The Pearls of Instruction by His Divine Grace Om Visnupada Paramahansa Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada: 

1. We are constantly put to test and trial in this world. Only those who attend and participate in the kirtana of the devotees can succeed.

2. Every spot on earth where pure discourses on God are held is a place of pilgrimage.

3. Possession of objects not related to Krishna is our main malady.

4. Let me not desire anything but the highest good for my worst enemies.

5. As dalliance with the body in luxury increases, so wanes the spirit of service of the Lord.

6. Those favored by God find their paths set by thorns.

7. There is no peace or happiness in our worldly life. Circumstances create turmoil and annoyance.

8. Chant the Holy Names loudly and with attachment. This will drive away inertia, worldly evils and pests.

9. Be indifferent to bazaar gossips, stick firmly to your cherished goals, no lack or impediments of the world will ever stand in your way.

10. Pay due respects to the extroverts of the world, but do not be appreciative of their manners and conduct. They are to be shaken off from your mind.

Teachings of Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja

The following is the multiuniversal view of Lord Krishna , the cause of all causes, according to the Srimad Bhagavatam..

“It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Kṛṣṇa has three varieties of energy.

The following is the world veiw and trancendental veiw of one of the greatest scholars of the Vedas , SRILA Rupa Goswami.

Who describes the ultimate liberated state , and freedom from conditioned world veiws

“ ‘I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya or a śūdra. Nor am I a brahmacārī, a householder, a vānaprastha or a sannyāsī. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the maintainer of the gopīs. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance.’ ”

What’s your worldview….and who has helped you develop it ? was it this life , last life, or a combination of the two or many more , that has brought you to certain subjective thoughts about your world veiw

Faith and belief…

One can increase faith  in any topic of philosophy , science or religious teaching by a greater knowledge and understanding of them and  applying oneself to study with a  contemplative open frame of mind.

Thus , properly concluding something to be true using   deliberation , logic, and reason . Prabhupada said we should know how great God is, for instance, using intelligence.

Belief in ISKCON and  Srila Prabhupada’s mission as he set it out ,  without  sufficient knowledge  of  details of his strategies and why he  specifically developed them or placed importance in them , can  make our belief waiver in both ISKCON and even Prabhupada . If one does not give  deep thoughts and the time to examine the reasons Prabhupada directed ISKCON in specific ways  ,one might even conclude that , I have faith in the general teachings  of the Srimad Bhagavatam,  Caitanya Caritamrta  and Bhagavad Gita but not an absolute belief that Prabhupada has chalked out necessarily the best strategies or approach to preaching , as well as the way he has structured his ISKCON society . Some devotees , without proper research , might also conclude that our only approach to the teachings of Mahäprabhu and the Goswamis must be only through Srila Prabhupada and his libraries , and other works of past , present and future acaryas should be practically ignored , despite Prabhupada actually saying we should read and understand the literature of all our acaryas ,  some devotees may say  ” we don’t need read any of our predecessor acaryas works , because Prabhupada has explained everything..” ..of course the mature student knows the Bhagavatam is forever expanding as the transcendental experiences of limitless souls touch it , the Caitanya caritamrta being just one example. We should always remember that Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu specifically instructed Srila Rupa Goswami , after Mahaprabhu read Rupa Goswami explanations of the verse that Mahāprabhu chanted at the Rathayatra festival , to reveal and write on the inner confidential reasons for Mahāprabhus appearance and His desire to taste the Love of Srimati Radharani and Her Manjaris. Those who conclude we don’t need to study the works of our param para are actually outside of ISKCON in real terms because they misunderstand  Prabhupada and his  inner consciousness  and intentions , consequently they may interpret his mission in subjective ways and fail to understand his full and real intentions.

One could think that instead of employing ones intelligence to assist in developing Prabhupada’s strategies , we ought to use our own intelligence to develop them in different ways and adjust things done in the past ,( of course there  may be legitimate specific changes , that may be applied in consultation with a governing body ,)  some might even advocate altering  things that were published in Prabhupada’s books or given emphasis by him , or some might  try to  give interpretations of Prabhupada’s original formulations of management and directives he gave , or even change the philosophical outlook and cor values of the transcendental historical culture thàt he truly represents .
Prabhupada has given the framework  , as he said ..  for everything to succeed …..and we have the duty to fill it in correctly  , we have to have faith in his directions and the tradition he represents and believe in him , and a governing body that he set up , although they may make mistakes,  still , we should have faith it will be corrected., because ISKCON is Prabhupada ,Prabhupada represents Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja and Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur and ultimately the desire of Mahaprabhu and Nityananda prabhu  .

Faith in the teachings or the book Bhagavat and having a belief in the visions and directions of the person Bhagavat goes hand in hand .

Text 5: By remembering the lotus feet of the Pañca-tattva, a dumb man can become a poet, a lame man can cross mountains, and a blind man can see the stars in the sky. Text 6: The education cultivated by so-called learned scholars who do not believe these statements of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta is like the tumultuous croaking of frogs. Text 7: One who does not accept the glories of the Pañca-tattva but still makes a show of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa can never achieve the mercy of Kṛṣṇa or advance to the ultimate goal.

What are Srila Prabhupada’s intentions for ISKCON ?

The uncertainty principle..

Edward Teller , a disciple of Niels Bohr and Edward Schrodinger and Heisenberg . Tells the ultimate story of Quantum physics…the uncertainty principle…..calculated by Heisenberg …. If you ask about the past, there is always causality…..cause and effect .. If you ask about the future, there are endless possibilities. And uncertainties. Albert Einstein did not like this uncertainty principle  he said God does not throw dice .

But our freedom is the uncertainty in life , no one knows exactly how we will use it , its God given ,and to a degree in real terms Divinity places Himself in uncertainty, when He grants it .

Prabhupada says … You are not dead stone .. You have Free will, and Krishna has given that free will . How you act , and how you choose is entirely up to you ….. Although within the laws of nature ,we are entangled in previous actions and determinism. but not entirely some independent freedom and constant choices are available. This uncertainty principle is the cause of pleasure and rasa for Krishna in our liberated state . And a cause of our liberation and bondage in or from matter.

VEDIC SPECTATOR

What happened to the beautiful dawn chorus

Mar 14th, 2023

Dawn chorus just isn’t what it used to be.

The following lists percentage declines of some bird species recorded in the Common Bird Census between 1970 and 1999

Tree sparrow  -95 per cent Corn bunting  -88 per cent Willow tit  -78 per cent Spotted flycatcher -77 per cent Woodcock  -74 per cent Starling  -71 per cent Turtle dove  -71 per cent Song thrush  -56 per cent Bullfinch  -53 per cent  Skylark  -52 per cent Cuckoo  -33 per cent

Bhagavad Gita 16.9.

Lord Krishna tells us  how to recognise the work of those with demoniac  mentality

…”.the demons, lost to themselves, and with no real intelligence, engage in unbeneficial ,horrible works meant to destroy the world.”

THE DEMONS DESTROY LIFE …Bhagavad Gita..

Such are the characteristics of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who indeed is the master and maintainer of billions of universes , He is situated in the hearts in countless of trillions of living entities , but is also situated outside…., ..Einstein coined the phrase ” spooky action at a distance ” but actually Krishna is such a wonderful personality that He becomes immediately responsive and submissive to the love given freely by the tiniest part of the consciousness creation , ie ..the souls ,perhaps something like the sun being submissive to a photon of light .

As the Beatles once sang …all you need is love .

The real exhibition of this unwavering love is exhibited by the residents of Vraja …..where spontaneous love is found between Krishna and His different devotees in various rasas.

If the unlimited can not make himself known to the limited He is not unlimited.

Srila Sridhar swami. Gaudia math .

Godhead overwhelmed by love

Srimad Bhagavatam contains.the .Sruti .Smriti. Tantra and Purana.
Jiva Goswami has accepted this authority as bone fide epistemology , and anything outside of those will not be transparent truth , but at the most , mixed speculations that may  or may not bring one close to understanding absolute truth , a truth spoken in the Bhagavad Gita, by Lord Kṛṣṇa,  and subsequently in the Srimad Bhagavatam and in the Caitanya Caritamrta . This is regarded as the postgraduate study of Gaudia sampradaya teaching.
Anything calculated utilising the 5  the 5 and the 3 will be tainted with material calculations, and it will forever fall within the conditioned modes of material nature., that being 5 knowledge acquiring senses , 5 active senses and the 3 … mind , intelligence, and false ego .

Trancendental topics are described as Pure Subdha brahman , knowledge in suddha sattva or pure goodness, untainted by lust , anger ,greed envy, and illusion pertaining to the body .
Such Trancendental vibrations are being empowered by Divinity and are of the same nature as the absolute . Divinity is always attributed to the teachings of the genuine Sadhus,  Guru’s, and Sastra of the Bramha Gaudia sampradaya . Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur has begun to present these topics to a western audience, and his son Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja the spiritual master took matters further , and Srila A.C.BHAKTIVEDANTA Swami , Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja disciple ,  has taken all these matters and has made all our acaryas  teachings accessible and understandable to a world wide  audience.

While pantheism asserts that “all is God”, panentheism claims that God is greater than the universe.

Gaudia Tattva .
God is both the universe and not the universe , thus the full truth of Divinity is given in the Srimad Bhagavatam.

The following explains how different parts of the Vedas , that are  indirectly connected to ultimate spiritual emotions have been utilised by the great trancendental scholar Srila Rupa Goswami.

Bharat muni  completed his Natya sastra , a study of the rasa of mundane love.
Srila Rupa Gosvami adopted some of the rasa explanation  of Bharat Muni to explain the origins of unlimited rasa  of the spiritual realm from the reflected version that we find in the material worlds , both  in higher , middle and lower planetary systems explained in the fith Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam.  Rupa Goswami intentions were  to give some hint of spiritual rasas and  tastes  of  a spiritual body with spiritual mind ,intelligence and spiritual senses.
So  the technical sneha , mana ,  pranaya , raga , anuraga and bhava principles are explained  by Bharat Muni  and adopted by Rupa Goswami but minus the further and higher realms of pure prem and  mahabhava…that higher explanation of rasa is  introduced by Rupa Goswami to take the subject beyond the conception of material rasa  that can be experienced to a limited degree and is bringing us to the unlimited trancendental rasa displayed in Vraj , wherein the 64 excellences of spiritual unlimited qualities are displayed which are ever increasing and are ever new .

The Epistemology and etymology of the Srimad Bhagavatam….what is acceptable, what is rejected and how languages of trancendental realsions are inspired from within and given as a gift of Divinity…

All the above categories can be properly thought of in context.

Not all men are at the stage of pure devotional service to the Lord .

Some have devotional attitudes mixed with many other motives , political or personal , which are naturally reflected in societies religions

Birds of feathers flock together. The Vedas incorperate all these motivated persons and pure persons into four categories and bring connections between them all .

Karma yoga …jnana yoga …astanga yoga and pure Bhakti Yoga..

Each of the four categories have many subdivisions .

The person Bhagavat in disciplic succession and who is extremely well versed in the Vedas , taking into account time place and circumstances will be able to give a thorough analysis of all these topics .

Krishna says in 7th chapter of Bhagavad Gita..

TEXT 16: O best among the Bhāratas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me – the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.

TEXT 17: Of these, the one who is in full knowledge and who is always engaged in pure devotional service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me.TEXT 18: All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is situated in knowledge of Me I consider to be just like My own self. Being engaged in My transcendental service, he is sure to attain Me, the highest and most perfect goal.TEXT 19: After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.TEXT 20: Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.

It’s is absolutely vital to find a pure representative of God , the person Bhagavat , because he can correctly assess someone who claims purity ….there are many who pose as devotees who are actually demons .

Thus the checks and balances are needed …ie ..Guru , sadhu , Sastra .

The pure teachers , other pure teachers from the past and present, and the scriptures with Sruti and Smriti understandings will help us .

But equally, we should identity and avoid those that will do us harm.

This is what Krishna tells us in Bhagavad Gita.

Chapter 16, Verse 13-15

The demoniac person thinks: So much wealth do I have today, and I will gain more according to my schemes. So much is mine now, and it will increase in the future, more and more. He is my enemy, and I have killed him; and my other enemy will also be killed. I am the lord of everything, I am the enjoyer, I am perfect, powerful and happy. I am the richest man, surrounded by aristocratic relatives. There is none so powerful and happy as I am. I shall perform sacrifices, I shall give some charity, and thus I shall rejoice. In this way, such persons are deluded by ignorance.

.

Protestant , Catholic , Suni , Shiiat , Zionist Rabbi , Smarta Brahmana ,of a cast system or the truth  of  by quality not birth.

“How is it I am to understand that you taught yogic principles to the sungod , he is senior in birth than you ?” This question is posed in forth chapter , and details of sacrifice , yoga, and the benefits of working in this world in compliance with the Vedas is mentioned.

In detail from chapter 7 onwards, the science of matter , mind, and consciousness are explained .

Krishna begins to explain His Godhood and His supreme dominion over all beings and His laws of all science , after Arjuna asks him the following question.

Never mind ” your religion or my religion……all religion in its true sense emnates from Divinity , provided its followed correctly.  Truth can be ascertained by Brahminical men or women  , you will find such honest representations in all religions   , alongside those who seek to misrepresent truth , for their own ends .

Four classes of men and women… descriptions given are given in Bhagavad Gita.

The key is to make sure we are led and guided by truthful men who are in knowledge and are detached from external circumstances .

The quality of such persons are clearly described in most scriptures.

Most definitely, we don’t want business persons or politicians to run our affairs….they cheat , tell lies, and bring disasters in many, many ways…

Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness-these are the qualities by which the Brahminical persons work.

The 11th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam… chapter 21 gives us a hint of relatively and absolutes .

Within the configuration of the teachings contained in the Vedas , one will most definitely find the totality of all philosophical thinking , religious thinking , ..as well as a very broad general guide for systematically progressing everyone’s lives . At its heart, you’ll find social mobility  , overall wellbeing , and well-adjusted practical and scientific solutions to life problems , both in absolute and relative terms , and alongside that , deep richly sourced esoteric truths for an advanced practitioner , that are elaborated upon by the six Goswamis of Vrndavana , who were taught by Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu.