Author Archives: Dandavats.com

Rathayatra Makes Devotees! Hello, my name is Ian Somerville. I…
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Rathayatra Makes Devotees!
Hello, my name is Ian Somerville. I am a devoted young man in search of true enlightenment. Throughout the course of my life, I have personally studied and practiced many world religions. But the one that ignited that withered flame was Krishna consciousness.
During my spiritual journey, I have read many religious texts, but none can compare to the Bhagavad Gita. This book is not a Shakespearean playwright or a book of dreamy poetry, but a book in which Krishna, the supreme being, god of all gods, truly shows us how we can gain a life of spiritual perfection. Within the boundaries he has set in place for us He shows how to separate our material and spiritual worlds. Without a spiritual world, there can be no material world.
Let me give you a brief tour into a recent miraculous event that occurred for me. Recently, I had checked out a copy of Bhagavad Gita from the library. Following that I prayed ‘God, please give me a sign that this is the path I should pursue’. Two days later I happened to be walking down the Baltimore Inner Harbor and as I turned around I saw a sign that read, ‘Festival of India’. So I walked to the event, turned around, and before my two eyes I saw the sign, ‘Bhagavad Gita’! My prayers were answered almost immediately.
Everyone who has grown up has to find an identity, not only that but a personal faith. May Krishna bless all.
Don’t ever forget to chant:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Sri Radhakund (Album of photos) Giridhari Swami: On the fourth…
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Sri Radhakund (Album of photos)
Giridhari Swami: On the fourth day of our Govardhana Parikrama, we journeyed to Radhakund. In his Upadesamrta, Srila Rupa Goswami describes the sanctity of this holy place thus: “The holy place known as Mathura is spiritually superior to Vaikuntha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there. Superior to Mathura-puri is the transcendental forest of Vrndavana because of Krsna’s rasa-lila pastimes. And superior to the forest of Vrndavana is Govardhana Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of Sri Krsna and was the site of His various loving pastimes. And, above all, the superexcellent Sri Radha-kunda stands supreme, for it is overflooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of Gokula, Sri Krsna. Where, then, is that intelligent person who is unwilling to serve this divine Radha-kunda, which is situated at the foot of Govardhana Hill?” (NoI: verse 9)

Our party arrived just at dawn. We offered our obeisances, took achaman (many members of our party took full bath) and sat down to chant japa for over an hour. We then moved the group to a courtyard, where the samadhis of Ragunatha Bhatta Goswami, Ragunatha Das Goswami and Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami are situated. We held a long and meditative kirtan, followed by talks given by Asita Krishna Maharaja, Krishna Baladeva Prabhu and yours truly. In many ways, visiting Radhakund was the most gratifying part of our whole retreat. May Sri Radha’s ambrosial waters drown us all in pure love for the Divine Couple and Their foremost servant Srila Prabhupada!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/jmfKiR

Ljubljana Christmas harinam 2017 (Album of photos) Srila…
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Ljubljana Christmas harinam 2017 (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “Haraye namah krsna yadavaya namah, gopala govinda rama sri-mudhusudana. This is another way of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. The meaning is as follows: “I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. He is the descendant of the Yadu family. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Gopala, Govinda, Rama and Sri Madhusudana.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 25.64 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/73exyA

Sacinandana Swami: When I was on pilgrimage in Vrndavana, India…
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Sacinandana Swami: When I was on pilgrimage in Vrndavana, India – one morning while I chanted my japa, a devotee visited and showed me a verse written in a special notebook. He was very happy as he read it aloud for me:
“O golden gopi! (Srimati Radharani) When it touches His splendid teeth, Krishna’s flute looks like a crystal. When it touches His red lotus palm it looks like a ruby, and when it touches His blue lotus cheek it looks like a sapphire. Look! In this way Krsna’s flute looks like three different jewels.” (Ujvala-nilamani 10.34)
Vishaka originally spoke this verse to Radharani, pointing out the effect of Krishna’s touch.
After my early morning visitor had left, I had time to think about the mysterious touch of the Lord which transforms everyone – not only His flute. Everything touched by the Lord changes to become spiritually vibrant.
How does this happen?
Let us first consider that the Lord is in the background of everything. Like a canvas which holds the colours of a painting, the Lord is the foundation of all existence. He is behind every particle of matter – every atom and sub-atom. The Lord is all spirit, and matter is but a covering of ignorance super-imposed over the Lord. To anyone with completely pure consciousness, matter is no longer perceived as a covering veil but a blissful energy of the Lord.
Srila Prabhupada writes, “Factually there is nothing like matter in spiritual enlightenment, and this spiritual enlightenment takes place at once by the contact of the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛishṇa.”
It is described that when Lord Krishna visited the town of Dvaraka, He first sounded His transcendental conch-shell to announce His long-awaited arrival before all the devotees suffering the agony of separation from Him. At that time, the “white and fat-bowled conch-shell” which the Lord held in His lotus hand became reddened by the touch of His red lotus lips. (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.11.2)
A similar phenomenon takes place for everyone who comes in touch with the Lord.
How can we come in touch with the Lord?
By serving Him, thinking as much as possible of Him (we want to think of Him constantly!), by worshipping Him and by paying our respectful obeisances to Him, touching His lotus feet in our minds…
There are 64 traditional ways of coming in contact with the Lord and these are so comprehensive, they encompass all other processes, but of all of them, chanting the Lord’s Holy Names is most effective.
The immediate result for one who chants the Lord’s Holy Names purely is to lose all fears.
Srila Prabhupada writes, “We are always fearful due to our ignorance of the next problem. The whole material existence is full of problems, and thus the fear problem is always prominent. This is due to our association with the illusory energy of the Lord, known as maya or external energy, yet all fear is vanished as soon as there is the sound of the Lord, represented by His Holy Name, as it was sounded by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the following sixteen words:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare
We can take advantage of these sounds and be free from all threatening problems of material existence.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.11.3 purport)
Simply by hearing about Kṛiṣhṇa’s pastimes, chanting His names and His glories, touching His lotus feet in the course of worshipping the Deity and offering all kinds of services, one is purified of material contamination. By coming in touch with the Lord, one’s body and mind will certainly become spiritualized so that in the end, one can assume his or her spiritual body and return back home, back to Godhead.
May we not only be touched by the Lord, but once we have been touched, may we stay in touch, always!

Harinama in the snow, Ukraine (Album with photos) Srila…
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Harinama in the snow, Ukraine (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The names of the Lord and the Lord are non-different. So Lord Krishna’s instructions to Arjuna to “Remember Me” and Lord Caitanya’s injunction to “always chant the names of Lord Krishna” are the same instruction. (Bhagavad-gita, Introduction)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/RwpsVN

Life Of A Devotee – Bhaktin Chie (20 min video)People have…
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Life Of A Devotee – Bhaktin Chie (20 min video)
People have always shared their stories verbally, with those in their extended family, with their friends, with their tribe.
We don’t just want to tell a story, we want to inspire. So here is the story of “Bhaktin Chie” to inspire you in your struggle of Krishna Consciousness.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/5cPCDN

Krishna’s Flute Playing. Dhirasanta Das Goswami: Ustad…
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Krishna’s Flute Playing.
Dhirasanta Das Goswami: Ustad Bismillah Khan the Shahnai maestro had a personal encounter with Sri Krishna in spite of being a Muslim. The legendary Ustad had great respect for Sri Krishna; and that could have prompted the merciful Lord to appear to him in person.
Once Ustad Bismillah Khan was traveling by train from Jamdshedpur to Varanasi. It was a coal run passenger train and Ustad was traveling in the third class compartment. From an intermediate rural railway station, a young cowherd boy boarded the bogey in which Ustad was sitting. He was a dark and lean boy; and he was holding a flute in his hands. Slowly the boy started playing his flute. The supreme quality of his music surprised the maestro Ustad who didn’t even know the ‘raga’ the boy was playing. Ustad immediately recognized that the boy was none other than Sri Krishna, the Supreme God Himself . The nectar flowing out of Krishna’s flute filled Ustad’s heart with ecstasy; and tears of joy started pouring out of his eyes.
After the stunning performance, Ustad called the boy near and presented him with a coin requesting him to play the song again and Krishna obliged. This happened again and again until Bismillah Khan’s wallet became empty. Young Krishna got down at the next railway station and disappeared.
In fact, Ustad was en route to participate in a music concert at a Kumbha mela (a Hindu religious gathering of millions of devotees). At that concert, Ustad presented the new raga which he had learnt that day from Krishna. This melodious raga was greatly appreciated by the audience who begged Ustad to sing it many times. The music scholars around couldn’t make out the name of the raga and they asked Bismillah Khan about it. Ustad replied that the name of the raga is ‘Kanharira’.
The next day’s newspapers contained headlines about the melodious new ‘raga’ invented by Ustad Bismillah Khan. Having read it, Hariprasas Chaurasya, the legendary musician (flutist), asked about the ‘Kanharira Raga’s’ details from Bismillah Khan. Ustad revealed the truth and sang Kanharira; and Hariprakash Chaurasya, the topmost Flutist in the world, burst into tears of joy.
‘Kanharira’ is a divine gem in Indian music, as it originated from the lotus lips of Sri Krishna, the God of Gods !!!
Once, Lord Krishna asked his devotees what they would like to become in his hands. Some said the lotus, some the conch, some the chakra and so on, but no-one mentioned the flute.
Krishna advised them to become his flute. He said that in the human structure, as in the flute, there are 8 main spots: the five organs of perception, mind, intellect, and ego.
“If you get rid of your ego and become like a hollow reed flute, then I will come to you, pick you up and breathe through the hollowness of your heart and the captivating melody will emerge in the form of eternal joy. But if you continue your attitude of dislike, hatred and jealousy, I will distance Myself from you, as you will be useless for My purpose.”

Prasadam distribution in Hungary’s capital (Album with…
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Prasadam distribution in Hungary’s capital (Album with photos)
Today is the beginning of our mega Christmas meal, which is used in a growing number of needy people in Budapest. Besides the warm food distributed daily, everyone gets two bags of food packages and presents. It’s a yoga class. I mean, philosophy doesn’t mean much to a starving man.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/WsM5Eq

Gita Mela 2017 begins! (Album of photos) The winter holidays…
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Gita Mela 2017 begins! (Album of photos)
The winter holidays from Christmas till the New Year attracts lakhs of people every year from across India to the ISKCON Chandradaya Temple, Mayapur, the spiritual headquarters of the institution. During this time all the guesthouses, lodges and hotels are stuffed and every road leading to Mayapur is seen bustling with tourists and revellers. To reach out to this huge bunch of people with an aim to inculcate spiritual values among people and thereby promote peace, harmony and well-being, the devotees of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is organising Gita Mela from 23rd December to 2nd January at its Mayapur campus informed Laxmi Govinda Das, in-charge of Gita preaching.
During this Mela, copies of ‘Bhagavad- Gita As It is’ published in more than 50 languages will be showcased. Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita will also be demonstrated by using slide shows, diorama, and videos. An online Gita Quiz is being planned to attract the youth. Further, a dedicated team of devotees will be holding interactive seminars, mock situations to practically exhibit that the teachings laid down in Bhagavad Gita by Sri Krishna more than 5000 years back are very much relevant in modern times and how they could be practiced in daily real life situations. A massive stage has been set up with lighting all around the temple campus so that every evening there will be congregational chanting, dancing and singing of melodious kirtans. This will be followed by cultural programmes presented by the foreign devotees depicting the pastimes (lila) of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Krishna. To give the Mela a carnival feel multiple stalls have been set up which will distribute varieties of mouth watering MahaPrasadam from South Indian dishes, traditional Bengali cuisines to authentic Italian delicacies and large variety of delicious bakery items.
Jivanatha Prabhu, co-ordinator of campus preaching, says that,’Our goal this year is to get as many of our guests who visit Sri Dham Mayapur to understand the importance of Bhagavad Gita As It Is . We want everyone to be convinced they NEED to have Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita along with the rest of his books. Gita Mela features a wide range of entertaining booths with a large stage for lectures and performances.’
Find them here: https://goo.gl/1uBq29

We Wish You a “Merry Krishna” :-) by The Devotees of…
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We Wish You a “Merry Krishna” 🙂
by The Devotees of the Radha Krishna Temple, Soho, London.
1.We Wish You a Merry Krishna 02:46
2.Deck the Halls with Boughs of Hare 01:39
3.Ding Dong Merrily on Hare 03:17
4.Good King Krishna 02:20
5.Krishna Bells 04:03
A seasonal collaboration between Mr President and the devotees of the Radha Krishna Temple, Soho.
A big thanks go to Dayal Mora and Jai Natai for allowing us to make the idea a reality.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/jV6UFj

Hollywood Actor Wills Smith is a follower of Bhagavad Gita. The…
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Hollywood Actor Wills Smith is a follower of Bhagavad Gita.
The greatness of the Bhagavad Gita is that it is perhaps the most comprehensive and complete book of knowledge and philosophy that mankind has known in any language and culture. For thousands of years, the Bhagavad Gita has inspired millions of readers. Many greats over the years have praised venerable scripture.
A popular Hollywood Will Smith too is highly influenced by Bhagavad Gita and seems to have read 90% of the scripture. The Hollywood Superstar who is in Mumbai for the promotion of his movie ‘Bright’ had revealed this interesting fact and said that he has a high influence of Arjuna on him.
Read more: https://goo.gl/Y8Zv3U

Christmas is…Not on Vaishnava Calendar :-) by Yama Niyama…
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Christmas is…Not on Vaishnava Calendar 🙂
by Yama Niyama Dasa Brahmachari
Please visit the link for the following audio Tracks:
Hope it kindles some jolly Krsna conscious Christmas spirit. 🙂
1. Simply Hell 01:42
2. Rudolph the Red-faced Materialist 01:27
3. Demons in the Age of Kali 01:26
4. Yamaraja is Coming to Town 01:46
5. Frosty the Nondevotee 01:15
6. A Visit From Lord Jagannatha 04:47
7. Believe There is God 02:05
8. In Front of the Altar 00:59
9. It Never Snows! 01:32
10. The Twelve Days of Krishna 03:39
11. Chopping Down the Coniferous Tree 01:38
12. Have a Brahmachari Christmas 01:55
13. Here Comes the Time of Death 02:04
14. The Krishna Song (Chapaties Puffing on the Propane Fire) 02:48
Read more: https://goo.gl/PaFdQf

Radhanath Swami Keynote Speaker at Accenture, London. On…
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Radhanath Swami Keynote Speaker at Accenture, London.
On November 5, 2017, Radhanath Swami was in London, serving as the keynote speaker for the fiscal year’s first South Asian Networking Meeting at Accenture, addressing over a hundred employees on the topic “Be the Leader You Wish You Had”.
Accenture is a management consultancy firm that provides services in strategy, consulting, digital technology and operations. They partner with more than three-quarter of the Fortune Global 500. More specific to the event, the South Asian Network is an inclusion and diversity network that brings together people from or interested in eight different South Asian countries. They hold events to help employees at Accenture understand the history and culture of the region, and to help those from that ethnicity understand that they can be as successful as anyone else at the firm.

Oliver (Olly) Benzecry, the managing director of Accenture’s business in the United Kingdom and Ireland, also attended the event as a speaker. He inaugurated the event by sharing a few words about the topic at hand – leadership. “As an organisation we flourish when people want to be here and people can be themselves in the workplace.” He went on to speak on four traits he felt a good leader had: a sense of shared purpose with their team, affinity and affection, they talk openly to the members of their team and they care. This underpins Accenture’s focus on being ‘Truly Human’, to not only work incredibly hard as a team, but care for each other deeply as individuals.

Olly’s leadership was also the focus of Radhanath Swami’s keynote address. The Swami mentioned a simple incident involving himself and Olly that had happened just before the event began. “I was so thrilled to hear the words of Olly” he began. “In the Bhagavad Gita, there is a very significant verse: a true leader is one who sets a direction for people by his or her exemplary actions. When I first arrived just a few minutes ago, I met Olly. We were taking for a few minutes until I requested if someone can show me to the restroom. He said, “I’ll take you.” But I insisted that someone else take me. Yet he insisted on taking me, although he didn’t even know the way! As I entered the restroom, I told him I’ll meet you back in the room of the event, but he again insisted to wait. And wait he did! Here is the Managing Director of Accenture for the whole of the U.K. and Ireland, waiting for a small Swami who hasn’t had a bank account since 1969 to use the bathroom. A good leader is one who cares for others, regardless of their position. It really moved my heart. That is leadership!”

After the keynote address, Radhanath Swami sat on a panel discussion with a handful of the Managing Directors from the firm. They shared their thoughts on inspiration and answered questions from the audience. Sevasti Wong, the Global Talent and Organisation Consulting Lead, shared that authenticity, being yourself and not being scared by failure, were important qualities of a leader. She also mentioned, “I loved the keynote speaker and what he spoke about, especially his position on expressing love and kindness in the workplace and our personal lives. His analogy of being a gardener was my take-home message.” Radhanath Swami shared a story earlier in the event, “The secret of a good garden is in one who personally loves his or her flowers and plants. Because when you take care of them with love, they release the energy of love. If you put together all the right fertilizers and scientific botanical method, you will see something beautiful, but you will not experience something great. When flowers are nourished with both expertise and love, they give out a vibration, that when you enter into that garden, something incredible leaves your heart. Leadership means we must pour love into people to unlock their gift to the world.”

Nnenna Ilomechina, the UKI Lead for Communications, Media and Tech, shared something similar to Sevasti. “Leaders should be authentic. This means they understand themselves and are comfortable with what value they bring to the party.” On Radhanath Swami she mentioned, “He was incredibly calming and took me into a zen calm place. I think that is very important in leadership. He put everyone in such a calm and relaxed place that it’s easy to follow that sort of personality.”

Another Managing Director, Kamran Ikram, who leads the UKI Executive Infrastructure Services, and who sponsored the event for the night, said, “Radhanath Swami very eloquently described how important it is to care about your team. True leaders are not just in it for themselves, but are in it for the whole team. His way of speaking and style of getting messages across is different to your typical corporate speaker. He talked about humility, about love and about being a servant. Those messages were valid, no matter if you’re a large private organisation, a government organisation or tiny independent self employed business!”

As the night went on, a range of employees from the firm bought Radhanath Swami’s The Journey Within and The Journey Home and had them signed. One of them was Helen Anderson, part of the legal team at Accenture. She mentioned, “I had an opportunity to meet the Swami at the end. We only managed to exchange short words about what I do and his event in my home town of Oxford, but the presence he has and the way he carries himself makes even the shortest interaction very meaningful.” This was echoed by Barry Elbashir, a Senior Manager, who spent a lot of time in Mumbai without knowing of Radhanath Swami’s work there. He told us that the Swami was…“extremely inspiring. His humility and rich experience going back through the civil rights movements. Being able to share those lessons and articulating so well what the meaning of life is was incredible. I found him really helpful and I had the pleasure of sitting for a few minutes with him which I found even more inspiring that the actual keynote address!”
More photos here: https://goo.gl/UdYZcq

The Andhra Pradesh/Telangana Padayatra Celebrated Their 5Th…
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The Andhra Pradesh/Telangana Padayatra Celebrated Their 5Th Anniversary.
December 21, 2017
Visnu Swami Dasa: In December 2012 I started padayatra without any experience at all. I thought that it might go on for a few days or even a month but by the grace of Krishna and the mercy of the Vaishnavas, we have been on the road for 5 years. I don’t know how it happened, it was like a dream.
At the moment we are walking in the Hyderabad urban area. Recently Bhakti Raghava Maharaj and Anandamaya Prabhu, in charge of the Hyderabad BBT visited us. On December 6th, to celebrate the 5th anniversary of our padayatra we distributed Bhagavad-gitas to the youth in the town of Chowtuppal in the Bhonagiri district.

So far in 2017 we traveled to 180 villages and towns and walked 1200 km. We distributed 14 sets of Srimad-Bhagavatam, 2,200 big books, 1,500 medium books and 25,000 small books. On December 5th our Gita distribution was sponsored by a local devotee which, helped us give many Bhagavad-gitas away for free.
More photos: https://goo.gl/csX3zC

Hare Krishna! Movie Screening at PVR Cinemas, Manisquare,…
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Hare Krishna! Movie Screening at PVR Cinemas, Manisquare, Kolkata (Album of photos)
We saw the screening of The Hare Krishna Movie in Kolkata….at the second largest screen in India. In the audience were present HH Bhakti Charu Swami Mhj, HH Subhag Swami Mhj, HH Bhakti Prem Swami, HG Devakinandan pr, HG Isvara puri pr, HG Sankarshan Nitai Pr. HG Hridaya Chaitanya Pr along with the director of the movie HG Yadubara Pr (John Grisser ) and his wife HG Visakha Mataji. The evening witnessed a congregation of over a 1000 Devotees. All four screens in PVR Manisquare were house full. Some pics to remember the evening forever… Picture courtesy: Avanish Krishna Das.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/9QUF5o

Dhirasanta Das Goswami: Faith. An atheist professor of…
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Dhirasanta Das Goswami: Faith.
An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty.
He asks one of his new students to stand and…
Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.
Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.
Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.
Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn’t. How is this God good then? Hmm? (Student is silent.)
Prof: You can’t answer, can you? Let’s start again, young fella. Is God good?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.
Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From…God…
Prof: That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn’t it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.
Prof: So who created evil? (Student does not answer.)
Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don’t they?
Student: Yes, sir.
Prof: So, who created them? (Student has no answer.)
Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son…Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.
Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.
Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.
Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.
Student: No sir. There isn’t. (The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)
Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat.
But we don’t have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that.
There is no such thing as cold . Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat . We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it .(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)
Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes.. What is night if there isn’t darkness?
Student : You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of light. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light….But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it’s called darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness doesn’t exist on it’s own. If it did, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?
Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can’t even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one.
To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.
Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.
Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir? (The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)
Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher? (The class is in uproar.)
Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor’s brain? (The class breaks out into laughter.)
Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir.
With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir? (The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable. )
Prof: I guess you’ll have to take them on faith, son.
Student: That is it sir…. The link between man & God is FAITH . That is all that keeps things moving and alive.

8th Annual International Vaishnavi Retreat at Govardhana. We…
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8th Annual International Vaishnavi Retreat at Govardhana.
We are pleased to announce the 8th Annual International Vaishnavi Retreat at Govardhana .
The Retreat was started jointly in 2011 by the Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education (VIHE) and the GBC Vaishnavi Care sub-committee with the aim of facilitating spiritual association among women in bhakti. This retreat offers a wonderful opportunity for women from all over the world, who are eager for sadhvi-sanga. Our compact schedule is designed to maximize devotional synergy throughout the retreat.

Krsna-katha, philosophical presentations and practical workshops by senior vaisnavi’s, sharing of realizations by Srila Prabhupada’s disciples, kirtana, inspirational reading before japa, mridanga lessons, dramas, dance and more have been the regular highlights of the previous retreats.

The usual location of the retreat is Jatipura a small town at the feet of Govardhana hill.

The Govardhana Vaisnavi Retreat 2018 is coming up with the theme – Worship of the Deity.
The teachers – Yasomati devi dasi, Kisori devi dasi, Damodara Priya devi dasi, Prasanta devi dasi.

Govinda Istanbul has been re-opened!
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Govinda Istanbul has been re-opened!
Hare Krishna. There was an auspicious event last Sunday in Istanbul. In the past, we had Govinda Istanbul functioning in Turkey between late 2010 and mid-2013 and distributed a lot prasadam and met wonderful people. It was one of our basis of our preaching activities in Turkey and then we had yoga center and couldn’t find suitable circumstances to run a restaurant. After we moved our Goranga Yoga Centre to a new location last year we got better facilities and opportunity to start a restaurant in Turkey again. On 17 Dec after Sunday feast we had a humble opening celebration where a lot of people joined in this auspicious event. We are very fortunate to have HH Sivarama Swami’s and Hungarian devotees support the Turkish Yatra to serve more & more to Srila Prabhupada’s mission in Turkey in every possible way.

If you visit Istanbul, you now know that there is a place to get prasadam regularly. Our restaurant is serving hot prasadam weekdays from 12.00 to 15.00 and sandwiches, sweet and hot herbal tea selection from 18.00 to 21.00. Also, please take part of our Sunday feast starting at 17:00. If you come to Turkey or passing by Istanbul, we will be happy to meet you. Our restaurant is at Gauranga Yoga Centre and it is called Govinda Cafe. We are easily found on Google maps. Our contact details are as follow:

Address: Goranga Yoga
Buyukdere Street Naci Kasim Road No:6B Mecidiyekoy
Phone:+902122343633 // +905325097196
E-mail:gorangayoga@gmail.com

Srila Prabhupada Ki Jaya!

Your servant, Nrsimha Krsna Das

TOVP: Nrshimha Dev’s Kalash structure is almost…
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TOVP: Nrshimha Dev’s Kalash structure is almost completed
Sadbhuja Das: Kindly see the second part of the update on the works going on in the ToVP in preparation for the Gaura Purnima Festival time.
Here you can see the images of the Main Dome and the Nrshimha Dev Dome.
The Nrshimha Dev Kalash structure is almost completed and works on the Main Dome Kalash are coming up fast.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/DzB2va

One of Srila Prabhupada’s disciple shares his motivation…
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One of Srila Prabhupada’s disciple shares his motivation for distributing books (6 min video)
Jiva-Natha das has been distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books for over 4 decades. Now living in Mayapur, India he continues to do so with the same enthusiasm. He shares how to be inspired to perform this important service for Srila Prabhupada; 1 book at a time.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/F3umX9