5 June, 2025

Krishna is also in our heart as paramatma.
Even though he is in golok vrindavana, he can be everywhere and travel instantly to anywhere.
This is inconceivable nature of the lord.
All these transcendental contradictions are resolved through the Lord's inconceivable potencies (acintya-śakti).
Krishna's body parts are interchangeable, and He can appear in any form or do anything He desires with any part of His body.
He is the originator of everything - He is god. Therefore, He can do anything.
When we chant the holyname: We understand Krishna is all Powerful, Accessible and Merciful. From krishna we get PAM.
In previous mantra, we saw sura and asuras. In this mantra, we see mayavadis who preach on impersonalism and bhagavatas.
Māyāvādīs accept only the impersonal aspect of God and reject the personal aspect.
Bhāgavatas accept both personal and impersonal aspects, understanding the Lord through His inconceivable powers.
Bible: Man is made in the image of God. This means that God has a form.
The Lord is very near to us, even though He is in His spiritual abode beyond the material universe.
When we deal with the lord in a personal way, the lord reciprocates in a personal way. Otherwise there is no relationship.
Sri Isopaniṣad emphasizes that the Absolute Truth is a person and rejects the idea of an impersonalism.
BG 9.11 – People foolishly reject the Lord when He appears in human-like form, thinking Him mortal.
This is condemned in Bhagavad-gītā 9.11 – the Lord is never an ordinary mortal being.
Even though Krishna was in Dwarka, He came to help Draupadi as a saree.
When Rukminii was about to get married, Krishna came from nowhere and married her.
Ojasvi Prabhu: Krishna saving prabhuji and Ojasvini mataji from the car accident on M31 - Will and deed of Krishna.
If one worships krishna, one can approach Krishna. Otherwise if one worships demigods, one can only approach the demigods to their abode temporarily and then fall down - BG 9.25.
Krishna can come in any vehicle or form.
Kirtanyah sada harih – We should always chant the holy name of Krishna. Adults should not chant while driving - that is dangerous and against the law.
When we chant in front of the dieties - we are focussed because we are looking at the dieties and praying. In car, we are not that focussed. Best is to attempting chanting with focus and concentration in front of the deities.
Radhanath maharaj chants in car with an eyemask on as a passenger to avoid distractions.

6 June, 2025

The Lord may appear in a form made of earth, wood, or stone (arcā-vigraha), but remains fully spiritual.
Krishna is in everything and he is outside of everything.
Kamsa, Ravana, Hiranyakashipu, Sishupal and other demons thought Krishna was an ordinary person. They infact saw Krishna asa an enemy and wanted to kill him.
When we go to Melbourne Mahaprabhu Mandir, We ask for rememberance of Krishna and to be able to serve Krishna - As opposed to pre-iskon (in my case) where I asked for material benefits.
Distraction of mind - We should ask for Krishna's mercy to be able to focus on Krishna and serve Krishna.
Sri Isopaniṣad emphasizes this.
Krishna's body is not made of material elements. It is spiritual.
We are made of Blood, stool, pus, urine, bones, flesh, etc. Krishna's body is not made of these material elements.
We are never equal to the lord both in quality and quantity.
The Lord is not an ordinary person. He is the Supreme Person.
Personal experience: Ganesha accepting milk vs. Radha-Gopinath accepting bhoga - Radhanath maharaj's explanation that Krishna is not made of material elements and therefore accepts bhoga. Krishna chooses to appear in a form made of earth, wood, or stone (arcā-vigraha) and accept our service.
Prabhupada: Red box with letter will stay forever. If the redbox has title AusPost, then the letter will be delivered to the right destination. Similarly, Krishna's form is not made of material elements, but it is a spiritual form that accepts our service.
Forgetfulness is the biggest adversity in spiritual life and rememberance is the biggest propsperity in spiritual life.
In Bhakti, we should never think we are being punshined. It is rather a platform to come to purity - Bhakti is a process of purification.
We should understand the gravity of our forgetfulness and the importance of rememberance.
Because of our imperfect vision, which is coming from imperfect material existence, we cannot see the perfect things in our life.
Inspite that, the Lord is appearing to us in a form made of earth, wood, or stone (arcā-vigraha), which is fully spiritual.
Deity worship is a process of purification and a way to remember Krishna. It is not for a neophyte or only for advanced devotees.It is for all.
One should aim to conduct deity worship with the understanding that the form is spiritual and not material everyday.
We should pray to the lord to give us the intelligence.
PUSH - PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS. Krishna's plan is better tha our plan, this way we will never be disappointed.
When in doubt, chant the holy name of Krishna loudly and clearly to clear the fog.
As you surrender onto me, I reward you accordingly – BG 4.11.
If one takes a step towards Krishna, Krishna takes hundred steps towards us.
If one goes away, Krishna goes far far away.
The goal of life is to make Krishna happy, This is the only way Krishna will make our life happy as well as Krishna will take charge of our life.
We are not here to do transactions with Krishna. We are here to serve Krishna. From remuneration to rememberance. From Transaction to Transcendence.
For a doubting soul, there is no happiness in this life or the next.
When in doubt, chant loud.
how to make Krishna happy? By having regulated life - Being in KC. Regulated life is the best way to make Krishna happy.
9 PM to 9 AM regulation - this way Krishna will guide us from 9 AM to 9 PM.
Chant in the morning, do diety service in the morning.

10 June, 2025

This upanishad gives us location of god - He is in our heart as paramatma and also in Golok Vrindavana, Gives us the understanding that Krishna is everywhere and can travel instantly to anywhere, Gives us the detailed qualities of Krishna, and gives us the understanding that Krishna is a person and not an impersonal form. Saguna - He has qualities that we can perceive, but they are not material qualities. Nirguna - He is beyond material qualities, but not formless.
The form of Krishna is not made of material elements, but it is a spiritual form that accepts our service. He comes in a form made of perceivable qualities.
Our body is made of 5 material elements - earth, water, fire, air, and ether. Krishna's body is not made of these material elements.
He is sat-cit-ānanda vigraha – eternal, full of knowledge, and blissful. He is the source of all qualities.
I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds – BG 10.8.
When we have a challenge - the source of the problem and solution is Krishna.
No matter the circumstance, we should always remember Krishna and chant the holy name of Krishna. A devotee never approaches demigods.
Krishna is the source of everything. For devotee, there is no comfort zone in KC, Comfort zone is an enemy zone.
If we are comfortable in our Sadhana, then it is an enemy zone. We should always strive to improve our sadhana.
Always try to improve our sadhana, and never be comfortable in our sadhana.
Krishna can influence us with his inconceivable potencies and energies.
Prabhupada: Here Nirguna and Saguna is explained. There is no difference between material and spiritual energy for Krishna. Krishna is never formless, He always has a form. He is the source of all the energies - He always remains a person and is never affected. Just like sun, Krishna glows. That glow is called brahman - effulgence. Canto 7: Even though Prahlada is asked on if the lord is in the pillar, he says yes. The lord is everywhere and can be anywhere. He is not limited by space and time.
Loukika Sharaddha - Coming from family, friends, and society. This is not real faith. Real faith is when we have our own experience of Krishna. Ex: Going to temple once in a while
Baladuta Shraddha - Some one powreful like a policition or a celebrity has faith in Krishna. Ex: Going to temple because of a celebrity.
Sastrika Shraddha - Faith based on scriptures - Faith on Sruti and this comes from shabdha praman. Ex: Going to temple because of Bhagavad Gita or Srimad Bhagavatam.
BG 4.8 – The Lord descends to protect the devotees and annihilate the miscreants
Prabhlada Maharaja's example: He was born in a demoniac family, but he was a pure devotee of Krishna. He is challenged by his father Hiranyakashipu, but he remains steadfast in his devotion to Krishna. When asked if Krishna is in the pillar, he says yes. When Hiranyakashipu breaks the pillar, Krishna appears in a form that is beyond material conception and kills Hiranyakashipu. Lord Narasimha appears only based on the desire of Prahlada Maharaja and no other reason.
Japa book (Bhurijan Maharaj): Your sinceriy is your god conciousness. If you are sincere, then Krishna will reveal himself to you.
How sincere are we in our sadhana? How much do we want to serve Krishna? How much do we want to please Krishna and Devotees? Are we available to serve Krishna and devotees? Are we ready to sacrifice our time, energy, and resources for Krishna and devotees?
In our limited capacity we should be available to serve Krishna and devotees.
We should align our desires with the spiritual master. When asked jump, we should ask how high - that is faith.
We should have faith that Krishna is present in the prasadam, has taken form for us as our beloved dieties.
We should never do something under pressure. We should do it with love and devotion - otherwise it is gudi-gudi bhakti.
If we really desire to serve Krishna, Our chanting and services would automatically improve. This way, life of devotee is therefore aligned to the desired of Krishna and the spiritual master.
Brahmha Samhita - 5.35 - I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept at playing on His flute, with blooming eyes like lotus petals, with head bedecked with peacock’s feather, with the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique loveliness charming millions of Cupids.
When Hiranyakashipu challenged Prahlada Maharaja, Prahalada was never anxious. This happens only when Our Plan and Krishna's Plan are aligned. When we are aligned with Krishna's plan, we are never anxious. Prahlada maharaja had complete faith in Krishna and therefore he was never anxious. Krishna is present everywhere and enters into every universe, atoms, between atoms.
He is antaryāmi – the Supersoul in our heart, and He is also the Supreme Person in Goloka Vrindavana. He witnesses every action of ours. Our thoughts, actions and desires - everything is known to Krishna.
Teacher student story - Eat the apple without no one watching and only one student comes back defeated saying I cannot find a place where the lord is not watching me.
BG 14.4 - Aham bhija pradah pitaḥ – Krishna is the seed-giving father of all living entities. He is the source of all spiritual and material worlds.
Mamai vamsa jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ – BG 15.7 – We are all part and parcel of Krishna, and we are eternal spiritual beings.
BG 4.2 - Evam parampara-praptam imam rājarṣayo viduḥ – The knowledge of Krishna consciousness is received through the disciplic succession, and it is not a concocted philosophy.
We should associate with devoteees whose faith is intense. If we associate with devotees whose faith is Wobbly, then our faith will also be Wobbly. If we associate with devotees whose faith is intense, then our faith will also be intense.
Svayam bhagavān Keshav Maharaj – When what how to speak. Am i required to speak? Is it the truth? Is it pleasing? Is it beneficial? Is it the right time? Is it the right place? Is it the right person? - Satyam priyam hitam ca – BG 17.15. Only Krishna katha is beneficial, everything else is not beneficial. Not Gramya katha, not gossip, not material talk.
Job description of a devotee: Align with Krishna's plan and Krishna's will. Rain or earthquake, roof collapsing, everything is Krishna's plan. We should not be disturbed by these things. We should be happy in Krishna's service.
In the previously life, we may have some karma - good or bad. That Krishna ensure that we get to serve it now.
What good people do in bad times - that is what Bhagavad Gita teaches us and thati s what our sastras teach us. Gajendra, Prahlada Maharaja, Dhruva Maharaja, Ambarisha Maharaja, Parikshit maharaja and other devotees are examples of this.
Antye narayaṇa smṛtiḥ – Remembering Krishna at the time of death is the goal of life. This is the essence of all scriptures.
How do we know Krishna's plan - By reading the scriptures, associating with devotees, and following the instructions of the spiritual master. We may not understand the will of Krishna, but we should have faith that Krishna's plan by listening to the spiritual master, devotees, siksha-gurus.

My Summary

Śrī Īśopaniṣad – Mantra 5 Summary

Translation

The Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He is far away, but He is very near as well. He is within everything, and yet He is outside of everything.

Purport Summary

Transcendental Contradictions

The Lord’s activities appear contradictory (e.g., walking and not walking) but are resolved through His inconceivable potencies (acintya-śakti).
These paradoxes highlight His divine transcendence beyond material logic.

Personal vs. Impersonal Understanding

Māyāvādīs accept only the impersonal aspect of God.
Bhāgavatas accept both personal and impersonal aspects, understanding the Lord through His inconceivable powers.

Lord’s Proximity

Though His spiritual abode is beyond the material universe, the Lord is also very near.
He can appear instantly, moving faster than the mind or wind.

Foolish Neglect

People reject the Lord when He appears in human-like form, thinking Him mortal.
This is condemned in Bhagavad-gītā 9.11 – the Lord is never an ordinary mortal being.

Divine Incarnations and Forms

The Lord may appear in a form made of earth, wood, or stone (arcā-vigraha), but remains fully spiritual.
These are not idols but accessible forms accepted by the Lord to receive our service.

Devotee’s Vision

The Lord reveals Himself based on the devotee’s degree of surrender (see Bhagavad-gītā 4.11).
For the surrendered, He is close. For the non-devotee, He remains distant.

Saguṇa and Nirguṇa

Saguṇa: The Lord with perceivable qualities—not material.
Nirguṇa: Beyond material qualities — not formless.
The Lord controls