Sunday, November 10

Written by Szilvia Bukta-Mako

Book Marathon and Bhagavad-gita

The month of December was an active month with the book marathon and the celebration of one of the most important books in the Hare Krishna movement, the Bhagavad-gita, which is celebrated during Gita Jayanti. This is the day when Lord Sri Krsna spoke the Gita to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra before the Mahabharata war began. During the book distribution marathon members of the Hare Krishna movement go out on the streets trying to give out as many Srila Prabhupada’s books as they can. It is a special month for all of us as we could connect and feel the presence of Srila Prabhupada while distributing his books. Kadamba Kanana Swami continued his European tour in December arriving first in Goloka Dhama in Germany, where he gave lectures from Srimad Bhagavatam.

2nd December – S.B 10.23.27
https://youtu.be/emvDxnYx6dU

His next European destination was Radhadesh, Belgium. He spent more time here giving classes on Srimad Bhagavatam and Caitanya Caritamrita. During his time in Radhadesh, Kadamba Kanana Swami gave initiation to many devotees. Please see the links to his lectures and the initiation ceremony below:

9th December – S.B 10.23.35
https://youtu.be/fXVTGDglsvg

11th December – Initiation ceremony
https://youtu.be/5eJ1gz03mPw

12th December – CC Antya Lila 14.100-123
https://youtu.be/MVn_MQ7BRR0

After Radhadesh, Kadamba Kanana Swami decided to visit Prague, then went to Simhachalam in Germany. Please see the links for lectures and evening kirtans below:

21st December – S.B 3.24.4-5
https://youtu.be/kbmWhEl1sXk

29th December – SB 3.24.11
https://youtu.be/74v8YEf5Btc

30th December – Evening kirtan
https://youtu.be/KV4nVJs7CDc

31st December – CC Madhya-Lila 7.128 Sankirtan Katha
https://youtu.be/1lmHx8tBBwQ

New Year Kirtan and Narashima Homa
https://youtu.be/Z7UnBqJgOI0

Weekly zoom meetings:

3rd December – Reading from CC
https://youtu.be/Dh3NqJv5bCs

10th December – Moksada Ekadashi and the Bhagavat-Gita
https://youtu.be/6BU0qH0qoEY

17th December – B.G. 7.1
https://youtu.be/zPjnLy8pnWk

24th December – Krishna is accommodating
https://youtu.be/DKA2rXgClAE

31st December – Param Vijayate Sri Krishna Sankirtanam
https://youtu.be/xuToHNs9lyk

Reflections

The special session for this month is the end of year reflections from some devotees who shared some of Kadamba Kanana Swami’s words and felt inspired by his teachings:

Adi Ganga devi dasi felt inspired by the following teachings (see below) after listening the morning class from SB.3.4.4 when Kadamba Kanana Swami was in New York on 30th September. (Link to the lecture is https://youtu.be/BD6kz7H11k0)

“It is in the association of devotees that there can be Krishna katha. Such discussions can relieve the heart from 2 types of miseries-the pangs of material existence and the pain of separation. In this way Krishna katha can relieve us of all miseries.”

“The purports are more important than the verses. By verses alone, we don’t fully understand the depths but by the purports we can actually understand the true depth of the meaning of the Bhagavatam. By understanding the meaning of the Bhagavatam we can really approach the Holy Name in the proper mood and take shelter.”

“What in this world can you trust? You have to have filters ‘is it true? Is it not true? Is it real? Is it not real?’ But 100% you can trust Prabhupada’s books. Cent percent. You can switch off all the filters, all the firewalls and just let the information stream in. One can fully rely on it, the pure Bhagavatam with his own pure explanations invested in his pure devotional service. What a gift that Srila Prabhupada gave us.”

Karunika devi dasi listened to the lecture of Kadamba Kanana Swami on 29th December from SB 3.24.11. In this lecture Kadamba Kanana Swami summed up the story of Kardama Muni and his wife Devahuti. (The link for the lecture is https://youtu.be/74v8YEf5Btc)

Some of the words of Kadamba Kanana Swami that stood out for Karunika are:

“Kardama Muni was a great sage who detached himself from bodily comforts. His wife was a princess and had all material processions growing up, but she was ready to become austere and follow her husband. Devahuti, the wife, had a desire to have a child – Kadamba Kanana Swami explained here that for a woman to have that desire is normal and it is a deep desire as the body of a female is designed for that. “

“Fulfilling desires, especially sexual activity according to religious principles is purifying. And one can follow that path and actually become free from all material desires. Such sexual activity is very different than the sexuality of this world which is driven by unbridled lust. Unbridled lust leads to bringing one deeper and deeper into the bodily concept of life and makes one more and more forgetful of the supreme personality of Godhead, which is exactly the opposite of the real goal of life. “

“If one remembers Krishna and never forgets him, this is normal, anything else is when one is bewildered by some mental covering.”

Karunika’s reflection:

“All of the above stood out to me because this world is corrupted with media showing young people that it is okay to show ‘love’ in a certain way and it is become ‘normal’ in this day and age to do certain activities to express love. However, Kadamba Kanana Swami mentioned how by having lusty desires and engaging in it without religious principle, it is only entangling one in this material world. I liked that part when he mentions that to think of Krishna and to never forget him is normal. It is so easy to think that it is not normal, because of so many coverings of this world.”

Welcome to 2022

By Uddhava das

The last few years we always published an end-of-the-year article with visitor statistics, top 10 most viewed articles and our vision for the next year. This year I decided to merge my yearly ramblings with the Monthly Media article. This serie of articles was started in May 2021 and it is the reincarnation of the monthly media summaries that were composed by Ragalekha devi dasi back in the old days.

So no visitor statistics (44000 views in 2021), top 10’s (the most viewed article is this one) or our vision for 2022. We do wish all of you a good new year with lots of blessings and service.

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