can happen, nothing will change within us. That's what Krishna said: "Anything that is ingested without being offered to me is nothing but sin." Even the strictest vegan who does not offer their food to God is doing nothing more than eating sin. Even if we take water without having offered to God, we're just drinking sin. That is what the Scriptures teach us.

 Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude. Because, you know what comes after gratitude? Mirth. Without gratitude you can not have joy. So we plunge into depression, because we are not grateful. In modern society, one way or another, we have managed to put the mind above all things, but that has not produced very good results, rather it has turned our lives into a mundane, materialized and secularized life. So there can be no obedience to any higher authority, because the very principle of authority is questioned. Children often do that sometimes and question the authority of their parents, but as soon they have a problem or are even a little hungry, they are transformed again immediately and accept the authority provided they obtain food. Therefore, it is better to appreciate all that we have received without question and rather  receive it with deep appreciation.

 Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Your always well wisher,
 Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti

True renunciation - 7/31/16 From Ecuador

Message sent from Ecuador on July 24, 2016:

All glories to Srila Prabhupada,

 My beloved devotees, I hope you are very well in your respective services.

 I wanted to tell you that sending a weekly message to the whole community has been my custom for the past 15 years. However, this year we have not done it one way or another. This is a new attempt to recuperate the Sunday chat so as to connect with each of you.

There are three things you should never abandon in your spiritual practice: tapa (austerity), yagna (sacrifice) and dana (charity). Austerity is basic for the Age of Kali-yuga. Srila Prabhupada called it 'simple living and high thinking'. Sacrifice is expressed as the chanting of the holy names of the Lord, either in the form of japa or in congregational kirtan, in gatherings, or even writing about the glories of the Lord. Charity refers to creating temples with such a beautiful atmosphere that people do not want to leave them and return to the material existence of which we all came from. Places filled with sadhu sanga.

Everything that is done in the company of sadhus or devotees is a profound and beneficial purification. Sadhu-sanga is full of rasa, full of taste and appreciation for others. There may even be people in the world that we do not feel a natural appreciation for, but then they immediately become recipients of this special mercy. As the saying goes, "Lord, please give me your mercy when I least deserve it, because it is when I need it most." So we can constantly keep the desire to encourage all people in our environment, including both members of the spiritual community and those who are not.

 Similarly we have to learn to see the action in the inaction. We must learn the concept of detachment in the concept of attachment. This means that while we have a material body, and devotees are seeking detachment, we are placed in constant contact with the material energy. This is inevitable. In this way devotees must maintain temples and centers open in a practical and efficient manner so that people can learn more about spirituality; they have to participate in campaigns to address adverse ecological situations that may affect the people around them; They have to care for their health and their bodies so that it is in perfect condition while sharing the message of Sri Krishna to the world; They have to keep their families healthy and happy. They have to become excellent professionals in the areas defined by Srila Prabhupada that devotees should take action in, etc.

 Sometimes one feels a strong urge to give up all the material attachments and run away from them, but in that case, the real renunciation is the ability to fulfill your duties and responsibilities. For it is through this compliance that one qualifies oneself for transcendence. As soon as one abandons their independence and takes refuge under the protection of a Vaishnava, the same Vaishnava will give you responsibility to protect, which can only be executed with a mature approach and individual discernment. This responsible and careful attitude is completely healthy for the spiritual development of those who have been inspired by the Lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada.


 I ask you to reflect on these issues and share them with the members of your communities and families. Jay Srila Prabhupada!

With all my affection from Ecuador.Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti

The qualities of a servant of humanity 7/24/16- Miami Conference

My dear devotees, 

A servant of humanity has to be a servant of the family, which is the first social unit of the world that surrounds us. This includes the father, mother, the brothers and the neighbors and to all those who are close to us. 

A servant of humanity is like a subsidiary of love, and according to the place they live in, they are going to have different tasks, for example: if you arrive to a natural sanctuary and you realize that it is full of plastic garbage your service to humanity is transformed into collecting this plastic and to find a system for recycling to thus avoid that we suffocate in it. Promoting healthy food to the people around you through organic agriculture and permaculture is another great service to humanity. To convince people to live without the influence of chemicals and without letting ourselves be carried away by the culture of consumption is another service to humanity. To teach people to heal their lives through spiritual cultivation and becoming a doctor of the soul is a service to humanity. 

The sole act of helping a small part of the universe to improve is a great service to humanity. Helping animals who suffer is a service to humanity. Become a vegetarian or vegan is entirely a service to humanity and the whole environment (it is said that each new vegetarian helps the world become a safer place). In other words, becoming an exemplary person who is faithful to their ideals is directly a service to humanity. 

The questioning and deepening in the aim of life and asking, "why are we in this world, and where should we direct ourselves", is also a service to humanity. Because human life is the great opportunity that we have to find answers to these questions. It is also a service to humanity each time one identifies a response to the essential questions of life and shares it with others, in the same way that if I have food and water it is my duty to share it with those who do not have it. In this way, knowledge about the wisdom of being, on love and on positive values such as compassion, appreciation, or etc. must always be shared. 

A service to humanity sometimes may not be recognized by others, that does not matter, because our Creator is always aware of all the efforts we make for the welfare of others. He knows everything that we think and speak and what to say of what we do. When we want to serve a plant we know that we must put water in its roots, we will not be able to cater to the plant by putting just a drop of water on each leaf, this will not give the desired result. Similarly, to serve humanity and to reach the perfection of life one must deepen in the singing of the names of the Infinite truth in the tradition closest to one's faith individually. 

This great process that is known as praise (or kirtan in Sanskrit) is the presentation of the soul before the Infinite, recognizing himself as a humble servant that requests to become an instrument of His love. This is a process that opens the channels of communication with Divinity, both upwards and inward. The connection with the Holy Names of God is the means that fills us internally to become intensely grateful to the Infinite, because any potential help that we can give to humanity does not come from us but from the Absolute that allows us to be part of His great symphony. That is why, through the singing of Holy Names I connect with the Infinite. I have more of a chance of becoming an instrument and servant of His love for humanity. 

This is what I learned from my spiritual master Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. 

With all my affection,
Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti

A Call to Protect Mother Earth 2/7/16

A Call to Protect Mother Earth

During December 2015 in the Eco-Yoga Village Varsana, near Bogotá, Colombia, leaders and

members of different indigenous communities gathered from around America, accompanied by

artists (Chaskis, messengers of love) activists, grandfathers, grandmothers, where the Kiva took

place in the temple of the Heart of Mother Earth.  Here the declaration of the United Nations of

the Spirit was made and signed.

The United Nations of the Spirit has a high ideal, it is a service we can execute in our progressive

work, it is the way we want to apply agriculture to the production of our food. It is the way how

we want to harmonize the relationship with the forests and the water bodies and with everything.

 It is the way of understanding how to relate to the sacred woman, children, elderly, grandfathers

and grandmothers and the rights of the indigenous people.

You know, the rights of nature really entail a lot of things.  It is against mega mining which will

destroy habitats and lots of species.  It is against stopping rivers from flowing to obtain electricity

which will then destroy the fish and so many things alongside the rivers. So, weather in India, or

weather in America or in Europe, it doesn’t matter, the rights of nature have to be defended

everywhere, and they have to be defended from the core of the heart and this is something I’m

inviting you to take on to your priority of your efforts.  I am actually requesting this because I

myself also am working for this because I feel this is my service to my spiritual teachers and to the

world community and to Mother Earth itself, to the entire creation.

This is something that it is my duty to do and therefore I am requesting that all of us together give

our signature, and not only to do that, but also to take everywhere those declarations of the

United Nations of the Spirit, the Rights of Nature given previously in Bolivia, as the city of Mexico

has recognized, and to defend them actively.  Practically all these declarations should be taken to

each and every politician, business man and educator.  They should be presented to them with all

the pictures of the history of how all this took place and request them to also sign it and to also

give practical support, because the rights of nature is a question of consciousness, individual

consciousness, individual commitment.

For more information about the Declaration of the United Nations of the Spirit, follow this link:

http://vrindanews.com/aroundtheworld/america/colombia/declaration-of-the-united-nations-of-

spirit/

The rights of nature are not just a few laws written on a piece of paper, the rights of nature is our

appreciation of our mother as a living being, as feeling entity, who will not tolerate further decay

of the habitat and our environment due to our negligence, without being opposed by us, the

guardians of  Mother Earth.  This is the spirit that mamo Luntana also brought when he invited us

to join Ikwashenduna, to gather the hands and this is the spirit of the Raíz de la Tierra, the Kiva,

the Temple of the Heart of Mother Earth, where everybody was praying for the future of the

Earth.  It is the same sprit which is touching the heart of people around the world.  Ganga Action

Pariwar in India, is looking after all these things, this is the spirit of Dr. Vandana Shiva and

countless others.

The World Conscious Pact is just one of those organizations which stands up for protecting Mother

Earth, and that is why we have all have come together.  It is not really this banner or that banner,

Mother Earth is the banner and her rights are the ones which we are standing for, she is the

common denominator for all of us and therefore, it doesn’t matter what religion you belong to, it

doesn’t matter what your philosophy is, but what matters is that we all understand that we are

brothers and sisters and we have to live peacefully on this planet and do things responsibly

because every action has a reaction. So we are seeing the reactions of the lack of consciousness

and we cannot tolerate that anymore and we have to go against it with love, with determination

and we need your support and signature.

Please be so kind, we need not only your signature, but of everybody you know.  Have them know

these few points, it is my humble request and I am simply a server of all of you in this regard for

gaining your friendship and brotherhood and sisterhood for our great, wonderful Mother who has

been unlimited in her kindness for each and every one of her children.

We actually accomplished to be the organizers of the AVAAZ campaign.  We are joined together

the Brazilian AVAAZ campaign by Dra. Vanesha and with Mumta Ito the whole the European

Mission of the Rights of Nature, so it is something substantial.

Please use the following link to sign this petition and share it with all your contacts so this

campaign in AVAAZ can grow exponentially.

https://secure.avaaz.org/es/petition/To_national_local_and_international_leaders_Sign_and_ratif

y_the_Universal_Declaration_for_the_Rights_of_Mother_Earth/?pv=51

It is a love declaration, really a big love declaration, but a little bit more than a love declaration, a

love declaration with the commitment to put that love into action.  Yes my Lord and Master,

dearest Sun, Earth and Moon, dearest Lord of the Universe, we are committed to you and to your

creation.

Thank you very much for your support.

50 years of Srila Prabhupada. From Guatemala. 9/27/15

Srila Prabhupada ki Jay !!!

Today is a special day because we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada in the West. Srila Prabhupada gave us a wonderful gift and we can multiply it. Srila Prabhupada planted the seed of Bhakti, he gave us this gift. This seed is still present and is being replanted in different parts, so that we can continue to care and multiply, it is not enough just to sow the seed we must also take care of it and water it to finally reap the benefits and so we can give our respective offering to Srila Prabhupada.

We are fortunate recipients of these seeds that were planted in our hearts. Through this manner we came into contact with the transcendental as they were planted by the original sower. I'm referring  to the seed planted by Srila Prabhupada, the seed of Bhakti. This began with great devotion, the devotion of Srila Prabhupada himself, and he came to New York and started it all.

Srila Prabhupada wrote some songs when he came to Boston in the Jaladhuta, they are very beautiful songs:

"I emphatically say to you, O brothers, you will obtain your good fortune from the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa only when Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī becomes pleased with you."

"Oh Krsna, in truth I tell you: Radharani will give you Her grace, when my Guru is pleased, this I certainly declare."

This is something very pure. Who has such pure appreciation/judgment? Radharani will give grace when my Guru will be pleased ... and when will my Guru become happy ??? That is very difficult, after all the representative of Radharani, Prabhupada said; My Guru sent me to the West and if he is the representative of my Guru then Krishna help me to please Radharani, if you want to deal with Raharani then ignore my prayers, and to know how to please Radharani is our goal, this is the correct meaning.

"Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, who is very dear to Lord Gaurāṅga, the son of mother Śacī, is unparalleled in his service to the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He is that great saintly spiritual master who bestows intense devotion to Kṛṣṇa at different places throughout the world."

By his strong desire, the holy name of Lord Gaurāṅga will spread throughout all the countries of the Western world. In all the cities, towns, and villages on the earth, from all the oceans, seas, rivers, and streams, everyone will chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.

Now Prabhupada is telling the story of how he came to share Krsna with the world ...

"As the vast mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu conquers all directions, a flood of transcendental ecstasy will certainly cover the land. When all the sinful, miserable living entities become happy, the Vaiṣṇavas' desire is then fulfilled."

"Although my Guru Mahārāja ordered me to accomplish this mission, I am not worthy or fit to do it. I am very fallen and insignificant. Therefore, O Lord, now I am begging for Your mercy so that I may become worthy, for You are the wisest and most experienced of all."

"If You bestow Your power, by serving the spiritual master one attains the Absolute Truth-one's life becomes successful. If that service is obtained, then one becomes happy and gets Your association due to good fortune."

"My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, because of my association with material desires, one after another, I was gradually falling into a blind well full of snakes, following the general populace. But Your servant Nārada Muni kindly accepted me as his disciple and instructed me how to achieve this transcendental position. Therefore, my first duty is to serve him. How could I leave his service?"

"O Lord Kṛṣṇa, You are my eternal companion. Forgetting You, I have suffered the kicks of māyā birth after birth. If today the chance to meet You occurs again, then I will surely be able to rejoin You."

Srila Prabhupada says I want to be with my Lord. ..

"O dear friend, in Your company I will experience great joy once again. In the early morning I will wander about the cowherd pastures and fields. Running and frolicking in the many forests of Vraja, I will roll on the ground in spiritual ecstasy. Oh when will that day be mine?"

This verse of Prabhupada speaks to some devotees that he is a very close devotee of Radharani, he did so much service in Raman Reti, where wonderful things happen in Vrindavan, servant of Radharani, particularity of the school in Sri Vrindavan Dham.

"Today that remembrance of You came to me in a very nice way. Because I have a great longing I called to You. I am Your eternal servant and therefore I desire Your association so much. O Lord Kṛṣṇa, except for You there is no other means of success."

Thus, following the men fell into a dark pit, by associating with so many material desires, but Narada saved me to make me his disciple, therefore, how can I move away from your service?

Srila Prabhupada tells a beautiful story ... the second song that continues in this way of thinking which was also written on the Jaladhuta ...

My dear Lord Krsna, You are so kind upon this useless soul,
but I do not know why You have brought me here.
Now You can do whatever You like with me.

But I guess You have some business here,
otherwise why would You bring me to this terrible place?

Most of the population here is covered by the material modes of ignorance and passion.
Absorbed in material life, they think themselves very happy and satisfied,
and therefore they have no taste for the transcendental message of Vasudeva.
 I do not know how they will be able to understand it.

But I know Your causeless mercy can make everything possible
because You are the most expert mystic.

How will they understand the mellows of devotional service?
O Lord, I am simply praying for Your mercy
so that I will be able to convince them about Your message.

All living entities have become under the control
of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore,
if You like, by Your will
they can also be released from the clutches of illusion.

 I wish that You may deliver them.
Therefore if You so desire their deliverance,
then only will they be able to understand Your message.

The words of Srimad−Bhagavatam are Your incarnation,
and if a sober person repeatedly receives it
with submissive aural reception,
then he will be able to understand Your message.

It is said in the Srimad−Bhagavatam (1.2.17−21):
"Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted. By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact. As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effects of nature's modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy. Thus established in the mode of unalloyed goodness, the man whose mind has been enlivened by contact with devotional service to the Lord gains positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in the stage of liberation from all material association. Thus the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the self as master."

He will become liberated
from the influence of the modes of ignorance and passion
and thus all inauspicious things accumulated
in the core of the heart will disappear.

How will I make them understand this message of Krsna consciousness?
I am very unfortunate, unqualified and the most fallen.
Therefore I am seeking Your benediction
so that I can convince them, for I am powerless to do so on my own.

 Somehow or other, O Lord, You have brought me here to speak about You.
Now, my Lord, it is up to You
to make me a success or failure as You like.

 O spiritual master of all the worlds! I can simply repeat Your message,
so if You like You can make my power of speaking suitable for their understanding.

Only by Your causeless mercy will my words become pure.
I am sure that when this transcendental message penetrates their hearts
they will certainly feel engladdened and
thus become liberated from all unhappy conditions of life

 O Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands.
So if You have brought me here to dance,
then make me dance, make me dance,
O Lord, make me dance as You like.

Jay Nimai! Jay Nitai! those songs are the heart of Srila Prabhupada and you will get that which he himself communicated.

Now, how about this general Srila Prabhupada? You do not imagine that you are a beggar of love, he is a beggar Radharani and Mahaprabhu, he told us more and more, double, double, triple, triple, quadruple and quadruple, a million and a million.

Srila Prabhupada was always on top of things, preaching and he always had the power of a humble beggar, of course preaching something you could only understand through the particularity of this appeal, to make us essentially Krishna's devotees and this is only by the grace of Srila Prabhupada and so we continue to preach.

Another 50 years are on its way and then we can come celebrate 100 years of Srila Prabhupada in the West, that is why it is a very nice celebration and that is why we have received it very well, celebrate, celebrate .. The Sunday of celebration, celebration of love, this is what I wanted to say in a few words. Amen to Srila Prabhupada, encourage people in the path of Srila Prabhupada, this is a unique opportunity.

Your always well-wisher
Swami B. A. Paramadvaiti

Sri Krishna Janmastami message. From Colombia, 9/6/2015.

Krishna stu bhagavan svayam:

The avatars of God, like Sri Ramachandra and Sri Nrsimhadeva are all plenary portions and plenary expansions of Him, whereas Sri Krishna is svayam bhagavan, the personification of the six opulences in full and the Source of all. Lord Krishna is the Supreme Truth not divisible. He is the ultimate reality. He manifests in three aspects: Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan.

Isvarah paramah Krishnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam

"Sri Krishna Govinda is the manifestation of eternity, knowledge and bliss, He is the supreme controller. He has no source but is the origin of everything and the cause of all causes."

So when we speak of Sri Krishna we must be clear that He is the penultimate and can only be understood with love from the heart. Reason will take us to bankruptcy in this regard. We can only adore, admire and we beg for His mercy in this day of Sri Krishna Janmastami. We ask that You allow us to confirm this desire to reach Your abode and serve Your divine will. Since You, my Lord, You have been merciful and sent us Your dear devotee, our spiritual master Srila Prabhupada, who cares for us and make us Your devotees. Although obviously always we are all Your devotees, for You are the supreme cause of all causes.

My Lord, Your love is so great that You have a mission and an individual plan for each of us. The Krishna-tattva (knowledge of the Divine Personality) is something really incredible and very difficult to understand. The Vishnu Purana says that Bhagavan is defined as the one who possesses all opulences in full: He is the most beautiful, the most famous, richest, most powerful, the most knowledgeable and the most renounced. All these qualities are manifested in Sri Krishna at its finest.

In the dasa-mula Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur explains that Svayam Bhagavan Sri Krishna is Vrajendra Nandana, Sri Hari, to whom Brahma, Shiva, Indra and other demigods continuously offer their obeisance. He is the only Supreme Absolute Truth. Even Maha Vishnu, who pervades all universes as the Supersoul or Paramatma, is just a partial expansion of Lord Krishna. Thus Sri Hari Himself is the form of the Divine Reality called cid-svarupa. His effulgence is the color of a newly fresh rain cloud. He is called Radha Kanta, the beloved of Srimati Radharani.

Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita: "O conqueror of wealth (Dhananjaya)! There is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.." He also says: "I am the source of all worldly and spiritual worlds, everything emanates from Me, the wise who know this engage in bhajan (glorification) to Me, their hearts are absolutely thrilled for Me."

Lord Krishna is the Supreme Controller, all others are His servants, He makes us dance as He desires. He again says in the Bhagavad Gita: "He who knows that I am the ultimate enjoyer of all sacrifices and austerities, the supreme controller of all the planets and the well-wisher and friend of all living entities, attains liberation from the bonds of identification with the material body." "I'm the only teacher, the only enjoyer of sacrifices, those who do not recognize Me when I appear in My transcendental body, will fall down and repeatedly go through the cycle of birth and death." "Oh Arjuna, My birth and My activities are transcendental, one who knows this truth will need not be born again in a material body and certainly come to Me."

The Katha Upanishad states:

nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam
eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman

"He is the Supreme head of all beings; He is the Supreme consciousness among all beings. The Supreme Lord satisfies everyone's desires and gives them everything they need."

And this is once again clarified in the Bhagavad Gita:

sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto
mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca
vedais ca sarvair aham ca vedyo
vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham
(Bhagavad Gita 15.15)

"I am in everyone's heart, and from Me comes remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. It's me who is to be known by all the Vedas. In truth, I am the compiler of Vedanta and the knower of the Vedas. "

brahmano hi pratisthaham
amrtasyavyayasya ca
sasvatasya ca dharmasya
sukhasyaikantikasya ca
(Bhagavad Gita 14.27)

"I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable and eternal and is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness."

Lord Brahma offered the following prayer to the Supreme Lord:

"Oh master of the entire universe, You are the one who should be glorified. Oh, Vrajendra Nandana, son of the King of Vraja, Your blue body which is like a newly fresh rain cloud is adorned with the brightness of Your yellow garments. You are decorated with dolphin-shaped earrings and have a peacock feather on Your head. Your face is radiant with uncommon splendor and around your neck is a garland made with different types of forest flowers and leaves. Under Your arms You have a stick to control the cows and a buffalo horn. The flute You wear under Your belt looks very beautiful and in Your loving and sweet hands you have remnants of yogurt and rice. You attract all with Your beautiful cowherd boy form. I simply bow down to You again and again because Your feet are as soft as the lotus and are marked with all auspicious signs!"

All these are different sentences that allow us to see Lord Krishna in His original form; who is the one who captivates everyone in His abode of Sri Vrindavan Dham.

There are a few more sentences that are very beautiful and we will remember them today:

"How astonishing is He, to whom Putana wanted to kill with smeared poison on her breasts, and instead saved her and gave her the position of a mother. Who could understand such compassion!? I take shelter in Him as there is nothing greater!" "How fortunate are Nanda Maharaj (the head of the cowherds) and the inhabitants of Vraja Bhumi, they have limitless fortune because the Absolute Truth, the source of all happiness, the Supreme Brahman has become their friend!".

Krishnaya vasudevaya
Devakinandanaya ca
Nandagopa kumara ya
Govindaya namo namah
(Canto 1 Chapter 8, taken from Srimad Bhagavatam)

I offer my respectful obeisances to all those who have come to Varsana Dham (Colombia) on this day to celebrate Sri Krishna Janmastami with us. This is a day entirely dedicated to Krishna-katha with great devotee association of Srila Bhakti Bibudha Bodhayan Maharaja who is visiting us today, the current acarya of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math that came from the holy land of Navadvipa and graciously accepted the invitation to participate and so this festival fill our hearts with joy.

Today we are remembering and worshiping Lord Krishna with more intensity from Bhumi (our lodging in Varsana Dham) who was brought into this world by the mercy of Bhumi Mata (Mother Earth) and asked him to give us strength to continue serving and expanding the message that He Himself has brought so that we can take it everywhere. Being with You today in celebrating the festival of Sri Krishna Janmastami and tomorrow the appearance of Srila Prabhupada, I feel great joy and mercy.

Today is a day to further deepen, it is a day of consecration which delivers the testimony that Sri Krishna is the greatest friend of everyone who comes to our rescue. It is by His own mercy that we can offer some austerity and love today. Krishna is not happy when one fasts, he is happy with our attempt to make Him happy. The Vaishnava tradition of fasting can also be called "the fast of anticipation" because the devotees are so happy that they can not even think of eating and sleeping because Lord Krishna will appear at midnight; in that anticipation everyone is captivated and offer their austerities, their memories and their meditation on the Lord.

Devotees meditate on how Krishna appears in the world, on how He has come this far (Varsana, Colombia), they meditate on how Krishna is the sun, and how He is the taste of  water and how it comes to flood our lives with mercy alongside Srimati Radharani. Devotees meditate on how Sri Krishna manifests Himself as the origin of everything, that is something so great and wonderful that we could celebrate it every day, but we do so particularly today.

As we celebrate the appearance day of Sri Krishna We give special attention to Him, we make offerings. We offer a beautiful spiritual mission, a beautiful family and offer our fasting. We fast to please Sri Krishna. They are the symbols of divine love. Krishna always gives us what we need everything we eat during the year, all the air we breathe, what we get is because of  His mercy. So today we remember all of this with more intensity until midnight, which is when Vasudeva and Devaki receive the Lord in the prison cell at the palace of Kamsa. After that Vasudeva takes Krishna to Gokul carrying Him across the river Yamuna, who opens the passage to take Him there. There in Gokul,Vasudeva leaves Krishna the child at home with mother Yasoda. This beautiful story of the Lord leaves us completely enthralled to the point that it makes us dedicate our life to trying to please Krishna wholeheartedly.

We not only offer today this festival to the Lotus Feet of Sri Krishna, we offer our whole life, our preaching, our schools of yoga, our Ayurvedic centers, our eco-yoga villages, our gardens, our organic crops, our art form of painting and sculpture, foods prepared in our restaurants throughout the year, we offer the products we manufacture in "Spoon," everything we have and do. Indeed, we say that when a new devotee comes in the family, he becomes a doctor of the soul, receiving the maximum liability that exists which is becoming a well-wisher of the soul of others. This means that, from now on, he will try to help people in the world. That is the sacred tradition that Sri Krishna brings. To become a devotee means to become a well-wisher:

Om sarve bhavantu sukhinah
Sarve Santu niramayah
Sarve bhadrani pashyantu
Ma kashcid-duhkha-bhag-bhavet

That is the essence of the teachings of Lord Krishna, the joy for a devotee means to help others; a devotee does not want to see that others are in misery, a devotee does not want others to get sick, he does not want them to lose the perception of the wise assessment of the facts; a devotee rather wants everyone to have clarity of purpose in life and, of course, the devotee does not cause harm to anyone else. That is the main vow of all the devotees, not to cause misery to others.

Our spiritual master Srila Prabhupada, in his infinite mercy has given us the confidence to become doctors of the soul. This means that since we came into contact with Lord Krishna we will try our utmost to deliver the appreciation of the Lord to all the people around us. That's the medicine. Sri Krishna is healing. Sri Krishna is salvation. Sri Krishna is our refuge and our home. Sri Krishna gives us our true identity. Sri Krishna allows us to understand how to accomplish in life and so seek the satisfaction of reaching the perfection of life.

We know we all have to die, but we have the greatest opportunity to become sentient beings within creation and that is pure mercy that the Superconscious Lord has given us, Lord Krishna appears in our lives and gives us permission to become healers. How can we become healers? Simply delivering the medicine, the Maha Mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

It is difficult to imagine a mantra of the Divine Names can heal us and can remove all the pains of existence. It is hard to understand but it is reality, as Sri Krishna says there is no difference between Him and His name. So when we chant the Maha-mantra in the association of devotees we experience the Holy Name as the greatest medicine. While chanting the Holy Name the person may experience that there is nothing in the material world that compares, no drugs of any kind that can match or even all the money in the world or all the fame you can get will not give even a similar pleasure that the Holy Name can deliver.

Sri Krishna is the supreme enjoyer, whereas the devotee yearns to be enjoyed. The devotee feels the joy of pleasing Krishna. And How does He enjoy? Healing the sick soul, feeding those hungry for spirituality, sowing the organic seed of bhakti, giving justice to the oppressed of the material world. Krishna comes to end abusive demons and save the oppressed. He is everything and the solution for everything. While we are in the material world we will be surrounded by demons, those looking to enjoy without God at the center. We want to become the center and not want to take the medicine that Sri Krishna is so kindly giving us, so we are born again and again until we reached the point where we decided that we no longer want to continue being born and remaining spiritually sick. At that time we decide that we want to be close to the Lord of the heart.

This was the message that I wish to share with you all on this day on Sri Krishna Janmastami.

Sri Krishna Janmastami, ki jay!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Your always well wisher,
B. A. Paramadvaiti Swami

Appreciate the treasure that we have received. From Bolivia, 8/30/15

Dear devotees, today I want to share  with you a very important message and that is that the most important thing we have in life is to understand that this human form of life is an adventure to get to a higher place.

This form of human life is not a casual experience. It has nothing to do with chance, on the contrary ... it's rather extreme, intense and dedicated. The nature of this world; do or die ... nothing more.
Life is not boring, it is very interesting. Even breathing is not something boring. If you observe your breathing you realize that it is something wonderful. Every breath in your breathing is something magnificent. What is meant by the statement that there is nothing casual in life...is that whether we can see it or not see it, there are wonders behind everything. Sometimes things take time, even Srila Prabhupada took time to achieve all that he did. This idea that life is not something casual also means there is always something to achieve in life.  It is about defining what we do with our lives and how we do it. Life is a sacred duty and sacred duty as the runs. What to say about going out and giving someone a book about Krishna. To spread the message of love that we have received: That's what life is about. Tell people that Krishna is there and He is the Lord of their heart. Asking them to please not ignore Him. We are communicators of love, the love of Krishna. That's what our life is about.

Chaskis, communicators of love. And if that vibrates into their hearts, people are delighted with it. Art is not measured on the basis of the quality of art in itself, it is measured in relation to the quality of the artist's feelings and how they are transmitted. We are communicators of love, that is what our life is about. And we are very lucky, because the message we communicate is the message that Srila Prabhupada gave us, which is the message of Krishna Himself and His love for us all. Love vibrates in the heart and it is transmitted through actions, through art, through music and if it vibrates, people are delighted with it. Unity in diversity, Krishna loves us all, even though everyone is an individual and distinct entity. And if we want to reciprocate the love of Krishna, we must also give that love to others. Do you have any questions about it?

Do not let your life become something common and ordinary. Do not think your love has no value. Do not think that there is something else that is more important than your love. Neither money nor politics, nor sports. There is nothing more important than the love that you can give to Krishna and to others. That's my message today, appreciate the valuable treasure that we have received and share it with others without distinction. All my affection from Bolivia.

Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Your always well-wisher
B. A. Paramadvaiti Swami.

Loving Renunciation. August 16, 2015. From Chile.

My dear devotees. Receive all my affection from Chile.

   We are celebrating this historic moment where Gurudeva Atulananda enters the renounced order of life. The fourth ashram, stage of life, which are brahmacari, grihasta, vanaprasta and finally sannyasa.
Srila Prabhupada said at one point reaching this stage of life is required for a human being. What to say about a spiritual master who is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada and has dedicated his life to preaching in Chile and the world. I am fortunate to be considered among his friends and brothers and give him the sacred order of sannyasa on behalf of Srila Prabhupada and my sannyasa guru Srila Bhakti Raskak Sridhar Deva Goswami Maharaj.

   It is an honor, a joy and also a formality because before Srila Prabhupada we are directly his sons, but he also wanted that we become sannyasis at some point. For Gurudeva Atulananda it is even more striking because there are several of his disciples who are sannyasis and are participating in this sacred delivery without envy, rather they are participating with all their desire and with all their soul. That allows us to experience the great joy of Krishna consciousness which up to now has been known as the Vrinda family in Chile. It is proliferating, growing prosperously and there is more service for all of you. This is one of the gifts that Krishna gives us in this life: He gives us service. Krishna Service is not mental service, it is service done wholeheartedly. Krishna Service is very essential because you can connect with the Supreme Personality of God from morning to night. It's great and glorious, life-changing.

 Today we are gathered here in this sacred site Ekachakra which is also a gift that Gurudeva Atulananda offered to Srila Prabhupada, one of the many gifts which he has given in his life. Gurudeva has always been giving away his love and everything that he can give, he gifted the world with three children: Pandit, Mohan and Harijan, children of Sarvakanti Devi who Krsna shortly came to get some time ago.

This is how the Lord works, when He someone to remain here, He maintains them in this world, and as He wishes, they are taken. Gurudeva Atulananda gifts to the world are many and in essence they are gifts of Srila Prabhupada because the devotee has nothing for himself, all that the devotee has is that which belongs to Sri Guru.

This is emphasized by Srila Bhakti Raskak Sridara Maharaja, who said that to save and heal this world one must always remember three things:

1. All beautiful women in the world belong to Krishna. He has the right to claim for His gopis. If by chance you marry one then you have received the permission to take care of Krsna's gopis and you have the extraordinary license to invite little souls to this world, very beautiful souls and important souls.

2. All the money in the world without exception, all the opulence, all lands, rivers, mountains, clouds, galaxies, etc., belong to Narayan. Even what you have in your pockets that too belongs to Narayan and should be used for Narayan.

And the third recommendation for great success in spiritual life:

3. All success, all the fame, all amenities, all powers, empowerment, success in conferences, in pujas, yagnas, everything you've done successfully in your life belongs to Srila Prabhupada, to Guru.Why? Because the guru is not an individual, the guru is the representative of tattva (truth). He is representative of the entire guru parampara, a representative of the Divine Will and in this way naturally he represents Srila Prabhupada.

Today is a very special sannyasa day of our Gurudeva. I was fortunate to be associated with Chile yatra as a witnessed by Mathura Mandal and Kalpa vriksha and some other former devotees, long time ago, even before the founding of the Vrinda family, so to speak. I stay always captivated by Chile. I do not say this just to get along with you, but I was captivated by the marathon of Puento Alto, by the affection, humor, art and the banner that devotees had at the time. Even then Gurudeva Atulanda was the banner and that continues today.

It has almost been like a marriage. Krishna brought us together, Srila Prabhupada brought us together. The desire of His divine providence so that we could put our oars in the boat of our spiritual master and begin rowing together on both sides so that the ship could move forward.
Over time the ship became bigger and bigger and people were getting into it. Today we are already a lot of people paddling, no? So we continue to paddle on the boat in hopes of going very far across the ocean of repeated birth and death. When one's arms begin to tire, the other person is still rowing and saying come on, come on, do not loosen here, rather paddle harder the road is very far to come out of the illusion! We appreciate the presence of those who have paddled with us such as Prabhu Kanka, Krishna Kirtan, Vrajapriti, Kadamba, the past, present and future because there are many people who have helped.

What to say about our sannyasis who are sitting here? Chileans (well no really Chileans, sannyasis do not belong to a country) they know no limits, no borders, they are the souls of the world. That's the nicest thing we are experiencing here today. I said something this morning and I'm going to repeat it because I consider it to be essential: the example of Srila Atulananda Acharya is symbolic because it really represents the resignation of all of us, Srila Prabhupada's resignation over the world.

Representing Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself by taking sannyas and leaving Vishnupriya Devi, who was completely rendered in love for Him. However, Mahaprabhu left because He felt the internal appeal to be so strong. So He went where Keshava Bharati was and accepted the renounced order that shook the world. In that very moment a sacrifice began. the sacrifice of our mission, the sacrifice of our path, a beautiful sacrifice began. That is why we say loving resignation, here we do not say hateful resignation, here it does not say give up because this world is so bad, no. It is renunciation based on the world of Krishna because it is so beautiful that we want to give him a substantial contribution, and this substantial contribution for all of you is called Chile yatra and for the world it is called the Vrinda Mission.

Because Vrinda Mission is a service or sacrifice that Gurudeva Atulananda has done, and I also want to remember the great devotee who has been one of the great inspirations on this path, our most beloved spiritual brother Srila Bhakti Bhimala Harijan Swami Maharaja of Colombia. He is part of this trio, because there were not two, but there were three of us pushing this effort. Actually, we do not feel qualified as spiritual masters, we take this challenge, this service because we feel that Srila Prabhupada deserved to have representatives here who are dedicated wholeheartedly to the people, the Mother Earth, rivers, etc. Our thinking at the time was: "Better a blind uncle than no uncle, so it will be up to us (the blind guys) because there is no choice." That was the origin, as for how Harijan Maharaj and I spoke about this when we started this task.

To assume the role of spiritual master is a great daring challenge, becoming a representative of the connection with the Infinite, because are we really that? No, but we hope to become good representatives, but Srila Prabhupada was and he gave us his example. I invite all of you to accompany us in this resignation today for Srila Prabhupada. There is much to give up, everyone knows what he/ she has to resign and if you do not know well then you can learn it in the company of devotees. The first form of renunciation is to accept the four regulative principles, which for us is not a renunciation but rather a release. Krishna is freeing us of things that are harmful.

The resignation of our family is the renunciation of personal gain and the gain of Krishna and His devotees, and for us, all souls are devotees in potency, our service is focused on keeping the Ashram open to everyone. The proof is that we now have a new home in the Brazil neighborhood where the doors of the temple of Sri Radha Govinda are open to everyone, so that everyone in Santiago can get to.

The same in La Serena, Concepción or wherever, even in Mexico, having the doors open to the service so people can contact the Holy Name, with prasadam, the essential spiritual literature, with courses on the essence of life and they can actively participate in Krishna Consciousness. A person who likes Krishna Consciousness but is not actively involved is exactly like a bee outside the honey jar. He is perceiving that something is there but can not enter and eventually flies away because one will not be able to maintain very long just by looking and not tasting the sweet nectar.

The service that our teachers have emphasized and given us is so extraordinary that it enables us to become Gurus. One must not forget that there is no difference between diksa and siksa guru. How many of you give lectures on Krishna Consciousness? All of you are siksa guru. Who has given spiritual advice in Krishna Consciousness to a person? This is also the work of siksa guru. Giving and receiving - dadati pratigrihnati-loving exchanges means fostering love, trust, security, shelter, participation. That makes a siksa guru. What to say of the presidents of the temples that are siksa gurus from morning until night, rather the presidents of temples and sannyasis are more important than us coming to visit occasionally. However, one needs the other, work together for the same cause there is no competition. The association of devotees is what brings joy.

The joy of renunciation. Renouncing means leaving everything behind which does not produce real joy, everything that does not produce ecstasy and spirituality. That is what we must resign. That is the example that we see today. With these words of happiness I take leave of you today and ask that everyone who can make an effort to meet at the Eco Truly Park for Maha Mela in October this year come so we can continue celebrating the renunciation of our dear Gurudeva Atulananda.
Goura Premanandi, Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Your always well-wisher,
BA Paramadvaiti Swami

Only God's Love Can Solve the Problems of Life. 8/9/15. From Argentina.

All glories to Prabhupada!

My message today begins with the following verse: 

vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah janayaty vairagyam jnanam ca yad ahaitukam (SB 1.2.7)

By rendering service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world. (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.7).

 Bhakti Yoga should be executed for the satisfaction of the Supreme Person, Vasudeva Krishna. That will gradually make the person who practices to become detached from things that have no connection with Him and the person will also receive the gift of pure knowledge and the desire to offer everything they own to the Lord of Love. That is an incredible quote from Srimad Bhagavatam. Krishna is the one who is speaking in the Bhagavad Gita and who is spoken about in the Srimad Bhagavatam, all glorification are meant for Him.You should not think that Srimad Bhagavatam is a simple esoteric idea. No. Today there is much esoteric, many people talk about things that are not visible, but usually they refer to the impersonal Brahman or cosmic ocean, but not the Supreme Person.

  Many people worship the impersonal aspect of God for some material benefit, mystical powers, etc ... Krishna is infinite and will manifest in the way you want to connect with Him. In the case of Draupadi, for example, the Lord manifested in the form of a sari, to protect her from degradation.On another occasion, Krishna was present to save Prahlad Maharaja from the different assassination attempts by his father.

  Likewise, Krishna has saved us many times. It may be that we have been conscious in the past. But, anyway, Krishna is always aware of all things. He does everything. Therefore minimizing the Srimad Bhagavatam believing that it is just a Hindu interpretation of Truth, it is also a way to ignore a great gift. Only God's love can solve the problems of life. That love is unique. I consider myself a fan of Krishna, because when I think about Him I know that I have to love all others, and I want to, without discriminating between someone more important than others. (As Christians who believe that animals have no soul). Without discriminating, even Mother Nature. Rather we must fight for the rights of nature, the rights of animals, native peoples, fighting for the future of humanity. Because today nobody cares about anyone's rights, only the right to exploit, decapitating others, industrialization, etc ... If one does not recognize that the other living beings must be respected because they have a right to because they deserve it, then whatever you do is incorrect, twisted and wrong. Abuse is considered the methodology to get everything you want unscrupulously.

 For example, Frederick Nietzsche once said that the Manu Samhita was the first book in which he found that women and the poor have rights. Imagine, 5,000 years ago that concept already existed, while in Europe only in the 70s women were given the right to vote, before that there was only a terrible patriarch.The culture of India, however, has a different position in that respect because it always keeps the concept that we are one big family where the concepts of man or woman are temporary, only the soul is eternal.

  Charles Darwin established the misconception of the principle of survival, where the more powerful survive over the weak (survival of the fittest). The so-called "weak" have no chance in the world. No right. After that there were more and more terrible proposals, one of those was that any "defective" individual should be removed, because the inferior races should not reproduce. This movement was responsible for millions of murders of people worldwide. It is completely discouraged. That same mentality gives rise to abortions and many other atrocities. By mercy we have received the right concept of knowledge for these things. Only love can save us. One who does not practice love for all living entities can not talk about God. The Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam are classical writings about love, respect towards all. When a human being becomes a vegetarian, 51 percent of your problem is solved. Even environmental problems are solved.

Srila Prabhupada Ki Jay!
With affection, your ever well-wisher.
B.A. Paramadvaiti Swami

Everyone must be given time, everyone should be given consideration. That is Krsna consciousness. 8/2/15. Montevideo

My dear devotees, mothers. A hug from Montevideo.

This morning meditation is about the importance of saints in our lives. When you are humble, you realize, how many great personalities are in your vicinity. When you are not humble you think: the saints are right there, or the saints appeared 2,000 years ago, or good, pr they were more generous 500 years ago. The lack of feeling for the presence of guardian saints makes us internally sad. When someone tells me that they are sad it is because they need a saint in their life.

And who are the saints?
The saints are those who try to make the best of themselves. Saints are not people who have never made a mistake. As the saying goes: every sinner has a future and every saint has a past. Krishna says: Even if a saint commits a serious mistake if he continues to serve he should be considered a saint (BG 9.30). Mama mia! It is hard! No, no, it's not hard, it's good, because the Lord is generous with his fallen servants. We make mistakes, but there is an error that is larger than other errors, that is: to see error where there is no error and report it, that's in the department of gossip ... mental planes.One who reports something that is not true is liable for an offense. Because:

vaco vegam manasah krodha-vegam

jihva-vegam udaropastha-vegam

etan vegan yo vishaheta dhirah

sarvam apimam prithivim sa sishyat

(Nectar of Instruction Text 1)

A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world.

Preaching is our core business. If we close our mouth, then how are we going to preach? But at the same time we must control the tongue. Therefore Srila Rupa Goswami gives us the formula for happiness. Srila Rupa Goswami gave it in the Sri Upadesamrta. He was a saint of Krishna consciousness. He knows all the difficulties that we will pass and just like Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in His Siksatakam, he will saves us if we pay attention. 

I remember another thing, we are in the world of territories. The material world is called the world of Maya. Maya means measuring. Above all we want to calculate lots, the territories: This is the measurement: O I am supervisor, you are supervised. What is the measurement between us? There are calculations everywhere not just measurements of the ground. There are measures in the bank, there are measures in privileges: Who can use the office car? Things like that. There are privileges, there are measure everywhere and where there is calculation there is Maya. So we're stuck in the world of calculation up to our heads. What do we do? We have to lose everything to realize that the measures are not really what they seem.

When you buy a home. What are the measures that need to be taken? First you have to obtain a deed. Without a deed the home is not yours because you have to be registered in the Land Registry. True? If Otherwise another person can still buy the house. When you do not register then you find yourself with a mess. Much has been sold, five times to five different people because they were not registered.
We're not sure who is registered with the Land Registry because you can only buy from someone who is registered with the Land Registry. Otherwise the sale is fictitious. I will sell you the beach in Montevideo. And how do you know its mine? Someone says, I would really like to buy it. When you go to the Land Registry they will send you to the police saying, there is a mad man who says that he owns the beach in Montevideo. All the deception began then. How can you say this? This is also called the law of conquest. Who occupies the space and has records of it is the owner. That is Maya, that's the war of the territories. And we have been trained from birth in the war of the territories. There are even areas that are private, they are the more confidential, those are the areas of the heart. You know how to enter there? That's another world. You know what it's called that world? The world of jealousy. Tremendous. Jealousy is calculative. Do not think that a measure is only one meter, a foot. No, no, no, there is another side to the measures of Maya. The measure is: i am wanted, not wanted, i am wanted, not wanted. The measure is whether I am wanted or not wanted.

A territorial example: I once was in Hungary. And a mother. Still my friend. She tells me: You and Swami only preach to young and pretty girls, you do not preach to us, you leave us alone. It was calculative. When you talk to A, when you talk to B, when you talk to C. I said to her: Lie. I do not talk much with you because you're already devoted and they are new and if they are not devotees they need more time to explain things to them. Now you think I don't care for you because you are an adult or because they are blondes? That is mundane. That is a territorial manifestation. Calculative.

Sure, everyone wants to be important and be seen. Do not worry, everyone is important because we are part of Krishna. And everyone who is part of Krishna is important. There is no one who can say: Only he or she is important. To God we are all important. That is the importance. Calculation is the beginning of all forms of deception, envy or jealousy. Or for example, there is another way that self-esteem is hurt. The education we received got teaches us that he who has not conquered land is nothing. But all territories, all actions, no matter what they are, are defeated by time.

The notary papers are useless in 500 years. A place has had many other owners in the past. No one will know who is the owner of any house. Well you know, no one owns the land. Even marriage is has measures. Well lets go to the judge and get married. Then the judge asks all the money that you make belongs to the both of you? People say: No, no, no, no. That I do not want. I want to marry, but I want to get married with my property remaining separate. That is another measure. He's taking another measure of whether the measure is favorable for him.

All measurements are estimates. And all measures are illusions that will reveal a failure in the end. That is why a devout person takes further action, and the devotee says: everything is Krishna. And what comes into my hands I will register in the name of Krishna. Because I want it for Krishna. And to register something in the name of Krishna is not easy. Go to the notary and declare: I want to donate this house to Lord Krishna. Who is Krishna? Give me the passport number. What is your warrant? And the reply will be: Oh no, he is God. Ah! Here God does can not register anything here. No one owns anything. Do you see the madness of these measures? You can not give God anything because God does not exist here legally. He is not Uruguayan, we are very sorry.

Look at India, you can legally register a property on behalf of a deity. And you can have two parents, the physical father carnal and the spiritual master. The Guru is a legal parent in India. When India I sign my name Paramadvaiti Swami son of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. This is legal because he is my Guru. As he was my guru, I have a duty to repeat what he taught.

And if someone sees Prabhupada today and says, I want to donate a house to Prabhupada. Who do I give? Paramadvaiti Maharaj come here. You are many years with Prabhupada, I want you to offer it to Prabhupada. Done! Donate the home. Then the house is not mine. He who gives the house to Prabhupada, I have to ensure that the house will be used for Prabhupada.

When the absolute and the relative meet there are obstacles, because I have to adapt, I have to learn how to do this. How to combine it all with the relative. The absolute pure teaching is perfect, but the relative is also part of it all.

Om purnam-adah purnam-idam

Purnaat purnam-udachyate

Purnasya purnam-aadaaya

Purnam-eva-avashishyate

(Sri Isopanisad:Invocation)

"The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete. And because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as a complete whole. Whatever is produced of the complete whole is also complete by itself. And because He is the Complete Whole, even though  many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance."

Therefore harmonize between the relative and the absolute.That is what the sages, the saints, do. And who are the sages? You. You are wise. And if you are wise with little experience you have to have help. Open your view. Expand your horizon. So this is a school to become brahmanas. A school to become saints. Forget the territories, everything belongs to Krishna. And all apparent territory is lost.
I will give you another example based on the territory of marriage. Sometimes people get married and the wife thinks: You are now my husband, you depend on me, etc ... etc ... Or the husband thinks the same about the wife and it is more or less like a prison. And if the other person does not react as they want then they fight. These measures of the marriage are totally different. In fact one has to accept that Krishna has to be put in the center. Krishna is the ultimate criterion. The measures that you take in marriage, in your mind, non territorial, that are proper; If you want to know if someone is right or wrong, you have to ask the guru, you can ask the wife later. But a good marriage remains peaceful when such clashes do not occur they are given liberty, etc ... etc. But you see, usually all marriages have territorial disputes based on finances, time, land of the house, the apartment. This occurs between couples, brothers, what to say of people who do not know each other.

When a woman says to me, 'I think my husband is cheating on me. And I ask: Is it true, he is deceiving you, are you sure?  I'm sure. Do you have proof? Yes, I have proof. Then she thinks I will become angry now but my answer is: I congratulate you. Why? Because I congratulate a person who has been betrayed by her partner. What reason do I have to congratulate? It is: This territory that you thought was yours, just broke. He is not yours. And he does not respect your heart and it is better now that you realize this then when you're 88 and you realize that you were deceived a whole lifetime. Better an end with fear then a fear without end. So if something is fraudulent if something is false, better that it is disclosed soon. Congratulations. Finally you realize that the thing is not worth it. Sure, it's sad, I also cry when I hear stories like that.

Then territories, only Krishna knows who is who. All territories are His. We are students, apprentices. Krishna gives us opportunities and sees how we handle them. Here you have ten thousand dollars. Go see what you do. As the story of the prodigal son. Daddy gives money to a son, and he invests it and it increases. And the father says: good. Then he gives the same to his other son. The other son does not care, he exploits it, intoxicating himself, makes all kinds of stupidity and disappears. Where did he go? We do not know. But three years later he returns to the father: - I was the biggest fool, I missed everything that you said. The father takes him in his arms. And the other son who invested says: Father, how can you treat him this way? He needs to be whipped! And the father replies:  No, but that's my son. Teachings, wisdom.

Now I want to give you the key to happiness in Krishna consciousness. This gem is found in Sri Upadesamrita text 5. One should mentally honor the devotee who chants the holy name of Lord Krishna or who chants any other name of God. One who chants the holy name of God must be respected. Even if someone chants Pachamama. Pachamama is not God but it is the aspect of God's mercy, also respect that person. If you do not respect people who chants the holy name in one form or another, you are planting your own seed of sadness. Then one should offer humble obeisances which  means head on the floor the devotee who has undergone spiritual initiation to diksa, and is engaged in worshiping the Deity. One who worships Krishna in the manifestation of Deity: my obeisance to you. "Hi Prabhu, dandavats, allow me to pass through." We should be very respectful and attentive. Relationships must be sweet in dealing, filled with a lot of conviction and appreciation. You can not worship Gaura Nitai without the worship of His devotee. The devotee can commit faults, he is in the process but he can give you far more valuable things for your spiritual life. And then the verse continues: And one should associate with and faithfully serve that pure devotee who is advanced in terms of devotional service, who does not deviate and whose heart is always free from the propensity to criticize others. Advanced devotees, we must serve them, listen to them.Those who waste time talking bad about one: do not bother, I have no time. So that you can be happy in Krishna consciousness there are three authorities. One is the authority which is less advanced than you. Why is he your boss? Because it is your duty to lift him with your hands. He's your boss because he tells you what to do. - Help me! - Yes, yes, and we will. Here take my hand. That's the first relationship. Help people who are less advanced than you. Second: Make an unwavering friendship with people who are also in the fight as well. Lets be realistic  we are all here to fight. Not that as soon as we close our eyes Krishna's lotus feet are there brilliantly shining. We are all in the struggle, there is no pain or sorrow to admit that we are all here fighting.

But those in the struggle for the cause of our mission in Montevideo, those who are identified, make  a good friendship with them one that is similar to super glue, no one should be put asunder. Super glue. So you have to be friends with everyone, we are all in the fight. For friendship to mature and grow more: make many friends. There are always complications, of course, but as I am a friend, I try to help when asked. And when I am asked perhaps there is nothing I can do. But if I see an advanced devotee who is serving my guru seriously, in this case I must offer my full cooperation. Not only this but: i love them, offer obeisances, haribol. What do you need? What do I do? Sunday feast arrives. I bring a preparation, I can distribute invitations, I can make the announcement, whatever you want. Everyone must be given time, everyone should be given consideration. That is Krsna consciousness.

All spiritual life problems can be solved. There is no situation that has no solution. Because the extent of Lord Krishna is that He can rescue everyone from illusion. So Prabhupada came to the world. So we have the altar. So we have Gurupurnima to celebrate. I hope Gurupurnima sheds some light upon you, that it gives you clarity and joy. Because we will keep fighting as it is. Because I also come to fight for Uruguay and for its devotees. The holy messengers are going to continue because we are just beginning as they say. You do not know, that joy I get when I see happy devotees in a temple. For example here, a few years ago there were only four or five of us forming the first team. So I am very happy to see the progress and please: Union is strength. Solidarity and love.

We can be happy because there is no territory to claim, all territories belong to Krishna. Admit it: one who does not claim territory has no territorial problems. So brahmacaris are so happy because they have nothing. When you have things, their independence, you must make your own income, fight in this world. Well of course this one will have little squaring spaces. Everything is illusion because at the time of death you cannot even take your kunti mala. But just here in the world they are calculating their things. But territory belongs to Krishna, that is wisdom. You have to learn it very well. You have to renounce the world before the world renounces you. Another thing, everything that you do not give is what you're going to lose. Do you see the wisdom that Rupa Goswami gave through writing this years ago. Lord Caitanya also said things, one of the best: Trinad api sunicena without Trinad api sunicena one can not live in a temple. Without humility you cannot fall in love with the devotees.

Jay Sri Krishna! Jay Sri Krishna!
Srila Prabhupada Ki Jay!
With affection, your ever well-wisher.
B.A. Paramadvaiti Swami