Monthly Archives: July 2015

There were three days of unforgettable kirtans that lasted late into the night, hundreds of guests, participants and volunteers. BB Govinda Swami spoke about the importance of sharing the happiness that we experience, as “love shou…

For many, the horrors of the world, the war, injustice, crime and suffering through centuries, can only signal the supreme triumph of atheism. After all, who could believe in God in the face of such horrifying acts of violence and brutality?
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High blood pressure (HBP) infects the veins of society. It is defined as high pressure in the arteries, which are vessels that carry blood throughout the body.

This film brings to light the layers of bridge construction and the month and the year when the Rama Setu was built.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, December 2010, Cape Town, South Africa, Morning Lecture) The purpose of chanting is about taking shelter. Everyone needs shelter in this world; we know that very well. But where is our shelter other than at Krsna’s lotus feet? That is our situation, there is no other shelter! Everything else is illusory shelter. […]

ISKCON yoga teachers will gather at the Simhachalam farm in Germany August 13th to 17th to develop an ISKCON-wide system for presenting Mantra Yoga through their professional yoga studios. Fifteen teachers will attend the “Str…

It’s a hot season in Vrindavan and almost every day a dust storm comes. Sometimes it turns into a thunderstorm with spectacular lightnings. Short rain brings the heat down some and gives a long-waited relief. A video by Vrindavan Experienc…

‘Draupadi – Born of Fire” . Music/Vocals: Ananda Monet. Dancer: Vraja Sundari Keilman.

It’s not an authentic South Indian meal if you haven’t had it on a banana leaf. There is something very endearing and amazing about eating on banana leaves. But do you know the science behind it? ‘Put Chutney’ brings to us this hilarious v…

Progress and Happy Cows
We are happy to report progress in establishing ISCOWP in Florida. The two barns are built, the entire perimeter of the property has been fenced and the mobile home in which Lakshmi is living is in place. The entire contents of Lakshmi’s house in West Virginia have been moved to the barn in Florida until the ISCOWP center is built. This barn will eventually be used for canning and preserving, workshop and equipment storage. We are very thankful to the crews in WV ( Mukunda, Giri, Vraja Dham and Bhakta John and his friends) and FL (Jatayu, Radha Kund dd, Tulasi, Sankirtan, Jay Nitai, Braja Mandala and Bhakta Nathan) for making it possible to load and unload Lakshmi’s house quickly. We can start moving the cows now that the perimeter fencing is completed and there is an experienced staff member in station full time. This will take some time as we can only move a few at a time. The first group will be four of the calves rescued last year. This group will be moving this coming Monday. Our next e-newsletter should have photos of some of the cows at their new Florida home.
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Hare Krishna! Slavery to Banks: A Vedic Prophecy
Sri Nandanandana dasa: As related in the Bhagavata Purana, at the start of Kali-yuga, King Pariksit declared that the seeds of evil will manifest in four things: intoxication, gambling, illicit sex, and … Read more ›

The post Remembering with fondness Saurabhi dasa, Srila Prabhupada’s architect appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Answer Podcast:

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Answer Podcast:

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The post In Bhagavatam canto 2, what is the relation between Parikshitas question and Brahmas listing various avataras? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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Hare Krishna! The origins of some of Srila Prabhupada’s sayings
Kesava Krsna dasa: I am sure many of us have encountered someone who may have doubted the efficacy of their duty, or were unsure of the completion of a task, to which we, with an air of authority say “Impossible is a word found in a fool’s dictionary.” This saying amongst others form parts of devotee speak as we mimic Srila Prabhupada’s words. It was discovered some years ago that the most common word used by devotees is; so. So is so prevalent and almost infectious that we all know of a so and so prabhu who intersperses his spoken word with so’s. So what of the origin of the ‘impossible’ saying? Firstly, we have to be aware that not only was Srila Prabhupada a scholar, his general knowledge was exceptional too. Once when a group of disciples expressed amazement at his grasp of knowledge, he jokingly replied that he had a “PhD in trivia.”
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Answer Podcast:

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The post In Gita 13.24 why does Krishna say that he has spoken about the modes when he hasn’t spoken about them? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Polish Woodstock Festival Preaching In Full Swing (7 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Preparing prasadam for close to 150,000 people at Woodstock is no small endeavour. But it’s all worth it! The kids love our food. And today they loved our stage show too. Woodstock is in full swing!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/DMkpDg

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HG Surabhi Prabhu at Srila Prabhupada Festival at ISKCON Los Angeles on 24th May 2015 (45 min video)
One of the last recorded videos of Surabhi Prabhu.
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Shouldn’t devotees avoid drinking cow milk from cruel factory farms?
We can understand that these poor animals have a life of great suffering as a result of karma, past sinful activities. Their greatest—and perhaps only—solace is to make an offering to Krishna. If they’re not able to do that, how will they become released from the pangs of birth and death before going through many more hellish lifetimes? The cows whose milk is offered to the Lord are blessed. They will benefit from that offering. We certainly don’t sanction the way these cows are treated, but we don’t consider refusing to accept their milk a more humane or spiritually enlightened proposal. Imagine if inmates of a concentration camp were making some craft for selling in order to advance themselves. Would you refuse to buy those products because they were in a concentration camp? Wouldn’t it be better to help those people by making their lives worthwhile and allowing them to offer some small, valuable gift? That gift, for the cows, is their milk—offered to Krishna.
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Polish Woodstock Festival preaching preparations (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: With Woodstock starting tomorrow the festival grounds were alive with activity today. Ananta Vrindavan das took a walk around the field to shoot photographs of the … Read more ›

The Gita uses the metaphor of the wind for the first time in its second chapter (02.67): Just as a wind can sweep away a boat on water, so too can even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses sweep away the intelligence. Gita 02.55-72 is a response to Arjuna’s question in 2.54 about the characteristics of the enlightened. In his answer Krishna states that one of their essential characteristics is their sense-control. While describing this characteristic of the seers, he as a bonus also gives some guidelines about how we seekers can control our senses – which is the point that this metaphor makes by illustrating the converse: how the senses can take control of us and lead us astray.

The specific points of comparison, though, require some thought to figure out. Just as the boat is swept away, so, it might be inferred, are we swept away. However, the verse compares the boat not to us, but to our intelligence. This is a subtle but significant difference, a difference that underscores the critical role of our intelligence. In our confrontation with sensual temptation, our intelligence is our last line of defense, as has been hinted at four verses earlier (02.63): while describing the sequence of how we fall for sense objects, the Gita mentions that the second-last thing to fall is the intelligence – once our intelligence falls, we too fall. So, given that our and our intelligence’s fate are usually tied together, at least with respect to the challenge of controlling the senses, the Gita (02.67) comparison of the boat with our intelligence can be extended to included our intelligence and us. That is, just as a boat is swept away, our intelligence and we are swept away.

What the Gita compares the wind to is not explicit in the verse. But it can be inferred from the context. The wind is compared to the material desire that is generated when the mind focuses on any of the roaming senses. The implicitness of the object of comparison points to the process for protecting ourselves. We may not be able to control the wind that starts flowing in a water body, but we can control desire from blowing forcefully, like a wind, in our consciousness. How? By carefully refusing to focus on the roaming senses. We can best prevent our senses from roaming by keeping ourselves absorbed in constructive activity, or we can at least be alert enough to avoid focusing when any of the senses perceives an alluring sense object. Just as the wind can come from any direction on a water body, so too can the wind of desire, which we could call alliteratively the gust of lust, come from any of the senses into our consciousness.

Extending the analogy, just as a boat in a water body is always vulnerable to storms so too are we always vulnerable while in material existence, which is also often compared to a water body, an ocean. In fact, […]

The post Gita Metaphors 2 – Wind 1 – A Boat Amidst a Storm appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

CC daily Podcast:

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With Woodstock starting tomorrow the festival grounds were alive with activity today. Ananta Vrindavan das took a walk around the field to shoot photographs of the people and the mood of Woodstock 2015.

Hare Krishna! Surabhi Prabhu left this world
Surabhi Prabhu, beloved disciple of Srila Prabhupada and the devotee architect of Vrindavan and Juhu Temples, Samadhi Mandir, and Pushpa Samadhi Mandir. left this world at 2:50 this morning in Sri Vrindavan … Read more ›

Two hundred thousand young people have already arrived for the Woodstock Festival, which begins in two days. Taking advantage of the big crowd we went on harinama with 250 devotees. A number of them distributed invitations to our Krsna’s Village of Peace. Many people danced with us in ecstasy, relishing the sweet nectar of Krsna’s […]

1. Krishna Is… The most humble being.
2. Krishna Is… the Ultimate Protector.
3. Krishna Is… the Giver of Free Will.
4. Krishna Is… the Deliverer of Divine Wisdom.
5. Krishna Is… the Subduer of Evil Forces.
6. Krishna Is… the Performer of Divine Dance.
7. Krishna Is… a Child

this continues from a previous post As the earth began to reply, she placed herself at his mercy by bowing to him, but she trembled with fear, for he was as angry as death personified. “I surrender to you, the supreme person,” she said, “whose energy expands into all the various forms and bodies within […]

“It is not just a combination of letters or a sterile practice. The holy name is Krishna Himself, as good as His form in Goloka Vrndavana.”From Bhajan Kutir #137by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Bhagavatam-daily Podcast:

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Hare Krishna! Yoga, Srila Prabhupada’s books, Kirtan and Mahaprasad: International Yoga Day in Bali, Indonesia
This year June 21 was celebrated as the first International Yoga day. People from all walks of life came out to participate in the celebration: India, the US, Beijing, Paris, Manila, Seoul, Bangkok, Taipei and of course, Indonesia. Indonesia, as one of the supporter of the Yoga Day, also organized a mass Yoga relaxation program in its four biggest city, Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya, and Denpasar. Through Indian Embassy in Indonesia, as part of the “Friend of India: festival of India in Indonesia 2015”, promoted Yoga Day event. The committee invited the school of Yoga, practitioners, people interested in yoga, and the Hare Krsna Devotees to participate in the celebration of the International Yoga day.
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: THESTAR

A TOTAL of 3,000 copies of the Hindu holy scripture — Bhagavad Gita were handed over to all 28 Tamil vernacular…

Hare Krishna! Peace prayer by Dr. A.P.J. Kalam in his address “The Joy of Human Life”
Oh Almighty, create thoughts and actions in the minds of the people of the nation so that they live united. Oh Almighty, bless the people to take a path of life with righteousness as righteousness gives the strength of character. Help all religious leaders of the country to give strength to the people to combat the divisive forces. Guide the people to develop an attitude to appreciate different ideologies and transform enmity among individuals, organizations and nations into friendliness and harmony Embed the thought ‘Nation is bigger than the Individual’ in the minds of the leaders and people. Oh God, bless the people to work with perseverance to transform the country into a peaceful and prosperous nation and promote world peace.
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 December 2011, Cape Town, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 7.14.1) Question: In the purport, Prabhupada first explained the brahmachari, vanaprastha and sannyasa ashrams and then at last he said, “Grhastha ashram for those who are so attached to sex life.” So it sounds like the only reason to go to grhastha ashram is […]

Hare Krishna! Dressing Like a Vaishnava
Bhakti Charu Swami: There should be no compromise in our Vaisnava appearance. We are representatives of Srila Prabhupada. We should aim to be first class representatives. We need to be aware of the bonafide stand… Read more ›