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Wonderful Prasadam

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From Back to Godhead In many places in his books Srila Prabhupada describes the wonders of prasadam, food prepared with devotion and offered to Krishna. Prabhupada discusses such merits of prasadam as how it effectively immunizes one against the contamination of the material nature, how it frees one from becoming a ghost after death, and even how it is considered ecstatic nectar from the lips of Lord Krishna. In the Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya-lila, 4.93, purport) Srila Prabhupada writes: The Krishna consciousness movement vigorously approves this practice of preparing food, offering it to the Deity, and distributing it to the general population. This activity should be extended universally to stop sinful eating habits as well as other behavior befitting only demons. A demoniac civilization will never bring peace to the world… . When the people take to eating only prasadam offered to the Deity, all the demons will be turned into Vaishnavas… . It is then and then only that a peaceful...
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Ātma Dharma is One. It's manifestations are many.

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An excerpt from Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī's conversation with Kāśī University's Philosophy Professor, Phaṇībhūṣaṇa Adhikārī published in The Gauḍīya (Vol. 12, Issue 35) in 4th April, 1934: Prof. Adhikārī: Then, until realisation is attained, no one will be able to speak about the truth. Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta: The realisation of a jīva afflicted by defects such as *bhrama (*illusion) and *pramāda (*error) will not do. Whatever the Vaiṣṇavas speak, they are not speaking words of their own manufacture or imagination; in every case they are pointing toward the lotus feet of the guru. The guru is not ten or five (i.e., there are not many independent gurus). mannāthaḥ śrī-jagannātho mad-guruḥ śrī-jagad-guruḥ My Lord is Śrī Jagannātha. My guru is the guru of the entire world.” The Absolute Truth requires no challenge from anybody. Prof. Adhikārī: Then that guru can have no limit. That guru may be found in all religions. Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta: L...
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Hearing Srila Prabhupada Solves All Our Problems

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Srila Prabhupada once said that when devotees leave the practice of Krishna consciousness, the responsibility is "fifty percent theirs, and fifty percent ISKCON's." It is an honest and brave statement. And the second half of that equation deserves deep reflection, because it points to something that isn't an individual failure, but a failure in support, in the community, in how the practice is transmitted and sustained. What stands out is that we are not talking about people who never approached spiritual practice. We are talking about those who took serious steps, who chanted their rounds, followed the principles, and experienced—at least for a while—that real relief the process offers. And yet, at some point, they left. Not always with drama. Not always arguing that the process doesn't work. They simply stopped practicing. Material life, college, another spiritual quest, a party-going girlfriend, gradually occupied the space that sadhana once held. And if they ...
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Parenting Guidelines by Srila Prabhupada

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by Kishori Devi Dasi (ACBSP) – from "Prabhupada Memories" Srila Prabhupada told me ways to treat children according to the Vedic or Vaishnava ways. He said very firmly, “A child should never be left to cry. You immediately pick him up.” He also said, “Never say ‘No’ to a child,” so then he will feel confident later on in life. He said, “If a child has something that you don’t want him to have in his hand and you want to take it away, the way that he will not cry is to show him something else in the other hand and give him that item. He will drop the first thing by himself and forget about it.” Srila Prabhupada said that academics should never be given to a child before seven years old. “He should play. He should play so much.” He said, “A boy who is naughty is a sign of intelligence.” Then he said, “Children should have toys. Boys should have cars. So if he has toys or cars to play with, then he will not have so much desire for big cars and all this later on in life.” Then ab...
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Egoism and Lethargy

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Lecture by HH Radhanath Swami Srila Prabhupada has told us that the culmination of all of our preaching in Krsna Consciousness is to induce people to wholeheartedly chant the holy names of Krsna. The chanting of the Holy names must continue. Srila Prabhupada said we can do without temples, we can do without everything. We don’t need money. If we can get it, we will use it. We don’t need property. If we get it we will use it. We don’t need vehicles. If we get it we will use it. We don’t need good PR, Public relations. If we get it we will use it. But one thing at all times, we always need for our spiritual survival and that is the association of the devotees and the regular chanting of the holy names. If we lose either of these two principles which are actually one in essence, then we lose our connection to Krsna. In this age of Kali, there are two deadly enemies that are always about to devour all the sanctity of our spiritual lives: egoism and lethargy. Krsna tells us in Bhagavad Gita...
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Proof of God (Poem)

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  God is here, I can feel Him But sometimes I cannot feel Him But that doesn’t mean He is not Here It just means I have to look for Him I have to look for Him within and without and if I am lucky enough I might find him again sometimes I find him in the transcendentally sweet taste of water sometimes I find him in the quiet of my mind sometimes I find him in the humble rumble my heart and sometimes I find him in the multiple vibrations of His Creation but sometimes He leaves me and I cannot find him. Even though I am looking out for Him, I know I am not looking in the right places and I find myself, hopeless and helpless and even if He purposely withdraws His presence from me I know it is so I can feel His presence even in His absence even that uncontrollable and deep pain is actually His love it’s like a fire that burns cold or like a sadness that fills your hearth and it’s nice having a full hearth. It is nice having a full hearth And I know He is not leaving me alone He is makin...
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Drop the Rock, Destroy the Ring

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Today I feel inspired to share an analogy that emerged while talking with a friend, an analogy about the invisible and heavy baggage we all carry, and that we must learn to let go of if we truly want to move forward spiritually. In addiction recovery communities such as Alcoholics Anonymous, there is a very famous book and concept called Drop the Rock . It is a powerful metaphor about letting go of character defects, resentments, and fears. The idea is simple: if you are swimming toward the surface while clinging to a heavy rock, you must let it go or you will drown. Recently, while talking with my friend, he compared this idea of “dropping the rock” to my favorite fantasy saga: The Lord of the Rings . It hit me right in the heart. My mind immediately started racing, and the analogies kept lining up. The Lord of the Rings is a story about purification and service!  Dropping the rock IS destroying the Ring. But the way we carry that Ring, who walks with us to destroy it, where it ...
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