Today marks the arrival of Srila Prabhupada to the shore of America to save the fallen souls. 46 years ago Srila Prabhupada, aboard the now famous Jaladuta ship arrived in Boston and then onto New York. They say "the rest is history" but in fact the impact of this historical moment is still being felt and history continues to be made.
From this landing Srila Prabhupada went on to grow a worldwide movement of devotees, temples, restaurants and spiritual centres touching millions of people on every continent around the globe. Srila Prabhupada in establishing this worldwide movement and writing and translating so many timeless books continues to touch countless souls and in the coming years this movement will expand more and more to fulfil Srila Prabhupada's wishes and allow for the golden age of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's sankirtan movement.
Of course this requires the service of all of Srila Prabhupada's servants to cooperatively carry out his instructions and missions. In many lectures I have spoken about the struggle that Srila Prabhupada faced to save us fallen souls. This included heart attacks and sea sickness on the Jaladuta. Thus, I have chose the below note written by Srila Prabhupada indicating the struggle he faced. Srila Prabhupada's diary falls silent for 6 days and on the 7th day there is a note “Passed over a great crisis on the struggle for life and death.” We cannot forget this struggle Srila Prabhupada went through and to serve him we must struggle through tests and obstacles we may face. The diary entries from Srila Prabhupada aboard the Jaladuta as he arrives in America...  THURSDAY 16
Today is the 35th day of our journey and yesterday night at about 10/30 p.m. we have
turned one wheel towards north eastern corner from the Bermuda latitude towards
Boston port. In the morning the atmosphere was fairly cleared and the ship was plying
very smoothly. The first officer told me that they never had such experience of the At
lantic ocean and he ascribed the good luck to me. I said yes it is all Lord Krishna's Grace
because due to my severe type of sea−sickness, He has Himself taken charge of the ship.
In expansion the Lord is rowing the oars. We shall certainly reach to America port
safely.
The whole day was clear sun−shine but at 4 p.m. the sky all of a sudden became foggy.
The sun became dim covered by foggy weather. The horizon is still visible. Let us see
what is still ahead. The ship is stopped completely at about 6 p.m. on account of dense
fog. Be Lord Krishna pleased to get out this fog. By the Grace of Lord Krishna the fog
was cleared after 2−3 hours and the ship started. The whole night was non−disturbing and
today on the 36th day of our journey we reached safely at Boston Port at 5/30 a.m.
17 FRIDAY
We are now on the dockyard of Boston and at 10 a.m. the custom officers and others
came on the ship. They have now issued the admittance permission after due checking
etc. I saw the Boston Town with captain It is very nice and I shall describe it in a separate
note. 36th day from starting from Calcutta Port To−day we are expected to reach Boston
Port U.S.A. in the morning ACB −−/9/65
We stayed the whole day &night at Boston till 4.p.m. next day
18 SATURDAY
To−day is the 37th day of our journey &at 4 p.m. we left Boston Port for New York. In
the morning I had telephonic talks with Gopal P. Agarwal in Butler and he said that his
man will receive me at New York &dispatch me to Butler by Bus or train as convenient. I
tried to contact Dr. Misra but he was not available both yesterday and to−day. I do not
know if he is coming to receive me. To−day I met two American nice gentlemen Mr.
Gardiner &Fryer. We passed a beautiful canal and crossed underneath two
overbridges. But at midnight there was considerable fog disturbance and the ship moved
very slowly. The fog persisted till we reached late at New York Port at 12/30 on 19/9/65.
SUNDAY 19
Today is the 38th day of our journey and we reached New York Port at 12/30 p.m. about
three hours later than the scheduled time.
Let's be forever grateful to Srila Prabhupada for making the journey across the ocean to save us fallen souls from this material ocean. Jaya Srila Prabhupada!
Below is an excerpt of a lecture by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada from Radhastami 1968 in Montreal. It explains the song "radhe jaya jaya madhava-dayite" or Radhika Stava.
Please meditate on Srila Prabhupada's words as you watch the following video.
__________________________________________________________________
radhe jaya jaya madhava-dayite
gokula-taruni-mandala-mahite
damodara-rati-vardhana-vese
hari-niskuta-vrnda-vipinese
vrsabhanu-dadhi-nava-sasi-lekhe
lalita-sakhi guna-ramita-visakhe
karunam kuru mayi karuna-bharite
sanaka-sanatana-varnita-carite
radhe jaya jaya madhava-dayite
This song was sung by Rupa Gosvami. He is the real person, actual person, to understand Radha and Krsna. So he says, "All glories to Radharani." radhe jaya jaya madhava-dayite. "She's so dear to Krsna." Krsna, everyone is trying to love Krsna, but Krsna is trying to love somebody. Now how great She is. Just try to understand. Everyone, the whole world, the whole universe, all living entities, they are trying to love Krsna. Krsna-prema. Lord Caitanya describes, prema-pumartho mahan. And Rupa Gosvami described that "You are distributing krsna-prema." Sokrsna-prema is so valuable, but Krsna is after Radharani. Just see how Radharani is great. Just try to understand the greatness of Radharani. Therefore She is so great, and we have to offer our respect. Radhe jaya jaya madhava-dayite. How She is?
Gokula-taruni-mandala-mahite. Taruni, taruni means young girls. You'll see the pictures, they are all young girls. But of all the young girls, She is the most beautiful. She is enchanting to the young girls also. She is so beautiful. Gokula-taruni-mandala-mahite, damodara-rati-vardhana-vese. And She always dresses Herself so nicely that Damodara, Krsna, becomes attracted by Her beauty. Hari-niskuta-vrnda-vipinese. And She is the only lovable object of Krsna, and She is the "Queen of Vrndavan." This "Queen of Vrndavan" you'll find in Vrndavan, if you go to Vrndavan, everyone is worshiping Radharani. Rani means queen. They are always speaking, "Jaya Radhe!" Radharani. All the devotees in Vrndavan, they are worshiper of Radharani.
Hari-niskuta-vrnda-vipinese, vrsabhanu-dadhi-nava-sasi-lekhe. And She appeared as the daughter of King Vrsabhanu, and Her companion, Lalita-sakhi and Visakha-sakhi, and the devotees. So on behalf of the pure devotees of Krsna, Rupa Gosvami is praying, karunam kuru mayi karuna-bharite. "Oh, my worshipable Radharani, You are full of mercy. So I am begging of Your mercy because You are so merciful, very easily You offer, bestow Your mercy. So I am begging Your mercy." Karunam kuru mayi karuna-bharite, sanaka-sanatana-varnita-carite. Now somebody may say, "Oh, you are so great, learned scholar, you are so great saintly person, and you are begging mercy from an ordinary girl? How is that?" Therefore Rupa Gosvami says, "Oh, this is not ordinary girl." Sanaka-sanatana-varnita-carite. "This girl's description is possible to be made by great saintly persons like Sanaka-Sanatana. She is not ordinary."
So the lesson is that we should not treat Radharani as ordinary girl, or Krsna as ordinary man. They are the Supreme Absolute Truth. But in the Absolute Truth, there is the pleasure potency, and that is exhibited in the dealings of Radha and Krsna. And Radha's expansion all the gopis, and Krsna is the Supreme Lord.
Thank you very much. Chant Hare Krsna.
~ Srila Prabhupada
Based on the Vaishnava calendar, last week marked the 46th anniversary of the formation of ISKCON in New York by Srila Prabhupada. In the process of forming ISKCON Srila Prabhupada officially stated the seven purposes of ISKCON...
- To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all people in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.
- To propagate a consciousness of Krishna (God), as it is revealed in the great scriptures of India, Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam.
- To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, thus developing the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna).
- To teach and encourage the sankirtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy name of God, as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
- To erect for the members and for society at large a holy place of transcendental pastimes dedicated to the personality of Krishna.
- To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler, more natural way of life.
- With a view towards achieving the aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, books and other writings.
Of course Srila Prabhupada met this "mission statement" with resounding success initiating thousands of devotees around the globe; translating and commenting not on the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam but also Chaitanya Caritamrta and other texts; establishing 108 significant centres around the globe for the propagation of Krishna Consciousness and the list goes on.
In this list Srila Prabhupada writes, "bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna" and "To bring the members closer together...". Srila Prabhupada asserted and repeated the importance of bringing the member of ISKCON together. I am sure all of us in this society have also heard about "gripes" but it is food for thought for all in the society, its fringes and factions to see the importance Srila Prabhupada placed on members being "together". At events like Toronto's Ratha Yatra last weekend, it is nice to see devotees coming together, reacquainting and finding their way back to Srila Prabhupada's house....a house in which the whole world can live...
We are extremely fortunate to have Srila Prabhupada. Unlike other trusts and maths, Srila Prabhupada put Krishna front and center and everywhere in between. From the name of the society and its purposes to the books and altars across the globe, Srila Prabhupada made sure we understood the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus as indebted servants we simply glorify Srila Prabhupada to show our gratitude to him.
So we are very grateful for the formation and this society and to be part of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness and this anniversary gives us an opportunity to restudy and recommit to the 7 purposes laid out by Srila Prabhupada as we continue to serve "together"...
Yesterday was the disappearance day of Sri Ramananda Raya on the Vaishnava calendar.
Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-lilia chapter 10 describe the branches of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's tree. As we often do we must turn to Srila Prabhupada's puport to honour Sri Ramananda Raya, since our description cannot do justice to this great personality who Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu regards by saying, "... both you and I are madmen, and therefore we met intimately on an equal level."
Please see verse 134 below complete with purport...  ei panca putra tomara mora priyapatra
ramananda saha mora deha-bheda matra
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told Bhavananda Raya, "Your five sons are all My dear devotees. Ramananda Raya and I are one, although our bodies are different."
PURPORT
The Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (120-24) states that Ramananda Raya was formerly Arjuna. He is also considered to have been an incarnation of the gopi Lalita, although in the opinion of others he was an incarnation of Visakhadevi. He was a most confidential devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "Although I am a sannyasi, My mind is sometimes perturbed when I see a woman. But Ramananda Raya is greater than Me, for he is always undisturbed, even when he touches a woman." Only Ramananda Raya was endowed with the prerogative to touch a woman in this way; no one should imitate him. Unfortunately, there are rascals who imitate the activities of Ramananda Raya. We need not discuss them further.
In Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's final pastimes, Ramananda Raya and Svarupa Damodara always engaged in reciting suitable verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam and other books to pacify the Lord's ecstatic feelings of separation from Krsna. When Lord Caitanya went to southern India, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya advised Him to meet Ramananda Raya, declaring that there was no devotee as advanced in understanding the conjugal love of Krsna and the gopis. While touring South India, Lord Caitanya met Ramananda Raya by the bank of the Godavari, and in their long discourses the Lord took the position of a student, and Ramananda Raya instructed Him. Caitanya Mahaprabhu concluded these discourses by saying, "My dear Ramananda Raya, both you and I are madmen, and therefore we met intimately on an equal level." Lord Caitanya advised Ramananda Raya to resign from his government post and come back to Jagannatha Puri to live with Him. Although Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu refused to see Maharaja Prataparudra because he was a king, Ramananda Raya, by a Vaisnava scheme, arranged a meeting between the Lord and the King. This is described in the Madhya-lila, Chapter Twelve, verses 41-57. Sri Ramananda Raya was present during the water sports of the Lord after the Ratha-yatra festival.
Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu considered Sri Ramananda Raya and Sri Sanatana Gosvami to be equal in their renunciation, for although Sri Ramananda Raya was a grhastha engaged in government service and Sri Sanatana Gosvami was in the renounced order of complete detachment from material activities, they were both servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who kept Krsna in the center of all their activities. Sri Ramananda Raya was one of the three and a half personalities with whom Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu discussed the most confidential topics of Krsna consciousness. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu advised Pradyumna Misra to learn the science of Krsna from Sri Ramananda Raya. As Subala always assisted Krsna in His dealings with Radharani in krsna-lila, so Ramananda Raya assisted Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His feelings of separation from Krsna. Sri Ramananda Raya was the author of the Jagannatha-vallabha-nataka.
Jaya Sri Ramananda Raya!
So that is the real preaching, selling books. Who can speak better than the books? At least whoever buys, he will look over. If you have to sell books, do it by hook or by crook. The real preaching is selling books. You should know the tactic how to sell without irritating. What your lecture will do for three minutes, but if he reads one page his life may be turned. We don't want to irritate anyone, however. If he goes away by your agressive tactics, then you are nonsense and it is your failure. Neither you could sell a book, neither he would remain. But if he buys a book that is the real successful preaching.
“…selling books they are doing the greatest service. What your one hour of preaching will do, they will hear and go away, but if they have one book at home, they will read, their friends will read, and something solid work is done. So the art is to sell many many books and not to irritate the public…”
~ Srila Prabhupada . Excerpt of Letter written in Los Angeles September 30th, 1972
 Sharing books on Christmas Eve at Union Station, Canada's largest and historic train station We are sharing the above powerful quote from Srila Prabhupada to emphasize the "sharing" of Srila Prabhupada's books. Book distribution is a humbling service and it is all about compassion.
It is not about lecturing or somehow thinking that we are superior since we do 16 rounds or have this treasure trove of knowledge but rather compassion and humility so it is pleasant and people want to interact with us. Sharing is the key and Srila Prabhupada's words say it all.
It is our prayer that this sharing and compassionate nature comes out first amongst ourselves within the temples, to the souls that visit the temple in a mood of interest and discovery and finally out on the streets and venues where we do sankirtan...
Today is a national holiday in India for Gandhi Jayanti. Of course Gandhi is recognized worldwide and is synonymous with India. Of course devotees are not immersed in politics but rather compassionate to all living beings to help them remember their innate position to be an eternal servant of Krishna. So Srila Prabhupada extended this same compassion to Mahtama Gandhi to take up the true position of a Mahtama and serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead and to preach the absolute truth. As Srila Prabhupada puts in to Gandhi, "But if you really want to approach the Absolute Truth and want to do some real good to the people in general all over the world, which shall include your ideas of unity, peace and non-violence, then you must give up the rotten politics immediately and rise up for the preaching work of the philosophy and religion of "Bhagavad-gita'' ..."
Of course there are many times Srila Prabhupada referenced to Gandhi but on this Gandhi Jayanti we offer you a letter from Srila Prabhupada which is actually an offer to Gandhi. For anyone that is familiar with Gandhi's life Srila Prabhupada's comments/prediction in the second paragraph holds special significance. As you will note this letter is signed Abhay Charan De, since it was written before Srila Prabhuda took initiation/sanyas.
Mahatma Gandhijee
Bhangi Colony
New Delhi.
Dear Friend Mahatmajee,
Please accept my respectful Namaskar. I am your unknown friend but I had to write to you at times and again although you never cared to reply them. I sent you my papers "Back to Godhead" but your secretaries told me that you have very little time to read the letters and much less for reading the magazines. I asked for an interview with you but your busy secretaries never cared to reply this. Anyway as I am your very old friend although unknown to you I am again writing to you in order to bring you to the rightful position deserved by you. As a sincere friend I must not deviate from my duty towards a friend like your good self.
I tell you as a sincere friend that you must immediately retire from active politics if you do not desire to die an inglorious death. You have 125 years to live as you have desired to live but you if you die an inglorious death it is no worth. The honour and prestige that you have obtained during the course of you present life time, were not possible to be obtained by any one else within the living memory. But you must know that all these honours and prestiges were false in as much as they were created by the Illusory Energy of Godhead called the maya. By this falsity I do not mean to say that your so many friends were false to you nor you were false to them. By this falsity I mean illusion or in other words the false friendship and honours obtained thereby were but creation of maya and therefore they are always temporary or false as you may call it. But none of you neither your friends nor yourself knew this truth.
Now by the Grace of God that illusion is going to be cleared and thus your faithful friends like Acarya Kripalini and others are accusing you for your inability at the present moment to give them any practical programme of work as you happened to give them during your glorious days of non-co-operation movement. So you are also in a plight to find out a proper solution for the present political tangle created by your opponents. You should therefore take a note of warning from your insignificant friend like me, that unless you retire timely from politics and engage yourself cent per cent in the preaching work of Bhagavad-gita, which is the real function of the Mahatmas, you shall have to meet with such inglorious deaths as Mussolini, Hitlers, Tojos, Churchills or Lloyd Georges met with.
You can very easily understand as to how some of your political enemies in the garb of friends (both Indian and English) have deliberately cheated you and have broken your heart by doing the same mischief for which you have struggled so hard for so many years. You wanted chiefly Hindu-Moslem unity in India and they have tactfully managed to undo your work, by creation of the Pakistan and India separately. You wanted freedom for India but they have given permanent dependence of India. You wanted to do something for the upliftment of the position of the bhangis but they are still rotting as bhangis even though you are living in the bhangi colony. They are all therefore illusions and when these things will be presented to you as they are, you must consider them as God-sent. God has favored you by dissipating the illusion you were hovering in, and by the same illusion you were, nursing those ideas as Truth(?).
You must know that you are in the relative world which is called by the sages as Dvaita i.e. dual- and nothing is absolute here. Your Ahimsa is always followed by Himsa as the light is followed by darkness or the father is followed by the son. Nothing is absolute truth in this dual world. You did not know this neither you ever cared to know this from the right sources and therefore all your attempts to create unity were followed by disunity and Ahimsa. Ahimsa was followed by Himsa.
But it is better late than never. You must know now something about the Absolute Truth. The Truth with which you have been experimenting so long is relative. The relative truths are creations of the daivi maya qualified by the three modes of Nature. They are all insurmountable as is explained in the Bhagavad-gita (7.14). The Absolute Truth is the Absolute Godhead.
In the Katha Upanisad it is ordered that one must approach the bona fide Guru who is not only well versed in all the scriptures of the world but is also the realized soul in Brahman the Absolute—in order to learn the science of Absolute Truth. So also it is instructed in the Bhagavad-gita as follows:?
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti tad jnanam
jnaninas tattvadarsinah
(Bg. 4.34)
But I know that you never underwent such transcendental training except some severe penances which you invented for your purpose as you have invented so many things in the course of experimenting with the relative truths. You might have easily avoided them if you had approached the Guru as abovementioned. But your sincere efforts to attain some Godly qualities by austerities etc surely have raised you to some higher position which you can better utilize for the purpose of the Absolute Truth. If you, however, remain satisfied with such temporary position only and do not try to know the Absolute Truth, then surely you are to fall down from the artificially exalted position under the laws of Nature. But if you really want to approach the Absolute Truth and want to do some real good to the people in general all over the world, which shall include your ideas of unity, peace and non-violence, then you must give up the rotten politics immediately and rise up for the preaching work of the philosophy and religion of "Bhagavad-gita'' without offering unnecessary and dogmatic interpretations on them. I had occasionally discussed this subject in my paper "Back to Godhead'' and a leaf from the same is enclosed herewith for your reference.
I would only request you to retire from politics at least for a month only and let us have discussion on the Bhagavad-gita. I am sure, thereby, that you shall get a new light from the result of such discussions not only for your benefit but for the benefit of the world at large—as I know that you are sincere, honest and moralist.
Awaiting your early reply with interest.
Yours sincerely,
Abhay Charan De.
Enclosure—one leaf from Back to Godhead
In yesterday's post we provided a wonderful quote from Srila Prabhupada for PHL 101 (University Philosophy course) and today is another wonderful quote for KC 101 (Krishna Consciousness 101), where Srila Prabhupada explains the importance of the maha mantra. Sometimes when reading or researching you just stumble upon something you want to share and this is the case with yesterday's and today's post. Thanks for letting us share this with you and of course Thank You Srila Prabhupada for these words. This transcendental vibration by chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, is the sublime method for reviving our Krishna consciousness. As living spiritual souls, we are all originally Krishna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by the material atmosphere. In this polluted concept of life, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in our complexities. This illusion is called maya, or hard struggle for existence, for winning over the stringent laws of material nature. This illusory struggle against material nature can at once be stopped by revival of our Krishna consciousness. Krishna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. This consciousness is the original natural energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived, and the process is recommended by authorities for this age. By practical experience also, we can perceive that by chanting this maha-mantra, or the Great Chanting for Deliverance, one can at once feel transcendental ecstasy from the spiritual stratum. And when one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind and intelligence, one is situated on the transcendental plane. This chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, surpassing all lower strata of consciousness — namely sensual, mental and intellectual. There is no need of understanding the language of the mantra, nor there is any need for mental speculation, nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in this transcendental sound vibration without any previous qualification, and dance in ecstasy. We have seen it practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting, or even a dog can take part in it. Chanting should be heard from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that immediate effect can be achieved. As far as possible, chanting from the lips of a non-devotee should be avoided as much as milk touched by the lips of a serpent causes a poisonous effect.
The word Hara is the form of addressing the energy of the Lord. Both Krishna and Rama are forms of addressing directly the Lord and They mean the highest pleasure, eternal. Hara is the supreme pleasure potency of the Lord. This potency when addressed as Hare helps us in reaching the Supreme Lord.
The material energy, called as maya, is also one of the multi-potencies of the Lord, as much as we are also marginal potency of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior energy than matter. When the superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the supreme marginal potency is in contact with the spiritual potency, Hara, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity.
The three words, namely Hara, Krishna and Rama, are transcendental seeds of the maha-mantra and the chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy, Hara, for giving protection to the conditioned soul. The chanting is exactly like a genuine cry by the child for mother. Mother Hara helps in achieving the grace of the Supreme Father, Hari, or Krishna, and the Lord reveals Himself to such sincere devotee.
No other means therefore of spiritual realization is as effective in this age as chanting the maha-mantra:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama,
Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
~ His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada
Imagine it is your first day of Philosophy 101 class at University. By way of introduction and challenge the professor asks "do you exist" and you answer by quoting Srila Prabhupada...
"So this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is purifying your existence. Yasmād śuddhyed sattvaṁ. Sattvaṁ means existence. You are existing, I am existing, God is existing eternally. The temporary existence that we see at the present moment, this is not our existence. This is our diseased condition, crazy condition. Piśācī pāile yena mati-cchana haya. Piśācī means ghost or witches. When one is haunted by ghost he becomes upset of his own consciousness and talks all kinds of nonsense. Similarly, when our existence is covered by the material ghost we talk so many nonsense: “I am this body, and anything in relationship with this body is mine. I am dying. I belong to this family. I belong to this community, nation, this, that, planet.” These are all just like a man haunted by ghost speaks nonsense, these are all nonsense. And the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to cure this disease."
And just imagine the professor's face...we have the cure for that too...
 A picture from last week's rally against abortion. Last week witnessed thousands of people take to the street for the 14th annual anti-abortion march in Ottawa. Most of the Pro-life groups are Christian and we thought is would be interesting to get a Krishna Consciouss perespective on abortion, so we turn to the Srimad Bhagavatam (6.16.14) and the purport of our Guru, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.
bāla-ghnyo vrīditās tatra
bāla-hatyā-hata-prabhāh
bāla-hatyā-vrataḿ cerur
brāhmanair yan nirūpitam
yamunāyāḿ mahārāja
smarantyo dvija-bhāsitam
Queen Krtyadyuti's co-wives, who had poisoned the child, were very much ashamed, and they lost all their bodily luster. While lamenting, O King, they remembered the instructions of Ańgirā and gave up their ambition to bear children. Following the directions of the brāhmaṇas, they went to the bank of the Yamunā, where they bathed and atoned for their sinful activities.
PURPORT
In this verse the word bāla-hatyā-hata-prabhāh is to be particularly noted. The practice of killing children has existed in human society for a long time — since time immemorial — but in the days of yore it was very rarely performed. At the present moment, however, in this age of Kali, abortion — killing of the child within the womb — has become very common, and sometimes a child is even killed after birth. If a woman performs such an abominable act, she gradually loses all her bodily luster (bāla-hatyā-hata-prabhāh). It is also to be noted that the ladies who had committed the sinful act of administering poison to the child were very much ashamed, and according to the directions of the brāhmaṇas, they had to undergo atonement for killing the child. Any woman who has ever performed such an infamously sinful act must atone for it, but no one now is doing that. Under the circumstances, the women responsible must suffer in this life and the next. Those who are sincere souls, after hearing this incident, should refrain from such child-killing and should atone for their sinful activities by taking to Krsna consciousness very seriously. If one chants the Hare Krsna mahā-mantra without offenses, all of one's sinful actions are surely atoned for immediately, but one should not commit such deeds again, for that is an offense.
Everyone wants peace in the world. The peace marchers do not know how to obtain peace, but they want peace. I read a speech of the Archbishop of Canterbury in which he said, "You want the kingdom of God without God." This is our defect.
If you want peace at all, then accept that peace means to understand God. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Unless you are in touch with the Supreme Lord, Krsna, you cannot have peace. Therefore, we have a different peace formula. The real peace formula is that one must know that God is the proprietor of all this universe, including the United States of America. He is the proprietor of Russia, He is the proprietor of China, He is the proprietor of India, of everything. But because we claim that we are the proprietors, there is fighting, there is discord, there is disagreement, and how can there be peace? First of all, one has to accept that God is the proprietor of everything.
An excerpt from Chapter 9 of Srila Prabhupada's
Krsna Consciousness the Topmost Yoga System
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