Praying for Krishna's Blessings

Today, the tenth day of the most holy month of Kartik, is the day when all over the world my disciples will be celebrating the day of my birth in this material world in my present body. I was born on 7 November 1947 in St. Louis, Missouri USA. For religious observances Vaisnavas go by the lunar calendar instead of the solar calendar. That's why my birthday is being celebrated on 14 October instead of 7 November. In 1947 the tenth day of Kartik in St. Louis was on 7 November. Since my first birthday was in 1947 today is my 71st birthday, and thus even though I am eternal, my present body is 70 years old.

Being born in a Christian family I was taught to believe in God, not as that person to whom I must surrender, but as that person whom I should approach to fulfill my material desires. Such a rudimentary level of God consciousness did not satisfy me. So in 1971 I sought to attain the pure, divine consciousness of complete surrender to the will of God, as taught by Lord Jesus in the Bible, but which is not understood by most Christians.

This desire to be a perfect follower of the teachings of Jesus brought me to Krishna consciousness and to becoming the initiated disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. As Srila Prabhupada's disciple, on his order my life is now fully dedicated for trying to bring about a complete respiritualization of the entire human society as soon as possible. Especially on this day of my appearance I am thus begging and praying for Srila Prabhupada's blessings, Lord Caitanya's blessings, and Lord Krishna's blessings that I can now be fully successful in executing my duty of bringing about a complete respiritualization of the entire universal society as soon as possible.

Srila Prabhupada in New Vrindavan 1972

Srila Prabhupada in New Vrindavan 1972

Video For the Day: Guru's Appearance Day

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: Ideally How Much Daily Meditation?

How many hours of meditation or chanting is ideal?

Your Student,
Apurva Gupta

Answer: At Least 16 Rounds Daily

The ideal standard is meditatively chanting the Hare Krishna
mahamantra 24 hours a day. If this is not possible, one should at least chanting 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna. mahamantra around his japa beads every day.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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