Monthly Archives: November 2016

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2011, Helsinki, Finland) In preaching, we should not throw Krsna consciousness like a ton of bricks on people’s heads and all at once tell them, “You have to follow everything!” and then runaway, never to be seen again. No, preaching means that we have to be sensitive, depending on which stage a […]

The bane of routine. When we perform a sequence of actions regularly everyday like a fixed program, it falls in a routine and we just do it like we are on auto-pilot mode. In the beginning, when I came to Krishna consciousness, it was all new and fresh…

By Chirag Dangarwala In order to understand what selfishness is, let us first of all examine what the self is, generally speaking people consider the body which is seen with the naked eye to be the self and selfishness in this regard is the tendency to…

We have a nice farm in southeast Germany called Simhacalam. Lord Nrsimhadeva is the presiding deity. While taking prasada there, I asked a book distributor, Advaita Simha Dasa, how he came to Krsna.
Advaita Simha said, “A monk in the street once approached me, and proposed to give me a book. I gave a donation and received a book with the title “Science of Self-Realization”. At first I thought it was about a cult, so I was curious to hear what they had to say. But after reading a few chapters I realized that this was very profound knowledge.
A year later I was looking for more books by the same author, Srila Prabhupada in a bookstore. I was with a friend in the shopping area, and somehow we got separated. He then called me to ask where I was. I told him I was in the bookstore looking for another one of those books like the one the monk had given me a year ago, but the store didn’t have any.
My friend said, ‘Well, if you go outside the bookstore you’ll see a monk there. Maybe he has what you’re looking for.’ I went out, and the same devotee that gave me the Science of Self Realization, Gaur Mohan Prabhu, was there! I asked him whether he had more books by Srila Prabhupada.
He had the Bhagavad-gita, so I gave a donation for that. He told me that there would be a talk on the Gita that evening and invited me. I went, and it was nice. Eventually I visited the temple and joined ISKCON. Now I’m also a book distributor.”
Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Never seen a boy chanting in a public Harinama like him! (4 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: Since all the great sages and devotees apply all energy and all activities in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, there must be some transcendental pleasure in the toes of His lotus feet. The Lord licks His toe to taste the nectar for which the devotees always aspire. >>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 3.33.4
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/7OBFMl

The 2016, Book Distribution Marathon Begins!
Jayapataka Swami: “Here we are in Mayapur dham, Srila Prabhupada said that Mayapur is the spiritual headquarters. Here, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has descended from Goloka Vrindavan. He was known as Vachaspathi. As Vachaspathi he was the husband of Lakshmi and expert in speaking. He would tell everyone to chant the holy name. In his hand he would always carry shastra.
Those days people didn’t have books, but they were very intelligent so they would realize the Shastra. You know people today are not so intelligent, they have to read the books again and again. Therefore books are very important.
So we are very grateful for the speakers. They have said so many nice things, how we have to serve Srila Prabhupada, how this is the modern day Yagnya, how by doing this Sankirtan Yagnya,it is Raghanuga Bhakti , how we can help the people who are otherwise deprived of this mercy, how Krishna helps every book distributor and how he performs miracles and that story by Hridanya Chaitanya, who were those people ? The butchers! The butchers of the city had a function exchanging presents on behalf of Santa Claus. The butchers, they received Bhagavat Gita and other literature. How Lord Chaitanya is distributing his mercy to the conditioned souls, through these literatures.
In the Shastra it says even if there are some defects we give out these transcendental literatures, spreading the lords special mercy. Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavatam that was the first to be taken to the United States. Srila Prabhupada brought these cases of Bhagavatam and it has such a lasting effect. So, our while community should unite to fulfill this for the satisfaction of Srila Prabhupada. Our sankirtan devotees go out and they meet the people on their own places. So like that they are certainly taking big risks. Some devotees ,they go to Kolkata, some have book table here. Everyone , we should put out our maximum energy. This Sankirtan yagnya is a special way we can satisfy Srila Prabhupada. I am very grateful to the devotees and their efforts in the next months. The Delhi temple has 2500 devotees who participate in the marathon. So we need to also have all our devotees, back up the Sankirtan devotees and distribute books. All over India there is demonetization. So that problem is these for everybody. It’s not only our problem.
We heard how Prabhupada tried to carry out the order of his spiritual master and how he tried his best to please his spiritual master. So we want to please Srila prabhupada , we would like to remember all the lessons given by the senior devotees here and be inspired for the next two months,we are very very grateful that the BBT devotees and Sankirtan devotees are working hand in hand. So before the deities, we pray for their mercy.”-

Participate in the Gita Jayanti Book Sponsoring Marathon We plan to distribute 5000 Bhagavad-gitas with the help of book sponsors. You may sponsor the following book-packets with Bhagavad-gitas and other Srila Prabhupada books: 1. 16 books 12.000 HUF / 40 EUR 2. 25 books 20.000 HUF / 65 EUR 3. 20 books 30.000 HUF / […]

By Vaisesika Dasa “Why distinguish between chanting and book distribution? These books I have recorded and chanted, and they are transcribed. It is spoken kirtanas. So book distribution is also chanting. These are not ordinary books. It is recorded cha…

Bhakti Sastri graduates in Iskcon Juhu.
Mayapur Institute has been regularly conducting Sastric Training Programs at ISKCON Juh…Read More…

Book distribution marathon in UK (Album with photos)
Already more than 2000 books distributed. Below is the Japanese-Chinese Sa…Read More…

Winter in Vrindavan (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Krsna in Vrndavana has got a great family. He has got His father. He has got His mother, Mother Yasoda, Nanda Maharaja. He has got so many friends, hundreds and thousands–boyfriends, girlfriends. The trees, the plants, the flowers, the fruits, the land, the water, the cows, the calves – He is surrounded by a great family. He is not a single person. Suppose if we say, “Now the president is coming.” So president means he is not only coming alone; he is coming with secretaries, his ministers, his military secretary and so many other people, some soldiers and bodyguards. He is not alone. So if a material president, insignificant, is always surrounded by his associates, so the Supreme Being, how He is associated with His surroundings, you can just imagine. He cannot be alone. That is Krsna. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Arrival Lecture – Dallas, March 3, 1975
Find them here: https://goo.gl/bnbWSi

Ratha Yatra Festival in Guadalajara, Mexico (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: O Lord, as the small sparks of a fire cannot …Read More…

The Book Marathon Inauguration Ceremony took place on the 24th of November at Sri Dham Mayapur. HH Jayapataka Swami, Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj, HG Jananivas prabhu ,HG Bhima Prabhu , Bhakti Purushottam Swami and other senior devotees addressed the Mayapur Sankirtan and community devotees. “So our whole community should unite to fulfill this for the […]

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What cricket can teach us about life 1
What cricket can teach us about life 2
What cricket can teach us about life 3
The post What cricket can teach us about life Series appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/11-16%20QA/How%20can%20we%20know%20our%20most%20dangerous%20attachments.mp3
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Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/11-16%20QA/What%20if%20we%20want%20to%20preach%20but%20are%20given%20other%20services%20-%20Hindi.mp3
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Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/11-16%20QA/How%20can%20we%20resist%20temptation%20-%20Hindi.mp3
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Talk to aspiring brahmacharis at Abudhabi, UAE
Podcast :

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2016%20classes/11-16%20classes/Understanding%20surrender%20-%20Talk%20to%20aspiring%20brahmacharis%20-%20Hindi.mp3
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Talk at Sharjah, UAE
Podcast :

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2016%20classes/11-16%20classes/The%20world%20sees%20results,%20Krishna%20sees%20efforts.mp3
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The East Village Other Displays Swamiji Front Page and Centerfold

Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/11-16%20QA/What%20is%20the%20relation%20between%20Valimiki%20Ramayana%20and%20Rama-charita-manasa.mp3
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Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/11-16%20QA/What%20factors%20determine%20the%20mental%20pitch%20we%20get.mp3
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The nature of the material world is change and transformation or as the Gita teaches us, the world is “endlessly mutable.” Accordingly, in physically conditioned life, which covers our soul, our body and mental states change, other people change, our life situation and the greater conditions of the material world change and go through cycles and stages. As a result of such changes we have to recommit and sometimes renegotiate our relationships to others, ourselves, and to bhakti, many times in our lifetime.

If we don’t voluntarily change or fight against conditions we have no control over, we will likely be forced to change because nothing stays the same, however much we drag our feet and resist. While this is a natural process, materially speaking, having to change can be disconcerting especially when we are set in our ways or have identified material conditions as who we are, and the underlying and foundational fact that the soul (who we are), or our animating consciousness, being eternal, wants permanence and doesn’t relate well to changing conditions which seem foreign.

While those who are Gaudiya Vaishnavas, or in fact anyone engaged in some kind of spiritual practice to realize their soul, even if they are grounded in deep spiritual philosophy of the nature of matter and spirit, will also struggle with the changing conditions within and without to the degree

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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 06 September 2016, Cape Town, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.9.26) Veganism is considered to be holier-than-thou and vegans are sort of telling the rest of the world that we are not compassionate at all, that we are contributing to the slaughter of cows by that fact that we are so lusty and […]

Congregation Program at Sharjah, UAE
Podcast:

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Congregation Program at Sharjah, UAE
Podcast:
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Man reading part of a Gita.
While listening to a nice lecture about book distribution by Vaisesika Prabhu, I was reminded of an interesting encounter I had years ago with a man in Southern California. I was distributing books when I saw a man sitting at table in front of a restaurant. He was reading a section of a book that had been torn out of a book. The section looked about forty pages long. I looked closer; it was part of the Bhagavad-gita.
So I said to the man, “Excuse me, but where did you get that torn-out section of the Bhagavad-gita?”
“I found it on the street a few days ago, and it contains some of the most profound philosophy I’ve ever read, I’ve read it twice. I wish I had the whole book.”
“Well, today is your lucky day. Your wish has come through. I have the whole book with me, and I’m distributing it for a donation.”
“You’re not serious?”
He gave a nice donation and was one of the happiest receivers of the Gita I have ever met.
Evidently someone was uninterested, had torn it up, and thrown it on the street. Just see the power of Srila Prabhupada’s books. Torn up and thrown on the street – one would think that’s the end of that book. But no, Krsna still had a plan for it to touch the man’s heart.
Your servant,
Vijaya Dasa

By Sacinandana Swami Devotees of Krishna meditate about things they can be grateful for. They avoid thinking about all those things that they do not have, nor all those arrangements that have not worked out. Instead they focus on what has been given to…

Reading Ramananda Raya and Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s conversation (Part 8) – Niranjana and Sivarama Swamis.

By Tamohara das The ISKCON GBC is pleased to announce that appointment of Kamlesh Krishna das as the International Director of the ISKCON Child Protection Office. He succeeds Champakalata devi dasi in this role, and is already actively involved in the …

“Inside Out”
Vaisesika das: Recently, while walking through the airport in Irvine, California, I saw an advertisement for a movie by Pixar entitled, Inside Out.
The sub-titles were:
“Meet the Little Voices Inside Your Head. A major emotion picture.”
The advertisement features pictures of some of the characters that will be in the film: cartoon caricatures of various qualities such as sincerity, arrogance, greed, and so on. These personified emotions live inside the heads of the main characters of the film and influence their lives, each in their own way.

Most people will relate to the idea behind this movie, even if they never plan to see it. The reason? People really do hear voices inside their heads (even mentally healthy people) and often times these voices are contradictory. One voice might say, “Throw caution to the wind and enjoy your senses.” While another voice intervenes and says, “Don’t do it. It’s not good for you.”

In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna give us an idea of where these unseen influences come from. For example, Krishna depicts lust as an enemy who takes up a sitting place in our senses, mind or intelligence; and from these strategic places, Krishna says, lust covers our knowledge and bewilders us. (Bg. 3.40)

In his purport to this verse, Srila Prabhupada writes: “The enemy has captured different strategic positions in the body of the conditioned soul, and therefore Lord Krishna is giving hints of those places, so that one who wants to conquer the enemy may know where he can be found.”

We can be sure that Pixar has created a character representing lust.

By the practice of devotional service bhakti yogis not only come to know the voices – like lust – in their heads, but they also learn how to tame and transform them.

Srila Prabhupada writes: “Krishna consciousness is so powerful that even a late beginner can become a lover of God by following the regulative principles of devotional service. So, from any stage of life, or from the time of understanding its urgency, one can begin regulating the senses in Krishna consciousness, devotional service of the Lord, and turn the lust into love of Godhead–the highest perfectional stage of life.” (Bg. 3.41; purport)

Pixar’s new movie title, Inside Out, marks a need that most people feel: the need for inner purification, integrity, and self-discipline.

One who recognizes this need to improve oneself can take to devotional service, beginning with the regular chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra.

Om Tat Sat

ISKCON Auckland NZ: Rathyatra festival 2016 (Album with photos)
Kalasamvara Das: Thousands got the mercy of Lord Jagannath on …Read More…

Festival of the Holy Name in New Raman Reti, Alachua, Florida (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: To chant the holy name and …Read More…