Contents Editor’s note Hope of Happy Changes Message from the President of ISKCON KwaZulu Natal The beginning of a year always brings hope of Putting Ourselves Back into Water, happy changes, new accomplishments and often, And Staying There 3 new chapters in our lives. Whether our primary responsibility is taking care of our families; bringing in the “bread”; or being a student; make it a priority Past Spiritual Masters to do it perfectly and do it as an offering to the Lord. Krishna Brings In a recent lecture, His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Milk for His Devotee 4 said, “Srila Prabhupada did everything perfectly, so we should follow in his footsteps.” “When Krishna Srila Prabhupada plays like a child, He plays perfectly, when He plays On Chanting Hare Krishna 5 as the husband of sixteen thousand wives He plays perfectly...and as the friend of the cowherd boys He Book Review also plays perfectly,” Srimad Bhagavatam 1.8.31, Secrets from the East 5 purport. I believe that God and Demigods While some may think it’s too late every day is Golden Lord Caitanya 6 to start a new a new possibility, year’s resolution, Features I believe that a new opportunity Chant! Chant! Chant! 8 every day is a new possibility, a new opportunity to Experiential Learning 10 offer some service. Why not today? If you were asked, “If money and time were no object, what would you Vedic Observer be doing right now?” What would be your response? The Not-So-Accidental Tourist 11 Think about it! Devotee Profile Our first issue of Hare Krishna News for 2012 has an array of interesting and thought provoking Life Continues at 60! 12 articles. A recently qualified Master’s graduate shares her experience of studying the Bhakti Sastri Srila Prabhupada’s Degree (a study of Vaishnava literature that includes Book Marathon Results 13 Bhagavad-gita, Sri Isopanisad, Nectar of Instruction and Nectar of Devotion) in Vrindavan, India. This Young Vaishnavas Column time, our God and Demigods series focuses on the Merciful Footprints 14 “hidden” incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Caitanya. His glorious appearance Vaishnava Kitchen day is celebrated this year on March, 8th. Royal Creams 15 We begin an exciting series of recipes dedicated to Notice Board 15 biscuits; the simple but delicious eat anywhere, anytime treat. Our Vedic Observer jetted off to Italy and shares her personal experience at the Vatican. In Vaishnava Calendar 15 our Devotee Focus we meet one of the stalwarts at the temple who is our pillar of strength: His Grace Advertise in Hare Krishna News Jaisacinandan Prabhu, who celebrates his 60th Give your business birthday on Valentine’s Day. We also review the new a sales boost. Our book, Veda Secrets from the East. publication reaches over Best wishes for 2012! 6000 readers in Durban and surrounding areas 10 000 via the internet. Contact Rasa-sthali Dasi 031 403 3328 (o/h) [email protected] Design and Layout by Lashika Ravjee - 082 309 2396 2 Putting Ourselves Back into Water, And Staying There Message from the President of ISKCON KwaZulu Natal The first of Srila Prabhupada’s books I read was, understand where real happiness lies and to try Krishna Consciousness, The Topmost Yoga and learn and practice the process to attain it System. This book inspired me to practice Krishna – devotional service to Lord Krishna. Krishna is so consciousness. While recently re-reading it I came kind, that He arranges for us, time and again, many across something that, during my first opportunities to come to our senses. reading, shook me into a startling It is natural to The most important of the Lord’s realisation and again after almost search after arrangements is the association of twenty years reminded me of how my advanced devotees. Srila Prabhupada practice in Krishna consciousness can happiness; this has structured that arrangement of be effective. Lord Krishna’s in the form of the is the nature Krishna consciousness movement - “Everyone in the material world ISKCON. is engaged in all kinds of political, of the soul... philanthropic and humanitarian Sometimes we try to help people activities to make material life happy and prosperous, struggling with the sufferings of the world, trying but this is not possible. One should understand so hard to be happy. The panacea is succinctly that in the material world, however one may try to given in Srila Prabhupada’s teachings like in the make adjustments, he cannot be happy. To cite an excerpt quoted. And to maintain effective Krishna example I have given many times, if you take a fish consciousness, the path of eternal happiness, one out of water, you can give it a very comfortable velvet must simply become steadfast in accepting saintly bedstead, but still the fish cannot be happy; it will die. association. It is in saintly association that the path Because the fish is an animal of the water, it cannot back home, back to an eternal, blissful existence in be happy without water. Similarly, we are all spirit the service of Radha and Krishna, is illuminated. It soul; unless we are in spiritual life or in the spiritual is in saintly association that we are guided away from world, we cannot be happy. That is our position.” the seductions of material life and cautioned when (Krishna Consciousness, The Topmost Yoga System, we are getting close to the cliff’s edge. It is in saintly Chapter 3) association that we will be successful. Bottom line: As much as we try, whatever variation Hare Krishna. of life we adopt, we cannot be happy in the material world. Why? Because the material world is not Swarup Damodar Das designed to make us happy and the design of the spirit soul is that it can only be happy in the spiritual world, immersed in spiritual activity. These two designs are therefore not compatible. The analogy Srila Prabhupada uses of a fish out of water describes a miserable condition. No matter what is arranged for the fish when out of water –the finest foods, fame, wealth, comforts – it will always suffer. Likewise the living entity who is in the material world trying to find relief and happiness in material wealth, beauty, fame, and comforts, will only find distress. Even seemingly noble attempts like the establishment of schools, old age homes, hospitals, gardens and so on will not yield everlasting happiness because these are based on the material body and mind. It is natural to search after happiness; this is the nature of the soul, ananda mayo ‘bhaysat. The ignorant attempts of the spirit soul at finding happiness, whether in the opposite gender, fine foods, or humanitarian work, is like the fish searching for water in a desert. The real solution lies in placing the fish back into the water – the soul has to be placed back into its natural habitat. This was the stark realisation that helped me 3 Past Spiritual Masters Krishna Brings Milk for His Devotee By Prahladananda Das Lord Caitanya’s guru was Sri Ishvara Puri and his dream to the villagers and together they went and Sri Ishvara Puri’s guru was Sri Madhavendra found Gopala. This made Madhavendra Puri and Puri. Madhavendra Puri is accepted as the seed the Vrajabasis jubilant. An altar was built on top of or sprout of the prema-kalpataru, the desire-tree Govardhana Hill. This village is known as Jatipura, that bestows love for Krishna. He was a sannyasi after Madhavendra Puri, as the word jati means and followed a special vow of never begging for sannyasi. This incident is very beautifully described food. Once, Sri Madhavendra Puri went to Vraja in Sri Caitanya-caritamrita. Nowadays, Sri Nathaji and was performing bhajana (meditation) in a presides in Sri Nathadvara, Rajastan. secluded place near Govinda Kunda, surrounded by lush, green trees and creepers. For two or three “Madhavendra Puri’s body is totally imbued with days, he was so absorbed in his bhajana that he was divine love, as are his followers. He takes nothing I have been waiting unconscious other than the juice of the mellows of love for Krishna of his own as his foodstuffs. Thus his body has become the place for you for a long time, body. On of pastimes of Sri Krishna.” (CB Adi 9) thinking, ‘When will the third Just before Madhavendra Puri left this material world Madhavendra take Me day, around he uttered the following prayer: midday, a from here and serve Me?’ cowherd “O My Lord! O most merciful master! O master of boy whose complexion was of a syama (dark blue/ Mathura! When shall I see You again? Because of blackish) colour arrived there, carrying a pot of milk My not seeing You, My agitated heart has become in His hand. The boy said, “Baba! Nobody remains unsteady. O most beloved one, what shall I do now?” hungry in Vraja. My mother saw you as she passed (Cc. Adi 4.197) by, carrying water from the well. She thought that you must be hungry and thirsty, so she has sent this Devotees have accepted this prayer as the sum and milk for you. I am going cow herding now. When I substance of the mood of separation. Lord Caitanya return, I will collect the pot.” Saying this, the boy was overwhelmed with joy upon remembering this quickly left. prayer. Sri Nityananda, Sri Advaita Acharya, Sri Ishvara Puri, and many other towering personalities Madhavendra Puri pondered over the sweet talk, of great religious and social importance of that pleasant behaviour and beauty of that boy.