Whatever is there, whatever we have, should be used for Kṛṣṇa. We can use everything: typewriters, automobiles, airplanes, missiles-anything. If we simply speak to people about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we are also rendering service. If our minds, senses, speech, money and energies are thus engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, we cannot be considered to be existing in material nature. By virtue of spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we transcend the platform of material nature. It is a fact that Kṛṣṇa, His expansions and His devotees-that is, those who work for Him-are not in material nature, although people with a poor fund of knowledge think that they are.
(Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Introduction)
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Sridhara dasa (Jonathan Skater) passed away in Melbourne on 22 December 2023. May he attain the shelter of the lotus feet of Krishna. Krishna conscious, eccentric, generous and warm hearted, Sridhara prabhu was featured in the famous Wrangler shirt ad that was seen worldwide in 1975 and beyond (picture above).
***
Ugrasrava: I had friends in the advertising industry, and one day they came to the temple and said, “The Wrangler Jeans Company wants us to advertise their product and we have the idea to use the Hare Krishnas’ in a sankirtan party – playing mridangas and kartals, wearing dhotis and full tilak, coming down Burk Street. One of the devotees will wear a Wrangler denim shirt along with his dhoti, and the caption on top of the photo will read, ‘I ain’t going unless I wear my Wrangler shirt.'” When he heard the idea, Madhudvisa said, “That’s terrific, let’s go ahead with it.” So I told my friends, “We’re happy with it. How much are you going to pay us?” “We’ll give you this amount of dollars.” Madhudvisa said, “Okay.” We did it, and then two days later we had to do a bit more work and Madhudvisa said, “Get more money.” I told my friends, “Sorry, but we need more money.” They said, “Okay.” Every day as we did more work, I asked for more money and got it. When the ad was finished I got paid in cash. They’d never done that before as usually people had to wait months for payment. The ad was hugely successful. It was displayed around the world on billboards 40 feet by 20 feet – devotees saw it in London – and it won awards. But I was getting harassed by the brahmacharis because I was the only householder, and the mood was that if you weren’t in orange, you were in maya. They said, “This is not what Prabhupada wanted. Prabhupada wanted us to sell books.” So, one day Prabhupada wanted to go for a drive. I drove him through the suburbs, and then came back through the city and parked right underneath a big billboard on a building called Maya which is a huge network of shopping centers in Melbourne. Prabhupada was chanting and looking around. I said, “Srila Prabhupada, what do you think of that ad there?” Prabhupada looked at it for a long while and said, “Ah, the boy who did this is very intelligent.” Then he said, “So, it is you?” I said, “Yes, Prabhupada.” He said, “Ah, that is very good.” I went straight back to the brahmacharis and said, “Listen, don’t tell me that the Wrangler ad was maya. You have no idea what you’re talking about. Prabhupada thought it was fantastic.”
(http://iskcontimes.org/wrangler-was-maya)
Ugrasrava das: There were the two solicitors, and the other guy with the long hair was the photographer that took the ad for the Wrangler shirts, which was that billboard ad that was around the world. The photographer’s name was Bob Bourne. He was a personal friend of mine, and he won awards for that one photo. How it came about for him to do the Wrangler ad, we had just done the temple up in Burnett Street and the Deities had just been all clothed in new clothing and Vaibhavi had been decorating everything. I organized Bob Bourne to come and take the photos of the Deities for this particular time of their new dress. Bob had the Hasselblad camera, which is the one you viewed through the top, and he kept on referring to the Deities as “them” and “it” virtually, “those.” One time where he was lining everything up and Vaibhavi was just making sure that everything was in particular position for the photo, and it just so turned out that she walked out of the Deity room and I walked out of the temple room, we were discussing something. And within seconds Bob came out and said She had moved. We said, “What are you talking about?” He said, “She’s moved, you have to go and straighten Her up.” And Radha had turned, the Deity moved. So Vaibhavi had to go in and straighten Her up again. So from that time on, he never referred to Them as “them” or “it,” it was always “Radha and Krishna.” And after that, he wanted to do the photo for the Wrangler ad.
(http://www.iskconcinema.com/following-srila-prabhupada-dvd-8-remembrances-april-may-1975)
pamho agtACBSP
SRI VAKRESVARA PANDITA appearance day ki jai
That’s alright but what about the bodily concept of life? Although we are trying to use everything in Krsna’s service we hear everyday by the Hare Krsna news from around all over the world that it’s not easy at all to do that until we become free from the false designation of i and mine by keeping trying to use whatever we got in Krsna’s service. SRI KRSNA BHAGAVAT also says that in the SRIMAD BHAGAVAD GITA bahunam janmanam ante,7.19, then yesam tv anta gatam papam,7.8,then udarah sarva evaite jnani tv atmaiva me matam,7.18,then tesam jnani nitya yukta,7.17, Krsna says after many births one can destroy all the sinful reactions, and Krsna considered that special soul like HIMSELF in quality because that special soul is engaged always in HIS service therefore he is very dear to SRI KRSNA and SRI KRSNA is very dear to that special soul who use whatever he got in HIS service.
The vani seva of SRI KRSNA is the most perfect preaching and we need to be more practical by applying whatever Krsna says in our daily life by meditating on the vani seva of SRI SRI GURU GAURANGA. It’s true it’s a slow process to use whatever is there for SRI KRSNA but it’s a pukka process and it can start from where we left from our previous lives until one get the perfection in using everything for SRI KRSNA, this is what our guru maharaj used to preach also we are always the same we are here trying to get perfection through different vasamsi new dress of guna and karma life after life until we will be transfer to the akarma platform free from the saguna physical imperfect influences of the factor time in the material world.
That’s the nirguna platform and exalted position of our guru maharaj HDG ACBSP, although HE was situated beyond the factor time by residing in a saguna form to teach us HE was behaving like a simple and ordinary person to not disturb the fools. SRI KRSNA also used to behave like that therefore whoever gets the nirguna platform acts exactly under the transcendental movement of the parabrahman reflection by identify himself as a spiritual spark of the parabrahman through the brahma nistham pratistha. In this way will be more easy to use whatever is there for SRI KRSNA.
SRILA PRABHUPADA already convinced us about the acintya abheda bheda tattvam philosophy as a bona fide soldier of SRI CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU but the problem is that maha maya sometimes does two steps a day while we do only one step a day to take maha maya away because our sambandha jnana eternal relationship with Krsna is not established yet through loulyam kalatvam greediness about bhakti paresanu bhavo viraktir anyatra syat, all the enemies must be destroyed first then we will be able to use whatever is there for SRI KRSNA BHAGAVAT.
agtSP
ys haribol
Being situated at a different POSITION with regard to its ‘ intent and purpose’ brings different result.
That is how and what Srila Prabhupada said it ;
“Srila Prabhupada, what do you think of that ad there?” Prabhupada looked at it for a long while and said, “Ah, the boy who did this is very intelligent.” Then he said, “So, it is you?” I said, “Yes, Prabhupada.” He said, “Ah, that is very good.”
Hari BOL. AGTSP.
Who would have thought that a Wrangler ad could have such an impact? What a great concept, especially the way it is shot, with the Sun rising in the background blending into the saffron clothes, creating nice warm mood. Only a conceptual designer could come up with something like this! There’s a lot of psychology that goes into advertising and graphic/conceptual design and Melbourne is the Mecca for designers in Australia. It is ‘interesting’ that some persons viewed this as “Maya” which only goes to prove that many devotees have a very linear and narrow view of the reality of ‘what works’ especially a lateral concept such as this!
Vaisnava Dasanudas
Sudarsana
Hare Krsna Sudarsana prabhu, yes many then thought it was ‘big maya’.
I was TP in Melbourne when the billboard went up throughout the city and Srila Prabhupada also saw it a second time.
We were taking Prabhupada to the Melbourne airport for his departure. Ugrasrava prabhu was driving the Ford LTD, I was in the front seat and Srila Prabhupada and servant were in the back seat. On the way we saw another place the billboard had been posted and slowed down to show Prabhupada. Once again he nodded and commented very favorably.
Srila Prabhupada , the broad minded Mahatma Ki Jaya!
Yhs,
Bal.
Pamho agtacbsp, at the end of life everyone can feel that there is something missed that is :whatever we did not use in krsna service is missed then the senses gratification taste bitter at the moment of death and one can see his rotten journey very clearly through the fake designation which disappear again because whatever is not used for krsna services will disappear again but if one wish to eternally manifested one must become serious and greedy spiritually then there is the chance to stop to use everything for MAYA SUKAYA through PARAM VIJAYATE SRI KRSNA SANKIRTANAM ki Jay agtacbsp ys haribol
Pamho agtacbsp, PUTRADA EKADASI KI JAY, the mental speculation get stroger through prajalpa gossip which is gramya katha the opposite side of krsna katha which is considered the best medicine and food therefore the gramya katha is considered the worse food for the soul because the senses and the mind are engaged for MAYA SUKAYA and not for krsna I mean if one want to use everything for krsna must be free from mental speculation otherwise how can one use everything for krsna ? We use MAYA for krsna also and trying to not let MAYA to use us through the 3 guna of material nature.SHE is a great devotee and saw krsna face to face so many times therefore SHE is able to use everything for krsna then no one can use all for krsna without the relationship established with our lost best friend I mean is not easy to use all for HIM without knowing HIM and dharma religion means to know krsna and love HIM used to say our guru maharaj and one must be free from mistakes through imperfect senses and tendency to cheat as still doing f-iskcon which is in complete illusion against the final order of SRILA PRABHUPADA then how can they use everything for krsna? That’s not possible This is madness through ANARTHA, PRAJALPA SPECULATION…agtacbsp ys haribol