Author Archives: Dandavats.com

Harinama in Ukraine (Album with photos) Srila Prabhupada:…
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Harinama in Ukraine (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Chanting the holy name is the chief means of attaining love of Godhead. This chanting or devotional service does not depend on any paraphernalia, nor on one’s having taken birth in a good family. By humility and meekness, one attracts the attention of Krishna. That is the verdict of all the Vedas. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, 4.71 purport).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/WYuQ9g

What makes us act selfishly?
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What makes us act selfishly?
Question: The caring attitude is pleasing to everyone, but generally the default attitude in this world is one always thinks selfishly. So is it an inbuilt script of the mind that makes one think selfishly?
Radhanath Swami: The false ego misconceives: “I am this body, I am this mind, I am the controller, I am the proprietor, and I am the selfish enjoyer.” This is foundational to all material complications. It impels us to put ourselves above others and act selfishly. And when we continue to act in that way it becomes a habit. According to how we habituate ourselves, by making those wrong choices, we become more and more engrained in that way of thinking.

Inhibitions about distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books
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Inhibitions about distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books.
Question: How do we overcome the inhibitions about getting out there to distribute the books?
Vaisesika Prabhu: Okay; here’s the trick. The inhibition comes from your mind. The mind accepts and rejects. When we are in material life, the mind accepts and rejects based on what it thinks will bring the highest bodily pleasure. So your mind may tell you not to go out on book distribution because you won’t enjoy yourself and it will be hard, and somebody might say no and you’ll get all offended or you’ll feel low. Isn’t it? The mind is blocking you; otherwise you would just walk out the door and do it. So you have to trick your mind. It’s a kind of yoga. So this is what I do:
Say I am at home and I want to go out on book distribution but my mind is telling me not to go. So I make a deal with my mind and I say, “Okay, I’m not REALLY going to go out on book distribution. I am just going to PRETEND like I’m going on book distribution.”

Interview With Bijoy Krishna – a DJ From Amsterdam. I really…
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Interview With Bijoy Krishna – a DJ From Amsterdam.
I really love Radhadesh Mellows, a kirtan festival in Radhadesh. That was the first time I met so many amazing and highly elevated people in one place. The vibes around me and people’s energy gave me new and unique experience. It felt like something was vibrating at the tip of my head (perhaps, a crown chakra?). Everything was so breathtaking! I also received a lot of inspiration during my visit to Pune. The devotees there impressed me a lot: they were so warm, hospitable, kind, and sympathetic. This is the best attitude one can ever experience!
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/9nivPV

Czech Padayatra 2017 (Album with photos) Dharmatma Das: We had…
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Czech Padayatra 2017 (Album with photos)
Dharmatma Das: We had the fortune to spend three days on this wonderful event. Munipriya prabhu has organized this Padayatra for the last 28 years. A small but sweet group of dedicated devotees will spend close to a month spreading Lord Chaitanya’s mercy to many of the small towns and villages of Eastern Czech Republic. The goal this year is to distribute 10, 000 books. We distributed over 1600 in the first four days. Very impressed with the young devotees who are part of this program. Padayatra Ki Jaya!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/nR35Tk

Transcend! Kadamba Kanana Swami: Sometimes in the course of…
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Transcend!
Kadamba Kanana Swami: Sometimes in the course of life, in the course of duty, while interacting with the world, we have to adjust our dress and we cannot speak about Krsna. That is okay but we must understand that when we are forced to do it then we are under the protection of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But the danger is that we may get into a habit of it and then we may feel, “Why even bother,” and we rarely wear dhotis or sarees unless it is Janmastami or something that happens once a year. If we are transcendental then this is fine, but are we transcendental? Who is actually transcendental?
Sometimes when I am in the temple, I think that it’s wonderful to be in the temple. The temple is such a transcendental place where everything is transcendental and everyone is transcendental, EXCEPT ME! Yes, I do feel like that sometimes, I don’t know if you do also?

So if you feel like that sometimes, then you may feel that it is better to just take shelter of the external things, but if we do then we are risking a lot. It is dangerous and if you blow it in this life then you don’t know for how many births you have to stay in the material world. Well, if you want to stay, then stay but I’m not staying in this material world!

Tramlines Festival Street Party (Album with photos) Street…
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Tramlines Festival Street Party (Album with photos)
Street party at the Tramlines Festival with The Hare Krishna Festival Team 🙂
Sheffield’s Tramlines Festival is one of the UK’s biggest with over 100,000 people attending.
The Hare Krishna Festival Team have teamed up with local devotees to chant and dance through the city’s streets during the event.
We brought 5,000 flyers to hand out, inviting people to Sheffield’s Hare Krishna Festival on 3rd August.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/z2EPfU

Spiritual life: why it requires a practice of repetition?
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Spiritual life: why it requires a practice of repetition?
Spiritual training involves scrubbing out deeply ingrained habits, which takes time and reiter­ation. It is like trying to flatten a scroll that has been coiled for thousands of years. One pass of our hands across the surface won’t do it. We have to press it out again and again.

Program at Apollo Hospital: “A Spiritual Dimension to…
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Program at Apollo Hospital: “A Spiritual Dimension to Medical Science”
Anadi Jagannath Das: On July 13th 2017, ISKCON Seshadripuram (Bangalore) conducted a program at the Apollo Hospital in Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore. The event was entitled “A Spiritual Dimension to Medical Science”, and the lecture was delivered by H.G. Devaki Mataji, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy at the same hospital. It was offered as a program of gratitude to all the staff that had nicely taken care of mataji during her treatment. What a better way to thank than sharing the spiritual dimension to medical science! Devaki mataji went to the hospital a few days before the program to individually invite the doctors, nurses and staff. She visited all the departments of the Hospital and distributed 600 invitation cards which had been specially printed for this program. In this way everyone was so charmed and obliged to come and participate in the program.

On Thursday, July 13th, the program was scheduled to start at 3pm in a training hall within the hospital. The hospital management was very supportive and provided us with everything required, and also attended the program. Local devotees also arrived to help with serving prasadam, welcoming guests and distributing books. By 3.05pm many doctors, nurses and medical staff had gathered, and all the 85 seats in the room were occupied. More people were arriving to stand just outside the door, trying to hear with great eagerness.

Devaki mataji began the session with a short and sweet kirtan. She then introduced herself (as a qualified physiotherapist who was trained in Germany, and now giving rehabilitation for the soul as a preacher) and expressed how essential it is for all people in the medical line to understand the science of the soul. This knowledge will immensely help doctors in treating and benefitting patients, especially those with terminal illnesses. She commented on BG.9.2 and boldly stated that a doctor will only be first class, if he adds this king of education to his life. Otherwise he will only be second class. Without a clear understanding of the science of the soul medical science tends to become inhuman. She also briefly explained what happens at the moment of death, and how important it is for medical personnel to help their patients prepare for this final challenge. Everyone listened very attentively, and after her speech many asked questions, to which Mataji presented good answers. Many of the people in the audience were Christian, and also some Muslims attended. Devaki Mataji presented the topics in a broad and expert way to include people from all religious backgrounds.

We concluded the program by all participants honoring prasadam: lemon-mint juice, tasty samosas, vegetable puffs, carob cookies and rich burfi.
Everyone received a brochure entitled “Prabhupada – the Messenger of God” and an invitation for Sri Krishna Janmastami .Some also purchased Srila Prabhupada’s books, kirtan CDs and japa beads. Some of them asked when the next program would take place. We request the prayers and blessings of the devotees to continue this hospital preaching.

The talk is available in https://youtu.be/d7yAQpHtS1o

From Devouring to Honoring: Bhakti as Culinary Therapy. Krishna…
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From Devouring to Honoring: Bhakti as Culinary Therapy.
Krishna Kshetra Swami’s notes for his lecture at the 9th European Farm Conference in Villa Vrindavan, Italy.
Introduction: Facing the problem of civilizational disease: how to present the bhakti paradigm as effective civilizational therapy. (Essentially: how to make “simple living and high thinking” intellectually attractive and plausible)
“Cowspiracy” – the big environmental protection organizations studiously avoid the issue of meat production.
(Same silence in the EAT Forum (Sweden) “How Food Can Save the World” article.)
One thing is clear – environmentalism is mainstream, and we can take advantage.
Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, “The Ethics of Eating Animals” conference.
“Reframing” traditional (Indian) thought and practice as therapy
( actually the therapeutic paradigm has an ancient pedigree in India)
presenting Dharma, Yoga, and their culmination in Bhakti
Dharma: “Establishing Moral Community: the Fivefold Sacrifice (pañca-yajña)”

Response to the condition of existential debt … (in five features: deva-ṛṇa, ṛṣī-ṛṇa, pitṛ-ṛṇa, nṛ-ṛṇa, and bhūta-ṛṇa)
… which is easy to perform (easy and straightforward compared to complex contemporary multinational capitalist consumer-based life)
… consisting of five “sacrifices” – five types of giving, which is truly global exchange.
The therapy: (1) quid pro quo exchange consciousness, >> (2) gratitude for goodwill and trust, inspiring goodwill and trustworthiness…
… thus establishing a “moral community of mutual trust and responsibility, mutual obligations, reciprocal acknowledgements of rights and duties and the general demand for inter-personal regard” (K. Stamm)that involves all beings, visible and invisible.
Implied metaphysics: behind all existence is a conscious principle.
Yoga: “Rehabilitation Through Yoga”

Metaphysical basics to understand Yoga’s transformative potential: puruṣa & prakṛti
The human condition as a diseased condition: PYS Ch. 1: vyādhi to samādhi.
aṣṭāṅga-yoga >> yama & niyama >> ahiṁsa … & pratyāhāra (in contrast to atyāhāra.)
… leading to shrinking and ideally erasing all forms of violence
Bhakti: “Curative Devotion”

So far: moral community and rehabituation, based on non-reductionist (all is matter and energy) metaphysics.
But neither of these practices – Dharma or Yoga – are going to be attractive to the vast majority of people.
Hence, the third option, bhakti, by which the trans-temporal self experiences relishable aesthetic relationship with its trans-temporal counterpart, the supreme self or over-soul (paramātmā).
Bhakti springs from the natural inclination of the self to be consequentially reformed to enable transcendent relationship.
patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ… & yat karoṣi yat aśnāsi…
These acts are deeply therapeutic, by bringing everyone quickly in ever deepening loving exchange in divine participation.
One’s own personhood fully unfolds, leading to realization of the common personhood of all beings…
… such that moral community expands out into devotional community in expanding spheres of compassion and care.
Still, who will do this? Therefore yad yad ācārati śreṣṭhas…
Concluding Reflections

How to connect these eastern thought traditions with the West?
Possible connection with a recent development in western ethical thought – the “ethics of care”.
But “Virtually all [traditional communities] are patriarchal” (Virginia Held).
Bhakti as a metaphysics of gender equality.
Bhakti as metaphysical grounding for ethics of care…
… such that people can let go of the eating habits, compulsions, which are destroying human civilization and the world.
viṣayā vinivartante…paraṁ dṛṣtvā nivartate: the change of attitude from devouring to honoring (of non-animal, sanctified food).
hence: saṁkīrtan yajña !! – as expansion of Dharma’s moral community, realization of Yoga, and fulfillment of Bhakti.

Three Kinds Of Prayer. At the first level, we cannot really see…
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Three Kinds Of Prayer.
At the first level, we cannot really see how fallen we are and that is God’s blessing. If we could honestly see all the sinful inclinations, offenses, and selfish motives of ours – we would become severely depressed. That is why Krishna shows us a distorting reflection of our mind, instead of showing us the reality. Although we do not usually see ourselves as saintly persons, we are usually confident that we are better than others, honest, humble, and austere. At this level, people normally are full of themselves. However, at the second level of devotion, we begin to soberly realize how many stupid things we have done, how many people we have offended, and how much selfishness, anger, and indifference is in us. This condition can be compared to that one of a pre-trial. Bhaktivinoda Thakur in Bhajana Rahasya gives an example of Yamunacharya’s Stotra-ratna prayers: “There is no single offense or sin that I have not participated in. The day has come when I am standing before You. The judgment day has come and I have no other refuge but You”. Prayer means to always appear before God. Thanks to the intensive spiritual practice, experience, and mercy – such a person is full of the desire to serve without any distractions.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/8D8H8m

A Most Attractive Way (Album with photos) Indradyumna Swami:…
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A Most Attractive Way (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Our summer festival programs along the Baltic Sea coast in Poland introduce people to Krsna consciousness in a most attractive way; through large dramatical theatrical performances, dance, music, kirtan, delicious food, Srila Prabhupada’s books and many other attractions. Each evening we welcome an average of 3,000 people to experience the wonderful world of Krsna consciousness. Their appreciation is clearly seen on their smiling faces.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/y6fcjp

Start a New Habit Today! Vaisesika Das: Most of one’s…
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Start a New Habit Today!
Vaisesika Das: Most of one’s progress in life and work come from the kind of habits one develops.
Dostoyevsky wrote: “The second half of a man’s life is made up of the habits he acquired during the first half.”
Fortunately, as humans, we can develop new habits at any time in our lives. And just one new good habit can turn one’s life in a positive direction.
To improve the quality of your life, start a new habit today.
Decide on something very small and achievable, commit to it in writing, and start doing it.
Next, employ the principle of abhyasa – repetition and practice.

Keep up your practice and over several weeks or months you’ll begin to feel a difference as your new good habit develops.

In the process of bhakti yoga, keeping good habits while performing japa meditation are extremely beneficial.

Here is a japa practice recommended by Srila Prabhupada that is worth developing into a habit:

“As soon as the mind wanders, we should immediately drag it back to concentrate on Krishna. While chanting, our mind sometimes wanders far away, but when we become conscious of this, we should immediately bring the mind back to hear the sound vibration of ‘Hare Krishna.’ That is called yoga-abhyasa, the practice of yoga. We should not allow our mind to wander elsewhere. We should simply chant and hear the Hare Krishna mantra, for that is the best yoga system.”

Reading Works of the Previous Acaryas.
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Reading Works of the Previous Acaryas.
Srila Prabhupada: Within the past five hundred years, many erudite scholars and acharyas like Jiva Goswami, Sanatan Goswami, Vishwanath Chakravarti, Vallabhacharya, and many other distinguished scholars even after the time of Lord Chaitanya made elaborate commentaries on the Bhagavatam, and the serious student would do well to attempt to go through them to better relish the transcendental messages. (Purport to Bhag. 1.1.11.) A sincere devotee must, therefore, be prepared to hear the Vedic literature like the Upanisads, Vedanta and other literatures left by previous authorities or Goswamis for the benefit of his progress. Without hearing such literatures, one cannot make actual progress.
And without hearing and following the instructions, the show of devotional service becomes worthless and therefore a sort of disturbance in the path of devotional service. Unless, therefore, devotional service is established on the principles of sruti, smrti , purana or pahcaratra authorities, the make-show of devotional service should at once be rejected. An unauthorized devotee should never be recognized as a pure devotee. By assimilation of such messages from the Vedic literatures, one can see the all-pervading localized aspect of the Personality of Godhead within his own self constantly. This is called samadhi. (Purport to Bhag. 1.2.12.) Those in the most exalted position of devotional service and ecstasy can live with Krishna always by remembering his pastimes. Srila Viswanath Chakravarti Thakur has given us a transcendental literary work entitled Krsna- bhavanamrta, which is full with Krishna’s pastimes. Exalted devotees can remain absorbed in Krishna-thought by reading such books. Any book of Krsna-lila , even this book, Krsna , or our Teachings of Lord Caitanya , is actually solace for devotees feeling separation from Krishna. ( Krsna, p. 367.)
From KK Bindu #404: https://goo.gl/H5rpAq

Dalston Festival, UK – 20th July 2017 (Album with photos) Srila…
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Dalston Festival, UK – 20th July 2017 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Golokera prema-dhana, this hari-nama-sankirtana, chanting of Hare Krsna mantra, this sound vibration, it is not material. Suppose if I would have advised my disciples that “You chant ‘Mr. John, Mr. John, Mr. John,’ ” this movement would not have spread. [laughter] How long one can chant this “Mr. John, Mr. John”? Therefore it is the proof, that all over the world we have got about hundred centers. Everywhere, hundred, two hundred, three hundred disciples are there. They’re chanting, dancing, with Hare Krsna mantra. Why? Because it is not material sound vibration. This is the proof. Don’t think that Hare Krsna chanting and chanting the name of Mr. John is the same. No. This is the proof. You can go on chanting twenty-four hours, still you will not feel tired. This is the golokera… This is the proof, that this hari-nama-sankirtana, golokera prema-dhana, it is the property for loving. It is the thing which will lead you how to love God, prema-dhana. You will gradually develop your propensity to love Krsna.
From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.27 – March 6, 1975, New York
Find them here: https://goo.gl/HN2GEp

What does a prayer mean? Question: My contemplations on prayer…
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What does a prayer mean?
Question: My contemplations on prayer find me asking for a clear definition of what prayer is. I heard that it means to glorify the Lord. Also that chanting the Holy Name is the best prayer. Also that prayer means an intense desire.
What does a prayer mean? Is it accepting Supreme position of the Lord and subordinating my will to His Will?
How can I pray with a heart that gets frequently doubtful about Krsna and His devotees? Nonetheless I pray because I have seen nothing else working out and I have been recommended to do so. Reading some of your kind answers I felt like seeking this clarification.
———
Answer by Romapada Swami: Prayer, or vandanam, is the sixth of the nine processes of devotional service. The dictionary meaning of prayer is defined as “a spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession.”

Prayer is a unique way of expressing our heartfelt expressions to Krishna; it is a way of expressing our heart to the Lord. Prayer expressed with deep feeling and sincerity is what is accepted by the Lord. Prayer indicates something that is above us, higher than us, or even beyond us. That which the senses and mind cannot reach, prayers can reach, although we are using the senses and mind to pray.

The best way to pray in this age of Kali is to chant the Maha-mantra with all of one’s sincerity.

The real purpose of prayer is not to gain material resources or even spiritual salvation for oneself. The power of prayer comes when we call to Krishna out of a desire to do His will. Such pure prayers are not means to the end but are themselves loving exchanges between the Lord and His pure devotees. Whether we call on Him from the darkness of our fallen state in the material world, or whether we praise Him in the midst of His liberated associates in the kingdom of God, the pure prayer is the same: “Please engage me in Your service”.

Srila Prabhuapda explains the meaning of the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra as follows: “The mantra is a spiritual call to the Lord, meaning, ‘Oh energy of the Lord, please engage me in the loving service of Lord Krishna.’ This chanting of Hare Krishna is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, surpassing all lower stages of consciousness, namely sensual, mental, and intellectual. There is no need to understand the language of the mantra, nor is there any need of mental speculation, nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such anyone can take part in this transcendental sound vibration without any previous qualification and dance in ecstasy. The word Hara is a form of addressing the energy of the Lord. Both Krishna and Rama are forms of directly addressing the Lord, and they mean “the highest pleasure.” Hara is the supreme pleasure potency of the Lord. This potency, addressed as Hare, helps us in reaching the Supreme Lord. The three words-namely Hare, Krishna, and Rama-are the transcendental seeds of the maha-mantra, and the chanting is the spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy, Hara, for giving protection to the conditioned souls. The chanting is exactly like genuine crying by the child for his mother. Mother Hara helps in achieving the grace of the supreme father Hari, or Krishna, and the Lord reveals Himself to such sincere devotees”.

Outlined below are few of the many benefits of Chanting the Maha Mantra:

1. One can be liberated from the effects of all sins simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord.

2. One is directly associating with Krsna by chanting the Hare Krsna maha mantra.

3. Chanting Hare Krishna awakens love of God.

4. Chanting Hare Krishna brings liberation as a side benefit along the way.

5. When one chants Hare Krishna, one automatically develop knowledge and detachment.

6. Chanting Hare Krishna gets one out of the endless cycle of birth and death.

7. Chanting Hare Krishna cleanses the heart of all illusions and misunderstandings.

8. By chanting Hare Krishna, one becomes free from all anxieties..

9. There are no hard and fast rules for chanting. One can chant anywhere, any time, under any circumstances.

10. Krishna Himself is fully present in the transcendental sound of His name.

11. All other Vedic mantras are included in the chanting of Hare Krishna maha mantra.

12. A person who chants Hare Krishna develops all good qualities.

Interview with Jaya Jagannath Das. They call me “Jaya”. My…
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Interview with Jaya Jagannath Das.
They call me “Jaya”. My spiritual journey began when I was 17. At that time, I was training as a ballet dancer in New York (I had started training when I was 11 years old). I was also on the quest for love. I had a vague idea what to look for, but nothing that was very concrete. Sometimes, I would walk a hundred blocks hoping that I would bump into love someday! Of course it never happened. Later on, my roommate and cousin introduced a book to me by Carl Jung called “Man and His Symbols”. In that book he talked a lot about consciousness and super consciousness, dreams and architypes, dreams and songs. That kind of steered my quest for love in the spiritual direction. So, I started reading a lot of philosophical and religious books in order to inform myself about what love was.
I started reading a lot of philosophical and religious books in order to inform myself about what love was. So both of their conclusions were not satisfying… One day, I stumbled upon Srila Prabhupada’s book called “The Science of Self-Realization”
So, I started reading a lot of philosophical and religious books in order to inform myself about what love was. I was reading a lot from both Eastern and Western traditions. What I liked about the Western traditions was that their conclusions often were about the relationship with God, although it was very vague. What I liked about the Eastern traditions was that they had a lot of philosophical content that was just absolutely profound. But their conclusion was often very morbid: either you cease to exist (my understanding of the Buddhists at that time) or you merge with the Absolute and also cease to exist. So both of their conclusions were not satisfying, although the profound philosophical content was very interesting, fascinating, and nice. One day, I stumbled upon Srila Prabhupada’s book called “The Science of Self-Realization” (I was 18 at that time). The way I stumbled upon this book – I was starting to get into hip-hop. I was also writing hip-hop and we found a friend who was an actual artist (a lot of his music was about spiritual subject matter). So, I became his friend just to kind of pick his brain on spiritual subjects.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/gB2QSX

The Original Formula (7 min video)Indradyumna Swami: Lord…
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The Original Formula (7 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Lord Caitanya’s movement started with Harinam samkirtan – going out and chanting the holy names in the street with musical instruments. The process is as effective now as it was then. And it will work for the next 10,000 years. All glories to Sri Krsna samkirtan!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/BjdDES

UK Padayatra receives blessings from Dean of Canterbury Cathedral
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Tourists see unique gathering outside Canterbury Cathedral, UK (2 min video)
Canterbury has seen hundreds of thousands of pilgrims over the centuries.
Ever since Henry II’s soldiers murdered Beckett in the Cathedral, they have paid their respects, and sought redemption for their sins.
But there has never been a gathering quite like the one that tourists and visitors witnessed this week.
For the very first time, Hare Krishna monks have assembled outside the cathedral gates.
Their mission? To let the crowds watching them know, that regardless of the terror attacks that have beset the country this summer, there is more that unites us, than divides us.
Tom Savvides reports.
Interviewees: Mantra Chaitanya Das, Hare Krishna Canterbury; and Very Rev Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/eHS8za

First ever art exhibition conducted by ISKCON Nairobi and a…
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First ever art exhibition conducted by ISKCON Nairobi and a felicitation for 31 devotees (Album with photos)
On July 8th 2017, ISKCON Nairobi’s premises were a hive of activity. Over 800 new faces were exposed to Krishna consciousness via an art exhibition featuring the work of over 360 students from various primary and secondary schools of Nairobi.
The initiative was spearheaded by Sri Gauranga Das and was focused on children between the ages of 10 to 15. The theme of the artwork was on the soul. This was the first time that ISKCON Nairobi conducted this event. The response was very encouraging from all the students who participated in submitting their entries.
21 students from different schools won top prizes as all other entrants received a copy of Srila Prabhupada’s books and T-shirts. Sumptuous prasad was served to all the children and their families.
Present for the award ceremony were the principals and teachers of the various schools, HH Prabhodananda Saraswati Swami, HH Bhakti Brhat Bhagavat Swami as well as the leaders of ISKCON Nairobi.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/kZJihu
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On July 2nd 2017, ISKCON Nairobi held a small felicitation for over 31 devotees who received awards for successfully completing their Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 studies. The devotees had regularly attended study sessions which were held once a week for the past six months facilitated by Sri Gauranga Das.
The ceremony was attended by HH Bhakti Brhat Bhagavat Swami who encouraged the devotees to delve deep into studying the Bhagavatam as per Srila Prabhupada’s desire. The devotees also gave their realizations and shared their experience while going through the 1st Canto systematically.
Photos here: https://goo.gl/umuxav