Monthly Archives: November 2016

Answer Podcast

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Answer Podcast

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Congregation program at Abudhabi, United Arab Emirates
Podcast:

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During my five-day visit to Bahrain in 2016, I spoke a four-part series on the Bhikshu Gita, a section from the Uddhava Gita in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. This song of the mendicant contains penetrating insights about the nature of the mind and its pivotal role in aggravating our distresses.

During the series, the discussion spontaneously evolved towards how the mind affects our relationships. I analyzed how our mind’s preconceptions and misconceptions lead us to snap judgments about others, thereby hurting our relationships with them. Overall, I tried to open the audience’s minds to appreciate the difficulties others have in overcoming their conditionings.

Later, I heard from devotees about their overall positive experiences while practicing bhakti in Bahrain. As a part of the government’s “This is Bahrain” program, the devotees had done their first public kirtan recently and had even been included as a part of a Bahraini delegation to a global summit of inter-religious harmony.

It was revealing to know that when Bahrain had its own version of the Arab Spring a few years ago, the protesting Bahrainis had conscientiously avoided targeting any of the immigrants’ vehicles (“We have nothing against you.”) or even the government buildings (“Our protests are against the rulers – why should we damage our own nation’s property?”) Although the protests had eventually been crushed violently by the government, the protestors hadn’t resorted to vandalism, thus countering the prevailing stereotype that people of a particular religion resort to violence at the slightest provocation.

I was reminded forcefully that no blanket label applies to any group of people. People everywhere are essentially the same – and the wide spectrum of various kinds of people can be found in any cross-section of society. The Bhagavad-gita (18.20) states that knowledge in the mode of goodness means to see the similar spiritual essence in all living beings, whatever be their bodily coverings. It struck me that while I was speaking to help my audience open their minds, hearing from them was opening my mind too. During traveling preaching, this realization has come upon me repeatedly: what I teach may benefit others, but what I learn benefits me much more.

On a separate note, I had just returned from a two-month tour of the West, where having over a hundred people attend a program was a luxury reserved only for Sundays. But here in Bahrain, having nearly two hundred people attend programs every day, for five days in a series, was an encouraging testimony to our movement’s vibrancy – and to the Bahraini devotee-leaders’ dedication.

Apart from the series on the mind, I also gave five other classes. To the teenagers of the community, I spoke on “Navigating the emotional and social turbulence of adolescence.” To a well-wisher whose brother had suddenly passed away, I spoke on “Learning from the guru named death.”
My trip to Bahrain was coordinated by Krishna Prema Prabhu, who was one of the founding doctors of the Bhaktivedanta Hospital and is doing powerful preaching in Bahrain. He has […]

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Prabhupada’s Chant Versus LSD

Reading Srila Prabhupada’s Light of the Bhagavata, I was struck by text 12 and his commentary on it: “The mountains, although being struck by torrents of rain during the rainy season, are not shaken, just as those whose hearts are dedicated to the transcendental Personality of Godhead are never disturbed, even when harassed by great […]

How to see or know God? People often challenge, “show me God!”. But according to the vedic paradigm, the way one can know God first is through hearing or sravanam. Hence the vedas has another name called sruti. So through hearing eventually we will be …

Krishna Kripa das: Alachua County Hare Krishnas Chant Before Gators GameRead More…

By Chandan Bhatia As a child, Nimai cried a lot and would not stop until everyone sang “HAR! HARI!” and clapped their hands. His golden ankle bells tinkled as He kicked His legs while an Sachimata’s lap and as He took His first faltering steps while le…

By Giriraj Swami

We all want to know who we really are, what role we are meant to play in God’s plan, what contribution we are meant to make to God’s work. And, by God’s grace, we may get a sense of our calling, what we are meant to do in His service. But even then, we may shrink from what we know is our duty, shirk what we know is our responsibility. We may fear the challenges ahead and retreat into what we imagine will be a safer, more comfortable place. We always have that choice–to face God and the mission he ordains for us, or to flee from Him, and in doing do, depart from our true self. Especially as we grow older, we may wonder what fruits our efforts will bear, whether we should even bother to make the effort. Even those who have labored faithfully in the service of the Lord may wonder what will come of the efforts they have made, the projects they have undertaken.

Bhagavad-gita and Lord Jesus Christ.
I was showing the Bhagavad-gita to one gentleman, he expressed his interest but said he was a Christian. He said, “If you can show me in this book where Jesus is praised I’ll take it.” I showed him 11.55 purport where Prabhupada says, “There are many examples in history of devotees of the Lord who risked their lives for the spreading of God consciousness. The favorite example is Lord Jesus Christ. He was crucified by the nondevotees, but he sacrificed his life for the spreading of God consciousness.”

Prepare!
The verb, prepare, means: to make something ready for use or consideration. Great thinkers everywhere speak enthusiastically about the power of preparation. For instance, George Clason writes: Opportunity is a haughty goddess who wastes no ti…

Initiations of new disciples in Vrindavan and Braj Parikrama 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Let us forget past incidents and let us look forward to rectify our defects. So far you are concerned, I am very much convinced of your sincere service. Go on with your work, and other instructions will follow. Simply become more concerned with increasing the spiritual content of our lives, and in this way all other problems like management will be easily solved, not that they can be solved by making some legal formula and having big big meetings and talks. The politicians have been holding such meetings and talks for some time now and the world is no better place for it, and they have only made things worse. We should not follow their example. The world is in a very precarious condition simply for lack of God-consciousness, so this should be our point of stressing, that we should revive this emphasis on God-consciousness everywhere in the world and that will be our contribution. Srila Prabhupada, Letter to: Jagadisa – Tokyo 2 May, 1972.
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Devamrta, Niranjana, Sivarama Swamis.

By Chandan Yatra Das Kanchipuram, also known as Benares of Southern India or The City of Temples, is one of the most ancient and sacred cities of India. Kanchipuram is an eternally holy place and has some of the most magnificent temples. The Garuda Pur…

BBT represented at the American Academy of Religion Conference 2016.
The American Academy of Religion (AAR) is the world’s largest association of scholars in the field of religious studies and related topics. It is a nonprofit member association, serving as a professional and learned society for scholars involved in the academic study of religion. It has some 10,000 members worldwide, with the largest concentration being in the United States and Canada. AAR members are university and college professors, independent scholars, secondary teachers, clergy, seminarians, students, and interested lay-people.

The Annual conference was held this year in San Antonio, Texas. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust was represented by several Iskcon devotees such as HH Jayadvaita Swami, Dr. Graham M. Schweig (Garuda Das), Stuart Kadetz (Sura Das), Dr. Ravi M. Gupta (Radhika Ramana Dasa), Jaya Chaitanya Das and others.

AAR hosts an Annual Meeting each year in November. The AAR Annual Meeting is the world’s largest meeting for religious studies scholars. Over 400 events, including meetings, receptions, and academic sessions, occur on the AAR program alone; hundreds more, hosted by affiliated societies and institutions, occur over the course of the meeting. Some 10,000 people attend the AAR Annual Meeting; the location of the meeting changes each year. The AAR Annual Meeting program is developed entirely by volunteers involved in program units representing disciplines and sub-disciplines within the field.

Visit Flickr to see the full album Photo credits: Gour Mohan das and Kalindi Nivasini dd

Historic archive of photos from Iskcon Brasil (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Don’t think preaching is so easy going – eating, sleeping, and sometimes chanting “Haribol,” that’s all. [laughs] That is not preaching. We must be ready to implant Krsna consciousness ideas throughout the whole world. Just like these people, either in India or here, they remain simply Churchianity, going to the church without any understanding. Therefore it is failing. Now churches are being closed. Similarly, if you do not keep yourself fit to preach, then your temples will all be closed in due course of time. Without preaching, you’ll not feel enthused to continue the temple worship. And without temple worship, you cannot keep yourself pure and clean. The two things must go on, parallel. Then there is success. In modern time, either Hindus, Muslim or Christian, because in these places there is no teaching of philosophy, therefore they are closing, either mosque or temple or church. They will close. Therefore we are writing so many books. Unless we take care of the books and preach and read ourself, understand the philosophy, this Hare Krsna will be finished within few years. Because there will be no life. How long one can artificially go on, “Hare Krsna! Haribol!” That will be artificial. No life. ———————————— From Srila Prabhupada’s Morning Walk – December 12, 1973, Los Angeles
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Hare Krishna Festivals UK: Hemel Hempstead Festival – 18th Nov 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The chanting process is that you chant with your tongue Hare Krsna and hear. That’s all. Then you are saved. Hare Krsna must be chanted by the use of tongue, and you hear it, that’s all. Where is the difficulty? Everything may come, but this is the process. This is the process. Chant Hare Krsna and become happy. Nothing is difficult in Krsna consciousness movement. One has to execute it very seriously and sincerely. Then it will come. Nothing is difficult, not at all. harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha Chant Hare Krsna and hear, and everything will come. Krsna’s… By chanting purely, without any offense this Hare Krsna mantra, then you will understand Krsna’s form, Krsna’s qualities, Krsna’s pastimes, Krsna’s entourage -everything. ———————————— From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 4.4 – February 12, 1974, Vrndavana
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Huge Ratha Yatra Festival in Buenos Aires, Argentina (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Simply our prayer should be, “My dear Krishna, please remind me to always chant Your holy name, please do not put me into forgetfulness. You are sitting within me as the Supersoul, so You can put me into forgetfulness or into remembering You. So please do not put me into forgetfulness. Please always remind me to chant, even You send me to hell, it doesn’t matter, just so long as I can always chant Hare Krishna.” [Srila Prabhupada; letter to Devananda, Los Angeles, 23 November, 1968]
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Answer Podcast

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Answer Podcast

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Answer Podcast

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Answer Podcast

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Answer Podcast

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Answer Podcast

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Answer Podcast

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Answer Podcast

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Answer Podcast

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“Let me offer my obeisances unto Lord Nrisimhadeva who is always enlightening Prahlada Maharaja within his heart and who always kills the nescience that attacks the devotees. His mercy is distributed like the moonshine, and His face is like that of a lion. Let me offer my obeisances unto Him again and again.” [ Painting […]

Prabhupada’s “Aroma of Sweetness” Conquers Ginsberg

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 06 September 2016, Cape Town, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.9.26) In this purport, we read about the brahmanas and the kshatriyas, and Srila Prabhupada put the emphasis, especially for the brahminical class of men, on controlling the senses. He said, “For the intelligent men, controlling the senses is the essence,” and then […]

Despite the chilling cold and rainy weather of Nairobi, a large group of more than 250 devotees assembled at the Sri Sri Radha Banke Bihari Mandir to commemorate the ISKCON’s golden jubilee. Amongst them were Bhakti Narasimha Swami (Sou…

By Mahatma Das Lord Caitanya says: one should offer ALL respect to others and should not demand or seek respect for himself. When your peers do better than you, are you happy? Do you appreciate what they’ve done or do you feel concerned or upset that y…

In an unprecedented event, Santiago’s main street, Avenida Libertador Bernado O’Higgins, was used exclusively by the majestic chariot that carried the Lord of the Universe and the people who pulled its ropes, filling the streets of Santiago w…

In a parking lot in Budapest…
I approached a middle-aged lady. She was favorable, and I offered her the Krishna book, but she didn’t want to accept it. She started to explain why.
“You know, when I was seventeen, I read the Bhagavad Gita, and while reading it, I was constantly crying, because it was what I was always looking for. I directly felt Krishna’s presence.
“When I was a little girl, I always felt that this world is not my home. I told my parents many times: ‘You are not my parents. I want to go home!’
The last fifteen years I have lived a mundane life with my husband and children, but I have always desired Krishna’s association. I meditate every day, and I read the Gita, but I feel that in this world everything is gray and empty, and I desire to go to Krishna’s home to be with Him. He is like my secret lover.”
Finally she bought the Krishna book and said that at first she didn’t want to, because if she would read more about Krishna, then she would cry a lot again. She actually cried several times during our conversation.
She also said that she regularly visits people in the hospital who have cancer and preaches to them, because the last part of human life is the most important.
And she told me that it’s very difficult for her to try to become Krishna conscious alone, so she was happy that I invited her to the temple and to join our community.
She came to the temple for the Sunday program with her husband, and they liked it very much.
Your servant,
Mohana Dasa

By Radhanath Swami.