Monthly Archives: October 2013

Saturday, October 5th, 2013
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Birthday/Death Day

Kent Bridge, Ontario

I turned 61.  This date happens to fall on the 200th death anniversary of Chief Tecumseh, a member of the Shawnee First Nation.  He was shot in the chest at the battle of the Thames in 1813.  For me, he was a kind of hero.  He lead a confederacy which opposed the US during Tecumseh’s war and the war of 1812.  As a kid I knew little about him, even though I trekked his trail a century and a half after his time here.

In the early morning I had walked the Rosedale neighbourhood in Toronto before a trip down the 401 Highway and towards the Thamesville area where there would be a spectacular reenactment of the Battle of the Thames.  Going westward I, as a passenger to a family from Florida, got a surprise, when we and all the traffic in that direction were lead to a major detour.  What was the problem, construction?  A colossal accident?  We may never know.

We hooked up with a devotee friend from Detroit once the detour was over and drove to the scene of Tecumseh’s last stand (Tecumseh had victory at Fort Detroit and now took his men along the Canadian version of the Thames).  In period costume were American militia who were in opposition to British soldiers and their allies, Tecumseh and men.  The numbers were in the hundreds, not exactly of a Maha Bharat magnitude.  Fire arms went off, the British retreated leaving the indigenous warriors somewhat vulnerable.  The enactors were great.  Tecumseh then fell.  Some Native women sang a song in mourning.  The show was completed within minutes, just as the actual battle had endured.

My sister, also a history buff and Tecumseh fan, was thrilled as was I.  We went to her home for a nice vegetarian dinner which I consecrated being in the role of the priest.  Other relatives came.  The north Indian food (prasadam) was delicious.

Then the topic came up about an accident of Highway 401.  One of the guests, Bernadette, mentioned about Robert McGuigan who died when a semitrailer crushed his body outside his vehicle.  I know Robert from the summer of ’72, months before I became a monk.  Robert, my brother Jerry and I were in BC having hitchhiked the country.  We were downtown when three towering figures (monks to be more particular) shaven headed and in robes, approached us.  Robert purchased from these monks, Hare Krishnas, the most recent issues of Back To Godhead publication for a mere quarter.  I felt the monks were imposing.  I ran quickly trying to evade them.  It was Robert who soft heartedly took the magazine, which I then later asked to read on the ferry to the mainland.  I was curious and impressed by its contents.

That same kind soul, Robert, just today, like a courageous Tecumseh, fell.  He pulled out of a van of five people after seeing a semi trailer crashed in the ditch.  He put warning flares out on the road so that oncoming traffic would slow down and halt.  It was dark.  While in the process, another semitrailer came at a speed and hit Robert.

The tragedy and necessary investigation and clean up caused the authorities to detour the traffic.

Although the dinner was fine, the topic of Tecumseh and Robert both came up.  For Robert, whom some of us knew personally, and for me, the one who handed me reading material that would change my life, we felt somewhat uncomfortable.  Now this group, our family and friends, are not regular church going types, but it seemed to resonate to them when I said we should pray for his soul.  Thanks, Robert, sorry it happened on my birthday.

10 KM

Friday, October 4th, 2013
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I Would Just Like…
Toronto, Ontario

I would just like to repeat what I read from the Bhagavad Gita As It Is in regards to the mind, verse 6.34:

The mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kṛishṇa, and to subdue it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind.

Purport:

The mind is so strong and obstinate that it sometimes overcomes the intelligence, although the mind is supposed to be subservient to the intelligence. For a man in the practical world who has to fight so many opposing elements, it is certainly very difficult to control the mind. Artificially, one may establish a mental equilibrium toward both friend and enemy, but ultimately no worldly man can do so, for this is more difficult than controlling the raging wind. In the Vedic literature (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.3–4) it is said:

‘The individual is the passenger in the car of the material body, and intelligence is the driver. Mind is the driving instrument, and the senses are the horses. The self is thus the enjoyer or sufferer in the association of the mind and senses. So it is understood by great thinkers.’  Intelligence is supposed to direct the mind, but the mind is so strong and obstinate that it often overcomes even one’s own intelligence, as an acute infection may surpass the efficacy of medicine. Such a strong mind is supposed to be controlled by the practice of yoga, but such practice is never practical for a worldly person like Arjuna. And what can we say of modern man? The simile used here is appropriate: one cannot capture the blowing wind. And it is even more difficult to capture the turbulent mind. The easiest way to control the mind, as suggested by Sri Chaitanya, is chanting “Hare Kṛiṣhṇa,” the great mantra for deliverance, in all humility. The method prescribed is: one must engage one’s mind fully in Kṛṣṇa. Only then will there remain no other engagements to agitate the mind.”

Verse spoken by Sri Krishna, explanation and purport given by Srila Prabhupada.

5 KM

Recuperation program for cows? Before and after photos of cows under the care of devotees
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Our recuperation program is simple: 1.Heal their wounds and rid them of all parasites; 2.provide them all the nourishing food they can eat; 3.protect them from being bullied by the healthy members of the herd; 4.give them encouragement by calling them by name, talking to them and by grooming them. Read more ›

Mamgachi Yatra
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Please view the full gallery: Mamgachi Yatra Gallery All my life, I have always lived in big cities, where everyone are so-called happy or trying to find happiness some way or the other, somehow or the other. By Kṛṣṇa’s arrangement, even my life was so-called happy surrounded by luxury (and its associated complications). But on […]

The post Mamgachi Yatra appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Purifying Holy Name Retreat at ISKCON New Govardhana – Sri Sri Radha Govardhanadhari (131 photos)
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THE DEVOTEES, community and management of New Govardhana are excited to be hosting Australasia’s second “Holy Name Retreat”, this October 4-7.

This special event is a rare opportunity to share the Holy Name in association with devotees amid the beauty and tranquility of New Govardhana and should not be missed by any of Krishna’s Australasian devotees.

THR RETREAT will Feature the pioneer of Holy Name Retreats worldwide, His Grace Bhurijana Prabhu and his wife Her Grace Jagattarini Mataji as well as Australia’s favourite Kirtaniyas Sri Prahlad and Janardana. Read more ›

Without a temple for almost a year now the devotees in Berlin recharge their spiritual batteries with a 12 hour kirtan (36 photos)
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In Sacinandana Swami’s words: the 12 hour kirtan was a real “jump start” for our devotion. During the chanting we followed three pieces of advice Sacinandana Swami gave us:
1) Stop thinking and start singing! Let go – relax – life has become very easy now: simply sing and hear.
2) Sing from your identity as a spiritual entity, a spiritual soul. Forget your material designations – woman, man, old or young – and sing from your spiritual heart.
3) Chant with feelings of longing for the Lord. Read more ›

Harinama and book distribution in Israel’s Tel Aviv (19 photos)
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Srila Prabhupada: Yes, we shall base our preaching work on Lord Caitanya’s formula: sankirtana. After all, He is God, and if He recommends, what is the question of failure? That is not possible. If we simply stick to this program as I have done it since the beginning, namely, kirtana, preaching, kirtana, distribution of prasadam if you do like this only that will be sufficient. Of course, you may make the kirtana as nice as possible, with dancing, many khols, karatalas, conches, and if you preach sincerely, anyone will listen and become convinced. Read more ›

04.23 – What raises motion to action is motivation
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‘Motion’ refers to the movement of unconscious things, whereas ‘action’ refers to the movements of conscious people. The waves flowing in a river are in motion, whereas boatpersons rowing their boats on that same river are in action. The laws of physics govern motion like say the motion of waves. These laws affect, but don’t […]

The Basis for Feelings of Separation is Humility, October 3, Dallas
Giriraj Swami

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.47.67 for the morning class in Dallas. “In this exalted state of love for Krishna, Nanda Maharaja and the other residents of Vrindavan show qualities that even we, in our stage, should aspire to and try to develop. The development of Krishna consciousness is hierarchical in that whatever […]

South Africa, September 2013: Part I – UPDATED!
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From Radhadesh, after a turbulent twenty-one hour night journey, Kadamba Kanana Swami arrived in South Africa. After a short rest, on 7 September, together with Bhakti Charu Swami, Maharaja inaugurated the new Bhakti Yoga Centre in Sandton, an upmarket suburb of Johannesburg. Iskcon Sandton provides a beautiful new platform for university preaching, kirtan yoga, arts & […]

Srila Prabhupada – London – airport scenes (100 photos)
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In 1968, Srila Prabhupada sent forth six devotees to London to open a center there. He instructed them about his strategy to make people accept the movement. He told his disciples to go out boldly, hold kirtanas and attract others to chant. Initially people would not accept them, considering them insane. But eventually the holy name would attract them. Armed with the blessings and instructions of their spiritual master, the devotees left for London. Read more ›

The community of vaishnavas in ISKCON New Orleans – New Sankirtan Puri Dham (USA) (185 photos)
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The temple and community center of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is located in a beautiful and historic neighborhood of New Orleans.

A special Hare Krishna Love Feast is scheduled on Sunday evening, with kirtan beginning at 5:30 PM. This is followed by a special arati at 6 PM, discourse from 6:45–7:30 PM and our famous Hare Krsna prasadam (spiritual food) served free of charge to everyone Read more ›

"PLEASE SAVE ME"
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You create war and pray to the church. Why you create war? Precaution is better than… Unless you Krsna conscious, then you will… Tena tyaktena bhunjitha [Iso mantra 1]. You will encroach upon other’s property. That papa-bija has to be killed. Now, after creating war… What is the use? After creating war by your own fault, if you go to the church and pray God, "Please save me," so who wanted

Harinama in the center of Moscow and bhajan in the temple: A full day of glorifying Lord Shri Krishna (223 photos)
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“…this sankirtana or street chanting must go on, it is our most important program. Lord Caitanya’s movement means the sankirtana movement. You may simply take two hours for chanting sixteen rounds daily, two hours for reading congregationally, and balance of time go out for sankirtana. We must do both, reading books and distributing books, but distributing books is the main propaganda.”

Srila Prabhupada Letter, 09-18-72 Read more ›