Don't Play Around in Misery

Flying from Dallas to London on 26 March 2011 on the airplane we were offered many choices of films to watch. But because none of them were beneficial for my Krishna consciousness I did not want to watch any of them. This reminded me of the time back in 1969 when I was a young counter-cultural songwriter in Berkeley, California seeking spiritual enlightenment and spiritual revolution on this planet. Hare Krishna devotee Mukhanlal das brahmacari took me with him to spend the night at ISKCON's center in San Francisco at 518 Frederick Street. The next morning for the first time in my life I chanted one round of the Hare Krishna mantra on japa beads. Heading back to Berkeley later that morning I was feeling quite exhilarated. That evening in Berkeley I was visiting some people who were sitting around wasting their time watching some nonsense on television. Instead of wasting my time with them I went out on their front porch and wrote a song. The main line of the song was, "Do you think I'd waste my time playing around in misery when I am so close to Nirvana?" My uplifting spiritual experience at the Hare Krishna temple gave me the prema premonition that soon I would attain the spiritual enlightenment I had been seeking, and the last time in the world I wanted to do was to waste my time absorbing my consciousness in some ridiculous mundane television show. What I was realized that day in 1969 is just as true today as it was then. I still don't want to waste my time with nonsense. The only difference is that now by the grace of my beloved spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, I have been most auspiciously blessed with the transcendental knowledge that I formally was so desperately seeking.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: What Does Paraphernalia Mean?

Please accept my respectful obeisances

While reading about Krishna consciousness I have often read the word, "paraphernalia." Please describe about the word in regards to Krishna Consciousness.

Sunil

Answer: Krishna's Personal Possessions

When we speak of Lord Krishna's paraphernalia we are speaking of such things as His flute, His peacock feather, His ornaments, and His clothing.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Little Sparrow Who Conquered the Ocean

Image
In his purport to Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 6, Text 24 Srila Prabhupada wonderfully teaches us the power of determinations by telling us the story of the little sparrow who conquered the ocean: "As for determination, one should follow the example of the sparrow who lost her eggs in the waves of the ocean. A sparrow laid her eggs on the shore of the ocean, but the big ocean carried away the eggs on its waves. The sparrow became very upset and asked the ocean to return her eggs. The ocean did not even consider her appeal. So the sparrow decided to dry up the ocean. She began to pick out the water in her small beak, and everyone laughed at her for her impossible determination. The news of her activity spread, and at last Garuda, the gigantic bird carrier of Lord Visnu, heard it. He became compassionate toward his small sister bird, and so he came to see the sparrow. Garuda was very pleased by the determination of the small sparrow, and he promised to help. Thus Garuda at once asked t
Read more

Heart Melting Reunion with Amarendra and Gayatri

Image
On Friday 26 June 2015 I was blessed with the greatest good fortune of meeting with two of the dearest devotees of my entire life, His Grace Amarendra Prabhu and his good wife, Srimati Gayatri devi dasi. I am eternally indebted to these great souls for how much they helped me in my spiritual life when I was a young devotee. When I was young brahmacari monk in 1973 I joined with the two of them in Gainesville, Florida. We were a three person preaching center, and they were just like a mother and father to me. I had so many wonderful Krishna conscious experiences in their association that I can hardly begin to describe them here. But at least may it suffice for me to say for now that Gayatri taught me what it means to be a soft-hearted devotee of the Lord and she gave me my first cooking lesson, teaching me how to make cauliflower pakoras, and Amarendra taught me the art of how to preach strongly, intelligently, and coolly to defeat opposing arguments. Recently Gayatri almost died. But
Read more

Misguided Fools Say that Masturbation is Healthy

Image
Foolish modern day materialists recommend masturbation as follows: "Masturbation is a common activity. It’s a natural and safe way to explore your body, feel pleasure, and release built-up sexual tension. It occurs among people of all backgrounds, genders, and races. Despite the myths, there are actually no physically harmful side effects of masturbation." They are wrong. To get a proper understanding on this this topic read the question and answer section below. Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Question: What are the Ill Effects of Masturbation? Since you answered questions related to understanding the real need of sex in a human being's life, so I also request you to please enlighten us with the knowledge about semen conservation, it's importance, and the consequences of frequently releasing it thorough sex or masturbation. Since today most of the youth are indulged in mansturbation and they think it to be good in comparison to doing sex with some female for
Read more