Who is our real friend?

Friendship, family, society and love...all temporary I'm afraid.  It's so difficult to accept sometimes.

"I love you!  I'll love you forever! You're my forever man/woman/friend/parent/child..." Sound familiar?  Ever felt that way about anyone?  Anyone ever felt that way about you?

Well the harsh reality is, that all relationships within this material world are temporary.  Even if we stay with one partner for an entire lifetime, we will die and go in different directions.  It is stated in the Vedas, that just as sticks come together in a river and stay together for some moments, soon  the current pushes them all apart, much like relationships within this material world.

So do we have an eternal friend?  Is any friend real?  Yes, Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead is our eternal friend.  You may call Him Yahweh, Jehovah, Allah, Buddha, Govinda, Gopala, God.  He is our eternal shelter, our Supreme friend and eternal well wisher.

How can we connect with Krsna, our eternal friend?...Well, through chanting His holy names.  Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.  The most simple and sublime method for reviving our relationship with God.

Taming the TONGUE.

Tongues are weird looking things.  A slimy muscle that loves to talk and taste, talk and taste, talk and taste until you either feel like a fool for speaking too much nonsense or a pig for eating too much.

For a spiritualist we have to learn to control the tongue, because if you can control your tongue, you can control the rest of your senses.

According to Bhagavad Gita As It Is, the tongue should be engaged in vibrating the names of God and speaking of the topics of God, also,  to taste the remnants of foodstuffs offered to the Lord (Prasadam).

One should not over eat...and have you ever noticed how easy it is to overindulge?  Overeating happens for so many reasons.  Nowadays, many people use food as a comfort...comfort eating, it can become like an addiction.  It can be like a hobby.  Eat when you are bored, sad, happy, lonely, entertainment, pleasure... or just because you are just  plain and simply greedy and lustful at that moment...believe me, I know, I am a victim of my uncontrolled tongue.

Whatever the reason for overeating, one needs to address this issue and correct it if one wants to make tangible spiritual advancement, because a yogi is one who neither eats too much or eats too little.

It always feels so good when you just eat when you are hungry and stop before you are full.  Just enough to keep body and soul together...and believe me, we don't really need to eat that much.  You feel strong and so in control...in control of what exactly?...Well in control of our senses.  I always feel so focused when I am able to control the tongue...but it's a constant battle.

It's not so much about losing weight or looking good, it's about being in control of your senses and not allowing the mind and senses to drag you around all over the show, so that our focus on our spiritual practice  is disturbed.

Well, here's to another moment in an attempt to control the tongue.  It's a constant battle, but it must be fought.  If we lose the battle one hundred times a day, just get up, and dust yourself off, keep calm and carry on.  With constant practice and determination, we will get there, it can't rain all the time.

Learning how to not be a man, when you're a woman.

In this world, as we are assigned to our duties in life according to our karma, woman in particular have taken on the role or have tried to become equal to men.

Srila Prabhupada has spoken many times about this situation.  How womans liberation is just exploiting woman.  Woman think they are free, but they are always dependent upon someone...particularly men.

It's a fact, we are weaker by nature.  We are more fragile and sensitive. 

In a world where it's just the norm for woman to work just as hard as men, I find myself feeling guilty when I can't keep up.  Guilty when I need to stop because I'm tired, emotional and drained. Guilty because my body is doing it's thing and I can't get up because I'm in pain. Guilty because my husband is working so hard and I'm slacking.

But guess what?  Men love to work hard and wipe the sweat from their brows (real men anyways).  They are like oxen who love to work hard and relax at the end of a day that was action packed.  And women are'nt supposed to be neck and neck with the husband on the battlefield.  Sure, sometimes it may be needed, but for the most part, it's OK to stand just a little behind the man.  Sheltered from the world.  Being a tremendous support for the man who goes out on the battlefield of life.

From the highest point of view, we are spirit souls, part and parcel of Krsna and are prakriti, female by nature.  Krsna is purusa, the Supreme male.  As prakriti, we are eternal servants of the original Supreme male, it's only natural.  So for those of us embodied in female bodies in this material world, it could be easier for us to develop this relationship with God, but not if we try to dominate the male species and be the "Supreme" controller in what is known as the battle of the sexes.  That is not our position, how will we be able to cultivate the qualities of a devotee if we are trying to be men when we are woman?

Apologies

I would like to make a public apology to anyone that I may have offended through articles that I have written on the internet.

Searching for the truth is not always easy and  due to being a conditioned living entity, I   have sometimes said or written things that were not proper or correct.   This is due to my ignorance and foolishness.

I ask anyone who I may have offended to please forgive me.

Your fallen servant

Suvarna Manjari dasi

To serve or to be served?

Another wonderful day in the service of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krsna.

Attending mangal arti and getting your rounds done before 7am is really the boost you need to get you going for the day. Mixed with conscious enthusiasm to serve the Lord, His pure devotee and other living entities makes for one AWESOME day!

 After a day of service and work, while putting the Lord to rest, I was wondering about the concept of being a servant. We are always servants. There is never a time when we are not a servant to some one or something. Srila Prabhupada says that either you serve God or you serve dog, but you must serve. It's a difficult concept for some to swallow...I mean, SERVANT? Menial SERVANT? Can this be right? Is this all I am? Is this all I amount to? A SERVANT?

Some may feel it's so degrading, so low. After all, WE want to be the masters and controllers. And even although a woman or man may find great joy in serving their dog, we still don't like to admit that we are mere servants. But what is the feeling behind service? Why does it make us feel so good? And here I'm not referring to being a servant to an abusive boss or so called guru or family member (although in a twisted reality this may feel good to the one being abused due to low self esteem). I mean the good relationships, but more specifically our relationship with Lord Krsna and His pure devotees. What makes us tick? What makes us go on and on and on without stopping despite trials and tribulations?

 Well I found out tonight that it boils down to loving exchange. The loving exchange between the Lord, the Spiritual Master and the devotee. Just see the loving exchanges between Arjuna and Lord Krsna. Sudhama Brahmana and Lord Krsna. So many examples are there. The Srimad Bhagavatam are full to the brim of examples of the loving exchanges between the Supreme Master and His eternal parts and parcels. Examples of how the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself serves the devotee. It's incredible. Not that we should aspire and desire to be served by Lord Krnsa! But we can appreciate the Lords loving spirit and mood. And although I am young in my devotional life and bound up by the modes of material nature, still in this conditioned state I can practically see and experience the reciprocation from Lord Krsna and Srila Prabhupada. There are countless examples of the loving exchanges between Srila Prabhupada and His early disciples that we can also hear and relish. So next time if we feel like what's the point in serving serving serving all day long, we can try to remember those loving exchanges that we experience everyday. :)

Anything but surrender!

Even although I practise Krsna Consciousness, many times in a day I will do anything else but serve Lord Krsna! How shocking to realize this...yet again. Sometimes I think it's just because I'm tired, or mentally disturbed or this or that, but it all boils down to envy of Lord Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sure, sometimes I'm ill, physically or mentally, but these illnesses must come from past karma right? And why do I have karma? Why am I in this material world? ENVY of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I wish I was not envious of the Supreme Lord, but the truth of the matter is...I am. And the only way to end this envy is to surrender unto the Lords Pure Devotee and serve Him with all my heart and soul and pray for deliverance of this demoniac mentality. Should I beat myself up about this? Perhaps to a certain degree. But realistically, I've been in this material world for what seems like an eternity, so to beat myself up because in 10 years I have not become free of envy towards the Supreme Lord, considering years and lifetimes of material conditioning, I'm doing ok, by the mercy of my Spiritual Master Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. But at the same time, I should still feel ashamed at my pitiful condition. It is shameful to be envious of any living entity and even more so to be envious of the Supreme Lord, our creator, our Father and our dear most friend and ever well wisher. The amazing thing about it all, is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead loves us so much and wants us to end the suffering that we are undergoing here in this temporary world, more than we want to end it. And the Lord time and time again sends His representatives and even personally comes to deliver us. We are so fortunate and so loved. Let us all take full advantage of Lord Krsnas pure devotee Srila Prabhupadas instructions and end this life of suffering and return back home, back to Godhead. In a world full of divine love, free from the trappings of this material realm. All glories to our beloved Lord Sri Krsna! All glories to His Divine Grace Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!

Marilyn still remembers...

Last week after Food For Life I was sweeping up after the lunch time serve out, when a woman came for lunch. Unfortunately we had distributed all the prasadam for that day and was dissapointed that there was none left, as this was her 3rd time she had tried to come. I said I was sorry and told her our opening times. She left and then came back. "You're back!" I exclaimed. And then she said "I joined the Hare Krsnas in Toronto many years ago and lived in temples around the world. While I was driving here, I was remembering the Tulasi Prayers and Idam purnam....you know, you never forget these songs...it's really amazing." At this point my jaw had dropped to the floor and I asked her if she had personally met or seen Srila Prabhupada and she said that she did see Him in Toronto. I was jumping up and down and completely amazed! Here in Whangarei, a small town in Nz I get to meet this woman who personally saw Srila Prabhupada and who still can sing Tulasi Prayers! Thank you Srila Prabhupada, for blessing us all with Your Transcendental darshan!

Back to Godhead indeed!

Our guests at the Hare Krishna Food for Life are absorbed in reading the transcendental Back to Godhead Magazines and On Chanting Hare Krsna pamphlets!

People are hungry for this knowledge and the more we make it available for people to read, the more we will alleviate the suffering of mankind, our own twisted souls and please our Spiritual Master Srila Prabhupada and all the previous Acharyas!

Back to Godhead indeed my dear friends!

Prasadam, Holy name and smiling faces!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!  Please accept my respects!

The summer is heating up here in Whangarei, and so is the Hare Krishna Food For Life Community Cafe kitchen!
Buddhi and I are blessed to be serving Srila Prabhupada in this way.
The community is still supplying us with the most beautiful organic vegetables and our guests are still coming for delicious Prasadam! And INCREASING!!
With the Holy names playing, incense burning we stood by today and watched all sorts of people honor prasadam while reading old BTGs and Chanting Hare Krishna pamphlets.
Today a lady spontaneously asked us if she would like her to distribute flyers for free, as she does a paper run to 1000 homes!  Then she asked if she could sweep out the cafe.
I was humbled that someone would do such a menial chore as to sweep up, but gave her the broom, because I know that she is doing devotional service.  She  would please Srila Prabhupada and Krsna and come closer to Their Lotus Feet, even if unknowingly.
It was a good day today, we had no prasadam left by the end of the day.
My realization, is that we all have the full blessings of Srila Prabhupada to give the mercy to others.  We have SO MUCH MERCY!
We actually have all facility.  We can do it by Srila Prabhupadas mercy and some endevour on our part.
Praying that more and more devotees take up this mission of Srila Prabhupada, to whatever degree.  It's so simple and so sublime.  Giving this gift to others, there is nothing better in this world.
Even if the "institution" is in a mess, that does'nt matter!  The whole world is a mess! :)  Devotees all over the world should try to do what they can to give prasadam, Srila Prabhupadas books and the Holy Name out to others.  We don't have to rely on the institution to do this.  Independantly thoughtful.  As the ad goes..."JUST DO IT!"...of course, the right time will happen for everyone, a year ago my husband and I did'nt know what we were going to do, but somehow or other we are really getting into the NECTAR...as they say and are feeling so very happy in devotional service.
I pray that devotees once again become happy in their devotion service.  So much suffering has happened within our society, but if we can find the happiness again in the Pure teachings of our Divine Spiritual Master Srila Prabhupada and serve Him as He has shown us, then our lives will become blissful and full of purpose and real happiness.
Prasadam, Holy name, pure teachings and happy smiling faces all around.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!!

New Year, old body, old anarthas.

The new year has begun, the body gets older and the anarthas may be older than we care to admit.
For the conditioned soul, being envious of Krsna and His pure eternal associates is an anartha so deep rooted, that we sometimes can't even see it.  I saw it today...it reared it's ugly head and the shame it brought with it made me want to break free from this demoniac nature.

In Kali Yuga, the demon and devotee lives within the SAME body...I shudder to think of it.

Living in this material world, a place that's full of suffering.  Srila Prabhupada says that EVERYONE is suffering, from the Demigods right down to the insignificant ant...SUFFERING. 
We feel the pains of our bodies, minds, other living entities, the demigods and to top it off, we are envious of God...what is our hope?  Is there a saving grace?  His Divine Grace, Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

We may even  be envious of the pure devotee, but if we continue to sincerely try to serve Him, we will become purified.  I heard a pastime that a devotee was shaving Srila Prabhupadas face and the devotee said "Srila Prabhupada, I want to cut your throat."  and Srila Prabhupada said "Just keep on shaving."

So in this new year, in our aging bodies with our deep rooted anarthas (unwanted qualities of the heart), just keep on chanting, keep on reading, keep on serving, keep on dancing, keep on preaching under the direction of His Divine Grace Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and one day, by His mercy we will have a new year everyday, with eternal bodies and pure qualities. 

How long will it take?  We do not know, but we must keep pushing on forward, because it's a war against so many obstacles.  Keeping our eye on the General, Srila Prabhupada always and forever.  There is no alternative.