Monthly Archives: May 2016

Giriraj Swami participated in the occasion in Mumbai via Skype. “It is so wonderful that Mother Arca Vigraha had it in her heart to give her house in Vrindavan to Guru Maharaja. She knew that she was not going to live for too long so when she built that house, in her heart she built it for […]

The Journey Within – book trailer (2 min video)
In this long-awaited follow-up to his international bestseller “The Journey Home: Autobiography of an American Swami”, renowned spiritual leader and social activist Radhanath Swami shares intimate stories from his decades of experience as a guru of Bhakti Yoga that illustrate the basic teachings of the ancient philosophy. With illuminating references to Western religions and ideologies, The Journey Within invites readers from all backgrounds to discover the simple truths that unite us.

Daytona Beach Festival of the Chariots, Bhakti Yoga Culture & Wellness Fest.
Daytona Beach, FL Sunday, May 29, 2016
MEDIA RELEASE
Contact: Bhadra das at 352 316-4560 or Bhadradas@gmail.com
WHAT: An Indian multi-cultural parade and festival will be celebrated with entertainment for the whole family. There will be live music, singing, classical dance, books, bazaar, and lots of free delicious vegetarian food. The Ratha Yatra Parade is the oldest known parade in the world.
WHEN & WHERE: Sunday, May 29, 2016. There is an inauguration ceremony at the Daytona Beach Bandshell located at 70 Boardwalk. The parade begins at 4 PM going North on the beach several blocks, then turns back South, returning to the Bandshell where the free feast and cultural festival take place from 6 to 9 PM.
WHO: All are welcome. Free admission. Wholesome fun for the entire family.
SPECIAL: VERY VISUAL event with colorful traditional costumes and flower decorations. Photography is permitted. Performances by international guest musician, DJ & sound healer Srikology; healthy living booths; yoga/gong workshop (please bring your mats).
If you’ve ever dreamt of visiting colorful, exotic India, we have a treat for you. Get a taste of India without leaving Florida on Sunday, May 29, 2016. The Festival of the Chariots, Bhakti Yoga Culture & Wellness Fest, an Indian multi-cultural extravaganza, will take place starting at 4 PM at the Daytona Beach Bandshell located at 70 Boardwalk. A parade starts here and also ends at the same place, the Bandshell at 6 PM with free food and a cultural program from 6 to 9 PM.
There will be lots of family-friendly activities and entertainment: live music, classical Indian dance, drama performance, face painting & henna, mantra meditation, bhakti yoga. But the big draw is the delicious vegetarian food. There will be a sumptuous feast served free of charge to all.
The procession route is about 2 miles long and can be easily walked by all age groups. The parade will move in a leisurely fashion, stopping here and there along the route, giving way to song and dance. The procession’s unique feature is a huge chariot with a blue, red and yellow canopy decorated with swans, lotus flowers, flags, Hanuman and a brass chakra on top. This chariot has two very thick ropes attached to it that are over one hundred feet long. These ropes are pulled by the parade-goers, propelling the chariot along the parade route. Riding on the Chariot are the beautiful Deities of Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra, decorated with stunning silk outfits & real flowers. It’s a vision from another world. Accompanying the procession is lively Indian music and dancing, backed by double-headed mrdanga drums & karatala hand cymbals. It’s an ecstatic, exciting event.
The festival is mainly sponsored by ISKCON Alachua, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness whose Founder/Acharya, His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, came to America from India forty-five years ago and introduced the timeless tradition of the Festival of the Chariot (called Ratha Yatra in India). Since the 60’s this festival has been held yearly in over 50 major cities in the United States, Canada, and all over the world. Nine Ratha Yatras are held yearly in the state of Florida: Miami, Jacksonville Beach, Tallahassee, Orlando, Tampa, Gainesville, Daytona Beach, Clearwater Beach & St. Augustine.
Local sponsors of this festival include Kale Café, Space Girl Organics, Evolution Health Club, Sacred Strength Healing Arts, and Daytona Wellness.
All are warmly invited to attend this joyous, colorful festival, free of charge. Take advantage of a rare chance to experience the vibrancy of India, right here in Florida.
Questions? Contact Bhadra das at 352 316-4560 or Bhadradas@gmail.com
Please visit our website at www.festivalofchariots.org

Devotee, inventor of “kurma the frog” character left his body.
Jagadambika Devi: HIs Grace Shom Prabhu left the temple around 5:00 p.m. We had to wait until the police investigated, doctor signed off on Death Details, cremation place etc. At first the police would not let the devotees touch Shom’s body. They finally figured it out that there was no foul play. Apparently Shom Prabhu got up at 5:00 a.m. to bath and get dressed for his service. Then Anadi Das Prabhu, roommate, did not hear Shom leave by 6:00 a.m. yet, so he went to his room to check and he was face down on the bed. He was already dressed. So he must have left his body somewhere between 5 a.m. – 6 a.m.
Shom Prabhu’s body was in the house all day. As they took his body away by transport, the devotees were out chanting Hare Krsna to see him off. Then some of us went and opened all the temple doors outside so he could get one final darshan of Sri Sri Rukmini Dvarakadisa. The mortuary transport stopped in front of the temple so Shom Prabhu could say goodbye. I opened Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra’s doors. Other devotees opened the other Deity doors. His body was the color of Krsna. He must have seen Krsna. I’ve seen many dead bodies but have never seen anything like it. He was really blue and had a big smile on his face. He became blue so quickly. He must have had another seizure. He’s had them a lot lately.
All glories to Her Grace Kriya Shakti Mataji! She’s cool calm and amazing! She was with Anadi Das Prabhu and Shom Prabhu’s body all day, arranging everything. She went through Shom Prabhu’s phone and got some close relatives contact, contacted a mortuary, etc. to pick up Shom Prabhu’s body. Mother Kriya Shakti Mataji arranged all the details for Shom Prabhu’s body, garlands and all. His Grace Rabindranatha Das Prabhu, Head Pujari came also. Mother Kriya Shakti must be exhausted from such a long day. I notice whenever a devotee is in need she’s always there to help out. She did such an amazing service with this sudden passing. She even got Shom’s family to allow the devotees to do everything for Shom Prabhu’s body from cremating, etc. There will be a Memorial for Shom Prabhu later. I don’t think they need to do an autopsy since doctor signed off.
It’s times like this I’m so grateful to be around devotees like Mother Kriya Shakti, and all the New Dwaraka Devotees. Family always come together when needed. They are always there. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada! Such an auspicious day to pass!
This is his facebook page, active until few days ago: https://goo.gl/K21942

The post Daily Darshan: May 18th, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

By Upendra Dasa Krsna consciousness is not a tower of Babel to Krsna. There are two processes in spiritual life, the ascending and the descending. Through the ascending process one tries to construct a ladder up to Krsna by processes of yoga, meditatio…

The post The philosophical quandary that introduces the pastime of Nrsimhadeva’s appearance appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

By Vamsi Vihari Dasa One of my devotee friends shared his realization that Krishna takes the risk of being blamed: “Oh! I am trying to serve You, Krishna, and You are giving me problems. What kind of God are You?” But as a true well-wisher, Krishna is…

The Transformation of a Dish Washer.
Vasudeva Dasa: I come from Holland, which is a very rich country by material standards. However, unlike India, where the family ties are still strong, the family culture in the west is fast eroding. Youngsters move out of parents’ homes to enjoy unrestricted freedom, working hard to finance their studies and social life. I too followed this system during high school, and would study five days a week and then clean dishes at a hotel on weekends. I used the money buy objects of sense gratification. Gradually, however, the hard work, irregular lifestyle, and bad habits began to take a heavy toll over my health.
I remember one particular evening: I had been nearing the end of washing what seemed like a mountain of dishes, when the cleaner dumped another stack before me. I was dead tired, still I continued and managed to clean them by mid night. My body was in excruciating agony, but more work was pending. “Clean the floor!” the boss shouted. Wearily, I picked up the broom and the mop. By the time I finished, the clock showed 2 am.
After the work that night, while walking home I asked myself, “Is this what I want from my life?” All my pent up emotions became impossible to hold back anymore and I broke down right there in the street. I tried to look for a way out of my hopeless situation, but nothing appeared.
Life continued.
Some time later, I came in contact with the Hare Krsna devotees and visited the center at my town. I was completely mesmerized with what I saw. The Deities, the chanting, the dancing, the lectures, the love of the devotees, and above all the prasadam completely conquered my heart. I realized that Krsna consciousness was the thing missing in my life.
One day I decided to render some voluntary service in the temple. I approached a senior devotee and asked him, “Can I help in some service?” He smiled and took me to the kitchen and pointed to huge black bottomed cooking utensils. “Can you clean them?”
“Of course,” I replied. “I have enough training in this art!” I lunged at the pots and began to scrub them with all my might. I soaped, scrubbed, and washed them for hours and hours untill they were sparkling bright. Then I cleaned the entire kitchen. By the time I finished I had half expected to collapse with fatigue. Yet there was something strange going on. I was not feeling tired at all Instead I was feeling fresh; I could have washed pots for another six hours. I was in euphoria! I felt as if I was floating in air.
It was then that I realized that service to Lord Krsna is unlike serving any mundane materialistic master. By serving Lord Krsna we engage in the natural activity of soul, as an eternal servant of Lord Krsna. The pleasure that one achieves by serving Lord Krsna is beyond any sensory and mental experience and purely on the spiritual level. Krsna consciousness’ transcendental nature thus became a tangible reality which I could perceive and experience in simple day to day activities and all this was so blissful. I decided at that moment never again to leave the shelter of Lord Krsna.
-Vasudeva Dasa

Direct Descendants of Sri Advaitacharya’s Lineage Make an Invaluable Donation to Bhaktivedanta Research Centre!
On Feb 18, 2016 BRC was blessed by a generous donation of a
special collection of 40 rare manuscripts from the Sri M K Goswami family, who are directly descended from Sri Advaitacarya (17th generation.) Originally from Shantipur, they currently reside in
Bangalore.
This donation of very precious and rare Vaishnava manuscripts
included Govinda Lilamrita by Ragunath Bhatta Goswami, Padyavali of Rupa Goswami, Stavavali of Ragunath das Goswami, and complete manuscripts of Chaitanya Charitamrita on handmade
paper. They are in good to excellent condition.
This donation was given in memory of Sri Nanda Gopala Goswami
and Nirmalya Rani Goswami, his revered parents. After a nice visit
to the library, Mr. Goswami was extremely satisfied that he had
made a good decision to place his manuscripts in our care. “A great spiritual feeling was accrued after visiting the library,” he wrote in the guest book.
Read this and more in the latest Bhaktivedanta Research Centre’s newsletter: http://goo.gl/hVOE9z

A Floating Harinama (Album with photos)
Yekaterinburg Yatra, Russia, organized a very unusual Harinama from 1 to 3 May.
Imagine: the May holidays, spring forest, tourists, catamarans, campfire, tents and resounding echo of the Hare Krishna mantra. Right in the middle of the river, on a conventional catamaran, with a small “combo”, around which there is ecstatic kirtan: devotees singing and playing, who sings, the rowing – all honestly)). At the sound of the water is carried away. On shore leave are the same “rafters” affably waving, trying to sing along and dance. Passing by catamaran was surprised looking at the proud flag on which is written the text of the maha-mantra. “And why did you write this? To forget themselves ”- trying to joke the passing tourists. “No, you read” – and continue to respond devotees kirtan. The alloy is also small harinama program in villages, distribution of sweets prasadam. And holy name, almost around the clock.
Find them here: http://goo.gl/o2RMJq

By Vicitravirya Dasa Through the ages Western man has alternately pondered or ignored death, the most persistent yet least understood fact of our existence. In the year A.D. 138, the great Roman emperor Hadrian lay dying in a villa overlooking the Bay …

Two pairs of twin sisters join the Harinama and book distribution in St. Petersburg, Russia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupad…

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Bhagavatam%20study/Bhagavatam%20study%2036%2001.8.1-16%20What%20is%20materially%20impossible%20is%20possible%20for%20Krishna.mp3
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The post Bhagavatam study 36 1.8.1-16 – What is materially impossible is possible for Krishna appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/05-16%20QA/Should%20we%20strive%20to%20change%20those%20things%20that%20require%20a%20lot%20of%20effort%20to%20change.mp3
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The post ​Should we strive to change those things that require a lot of effort to change? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/05-16%20QA/Can%20some%20people%20get%20things%20without%20endeavoring.mp3
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The post Can some people get things without endeavoring? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Huffington Post article features Agnideva das chanting the Maha mantra! Daily Meditation: Sacred Service (6 min video).
Antonia Blumberg: We all need help maintaining our personal spiritual practice. We hope that these Daily Meditations, prayers and mindful awareness exercises can be part of bringing spirituality alive in your life.
Today’s meditation features a Hare Krishna mantra. The mantra is commonly translated as, “O Lord, O Energy of the Lord, please engage me in Your service.” It is a mantra of devotion and sacred service.
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/wwTiBA

Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/05-16%20QA/How%20does%20endeavor%20figure%20in%20people%20who%20get%20good%20things%20easily.mp3
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The post ​How does endeavor figure in people who get good things easily? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/05-16%20QA/Is%20our%20duty%20towards%20others%20unlimited,%20irrespective%20of%20how%20they%20behave.mp3
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The post Is our duty towards others unlimited, irrespective of how they behave? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/05-16%20QA/What%20role%20do%20star%20signs%20play%20in%20our%20destiny.mp3
Download by “right-click and save content”

The post ​What role do star signs play in our destiny? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/05-16%20QA/If%20scripture%20is%20eternal,%20are%20all%20pastimes%20given%20in%20scripture%20destined.mp3
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The post If scripture is eternal, are all pastimes given in scripture destined? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

London Wellbeing show (Album with photos)
Devotees in London attended the Wellbeing Mind Body Spirit Expo at Olympia London wi…

May 18. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Evoking Memories of 1966.
There is a famous example in the novel Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust. Proust eats a little piece of pastry, a petite madeleine, and as he mixed it with tea and it softened in his mouth, the scent of it and the taste of it suddenly threw him back many years to his childhood.
Maybe we can do things like that, by hearing the noises on the street and remembering how it was during those 1966 lectures:
I’m in my spot hearing him speak. A little afraid when hoodlums or teenagers out there make noises, but we’re not going to give up our places. I hope it doesn’t get into some big scene, but that they will go away so we can continue to hear the Swami. When someone comes and makes noises at the doorway, you can get a flash of how it looks to outsiders. They see you are just some hippies with this strange Indian man. The whole thing seems weird to them and they can’t figure it out. They just can’t figure it out. The Swami is obviously an Indian, so why is he with these young American hippies? They are street-tough, street-wise; they know American hippies well enough, but they don’t know the Swami.
When we were in the storefront and someone would look in or play their music from the radio and say, “Hey, what the hell is this?” Or just, “Hey!” – you sat there and absorbed it and they would usually go away. But one intruder after another would come; sometimes for a large part of the lecture there would be disturbing sounds. The thing is, Swamiji kept the door open. If he had shut the door, it might have been better, but he wanted people to feel free to come in. Maybe it was better that way. Maybe there would have been more disturbances if they hadn’t been able to look in and check it out and say something. If the door was shut, they might have been more frustrated. But for whatever reason, he kept it open.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=8

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Bhagavad-gita 9.3 during the Sunday program in Dallas. “Once, I was at airport in America with Srila Prabhupada when a reporter asked him. ‘What does this chanting achieve?’ Srila Prabhupada smiled so broadly—just this oceanic, effulgent smile. He looked at the reporter and said. ‘Chanting accomplishes chanting.’ There is nothing […]

In Russia, St. Petersburg is known as a city of great culture. During our visit we added Krsna consciousness to the beauty of the city with chanting, dancing and feasting on nice Krsna prasadam.

Giriraj Swami participated in the occasion in Durban via Skype. “Mother Arca Vigraha had about her a very urgent sense to serve Lord Krishna, Srila Prabhupada, her spiritual master, and all the vaisnavas. And, because she was so urgent and eager, Krishna’s mercy flowed to her especially at the final stages of her life.” —Swarup Damodar […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12 March, Durban, South Africa, Lecture at House Program) How is it possible for the spiritual world to be present in the material world? Krsna did that, somehow or other, he fit the spiritual world into the material world because Krsna was thinking to himself, “Aaah, there are these conditioned souls. They […]

The Spiritual Master – an Interview between Sutapa Das and HH Bhakti Caru Swami! A joint Pandava Sena and Alumni event. Saturday 21st May | 6:30pm | WHEN Saturday, 21 May 2016 from 18:30 to 22:00 (BST) – Add to Calendar WHERE Vrindavan – 6 Nancy Downs, Watford, WD19 4NF, United Kingdom – View Map […]

The post An interview with Bhakti Charu Swami appeared first on Bhakti Charu Swami.

EY Hindu Network with Veda London present “Happiness, an inside job.” Mankind’s pursuit for happiness is never ending. Although we live in a finite world, our desires are infinite. What is our understanding of happiness? Join us for an evening of exploring happiness from a Vedic perspective by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami, a renounced […]

The post “Happiness, An Inside Job” – Seminar by Bhakti Charu Swami appeared first on Bhakti Charu Swami.

The topic of why I write and how my cancer diagnosis was the fuel to my publishing my new free verse poem book, My Yoga of Expression, serves as in introduction to the book, and my hope to give you sufficient reason to obtain your own copy. I aim to give support and encouragement to those involved in bhakti, as well as to introduce seekers to new possibilities for their spiritual search:

Ten years after taking up the path of bhakti, at 30 years old, I was given a journal. Over the next 20 years I regularly wrote about myself and events I was confronting. As a child, I learned to be a very shut down or emotionally unavailable person as a defense against my raging alcoholic father. While the misery I experienced growing up was part of the catalyst for my spiritual search, I still would have to deal with it and become at peace with my past. I couldn’t flush my history as I wanted to or just ignore it, thinking I would be able to transcend the world and its demands in a short time of hearing and chanting.

That would come later, but when I lived as a brahmacari monk for nine years, I dressed my disengagement from life and who I was as a person in the clothes of detachment and self-effacing humility. At the same time, those formative years of service and the spiritual reciprocation I experienced doing “emergency devotional service” as a pujari and cook, became the spiritual bedrock for my later life, enabling me to not be completely lost during the turbulent days after the departure of my guru, Shrila Prabhupada.

As I matured as a person this placid persona—which was actually a way to wall myself off from life and relationships—no longer worked for me. As a result of this realization, for the first time in my life, I was impelled to understand who I was in my body and mind—before that I was consumed with my spiritual quest. I gradually realized that to fully embrace the spiritual I had to use my conditioned nature to its fullest and most empowered expression, rather than deny or repress it.

I discovered that by writing I uncovered a new honesty and a self-reflection process that introduced me to who I was as a person behind my indifferent façade. I found myself to have a great intensity full of feelings that needed to be expressed beyond my easygoing personality.

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Here’s a sample piece of a chakra and red oak wooden base, both made by our CNC machine. The chakra took 1 day to carve, and the base took about 3 1/2 hours to complete. The short video shows the process of carving the wooden base.

The post Sample Piece of Chakra With Wooden Base Made by Our CNC Machine appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

TOVP: A short update of what we’re up to at the moment. (Album with photos)
TOVP management has given their approval for the Murti of Lord Siva to be cast into fiber glass, which is the next stage of the process after the clay work is completed.
Sadbhuja and his team of artists are doing the final inspection.
In the background you can see Manu manifesting, who will be the next great personality in-line offering prayers to Lord Nrsimhadeva.
Furthermore, HG Jananivas Prabhu, -our head pujari-, has approved for the final mold-making of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, for the Disciplic succession altar.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/FkWsqr

Dear Devotees and TOVP Donors, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Greetings from Sridham Mayapur and blessings from Sri Sri Radha-Madhava, Sri Panchatattva and Lord Nrsimhadeva. Next Friday (May 20th) is the most auspicious appearance day of Lord Narasimhadeva, the half-man half-lion avatara who appeared to save Prahlad Maharaja. Lord Narasimhadeva

The post Narasimha Caturdasi – 30th Anniversary of His Installation in Mayapur appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

  Да защитят вас когти Нрихари, что, пламенея красным, рассуждают: «У недруга лишь пять потоков праны в теле, тогда как нас всех вместе – десять. И он сподобился нас одолеть?» В потоке крови, бьющем в разодранном остове дайтьи*, они стали красны, что попугайский клюв. Они изогнуты, что серп луны второго дня. Да защитят вас когти […]

Nityam Bhagavata-sevaya #37, Dhruva, Uttanapada and Narada.
NBS # 37 Features:- 1) Unusual verses to wash the sinful reactions….