Invite

Dear Maharajas and prabhus,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I am writing to invite senior devotees such as sannyasis, initiating gurus and Srila Prabhupada’s direct disciples, to participate in ISKCON’s “Spiritual Leadership: Being a Guru in ISKCON” seminar this upcoming February 17-20, 2013 in Mayapura. Others who would like to participate can do so if they send a letter of recommendation from a senior devotee.

The 4-day seminar covers many pertinent topics, including:

Role and Identity of the Guru in ISKCON, Principles of Spiritual/Guru Leadership Relationship with the ISKCON Institution, Guru-Management Dynamics, Guru-Disciple Relationship, Care of Disciples, Pastoral Skills, Spiritual Health, & Peer Association

The Guru Seminar is highly interactive and provides opportunities to share realizations with fellow senior Vaishnavas. It was organized by the GBC Guru Services Committee with the direct input of senior leaders including Bhakti Charu Swami, Jayapataka Swami, Radhanath Swami, Ravindra Svarupa prabhu and other senior devotees and educators.

Per ISKCON Law this Seminar is mandatory for devotees who take up the service of diksha guru. The GBC also highly recommends it for siksa gurus, senior managers and other ISKCON leaders.

The Guru Seminar will be offered once in 2013, at Mayapura from February 17-20. Timings will be 10 am to 1 pm, and 3 pm to 6 pm daily.

The Seminar is open to ISKCON gurus (diksa and siksa), sanyasis, regional directors, temple presidents, and other senior leaders who have at least ten years of active service in ISKCON. (References may be required.)

Space is limited, so please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to attend. To register please email Padmanayana prabhu the administrator of the Mayapura Institute at padmanayana@gmail.com and copy myself Prahladananda Swami at Prahladananda.Swami@pamho.net.

Thank you very much. I look forward to hearing from you.

Your servant,

Prahladananda Swami
Guru Services Committee Chair

Eat the Bhagavatam

“Therefore we are fortunate that we follow sadhana, that is, we eat prasad.  And of course, not only that we are just eating prasad, but out of all the different types of eating that we are doing, the most important food is the Srimad Bhagavatam.  Because unless we hear the Srimad Bhagavatam and digest it, by trying to understand it. Unless we are hungry to eat the Srimad Bhagavatam with our ears.  If we think, “Oh, I am full, I heard yesterday that I am not this body and I am suffering from indigestion now.  I don’t want an another word.  I am already depressed enough.  That Krishna is God and I can’t be God.  All my hopes of material happiness have been discouraged.  I have heard enough of Bhagavatam for the next three years.”  No, we have to become hungry to hear the Srimad Bhagavatam otherwise it will not enter into our ears.
 
Just like you are at a big feast, and suddenly someone has given you a big big samosa and you have just eaten twice as much as your could possibly, your stomach is only so big and you have eaten so much.  The last katchuri that you ate came out of your ear.  So then someone comes and offers you a samosa and you don’t want to eat it because you had enough. So one has to become hungry, because we have not digested the food we have eaten.
 
So one has to hear the Bhagavatam through the ears, and then actually try to assimilate. Try to understand it, try to digest it. And do a little exercise, called putting it into practice and that way we actually digest it, experience it, realize it, and then become hungry for more of the Bhagavatam.  Then whatever we are doing, if we hear the Bhagavatam, we will be able to do it in Krishna Consciousness.  And therefore, it will no longer be sense objects that we are dealing with it will be spiritual objects.”
found here.

If They don’t follow it, it is alright. But if anyone else who does follow it, they are condemned.

“The Christians have their scripture and anyone who doesn’t follow it is a heathen. The Muslims has theirs and anyone who doesn’t follow it is a kafir The Jewish have theirs. Everyone has their scripture, but no one follows it. If They don’t follow it, it is alright. But if anyone else who does follow it, they are condemned. Kali yuga.”

from Lecture – SB 1.5.30 Real Knowledge