Author Archives: Admin108

Hare Krishna! “TWO” SHORT TO ROPE THE UNIVERSE
Chaitanya Charan Das : One of the important legends associated with Diwali is Damodara lila, a pastime in which mother Yashoda tried to tie Krishna with a rope. The rope turned out to be two fingers short. So she tied more rope, but, no matter how many ropes she tied together, the combined rope remained two fingers short. This pastime signifies that no matter how much we try, we will always fall short in our attempts to understand God with our intelligence. Modern science is finding the same about the universe too, which, the Vedic literatures state, is a product of God’s superintelligence. Centuries of cosmological research has increased scientific information, but not scientific understanding, because of “two” unexpected trends: 1. The more scientists know, the more they realize how little they know – Science “conquered” space – and realized how little it knew about space. To the uninformed, space missions proved human greatness. To the well informed, they showed human smallness. Space research reveals that there are more stars in the universe than all the grains of sand on all the beaches of earth, and our sun is just one of these cosmic grains.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=1891

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Iskcon Alachua. Community Unity: New Community Social Services Network
Recently we introduced to the community our plan of creating a co-op of devotees which are dedicated to helping those in need. This umbrella organization is committed to assisting t… Read more ›

Krishna Drawings from various devotee artists (Album with photos)
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Narottama Das Disappearance Day at Braja Mohan Mandir (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: On Narottama Das Thakura’s Disappearance Day, we had a wonderful program of Narottama bhajans and katha at Radha Braja Mohan Mandir where one of the Deities he established in Keturi presides. Then a delicious feast at Braja Mohan’s Lotus Feet. Relish these picks of Vittalrukmini Das!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/r5RsZc

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Into The Heart Of Mathura (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: These are Ananta Vrindavan’s spectacular photos of our parikrama into the heart of Mathura. We were in awe of the ancient temples and we eagerly sought the mercy of the many Deities worshipped throughout the city.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/udce7t

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Why Have A Spiritual Teacher (5 min video)
Finding a spiritual teacher is serious business, but it’s not impossible. Every human being is supposed to have a spiritual master. It’s said that when the student is ready, Krishna gives a teacher, and then the teacher gives him Krishna.
To find a teacher, it helps to know what the qualifications of a teacher are. It also helps to know what the qualifications of a student are, since, if you’re not really interested in doing what it takes to pursue a path of spiritual knowledge, better to be honest and wait until you are before you seriously accept a guru.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/mS5EVj

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Our Tiny Universe.
Danavir Goswami: From Vedic literature we find that our universe, compared to other universes, is relatively small. The Brahma in charge of this universe has only four heads, whereas Brahmas managing larger universes have proportionately more heads.
“Krsna said, ‘Your particular universe extends four billion miles; therefore it is the smallest of all the universes. Consequently you have only four heads.” (Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 21.84)
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/aALNos

Hare Krishna! When Bad Chanting Becomes the Norm, You’re in Trouble
Mahatma Das: There is something I’ve noticed about my japa over the years: Bad habits don’t die easily. Prabhupada said chanting produces more chanting. But the question is what kind of “more chanting” does it produce? My experience is that bad chanting produces more bad chanting. And if the bad chanting goes on long enough, it pretty much becomes a habit. Then bad becomes the norm. Since bad chanting is not relishable, japa tends to take less of a priority in life. It becomes harder to finish rounds and they get put off till later. And sometimes later never comes. As bad chanting continues, one becomes weaker. And as one become weaker, it becomes more difficult to chant well. Of course, good chanting produces more good chanting. So if we turn things around and start chanting well, we can expect many wonderful things to happen in our lives. One of the greatest gifts anyone can give themselves is sixteen good rounds daily. By good rounds I mean the best possible rounds one can chant. But if old habits die hard, how does one turn things around? Here’s how I did it.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=4204

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Vrindavan struggles to manage its solid waste!
Uttar Pradesh’s holy town of Vrindavan, where it is said Lord Krishna spent his childhood in ancient times, is faced with a major problem of disposing off its solid waste material.
Local activists today say the municipal body had failed to address the problem of disposing solid waste, despite the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) directives.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/uvrGrH

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It’s Kartik – all month! A gift from Mayapur.tv!
Download this wonderful high-quality picture of Sri Sri Radha Madhava for free – courtesy HG Saranga Thakur Prabhu
Download it here: http://goo.gl/Bf87kY

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Halloween Harinam in West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval, Los Angeles (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Even a faint light from the holy name of the Lord can eradicate all the reactions of sinful life. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, 3.63)
Find… Read more ›

Those were the days!
Kurma das: Monday, 17 July 1972
“Civil authorities in Melbourne followed Sydney’s lead by arresting the devotees, albeit it under slightly different circumstances. In Sydney, devotees would be spontaneously arrested f…

November 1. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Externally his prospects were not good, but he was depending on the will of guru and Krishna. Even when he was at sea on the Jaladuta and had nothing at all and had just survived two heart attacks, he had optimistic views of his mission, as he had expressed in an intimate poem. “Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, who is very dear to Lord Gauranga, the son of Mother Saci, is unparalleled in his service to the Supreme Lord Krishna. He is that great saintly spiritual master who bestows intense devotion to Krishna at different places throughout the world. “By his strong desire, the Holy Name of Lord Gauranga will spread throughout all the countries of the western world. In all the cities, towns and villages on earth, the oceans, seas, rivers and streams, everyone will chant the Holy Name of Krishna.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490

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Hare Krishna! BBT India hosts Book Distribution Conference at Govardhan EcoVillage
BBT India organized a two-day conference on book distribution on 21st and 22nd October, 2015 at ISKCON Govardhan Eco Village, Wada. This was a pioneering attempt to help… Read more ›

A new “Second Generation Initiative” was launched in Alachua, Florida – the Western World’s largest ISKCON community – on Saturday October 17th, and is generating a lot of energy and excitement. Although the words “second generation” often refer to those born into the Hare Krishna Movement, the initiative aims to help all 25 to 45-year-olds who attend Alachua’s New Raman Reti temple, regardless of how they came to Krishna consciousness, to find balance and inspiration in their lives. It also aims to facilitate succession. Read more ›

Several ISKCON devotees contributed to the Parliament of the World’s Religions – the largest interfaith gathering in the world – this year, with kirtan, japa, and an introduction to the Bhakti philosophy. The first Parliament was held in 1893 and is recognized as the birth of formal interreligious dialogue worldwide. It wasn’t held again until one hundred years later in 1993, but has been held every five years since then. Read more ›

A Visit to Mathura (8 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: By the mercy of the Lord our second Kartika parikrama took us to the city of Mathura, where Lord Krsna appeared 5,000 years ago. In a beautiful and spacious temple we discussed the glories of Mathura … Read more ›

Fall Festival at TKG Academy (Album with photos)
“Dear Lord Jagannath, today I am dressed as…”
Every year the TKG Academy gurukula, of ISKCON Dallas, hosts a Fall Festival of devotional costumes, dramas, and kirtan. Long hours of preparation and enthusiasm by both the students and their parents and teachers, make for an amazing day glorification and fun.
All glories to their service! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/2Qg5IC

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Deena Bandhu Das: Rare pic of Sriman Mahaprabhu from Radhakunda as no pujari was there to stop us!

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The Harinama Sankirtana missionaries reach remote areas of Peru (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: By chanting Hare Krishna one fixes his mind always on the Supreme Lord. One example often given is that of the caterpillar that thinks of becoming a b… Read more ›

All glories to Narottama dasa Thakura, the beloved disciple of Lokanatha Goswami. How the illustrious Narottama took his birth in the house of Krishnananda Datta, the elder brother of Sri Purusottama, I dare not discuss elaborately here. However, for…

How do great saints live? What makes their lives different from those of ordinary people? Vaishnava historian Chaturatma dasa gives us a glimpse into the life of Narottama Dasa Thakura.Read More…(This post has been viewed 1325 times so far)

Hare Krishna! Wait Until I Am Dead…
Kavicandra swami: Whenever a devotee leaves his or her body, we hear so much praise of them. Everyone becomes happy to be absorbed glorifying a devotee. It seems that we do not do enough of praising devotees while they are with us. Of course a devotee should not be hankering to be praised. St. Francis of Assisi would tell those who started to praise him, “Wait until I am dead, I could fall down at any time”. Of course that just makes him more worthy of praise. “Offering all respect to others, but not expecting anything in return” Siksastakam 3. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu took great pleasure in praising devotees. He gave both a personal example and guidelines. “‘One should see that because of the meeting of material nature and the living entity, the universe is acting uniformly. Thus one should neither praise nor criticize the characteristics or activities of others.’
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=4197

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Hare Krishna! Karttika: Lord Krishna’s Favorite Month
A Month of Love: Devotional service can be performed at any time, in any place, yet devotees know well that devotional service performed during Karttika is especially pleasing to the Lord. Therefore, they perform additional austerities and devotional practices during this month. Although the Vedic scriptures describe in detail material benefits one may derive by performing devotional service during Karttika, pure devotees of Lord Krishna have no interest in these. rather, they are interested only in pleasing the Lord. every year, ISKCON devotees eagerly await the arrival of Karttika, when they daily sing the Damodarastakam prayers and offer heartfelt love and devotion as they circle ghee lamps before the Lord. Throughout the month, they are so immersed in the childhood pastimes of Krishna as Damodara that you can hear them constantly sing about them.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20910

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October 31. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Prabhupada’s mission was really not yet underway. He was confined to a windowless chamber in a hatha yoga studio and was not allowed to preach to Dr. Mishra’s students. He knew he needed a place of his own, but he had no money. So far his only plan was to write to wealthy patrons in India. He had located a building on 72nd Street which he thought was suitable and was relatively inexpensive considering Manhattan real estate – even in 1965 the price was one hundred thousand dollars with a twenty thousand dollar cash down payment. Prabhupada thought that if he could get the twenty thousand dollars from India, he could move in, open the doors, start regular programs of kirtan, lecturing and prasadam distribution and the Americans would come forward and donate enough to pay the monthly mortgage payments. It was a little far-fetched to think he would immediately have enough funds to provide immediate ample prasadam distribution and quickly develop a supporting congregation to pay the mortgage. So far he had not found any supporters in America, but then he had not yet been able to preach to them and show the worth of his mission. The proceeds from the sales of the Srimad-Bhagavatam in the bookstores he had placed them in were negligible. Although he had not yet received any favorable responses from the correspondence he had sent to patrons in India – it was hard enough to get any response from them – he cancelled his plan to return immediately to India and went ahead and extended his visa to stay in America.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490/#31

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via YouTube Capture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1wAcYtw2O4 Read more ›

Hare Krishna! 50th Anniversary Festival for Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in Butler, PA
Almost 200 devotees from USA and Canada, headed by HH Bhakti Marg Swami, HG Sikhi Mahiti Prabhu, HG Mother Krishnananadini, HG Mother Jayasri, HG Mother Visvadika, HG Mother Archanalata, HG Subhavilash Prabhu, HG Akhilananda Prabhu, HG Jaya Krishna Prabhu, HG Nityodita Prabhu etc, participated in that very festival The festival was initiated with a sumptuous lunch prasada and followed by a majestic Harinama Sankirtan to YMCA and house of Mr/Mrs Gopal &Shally Aggarwal. Srila Prabhapada spent first 30days of His stay in USA in their house. The sincere chanting of 200 devotees in the Harinama procession was adored by Mother nature with an auspicious sign of light drizzling, what is called “puspa-vristii” in Samskrit language.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20861

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Kartika Mass @ ISKCON, Ludhiana
Sri Sri Jagannath Temple (ISKCON) celebrated the arrival of auspicious Kartik month with ecstatic kirtan, lamp offering to Lord Damodar, recitation of Damodarastakam prayer and discourses. Devotees offered lights to Their Lordship after Gaura Aarti. Lamp offering will continue for the whole month of Kartika. It is said that since this month is very dear to Krishna by performing austerities, or restraining one’s sense gratification and performing activities to please the senses of the Lord, one becomes very dear to the Krishna. As Satya-yuga is the best of yugas, as the Vedas are the best of scriptures, as Ganga is the best of rivers, so Kartika is the best of months, the most dear to Krishna.

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Benefits of following Karttika (2 min video)
Chaturatma Dasa tells us some of the benefits he’s experienced from his yearly practice of taking vows during the month of Karttika (October-November).Read More…(This post has been viewed 634 times …

Stratford Festival, UK – 29th Oct 2015 (Album with photos)
The Nagrecha Hall, Stratford, was packed out last night for an evening of kirtan, philosophy, dance, yoga and delicious prasadam. Lots of people came along to find out about the Hare Krishnas, and are keen to get more involved with future events in the town. The Stratford Festival is part of the Festival Team’s target of organising and hosting 50 fifty festivals over the next year 🙂
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Yoy4sw

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Hare Krishna! Karttika-The “Sale of the Year”
Ekendra dasa: The Vedas do not recommend horse sacrifices nowadays, anyway. They don’t work. Better to chant Hare Krishna. And, considering that Yamaraja is the universal superintendent in charge of meting out punishment to those who transgress karmic law, it’s easy to appreciate the significance of the following benediction: “For a devotee who worships Lord Vishnu with offerings of malati flowers in the month of Karttika, Yamaraja orders the removal of all his sinful reactions from the account book.” (Hari-bhakti-vilasa, 7.90-92) Not bad. And the list goes on. Whatever you offer–tulasi, malati, ghee lamps, time, energy, attention–takes on greater significance this month. Karttika could be thought of as the ultimate “buy one, get a-whole-lot-more free” sale, (or the equivalent of a “super, multi-triple word score” for those familiar with the game of Scrabble. For a limited time only, whoever is lucky (or greedy, or intelligent) enough to do some service for Krishna during this special month gets a uniquely huge return on their investment. The ultimate return: one becomes more Krishna conscious.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20833

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Karttika Parikrama in Vrindavana (7 min video)
Karttika is a name for a month that corresponds to October/November of the Western calendar. This month is considered a most auspicious time for performing spiritual activities. The name Karttika refers t… Read more ›

Avanti – A Growing Family of Schools!
Matthew Whitlock: The work of Avanti Schools Trust began in 2005 with the objective of establishing the first state-funded Hindu faith school in the UK. This pioneering project came to fruition in 2008 with the opening of Krishna Avanti Primary School in Harrow. Since then, this landmark school has deservedly benefited from national and international recognition as it journeys from strength to strength. The trust now operates five schools in Greater London, one in Leicester, and is currently awaiting the approval to open two more.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/NRn4sR

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Change the Topic Change the Fortune, HG. Vaisesika Prabhu’s recent inspirational class given at the Mira Road Iskcon temple (38 min video)
English translated to Hindi
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/szIMRZ

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Rescuing the Stolen River Premiers at Asia’s Largest Green Film Festival
“Rescuing the Stolen River,” an 82-minute documentary film written and directed by ISKCON devotee Krishna-Lila Dasi (Krisztina Danka, Ph.D.) about pollution in the sacred river Yamuna, premiered at the CMS Vatavaran Film Festival in New Delhi, India on October 10th. The festival, which ran from October 9th to 13th at Delhi’s NDMC Convention Centre, is ranked in the top two environmental film festivals in the world. It deals with a vast range of issues including climate change, natural heritage conservation, biodiversity, and renewable energy.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/WMXUbm

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Kirtan 50 festival in Dallas, Texas
On this most auspicious occasion of Karttik, we’d like to officially announce the Kirtan 50 festival in Dallas, TX, celebrating ISKCON’s 50th anniversary. Dates: December 31st 2015 – January 3rd 2016. The event will be a 4 day festival with 50 hours of Kirtan with special guests H.H. B.B Govinda Swami and Madhava Prabhu as well as many other kirtaniyas from all over the world! Festivities also include a flower shower (Pushpa Abhisheka), delicious meals prepared by Kalachandji’s Restaurant & Palace and seminars with esteemed guests such as Guru Prasad Swami & others. Join us in celebrating 50 years of ISKCON and bring in the New Year the best way possible, with LOTS and LOTS of Chanting, Dancing & Feasting!
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20824

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Parikrama at Vrinda Devi, Kamyavan (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: The first destination on our Kartika Parikrama 2015 was the sacred village of Kamyavan, where the Deity of Vrinda-Devi is worshipped. Srila Rupa Goswami discovered the beautiful deep red-colored Vrinda Devi 500 years ago in Vrindavan and worshipped her along with his Radha Govindadev. When Radha Govinda were moved to Jaipur during the persecutions of Arungazeb, Vrinda Devi refused to leave Vrindavan. Radha and Krsna have many pastimes in Kamyavan as well and we discussed these in detail during our talks. Bada Haridas Prabhu melted everyone’s hearts with his deep devotional kirtans. It was a wonderful beginning to our month-long journey throughout the land of Krsna.
Read the entire article here: https://goo.gl/L3FUWE

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Hare Krishna! Mukunda Goswami’s health update
We are greatly relieved to report that Mukunda Maharaja’s hip surgery was done this morning from 9:15am till 12:45pm. By your prayers and Srila Prabhupada’s mercy it was very successful. All the medical stats are fine The orthopedic surgeons placed four screws into Maharaja’s hip and thigh under spinal anesthesia. Maharaja is back to his ICU room and is being closely monitored for blood pressure, oxygen level, clotting, infections and other vital parameters. If all goes well, later today they will withdraw the heart pacing wire and will start taking the drains out from his chest.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20821

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Hare Krishna! Breaking New Ground in the Science-Religion Dialogue
After the publication of paper ‘Life and consciousness – The Vedāntic view’ in a hardcore Biology Journal Communicative & Integrative Biology (Volume 8, Issue 5 – Publisher: Taylor and Francis) it has stimulated a lot of interesting discussions among prominent scientists worldwide. This important service by Srila Prabhupada’s Scientific Sankirtan party must be very pleasing to Srila Prabhupada. I am receiving regularly these interesting ongoing ‘Science Religion’ dialogue and I want to share a few of them with you all for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20812

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Holy Name Tour in Peru (Album with photos)
Next two weeks our super enthusiastic crew will travel across the land of the Incas (Peru) helping the spreading of the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We are very thankful to the devotees who have organized thi… Read more ›