Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta love. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta love. Mostrar todas las entradas

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

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

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:

jihva-vegam udaropastha-vegam
(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

Our constitutional position is to be a servant of Lord Krsna. 7/19/15 From Vrinda Bhumi


My dear devotees.
Receive all my affection from Vrinda Bhumi

Today I want to talk a little about the liberation, of true liberation. What is true liberation? It means abandoning all different walks of life: like bhutas or other subtle bodies and being situated in your true svarupa of self. True liberation is to find one's position relative to Krishna, svarupa siddhi. Siddhasvarupananda, the divine form, the spiritual body. Only people who have experienced confidential disclosures know their siddhasvarupa. This is not something public to advertise, rather it is something very confidential.

Once I asked Srila Guru Maharaj (Srila BR. Sridhar Goswami Maharaj) on two issues related to confidential books like Gita Govinda. He replied: "ordinary Sannyasis should not read this," that was his answer. He said: ordinary sannyasis. It is a great mercy to enter into the sannyasi stage of life, but that does not ensure that one is able to know his svarupa siddhi. If one is not surrendered, then you will not understand anything. There are two ways to assessing one's svarupa . The first is general and it is the assessment of one as Nitya Krishna dasa, as dasa dasanudasa, "the servant of the servant of the servant" ... the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna, the maintainer of the gopis, who are His eternal associates. Then, internally speaking, my own service has some connection with Sri Krishna and the gopis, but since I am the servant of the servant of the servant, I'm sure of the service to my guru. So I am protected. So nitya Krishna dasa is my constitutional position, my svarupa as a servant. Krishna will reveal my service and my own spiritual svarupa when He desires it. How many lives will this be delayed? Only He knows. I can mourn and pray for it, but it is He who will respond, Sri Radha Govinda have all rights reserved on this issue. Nobody else. In India one can see some "imitators" if you meet them and tell them that you like the bhakti yoga process, they will tell you that they can reveal your svarupa. So, many people believe that it is very easy to get your svarupa, which just involves going to India, but that is not an authorized process.

Srila Prabhupada said that "imitation" would not help us in spiritual advancement. He said that a person may want to have children, but if you do not have a fertilized seed in the womb of your wife, no child will be born. Women can imitate being pregnant, but she will not get any child if the seed was not planted. Similarly, if the revelation was not revealed to you then you can not pretend to know what your svarupa is nor can you reveal it to others. This is only a warning. However, it is clear that one's svarupa does exist, because in the spiritual world you're going to have an auspicious spiritual body, but we are not qualified for it. Perhaps we will need many more lives practicing bhakti yoga to develop the skills that allow us to reach the spiritual world and assume that spiritual form in that environment. Srila Prabhupada said that anything is possible, that even in this life it can manifest if you want it, but for this you have to make a very important choice: fully detach yourself from material things. Svarupa then means to be a servant of Krishna, if I accept that then from now on I have to devote myself to do service. And one should have a meaningful conversation with your siksa - guru or diksa - guru about the service to do. There are devotees who never talk about service, just eat prasada, however, in spiritual life one needs to inquire about what one should do.
Regardless of the type of service, you can study, cook, care for your children ... there are many services. Surely, Guru will engage you in a service to support their mission, maintaining a temple, to become a pujari, organize spiritual conferences, multiple services.

There are many services that exist and Guru knows what service is good for everyone.
Only the person must know what they are looking for and what to do. This relationship with the Guru is very important. Sometimes in my service I get to hear the widest variety of difficulties and fights, but more important than that is the service that will offer. So the relationship with the Guru never ends, because there are always new projects and service areas to offer. When someone terminates a service, then they check the details for the next service. That's part of svarupa, because our constitutional position is to be a servant. I will devote myself to develop the service that was delivered me: either to finish a book, edit, correct it, etc. Always with creativity and responsibility.
Do not expect people run after you to ask for service. That exists in the beginner stage where the representative of the spiritual master must always be behind you to ask you to engage in some services. Sure, that's a position that is a little tiring for the leader, but it is also very merciful at the same time. Otherwise the temple will just be filled with people who are serving only themselves. That is maya. That's where the leader and commander become very merciful and tell others: come here please, we need your help.

Svarupa does not mean laziness. The svarupa is not lazy. So this issue is very important in the execution of service in spiritual life. Svarupa means service. Be clear about the service you perform.
 Some services last for a long time. Mine, for example, has lasted long. The first phrase that Srila Prabhupada said to me was "dedicated your life to give to people what you have learned from me." I was shocked, in one sentence Srila Prabhupada gave me a service for life. I accept it as it was, though I was not qualified. Honestly, it is a big service to deliver Krishna - bhakti to everyone. Always having to set an example with one's own behavior, that's very difficult. Waking up every day thinking about representing the spiritual master, chanting the Gayatri mantra, chanting rounds and then get to work, to do service ... and well, that is a lifetime. A month is easy, but a lifetime? And personal desires? It's difficult. However, I accept this service and I felt very happy that my Guru gave me so much service, and I had no idea that this was it. For me living in Vrinda Bhumi like doing service in Paris is the same, the issue is to do the service with pleasure. The perfection of service is solely to serve with the intention of serving Krishna. There are many variants of service as well, according to the wishes and interests, you can be on the farm or in the city. For example, Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur wanted to stay in Mayapur, but went to Calcutta, because there were many people waiting for the mercy of such a Vaishnava. So we must pray for the service.

Vrinda Bhumi ki jay!
Srila Prabhupada ki jay!
Your always well-wisher,
B.A. Paramadvaiti Swami

Love is always beyond calculation & the message of God's love. 6/28/15. Miami.

Dear Devotees,
A big hug from Miami Mandir,

The divine principle of fault comes into all of our minds on great frequencies of life; sometimes it gets stuck there, continuously. love is a need. Love is a thirst, more intensive than thirst itself. Love is life, and life is air. And if your love for air is much, as high, as your love for love, then you know which way to go. As soon as someone chokes us we pray, “air, air,...give me one breath of air otherwise I will perish.” So if you compare air with love what is more important? Air you get life after life, again and again, but love is what we are looking for. air we hardly even notice we don’t pay attention to it unless we lose it then it becomes worshipable at once, but love is the sum and substance of each jiva and each soul’s search. It is a very intensive inner process and  we don’t know much about it because we are in the world of sensual perceptions, captivated by egotistic sense gratification, which has turned our idea of love into lust. And the scriptures emphasize this again and again ‘lust is the opposite of love’, don’t equate the two or you get the wrong idea. Caitanya Caritamrta. deals with this subject, Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam,
anyabhilasita-sunyam
jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu-
silanam bhaktir uttama
(BRS 1.1.11)

sa vai puḿsāḿ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
(S.B. 1.2.6)

So many slokas deal with the quality of love being something exclusive, something to strive for, something to give everything for. And what do we have to give? We have to give up our ego, our selfish planning, very tough, very tough. there is a story in the mahabharata about one family who was in peril. That peril could be solved by one person sacrificing himself and they all wanted to sacrifice themselves for the family because they loved everybody so much and someone question that and the son answered, “yes to save a family you have to sacrifice one member, to save a village you have to sacrifice an entire family, to save a country you may have to sacrifice one entire village, and to save yourself you have to sacrifice the whole world.” That is the analogy given in the mahabh. so what does it mean to sacrifice the whole world? Sacrifice your desire to enjoy and control the world. you renounce the world by saying yes i want to serve the lord, serve the love that maintains the world, i want to see the world god centered, i want to see the world in connection with its original cause. The original cause of this world is also love. we need to understand that the principle of love is absolute cosmic tattva, prema tattva, cosmic tattva means it's inside the gene of every soul of everybody of everywhere it is omnipotent, it is omnipresent that need for love. and for that love we have to give up the entire world. That is called self realization, it’s really incredible no? Can you in a catalog that you can get, a little love dose? No. Love is always beyond calculation. even the perverted reflections of love is beyond that. You cannot tell another person how much can i pay you that you will love me? People get the wrong idea that ‘I can pay someone to have sex with me that means i can pay someone to love me.’ that is bogus, pure b.s. you cannot even buy the love of a dog. well, they say that when you give them dog food and the dog is wagging the tail and jumping happily, “i love you, i love you”, but he is not saying i love you he is saying i love your food.

Srila Prabhupada tells a story which is not so funny: When people die in the street in some places, then the dog comes first to find the dead body, they bite off the nose tip because it so soft, they lick the skin because it's salty and they bite the nose. So when the dog comes to lick you, oh he loves me so much giving me kisses, but he is just licking the salt of your skin, he is a dog. I don’t know if he will eat your nose when you’re nose when you’re dead. I don’t know i can’t tell that, if there is some sympathy from the dog because you gave him so much food. Interracial feelings, interspecies feeling, they cannot satisfy. even though it sometimes looks like it. For example, we celebrate the dolphin which apparently loves, or the dog, the cat, the horse, there are so many stories but interspecies, to a certain degree, is an invasion in the privacy of others. Does the little dog want to be carried in the arm of the lady? Is the dog really comfortable there? You would have to ask the dog, but the dog sees another dog, and he wants to play with another dog, because that’s what a dog life is all about. imagine they pick you and put you, for your whole life, playing with rhinoceros, how would you feel? So it is a question, that here we see that there’s an incredible drive inside of us, and that drive is looking for love, and if you don’t find divine love, you will try to find it in any area, anything goes.

When you’re mad for love and you don’t know how to go about it..and then we hear from the scriptures that you can only get love if you only give your heart completely, if you surrender to love, otherwise there is no possibility, it’s like you’re asking for a deal, that i give you 5 and you give me 5,000, people look at you, what’s happening to you? how can you expect I give you 5000 and you only give 5? what kind of deal is that? so love means you have to give everything. in marriage you have to give 50/50, by the law. you get married, ok 50% of your stuff, whatever you have, now goes to her. and now a days they try to avoid that by all kinds of law, but that was the tradition. when you want to relate in the highest love, it’s not 50/50 it’s 100, you have to give yourself 100%, fight your ego 100%. That's divine love a relationship with god. no reservation, no need, He already knows what’s best for you, that's why the son never asks the mother, hey mother so how much i owe you? Can you imagine a son asking that to his mother? mother, can you write me a bill for the last 20 years? The mother will feel so insulted with such a question, so insulted. You want to put a price tag on my love? Sorry, i don’t go for that hmm. you agree with me? Its impossible to evaluate a mother’s love, and so many other’s, mundane examples, mundane in a sense because it’s temporary,worldly, because at some point the mother or child dies, and over the years the feeling becomes less intense. Its something you have to give full recognition to and to love itself you have to give the fullest recognition. That’s what the holy scriptures teach us.

Love thy Lord above everything, with all thy mind, intelligence, heart and soul.Love Him with everything. And don't forget your neighbors, love thy neighbor as thyself. That is a very good one. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Isn’t that beautiful? Why not love another person like yourself, if they are your brothers and sisters. How does it work? You can love them like this when you love god above everything then this is easy because then we all become like a fraternity. The deepest and deepest felt fraternity like an eternal brotherhood./sisterhood. We don’t aspire for friendship, for example, take this krsna nanda das there, I know him now for almost 20 years, maybe less, but for quite a while, but do I only what to know him in this lifetime, or do I want to know about his welfare next lifetime? If there is some deep appreciation, you want welfare for everybody not just in this lifetime but for the next. That is why the devotees have transcendental philosophy. They want the best for everyone and that’s why we are trying to connect to the divine.

Only in the divine world is this type of generosity to be found where we all belong to each other and we should always belong to each other. Whatever i have i want to share with you, that's a very high state of consciousness. Now, do i want to share my dress with you? no because it is only a one person dress. its not a question of physical things. sharing is on a higher level. Of course, I may want to share my food with you, that's fine, but really sharing, means the higher things, the loving issues, which concern me forever in the highest level, that I want to share, and I want you to have and that is something that connect us eternally because then we can really rejoice the higher substance if we are ready to share it eternally.if there is no way no way I can let you go. god does that with us, He says, “there is no way I can let you go, I give you free will, but I go with you as Supersoul and I will be with you, and look after you, and I will bring you back home, back to Godhead, only if you are willing to come, I am ready to help you.” This is something which we can observe from the scriptures:

sarvasya cāhaḿ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham
(Bhagavad Gita 15.15)

“I am in your heart, i give you knowledge, i give you memory, i let you forget if you wish so, and I give you the knowledge about Myself, and I will give you that knowledge by all the Vedas from which I am to be known, and I am the knower of Vedanta and I am the giver of Vedanta, I am everything. I am everything for you, and you are everything for Me, but I am the Lord of Lord, the origin of everything which exists in every individual. Therefore, I am love personified.”

How can you not love the one who has given life to all of us. What do you mean love? ‘Oh reverence, I believe He is so great, so admirable, i have no words to find for the marvels of His existence. and then He responds, “You know what I don’t want your awe and reverence. I want your feeling, i want your bhava. I have come to this world as baby krsna and that you will fall in love with me, or I am dancing with the gopis, come on join our dance. All full of divine loving feeling, the Lord is inviting us. Awe and reverence is okay, we can have it, yes yes, why not, but it’s not to the liking of the Lover. Father, father, when the little son stands in front of him, “father you are so great, you are so unbelievable.” perhaps the father feels flatter for a moment, but then he says, come on shut up and sit on my lap so I can kiss you. This awe and reverence gets in the way. One time, my guru explained that, the viceroy of India, he was in his office, and the prime minister came, and the prime minister came to say something important. The viceroy is like the representative of the king, and the prime minister came into the office and the secretary said, “sorry he gave strict orders that no one can disturb him.” So the prime minister said, “but i am the prime minister, I need to talk to him.” Sorry he gave me strict orders that no one can disturb him.” So the prime minister is pacing up and down and again asked, and again she said no, and then he loses his patience, and walks by the secretary and opens the door to the viceroy’s office and what does he see? The viceroy is on the carpet on all fours,arms and legs, like a horse, and his grandson is sitting on his back saying, “run horse, run horse!”  The prime minister thought, “that was the secret, that’s why i was not suppose to disturb. Our supreme commander is playing horse, a very intimate issue.” So do you think God has intimate issues? Do you think He has something, that He wants to be close to you, why not? You want to be close to everybody. its not enough to say hi to Giri, no, hi Giri, that’s just a hello.

Nowadays people give each other hugs and hopefully people know what that means, when they go heart to heart. Not just a fashion. We want to hug someone, we want to nurture someone, care for someone, that is the nature of the relationships. That's why the fingers have such an incredible sense of touch because you can just sense someone when you touch them with a finger. and you feel some pleasant response, they have accepted their affection. of course this is just the skin touching. I am not talking about the transcendental level because at that level it is the highest of all and it cannot be conceived by words. Words are very poor unless they are words about god, krsna katha,thats a different story. When you are talking about God, it enters into a different realm, called sabda brahma . And if you’re lucky you can receive sabda brahma and feel a higher energy which emanates from that which is not produced by sound vibrating instrument, but produced by the heart called sphurta vana. Sphurta Vana is beyond the realm of science, its spiritual science. It is the inner vibration, the inner love, the inner care, and that care for the Lord for us is so incredibly high. That’s why He has given His own love into our heart. Man is made under the image of God, so there is a potential in us of love giving up everything for our love, sacrificing everything that is there, and that is required. You want a cheaper version, well, then get a sticker on your car that says, “I love New York.” Okay you love New York, very nice. But the love you are looking for is divine love, face the facts and act upon them. You want a cheaper version, no doubt you can get many cheaper versions. And with those cheaper version we are suffering because we know they are cheaper versions.

Srila Guru Maharaja used to say told us don’t settle for less, you are the son of nectar, you are born by the origin impulse of nectar, you are destined to taste the divine nectar of love, don’t settle for less, but be ready to give everything from yourself and pray, its all prayer, we can only be saved by this divine prayer, repentance for our devious activities and attempts to find another type of love. Selfish love, what is selfish love? A very strange thing, it’s just having fun, enjoying the moment, a peak sensation, taken in intoxication, masturbation, oh now I love myself, it is really cheap, but it is capturing the mind because of the lack of real love. When there is real love and there is real sacrifice there is no time for such silly things. Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu have brought us some understanding of real love by sharing with us, that they are committed to this highest love, by sharing whatever we can with whomever we can regarding that highest love. That is why I have chosen this subject: Real love, sacrifice for it and sharing it, and then you will be busy for the rest of your life. And there is no time to turn back, there is no reason for it, and there is no remorse that it will ever come to you, not possible that when you go into the light that you will end up in darkness. So when you are going for the nectar of love you will not end up being lost somewhere, but watch out tests will come, many type of tests along the way, the more you advance the more tests will come to finally check you out. Are your real? Is that what you want? What did you want before? Oh, you want love, divine love, you want? Wonderful.

Then the Lord will definitely send someone to you to teach you about this divine love. And he will teach you about atma nivedana, atma means the soul, and nivedana means the soul surrendered. You know what soul surrender is? What means surrender? That is a very very heavy term. It means we are in a fight, a big fight, and already so many of our family have died in the fight because we were really fighting, fighting, fighting, he wanted to kill me, and i wanted to kill him and then he decides to surrender. What does he do? He takes a white cloth of his dhoti and hangs it on his roof. Surrender! And that means when he comes out, his hands are up, and now I am surrendered. Hmm..okay he surrendered, so now what are we going to do with the guy? Feed him, because he is almost dead, perhaps he surrendered because there was no more food, who knows, but now he is under my shelter. A moment ago I wanted to kill him and now I have to feed him, educate him, look after his children, see what his health situation is, and even provide him with a house. Something like that. Any questions? I know this is a very intensive subject. And I don’t seem very qualified to speak about it or listen about it, but it is too hot to drink, but too sweet to leave. Something like that. Divine topics of our inner higher identity is very taxing. And the most amazing thing which catches me is that when you understand that loving God is so high, then you come to grip with the idea that the similar love intensity can and should be applied to each other because you show your love to Him by showing love to the people around you. It’s not, “Oh I love God, I love God, He is so great, sorry the rest of the people I don’t care so much for.” Like one of my friends, he says, ‘the more I know about man the more I love my dogs and that is not fair because you should love your dogs and you should love man, you should love everyone. That’s the message of God’s love, it’s not that you have your preferences.

I thank you very much for coming here today, I need all your love to go with me to Cuba. To distribute love to Cuba I don’t have much experience, but I can imagine how much love is required, I can just imagine. It is the same everywhere it just has a Cuban flair, and the Cuban history. In my heart I went there many many times because there are our dearest brothers there, because in Miami we are half Cuban anyways. There are so many Cubans here, so those who live in Miami, must know something. But Cuba is another side of the story and like I said I have been there many times in my mind, in my plans, I have had quite a few Cuban students in Miami, in South America, in Mexico, students who studied in Cuba, so how to give divine love freely to the Cubans is the task which I am praying to find the answer.

Srila Prabhupada Ki Jaya!

Your always well wisher,
Ba Paramadvaiti Swami