Author Archives: Dandavats.com

Why an Isopanisad went out to a young man. I heard this nice…
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Why an Isopanisad went out to a young man. I heard this nice story from Sutapa Prabhu (Bhaktivedanta Manor).
-Vijaya
Bhakta Ruben approached four young men and offered them an Isopanisad. They all returned the book except for one of them, who said he’d give a donation.
As he looked in his wallet, Ruben looked on and saw a piece of paper that had the word “Isopanisad” written on it.
Ruben said, “Look at the name on the piece of paper and look at the title of the book.”
The young man said, “Wow! It’s the same name.”
Ruben asked him, “Why do you have the name of this book in your wallet?“
He responded, “A few weeks ago I was with some friends at a shop in Amsterdam when I saw a monk. I walked over to talk to him, and during our conversation, he suggested I read this book. So I asked him to write it down. This is what he wrote, and now you’re offering it to me. That’s amazing.”
He enthusiastically gave a donation in anticipation of reading the book he was looking for.
Bhakta Ruben then said to him, “You see, there is a God.”
To which he responded, “Yes, I think you’re right.”
* * *
My comment: Srila Prabhupada says in a purport that “as one engages in devotional service, one enters into the mysterious region of transcendence.“ This is especially true about the service of book distribution. Again and again, we hear of experiences that aren’t just coincidences. Krsna’s hand is involved, and it’s nice to see Him in this way.
Vijaya Dasa

Gopa Kumar describes Vaikunthaloka by Romapada Swami. Summary:…
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Gopa Kumar describes Vaikunthaloka by Romapada Swami.
Summary: During this past weekend a number of devotees participated in a Retreat at our Gita Nagari farm, part of which was hearing from “Sri Brhat-bhagavatamrta” by Sanatana Goswami. Gopa Kumara had entered into Vaikuntha on a Vaikuntha airship, by the blessings of Lord Siva and others, and was relating his experiences there to another. The splendor of the Vaikuntha realm was so amazing to Gopa Kumara, who explained that even metaphors indicating it’s magnificence were grossly inadequate. He explains in Chapter 4 Text 51: “Except by direct experience, no one can rightly understand Vaikuntha. No more than this can I accurately describe. Nonetheless, his well-wishes for his student, the Mathura Brahmana, include his becoming inspired to attain that direct experience. However, that demands prior discipline and austerity (see below). Thus, Gopa Kumar gives the gist of his experience what quality the Vaikuntha realm represents, as an *inspiration* to undergo needed discipline to reach there. May you also become inspired to reach Vaikuntha, and to be prepared to sacrifice whatever it takes to get there!
Reading Assignment
“Sri Brhat-bhagavatamrta” by Sanatana Goswami a) Part 2, Chapter 4, Text 51, b) Texts 53-54
a) Sri Brhat-bhagavatamrta Part 2, Chapter 4, Texts 51
Commentary: A condition soul may discover the transcendental world of Vaikuntha, but only if he sees that higher reality for himself. By hearing from someone who has seen Vaikuntha one may gain only a glimmer of understanding. Nonetheless, when a devotee aspiring for the Lord’s service hears the pure instructions of his self-realized spiritual master and faithfully practices the disciplines such a guru recommends, the devotee gradually becomes pure in heart. And when his faith sufficiently matures, he can see the spiritual world. Only by that direct perception does knowledge become perfect. Casual hearing, even from those who have seen the truth, is not enough. One must become a disciple of such an authority and accept the disciplines that lead to self-realization.
b) Sri Brhat-bhagavatamrta Part 2, Chapter 4, Texts 53-54
Translation Those who are self-satisfied, fulfilled in all desires, and free from all material concerns, who have renounced everything they know and possess, who have associated with Vaisnavas and have acquired the power to discern between the essential and the nonessential — it is they who can enter the path of devotional service. When I went to Vaikuntha, that is what I vividly saw.
Commentary Even though Gopa-kumara’s student has been told that only direct perception can give him true understanding of the nature of Vaikuntha, he may still be anxious to have some other means to gain the special faith which the discipline of bhakti-yoga demands. Anticipating that anxiety, Gopa-kumara here describes the logic by which one can know theoretically the superexcellent happiness of Vaikuntha. Advanced mystics who have realized the Supreme Truth in its impersonal aspect sometimes abandon the happiness of Brahman for the opportunity to realize Vaikuntha. They leave aside both their knowledge and their perfectly developed realizations to enter the path of devotional service. Once they experience the bliss of Vaikuntha life, they condemn what they formerly considered happiness in impersonal realization. This is evidence of the wonder of Vaikuntha.

Your Fear Indicates Your Wealth (5 min video)Where you fear to…
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Your Fear Indicates Your Wealth (5 min video)
Where you fear to go is the place your wealth lies!
I think one of the great sufferings of life, of the great anxieties, is to know there’s something that we should be doing but to be handicapped by fear and we don’t do it and then have to live with this, with this reality of our lives of not doing what we should be doing…
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/mLMNWv

VIDEO: CANADA DAY HARINAMA (OUTDOOR CHANTING)On Saturday, July…
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VIDEO: CANADA DAY HARINAMA (OUTDOOR CHANTING)
On Saturday, July 1, 2017 the entire country was celebrating the 150th birthday of Canada! The Hare Krishna Temple did it’s own version of celebrations by having an amazing harinama (outdoor chanting) right in downtown. Dressed in Canadian red and white colours, the smiling devotees brought music, dance and joy to the streets of Toronto!
Special thanks to Sathi Prabhu for capturing the event! Check out the video: https://goo.gl/ZvZZDA

Bhaktivedanta Manor’s initiative “The guest is equivalent to God”
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Bhaktivedanta Manor’s initiative “The guest is equivalent to God” (2 min video)
It is important for the host to receive the guest with warmth and provide all the possible comfort he can afford to. “Guest should not leave the place of the host dissatisfied,” elders say so in the view of giving good hospitality.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/rKmUXC

Summer Krishna (7 min video) Indradyumna Swami: For many people,…
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Summer Krishna (7 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: For many people, summertime means vacation time, but for Krsna’s devotees it’s an opportunity to go out and share with the public the wonderful world of Krsna consciousness through chanting the holy names, dancing in ecstasy and holding festivals. Here on the Baltic Sea coast in Poland, we go on Harinam daily, rain or shine, throughout July and August. The blissful result is that each evening thousands of people flock to our festivals. Summer Krsna!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/yGp767

Harinam Mandir’s bus broken. Please help!On July 2nd…
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Harinam Mandir’s bus broken. Please help!
On July 2nd while driving to Split in Croatia our bus suddenly started to loose the speed and right away stopped. Later in the service, we found out it was the problem with the clutch. It was completely broken. Our Harinama Sankirtana group at the moment got stuck in Split and can’t move forward to make Harinamas in other cities. We would like to ask you to help us financially to repair our bus and this way contribute in Sankirtana mission in Europe. All together repair, towing and new clutch cost about 3000 euros. We are grateful for any help.
More information about us:
https://www.facebook.com/harinammandir
http://www.harinammandir.com
Account name: Nomen sancti monasterii
Account number: LT777044060008051652
Bank name: AB SEB bankas
Bank code: 112021238
Address: Paltininkų k. Kaišiadorių r. sav. Lietuva
SWIFT (BIC): CBVILT2X
Videos: https://goo.gl/VSUdTk
and https://goo.gl/4k5MAZ

Hare Krishna Festivals UK (Album with photos) More than 120…
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Hare Krishna Festivals UK (Album with photos)
More than 120 teenagers at Chipping Sodbury School in South Gloucestershire were presented with a copy of Bhagavad Gita As it Is today.
Hare Krishna Festivals U.K. were invited along to chant, dance and share Srila Prabhupada’s teachings.
Teachers were given a copy of ‘Vedas’, and one even asked for a complete 12-volume collection of Srimad Bhagavatam!
Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/PEQDK1

The Supersoul does it again! Recently I was distributing books…
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The Supersoul does it again!
Recently I was distributing books door to door in Gisborne, New Zealand. I knocked on one door and had the great fortune to meet Caleb, a very pleasant middle-aged gentleman and committed Christian. As a successful musician, one of the ways he serves is to glorify God through music at Christian gatherings all around the world. Still, I could understand from his respectful and friendly demeanor that he was open to receiving one of Srila Prabhupada’s books. Utilizing the clever presentation HG Vijaya Prabhu kindly shared with us (that Prabhupada’s books provide strong arguments with which to defeat atheism and are therefore relevant to all theists) I confidently showed him Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1. Fortunately, Caleb deeply appreciated the truth and beauty of SB and was very eager to take a copy. When I asked him for a donation, a wry smile came to his face. Popping back into his house, he returned a moment later with a nice donation. Then he explained: “Normally I never keep cash. However, when I was driving back home earlier today, I felt compelled to stop at an ATM to withdraw this money. At the time I did not know what the money would be used for, but I could understand that God was directing me and that the reason would become apparent in due course. So when you asked for a donation everything made sense.” As Krishna explains in Bhagavad Gita, 18.14, the Supersoul is the ultimate factor of action. By participating in Lord Caitanya’s Sankirtan movement we can perceive this and increase our faith in Krishna.
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! Your aspiring servant, Caitanya Vihara das

“Invitation to The Hare Krishna Convention Malaysia…
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“Invitation to The Hare Krishna Convention Malaysia 2017”
The best time is always now! Yes it’s now! Therefore, “Reach Out” before it’s too late. We’re extremely delighted to be hosting the Hare Krishna Convention once again this year for the eleventh time. The Temple of Devotion and Understanding (TODU), Seberang Jaya is ready to open their doors to welcome you on the 31st of Aug before we send you back home on the 3rd of Sept. The #HKC11 will be taking place for four consecutive days again this year but definitely with lots of improvements and surprises to fulfill all your needs and expectations. Yes, this time with more roaring yet melodious Kirtans, more delicious and finger-licking good Maha Prasad, more beneficial and knowledgeable seminars and not to be forgotten the best of entertaining and fun-filled Krishna conscious activities for all. Yes, that includes your children and kids who’re within the age range of 4 – 12 years old too. Worry not because we’re here to look after your kids throughout the convention. That’s definitely sigh of relief, isn’t it? So aren’t you excited?

But that’s not all yet. If you ever wanted to meet all the spiritual leaders under one roof, here’s the chance. To name a few of our main guests, we have HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaj, HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj, HH Swami Bhakti Vigna Vinasa Narasimha Maharaj, HH Bhakti Vinode Swami Maharaj, HH Bhakti Mukunda Swami Maharaj and many others. As we say the Golden Opportunity only knocks the door once, grab this chance to receive our gurus’ endless mercy and blessings. Due to the huge success of last year’s #HKC10, this year we’re looking forward to have at least a minimum of 1500 devotees and well wishers joining us. So what are you waiting for? Block your dates now and book your accommodations as soon as possible because “Reach out, The Best Time is Always Now”!

For more details , kindly click on the link (www.malaysianhkc.com) or you may write to us at info.nationalconvention@gmail.com. We will be happy to assist you anytime to ease your journey for the convention. Keep your excitements rising till we see you soon.

Your servants,
The HKC11 Organizing Committee

The goal of life
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The goal of life.
Ananda Vrindavaneswari Devi Dasi: Golf is not my cup of chai but there is a tournament happening next door so it’s a good meditation. 18 holes, 18 chapters of the Gita. There’s one link. The other is the meandering journey a golf course takes, surely mirroring the meandering journey of our life. At times in the rough, at times flying high, at others chipping away in the sand pits.
One thing golf has are clear goals. Get the ball into the hole with the least number of shots as you can. That’s the focus of all the effort and the supporting rules make the game both fair and challenging. When the goal is clear the participation is more meaningful.

When we have specific goals in life we do better. They hold our mind together so it doesn’t go off kilter and take us away to lower modes. One needs to have both major and minor goals. If we ask someone ‘What is the goal of life in general?’ we will get different answers. ‘What is the goal of your life in particular?’ more different answers.

For the big picture, the general goals are happiness, meaning, freedom, and love. We would then say that you can’t have any of those to completeness unless you add the goal of questioning and remembering. Who am I? Where have I come from? To whom do I belong? Am I a child of the earth or of the heavens?

Questioning is the essence of being human. If they are set right, the goals we make around them will satisfy us.

Lifestyle of a Monk. This is an article which appeared in the…
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Lifestyle of a Monk.
This is an article which appeared in the Gujarati News Magazine, known as Chitralekha.
It is very interesting to know that how monks or sadhus receive training in ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Like other institutions, which follow the teachings of Sanatana-dharma, one of the important aspects of training in ISKCON is to become well-versed in the study of the Sastras or the Vedic scriptures. ISKCON has established various centers all over the world, and especially in India to give training to individuals who desire to dedicate their lives to the service of God and humanity. The various centers are located in Vrindavana, West Bengal, Mayapur, Mumbai, etc. There is one such center located in the outskirts of Mumbai in a village known as Galtare. There ISKCON Chowpatty has developed an eco-friendly project called Govardhan Ecovillage. In the serene atmosphere of the eco-village is established, the Bhaktivedanta Vidyapitha, to give systematic training to aspiring sadhus in scriptures. The Vidyapitha provides a full-time residential course of 2 years, in the study of two prominent scriptures; the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Caitanya Caritamrita.

How do individuals get an experience in the lifestyle of Bhakti in ISKCON? The manager of the operations Team at GEV, Jadhu Thakur Das, gave a reply to this question.

He said – All over the world in various institution and corporate worlds, ISKCON conducts various sessions/seminars on topics like “Search for Happiness”, “Power of Mind Control”, etc. Through such seminars, some people express an interest in knowing more about what is the lifestyle of a devotee in the Hare Krishna movement. They are advised to chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra every day, read scriptures regularly and to follow the four regulative principles – No meat eating, no gambling, no illicit sex and no intoxication.

To give them a practical experience of such lifestyle, in different countries, we have developed Bhaktivedanta Academy for Culture and Education (BACE). It is a stay facility wherein 10-12 bachelors stay together and practice the process of Bhakti under the guidance of a senior person. Simultaneously they continue their prescribed occupational duties i.e. their professional work. After a stay for at least one year in BACE, an aspiring monk gets a chance to stay in the temple, at the same time continue their professional duties. They mandatorily need to attend the morning program which starts at morning 4:30 am. This includes Mangal Aarti, Tulsi Puja, Chanting and Srimad Bhagavatam class. Then they set off to their jobs during the day time. After a year of such training, they undergo further training as a monk (Brahmachari Ashram)) or enter into married life (Grihastha Ashram). The aspiring monks are provided a brahmachari training for one year, which includes the study for becoming a Bhakti Sastri and also they are engaged in various services like temple cleanliness, assistants in puja-vidhi, book distribution, etc. The course of Bhakti Sastri includes the study of 4 books- Bhagavad Gita, Sri isopanisad, Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu and Upadeshamrita.

The Dean of Bhaktivedanta Vidyapitha, Gaurang Darshan Das, a highly educated sadhu, tells us more about the vision of Vidyapitha. He has a Masters degree in System Science and automation from ISC Bangalore.

He said – The vision of Vidyapitha is to inspire and inculcate Vaishnav qualities and a mood of selfless service in the students. Our sutra is Truth, Tradition and Transformation. Bhaktivedanta Vidyapitha facilitates the study of the Absolute Truth in a Traditional method that leads to the Transformation of the hearts of the students. The course is based on the 5s model.

Sadhana which includes rising up early in the morning, attending Mangal aarti, chanting japa, kirtan and attending Srimad Bhagavatam class.
Svadhyaya – Study of Vedic Scriptures systematically which includes hearing, recollection, contemplation and speaking of the scriptures. Also learning scriptural verses.
Seva – service in GEV departments, BVVP services and Deity services.
Sangh – Through classes and study groups, assignments and presentations, retreats and Get-together.
Sadachara – BVVP aims at training the students not only academically, but also as sincere and civilized individuals with exemplary Vaishnava behavior. Exclusive sadachara classes are conducted for the students.

The current batch which has joined BVVP has students from different states in India like Haryana, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Karnatak, Orissa, Tamil Nadu , Gujarat and Jammu. The students joining the course are highly qualified people from various fields. We have one students with double PHD, 2 PHD students, one Doctor, one from IIT, an NRI from Maurtius, a student from new Zealand and many more. The everday schedule for the course is like this – 3 hrs of lecture, then whole day the students are absorbed in studying and preparation of exam for the next day. This schedule is applicable for 5 weekdays. In weekends, they have their services in GEV. After their training in Vidyapitha, the students get engaged in various projects or services in different ISKCON temples. Furthur, after couple more years, they accept the saffron cloth of a renunciant. These highly qualified monks or brahmacharies serve without any remuneration or salary.

Jadu Thakur Das further said – In GEV – we have a Goshala, eco-friendly cottages, a forest which is a replica of Vrindavan, beautiful landscapes, vegetable and fruit gardens, etc. All these is developed by local monks staying here. In the 40 km radius, GEV conducts its various activities like preaching activities, education of poor children, helping them with their primary and secondary education. Not only that, to refrain people from going to cities in search of earning their livelihood, GEV has employed them in its VADI project which helps them in doing sustainable farming, earning a good income by using their own land. For Eg: By the cultivation of mogra and getting it distributed. The villagers who were earning 10000 rupees per year are now earning 80000 rupees per year.

Also, in GEV, we grow different varieties of rice. We have even recovered the rare rich quality of rice which was almost extinct. Rain prediction techniques are developed based on witnessing the direction of air during specific period/day of the year known as Akhatija.

The inspiration behind all these different activities in GEV is HH Radhanath Swami. He was born in Chicago. He got initiated by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada in the year 1971. He is the main guiding force in GEV and also of the many projects of ISKCON running in Mumbai.

Iskcon New Govardhana’s Ratha Yatra (Album with photos)…
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Iskcon New Govardhana’s Ratha Yatra (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: I feel happy that even after my departure, things will go on. I am happy that I have got so many sincere devotees who will carry on. That is my happiness. Letter to Madhudvisa, September 18, 1974.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/9RH3JB

Festival of Sravanam Kirtanam in Italy 2017 (Album with…
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Festival of Sravanam Kirtanam in Italy 2017 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: When the living entity understands the target of his life, he takes the arrow of his purified life, and with the help of the bow – the transcendental chanting of pranava, or the Hare Krishna mantra – he throws himself toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.15.42 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/eJA7EF

Krishna’s reciprocation. Shastrakrit Das: I was flooded…
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Krishna’s reciprocation.
Shastrakrit Das: I was flooded with things to do at the temple yesterday ( Sunday ) I forced myself to go out to distribute books at least for a couple of hours.
I set up book table out this Indian grocery. An hour and a half went by and only one book was distributed. I was praying like anything for some results since I had to go back to temple for Sunday feast in the next half hour.
All of a sudden an older Indian gentleman and his daughter came to my book table and took little Maha Prasad. They casually asked if I have any Srimad Bhagavatam in Gujarati? I couldn’t believe my ears.

When I showed him the Prabhupada’s Bhagavatam set he was like “oh I don’t want these thick books, I only want the Sanskrit slokas & Gujarati translations. All in just one book, one small book. I don’t want any purports.”

I explained to him “just like a mother eats rice, dhal, chapati etc which an infant can’t digest. The food gets transformed into mothers breast milk & the mother feeds that to the infant , the infant can easily digest that. Similarly, Acarya’s headed by Srila Prabhupada have digested this deep message of the Bhagavata Purana & have written purports (commentaries) in such a way we can understand easily .”

This pious man Kirit heard me out for a while & agreed to buy the Bhavatam set right then he also gave me a donation/tip for doing good work.

Anytime I go out on books against all odds Krishna reciprocates even more 🙂

By the way, they own an ice cream shop 🍦😁

He Govinda! “Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude….
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He Govinda!
“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.”
17. Grateful
Any person who is conscious of his friend’s beneficent activities and never forgets his service is called grateful. In the Mahābhārata, Kṛṣṇa says, “When I was away from Draupadī, she cried with the words, ‘He Govinda!’ This call for Me has put Me in her debt, and that indebtedness is gradually increasing in My heart!” This statement by Kṛṣṇa gives evidence of how one can please the Supreme Lord simply by addressing Him, “He kṛṣṇa! He Govinda!”
The mahā-mantra (Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare) is also simply an address to the Lord and His energy. So to anyone who is constantly engaged in addressing the Lord and His energy, we can imagine how much the Supreme Lord is obliged. It is impossible for the Lord to ever forget such a devotee. It is clearly stated in this verse that anyone who addresses the Lord immediately attracts the attention of the Lord, who always remains obliged to him.
Another instance of Kṛṣṇa’s feeling of obligation is stated in connection with His dealings with Jāmbavān. When the Lord was present as Lord Rāmacandra, Jāmbavān, the great king of the monkeys, rendered very faithful service to Him. When the Lord again appeared as Lord Kṛṣṇa, He married Jāmbavān’s daughter and paid him all the respect that is usually given to superiors. Any honest person is obliged to his friend if some service has been rendered unto Him. Since Kṛṣṇa is the supreme honest personality, how can He forget an obligation to His servitor?
[05. Other Books by Śrīla Prabhupāda / The Nectar of Devotion, “Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu” / NoD 21: Qualities of Śrī Kṛṣṇa / 17. Grateful]
― Henri Frederic Amiel
17. Grateful
Any person who is conscious of his friend’s beneficent activities and never forgets his service is called grateful. In the Mahābhārata, Kṛṣṇa says, “When I was away from Draupadī, she cried with the words, ‘He govinda!’ This call for Me has put Me in her debt, and that indebtedness is gradually increasing in My heart!” This statement by Kṛṣṇa gives evidence of how one can please the Supreme Lord simply by addressing Him, “He kṛṣṇa! He govinda!”
The mahā-mantra (Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare) is also simply an address to the Lord and His energy. So to anyone who is constantly engaged in addressing the Lord and His energy, we can imagine how much the Supreme Lord is obliged. It is impossible for the Lord to ever forget such a devotee. It is clearly stated in this verse that anyone who addresses the Lord immediately attracts the attention of the Lord, who always remains obliged to him.
Another instance of Kṛṣṇa’s feeling of obligation is stated in connection with His dealings with Jāmbavān. When the Lord was present as Lord Rāmacandra, Jāmbavān, the great king of the monkeys, rendered very faithful service to Him. When the Lord again appeared as Lord Kṛṣṇa, He married Jāmbavān’s daughter and paid him all the respect that is usually given to superiors. Any honest person is obliged to his friend if some service has been rendered unto Him. Since Kṛṣṇa is the supreme honest personality, how can He forget an obligation to His servitor?
[05. Other Books by Śrīla Prabhupāda / The Nectar of Devotion, “Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu” / NoD 21: Qualities of Śrī Kṛṣṇa / 17. Grateful]

Temple opening ceremony, Seoul, South Korea (Album with photos)…
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Temple opening ceremony, Seoul, South Korea (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Caitanya Mahaprabhu says: “I have brought medicine to awaken very living being from perpetual sleep. Please receive the holy name of the Lord, the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, and awaken. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 5.13.9 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/mj4bK1

In The Beginning Was The Word (Album with photos) Indradyumna…
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In The Beginning Was The Word (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Our 2017 summer festival tour has begun. As always, our focus is on delivering the holy names to one and all through the medium of harinama, attractive cultural shows on our festival stage, numerous booths and tents depicting India’s spiritual culture, our restaurant and many other attractions. Though rain canceled one day of festivities, the sun broke out enough the next day for us to share the wonderful world of Krsna consciousness with many fortunate souls.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/UuhZKR

More success for the movie about His Divine Grace! Giriraj…
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More success for the movie about His Divine Grace!
Giriraj Swami: Today we took Rajani Priya Dasi (Rose Forkash) to see “Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement, and the Swami Who Started It All” in Pasadena. At ninety-six years of age, she may be the oldest person to have seen the film, but she enjoyed it with the enthusiasm and verve of a young girl. Such is the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and his society. Hare Krishna!
—-
Becoming Addicted … Today, after seeing the film *Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement, and the Swami Who Started It All* for the third time in ten days, I at once began thinking of when and where I could see it again. But then I became concerned: “Maybe I’m becoming addicted.” Yet when I recalled Srila Prabhupada’s words in Juhu, “Instead of thinking, ‘Unless I have a drink, I will go mad,’ one should think, ‘Unless I associate with a sadhu, I will go mad,’ ” I concluded that this addiction—for a sadhu, for Srila Prabhupada—may be desirable, by his divine grace.
—–
Documentary Review: ‘HARE KRISHNA! The Mantra, The Movement And The Swami Who Started It All’
Review by LC Cragg
To read it click here: https://goo.gl/G64cZc

Rain Rain Go Away! (4 min video) Indradyumna Swami: There’s a…
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Rain Rain Go Away! (4 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: There’s a saying, “Rain or shine the show must go on.” Unfortunately, one day our show didn’t go on. The driving rain simply wouldn’t let up. We were obliged to cancel our festival. Praying for sunny weather so we may share our good fortune with others.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/MnKd3b

New App for ISKCON Temples As we continue to be connected with…
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New App for ISKCON Temples
As we continue to be connected with mobile devices, we have a tremendous opportunity to engage with people like never before. Mobile is where people are connecting with friends and engaging with businesses. It has thus, become the most effective way to reach people anywhere at anytime. We envision our ISKCON family taking advantage of this technological trend and utilizing it to connect and communicate with their community.
We took this to heart and came up with a fantastic mobile app design. With this framework, we will work with each temple’s unique needs and create their app with features like:

Events
Media
Darshan
Donations (via Apple Pay, Android Pay and credit cards).
Temple info
And more

If you are interested in engaging your community with this flexible and affordable app, we would love to hear from you.

Please contact Venu Madhava Das at info@110digitallabs.com. Phone (830)-255-7684

New home for ‘slaughter-free’ Ahimsa Dairy…
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New home for ‘slaughter-free’ Ahimsa Dairy farm.
BBC: The UK’s first “slaughter-free” dairy farm has moved to a new permanent home – where it hopes to provide a model for other farms to copy.
Dairy cows are usually culled when they get older and cannot produce as much milk, and their male calves are normally killed or sold for meat.
At the Ahimsa dairy in Rutland, oxen are put to work and cows can “retire”.
The farm was previously on rented land in Leicestershire but has secured its future with land bought in Manton.
Nicola Pazdzierska said that while their milk was more expensive, many people were willing to spend the extra.
“We charge a lot more for the product but part of that money is going into our cows’ pension fund, and at the same time, we don’t think milk should be a cheap product,” she said.
“In London a pint of craft beer can sell for £6.20, so we don’t think it’s unsustainable for our milk to sell for £4.50 a litre at a farmers’ market, or £3.50 for members.
“We want to make the model replicable so other farms can follow.”
Dairy cows are normally slaughtered after about five years when they stop producing as much milk, but Ahimsa cows go into retirement.
Male calves are normally killed shortly after birth or sold for meat, but the Ahimsa dairy puts them to work on the farm.
Newborn calves are normally separated from their mothers, but they stay together as grazing partners at the Ahimsa dairy.
Cows are usually artificially inseminated, but Ahimsa cows are impregnated by bulls.
Ahimsa cows are milked by hand rather than by machine.
Ahimsa cows can choose between sheltering in a barn or grazing freely on organic pasture.
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