Monthly Archives: January 2015

Answer Podcast: Download by “right-click and save content”

Answer Podcast: Download by “right-click and save content”

Answer Podcast: Download by “right-click and save content”

Radhakunda Seva – December 2014 Photos and Updates (Album 86 photos)
Happy New Year, dear friends! A Baba from Badrinatha is celebrating the New Year in Radha Kunda with an offering of 108 tons of food preparations for Srimati Radharani! 2015 is being welcomed with fireworks, heaps of prasad laid out along Radha Kunda’s stairs, and brilliant décor draped from Radha Kunda’s temples. Tomorrow, January 2nd, the Badrinatha Baba plans to feed all the villagers in the thirty or so villages surrounding the Radha Kunda area. It brings us great happiness to witness Vaishnavas doing such wondrous service at Radha Kunda.
See them here: http://goo.gl/477kdN

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New year’s eve harinam in New Zealand (Album 28 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In the Age of Kali, there is no religious principle except chanting Krishna’s name. It has been ascertained from all the scriptures that Krishna’s holy name is the essence of all mantras. (Renunciation Through Wisdom, 5.1 Purport)
See them here: http://goo.gl/yGoq14

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Midnight-Harinam in Stockholm, Sweden (Album 13 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: We can chant Hare Krishna, and Krishna will immediately become available. Krishna is available in this easy way, for which there are no hard and fast rules. We can chant at any t… Read more ›

Surfers Paradise Bhakti Centre New Years Eve Harinama!! with Harinama Ruci and New Govardhana devotees.
Srila Prabhupada: It is not that one must chant at a certain time. No. At any time one may chant. Furthermore, Krishna’s name is identical with Krishna Himself. Therefore the holy name of Krishna is Krishna. (Teachings of Queen Kunti, 8, Purport).

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Joaquín Lavin, Education Minister of Chile receives Srila Prabhupada books.
Srila Prabhupada: One who is interested in chanting the holy name of Krishna or who by practice likes to chant Krishna’s names should be accepted as a Vaisnava and offered respects as such, at least within one’s mind. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 15, 111)

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Sweet and melodious kirtan by devotees from China using local musical instruments (8 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: If one hears a person say even once the word “Krishna” that person should be accepted as the best man out of the common group. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 15, 106)
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/x2WyGN

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Festivities and New Year Eve Celebrations @ ISKCON Punjabi Bagh.
Lecture By HH Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja, Drama on “The Power of Holy Name” from life of Ajamila, Performances by Bhakta Prahalad School followed by Dancing and Kirtan..(Album 29 photos)
See them here: http://goo.gl/gkcGfq

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Sankirtan Festival in Budapest, Hungary for the 2014 book distribution Marathon (Album 18 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The name Krishna and the Personality of Godhead Krishna are identical. There is no difference in the absolute realm between the name, fo… Read more ›

Gita verse-by-verse Study Podcast: Download by “right-click and save content”

New Year Message from His Holiness Jayapataka Swami (11 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: By chanting Hare Krishna one fixes his mind always on the Supreme Lord. One example often given is that of the caterpillar that thinks of becoming a butterfly and so i… Read more ›

New Dvaraka, Los Angeles, Kirtan Mela – New Year’s Eve 2014 (Album 41 photos)
There’s no better way to send of the old year and ring in the new than congregational chanting of the Maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishn, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare!
See them here: http://goo.gl/oe7Qce

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Huge Harinama in Budapest, Hungary on the eve of 2015 (2 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: One can be free from all sinful reactions after reaching a place of pilgrimage, but one can have the same benefit at home or at any other place simply by chanting the… Read more ›

Santa, 3 penguins & a Banana – 2014 December Marathon 🙂 (4 min video)
This video is about Bhava Bhakti dd’s mentee group sankirtan adventures in London during the December Marathon …. !
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/vb5cYY

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Thoughts for the New Year by Radhanath Swami.
“A new year is a land mark in our lives and a time for reflection on where we have been, where we are and where we want to go. It’s also time to ponder on our failures and mistakes in our spiritual lives. In the path of Bhakti every occasion and every thing is for the purpose of transformation. If the previous year bought sufferings in our lives we can take solace in the fact that all sufferings and punishments in this world are for our healthy rectification. Today we need to meditate on what I really want in life.”
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/lnrSza

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This week’s challenge: Who are these pioneer New Vrindaban Brijabasis? Bonus challenge: What’s the occasion and when was the photo taken? What to do: Post your guesses on the “who, what, when, where & why” in the comment section at the New Vrindaban Facebook page.

Krishna Wants To Remove Foolishness Of Rukmi – Hare Krishna prabhu

Gita verse-by-verse Study Podcast: Download by “right-click and save content”

Gita verse-by-verse Study Podcast: Download by “right-click and save content”

Gita verse-by-verse Study Podcast: Download by “right-click and save content”

Gita verse-by-verse Study Podcast: Download by “right-click and save content”

Holy Name Meditation Podcast: Download by “right-click and save content”

I went from the concrete world of New York City to the emerald world of New Gokula. I’m breathing in jasmine, cow dung, the river, and now the rain. I can feel it all on my skin, in my lungs. The day was hot and sweet, and now the night and rain is fal…

Part 1
In the midst of my sneezing and a hacking cough this morning I discovered a fantastically beautiful sunrise—breathtakingly inspiring for me—when I went downstairs to wake our home Deities. These days I am very taken by the natural world, the sunrise and sunset, phases of the moon, and my favorite for super variety, the ever-changing clouds. These daily occurrences are often missed in our hectic world, and thus it is no wonder that people are ever more depressed and lonely, feeling the cities are like a fast paced void. Behind Nature, and within it (and our hearts), is the Presence of the Almighty, patiently waiting for us to turn to him.

And when we are in the peace that nature can afford (if we can turn off our phone) we can feel closer to the Source of Everything, who for Gaudiya Vaishnavas, is the charming, extraordinarily gorgeous, irresistible flute player and cowherd, Shri Krishna. So I felt inspired and happy in the midst of a distressful condition—which gives a clue on how to be happy. This is the opening for today’s topic on happiness.

My wife and I gave a class last week titled, “Is Happiness a Choice?” guided by the 14th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita on the three modes, or qualities, that govern the material world. Our answer to this question was a conditional yes, since happiness is really an attitude toward life, and not the result of our material adjustments or attainments. Another way of thinking of happiness is that it is not a “thing” but a by-product of a state of consciousness. Thus we might reframe the question to read, “What state of mind is required to choose to be happy?”

From a higher spiritual perspective, one of the qualities of the soul is happiness, so the closer we come to the spiritual platform, the more joy we will naturally feel, and the less we will be searching for happiness in the world of ephemeral things. The potentiality of material goodness (sattva) is that it is the portal, or gateway, to the soul, since it can bring wisdom and spiritual illumination. The downside of material goodness—and all material qualities or things have shortcomings—is that one can become attached to being a happy, virtuous, and wise person, and remain materially bound.

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