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

Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, cause of all causes 8/24/14. Colombia

Conference. 

My dear devotees. 
Receive all my affection from Armenia. 

There have been very nice days here in the company of the devotees. There are many things in motion here in Colombia. We are very fortunate to receive many blessings. Krishna really answers our heartfelt prayer of asking him to allow us to become an instrument of His love.

We do not understand what is the plan of Krishna and he organizes everything, but we have faith that He is behind every detail connecting everything to a higher good. 

Krisha stu Bhagavan svayam 
Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes. 

And Krishna's devotee has a strong commitment to the suffering of other beings on the planet. For the devotee yearns that all beings may know this supreme truth about God. That is called true compassion. The process of Krishna Consciousness is to earn friends. Becoming friends in the hearts of all, because you care about your friends, you want them to be well and be happy. That is the beginning of the spiritual process, sambandha jnana, knowledge about God and the relationship with the living entities. 

The Lord gives us very high goals that sometimes seem elusive, but still we must continue in our attempt and not be discouraged. Rather we should focus on cultivating enthusiasm, and filling our lives with beautiful things related to Krishna that excite us in spiritual life. 

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained to Srila Rupa Goswami that the seed of bhakti that the spiritual master plants in the heart of the devotee begins to germinate when it becomes irrigated with the water from the holy name. But like any little plant you have to water daily. Not a day of watering and then spend two weeks and give no water. Plants need water constantly. They also need sun and other favorable aspects. In summary, carefulness.

Thus, the seed of bhakti needs care. It needs to be watered daily with the chanting of the Holy Name. Because Krishna is not different from His name. That is the gift of Lord Caitanya. And just like plants, it is not that you just see water and sun, unwanted things also grow, weeds. So as the bhakti creeper grows, so do the weeds within the heart that takes away from the strength of the seedling of bhakti. Mahaprabhu said that such vines need to be removed immediately. 

Therefore a devotee needs to be very determined in caring for their spiritual life, caring continuously of  your bhakti creeper, the growing seedling of bhakti. If the devotee is dedicated to caring for it and constantly watering the creeper of bhakti, then he or she will get stronger and grow eventually reaching the Lotus Feet of Lord Krishna. There the devotee will hold on tightly and the dedicated devotee may leave this material plane. Care is the key. Caring and eliminating the undesirable aspects. 

Common sense and inner guidance is always helping us identify these undesirable aspects. Although often we deceive ourselves and do as if we did not know what we were doing. But sooner or later that payment will need to be paid if you do not pay attention to them. Sincerity is the salvation of the devotee. Sincerity and taking refuge in the most advanced Vaishnavas will help you in your spiritual journey. We must not only take care of our own practice, but also everything that has been put in our care: caring for our children and educating them lovingly with care of the highest values​​. Taking care of our temples, the devotees programs that have opened to preach to souls. Caring for our service, without care you will lose that service. 

You do not know what you really have until you lose it. And to not lose it, we must care for it. Spiritual growth is that, dependent upon the care and support we give to things. That is the mysticism of spiritual life, as long as you take care of others, you will also be automatically cared for. That is a commitment to Srila Prabhupada, the endeavor to try to help others every moment, because in the spiritual life every second is vital. Therefore the individual relationship one develops with the people around you is very important as is the personal relationship with the spiritual master, because as far as relationships of the heart are strengthened, the quality of caring also strengthens. And so all the mystical aspects begin functioning. 
So we can stay connected with the Infinite Lord of love through our connection with others. As the verse of Sri Isopanisad (verse 1) says: 

isavasyam idam sarvam

yat kinca jagatyam jagat

tena tyaktena bhunjitha

                                                                ma gridhah kasya svid dhanam 

"Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong."

That is very clearly explained that the Lord is the controller of everything, so all effort to go against his will is absolutely in vain. Use what you need, do not use what you do not need and not waste. If everyone can apply this principle, then the world would remain in perfect balance. But the problem starts when we begin to use more than what is destined for us. 

We return again to the subject of care. Take care of what you have received. Appreciate and care. If we live in harmony with the will of Krishna and not accumulate negative karma, this is called akarma. 

So it is very important to set a good example regardless, cost what it may cost, only in that way can people draw  inspiration from you and be encouraged to leave Maya. But, if you give a bad example or your behavior is poor and you discourage others, then you become a murderer of the soul and wrap yourself in ignorance. That is something very delicate, to discourage others in their spiritual process. We must guard a lot of it. 

These are the thoughts I wanted to share with you all on this day. The care that we must have with our spiritual life and that of others. 

These days in Bogota were very interesting. We were trying to finish some work of Oida therapy with the team. We also had important Ikwashendwna meeting, very happy with the support of  Prabhu Nrishimha and his activist group. (sentence missing).. A very important site for the development of Krishna Consciousness. Along the way we are inaugurating today the new center of Armenia. 

With that I say goodbye for today. 
All my affection 
Jay Srila Prabhupada! 

Your always well wisher, 
B. A. Swami Paramadvaiti.