20020922 || Ratha-yātrā Address || Johannesburg, South Africa #JayapatakaSwamiArchives

For India, for Johannesburg and Cape Town. Mr. Goyal and his good wife, Mrs. Goyal. To all the assembled devotees and guests and our ISKCON members today, we're very happy and grateful to be able to have in our midst the Consul General of India. Because International Society for Ka Consciousness is a global movement, but its roots are in India, where Sri's divine grace, Sri Laci Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada began his journey to spread this message of Ka Consciousness, of Sanatana Dharma, of universal consciousness, of God, through love and devotion. As we're trying to, we're grateful that Consul General could appreciate how we're trying to serve people irregardless of their race, their religion, their creed, their gender. In the Ka Conscious movement, we're trying to see that everybody can see this as a home. Although we have our temples where we worship Ka and Ram and different deities, Prabhupada said that God is the one and that the Lord is the Lord for everyone, whether someone accepts or not. But we have to see it from that point of view. And therefore, if the father is present, if any son or daughter of the father gets hungry, then actually the parents can't tolerate that. The father and mother want to see their children fit. That's why as part of our social service, we try to feed everyone and see that no hungry people are there within a 10 mile radius of our temples. And that's why we have the Food for Life program. And we're happy that this is because whether whatever creed someone or whatever faith someone may have, but they're all the same children of the one supreme Lord. So we want to see everybody is fed and nobody has to go hungry. His Divine Grace, AC Bhartrivedi Dante Swami Toba just started in 1965, leaving from India with only 40 rupees. In those days there was a restriction on foreign exchange. It's been increased quite a bit now. In Those days, only 40 rupees was allowed to be exported. So he put 40 rupees in dollars, which was about $8 in those days. Now it will be about $1. And he landed in New York City with Bhagavad Gita Sriman Bhagavatam and he started the Hare Krishna movement in New York, registering it as international society for Ka Consciousness. In this way, in a short span of 12 years, he was able to create 108 branches around the world. Our tradition is dating back over 5,000 years, from the Vedic time when the world was one country and the capital was Saint Hastinapur and that time Ka spoke. The Bhagavad Gita and the Vedas were written down by the Asa Deva. So this knowledge has been available in India, but hasn't been so well known in the West. Only among certain intellectuals, they have access. So Srila Prabhupada wanted to make it available to everyone for the benefit of the whole human society. So this is why he got this message from India over to the West. And in his lifespan since up to 1977, he established 108 centers. Since that time the movement has been doubling about every decade. So by the year 1986 we had 216 centers. By 1996 we had about 350, 400 centers. And now at the present time, we're going into about over 550 centers around the world. Apart from that, we don't have only formal centers, but we have many discussion groups, study groups, Satsang groups, Namaha groups, which in South Africa, apart from our temples, there are many, many. I think it's close to 100, but I don't have the exact number. 75 to 100 of these Namhata Satsanga groups meet in schools and in small facilities where many of the groups have hundreds of members. In this way we're trying to serve the greater community in South Africa. And for us it's important when we get the encouragement from a visit of Consul General India also that they can know something about the functioning of our society. Since we're trying to spread the Indian culture and promote goodwill amongst the people. We're happy to welcome people from all the different races and let them experience also that this is not just a national culture, but it's a universal culture which we have records that in other planets the Sanskrit language is spoken according to the Vedas. That in other planets they wear saris and bodies and things. So it's a universal culture according to the Vedas. And so we're happy to see that people from all over the world are enjoying to share this cultural experience. And we want to take this opportunity to welcome again Consul General from India, Mr. Goyal and his good wife, Mrs. Goyal, to our Festival of the Chariots 2002 here in the nation.

Thank you very much, Hare Krishna.

I want to welcome all of you too. Thank you, Maharaj. Ladies and gentlemen, once again, on behalf of the society, I would like to extend our warmest thanks to the Consul General and his good wife.

Ram Ra Sat, who's having good fancy here in South Africa. I was told that Many people ask why these and some other people from different religions they consider deeds to the idol and that they shouldn't be worshipped.

I just thought for a few minutes.

At my disposal I'd like to share with you something about deity. Because every year I'm a priest that establishes deities in different places according to the Vedian ritual. And this deity installation is a very beautiful ceremony. How many is the deity installation ceremony? The Vedas tell us that there's nine practices of devotional services we can offer to God, to Krishna, Vasam, Saktam, Atman, Vedharam. So in this way one of the process is called Archanam. Archanam means worship of a deity. There are other eight processes. Hearing, chanting, remembering, Shravana, Petanum, Swaram, Bandanam. Worshiping the Lord, Serving the Lord, its feet Father Sevaram. Making prayers and obeying sins. In the Mangalam, being considered a servant of the Lord.

Vasyam a friend.

The Lord is a friend, Sakyam and surrendering everything at Munile. Any one of these verses is to give one deliverance. But one of the authorized processes for worshipping the Lord or the daily worship. So what is the deed? This is the question.

You can't do.

So it's like some impersonalists they say you can say anything. He's God. You say this microphone is God. That's not our. This is energy of God. Everything is the energy of the Lord. This is not God different than God. It's energy. It's like sunlight. The light is coming here from this lamp. But the light is not the same as the lamp. Sunlight comes from the sun. It's not the same as the Sun. So the same way his energies are different than God. God himself is also all pervasive through his energies, his everywhere. So what a deity is is where we invite God. We invite Krishna to come. Whichever deity we're inviting to come and be present in a visible flexible form. That's called an invitation. It's called incarnation of a worshipful deity. In chasam, buildings are installed by priests. Some are installed by great church and masters. Some are installed by Devas like Indra or some Deva Bihaspati. And some are installed directly by Lord Brahma. And some are Swayat Makash. Self denied. No one is disappeared. Just like one of the six Goswamis who came as Gopal Bhakti Goswami. He had I think it was 12 Shaligram Silas. Now Sila is another kind of deity on the Lord that's considered a self Planet as de that is worshipped by followers of Sanatana Dharma. And he saw that all of his colleagues, all of his guru Bhais and other Vaishnavas they have deities of Radha and Krishna. So why is the deity? Because both the deity. In the days of deity we do so many personal services. Massage oil in the deity layout a lot extra opportunity to serve. In my view. I wish I had a being. So every night, every day he worship his Shaling Ram Sivas, his stone deities. These long stones with special markings on it which are up here in the sacred river. Of the river. He worshipped those forms of Narayana In Krishna. He would stick them in a box and tie them in a cloth made out of silk and tighten the branch of a tree. He sleep under that tree. He was very austere. So the next morning when he woke up and he opened the box, There was only 11 Shivas, 11 stones. There was one form of Mishra. One of the deity had changed into a beautiful form of Ka dancing, playing on a flute. That deity you can see in Brindazan, it's called Rama Ramana Jiu Rana Ramana Ji and that listens himself manifesting it was not made by the hands of any craftsman. He appeared as his own people. Because the devotee wanted to worship. The Lord wanted a daily the Lord appeared with him so that devotee could worship him. So there are some such self manifest deities in the world, but not more. They're very rare. I don't have a listing of all of them, but there are maybe dozens or maybe a hundred. I don't know exactly how many there are. There are a number of them around the world. Usually what happens is that the baby is tart according to the description given in the scriptures. Then that deity is purified with a ceremony called the Adibas Sanya, Adibas Dal, Adibas Shayanabibas, Sutpa Kosha Sahana, many other ceremonies to purify that figure. From all the touching of the workmen. Many details that may have many ceremonies. Destroying all the material elements, recreating a bunch of all the spiritual elements. Then when all those preparatory programs are done, then the Lord is requested by whoever to bring information. Lord Brahman says that Lord Jagannath was installed by Lord Brahman. This Jagannath form of crisis, the form of Jagannath has effect over the entire unlimited universe. He actually came on his own free will. He also was formally requested and worshipped by Brahma himself, the original person of the universe. In our temple here in Manesa, we have a morning Deity. Those are also called Upanna Bhakishta. Ceremony in the day, inviting the Lord to be present as a being when we invite the Lord according to the Vedic ritual. Krishna says, if you follow the ritual, if you follow the system given, I will do it. It's our faith. Scripture says if you do all this ceremony, if you pray the Lord, he's all powerful if he wants to even appear before us. Now we make a form. It looks like Giti Knowles. Anything else say Krishna kind is not going to come there because there is no restriction. It has to be a form that looks something like what Krishna looks like. Basically, there's some description about what Krishna looks like, what Jakannav looks like, what Radha looks like, what Lakshmi looks like.

What Narayana looks like.

So anything you make, the description has to be followed. You can't just take something up and say, okay, now we're going to make this a deity. That would be an idolatry. But when you install a deity that's called Archa Vig, a worshipable deity of the Lord, and then Lord reciprocates with you. When we told the Lord today, he was reciprocating with us. Sometimes he would stop, sometimes he would go. He's smiling. So they're giving Ramir so much mercy, full eternity to come to this festival. But for the devotees, they develop a relationship with these different deities. Each deed said they have a Leela.

Vaichitra or a different past thing.

It's a different incarnation. Although we have Jagannath deities and Mayapur amazing pastimes. And avatar calls deity amazing pastimes. Some students came up to see the deity. And just as they came up, there was no electricity. It was maybe 100 years ago. And the little lamp that was burning, it went out. So the students said, what is this? We came all the way to Sri Jahannah and this all. Sadly, we can't see anything. Probably there's no deities here. It's just a hoax.

We were cheating.

They walked off. As they were walking off, the pujari saw from the empty peewick where the coffin was there burned. A big flame was shooting up about 12 inches high, about 30 centimeters high, like a bucane lamp and lit up the whole room. He went and called the students like, come here, come here. Take a look.

Have your Darshan of Dhargarh Banana to.

Bajra and look it, that lamp. They're so key. They're so happy. That lamp is burning because of a miracle. This is happening by the will of. They were pulling Their ears and bowing down and going around and they promised, okay, we're going to come here every year and we're never going to make such an offense again. Sometimes the deity talks to the devotees, you know, the famous deities like Richard Ohina, Anuramir Puriman. He was thinking that this deity has offered such a wonderful condensed milk, like a sweet rice, condensed health, spirit preparation. I wonder what it feels like to offer to my daily Gopal Villam. Oh, how could I bring such a thing? It's not offered yet to the deity. Well, that night the Charaya boat had.

A dream when the deity came and.

Said that there's a devotee in the marketplace. His name is Madame Puri. He wants to taste what my tear tastes like. I just stole one of the pots from the offering and I hid it behind my pot. You go into the deity route, you and take that pot of tear and give it to Madhavenra Puri. Sulikan Nana. The Pujari woke up. He was astonished. Tall as it was, the stone beating is when I steal something. Then he went into the Pujari room and he looked behind the cloth and sure enough, there was a pot of condensed milk that he had taken and kept there. He went out and said, madhavuri, Madhavuni.

He found him.

He said, taji. He told them what happened. You are the most worse than your person in the entire world. I mean, who is more forced than you? The Goki God has stolen for you. This sweep, this condensed milk, It's a miracle. We think it's a miracle because we are conditioned to think, this is stone, this is wood. This is an inert material object that we're worshipping. Actually, we're for Lord. We have invited the Lord. He's standing there in his physical form. If he wants to move, he is taught it's a question of our faith. What faith do we have when we take the Lord on Rav Khatra? We are taking in that mood that Lord is there. He's actually there and we're actually serving him. Of course, when we get purified, we'll be able to actually seek Ishtar.

Now we are seeing this wooden or song or whatever.

The deed is made out of an external image of the Lord. Actually, the Lord is accepting our service and this is the way we can train ourselves how to have a proper service character. That's why if anybody says that you are worshipping idols. We don't worship worship of the deities. This is an incarnation of God for us. This is a Worshipful incarnation. Don't say any blasphemy to our religion or to our deities, please. You don't understand how this happened. You want to hear and you can tell it. I explained you a little bit where if you want more information, there's a book called Deity Installation Biddy and it's a book about this thick. It's about 200, 300 pages. It's a very detailed ceremony that's performed for startup. She thinks it's not an easy thing to bring Pushta into one of these really is something very mystical and very special. But once it's done and Krishna is there and the devotees are worshipping, then Ka reciprocates with the devotional love of the devotees. And that way they can make a spiritual dance movement. So one can also have a reading in their home and a deed in the main temple. Within the temple we do a more elaborate worship. There we have a full ceremony. So this is an opportunity for you to develop your service attitude to Ka, to the deity. If you dedicate yourself to worshiping one of the deities and in this way your relationship with Ka becomes loving all. Now I have to go to the person named to booth. I just want to share a few things with you tonight. I'll be here after my question and answer session is over. About 6:15. I'll be available outside to answer any of your personal questions. My name again is Jaya Swami. I come from Mayapur Dhab in India. This year coming year will be the 25th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada's disappearance and the first anniversary of Namal Krishna Goswami disappeared. We'll be establishing his Samadhi in Mayapur and we'll be having the festival for God Purima. And to take this opportunity to invite everyone to come and visit us. Come on the prayer for us. Enjoy the festivities. We'll be the 16 to 20 senior devotees and Nancy Blues in the seminars. After the seminars and afterwards I also do some teaching around India. Thank you all very much. Srima Krishna be happy.

On some television show they said he's the eighth avatar. What does this mean? And in the song by Jayadev Goswami for the tenth avatar, thus Avatar Stotra, he sang about the ten avatars. There's not only ten, but he sang about ten. And the eighth in that sequence was Krishna and Balaram. The ninth was Buddha and tenth was Kalki. So because of that, in many dictionaries, encyclopedias, if you look up ka, it says 8th incarnation of Vishnu. But that's they don't know that they authoritative scripture. That just happens to be the sequence in order that other avatars came first. But actually the whole song of Jayadev is saying Jay Jagadisha Hari, who is saying that Krishna, you're the source of all the avatars, you're Jagadisha, you're the Lord of the universe. So that purport they don't understand. Krishna came as himself in the 8th in sequence of this 10 described by Jayadev. But actually in the RMA Bhagavatam there's 26 avatars. And there Krishna was, I don't know, maybe the 23rd or 22nd. And then it says that ka is the ete chantsa kolakum sam Krishna Bhagavan Priyam. He is the source of all the incarnations. And that incarnations are coming like waves in the ocean. You can't put a limit to it. There are so many. So this is a very superficial, irrelevant kind of commentary that people give. So another question. How do I serve Krishna? Who wants to know how to surrender? Krishna.

Okay, very good.

I'm glad so many of you want to know how to surrender to Krishna.

The way we surrender to Krishna.

Krishna himself describes bow down to me, pray to me, think of me, be.

My devotee.

Give up all other religious processes and simply take shelter of me. In this way you will come to me. I will protect you from all the reactions. Sometimes people are afraid that I surrender to Ka. My karmas will get me. My astrological chart will go haywire. So many spirits are having but Krishna Singh Harvard Dharma Priya Saharaja Bamyakam Sarman Muja Ahamitam Sarvapati, Gyomotechmi Manskam, Master Shami, don't worry, I will see you. I'll liberate you from all the dangers. Now this is sutra form, a more detailed form. How we surrender. Krishna says in 12th chapter Bhagavad Gita think of him always. Then he tells Arjuna that you're not able to think of me always. Then practice serving me. That's called Saga Bhakti, where we have a regular routine. Chanting Hare Ka every day, waking up early in the morning, doing some deity worship, reading some Bhagavad Gita, doing some spiritual activities. In this way we have a regular routine under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master gives us an approved program. Saiyapada has given an approved daily program. As we follow that, then we start to learn how to surrender the Ka. We work in an office or in A factory. We're surrendering to the factory in one level. Maybe not our emotionally. Or at least we have to surrender our work and our time. We're expected to work for the benefit of the company while we're working there, right? So what?

Surrender Krishna like that.

Everything we do, we've dedicated our house, our home, our children, our wife, our husband, our family. They're all property of Ka. So we do everything for the pleasure of Krishna. You don't have to give up the family. You don't have to give up what you're doing. What you change the allegiance. And now I have to do this for Ka. If I don't do it for Ka, then I won't be serving the Krishna. Sometimes the person does just some pious activity and goes back home, back to Godhead. But what are our chances of going back home in this lifetime? As it is seems an unattainable goal. Actually it's not that just by some pious activity we can go back to Gandhi. If you do some devotional service. A little devotional service, you could go back to Gandhi. Or pious activity like giving a donation to a beggar or planting a tree on the side of the road or donating to the hospital or sick people or something. These are all pious activities. But they are even worshipping the Devas. But you know there is heaven for that. You don't go back to God. Heaven is a temporary place. It's like going on vacation. You stay there for some time. Then after a while you have to come back down again and start all over. So how many of you want the temporary vacation? How many of you want a permanent solution? While you end the cycle of birth and death? So who wants the temporary solution? Little vacation. Heavenly planets come back and start all over again.

Who wants a permanent solution?

Go back home, back to Ghana.

End the cycle of birth and death.

Okay, so I can see you're all a very intelligent group here. Because of that, sometimes the little service.

Of Ka has saved people.

Even accidental things like people being sprinkled with Ganshi's water. Even after their body was dead, the body got sprinkled with Ganshi's water. Sometimes they go back to Danya. So it's not an incredible thing to go back to Godhead by doing devotional service. If someone can get back to Godhead with a little devotional service, then why are you doubting that?

If every day you're chanting Hare Ka.

You'Re offering your food to Ka, you're leading Bhagavad Gita, you doing devotional service. Then why are you doubling? You'll get back to Krishna. It's not so difficult.

You can get back to Dhanyan.

Very intimate. Once Prabhupada was saying we should try to be 100% ka conscious. Then we can go back to garden. All the devotees are thinking 100% Krishna conscious. That's too tough. How can I be 100%? I mean, not 99, not 100%. That Prabhupada could sense the mood. Everyone was getting in anxiety. He said even 90% you can still.

Get back to garden.

Then after a little while his thoughts people are digesting 90%.

That's also pretty tough.

90%. Then he was just getting down his seat.

He's turning.

He looked everywhere. Even 80% ka will take you. So then devotee started to feel a little bit relieved. But still 80%, you know, tough mark. Then he was walking and he turned back as almost like an afterthought. Loki told everyone like don't worry. And even 70% is still taking. And he threw that chaver.

Give her a. And he walked out of the room.

Does he want to get back? Try for 100%. But even if you don't make it, 70% is not so tough. Maybe with less you can still get back. But 70% you're guaranteed. Like when you take an exam for your high school or college, you know, maybe you get A or B or C. At least if you get past, you'll graduate. But that's what you don't have to get so worried. Apart from that, even if he swam guides them, Krishna wants to, he can still take. His plan. Depends on our desire, depends on other factors. A little bit of mercy to save us from the greatest danger. Another question here. Why do the Hindus fast for only one month during the fasting period for Golinda glorification. Not so clear the question. Do you mean the Chaturmas Lupur month? What fasting period? They don't eat meat here on solid month. You're not supposed to eat on a Heartik month or Baishak month either. But at least that doing one month is a good thing. That Monday Shalipasada. Why? You see, Hindu.

Is.

A very general term. So within that you'll find in different places in India. In Bengal they don't eat in the first month. And the baisakh is Baisakh month. And Khaktik month is okay. But some other part they don't take Instama. But the different traditions and different parts of Hindu community. What we are basing on is not just to follow tradition but to follow the Shastra. Actually Shastra says all year long. Best thing is to say Kista Prasana. Because some people can't be vegetarian all year long. So then they're allowed to take meat one day a month when they sacrifice their goats or Kali. But nobody follows them nowadays. They're eating all the time when they really want meat. Meat, fish, meat. Some people who are puny as they don't eat on certain months. Certain days the salad is one month. Karting in Abaisha. Karting Baishar. If you don't take me in those months, if you perform some special spiritual activities, you get 100 times the benefit. You can imagine if there's a sale going on. 1% sale, you pay 1%. Buy one get 99 free. You never see such a sale like this. I was driving here, I said buy two get one free. Never buy one get 99 free. Buy one Mercedes Benz get 99 free. Right? Or how much of Mercedes Benz got here? Nobody knows. Half a million. Okay, so half a million so that we have to pay. That's 500,000. 5,000. Would you be willing to buy it? 5,000. So that's the kind of deal that Krishna is giving to be a vegetarian. And Vizact month or Kartik month, Karthik month. Is the next month coming? Shavam is already over. Practice some special Radhas for that month. Hundred times to get born. What a deal. What a great opportunity. Someone may say, well, I wrote the Prabhupada once a letter. You can see it in the Prabhupada colonial. So what should we do for this month then? Prabhupada said, you see, you are a regular customer. You are doing every day, 365 days a year, 12 months. So this offer is more to attract new customers. Just like in shops, regular customers they are already getting. But they want to get some additional customer to increase their cash flow. So they put 70% discount. Liquidation sale all month must go to attract a new customer, isn't it? The proverb says like that those who are not practicing, to give them some kind of impetus. Okay, if I do this month, at least I get 100 times the benefit. But you're already doing everything all the month. So for you you're getting all the sales, all the. So whatever you're doing, you're getting automatically 100%. You don't have to worry. So for those who are not doing, at least try to do it on one of these holy months. You get a bonus blessing for that and make your big boost in your material and spiritual life. But I don't know if I keep up with all these questions. I had a dream. Someone is revealing a dream. This is a secret, very confidential. I had a dream about Prabhupada. I had a dream about Prabhupada and he gave me one ring and he asked me to give it to my mom. Could you please interpret my dream? You go to a solid job. You have to know a little more about what happened between you and your mom. I don't know if it's an appropriate place. Was there something that happened like your mom said? I got even one rant for my children. Then I would know that God exists. My children don't do anything to help me. They don't wash the dishes, they don't clean the pot. They don't help with the chore. At least they gave me but one rand. I know that's well that folks. I don't know the whole background. What I can say though the fact Prabhupada came in your dream is a blessing for you to have association with a pure devotee even in a dream.

Is a big blessing.

Sometimes things get mixed up in dreams. Sometimes they're very transcendental. As me when Srila Prabhupada was instructing me many things about preaching. Sometimes we get things and it's not so clear what does it mean? So normally for this dream interpretation we like to talk to people individually.

To.

Get to know what the background and what that. Remember, we help Krishna get some ideas. But it's not so important to have to interpret everything what we should know. Thank you for watching our videos. Be sure to subscribe to our channel. We publish new videos every day. And don't forget to like and share our channel.