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The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri
Krishna, and His eternal consort, Srimati
Radharani are enjoying transcendental pastimes
in the topmost planet of the spiritual world,
Sri Goloka Vrindavan. They are beckoning us to
rejoin them. (Click on photo to see a larger
image.) |
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Our Mission: To help everyone awaken
their original Krishna consciousness, which is
eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss.
Such a global awakening will, in one stroke,
solve all the problems of the world society
bringing in a new era of unprecedented peace and
prosperity for all. May that day, which the
world so desperately needs, come very soon. We
request you to participate in this mission by
reviving your dormant Krishna consciousness and
assisting us in spreading this science all over
the world. |
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Dedicated with love to ISKCON Founder-Acharya:
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual
master, and to you, our dear readers. |
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For Transcendental Association Connect With Other
Members of this Course. Join this Conference:
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Today's Thought: |
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Don't Bite the Hand that Feeds You
Uploaded from Tartu, Estonia |
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 If
you bite the hand that feeds you, you will not be able
to ingest the food that is so kindly being given to you.
Similarly if you are disrespectful to the spiritual
master who is so kindly trying to save you from the
cycle of birth and death, you will remain entangled in
karma chakra, the cycle of birth and death. Therefore
Lord Sri Krishna advises us how to approach the
spiritual master:
tad viddhi
praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas
tattva-darśinah
"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual
master. Inquire from him submissively and render service
unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge
unto you because they have seen the
truth."--Bhagavad-gita 4.34
We would do well to follow this instruction of the Lord
if we are at all serious about becoming delivered from
this material existence.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Mantra Express Lecture at te University of
Tartu
29 September--Tartu, Estonia
http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Fall/Tartu_Lect1.JPG
http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Fall/Tartu_Lect2.JPG
http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Fall/Tartu_Lect3.JPG
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Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: |
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Question: When Does One Become a Disciple? |
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If
one has accepted someone as one's spiritual master and
has decided to serve him wholeheartedly and follow his
instructions, is it that from that time onwards he is
his spiritual master? Or is it only after the fire
sacrifice initiation ceremony that he becomes a
disciple?
Your servant,
Geetika
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Answer: When He
Surrenders to Sri Guru |
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The real meaning of being
a disciple is to be fully surrendered to the orders and
instructions of the spiritual master. As soon as one
does this he is immediately as good as initiated. But
still the initiation ceremony is required to formalize
the guru/disciple relationship. This ceremony signs and
seals the contract. Just like in my life, one fateful
glorious morning in Austin, Texas in 1971 I accepted
Srila Prabhupada into my heart as my eternal spiritual
master, but still I had to wait for several months
before he formally initiated me by chanting on my beads
and giving me a spiritual name.
The Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (2.6) confirms the necessity of
initiation:
adīkṣitasya vāmoru kṛtaṁ sarvaṁ nirarthakam
paśu-yonim avāpnoti dīkṣā-virahito janaḥ
"Unless one is initiated by a bona fide spiritual
master, all his devotional activities are useless. A
person who is not properly initiated can descend again
into the animal species."
The essence of the guru/disciple relationship is to be
fully surrendered to follow the instructions of the
spiritual master. The initiation ceremony is when the
disciple formally vows to be surrendered to the
spiritual master's orders for all of eternity and the
spiritual master agrees to take that particular disciple
back to home, back to Godhead.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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Transcendental Resources: |
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Receive the Special Blessings of
Krishna
Now you too
can render the greatest
service to the suffering humanity and
attract the all-auspicious blessings
of Lord Sri Krishna upon yourself and your family by assisting our mission.
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Have Questions
or Need Further Guidance?
Check out the resources at:
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or write Sankarshan
Das Adhikari at:
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