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Travel Journal#6.9b: Belgium and Holland

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 6, No. 9b
By Krishna-kripa das
(May 2010, part one, section two)
Belgium and Holland

(Sent from Munich, Germany, on June 1, 2010)

Insights from Lectures

Prahladananda Swami:  SB 04.27.27_Old Age Modern Choice_2010-05-01

“Here we find a glorification of old age. This is rare. Why is this? It is an impetus for spiritual life.

Some say reason comes with old age, but for some, old age comes by itself.

As new devotees we thought we were transcendental, so we did not worry what we ate or how much we ate. Then at age forty, we realized the importance of our body, and we started taking care of our health, and for some, it became a fulltime service.

On the way back from a doctor’s appointment, Srila Prabhupada saw a movie theatre with a film entitled, “Is There Sex After Death?” Srila Prabhupada spoke about it in his morning class. “Tell them they do not have to worry. There is sex in 8,400,000 species of life. If they know that, they would not have to worry.”

Researchers fed rats a breakfast cereal to test its nutrition value. The rats, however, ate the box and not the cereal.

People are eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, and in the past, they were eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, and I can predict, as an ISKCON astrologer, that in five billion years, people will be eating, sleeping, mating, and defending.

Srila Prabhupada said, “Do you see that tree?” I said, “Yes.” Srila Prabhupada replied, “Do you see the bird in the tree?” I didn’t, but I took his word for it. He then continued, “The bird knows tomorrow there will be worms to eat, and he has his female bird, so he has no anxiety. He knows everything will be taken care of. Why then are you in anxiety?”

Old age makes us more serious.

Srila Prabhupada said that there is a television in our heart whereby we can see the activities of the spiritual world. But unfortunately it is broken. Our movement is a transcendental TV repair movement.

Q (by Sacinandana Swami): I am intrigued by how Srila Prabhupada says the bird was carefree. I find as I age, I have more anxiety. Tell me about how the devotee is free from anxiety.

A: We are confident that we are going back to Godhead, so for us there is no anxiety. Without that transcendental realization, we can try to be peaceful, but that will not be substantial.”

Lilasuka Prabhu:

Hearing from Srila Prabhupada personally, Prahladananda Swami realized that what Srila Prabhupada spoke and what he wrote in his books is the same.

taken from Krishnamonk.blogspot.com

SB 01.03.25_Guru KnowsHow To Serve Vaisnavas_2004-02-17

Posted on December 22, 2009 in http://www.brahmacarya.info
prahladananda

The following is an email message Balarama Prabhu received from His Holiness Prahladananda Swami regarding Maharaja’s reading program. Balarama Prabhu’s message is quoted by “>”.

================================================

Dear Balaram dasa,
Please accept my greetings and the blessings of Lord Sri Krishna. All
glories to Srila Prabhupada!

> Maharaja, I was emailing you regarding your reading program ,how you study
> Srila Prabhuapada’s books.How many hours a day do you study? How many of
> Prabhupadas books do you study in a year? etc. I am seeking Any
> information that will help me.

Thank you for your letter. My daily reading program is:

10 verses from the Bhagavada Gita. Sanskrit, translation, purport.
Reciting 1 chapter from the BG by memory.
1 chapter from the Nectar of Devotional
10 verses from the SB
1 chapter of the Krishna Book
25 verses from the Caitanya Caritamrta.

> I do not recall if you were mentioning it in one of your classes or if one
> of your disciple’s told me. I would really like to memorize krishna lila
> ,stories in general.So I was just seeking some advice,how to,some tips?

Practice regularly memorizing Krishna lila and review constantly what you
have memorized.

> Also a devotee was saying that reading keeps us philosophically fit in
> krishna consciousness ,why is this important? why is it important to read
> and deeply study Srila Prabhupada’s book’s? Also how do I get a deep
> attraction and taste for reading?

We are trying to see reality through the eyes of the scriptures so we
may perform pure devotional service in Krishna consciousness.

As we become purified, gradually taste and attraction will develop.
When that taste and attraction has not fully developed, we can read and
study to strengthen our intelligence and further our conviction and
practical service to our spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, and Lord
Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission.

Hope all is well.

Yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada,
Prahladananda Swami

In a similar letter written to me Maharaja had stated

>.. what is the sequence that a
> devotee should read Srila Prabhupada’s books?  And if you don’t mind, what
> is your reading schedule? Thank you very much.

Generally we start with Bhagavad-gita, then NOD, then Srimad
Bhagavatam, then CC.

My reading schedule:
10 verses from Bhagavad-gita–Translation, Sanskrit, purport
Reciting one chapter of Bhagavad-gita from memory (sanskrit and English)
1 chapter NOD
10 verses SB
1 Chapter Krsna Book
25 verses from CC

+other books if I have time

Hope all is well
Your well-wisher,
Prahladananda Swami

I have been here in Melbourne, Australia for over a week, which lately is a long time for me to spend in one place.  The article that was recently published on the “Sampradaya Sun” was written by me about 4 or 5 years ago for the European Leadership and Management meeting that takes place each year.  The idea was not to criticize the leadership of ISKCON, but to see ways of improving it.

Upon arriving in Melbourne, I went to the New Nandagram farm about 2 hours away and give a yoga seminar with lectures on Krishna consciousness to about 15-20 people.  As Kali-yuga progresses, we can only expect people to become more and more receptive to Krishna consciousness.

Tommorrow, I go to Sydney and to the project at Govinda Valley where I will give lectures to the devotees and teach them some yoga.  This year I passed my certification test for Iyengar yoga.

Yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada,

Prahladananda Swami

By Madhavendra Puri Dasa

 

Thursday 31st, January 2009.
I awoke. It was the final day of the year so there was some means to celebrate, at least sentimentally. Prahladananda Swami gave a brilliant class. It was so witty and impacting that, at the end, everyone was speechless. The sweetness only continued when, after class, Mahavana gave me some honey coconut balls (one of my favourite)….

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