A 2000 year-old recipe

2000 year-old recipe for rice pudding, used by lord Jagannatha's cooks at Puri.

2 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
3/4 cup long grained rice, washed and dried
1/2 bay leaf
2 liters milk
1/2 cup ground rock sugar, or raw sugar
1/4 cup currants
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds
1 tiny particle of pure cooking camphor
1 tablespoon toasted nuts for garnish

Heat the ghee or butter in a heavy pot over medium heat, and toast the rice for a minute.

Add the bay leaf and milk. Bring to the boil; reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to half its original volume.

Add the sweetener, currants, and cardamom, and simmer the mixture until it reaches one fourth of its original volume, and is thick and creamy.

Stir in the optional camphor, and cool to room temperature, or refrigerate until chilled.

Serve garnished with the toasted nuts.

Kunjas surrounding Radha Kund

There are eight Kunjas that surround the banks of Radha Kund. These Kunjas are arranged and decorated by each of the Astaka-Sakhis (eight principal gopis.)

Between these Kunjas are flower gardens and orchards. There are boundary walls that separate the Kunjas. Pathways in the Kunjas are made from emerald slabs covered with crystal.

Great Flood

When the contents of the storehouse of love of Godhead is thus distributed, there is a powerful inundation that covers the entire land.

In Sri Dham Mayapur there is sometimes a great flood after the rainy season. This is an indication that from the birthplace of Lord Caitanya the inundation of love of Godhead will be spread all over the world, for this will help everyone, including old men, young men, women and children. The Krishna consciousness movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is so powerful that it can inundate the entire world and interest all classes of men in the subject of love of Godhead.

ACBSP - CC ADI-7/26

Just like a refugee

Lord Sri Krsna has mercifully given us this human body, by which we can attain the highest goal of life: love for Krsna.

[After many, many births and deaths one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. Thus a sober human being should quickly endeavor for the ultimate perfection of life as long as his body, which is always subject to death, has not fallen down and died. After all, sense gratification is available even in the most abominable species of life, whereas Krsna consciousness is possible only for a human being.
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 11.9.39)]

Even demigods want to obtain the human life to understand the soul and the Supersoul. This world is not ours; we are refugees here. We have forgotten Sri Krsna, and therefore we are in this world as refugees.

He came to illumiate the Gaudiya Sky

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur made an unequalled contribution to the ultimate, spiritual welfare of humankind. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur wrote in his preface to the Jaiva-dharma: “Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur is an extremely dear associate of Sri Chaitanya Candra. In the course of time, when those who preached the desires of Chaitanya Deva had left this world to enter the Lord’s eternal pastimes, the sky over Bengal slowly darkened, covered by the thick clouds of sensual enjoyment and false renunciation. The sky was covered and the world was bereft of the rays of light coming from the sankirtan propagated by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. One by one, the sun, the moon and the unlimited stars of that sky faded from view, leaving only the occasional flash of lightning to disrupt the unending darkness of ignorance. Almost 350 years after the appearance of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur came to illuminate the Gaudiya sky.

Vamanadev

A brahmana or sannyasi is qualified to ask charity from others, but if he takes more than necessary he is punishable. No one can use more of the Supreme Lord's property than necessary.

Lord Vamanadeva indirectly indicated to Bali Maharaja that he was occupying more land than he needed.

In the material world, all distresses are due to extravagance. One acquires money extravagantly and also spends it extravagantly. Such activities are sinful. All property belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all living beings, who are sons of the Supreme Lord, have the right to use the Supreme Father's property, but one cannot take more than necessary. This principle should especially be followed by brahmanas and sannyasis who live at the cost of others.

Thus Vamanadeva was an ideal beggar, for He asked only three paces of land. Of course, there is a difference between His footsteps and those of an ordinary human being. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, by His inconceivable prowess, can occupy the entire universe, including the upper, lower and middle planetary systems, by the unlimited measurement of His footsteps.

Srimad Bhagavatam, 08/19. Commentary by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj

The Breeze

“Obeisances to the direction that faces Sri Vrsabhanu's daughter. When the breeze coming from that direction playfully moves the edge of Her garment, Lord Krsna, who cannot be attained by even the kings of the yogis, thinks that His life has now become a great success.”

Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi, verse 2

No self control

We live in a decaying age. Young people no longer respect their parents.

They are rude and impatient.

They frequently inhabit taverns and have no self control.

Inscription found in a 6,000 year-old Egyptian tomb

Sri Krishna's transcendental qualities

1. Very handsome and charming
2. Sweet
3. Endowed with all transcendental qualities
4. Strong
5. A fresh youth
6. Eloquent
7. A pleasing talker
8. Intelligent
9. Brilliant
10. Grave
11. Expert
12. Clever
13. Happy
14. Grateful
15. Skillful
16. Controlled by love
17. An ocean of profoundness
18. The best
19. Famous
20. Charming to all women
21. Eternally new and fresh
22. His dear flute music, personal beauty, and transcendental pastimes are all super excellent and cannot be compared to anything else.

These are some of Sri Krishna's many transcendental qualities manifested in the mellow of conjugal love.

This has been explained by Srila Rupa Goswami

Carvaka Muni the atheist

Generally the atheist class, have no interest in God. The atheist class long, long ago, thousands of years ago, there was atheist also. Because there are two classes of men always within this world, atheist and theist, asura and deva. So not that atheist class men have developed at the present moment. It may be the number has increased, but atheist class of men were long, long ago also. There was Carvaka Muni, he was also called muni. Muni means mental speculator, or thoughtful. So this Carvaka Muni, he also presented his philosophy, atheism, that rnam krtva ghrtam yavaj jivet sukham jivet. So long you live, you live very joyfully by enjoying your senses. This is atheistic principle. And in India the sense enjoyment principle is based on ghee, clarified butter, because if they get butter, they prepare so many nice preparations. You have also learned how to do it. (laughter) In India there are varieties. If you sometimes go to India... In Delhi there are shops, many varieties of foodstuffs, all from grains and fruits, that's all. Grain, fruits, ghee, sugar, and salt. Varieties, hundreds. So eating, sleeping, the basic principle is eating, sleeping, mating. So Carvaka Muni says that "Live very joyfully, and eat very nicely, enjoy your senses, finish your life. That is atheism. Apasyatam atma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2]. They have no vision that there is soul.

ACBSP

Rascal

Of a rascal and a serpent, the serpent is the better of the two, for he strikes only at the time he is destined to kill, while the former at every step.

Chanakya Pandit

Arguments

Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja has said that his Guru Maharaja took sannyasa from Parama-pujapada Srila Sridhara Maharaja. Even though Srila Sridhara Maharaja joined the mission of their Gurudeva after him, he was an elevated philosopher and a knower of the established truths of bhakti, and his very name, Bhakti Raksaka, means “protector of devotion”. He has also extensively glorified our Gurudeva. To teach other devotees, they used to hold meetings and defeat each others arguments in philosophy. Parama-pujapada Srila Sridhara Maharaja would establish one thing and Guru Maharaja would defeat all his arguments, and then at the next moment Srila Sridhara Maharaja would defeat all the arguments of our Gurudeva. The entire audience would hear them, enjoy their discussions, and in this way learn so much philosophy.
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The picture above is that of Srila Bhakti Prajnana Keshava Maharaj

Who created this Lotus Flower?

Kamalnayan - The Lord With Lotus Shaped Eyes

O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names, like Krsna and Govinda. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by Your holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them.


Siksastakam verse 2 - Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

Swanlike

The perfectional stage of sense engagement is called bhakti-yoga. So those who are attached to the means of bhakti-yoga are factually self-controlled and can all of a sudden give up their homely or bodily attachment for the service of the Lord. This is called the paramahamsa stage. Hamsas, or swans, accept only milk out of a mixture of milk and water. Similarly, those who accept the service of the Lord instead of maya’s service are called the paramahamsas. They are naturally qualified with all the good attributes, such as pridelessness, freedom from vanity, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, respectability, worship, devotion and sincerity. All these godly qualities exist in the devotee of the Lord spontaneously. Such paramahamsas, who are completely given up to the service of the Lord, are very rare. They are very rare even amongst the liberated souls. Real nonviolence means freedom from envy. In this world everyone is envious of his fellow being. But a perfect paramahamsa, being completely given up to the service of the Lord, is perfectly non envious. He loves every living being in relation with the Supreme Lord.

- AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj

More to think about

He who regards another’s wife as his mother, the wealth that does not belong to him as a lump of mud, and the pleasure and pain of all other living beings as his own truly sees things in the right perspective, and he is the true pandit.

The man who remains a fool even in advanced age is really a fool, just as the Indra-Varuna fruit does not become sweet no matter how ripe it might become.

Something to ponder

There is no disease so destructive as lust; no enemy like infatuation; no fire like wrath; and no happiness like spiritual knowledge.

A man is born alone and dies alone; and he experiences the good or bad consequences of his karma alone; and he goes alone to the hellish planets or to the supreme abode.

Heaven is but a straw to him who knows spiritual life (a life devoted to Sri Krishna); so is life to a valiant man; a woman to him who has subdued his senses; and the universe to him who is without attachment for the world.

Learning is a friend on a journey; a devoted wife in the house; medicine in sickness; and religious merit is the only friend after death.

Niti Shastra - Chanakya pandit

That insurmountable ocean

The saints have crossed that insurmountable ocean, that dreadful ocean with dreadful waves and so many aquatic animals. By Your grace they cross that ocean, then again send back that boat, the boat which is compared with the lotus feet of the Lord. By the help of Your lotus feet they cross that ocean, by the grace of Your holy feet. Again that boat they send back here, for others to cross the same ocean. They give us their experience about the ocean, how, and which way they crossed, and what difficulty they had, and where. Your devotees are so magnanimous, after using the boat of Your holy feet, to cross, they again send it back for us.

- Srila Bhakti raksak sridhara maharaj

Ecstatic mood of divine love

Sri Caitanya went to Vrindavana Dham several times and revealed many holy places there. (Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 1,2,17,18) When Lord Chaitanya first arrived in Vraja, He stayed at a brahmana's house in Mathura. He would walk around Vrindavana every day visiting the sacred places connected with Lord Krishna's pastimes. Later, Lord Chaitanya moved His residence to Akrura Ghata and would daily visit Imlitala, where He sat looking at the river Yamuna while chanting Hare Krishna and constantly shedding tears in an ecstatic mood of divine love. After a few months (in 1516), Lord Chaitanya left for Jagannatha Puri and directed two of His dearmost followers, Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis to proceed immediately to Vrindavana, not only to excavate the places of Lord Krishna's pastimes and build temples but also to write books on the science of bhakti yoga, in order to establish the His teachings for the benefit of all future generations.

Impious becomes pious

Sri Krishna then spoke softly to the gopis ; "By remembering Me a shallow person becomes deep. By remembering Me an impure person becomes pure. By remembering Me an impious person becomes pious. By remembering Me one full of material desires becomes desireless. By remembering Me a fool becomes learned".

Ch 2 text 7
Sri Gopal Tapani Upanisad

A friend to all

One who is not envious but who is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor, who is free from false ego and equal both in happiness and distress, who is always satisfied and engaged in devotional service with determination and whose mind and intelligence are in agreement with Me is very dear to Me.

BG 12. 13-14 - Sri Krishna

Revelation

"No one can understand Krsna as He is by the blunt material senses. But He reveals Himself to the devotees, being pleased with them for their transcendental loving service unto Him."

(Padma Purana)

Dandavats

On this Janmasthami and Vyasapuja ( Sept 4-5 ) the editor@dharmakshetra.com would like to offer his affectionate dandavat pranams to his Guru and to all the sincere Vaisnava devotees of the lord. Please give me your blessings that I may someday get your personal association.

ajd

Corrupt families

When irreligion is prominent in the family, O Krsna, the women of the family become corrupt, and from the degradation of womanhood, O descendant of Vrsni, comes unwanted progeny.

When there is increase of unwanted population, a hellish situation is created both for the family and for those who destroy the family tradition.

In such corrupt families, there is no offering of oblations of food and water to the ancestors.

Due to the evil deeds of the destroyers of family tradition, all kinds of community projects and family welfare activities are devastated.

O Krsna, maintainer of the people, I have heard by disciplic succession that those who destroy family traditions dwell always in hell.

Bhagavad - Geeta Chapter 1, Verse 40-43 ...ACBSP

He can eat by seeing

Although Śrī Gopāla ate everything offered, still, by the touch of His transcendental hand, everything remained as before.

PURPORT

The atheists cannot understand how the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appearing in the form of the Deity, can eat all the food offered by His devotees. In the Bhagavad-gītā (9.26 )Krsna says: patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktyā prayacchati tad aham bhakty-upahrtam aśnāmi prayatātmanah “If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.” The Lord is pūrna, complete, and therefore He eats everything offered by His devotees. However, by the touch of His transcendental hand, all the food remains exactly as before. It is the quality that is changed. Before the food was offered, it was something else, but after it is offered the food acquires a transcendental quality. Because the Lord is pūrna, He remains the same even after eating. Pūrnasya pūrnam ādāya pūrnam evāvaśisyate. The food offered to Krsna is qualitatively as good as Krsna; just as Krsna is avyaya, indestructible, the food eaten by Krsna, being identical with Him, remains as before.

Apart from this, Krsna can eat the food with any one of His transcendental senses. He can eat by seeing the food or by touching it. Nor should one think that it is necessary for Krsna to eat. He does not become hungry like an ordinary human being; nonetheless, He presents Himself as being hungry, and as such, He can eat everything and anything, regardless of quantity. The philosophy underlying Krsna’s eating is understandable by our transcendental senses. When our senses are purified by constantly being engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, we can understand Krsna’s activities, names, forms, qualities, pastimes and entourage.

atah śrī-krsna-nāmādi

na bhaved grāhyam indriyaih

sevonmukhe hi jihvādau

svayam eva sphuraty adah

“No one can understand Krsna by the blunt material senses. But He reveals Himself to the devotees, being pleased with them for their transcendental loving service unto Him.” (Bhakti-rasāmrta-sindhu 1.2.234) The devotees understand Krsna through revelation. It is not possible for a mundane scholar to understand Krsna and His pastimes through research work on the nondevotional platform.

Caitanya Caritamrta -Madhya Leela, Chapter 4, text 77

Purport by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj

Laws that govern

The Laws of Manu are an encyclopedic model of how life should be lived, in public and in private, by brahmanas, kings, merchants, laborers, untouchables, and others. These are laws that govern the inhabitants of the universe and by following them society can live in Harmony with material nature and all other living beings.

Manu Samhita text 159.
Created beings must be instructed in what concerns their welfare without giving them pain, and sweet and gentle speech must be used by a teacher who desires to abide by the sacred law.

Manu Samhita text 160.

He, whose speech and thoughts are pure and ever perfectly guarded, gains the entire reward, which is conferred by the Vedanta.

Manu Samhita text 161.

Let him not, though in pain, speak piercing words causing harm to others; let him not injure others in thought or deed; let him not utter speeches which make people afraid of him, since that will prevent him from making advancement on the path of self realization.

Sri Krishna Janmasthami

Lord Krishna's apperance day is known as Janmashtami. The temples of Vrindavan India, where he appeared, witness extravagant and colourful celebrations. On this occasion. Raslila is performed to recreate incidents from the life of Krishna and to commemorate his love for Srimati Radharani. The diety of baby Sri Krishna is bathed at midnight and is placed in a cradel. Devotional songs and dances mark the celebration of this festive occasion all over the world.

Sept 4 2007. (Tue) Krishna-astami. Sri Sri Krishna Janmastami. Complete fast until midnight (no grains).

Sept 5 2007. (Wed) Krishna-navami. Sri Nandotsava. Sri Janmastami paran before 9:31 a.m.

JAi Sri Krishna

Goswami Thakur left this world.

On the morning of Dec 23, 1936, one week before Srila Bhaktisiddhantha Saraswati Goswami Thakur left this world, he gave special instructions to his disciples.

These should be of supreme interest to all devotees who desire spiritual advancement.

1. All of you please preach the message of Rupa and Raghunath with great enthusiasm. The ultimate object of our desires is to become specks of dust at the lotus feet of the followers of Rupa Goswami

2. All of you remain united in submission to the Lords' form as the repository of devotion, seeking to satisfy the transcendental senses of the one, non-dual supreme consciousness. Make your way through this impermanent, transitory life in whatever way you can, keeping the goal of worshipping the Lord foremost in your minds. Don't abandon this goal, even in the face of hundreds of dangers, insults or persecutions.

3. Don't loose your spirit if you see that the majority of people cannot accept the principle of selfless service to the supreme lord.

4. Our true being and identity is to be the dust at the lotus feet of Sri Rupa Goswami, life after life.

5. In the material world, we continuously come into contact with difficulties. There is no need for us to be bewildered by these difficulties, nor should it be our objective to remove them. Rather we should think of what will be left to be attained after all these obstacles are removed, We must learn about our eternal life while we are still in this world. Our only real obligation is to go beyond duality and to enter that realm of eternal fulfillment.

6. In this world, no person should be a special object of attraction or aversion. All arrangements we make here last only for moments. Our only unavoidable necessity is to seek out the ultimate goal of life.

7. Work together with a single purpose-to win the qualifications to serve the original repository of love for Krishna, Srimati Radharam.

8. May the current of ideas propagated by Rupa Goswami flow throughout the world.

9. May we never under any circumstances become indifferent to the seven tongued sacrificial flame of the holy name. If out attraction to the holy name continually increases, we will achieve all perfection.

10. Remain exclusively faithful to the followers of Rupa Goswami and preach Rupa and Raghunath's teachings enthusiastically and fearlessly.