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

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

Everything Krsna Does is Perfect. Mayapur. 12/7/14

Conference.

My dear devotees
Preachers of love,

In full marathon, the first week. And the result is exciting that Thakur Prabhu in Peru and his group have obtained. At the same time, there are several important events of the marathon, like Kiwa in Colombia and the tribunal against the abuse of Mother Earth in Peru. A concert of our friend Hector Buitrago in Lima in the margin of the People's Summit. A lot of service. While here in India we have already presented four plays successfully at the Ekachakra villages in Kattwa and Navadvip. We are now being invited to other places like Ambika Kalna and other sacred sites of the pastimes of Lord Caitanya. Who can understand it? Pure mercy.

Krishna knows what he wants. When things get tough in my life I take refuge in two sentences: "Everything that happens that Krishna allows is perfect, it must be so ... if not, it would not have happened": And when circumstances still seem ugly, I take refuge in the phrase "every cloud has a silver lining" and with that, I calm the mind completely, otherwise how will I calm the mind of others if my own mind is agitated.

Therefore, by calming my own mind I extend my hand to the people who are still sad or agitated so they can also feel the protection of reflection and thus can begin the process of harmonization with the prayer "vanca kalpa tarubhyas ca ...: apologizing to all others who may have been offended by my conscious or unconscious behaviors in the past. With this attitude of humility one can go into battle again, in a pleasant and appreciative way. And by doing so reach goals in a transparent manner of what I should give to those around me.

Of course, when something happens that I do not like, I should complain to my authority to harmonize things. Because harmonization is possible when one receives the authorization for it. At certain times of conflict in the world it is necessary to consult the guardian of both sides. The guardian who is accepted by both sides of the conflict. However, preaching is our life. And preaching brings conflict. And in order to grow one must experience conflict ... or rather, when there is growth conflicts will appear. Each new child in the world means a new problem. Each new temple, it means new challenges. So when we preach we are inviting new problems. Secondly, to avoid problems there should be transparency, especially if a program handles Lakshmi, for many reasons it should remain transparent.

We are in Kali Yuga and there is a lot of envy. Now we need to realize this so it does not remain as just a theory. And so we do not have to learn it again. I send you a hug in this marathon that you are having there. With love I say goodbye from Mayapur Dham.

Jay Srila Prabhupada!

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

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.

Education 9/3/2014 India

Dear devotees
Please accept my blessings.
These days we have been meditating on the subject of education.

First off it is important to know the difference between information and education. Now a days, we receive more information than education. There is no real concern or connection between your teacher and your internal development. This is the same as in medicine. There is no real relationship between your doctor and your health. In psychology there is no real relationship between the psychologist and the patient.

In Vedic culture and ancestral cultures there is an emphasis on the relationship of the teacher with the disciple. There is the constant concern of the teacher to educate the disciple. That is not to provide information, it is to represent the mystic teachings of the culture in a reliable manner.

To educate is to teach by example. Teaching values. Transmitting culture so that the disciple becomes cultured and. Cult is adoration and culture is worship, worship the sacred, worship God, mother earth, worship rivers, loving our brothers. An educated person is one who worships God. They know and understand the basic values ​​of life. Respect, cleanliness, austerity, the joy of being happy with what we have and utilizing it to please Sri Krsna. All that can be learned in the school of the spiritual master.
 
We do not complain of materialistic education; it educates us not only values ​​but at the same time it also gives information that is false. For example, take into mind the theory of evolution. Explain to a child that he came from a monkey. Or that it all started with a bang and there is no need to acknowledge anything or appreciate anyone. And that life only ends with death therefore, you should enjoy to the fullest. Putting that into the mind and heart of a child is damaging and terrible. But we have received that damage. It is a trauma. So the atheist justifies everything he does. They invented a lot of philosophy to support their desire to enjoy.

Being in Krishna consciousness is being in constant cultivation of activities, charging your batteries. You have to turn the engine on with the batteries that we have received from Srila Prabhupada. Hopefully everyone is well connected to receive all the surcharged energy of Krishna consciousness . Now you should devote your life to helping others in their spiritual education. That is the perennial process. If you inspire someone to become a devotee with your preaching he is in your care for life. It is not about bringing Krishna into someone's life and then you say 'I do not care what you do after this'. You can not give someone Krishna and then act badly or dissociate yourself from that person, on the contrary now you 're his Vaisnava companion who will care for this person for the rest of their life. That's perennial education. That's genuine interest in others. Give them something that will serve them for life. Not like doctors: they give him medicine and then on to the next patient, never again do they see you unless you are a regular customer.

A devotee is a physician of the soul. And a soul requires ongoing treatment to leave out of this world. You need one and many who to assist. So in education there are many who are involved: dad, mom, spiritual teacher and everyone in the community.

A devotee is one who cultivates people who want to leave this world, that means until you exit this world you have a responsibility just like a dad or mom has. A parent never leaves the child, it would be a sin to. So also one can not leave the preaching, that would be an act of violence. One has no right to it. You have free will and because of how you acted with that free will you are in this world.

This free will can take you up or can take you down. It depends on what you decide but if you have good association you can be saved. In schools there is no good association. Once they asked Srila Prabhupada: What is the importance of the childhood experiences in regards to the further development of one self?

Srila Prabhupada said . . . " Children imitate who they associated with. All of you know the movie Tarzan and he was raised by apes, and took the habit of monkeys. If you keep children in good association, their psychological development will be very good- and can become as good as demigods. But if you give them bad association, they will become demoniac. Children are a blank slate you can mold them as you like, they are eager to learn." Srila Prabhupada was very committed to the education of children.

Srila Prabhupada was revolutionary , he was sent only to attack the great beast of Western materialism. He went to the West and was successful in establishing the message of pure love of Krishna. And he gave the best by example, with his instructions, his writings, with his projects.

Srila Prabhupada came to this world to recruit us all to become pure devotees.
Srila Prabhupada had the courage to tell the materialist : you're wrong. But Srila Prabhupada said it in such a loving way and yet so strong . Srila Prabhupada in the famous Harvard University said "Universities are slaughterhouses of the soul." You are not educating people in science to know who they are, that is life, what is death and what is the goal. You certify people with knowledge without having taught them in a scientific manner the cause of birth, aging, sickness and death.

Srila Prabhupada did not fear anyone. When it was announced that man reached the moon, Srila Prabhupada said "Lie, how can a man ever reach the moon?" They asked, but Prabhupada How can you say this? Srila Prabhupada said : This is what the sastras say. Srila Prabhupada had a fixed faith. But some disciples doubted this: How can Srila Prabhupada can say this when they are showing it on TV and there are some guys walking on the moon? Srila Prabhupada said, "they are walking in a desert but not on the moon." Then some disciples of Srila Prabhupada said, No, we can no longer believe in Srila Prabhupada and they were gone, but few left. I personally do not mind the theme of the moon because I thought : I'm in the land and I do not have things well organized here, what do I care about reaching the moon." It was not my problem but I also thought : How could Prabhupada says this?

Today, many years after the so-called moon landing it was uncovered and indeed man never landed on the moon, it was all a lie, a deception to everyone just to prove supremacy of a technology they didn't have. There is evidence that checks out and frauds the moon landing, representing the greatest theft of humanity.

That was Srila Prabhupada. No fear. Revolutionary. He was an educator first. All who had contact with Srila Prabhupada had this impact. Srila Prabhupada was really interested in our soul, in our spiritual growth. Even many of his disciples saw him only once or a few times but it was enough to engrave in their hearts the great love he had for all. His love was of a quality that was enamored by his compassion and care. After listening to a class of Srila Prabhupada you wanted to run to change the world. But how can you change the world if you do not change yourself first. That is true education.

I wish that you all findin this life an eternal educator and you too become educators. Since I arrived to the school of my spiritual master he sent me to teach others. How was that possible? By the mercy and the urgency to deliver this message in this world. You do not know how beautiful Krishna consciousness is until you experience it, so we should encourage everyone to learn and become educators in Krishna consciousness. We do not deserve this but we receive it by His mercy. And by that same mercy we must give to others so we do not lose it .
With these words I leave today.

Srila Prabhupada ki Jay.

Your always well wisher,

B. A. Swami Paramadvaiti .