Monthly Archives: May 2016

On Sunday, May 1st, the Toronto Hare Krishna Temple celebrated our Ratha-Yatra Launch Day.  The festival kicks off the official count-down to our biggest festival of the year: Ratha-Yatra (Festival of India).  A full Festival Report along wit…

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12 March, Durban, South Africa, Lecture at House Program) Jiva Goswami states in his Bhakti Sandarbha that Vrindavan is a state of consciousness. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta once said that there is an intimate correlation between nama (the holy name) and dhama (the holy land). He said that it is only within the dhama that the […]

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.23. “In order to make our theoretical knowledge realized we should repeat the knowledge. It’s a very simple process in a way, but when you repeat something you get realization of what you are saying. One of Srila Prabhupada’s early disciples had read that the moon was created […]

The other day I sat in one of the mandatory supervision, it’s more a paperwork exercise but is a requirement of those who oversee health care here in Wales. From a personal point of view it’s a pointless exercise and…

Narayanpur (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: Not far from the Ujjain Kumbha Mela is the forest where Krishna and Sudama we…

https://flic.kr/s/aHskz81fHs
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Temple of Vedic Planetarium – May 2016 TOVP construction updates (Album with photos)
We are happy to share these beautiful new…

By ISKCON Coimbatore

The first one is the grand celebration of the First Annual Rathyatra of Lord Jagannath at Ooty and the second one is the successful beginning of excavation of land for their new temple project , of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna at ISKCON, Pelamedu, Coimbatore. When Lord Jagannath decided to visit the Queen of Hill Stations, Ooty, He directed the devotees from within to arrange for a grand rath yatra. Residents and tourists at Ooty, attracted by the Rath Yatra posters were inquisitive to see the Lord who had a unique form quite unfamiliar to them . The scene was all set to pull the ratha of the Lord through the main streets of the town. Great care was taken in arranging for prasadam ,accomodation and other facilities for the devotees.

By Hari Narayana das

Kapuas, a regency in central Borneo is a beautiful city located on the bank of the ‘Simpang Tiga’ river which in turn joins three other rivers; Murung Kapuas, Kapuas, and the shore of Javanese ocean. The capital city, Kuala Kapuas is said to look somewhat like Manasi Ganga in Vrindavan. This city was originally built as a port to connect roadways in Borneo. There are a few devotees who live in Kapuas. Since there is not that much active preaching in Kapaus, devotees had become a little unenthusiastic. The heartfelt prayers of the devotees was answered very soon however in the form of a grand Ratha Yatra celebration in Kaula Kapuas, the first ever in area. Under the banner of the Government festival, ‘Indonesian Record for Creativity’, devotees managed to hold the Ratha Yatra celebration.

The post 3-day seminar on “Make your own destiny” at ISKCON, Chowpatty from May, 13-15 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Harinama in the park of Stromovka, Czech Republic (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: One may live in a cave, in a cottage be…

Conversation with NVD guests.
The post How to always think of Krsna appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Conference with Istanbul devotees.
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The Mayor of Hertsmere auditions for the part of Hanuman, during last month’s Ramanavami festival….:-)
Hertsmere is a local government district and borough in Hertfordshire, England. This is where the Bhaktivedanta Manor is situated.

“Ask a monk” (4 min video)
Ter Kadamba Das presents his “Ask a monk” new video channel, website and project.
Ter Kadamba Das: Some of you have asked about the questions I received. Here are a few of the more entertaining ones (paraphrasing of cause):
Atheist: When will I die?
Monk: Any moment now, because whenever an old person looks back on his life, he always thinks it went by in a moment, so regardless of how long it will be, compared to eternity, it will still only be a moment. Therefore you should enquire about your real identity now, instead of wasting time with external things.
Teenage boy with flashy sunglasses: Will I ever find love again?
Monk: You are made of love, that is what you are, so you don’t need to find it, it is already there. The reason you are not in touch with it, is because you are focusing on these external things you see around you. When we focus your energy on making other people happy, then love will naturally flow through us uninterrupted. But if you are thinking of beautiful girls, then that is not love but lust. The two are not the same, and they are mutually exclusive.
Well dressed elderly man: What can you tell me about the stock-market?
I can tell you that whether you win or lose has nothing to do with how happy you will be. You have rich people who are happy and rich people who are miserable. You also have poor people who are happy and poor people who are miserable. These things are not related.
Well dressed elderly man: What a sophisticated answer.
Elderly lady: What do you ask a monk?
Monk: Okay, I guess that is also a question… You can ask him anything. Like what is the meaning of life? You see, many people think the meaning of life is something beyond our reach, but it is actually very simple. If we stop being selfish and devote our life to God, then our lives are meaningful. Now, devoting our lives to God means devoting our lives to Gods creation, because that is how He manifests, so basically just make sure that everything you do, you do for the benefit of others. Then you will be happy for the rest of your life, and it is completely free of charge.
Man: What is the northern most town in the world?
Monk: Since our perception of this world is illusory, the question is equivalent to asking how many drops of water there are in a mirage. Since it doesn’t really exist, the question is superfluous. If something should be said to exist, then it must be eternal. Consciousness is eternal, not these temporary forms of matter we see around us, so we should focus our attention on that. (He then told me about “Longyearbyen”, which is a town on the island of Svalbart north of Norway. He happened to live there).
Woman: Who will win the world cup in football?
Monk: Nobody. Those who are engaged in the world cup are chasing after a temporary result. Everybody knows it will be taken away from them again, so in the end they will all lose. Monks only work for spiritual results because spiritual results are eternal. Anything material is temporary and therefore not worth the effort.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/Xjnl3b

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/05-16%20QA/Why%20is%20the%20corporate%20world%20turning%20towards%20conscious%20entrepreneurship.mp3
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By Niranjana Swami

My purpose for providing this facility was manifold: 1) to give devotees struggling with sadhana the opportunity to become more accountable for their sadhana practices, 2) to give devotees struggling with sadhana the opportunity to keep a record of their own performance in order to better see for themselves where they are lacking and where they need to improve, 3) to encourage devotees who either were or currently are struggling to come up to the prescribed standards, to maintain steadiness… even if it’s to a lesser standard, 4) to encourage devotees to increase whenever they feel they have the strength and commitment to do so, 5) to encourage devotees with their sadhana in general, simply by providing this extra facility for accountability, 6) to give initiated devotees a private venue to disclose that they are not able to maintain his/her vow to chant sixteen rounds daily, 7) to help initiated devotees better deal with any possible guilt they may have for their inability to maintain their sixteen rounds, 8) to help devotees feel a closer connection between their sadhana and their service to their spiritual master(s), 9) and to show that I understand the struggles devotees encounter with their japa, especially devotees who are not living either in, or near to a temple.

Are women less intelligent than men? Men and women are not identical. The differences between them are the basis by which they legitimately tend to play different roles and have different responsibilities in the world. First, we can speak in generalities about these differences from the perspective of what modern studies have shown, particularly as it…

Divine Intervention.
Sutapa Das: On recent travels around the country I met a lady who expressed frustration in her attempts to find God. She told me her story: two years of spiritual travels, countless nights of prayer, careful scriptural exploration and persistent introspection, but still no sign! “Will I ever find Him?” she asked. “I’m beginning to question whether He even exists.” What to speak of the ‘searchers,’ even the faithful often doubt that their Supreme friend is actually alive and active. A seeming lack of reciprocation and intervention can discourage even the most devout spiritualist. Where is God when you need Him?!
While desiring a divine audience, we’d do well to bear the following in mind:
Action – internal yearning should be accompanied by external endeavour. When the man made a diligent daily prayer to win the lottery, God was more than willing to acquiesce – if only he actually went out and bought a ticket. Thus, it could also be that God wants to see a practical demonstration of our eagerness to see Him. What are we willing to sacrifice and what tangible efforts will we make to search Him out?
Reaction – we are not dealing with a cosmic order supplier, but with a person. As persons, we don’t mechanize our reciprocation, but rather operate on the basis of feelings and inspiration. Thus, one cannot force open the doors to see God, but simply engage themselves with enthusiasm and determination. We should eagerly anticipate a divine audience, but simultaneously be willing to patiently wait.
Perception – maybe God has already intervened in our life, but not in the way we were expecting. Often times we don’t see things as they are, but rather we see things as we are. When we carry stereotyped perceptions of how God should deal with us, we leave little room to witness how He is expertly working on a bigger and better plan that will satisfy our needs and desires.
The ability to witness the wonders of God is the unique gift of the most advanced spirituality in existence. The Bhagavad-gita doesn’t simply deliver a philosophy which convinces one to believe in God, but actually equips one with the tools and techniques to dynamically perceive Him at every moment.

Photos from ISKCON-London’s grand reopening (Album with 40 HR photos)
The ISKCON-London Radha-Krishna Temple re-opened to the public on1st May after being closed for refurbishment. With best wishes, Hare Krishna, David.
Find them here: http://goo.gl/4Bxn60

Children Program Pictures at ISKCON Mira Road (Album with photos)
Today ISKCON Mira Road organised Children Exhibition. More t…

May 2. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Moving Into His New Apartment.
Overlooking the courtyard from the rear building of 26 Second Avenue was Prabhupada’s second floor apartment, where he would now live, work, and worship. With help from his Bowery friends, he had cleaned and settled into his new home. In the back room – his office – he had placed against one wall a thin cushion with an elephant-print cover and, in front of the cushion, his unpainted metal suitcase served as a desk. He had set his typewriter on the desk with his papers and books on either side. This became his work area. His manuscripts bundled in saffron cloth, his stock of Srimad-Bhagavatams, and his few personal effects he kept in the closet opposite his desk. On the wall above his sitting place he hung an Indian calendar print of Lord Krishna. (Krishna, as a youth, was playing on His flute with a cow close behind Him. Lord Krishna was standing on the planet Earth, which curved like the top of a small hill beneath His feet.) There were two windows on the east wall and the dappled morning sunlight filtering in through the fire escape fell across the floor.
The next room was bare except for a fancy coffee table, which became Prabhupada’s altar. Here he placed a framed picture of Lord Caitanya and His associates. On the wall he hung an Indian calendar print of four-armed Lord Visnu and Ananta Sesa, the celestial snake. And, as in the Bowery loft, he put up a clothesline.
Both rooms were freshly painted and the floors were clean hardwood parquet. The bathroom was clean and serviceable, as was the narrow furnished kitchen. Prabhupada would sometimes stand by the kitchen window gazing beyond the courtyard wall. He had moved here without any prospects of paying the next month’s rent.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=8

Moving Into His New Apartment

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 23 May 2015, Cronulla, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.8.35) We need some happiness in Krsna consciousness. A little happiness helps; it makes life easier so we need some friends. As the Hare Krsna movement became bigger, it lost some of its original spirit of being like a family, of being like a group […]

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.23. “In other words, Lord Krishna is the property of His pure, unconditional devotees, and as such only the devotees can deliver Krishna to another devotee; Krishna is never obtainable directly. Lord Caitanya therefore designated Himself as gopi-bharatuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah, or “the most obedient servant of the servants of […]

By Gauranga Dasa Why only Krishna? Typically in Indian homes of Hindu families you see a whole bunch of gods on the altar. All are same, they say. But it is not like that. If you take group photo of Microsoft employees with Bill Gates and show it to a…

The post Daily Darshan : May 1st, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

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April 9, 2016.

With the aim of keeping devotees informed about the progress of the TOVP literally right at their fingertips, the new free TOVP App gives everyone access to features such as news updates, links to the website, photos, YouTube Channel and Face…

The post Conversation with initiates in Moscow (English/Russian) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

ISKCON-Delhi – Govinda Restaurant Inauguration : 30-04-2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Krishna says that his devotee is never vanquished. Therefore all the disciples practicing Krishna consciousness should obediently follow the regulative principles and remain fixed in chanting the holy name of the Lord. Then there need be no fear. Otherwise, one’s position is very dangerous, especially in this Kali-yuga. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.1.58 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/aooNFM

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2016%20classes/04-16%20classes/Naam%20Ramayana%20-%20Pride%20induces%20and%20perpetuates%20misjudgment.mp3
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ISKCON Auckland NZ: 40th-anniversary Ratha-yatra (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The process of chanting the holy name o…

Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/04-16%20QA/Do%20we%20need%20problems%20to%20grow%20internally.mp3
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The post Do we need problems to grow internally? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.