CHAITANYA TREE

I've noticed with my fruit trees, the obvious really,
but somehow I didn't see it as significant... until just now...

The tree grows, produces flowers and then fruits.
The fruits stay on the tree for some time and gradually ripen. 
Pretty much all at the same time.

I think that is what is happening with us in this Chaitanya tree.
Some of the fruits are way out on a limb somewhere, that's me.
And some are clustered all together in the same part of the tree.

NEVER LET A GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT GO TO WASTE..

What I appreciated most
about the Seventh Day Adventists
aside from the vegetarian diet
is their mood of separation from the Lord and His Pure Representative.

The SDA movement began around 1850? or so.
There was prediction based on the Bible
that Jesus was returning on a specific date.
The predictions seemed verified from the scripture
and quite a commotion began all around the world
among many Christian groups.

When He didn't appear on the specific date
many people lost faith completely.
But some of them concluded
that He was planning to return at that time
but they weren't ready to receive Him.
So in order to prepare to meet Christ
they should "clean up their act."

Their prophet, Ellen White (early 1900's) has written extensively
about all details of life in preparation
to meet the Representative of God.

One of them is to keep the Sabbath on Saturday
and another is to eat no meat fish or eggs.
There are lots more specific instructions.

The teachings are very nice.
She is I guess what you would call the "Founder Acarya.

"Never let a great disappointment go to waste."
She knew the secret of using everything for serving God.

ACCOMMODATING CULTURE

Devotee comment: "...Actually, Srila Prabhupada was stretching the rules for the ancient Vaisnava culture to take followers from all status and category to become serious followers of the Vaisnava Saints. This is actually a struggle with the upper classes..." Meena Devi Dasi: You've really hit on something. Excellent point... The old Brahmana/Vaishnava conflict. For Himself and the disciples there was no need to have so many Brahmanas come into the Krishna Balarama Temple at the installation... to recite so many mantras. But they needed to be engaged also and unless they were allowed to do that they would not accept the temple as bonafide. But that is to accommodate that culture. Also the dhoti and sari dressing may be part of that. But for preaching in the West they know absolutely nothing at all about the Indian caste conflicts. It is totally irrelevant. There are other issues that need to be addressed in order to engage the Western people.

ONE WORD

If we "actually hear" just one word 
our whole life will change. 
We tend to separate the speaker from what is spoken. 
As if knowledge alone were somehow the goal 
and it existed in a vacuum.

Prabhupāda: "First of all, try to understand one word please. One word, if you understand, your life will be successful. Don't go further. Ācāryopāsanam. This is the very important thing."
ONE WORD

FINAL OFFERING

Mid 1980's
Trying to find service to Srila Prabhupada.
It wasn't easy.
A few months here... a few months there
This temple... that temple
traveling alone distributing books
It's not like I didn't have my own personal battles
going on internally.
Where is service?

Finally Wash DC.. Potomac.
But it was very different
from when I was serving there in the mid 70's.
The beginning days when we first bought the property,
Four acres in Maryland
just outside of Wash DC.
Previously a day camp.
Collecting for the payments, for the renovations.

Exciting days.
Srila Prabhupada came for a visit 1976.
Put His toe in the swimming pool.
Circumambulated the capitol buildings
in a motor vehicle caravan
during the bicentennial celebration July 4th, 1976.

But now it was dirty.
Very, very dirty. Spilled. dried this and that.
In disrepair.
Grimy hand marks everywhere.
The walls, the floors, the hallways.
The filth was appalling.
The kitchen. The rest rooms... everything.
I cleaned.
But it would be filthy again the next day.
The devotees were all Indian.

The temple president was Western and an old friend
and he found service for me.
The morning breakfast offering.
Also I was maintaining a book table at a nearby college.
I would bring students to the Sunday program.
But it was not something geared for preaching to them.
It was a Hindu temple.

The few students I managed to bring to the temple
were lost in the crowd of stationary statues
standing with folded palms before the altar during arotika.
The program was not to facilitate them
coming to Krishna consciousness.
Obviously.

One morning... While preparing the breakfast offering.
Halva, hot milk, fresh fruit, hot oatmeal,
dried fruit, nuts and spicy chickpeas
Somehow the spicy chick peas
didn't get onto the Deities plates.
The offering went onto the altar
and the spicy chick peas were
still there on the stove.

Two brahmacaris came into the kitchen.
One was to do the offering, the other was just there.
When the one brahmacari came off the altar
They began talking about the spicy chickpeas.
Debating whether they were offered or not.
They got into a long and heated discussion.
One saying that they were prepared to be offered
and so they were considered prasadam.
The other claiming that they
were not placed before the Deity
so they could not be considered offered.
They went back and forth about this for quite some time.
While I was washing the pots.

Something snapped in me.
I was there. I prepared the offering.
And they were talking as if
Like milk just comes out
but that there is no living entity,
a cow.. who is making the milk
That is not a consideration.

It was just too much for me.
I was already in a very fragile state
with all the dirtiness
lack of book distribution,
no Hari nam and just Indians everywhere.
I didn't even think about it..
I took large stainless steel spoon filled with hot oatmeal
and tossed it with perfect accuracy all the way across the kitchen
to hit the pujari brahmacari perfectly on the leg.
Hot oatmeal sticking on his dhoti.
He screamed. Like a woman... shrill and high pitched.
and jumped all around. "Oh, Oh..." Hands flailing in the air.

But that was just the beginning.
I behaved outrageously after that.
I took everything in the kitchen and threw it all around.
Prasadam,. pots, spoons, clean and used...
I threw everything everywhere.
I'd gone completely mad.
I opened the kitchen door and threw
bhoga and prasadam all over the walls
that were already filthy.
It just added a little something more.

This went on for half hour or so,
No one stopped me.
I packed up my few things and left the temple.
My final offering.

MAD DOG WITH RABIES

These nonsense idiots who are attacking the devotees 

think this "mad dog with rabies" is Lord Nrshimhadeva. 

Since when does Lord Nrshimhadeva ever attack the devotees?

Why do they never glorify Krishna?

They never even say Hare Krishna.

Because they can't.

They are not devotees of Krishna..

They are devotees of the mad dog with rabies.

And that is where they are going.

WASTE OF TIME

Kick on the face of the atheist...
They are a waste of time....

Prabhupāda: "They are rascals. What is the use? That is advised, prema-maitri kṛpopekṣā, four things. Preacher—there are four things for him. One thing is he should love God. He should make friendship with devotees. He should preach amongst the innocent, and he should kick on the face of the atheist. Upekṣā. "Hut! (laughter) I don't like you." That's all, no business with him. This is preacher. Preacher should love God; preacher should make friendship with devotees; preacher will preach amongst the innocent, poor; and those who are atheist, nonbeliever, kick on his face. Don't care for him. "Go away. Get out." That's all. That much mercy upon them. "Get out, rascal." But sometimes we take the risk of talking with these rascals also. That is our mercy. But according to śāstra, they are to be kicked out. They are not to be taken care of because it is waste of time." 

Morning Walk -- October 7, 1975, Durban

PRABHUPADABOOKS.COM

NO WELL WISHES

I posted something about the obnoxious people claiming to be followers of Srila Prabhupada going around and attacking the devotees. I called them morons. That still holds.
Devotee comment:
Meena are U spitting venom about the morons? Bless them and enlighten them, Jai Shree Krishna!!
Meena Devi Dasi:
That's alright. I bless them by not giving them
an opportunity to offend any more.
Even a saintly person is pleased to see
a poisonous snake killed.
It is not for me to "love them." I don't.
I call them out for what they are. Envious and stupid.
I will not give them even one drop of mercy.
No blessings. No well wishes.
Giving milk and banana to a snake only increases their venom.
Offending the devotees is a very serious matter.
These people are headed for hell.

These people are the vilest demons. 
Very nasty. They are like vampires. 
They never glorify Krishna. 
Only try to drag Srila Prabhupada through filth. 
And torture the devotees. 
They are going to most obnoxious place in the universe.

I HAVE NO MEMORY

“Animal” means that one has no memory. A dog comes when there are some eatables; I say 'Hut!' and he goes away. But again he comes—he has no memory. So when our memory of God is reducing, that means that our human qualities are reducing. In the Kali-yuga these human qualities will be reduced. That means that people are becoming like cats and dogs."

I have no memory. That is why I have to always chant Hare Krishna. Always. All the time. I have no memory.

Human Society or Animal Society? The Science of Self Realization

PRABHUPADABOOKS.COM

UNLESS A PERSON IS FORTUNATE ENOUGH

Devotee Comment
If one is in a hell realm one duly suffers, to enjoy a hell would be demonic...
In the same way a devotee should view material engagement. Though often they prefer.
Material engagements are like red hot chains binding the mind to the body.
Only desire for the purest spiritual nectar can join us to Krishna, anything else is separation and torture...
The chanting of the holy name is the simplest way to cut of attachment, but it cannot protect from its own material energy and devotees can indeed be lost in activities in the mode of service...
In the same way, we can talk about the sun on Facebook... But seeing it from the highest peak as it rises is entirely different.
Surely this Kali Yuba has given birth to a dead child and that child is named matter.

Meena Devi Dasi:
Yes. I agree. The modes of material nature are like powerful waves.
Unless a person is fortunate enough to connect with someone
who is actually on the transcendental platform
it is not possible to "climb out" under one's own power.
Krishna simply remains a good idea while still thrashing around
under the influence of the modes of material nature.

WONDERFUL KRISHNA

Wonderful Krishna
Krishna's friends know that Krishna is very special.
They have seen Him do miracles.
Have seen Him kill so many demons.
They have full faith in Him. 
and love to see Him kill demons.

For instance. Aghasura, one of the servants of Kamsa,
Was sent to Vrndavan to kill Krishna and his friends.
Demons have the ability to take any shape they want
and this demon took the form of a giant serpent
and lay down in the road with his mouth open to look like cave opening. Inviting the boys to come and have fun and go inside the cave.

The boys saw this. But they knew what it was.
A giant serpent lying down trying to look like a cave
wanting to swallow all of them.
They could even smell a nasty smell coming from his intestines.
They welcomed the challenge
and cheerfully entered the mouth of the demon
with full faith that Krishna would save them.

And He did. He also entered the mouth of Aghasura
and burst him from the inside.

Also in the Talavana forest there were delicious fruits
that no one could take because the demons were there.
Dhenukasura who had taken the form of an ass
along with many associates similarly in the form of asses..
Also sent by Kamsa.

The boys pleaded with Krishna
that they really wanted to taste the fruits in the beautiful forest.
To please kill the demons there.
They all entered the Talavana forest.
And sure enough as soon as they began to collect the fruits
Dhenukasura and his cohorts attacked.

Krishna and Balarama grabbed them by their hind legs
and swung them around with such force
they landed in the trees and lost their lives.

The wonderful thing about these demons
being killed by Krishna is
that they gain liberation from the material concept of life.

The sankirtana is like that.
The demons come out as soon as
there is the sound of the Holy Name...Krishna.

With full faith in Krishna... the glorification
of the of Absolute Truth is going on.
The asses the serpents are coming.
And Krishna is killing them and liberating them.
Wonderful Krishna.

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SKINNER GOT IT RIGHT

BF Skinner got it.
Connect a stimulus to sense gratification
and the person or animal is hooked.

Why it is essential to come to the realization 
that we are not these material body and minds.

But just that realization alone
is not enough.

A young man smoking a cigarette was asked
"Why are you smoking?
You know it is not good for your health?

He answered. "Yes I know.
But I'm going to die of something anyway
and I enjoy smoking."

Just knowing is not enough.
Just knowing I am not this body is not enough.
Just knowing smoking would kill him was not enough.

That is why practicing bhakti yoga is so powerful.
All activity is done as an offering to Krishna.
The sense gratification is there
but it is not "the reason" for the activity.
It is merely a by product.

It is not possible for the devotee to
to become conditioned to sense gratification.
They become "conditioned" to serving Krishna.

The activity may look the same
but the quality is completely different.

FIFTH CANTO-TENTH CANTO

In response to something I posted
about a mood of impending World War
that is building among the people in general:

Devotee Comment:
I don't entertain thoughts about a 3rd World War. The demons behind the scenes will do what they do. It's about reflecting God's Love in everything I say and do. To freak out about things over which we the common people have little to no control is a waste of both our time and our energy. I'll say it--and, yes, I suppose some may say it's simplistic. ~Feel free to speak your minds, prabhus. Herez the scoop: Trust in God that He well-knows what is happening--and always is seeking the positive outcome. How can I keep my devotees out of harm's way? Another thing is that Krishna loves the demons as well--and Lord Jesus demonstrated such "tough love" when he whipped the money-changers and overturned their tables. Please prabhus, do NOT think ______ is lost in some kind of sentiment. I mean to say it's alright to think positive--not everything is written in red ink.

Meena Devi Dasi:
That's okay what you say. We are discussing.
I look at all sorts of things.
It doesn't mean I have to go there.
Hare Krishna...
That it is my only world view...
But it is certainly part of things.
The 5th canto is there as well as the 10th canto...

TWO LEVELS OF DEPENDING

Devotee Comment:
How it is that devotees do not depend on material things when primarily the form of teaching is through book distribution and online information as well as building temples...
Truly and surely a devotee is better with no thing upon which to depend...

Meena Devi Dasi:
My understanding is that
there are different levels to the word "depend."

One level is to depend and become attached
and see the "material thing" as absolutely vital.

The other level is to depend
because it is available and useful
at a particular time but ultimately
if it were not there it is not essential.

That is the difference in Krishna consciousness.
The material consciousness sees
the "material things" as essential...
like the materialist sees the material body as essential...
but the devotee sees the material body
as a temporary facility with which
to practice Krishna consciousness.

And that ultimately a material body is not at all necessary.
The devotee attains a spiritual body.

KRISHNA'S ARMY WITHOUT KRISHNA

Love this scenario.

As soon as it is clear that war will start
Arjuna and Duryodhana both run to Krishna for help.

Krishna is still sleeping
in His bed in Dwarka and they barge in.
Duryodhana firmly establishes himself
at the head of Krishna's bed
seating himself in an ornately decorated seat.
Arjuna is at the foot of the bed with arms folded.
Krishna wakes up and sees they are there.
What's going on?

They explain there will be war between them
and they both want Krishna's help.
Krishna decides to split is help into two parts.
One part is his powerful army
and the other part is just He himself unarmed.

Arjuna is the first to choose
since it was he whom Krishna saw first .
Duryodhana wanted to choose first...
but Krishna recognized Arjuna first
since he is at the feet of the Lord
and the first one Krishna sees when He wakes.
When Arjuna chooses Krishna unarmed
Duryodhana seated at the head of the bed
in the royal chair is beside himself with laughter
At what he considers the most foolish decision.
He proudly accepts Krishna's army
...........without Krishna..............

https://www.facebook.com/groups/617399761689336/

ARJUNA'S COWARDICE

Arjuna's cowardice

Krishna was calling Arjuna a coward.
He used polite terminology.
But basically that was what He was saying.

What was the nature of the cowardice?

Arjuna is eternally related to Krishna in pure devotion.
The pure devotee only acts to please Krishna.
Serves to please Krishna.
He has no desires for his own personal aggrandizement.
His only interest is the pleasure of the Lord.
Therein lies his own pleasure.

Arjuna was unsure of what would please Krishna.
That was his hesitation.

On the one hand Arjuna and his brothers
were the royal family, Kshatriyas.
His elder brother Yudhisthira is Dharmaraja.
The king or the emperor is the "protector of religious principles."
That is the duty of the royal order.
To protect religious principles.

The confusion for Arjuna is
what are the religious principles
that need to be protected in his situation.

Arjuna takes the posture of humility
when he considers the religious principles to be social.
How can he confront superiors?
Even though they have behaved immorally?
They are in the social position of teachers, relatives, mentors...
Attacking them would be in effect
"attacking the very social positions they represent."
Along with their demise
"the whole social structure would be destroyed."

But Krishna calls this humility.... cowardice.
The religious principle that Krishna wants protected
is the highest religious principle.
Surrender to Krishna.

I WILL NEVER BE FINISHED

I will never be finished reading and recording.
Ever
Even if I manage to read and record all the Vaisnava literature
(How ecstatic would that be!!!)
I would still go back and read and record again.
I have Krishna Book 1 and 2 recorded.
But I don't like the sound quality.
So I am going back and re-recording.
It is wonderful. Ever fresh.
Newer and newer each time.
Do I ever tire of the sunrise?
Everyday there is a sunrise.
Do I tire of the sunrise?
I am breathing over and over again
In and out.
Do I tire of it?
Hare Krishna.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Krishna Book is phenomenal.

Srila Prabhupada is the foremost representative
of Srila Vyasadeva for our time.

PLAYING KEEPERS

Playing keepers
I didn't know what that was 
when my neighbor's daughter asked me,
"Want to play keepers?"
I was 6 and she was 8.
I said, "Okay."
And of course I lost my favorite marble.
A big cat's eye.
When she took the marble
I screamed at her.
And started to cry.
I learned what playing keepers was.
All of a sudden playing marbles
took on a whole new dimension.
It wasn't just fun anymore.

NOT A FIT PLACE

No matter where someone goes
in the material world it is the same.
There is someone who wants
to exploit either you or what you may have.
Hence... "The material world is not a fit place for a gentleman ...or a lady."

WATER SEEKS ITS OWN LEVEL

Devotee Comment:
It really is difficult to conceive how SO many most low class people joined ISKCON and became it's leaders. We can understand that many have anarthas and humbly admit and deal with them the best way they can, not taking a leadership position. But we are talking about active child molesters and even murderers and many of their bodies having the congregation pay for their illegal illicit sex and violence, etc, demanding to be worshiped as good as Krishna!! One has to be ROTTEN to do that. It must be the unlimited mercy of Lord Caitanya for the most fallen. It sure is the mercy of Mahaprabhu, that we can also fulfil the desires of Srila Prabhupada, who said that our business, is to show who is not a sadhu.

Meena Devi Dasi:
This was the first batch of disciples. Under Srila Prabhupada's direct supervision they accomplished miracles. After His disappearance... well..... water seeks it's own level...

YOU GET A LICENSE

Devotee Comment:
(In regards specifically to Christians and meat eating)
They have this idea that God has made them the big kahunas and they have the permission to decide who shall live and who shall die. They come up with this "...dominion over the animals" theory. What they DON'T (or won't) understand is dominion means protection.

Meena Devi Dasi:
Exactly. The underlying desire is not to surrender and serve but to dominate and exploit... So that carries over into the idea that favored by God means you get a license.

ALL THE WAY BACK

All the way back to Lord Brahma.
We have all come from Lord Brahma
as he is the secondary creator,
of the body, that is.

Just as we have a material body
due to our earthly mother and father.
If we follow the generations all the way back
billions of years into the past
to the creation of this material universe.
the great, great, great, great, great......grand-sire
is Lord Brahma.

He is also our sampradaya acarya.
Brahma sampradaya.
We are His offspring.
generation after generation.
My ancestors go all the way back to Lord Brahma.

I am the end of this family line.
I am the only surviving offspring
of my father and mother.
That's it.
End of the line.
I may have taken birth
in this family line for this purpose.
Hare Krishna...

ALWAYS DEGRADES OVER TIME

Meena Devi Dasi:
The organized religion that forms after the disappearance appearance of the empowered representative of God always degrades over time.

Devotee comment:
The followers degrade, water it down, or alter it to their own desires.... also Christ said; "go, and sin no more".... that was his grace... not that he dismissed their sins and gave them some license to continue on with it because he had forgiven them, or absolved them.

it's hard not to be sinful... nearly impossible... is why humility is essential, and one must be submissive to the guru, whether it is Christ or Krsna... without sincerely taking to the teachings to at least some serious degree, what can one expect ? If a child remains disobedient to the parent, what can he profit..? Yes, the parents will go on loving the child, but the relationship will not manifest to it's potential.

Meena Devi Dasi:
The leaders of such churches or organizations see an opportunity to use the watered down presentation to make a livelihood and enjoy a privileged position as religious leader. Hopefully the pure teachings are somewhere being practiced and available to the sincere seeker of truth.

I'M THE PRESIDENT!

In case anyone is wondering about the
"good old days."
I remember now..
1979...
I was taking a small traveling book distribution party out.
A few of the ladies and myself.

I'd heard of a successful program in Europe
to increase the distribution.
The sankirtan party would simply give 50%
of whatever they received in donations to the temple.
The sankirtan party would order its own books
and take care of its own expenses out of the remaining 50%.
That way the temple was assured of 50%
and the book distributors would be enlivened
to increase more and more knowing
that 50% could be plowed back directly into the sankirtan.

When I approached the temple president he hit the roof.
He was furious.
He shouted right in face, "I'm the temple president."
I was in shock.
If he didn't approve of the idea I could understand.
But what he didn't approve of was
that I even had an idea in the first place
and had had the audacity to approach him with it.

I left that temple not too long after that.
There was never anyway to discuss anything.
I can just imagine what GBC meetings are like.
The only way to be heard is to push everyone out of your way.
Taking responsibility means just that.
TAKE responsibility.

Like prasadam distribution
when it was considered to make advancement
you had to take all the prasadam
and leave nothing for anyone else.

I'm guilty of that.
The first week I lived in the temple. I did that.

But I wouldn't think that was the way
to manage an international organization.

I guess what Srila Prabhupada meant
when He spoke about love and trust was
Dog eat dog.

NOT TO PLEASE A CROWD

The Vaishnava is the crest jewel of the brahmanas.
Such a Vaishnava may appear in any caste or even be an outcaste.

Devotee comment:
But we ARE partial - partial to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya! And we DO want to benefit society - by giving them Krsna Consciousness as best we can. But we don't want to necessarily 'Please' society, by bending to their ideas. Like Srila Prabhupada, when other swamis tried to teach him what to wear or how to eat with utensils - he told them, I did not come to learn from them. I came to TEACH them! Haribol! \0/

Meena Devi Dasi:
Yes. When asked how to engage the crowd more in public kirtan, Srila Prabhupada replied, Our business is not "to please the crowd. Our business is to please Krishna, then crowd will be automatically pleased. It is ongoing. Not something new. The challenge of the Vaishnavas. Same problem Srila Vyasadeva himself was faced with. He compiled so many Vedic Scriptures to help those struggling under the modes of material nature. But he himself was morose. Narada muni the perfect Vaishnava spiritual master empowered him to write Srimad Bhagavatam. Kicking out all materially "motivated religion" for the perfection of life.