Websites from the ISKCON Universe
Scandinavian Bhakti Sangam 2015 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “Compared to the ocean of transcendental bliss that one tastes by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, the pleasure derived from impersonal Brahman realization is like the shallow water in canal.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 7.97)
See them here: https://goo.gl/hpeZNw
Hare Krishna! Lord Nityananda’s Padukas Return Home
After four months of fund raising for TOVP in America, HG Jananivasa prabhu returned home to Mayapur with the padukas of Lord Nityananda on 12th July. Hundreds of jubilant devotees flocked at Temple’s main gate for receiving them. It was truly a grand reception with multifarious items like garlands, rangolis, flowers and many ghee lamp plates accompanied by kirtana. First all the assembled devotees visited Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi. At the Samadhi gate, they received a second welcome with flowers, ghee lamp plates and rangolis. HG Jananivasa prabhu placed Lord Nityananda’s padukas on Srila Prabhupada’s head. He also garlanded Srila Prabhupada and offered Him a ghee lamp.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18423
Dublin Rath Yatra 2015
The Rathayatra date for this year has been finalised. Lord Jagannath’s Rathayatra (Festival of Chariots) will happen on Saturday, 29th August 2015, in Dublin. By Lord’s grace, the day coincides with the appearance of Lord Balarama. You all are kindly invited to participate in this great festival in Dublin. We would appreciate if you could help us in spreading the word around, and if you could mention the date on your websites and in the temple.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18420
The latest Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter, including community news for the last two months. It will take about 10 seconds seconds to load. (to view higher quality photos, you can download the file) Main articles include: -BBC’s National Yoga Day at the Manor -London Ratha Yatra -Nepal Earthquake fund-raising Appeal -Krishna Culture Showcase.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/VfC4U8
Reception of Nityananda’s Padukas at Sri Dham Mayapur, West Bengal (Album with 110 photos)
Beautiful Mayapur devotees receive Lord Nityananda’s Padukas, along with HG Jananivas Prabhu and HG Vraja Vilas Prabhu..
See them here: https://goo.gl/21JICz
Hare Krishna! Baroda temple forms Committee to steer 50th Anniversary celebrations
Speaking after a meeting of the Committee on 21st June, Chairman, Pushta Krishna Das said, “The 50th Anniversary is an important milestone to celebrate our achievements. As the leaders of the temple are busy organising regular preaching programmes, the congregation devotees have stepped forward to form a Committee that can plan the celebrations through the year. We will involve local devotees to organise a series of exceptional offerings for Srila Prabhupada so that people in Baroda can be educated about what ISKCON has achieved in the last 50 years.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18417
Belarus ISKCON Devotees Detained for Offering Religious Literature (3 min video)
By: Olga Glace Forum18.org on July 6, 2015
Three Hare Krishna devotees, Aleksandr Grankin, Aleksei Vlasyuk and Pavel Ivanov, were detained in the streets of Vitebsk on 17 … Read more ›
Harinama in Tel-Aviv, Israel (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In this age human beings only live for sixty or eighty years, and even this small life-span is gradually decreasing. Therefore it is even more imperative for human beings to take to the… Read more ›
HH Bhakti Charu Swami retreat @ New Vrindaban (Album with photos)
It is our pleasure to share with you that ISKCON New Vrindaban, West Verginia organized a Srimad Bhagavatam retreat with a heading “Stories from Srimad Bhagavatam” which was held from July 1 to July 5. The very retreat imparted a rare opportunity to relish ambrosial narration of Srimad Bhagavatam from the lotus mouth of HH Bhakti Charu Swami in the serene atmosphere of New Vrindaban. The retreat began every morning at 8am with Srimad Bhagavatam class and went till 9am as it’s first session. Then in next session was offered from 11am to 1pm consisting of one hour discourse and one hour of question & answer which leaded in the the final session of the day from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. The Jagannatha Snana Yatra festival on 4th July in the morning 10am to 11am, added another divine dimension to this wonderful retreat. To add more colour to this retreat, New Vrindaban temple organized a Swan- boat festival in the Kusuma Sarovara which was followed by a thrilling & spectacular fire work display at night. An Initiation ceremony presided by HH Bhakti Charu Swami on 5th of July morning from 10am to 11 am, complimented the retreat to embellish it further. Devotees from different parts of USA enjoyed this very retreat with their spontaneous participations in Managala-Arati, Go Puja, and Goverdhana Parikrama every day without fail. It is said in the Bhagavad Gita that every spiritual festival reaches it’s completion in prasadam (sanctified spiritual food). Following this instruction New Vrindavana Temple offered sumptuous prasadam three times a day to every one’s heart’s content. We thank every one, who took part in this magnificent retreat, from the core of our heart. We feel honoured to serve Srila Prabhupada’s family and look forward to have another opportunity to serve all of you in New Vrindaban Temple in coming future. Hare Krishna .
See them here: https://goo.gl/Kqiq09
Hare Krishna! Treating Women as Mothers
In distributing love of Godhead, Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates did not consider who was a fit candidate and who was not, nor where such distribution should or should not take place. They made no conditio… Read more ›
Hare Krishna! TOVP Tour Daily Diary: Day 103-108, Four Days in Houston, Texas and The Grand Finale – Seattle, Washington
July 4th and 5th, were the last two days of the North American TOVP Tour, 2015. They were, in fact, record days for our fundraising and visits to devotees homes. During these two days Jananivas prabhu alone visited over 25 devotees’ homes, going from one to the other with the Padukas and Sitari, bringing the blessings of Sri Mayapur Dhama. The crowd of 300+ devotees rose to the occasion, being encouraged to top the charts in pledges. By the end of the program more than $1.2 million was pledged and more expected to come from devotees not present. Even the children from the CHAD Group (Chapter A Day) came forward and combinedly pledged a Silver Gratitude Coin for $11,000. A fitting way to end the TOVP Tour in North America.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18409
Ratha yatra Stockholm 2015 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Sadhu-sanga, or association with a devotee, means always engaging in Krishna consciousness by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra and by acting for Krishna. Specifically, chanting the Hare K… Read more ›
ISKCON Auckland New Zealand: Festival of the Holy Name (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Hare Krishna maha-mantra gives liberation and at the same time offers shelter at the lotus feet of Krishna. If one takes shelter at the lotus feet of Krish… Read more ›
Rathayatra de Montrèal Le Festival Hare Krishna 2015 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In this age of Kali, if a person does not take advantage of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, which is offered as a great concession to the fallen human beings of this age, it is to be understood that he is very much bewildered by the illusory energy of the Lord. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.24.14 Purport)
See them here: https://goo.gl/nS6an2
Rare photo of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Read more ›
Maha Saturday Harinama at Union Square Park, New York (Album with 40 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If the surface of the globe is overflooded with the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, the people of the world will be very, very happy. (Srimad-Bhagavatam… Read more ›
Hare Krishna! Contemporary Theological Trends In The Hare Krsna Movement: A Theology of Religions
An examination of scholarly work by non-devotees on the Hare Krsna Movement reveals a tendency to engage in sociological and historical analysis rather than a discussion of the philosophy and theology of Krsna Consciousness (for example, Brooks, Bromley and Shinn, Shinn, Rochford, Knott). One explanation for this might be that devotees themselves, particularly the founder, Bhaktivedanta Swami, have provided their own theological accounts. In addition, non-devotee scholars, such as A. L. Basham, John Stratton Hawley and David Kinsley, in recorded conversations with members, have commented on their understanding of the Movement’s philosophy and its location in the Indian Vaishnava tradition (Gelberg, Rosen). These various types of writing constitute the body of scholarship on the Hare Krsna Movement (ISKCON). There is an absence of reflection by outsiders on its current theological interpretations.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18406
Hare Krishna! Sri Gundicha Marjana
Many of the waterpots were broken when people collided with one another, and hundreds of men had to bring new waterpots to fill. Some people were filling the pots, and others were washing the rooms, but everyone was engaged in chanting the holy name of Krishna and Hari. One person begged for a waterpot by chanting the holy names “Krishna, Krishna,” and another delivered a pot while chanting “Krishna, Krishna.” Whenever anyone had to speak, he did so by uttering the holy name of Krishna. Consequently, the holy name of Krishna became an indication for everyone who wanted something.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18401
Hare Krishna! A Prayer to Jagannath’s Cart Wheel
The following verse is composed in the style known as citra-kavya, which literally means, “picture-poem”. In this gender of Sanskrit poetry, which goes back at least 2,000 years, the verses are designed to be read in the form of a picture. When the reader lays out the syllables or sometimes words, in the shape of the given picture, hidden meanings are found. Those who have some expertise in Sanskrit may find some surprises in the below contemporary verse, not all of which are to be found in the translation. Perhaps the most famous example of this style of poetry is Srila Rupa Goswamis Citra-kavitvani from his book Stava-mala.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18398
Hare Krishna! Just-Installed New Vrindaban Playground “An Investment In Our Families”
The new playground includes a rock climbing wall with a rope, two standard swings, two baby swings, a tire swing, trapeze bars, a slide, and a bridge that connects two towers. It also includes items donated by Malati – a seesaw, and three benches so that parents can sit comfortably right in the playground to watch their children. “We’re trying to cultivate a culture of parents and caregivers staying with their children at all times,” says Ananga Manjari. All pieces of the play set are made of wood that is vinyl-coated to keep out carpenter bees and eliminate the possibility of splinters. Safety is also ensured by the railings throughout and the eighteen-inch faux rock wall surrounding the playground.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18395
Hare Krishna! Conversation Between Krsna-ksetra Swami and Mr Vineet Narain
I told my reporter to go and pretend to be part of them, get as much information as he can. Part of it could be in the favour and if there is anything negative, please bring tha… Read more ›
Transcendental Treasures
Srutakirti dasa: Paramahamsa, Nitai and I received unique, transcendental treasures during our stay in Atlanta. When Srila Prabhupada arrived the weather was rather cold. The devotees presented Srila Prabhupada with warm socks and a pair of canvas walking shoes. The next morning before the walk I assisted Srila Prabhupada by sliding his transcendental toes into his new pair of shoes with his blessed shoe horn. After his walk and morning program, Srila Prabhupada rang his bell. I found my way to his new quarters and offered my obeisances. I sat up and looked at Srila Prabhupada. “These shoes do not fit me,” he said. “If they fit, you can use them.” “I can’t wear your shoes, Srila Prabhupada,” I immediately answered. “That would be offensive.” “If I say you can do it, then it is all right,” he gently replied.
Read the entire article here: https://goo.gl/Z2E23U
Gita Contest Winner Donates Cash Prize to Educate Needy!
Of course, as well as commending Maryam for her her charitable work, and being glad for the many who will be benefitted by her efforts, it’s important to congratulate all the other winners in the Gita Champions’ League, and to note the benefits of the contest itself. Over 4,800 students from fifth to tenth standard (aged 10 to 16), from more than 100 schools in Maharastra, participated. And at a March 15th ceremony in a hall near ISKCON Chowpatty, first, second, and third place awards were given to students from each standard (Maryam was awarded first place for sixth standard). Each student received a cash prize, a certificate, and a set of Srila Prabhupada’s books. Teachers who helped run the contest also received gifts.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/HiLp3r
240 old and new photos of devotees from all over the world chanting and playing the world famous Balaram Mridanga!
See them here: https://goo.gl/7ktBeb Read more ›
Hare Krishna! I think I have acquired a spiritual guru…
Actually, I think it might be more accurate to say that he has acquired me. I’m a scientist (astrophysicist to be precise) and I’ve been agnostic for as long as I can remember, so I’ve always struggled with the idea of God and the purpose of religion. But a few months ago, I had a spiritual experience, and since then, I’ve been on a quest to understand the being known as God. To learn more, I’ve studied and participated in various religious systems, and for the past month I’ve been exploring the group commonly known as Hare Krishnas.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18383
ISKCON Auckland New Zealand – Friday night Harinam (Album with photos)
By the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada
Books, Prasadam and The Holy Name were distrbuted to all!
See them here: https://goo.gl/pXYz1G Read more ›
Sweet revenge from the fury of Indra 🙂 (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: The storm in Pobierowo the day before had stolen our usual crowd. Only a few hundred people had showed up for the festival. But yesterday the prayers of the devotees kept t… Read more ›
Hare Krishna! Time Magazine – The Answers Issue: A Closer Look
The Answers Issue might make you feel guilty if you drive over 13,400 miles a year (the average), since it claims that car emission is the biggest factor to our individual carbon footprints. Eating meat comes in second. Something to consider for those who want to make an impact on their carbon footprint but can’t bring themselves to give up driving. Other lessor categories are our use of air conditioning, air travel and beer drinking, etc. The interesting thing is that the mag is silent on the carbon footprint of our purchases of goods from overseas, since we can hardly buy anything that’s’ manufactured in America anymore.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18377
Hare Krishna! Don’t Worry, Be Happy – The secret to true happiness and well-being
Devamrita Swami: “Anyway, money can’t buy everything,” members of all social tiers often quip. Daily life, however, regularly belies this old mantra. Happiness and even love often seem to have a price tag, or at least a significant financial correlation. Whatever our level of income and indulgence, we all long for true happiness and genuine well-being, however defined. Shouldn’t personal contentment become enshrined as a basic human right, for all people, everywhere? Then again, what about the special persons—the ones who, with wings of selfless magnanimity, soar beyond all social pigeonholes? Compassionate, empathetic, and noble, they radiate human sunshine, in any kind of weather.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18374
Raincoats and umbrellas but the “show goes on!” (Album with 49 photos)
Indradyumna Swami: One hundred kilometers from our festival in Pobierowo a storm had torn roofs off of houses, knocked down trees and utility poles and left a trail of destruction. Somewhat weakened by the time it reached us, it nevertheless caused serious problems. Two of our tents were severally damaged by wind and a deluge of water made walking difficult, if not impossible, in many areas of our festival site. Despite it all we persevered and went on with our event. And to our utter amazement hundreds of people came, fully equipped with raincoats and umbrellas. Most stayed the entire show, sometimes taking shelter in our tents, where they continued watching the show as it poured rain. All proof of Srila Prabhupada’s statement that Krsna is, “all attractive.”
See them here: https://goo.gl/m4zx9
Hare Krishna! Religion And Religions
With all the exotic trappings of ‘a traditional Hindu ritual structure’ thus in place, ISKCON appears to many to be heavily freighted with culturally conditioned forms and hence to exemplify sectarianism with a vengeance. It stands in contrast to advaita vedanta, that earlier Indian export, whose philosophical abstractions and non-devotional orientation make it appear universal, nonsectarian, and free from adventitious cultural and historical accretions. Yet even after Prabhupada had everything in place, the Western youth who joined ISKCON never thought of themselves as ‘converting’ to something called ‘Hinduism’ or as participating in ‘a traditional Hindu ritual structure’.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18370
Kirtan in Ireland (12 min video)
Praghosa Das of ISKCON and Govinda’s (Dublin) leads a kirtan chant session at a gathering in County Westmeath, Ireland. Jayananda Davis is the brilliant and enlivening mridanga drum player.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/KnxfEG
Amazing Gita Nagari farm (Album with photos)
See them here: https://goo.gl/367Vi4 Read more ›
Hare Krishna! Where Is Godhead? Is It Possible To See Him?
Srila Prabhupada: In the Secretariat Buildings in New Delhi there is an inscription on the stone that Liberty does not descend upon a people but it has to earned before it can be enjoyed. Actually this is the fact and we have seen it that much sacrifice had to be rendered by the people of India before they could gain Swaraj. But in the matter of Godhead some irresponsible people ask, “Can you show me.” “Have you seen God?” These are some of the questions put forward by some irresponsible men who want to have everything very cheap. If for attaining a temporary false sense of liberty in this material world so much labour and sacrifice have to be requisitioned is it possible to see Godhead — The Absolute Truth so cheaply? To see God means complete liberty from all conditions. But is Godhead an attending orderly so that He may be present at my command?
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18367
ISKCON Devotees Attend Rome Environmental Convergence.
Young religious environmental leaders from around the world, including four ISKCON devotees, attended an environmental “convergence” and march in Rome at the end of June.
The march culminated in St. Peter’s Square in front of the Vatican, where the Pope’s encyclical is traditionally broadcast from to over 1 billion Catholics across the globe.
“It almost looked like St. Peter’s Square had turned green,” says participant Gopal-Lila Das, who is the Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies’ Bhumi Project. “It was a really beautiful sight.”
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/s5cWs5
Hare Krishna! The History of the Balaram Mridangas
Some time in 1972-73 Srila Prabhupada saw that the East Indians were not carrying on the tradition of making the original mridangas and kartals. The younger generation who would normally take over the arts from their fathers were becoming more and more interested in going to school and going to the cities. They were thinking that working with leather making the drums and such was a lower class of activity. So Srila Prabhupada sent out a letter to all the GBCs indicating that some men should be sent to India to learn these arts. At that time I was in the temple of Jagadisha who was Srila Prabhupada’s Minister of education and a GBC member.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18364
Hare Krishna! 13th Annual Lord Jagannatha’s Ratha Yatra At Rijeka, Croatia, Europe
The 13th annual Ratha Yatra Festival in Rijeka, Croatia was held on Saturday, 6th June, 2015. The procession started at 5pm from Jelacic Square then proceeded through Korzo street to Jadranski Trg and back to Korzo. A stage program was held from 7pm to 9pm. Special guests for the festival were His Holiness Candramauli Swami, HH Smita Krsna Swami, HG Vaiyasaki Dasa Prabhu and HG Rohini-Suta Prabhu. HH Krsna Ksetra Swami was expected to arrive with the Slovenian devotees. Prasadam distribution was held at 7.30 pm near the parking precinct of the Chariot. This was the largest public ISKCON or Hare Krishna festival in Croatia and the main street in Rijeka, Korzo was filled with cheerful devotees of Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18358
Yamuna about George Harrison.
“He was a genuine, likeable person and, in spite of his fame, a gentleman and a terrific record producer.”
Yamuna: One day George Harrison called Shyamasundara and asked us to come to the Abbey Road Studios to record. He was there recording “Here Comes the Sun” and had slotted in some time to record the mahamantra as a single. In his role as record producer, George was soft-spoken, but no-nonsense.
As an expert musician, he knew how to get the best from us, tapping into each of our strengths and making them better. He knew where to place us to take the best advantage of what he saw we had. He was a genuine, likeable person and, in spite of his fame, a gentleman and a terrific record producer. This manifested in many ways, particularly with how he worked with our group of nonprofessional musicians.
“On the day of the recording, about a dozen devotees, including some newly-recruited Britishers, assembled at the recording studios on Abbey Road. When the first group of devotees arrived in George’s Mercedes, a crowd of teenagers began singing Hare Krishna to the tune popularized by the rock musical Hair. While Yamuna applied Vaishnava tilak to the foreheads of the recording technicians, Malati unpacked picnic baskets of prasadam, and some of the other devotees put up pictures of Krishna and lit incense. The studio was duly Krishnized.
With Paul McCartney and his wife, Linda, operating the control console, the recording session began. Everyone worked quickly, making Side One of the 45 rpm record in about an hour. George played organ and Mukunda played mridanga. Yamuna sang the lead with Shyamasundara backing her, and the other voices blended in a chorus. And to make it come out exactly right, everyone concentrated on Prabhupada and prayed for spiritual strength.”
-Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta
Yamuna Devi: A Life of Unalloyed Devotion: Part 1: Preparing an Offering of Love. Unalloyed Inc. Kindle Edition.
Hare Krishna! Free Trip to Kolkata in August 11th to 16th
This trip will include complementary return ticket, accommodation, transfers, all prasad and a trip around the holy places of Kolkata. Preference will be given on 1st come basis. There is free trip for only one person for each country. What you will have to do is to particpate in the Golden Jubilee celebration of Srila Prabhupada’s Voyage to America and Kick-start of the Golden Jubilee celebrations in Kolkata from 11th to 16th August 2015. Also you will have to be part of an event to create a new Gunniese Book of world record. So you will have to reach Kolkata latest by the morning of 11th August 2015 and to be in Kolkata at least till the morning of 14th August 2015.Also you have to carry the passport of your country on the day of the event on 13th August 2015.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18350
Hare Krishna! TOVP Tour Daily Diary: Day 97-102, New Hastinapura, Richmond, Columbus, Detroit, Houston
On Sunday, June 28th, we arrived at ISKCON Houston at the home of Advaitachandra and Kalasuddha prabhus. They are leaders in the U.S. of the Bhakti V… Read more ›