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

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.

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

Personalized Sankirtan from Mayapur 1/11/2015

Dear devotees
Happy New Year.

I want to thank all the devotees who have took part in such a beautiful marathon. This year something very interesting happened. On one side there were warriors tremendously giving all their efforts in the streets, distributing books and magazines with Gopal Sundara winning this beautiful competition.

Sankirtan has one purpose: to awaken the love of all for all. And another thing beautifully happened during the same period of the sankirtan marathon, the biggest collector of person to person sankirtan, utilizing yoga courses, our beloved Rasikendra of Bogotá, who gave us a different style of sankirtan which now confirms that it is a super productive tool. I decided that this could not compete with the more common form of sankirtan that was done on the buses. But at this moment I want to recognize Rasikendra prabhu's tremendous efforts and stress the importance of what he is showing us. A good lesson on personalized sankirtan.

I invite him and Sundar Gopal prabhu from Dominican Republic to share their secrets, in the form of an interview for the page, to encourage others in following their wonderful examples.For me, the marathon in India was mostly based on the production of websites and literature. The traditional form of sankirtan is of the utmost importance because it can be applied in any town in the world, not only in large cities where there are many buses where one can do sankirtan. And that is so important because the devotees have to go to every town and village in the world and with personalized sankirtan materials they can make good collections and keep their temples, that's the most important message.

This morning I was giving the order of visnu priya to mother Prabhupada kripa in Veni panca and just behind her there were fishermen, getting a giant fish net into the river, and I remembered what Jesus said. He said we are fishers of men and women. Taking the vow of renunciation, going on sankirtan or giving lectures at universities all share one purpose: to bring souls to Lord Krishna, to fish  them out of the ocean of material nature in which they are suffering.

Thank you to all of you for understanding this and for participating in it. And with this message from the heart I say goodbye for today, praying to always implement all the wisdom that Srila Prabhupada gave us.

A recommendation for readers. Please read Vaiyasaki's book, my spiritual brother, where he did a tremendous job of defeating the materialistic judgements of the atheists; this book will be available because it's almost completely translated into Spanish by our translator star from Cali, Gopal shakti.

Jay Srila Prabahupada ki jay

With much love from Mayapur dhama
Haribol.

Your always well-wisher
B. A. Paramadvaiti Swami

Connection to true happiness. Hungary. 08/03/2014

Conference.

My dear devotees. Receive all my affection from Hungary. At this time we are traveling to Bulgaria.

These past days have been very nice  making plans for the family of Srila Prabhupada in Europe.We had istagosthis, seminars of Faith education, conscious art, sacred baths in the river. We shared very special moments with all the devotees.

Today I want to share a few words about the connection to true happiness. Eternal happiness and not the apparent satisfaction of the senses. First of all, I offer my most humble obeisances to my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, who rescued me from the greatest ignorance. I'm completely indebted to him for eternity, since before I met him I had no idea who I was and did not understand why I'm here. My spiritual teacher found me when I was in dark and terrible ignorance, surrounded by a meaningless world without values​​, and on the edge of being completely influenced by it. At that time he opened my blinded eyes with the torchlight of spiritual knowledge and saved me.

My spiritual teacher told me that life is full of spiritual beauty and consciousness of God is a divine gift that descends as the causeless mercy of the Supreme Lord Himself.

Before I met my spiritual master I was just lost in the pleasure of my senses. Sensory desires are the reason why we get caught again and again in the material world. There is no limit to those desires. One serves them constantly, yet they never show any mercy towards us. But thanks to Gurudeva awakening spiritual intelligence in each of us we can begin to reject and fight to abandon them. For that, I take refuge in the lotus feet of my spiritual master, who removes all fear of the heart. So I ask you all again and again to occupy me in his personal service and save me. Sensual desires are like a fire that is burning inside. A fire that never ends, because one will think that satisfying a desire, even a little bit, then it will calm down, but on the contrary, when you try to satisfy your lustful desires it is like adding fuel to the fire. So the flame grows and consumes all that you have around you.

Vaishnavas insist that sexual activity is very powerful, so powerful that it can generate life. It is the energy that brought us to this world. It is not something to underestimate. Life is not an accident, it is a manifestation of the Divine. Then if such a sacred activity is used just to please grossly lustful desires, then your own energy of being a conscious human being is completely undermined. If you are sexually active or you occupy yourself by fulfilling lusty desires without the intention of creating new life, then your power is cut, just like when you use drugs and your energy decreases.

Devotees teach that there is a world of happiness without exploitation. A world of fun and pleasure without spiritual harm, or exploitation of others, or without considering that others are objects of my selfish enjoyment. Vaishnavas have fun without excess, no frills nor do they need large sums of money to be happy. Devotees have fun singing and dancing for God. Fun with a simple life, with elevated feelings that helps one to explore more and more. There is no need of having contact with illicit enjoyment for entertainment. Ultimately that's more a problem than a pleasure.

The real sense of fun and joy, happiness, can be perceived when one gives love and establishes heart to heart relationships. But that's not easy to find in the material world. Here you only find people looking to meet their selfish needs.Real fun and happiness is what a mother feels for her son, who has so much love that she is filled with joy.So the key is to put our energy into making others happy, respect and appreciate them as part of a universal family, a family united under the protection of God.We have many tools to do this; You have your hands, that are amazing tools that can be used successfully for others through painting, dancing, writing, tending a garden, cleaning, playing music, cooking, taking care of your children ... So many wonderful things that can be made ​​by us ... you only need to be focused in the right way.

Appreciating the wonderful tools that God gave us helps us to always remember that this body is a temple where Paramatma Himself resides. Therefore we should be very grateful. I thank my Lord for allowing me to serve with the instruments of this body which is His Temple.

This human body is the most sophisticated thing we've ever seen. Even the most renowned scientists have not managed to create something like that ... because it is a registered trademark of the Supreme.
We think of everything wonderful that we have and what we can realize through our spiritual master, then it becomes amazing to see people lose their connection very quickly to true happiness.

In today's world people think that happiness is about sex and drugs, in power and money. People do not know the meaning of true relationships of the heart. They just think about relationships based on sex, contaminated by lusty desires. They do not know what it means to bring a life through responsible sex life. A life that will be educated on values ​​and spiritual awareness as an offering to Krishna.

People today do not know what it means to cook, sing or serve those around us. The contamination of the material world lead us to lose honesty. And develop apathy through being honest. And then we get honesty in a world of lies, betrayal, temptations, competition, disease of loneliness ... "of no importance" That is to say, I do not care: I do not care about the impact I have on others, I do not care if I do harm to nature or not, I do not care if others suffer with my actions or not, I do not if what I eat a result of violence or not ... I just care about pleasing my own lustful desires that plunge me deeper and deeper into ignorance.

The materialistic mind is always suggesting that we are the center of everything and that we should take the best part.It puts hundreds of problems in our way, but no matter what,  the focus is to just please the senses. That helps us to assess at what level we really are. As always the trend is to be the enjoyer, the controller and the proprietor. But we should be clear (and if you do not understand it by the good, karma will help us to understand anyway). We do not control anything. We do not even control our bowel movements :)
It is only by the grace of the spiritual master we can remember we are not the controllers.

The spiritual master gives us to the devotees, who stay around us like a protective barrier against Maya and who are always reminding us what is the right thing to do or proper way to behave. And because they are merciful, if we do wrong, they again accept and support us. The spiritual master gives us appreciation for people. Where there is appreciation there can be no exploitation. Where others are considered part of the same universal family then selfish desires of exploitation can not enter.

Lust is selfish. Love gives everything. Where there is appreciation there can be no exploitation, that means not only appreciation for people, but for what we have received. I thank you again and again to my spiritual master to constantly save me from my lustful desires and for allowing me to use all my energy in service to his beloved devotees.

With these words I end today's message. Thanks to all who read this Chat every week, it's my chance to stay in touch with all of you.

Your always well wisher,

B. A. Paramadvaiti Swami

30th anniversary of the Vrinda Mission 02/16/2014 From India

My dear devotees. I send you all my affection from Vrinda Kunja where we arrived this morning at the hour of Mangala artik.

Today I want to offer my most humble obeisances to Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Radha Vraja Mohan who has given us the mercy to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Vrinda family in Vrindavan. It is very auspicious and it makes me very happy, I ask for the mercy of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Radha Vraja Mohan so that I may be able to continue serving Them . They came to this temple to accept our service and we are very grateful.

In addition, They have inspired and guided us all these years and in so many different directions, I can almost say that their Lordships have inspired me to continue traveling and preaching as a pilgrim and beggar of love, that's my profession. Sometimes I am asked at the border what do I dedicate myself to and I say : I'm a pilgrim beggar of love :)

So today begins the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Vrinda family in Vrindavan. This will be a very special year where we will project ourselves more towards our spiritual life, after 30 years a person is more than an adult, so this is the same for our spiritual family.

Mark that these 30 years is the time to mature and walk on this path on the straight and narrow. It means that the time has come that the devotees who have been accompanying me during this time have to take important responsibilities in your prabhu datadesh and settle in service somewhere so that they can care for the people who are under their protection. They must worry that the multifaceted family continues. Sure, I do not feel very qualified to do this and even so I have to push others, who also may not be so qualified to become representatives of someone as qualified and exalted as Srila Prabhupada.

- One wonders how this is possible, it is like saying that there is a math teacher who is just learning math. But, one way or another, everything will be corrected with humility and so one can do a service for which he is unprepared for. And with that we can humbly say that Srila Prabhupada by his mercy has put everything into place. And of course, when you want to deliver and delegate this responsibility to others, it becomes even more difficult.

Tonight I heard a very beautiful and exciting class in which Srila Prabhupada spoke on bhajanānandī . I became very much emotional with this class. There Prabhupada said that preachers are always risking. For in this world there is great potential to develop service. Because of that, a devout preacher takes many risks in his attempt to help others and Krsna takes into account those risks.

At the same time He gives special protection to these devotees. Well, when one is dedicated only to their personal well being they end up developing a vague mindset that will not allow them to develop further. Hopefully you have some depth so you do not crash. And of course, this is not the last line of Srila Prabhupada. On the contrary, in this class, Srila Prabhupada openly praised those devotees who dare to share with others what they have learned from their spiritual master.

In that sense, I dare you to continue encouraging others to sacrifice and also do something big for Srila Prabhupada, to trust him, read his books. Let them do all the things that our teachers have thus done and in this way they will grow spiritually and become part of this mystical transaction. Mystical and miraculous. You can not even grasp the fact that we can even be sannyasis and diffusers - communicators of the divine message of Sri Gauranga . That totally falls into the category of causeless mercy and the inexplicable.

Actually , I feel very grateful to Srila Prabhupada and to all those who took his message on all sides, and if Prabhupada had not had such devotees, neophytes in his time, who took his message, this would not have come down to us.

The fact that Prabhupada had disciples everywhere ensures that his message was expanding everywhere. Although he was not physically present everywhere, he was there through their representatives. To all of them I offer my obeisances.

I also start to think about the fact that as a person who has very little experience as one does (although a few more years have passed, but before the Supreme Truth still remains as a tiny little boy) he still continues to have the chance to serve. So I am more than convinced that every devotee, in one way or another, is a siksa -guru. There is not much to argue about it, rather it is a reality. Generally the disciple does not have such a steady partnership with the diksa -guru, that's very difficult. Usually one is with the diksa -guru for few days, or a month, more so it is something unprecedented . I myself spent a small amount of time by my Gurudeva, Srila Prabhupada. I saw him about 20 times, but it was always sporadic, although I spent a month in India in the year of 76, but I barely saw him, because Srila Prabhupada was always very busy. But I feel very fortunate to have been near him.

Anyway, the fact of being next to your Spiritual Master doing some personal service for him is something very difficult, these are few moments in life and rather one has to live the rest of your life by them. Of course, I also had the chance to associate with Srila Sridhar Maharaj and Srila Puri Maharaj. Then also with Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj and other such exalted Vaishnavas. With them I could have some closeness, touch their feet, feel their vibration, see their smile, their embrace and all that is very wonderful. So I feel very lucky and you also have the opportunity to partner with great Vaishnavas from different missions.

The main point is that the siksa -guru is the one who has the responsibility of caring for the lives of the devotees and direct their shelter. It is a major and very special service. As the most important person in the kitchen is the cook, the siksa -guru is essential in the spiritual life of the disciple.

We must be very cautious and not forget that we are dependent on the mercy of Krishna. Anything we do is always mercy, that mercy is that we survived, that we continue on the trail and can act as representatives and deliver everything our Gurudeva has given us.

So, my dear, this 30th year of the Vrinda Family will be a year of launching rockets. Launching Vaishnava rockets into your service, with lots and lots and lots of autonomy. Sure, the devotee does not want to be autonomous because by nature the devotee wants to be very dependent upon their guardians, but still remaining dependent, it is important that you take responsibility for this task to become a representative, a spiritual guide.

This is natural and should remain natural. Family means that from one family then many families will be born, if not then the family starts to die. The wonderful thing is that when a family gives rise to many families it becomes a dynasty. I hope our family becomes a dynasty of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu.

We receive a lot of mercy from Srila Prabhupada and that same mercy is the possibility of  becoming a representative of Srila Prabhupada. Recently we had the mercy on behalf of Srila Prabhupada, to be accepted as a unifying mamo of ancestral cultures. Mamos Kogi  and Mamos Arhuacos , which are the spiritual leaders of two native peoples of Colombia, together granted this responsibility to unify and spread this ancient wisdom.

I did not feel that this was something for me, rather, I felt that Srila Prabhupada was being recognized by them. It was a recognition of the spiritual realm of native cultures. To our dear Srila Prabhupada, who is undoubtedly a mamo.

This recognition that was realized in Varsana during the meeting was a plan of theirs, they even brought the mamo robe and gave it to us.

The fact of being named a Mamo I feel it is a grand acknowledgement of Srila Prabhupada and his mission in Latin America. It is in fact difficult for someone to be accepted by the native people, because they are isolated in order to protect their culture. However, Krishna and Srila Prabhhupada did so, they allowed the devotees to distribute prasadam in some important encounters with the native people of different countries.

The Native people of Colombia recognized the Vaishnavas as one of the 100 tribes from the country, demonstrating how open hearted they are in accepting all the devotees and the philosophy.
With that I say goodbye ,

Your always well wisher,
B. A. Paramadvaiti Swami