Websites from the ISKCON Universe
Hare Krishna! How to Navigate the Challenge of Kali-yuga (audio)
Vraja Vihari Das: The Vedas say we live in “Kali-yuga”, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy. Written thousands of years ago, these writings describe in much detail the ills of society today. They also describe the panacea for living a virtuous and spiritual life despite the challenges of this age.
Listen to it here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20116
Hare Krishna! What is the matter with the world
Srila Prabhupada: The animal part of a human being necessarily require food to eat, shelter to live in, protection from fear and gratification of senses. These four principles of life are common both to t… Read more ›
A Second Channel (7 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Following the success of our recent interview on national television here in Mongolia, another prominent channel, Soyongegeeeruulegch.tv, contacted us and proposed to record 5 separate, 45 minute shows with me. The next day I was in their studios for a marathon recording, changing my chaddar each session for some diversity. I spoke on a variety of Krsna conscious subjects, a few of which appear in this short video. When all was done, I asked the director of the station how many people would see the recordings. She replied, “We will broadcast one each day next week both in the morning and evening. So I suppose around 2 million people will hear from you.” Jaya Srila Prabhupada!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/3gxY0F
Sivarama Swami on the European Migrant Crisis
Over the past few weeks, in the midst of Europe largest political and humanitarian crisis since World War 2, the Hungarian Society for Krishna Consciousness have been actively involved in helping migrants a… Read more ›
Question: What is the best thing to do to cure our scars and in particular how to cure bad relationships with devotees?
Kadamba Kanana Swami: One of my favorite stories that my mother used to tell me is about two princesses and one, when she would open her mouth, roses would come out and when the other one would open hers – frogs! Now, in our case, since we are vaisnavas we are trying for roses but every once in a while there is an inadvertent frog that just jumps out of your mouth and then what do you do!? Then you think, ‘I should not have said that!’ But you cannot swallow the frog – it is against the regulative principles! So once it is out there, it bounces around in all its ugliness and people may even put it on the internet or quote it in a vyasa-puja offering as some sort of funny pastime! Yes, it happens and we try to avoid these things, but it may still happen even when we try to avoid it. Then what do you do? Keep on trying to avoid and just get engaged in positive, glorifying Krsna, serving Krsna and doing all these things connected with devotional service. Then all the anarthas will just automatically be purified in the process of bhakti yoga – all the scars gone!
Read the entire article here: https://goo.gl/QC9fvX
India’s Ancient and Great Maritime History
This shows how ancient Vedic culture was able to reach many areas of the globe. We should first take into account that ancient India, which was centered around the Indus Valley years ago, and was already well developed before 3200 BCE, stretched from Afghanistan to the Indian Ocean and points farther east and north, the largest empire in the world at the time. But its influence spread much farther than that. During its peak developments, it had organized cities, multistory brick buildings, vast irrigation networks, sewer systems, the most advanced metalwork in the world, and a maritime trade network that incorporated the use of compasses, planked ships, and trained navigators that reached parts of western Asia, Mesopotamia, Africa, and other ports far beyond their borders. 1 So they were certainly capable of ocean-going trips that could have reached even to the Americas.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20110
Hare Krishna! Canada Rugby World Cup team visit ISKCON Leicester
The Canada Rugby World Cup Team attended the ISKCON Leicester Kirtan Fest this Sunday 27th September. The Canadian Team, who are in the UK for the World Cup tournament, were walking through Leicester’s City Centre, when they heard the sound of kirtan coming from the magnificent temple. Ananda Monet was leading a beautiful kirtan, and they were warmly welcomed by Leicester’s Bhakta Ash. Still in their red training tops, the rugby stars enquired about the festival, the significance of the Hare Krishna mahamantra, and about the ISKCON Centre in Leicester. In his usual, friendly way, Ash asked them to read and chant the Hare Krishna mahamantra, which they did so happily. The Canadian Team then met some devotees, and spoke to young 8-year old devotee who also plays rugby in Leicester.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20107
Hare Krishna! WSN August 2015 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following results of book distribution for the month of August 2015 from the whole planet. World Totals, Monthly Congregation and Weekend Warriors, Monthly Continents, Monthly Top Ten Temples by Size, Monthly Top Ten Temples by Continent, Monthly Top Teams and Individuals, Monthly All Countries, Monthly All Temples, Monthly All Prabhupada Disciples, Cumulative Top Ten Countries, Cumulative Top Ten Temples, Cumulative Top 50 Individuals Worldwide
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20105
Conference on Farms and Cows (Album with photos)
ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministry [IDVM] in association with Cow Protection Ministry organised a three days Conference on Farms and Cows which started on 22nd of September 2015 to 25th of September at Nee… Read more ›
Hare Krishna! Visvarupa-mahotsava and Srila Prabhupada’s Sannyasa
Giriraj Swami: Today is Visvarupa-mahotsava, the date on which Lord Caitanya’s older brother, Visvarupa, took sannyasa, the renounced order of life. And on the same date some four hundred and fifty years later, our own spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, also accepted sannyasa. According to Vedic scripture, Lord Caitanya is Krsna Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, come in the present age in the role of a devotee. In the previous age, Lord Krsna came in His original feature and spoke the Bhagavad-gita, and at the conclusion He instructed, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: give up all other duties and surrender unto Me. But people could not understand or appreciate Lord Krsna’s instruction. So later, about five hundred years ago, the same Krsna came again, not in His original form but in His devotional form as Lord Caitanya. And Lord Caitanya taught us how to serve Krsna, how to worship God in the present age.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20097
Hare Krishna! Love Conquers All
Radhanath Swami: “The Latin poet Virgil, has written, ‘Love conquers all’. The second part of what he wrote, in many ways is instrumental. He said, ‘Love conquers all, so let us all be conquered by love’. This is the principle of bhakti. The first and great commandment is to love God with all your heart, mind and soul, and the natural consequence of that is that you will love your neighbor as yourself. And according to the Bhagavad-gita you will see every living being as your neighbor.” “But that actual ecstasy of loving God really comes when we become conquered by God’s love. Krishna, who is the Supreme Absolute Truth, the one God who has many names and has descended into this world many times, in his fullest expression, comes once in a day Brahma to this world. Sri Radha comes with him. The one Supreme God is ever as two personalities, Krishna, the Supreme object of love, and Srimati Radharani, who is the ultimate supreme lover.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20094
Mira Road Kirtan Mela at its Peak on last day of Iskcon Mira Road Temple Inauguration (Album with photos)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Dza76f Read more ›
Jaya Tribhuvanatha Prabhu!
Padmapani das: Over the years, devotees and friends have asked me what it was like preaching and distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books in the Middle East back in the late Seventies and early Eighties. During that time, our main focus for book distribution was Beirut (Lebanon), Amman (Jordan) and Damascus (Syria). Beirut was our headquarters. For those unaware, there was a civil war raging in Lebanon at the time. After a long trip overland from England, I was surprised to discover the reality of the situation awaiting me because my good friend, Tribhuvanatha Prabhu, had failed to warn me beforehand. When we arrived in Beirut I said to Tribhuvanatha, “You didn’t tell me there was a war going on down here.” Tribhuvanatha replied, “Oh, I forgot!” Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I think the following selection speaks for itself. It was truly “A Season in Hell.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20090
Hare Krishna! Reality is a Dance, not Bureaucratic Law
Urmila Devi Dasi: We know we are following dharma by the result. Prabhupada said to judge a tree by its fruits. What are the fruits? Our relationship of love and respect and peace and satisfaction, satyam, truth, are increased internally for ourselves and others. The result that we are looking for is that everyone comes closer to truth and peace and satisfaction. That’s our result. Then we go to sadhu, sastra, and guru with that in mind. Our action has to be within sadhu, sastra, guru. We can’t make something up. Which means, of course, we have to know sastra. We can’t just say, “Well, I think that this will bring me more peace so I can do this.” It has to be within the purview of sastra, it has to be within the purview of the sadhu, within the purview of guru. But the result has to be that Krsna and the devotees are pleased. Otherwise if you say that we are following the sastra and everyone becomes disturbed, that’s not dharma.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20087
Iskcon kuching doing Food For Life at Batu Tiga Market (Album with photos)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/s0Cz3S Read more ›
The devotees from ISKCON New Govardhana – Sri Sri Radha Govardhanadhari performed Harinama at Surfers Paradise – 27 September 2015 (Album with photos)
(Surfers Paradise is a suburb within the local government area of Gold Coast City in Queensland, Aust… Read more ›
Hare Krishna! The Passing of Haridasa Thakura
Drutakarma Dasa: If you visit the town of Puri on the Bay of Bengal, you will find, amid palm trees and small houses, a stone shrine marking the place where the great saint Haridasa Thakura sat alone or with a devotee companion and worshiped Krsna. There he passed almost the whole day and night simply chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. He softly repeated the sacred syllables hour after hour, keeping count on his prayer beads until, long after sunset, the holy names had crossed his lips no less than three hundred thousand times. Not far from Haridasa Thakura’s secluded hermitage lived Lord Caitanya and His followers, who loudly chanted the maha-mantra, proclaiming the glories of Krsna. People honored Lord Caitanya as an extraordinary devotee, and a select few knew that He was an incarnation of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and that He had come to this world to spread the chanting of the maha mantra.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20084
Prasurama prabhu and the UK Hare Krishna Festival crew is getting ready to feed 5,000 people delicious prasadam today at Place de la Republique, Paris, France. Join them! Read more ›
Radhanath Swami greets the Pope upon his arrival in New York and more Iskcon related news report (5 min video)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/bdP9m6 Read more ›
Hare Krishna! Cow Protection and Varnasrama
Many of our devotees in cities say, “What can we do?” Those who are preaching, full time devotees, they can inspire the congregation members that if you have a house and a lawn, you can grow food. Like in America, people are changing their lawn from growing grass to growing food. Because food that is grown by devotees – organic food – is very good for the health and we should know that it is important to keep our body healthy to serve Krishna properly, is it not? To make a proper material arrangement is not maya. It is proper utilizing Krishna’s energy. Krishna has given us some instructions how to work with nature in a more wholesome way without exploiting. As we are doing all over the world.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20079
Revatinandana: One day had been especially difficult for me. I had been on the street collecting for a long time, I was tired, and I had just fought with another devotee. I felt that I couldn’t go on, that it was time for me to disappear and leave.
That night, after another eight-hour day of street sankirtan and magazine selling, we were driven over to the bungalow where Prabhupada was speaking. I didn’t get into chanting during the first kirtan because I didn’t want to get carried away again.
Every time I felt like leaving, it was either one of Prabhupada’s lectures or a feast that would wind up changing my mind to stay. Maya was really tugging at me.
When Srila Prabhupada started to lecture that night, I had my head down. Prabhupada said, “When one is engaged in devotional service he will become joyful. If one is morose, that means he is not Krishna conscious. If one is Krishna conscious, he cannot be morose.”
That hit me hard. I looked at him, and his eyes were right on me. He was speaking to me at that moment, but I was so psychologically fragile, if he had singled me out I would have probably run from the room or broken into tears or gotten very agitated, even angry, and left.
Instead he did it in a lecture. I knew that he had seen exactly what I was feeling, and he said it for me. And I knew he was right, because all day I had refused to engage myself and, therefore I had been miserable.
My legs hurt, I was tired, I was this, and I was that. Otherwise, I would have been absorbed, time would have passed, and little by little I would be getting stronger. Periodically other devotees had experiences similar to mine.
Prabhupada was very good at reading faces. He once said that the face was the index of the mind, and he had that art down by training or intuition or both. He knew what to say at a particular time to keep us from faltering or to encourage us in different ways.
Hare Krishna! Spiritual Friday at TKG Academy
Gopi Gita Schomaker: Each Friday, students at the TKG Academy Gurukula in Dallas worship the school Deities by bathing, dressing, preparing bhoga for and performing different services, emulating the temple Deity worship program. They take turns leading the kirtan, offering arati and giving the class each week. Here’s a short video of their festivities.
Watch it here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20076
Harinama in the center of Paris, France. Sankirtan Yajna ki jaya! Read more ›
Ratha Yatra Festival 2015, Sofia, Bulgaria (9 min video)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/OVHdBE Read more ›
Preaching program in Moscow (Album with photos)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/s7Wzyf Read more ›
Sankirtan mission in Mongolia (6 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: As the first snows of early winter arrived here in Mongolia, we had a successful public program in the capital Ulaanbaatar. Afterwards we held an initiation in a traditional yurta in a fore… Read more ›
Harinama in New York city, Times Square (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: It is the duty of the mahatmas to chant the Hare Krishna mantra and try to spread it all over the world to the best of their ability. Unfortunately, society is in such an unc… Read more ›
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur Appearance day celebration in Mayapur (Album with photos)
Appearance day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur was celebrated in Mayapur on the 26th September. A large murti of him was placed next to the Panchatattva altar. It was beau… Read more ›
The last instructions of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
“12 Verses of My Own Self-imposed Regulative Principles”
by Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura
The 1st Verse
(The Objects of Devotion Birth After Birth)
No matter whenever and wherever I happen to take birth, let my loving affection and attachment remain unshaken throughout each and every lifetime for the following things: for my divine spiritual master, for Sri Gauranga, for the detailed topics of pure devotional service (and the methods of its execution) as personally instructed by Him, for the holy places of pilgrimage such as Sri Navadvipa, Sri Kshetra, Sri Vrndavana, etc. , which are all blooming with divine sanctity due to His performance of wonderful pastimes therein, for the diksa mantra bestowed upon me by the divine grace of my spiritual master, for the holy name of Sri Hari, for the most beloved eternal associates of the Lord, for the sacred days of celebration throughout the year such as Sri Ekadasi, Sri Janmastami, Sri Radhastami, and the appearance/disappearance days of the great Vaisnava acaryas, for the Lord’s dear most devotees who strictly follow in the sacred footsteps of Srila Rupa Gosvami, and for the holy scriptures narrated by Srila Sukadeva Gosvami such as the Srimad Bhagavatam.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=13078
Vamanadev’s Appearance celebration in Mayapur (Album with photos)
Find them here: http://goo.gl/sEfgy4
Hare Krishna! Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Prabhupada
Giriraj Swami: Srila Prabhupada furthered many of Thakura Bhaktivinoda’s projects: engaging householders in local preaching initiatives (nama-hatta); establishing the principle that Vaishnavas, even not born brahmans, are greater than brahmans (and are brahmans too); translating, explaining, and publishing important Vaishnava scriptures for the understanding of the contemporary audience; implementing the vision of a wonderful temple and spiritual city in Mayapur; and, perhaps most significant, fulfilling the desire and prediction that the holy names and teachings of Sri Krishna Chaitanya—Krishna consciousness—be propagated all over the world. “Lord Chaitanya did not advent Himself to liberate only a few men in India. Rather, His main objective was to emancipate all living entities of all countries throughout the entire universe and preach the eternal dharma.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=11916
Hare Krishna! Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s Influence On The Establishment And Development Of Iskcon
This paper aims to present the contribution of Bhaktivinoda Thakur to the establishment and development of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). It regards his personal life as the role model for the practitioners of Vaisnavism, and it considers his input in expanding preaching techniques, both innovative and traditional ones. Being born in a non-Vaisnava family, educated in Christian and Westernized Hindu schools and colleges, Bhaktivinoda Thakur, more than many other spiritual teacher in Gaudiya tradition, is the reference point for ISKCON, many of whose members have been born in and molded by the Western civilization. The historical context in which Bhaktivinoda Thakur commenced his spiritual quest can be portrayed as a time of serious encounter and conflict between Hindu traditionalists and a Westernized and secularized Bengalis intelligentsia.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=9318
Hare Krishna! The Life of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur
He was always charitable to brahmanas and equally befriended other castes. He never showed pride, and his amiable disposition was a characteristic feature of his life. He never accepted gifts from anyone; he even declined all honors and titles offered by the government to him on the grounds that they might stand against his holy mission of life. He was very strict in moral principles, and avoided the luxurious life; he would not even chew betel. He disliked theaters because they were frequented by “public women.” He spoke Bengali, Sanskrit, English, Latin, Urdu, Persian, and Oriya. He started writing books at age 12, and continued turning out a profuse number of volumes up until his departure from this world.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17917
2015-09-25 Night of Kirtan-yoga night in Budapest (66 photos)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/7TWr4k Read more ›
Preaching program in Russia (Album with photos)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/OzwYbn Read more ›
Inauguration MOSA – Museo Arte Sacra – Villa Vrindavana, Florence, Italy (Album with photos)
Villa Vrindavana’s Renaissance salons host MOSA, the Museum of Sacred Art, an artistic space that is quite unique in Italy. The gallery displays impressive artistic works portraying religious and devotional subjects from ancient India lore and its epics. Here are displayed imposing works by the Italian contemporary artist Giampaolo Tomassetti, together with other beautiful pieces of art by other international painters. The varied styles reflect different artistic traditions from the great regions of India (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Orissan, Kerala and Tanjore). The collection includes original sculptures from different areas of the Far East. With its permanent exhibition and its periodic initiatives, MOSA also encourages interfaith dialogue, where art is man’s universal language. MOSA also has a gallery in Belgium at Radhadesh, a Durbury, in the Ardennes region. The MOSA Villa Vrindavan is open to the public at the following times: Saturday and Sunday: guided tours at 10:00 and 16:00
Find them here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20066
In honor of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur’s Appearance Day tomorrow, Bhaktivedanta Research Centre is pleased to share this special album with you. (Album with 12 photos)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/mGsWLQ
Hare Krishna! Mayapur Gears Up for Marathon 2015
As 2015 is the 50th year of HDG Srila Prabhupada’s entry into western land, ISKCON Mayapur is making all the arrangements to make 2015 book distribution marathon a mega event. So, it was announced that this year marathon will be celebrated from 1st October, 2015 to 31st December, 2015 for a period of three months. ISKCON Mayapur conducted an event on 23rd September to encourage devotees to engage in book distribution. The event was inaugurated by HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaj, HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami Maharaj and HG Pankajanghri Prabhu. HG Pankajanghri Prabhu highlighted the importance of book distribution as major service to Lord Krsna. He went on to say that if a devotee fails to engage him/herself in the service of book distribution, their service is not considered beneficial.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20063
Worldwide Holy Name week (Album with photos)
Harinama with Gurukula students in Byron.
Byron Bay is a beachside town located in the far-northeastern corner of the state of New South Wales, Australia.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/GKGtXG Read more ›
Enthusiastic 8-year-old students visiting the temple of Copenhagen 🙂 (Album with photos)
This week 22 extremely well behaved 8-year-old students came to visit the temple of the International School in Copenhagen. Many of them knew 3-4 languages and believed in God already. They were so enthusiastic that they asked me if I could become their new school teacher next year 🙂 They all loved the prasadam meal and asked if I could please cook for them every day! When I told them that we love Srila Prabhupada because he gave us Krishna consciousness they all ran up to Srila Prabhupada and took the dust from his lotus feet on their head! I wish I had the same eagerness for Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet as they showed 🙂
Find them here: https://goo.gl/tlHcHZ