Author Archives: Dandavats.com

“Choosing to Offend” (6 min video)
We have to avoid all offenses against vaishnavas. When we offend a vaishnava… Krishna, He can tolerate some offense, He can forgive someone for offending Him. But He can’t forgive someone who offends a vaishnava.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/IausKR

Practicing Tolerance.
Vaisesika Dasa: As with practitioners of other skills, those who consciously take up the practice of tolerance develop a greater capacity for it.
Unlike the practice of many other talents however, to practice tolerance one needn’t go anywhere or buy anything, as ample opportunities to exercise one’s toleration muscle come unsought.
A first step in the practice of tolerance is to prepare oneself to welcome disturbances when they arise.
As the Dalai Lama puts it, “In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.”

Acting on such sage advice, once while my friend and Godbrother, Satyadeva Prabhu and I were touring through Japan, we were obligated by circumstance to travel for many hours in a car alongside an unruly child. At first, we both felt frustrated and disturbed. However, when we decided to take our encounter as a chance to practice tolerance, we felt relief and soon, we were both smiling after nicknaming our restless prepubescent travel mate, “guruji.” At the end of the trip, we both thanked guruji for teaching us tolerance.

In the Gita, Lord Sri Krishna lists tolerance among nineteen other vital elements on the path to spiritual knowledge. (Bg. 13. 8-12)

One who practices tolerance gains a unique perspective to see how circumstances come and go and also sees that he or she is not the master of them. Admitting that I am not the supreme controller is not only foundational to advancing in spiritual life; it is also a great relief.

Some synonyms for the word tolerance are: open-mindedness, broad-mindedness, forbearance, liberality, patience, charity, and understanding. (Sounds nice, right?)

Try greeting the day with a determined aim to tolerate some unfavorable news, a difficult person, or some awkward circumstance. Not only will you be surprised at how many opportunities you’ll get, you may also be stunned by the spiritual insight you gain just from this one simple practice.

Those who practice tolerance not only become spiritually wise, they also please Krishna.

“The Lord is very satisfied with His devotee when the devotee greets other people with tolerance, mercy, friendship and equality.” (SB 4.11.13)

“One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me-such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.” (BG 12.13-14)

Famous Hip Hop Rapper Waka Flocka Flame receives Srila Prabhupada’s books.
Dharmaraja Das distributes books to famous Hip Hop Rapper, Waka Flocka Flame, who has been practicing vegetarianism for a few years now!
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

OUR FAMILY BUSINESS – a new ebook in all flavors, for all devices.
Vaisesika Prabhu’s super-successful book about the art of transcendental book distribution, “Our Family Business”, is now available as an ebook in all flavors, for all devices. What if you could build your devotee community, deepen your Krishna consciousness, give others the opportunity to learn about bhakti, and perform the dharma of the age all at the same time?
In this very readable book, Vaisesika Dasa discusses why we should join the family business of distributing transcendental knowledge through the written word, as well as how book distribution benefits distributors, the devotional community, and all those who receive one of Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Our Family Business makes it clear that every devotee and every service is part of the sankirtana effort. Even if book distribution is not your primary service, expect to be enlightened, encouraged, and enlivened by reading this book.

Get it now!

bbtmedia.com:
http://bbtmedia.com/en/ebook/en-ofb

Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=ej0QDgAAQBAJ

iBookstore:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1202903656

Amazon:
www.amazon.com/dp/B01MUUUMEZ

Hare Krishna!

Your servants at bbtmedia.com

5 Gems from Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur.
Chaturatma Dasa: While studying about Madhavendra Puri I came across these gems. Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur says that there are 5 primary counter examples we should learn from Ramachandra Puri: (1)Fa…

Some thoughts on ‘Fast Breaking’
Hari Parshad Das: Sometimes, I’ve seen devotees ask other devotees or myself about the Ekādaśī fast breaking time. While I do understand that the convention is to use the phrase ‘fast breaking’ and I have no problems with anyone using it, I should also in a humble way say that this phrase does not do justice to the original Sanskrit term — ‘vrata-pāraṇam’.
The English term ‘breakfast’ originally came from the old English term ‘undernmete/morgenmete’, which means meal at 9am / meal at morning. This was because the body would be fasting from all food at night during sleep and the morning meal at around 9am would break that fast.

The term vrata however does not exactly mean ‘fasting’. Vrata means ‘vow’. Fasting (upoṣaṇam) is one of the activities of a vow. The day of an Ekādaśī vrata is ideally supposed to be free from all other encumbrances; a day dedicated to giving that well deserved loving one-pointed attention to the love of our life — Krishna.

The term pāraṇam means ‘successful completion’. (Hindi = पार लगाना)

Thus, the term vrata-pāraṇam literally means ‘successful completion of vows’. We’re not supposed to break our vows. We’re meant to complete them.

On the pāraṇa day (dvādaśī), we take permission with a heavy heart from our beloved deity to go back and be absorbed in our day to day work. The devotee completes his/her ekādaśī vows by praying:

ajñāna-timirāndhasya
vratenānena keśava
prasīda sumukho nātha
jñāna-dṛṣṭi-prado bhava

Translation: Lord Keśava! Please bestow favor on this insignificant soul blinded by ignorance and kindly bestow the eyes of divine knowledge as a result of following this [Ekādaśī] vow.
— (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 13.231)

Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll | Highlights (2 min video)
Highlights from our awesome flagship event yesterday at King’s university with special guest Kadamba Kanana Swami, put together by Filmwork Studios.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/e0rY8H

TOVP: NEW YEAR, NEW WORKS BEGIN (Album with photos)
Sadbhuja Das: Here is a small update on the current activities that are going on in the TOVP.
1. We started making a full size sample of the wooden windows.
This is the beginning of the frame around the windows, on the very top underneath the domes.
All together there are 240 windows to cover, lots of work!
You can see in this image how big and think the wood has to be for such a large window.
Sadbhuj prabhu and the team went to inspect the workmanship.
2. We have just received a cast iron piece that the factory made for us which is part of the railings design.
They have refined their technique to the way we wanted it, now we want to commence the production.
In this image you will see we are holding one of the pieces, which weights 13 kg and it’s quite thick.
Definitely this cast iron will last forever!
3. Production of the GRC Rib Segments has commenced on a full scale.
They are ready to be placed on the actual domes ribs once the waterproofing is completed. Each segment weights 450 kg!
For each small dome we will need 120 segments. At the moment we are producing 1 segment a day but more mold are being fabricated to be able to produce 3 per day.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/FCBCOS

Mayapur Parikrama 2017 and TOVP Palanquin Mayapur (videos)
The vision of Srila Bhaktivonde Thakura is fulfilled!
In 1885, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote: “Very soon the unparalleled path of hari-nama-sankirtana will be propagated all over the world… . Oh, for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German, and American people will take up banners, mridangas, and karatalas and raise kirtana through their streets and towns. When will that day come? Oh, for the day when the Western fair-skinned men, from one side, while chanting ‘Jaya Sacinandana ki jaya!’ will extend their arms and, embracing the devotees of our country coming from another side, treat us with brotherly feelings. When will that day be?”
Watch them here: https://goo.gl/T32ByY
This is the video of the arrival of the TOVP palanquin created by one of the five 2017 Navadvip dham parikram groups: https://goo.gl/A4LhQJ

Radha Kunda Seva: February 2017 Photos and Updates (Album with photos)
February was a peaceful month of steady service. Cleaning every day. Distributing prasadam every day. Construction is still on hold as we wait for the government crackdown on structures built close to the parikrama path to dissipate. 7000 buildings around Govardhan have been marked for demolition. And our construction managers tell us that this isn’t a good time to begin new construction. We will keep you updated, and in the meantime, we are grateful to be serving at Radha Kunda with you. Please browse our latest photos and join our efforts by visiting www.radharani.com. Your servants, Campakalata Devi dasi, Padma Gopi Devi dasi, Urmila Devi Dasi, and Mayapurcandra dasa.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/y6szAt

Gaura Purnima Issue of KK Bindu #395: Several first time translations for the upcoming day of Gaura Purnima.
CONTENTS INCLUDE: * ADVERSITY AS MERCY – His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada describes eligibility to enter the spiritual world.
* SRI CHAITANYA KAVACHA – A first-time translation done especially for this issue of Bindu of a little-known prayer for protection.
* THE GREAT FIGHT AT HOLI – Vrindavan pastimes of Krishna and the gopis. Presented in honor of the upcoming festival of Holi, this is another first time translation of a song written the medieval Bengali vaishnava poet Kabir.
* THE SPOTLESS MOON OF NADIA – Another first time translation of a song written the medieval Bengali vaishnava poet Dina Bandhu Das. This poem speaks of the reaction of the residents of Nadia at the time of the appearance of the son of Sachi Devi and Jagannath Mishra.
* DEVOTION TO GAURA LEADS TO ATTACHMENT TO RADHA – Another fresh translation of a verse from Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati’s Caitanya-candramritam.
This issue can be downloaded at the following link:
https://archive.org/details/bindu395

TOVP: Visions of Material and Spiritual Universes.
Ordinary human observation, no matter how greatly enhanced by telescopes, satellites, and other instruments, cannot see past the outermost reaches of the universe. Exhibits in the Vedic Planetarium will seek to illustrate how yoga, meditation, and study of scripture, coupled with devotional practices, can reveal what lies beyond the limits of human perception. Left: The material universe, which is the object of scientific study, represents only one-quarter of the creation. The unlimited spiritual world makes up the greater three-quarters. In that spiritual world, the topmost planet, resembling the whorl of a giant lotus flower, is called Goloka Vrindavana. This is the abode of Krishna, the original Personality of Godhead. From Krishna’s spiritual body emanates an effulgence called brahmajyoti. Innumerable spiritual planets float in the brahmajyoti. Four-armed Vishnu expansions of Krishna reign over each of these planets, which are home to liberated souls who live with the Supreme Being in ever-fresh exchanges of loving devotion. Collectively this expansive spiritual realm is called Vaikuntha, “the place of no anxiety.” Like a cloud in the spiritual sky, the material creation exists to accommodate souls who choose to live apart from Krishna. In this illustration, Srila Prabhupada is shown translating and commenting on the Srimad-Bhagavatam, which reveals the method (bhakti-yoga) for reviving the soul’s original spiritual consciousness. At the moment when their souls leave their bodies, people who have become fully Krishna conscious (God conscious) enter Vaikuntha and never return to the material world of birth and death.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=43690

TOV: Changing Bodies.
Level One of the Vedic Planetarium addresses the question “Who am I?” and the first exhibit is designed to give visitors a visceral sense of themselves as nonmaterial beings: souls who inhabit temporary material bodies. Seeing themselves change from man to woman, from young to old, from Indian to European, or white to black, visitors will know they are seeing a computerized simulation. Yet by combining entertainment with a photo-realistic sensation of reincarnating, this exhibit is intended to prompt a rethinking of identity.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=43690

TOVP: The Universal Form.
In the Bhagavad-gita, Sri Krishna poetically describes how He can be perceived in nature. “Of luminaries,” He declares, “I am the radiant sun. Of heavenly bodies I am the moon, of bodies of water the ocean, of purifiers the wind. Of subduers I am time. Of secret things I am silence… .” In memorable language, He offers a meditation on the natural world as His virat-rupa, or universal form. Among seasons, Krishna adds, He is flower-bearing spring, and of stationary things the Himalayas. The Bhagavatam says that appreciating the natural world as an incarnation of God is a prerequisite to realizing God in person, as displayed in Vaikuntha, the spiritual world. Designers of the Vedic Planetarium have envisioned a universal form exhibit that will inspire visitors to rethink their relationship with the earth and discover that respect for nature is an essential part of devotional practice.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=43690

TOVP: Planetarium.
Exhibits on the first three floors are designed to prepare visitors for the film they will view in the top-floor Planetarium. The 200-seat amphitheater will feature a full-dome video projection theater with ambient acoustics, intended to immerse the audience in a simulated journey out of the material world and into the eternal Vaikuntha realm. This experience on the Planetarium’s top floor will bring together the many perspectives described in the dozens of previous exhibits, including the soul different from the body, life on other planets, and devotional service as the means of achieving liberation from birth and death in the material world. The film concludes with the soul’s entrance into the eternal Vaikuntha realm.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=43690

TOVP: Model Chandelier.
Srila Prabhupada envisioned the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium as an emotionally stirring and aesthetically beautiful experience. He proposed that this could be achieved by showing all the spiritual and material worlds in a giant chandelier suspended from the temple’s center dome. As currently envisioned, this cosmological chandelier will hang down more than 200 feet and weigh 10,000 pounds. To understand the many components of the chandelier, a twenty-foot replica will be incorporated into Level Three of the Vedic Planetarium. Video viewing stations positioned around the periphery of this scaled-down model will explain the chandelier’s many planetary systems along with their presiding deities and the prerequisites for living there.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=43690

Yamuna Gems
Vani Devi Dasi remembers…
“At six years old it can be hard to appreciate what goes on around you, yet I remember quite clearly. I was asked to ‘assist’ Auntie Yamuna in the kitchen for a raw feast she was preparing…

Barsana 17-03 (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: Last week, Abhimanyu Prabhu brought 100 Ukraine devotees for parikrama so we went to the sacred place of Srimati Radharani, Barsana. We even got a rare picture of Brishabhanu Maharaja! It’s Holi time, so watch out as you come along with the pics of Vittalrukmini Das!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/DQcFkN

Distinguishing Paramatma and the Mind.
Question: What is the difference between the dictation of the Paramatma and the mind? How can one tell if the mind or Paramatma is speaking to us?
Romapada Swami: In BG 2.22’s purport, Srila Prabhupada gives the example of two birds sitting on a tree. One bird (Jiva-atma) is eating the fruits of the tree while the other bird (Paramatma) is simply watching His friend. If the Paramatma is just watching, how can the Parmatma dictate the soul? Can you please help me with this confusion? Please help me understand this by some other citations in the BG.
In Bhagavad-gita Chapter 6, Krishna talks about the importance of controlling the mind. In particular, with regard to your above questions, verses 5 and 6 of Chapter 6 give us a good understanding of the interaction of the mind with the living entity.
Krishna tells Arjuna:
Verse 5: One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.
Verse 6: For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.
The main point is that one must renounce the desire for sense gratification, or else his mind will degrade, not elevate him. Unless one develops a higher taste (spiritual taste, or bhakti), this becomes impossible. Within the purport to Verse 5, Srila Prabhupada emphasizes controlling the mind:
“It is stressed herein that the mind must be so trained that it can deliver the conditioned soul from the mire of nescience. In material existence one is subjected to the influence of the mind and the senses. In fact, the pure soul is entangled in the material world because the mind is involved with the false ego, which desires to lord it over material nature. Therefore, the mind should be trained so that it will not be attracted by the glitter of material nature, and in this way the conditioned soul may be saved. One should not degrade oneself by attraction to sense objects. The more one is attracted by sense objects, the more one becomes entangled in material existence. The best way to disentangle oneself is to always engage the mind in Krishna consciousness. The word hi is used for emphasizing this point, i.e., that one must do this.”
From this purport we can understand that the mind’s dictations when not under the control of bhakti will gyrate towards sense gratification and will lead one to further entanglement with the material nature. Srila Prabhupada then explains in the purport to Verse 6:

“Unless the mind is controlled, the practice of yoga (for show) is simply a waste of time. One who cannot control his mind lives always with the greatest enemy, and thus his life and its mission are spoiled. The constitutional position of the living entity is to carry out the order of the superior. As long as one’s mind remains an unconquered enemy, one has to serve the dictations of lust, anger, avarice, illusion, etc. But when the mind is conquered, one voluntarily agrees to abide by the dictation of the Personality of Godhead, who is situated within the heart of everyone as Paramatma. Real yoga practice entails meeting the Paramatma within the heart and then following His dictation. For one who takes to Krishna consciousness directly, perfect surrender to the dictation of the Lord follows automatically.”
In the book Dharma: The Way of Transcendence, Srila Prabhupada writes:
“By serving the guru and inquiring from him, we can come to the point where Krishna will enlighten us from within. Krishna, the supreme guru, first imparted knowledge into the heart of Brahma, the original person in the universe (tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye [SB 1.1.1]). Krishna is situated in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul, and as you become purified He speaks to you from within. Actually, He is always speaking to us, but in our impure condition we cannot hear Him. In the Bhagavad-gita (15.15) Krishna confirms that He is the source of our knowledge:sarvasya caha hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca. “I am situated within the heart of everyone, and from Me come all remembrance, knowledge, and forgetfulness.” So as Paramatma, the Supersoul, Krishna is always prepared to help every one of us, provided we serve Him and take His instruction. He says in the Bhagavad-gita (10.10),
tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te
“To those who are always engaged in serving Me with great love and devotion, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.”
If we want to know the Absolute Truth, we have to follow the proper process, and that process is simply to engage oneself in the loving service of the Lord. That will enable us one day to directly perceive the Absolute Truth. With our present blunt material senses we cannot perceive the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For example, with a blunt knife you cannot cut anything. You must sharpen it first; then it cuts very nicely. Similarly, to understand the Absolute Truth you must sharpen and purify your senses by engaging them in the service of the Lord. Now you cannot see God, or Krishna. But if you purify your eyes and your other senses, you will be able to see God, to hear God, to talk with God—everything. That is possible by the process of bhakti.
So Srila Prabhupada’s point is very clear – unless we perform devotional service it is not possible for us to speak to the Paramatma or listen to His instructions in our hearts. In fact when we do not heed Him, then He simply fulfills our desires to enjoy based on our karma. And He simply witnesses our foolishness. Due to the minute free will of the living entities, the Paramatma does not interfere with their choices until they take up devotional service. Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport to BG 2.22 thus:
“Although the two birds are in the same tree, the eating bird is fully engrossed with anxiety and moroseness as the enjoyer of the fruits of the tree. But if in some way or other he turns his face to his friend who is the Lord and knows His glories—at once the suffering bird becomes free from all anxieties.”
When the living entity becomes slightly devotional the Paramatma ‘speaks’ to him through the scriptures, through his guru, through the devotees or through certain actions or behaviors of others. By heeding such indicators, the living entity makes progress to performing pure devotional service where the Lord may personally speak to him.
In conclusion, the dictations of the Paramatma are only understood through devotional practices which includes guru, sadhu, and sastra whereas the dictations of the uncontrolled mind are directed at sense gratifications.
Finally there is a story regarding this which happened a few years ago in San Diego. A devotee was actively involved in Facebook. So somehow or other, he got involved with an under-aged girl on Facebook. After some time, the girl invited him to her place. He accepted the offer and went driving there. While driving there he got lost several times and many times he felt he should just give up and go back to the temple, but in his mind he wanted to meet the girl. Finally after several hours of driving and losing directions he somehow got to the destination. He knocked on the door and was invited inside. Once inside, the police immediately arrested him for under-aged child sex exploitation etc. He went to prison. The devotee later realized and understood that when he wanted to go there, there were so many signs and indications from the Lord that he should not go there but because of lust, his mind was uncontrolled, he did not heed the instructions of the Paramatma.
In all aspects of life, we really must distinguish the difference between the mind’s dictation and the indications of Paramatma!

Magic in Middle Earth (Album with photos and videos)
Kurma Dasa: Here’s some footage of Saturday’s Sadhu Sanga at the home of Ananda Hari Prabhu and Srimati Pavani devi. A record 40 devotees attended from all over Ireland, some even driving down to Wicklow from the Northern Kingdom, Ireland.
Thank you to everyone for making it such an auspicious and joyful event. The association of great souls, reading from Krishna Book, exuberant kirtan and a spectacular feast – who could ask for anything more?
Find them here: https://goo.gl/vsG768

A new Sannyasi for Iskcon.
Akincana Das is now Bhaktijivana Vrajananda Swami.
On 1st march H.G. Akincana Das took Sannyasa…Read More…

Mayapur parikrama with hundreds of devotees from Russia (Album with 293 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If you make your friendship with Krsna, that will never break. If you make your master Krsna, you’ll never be cheated. If you love Krsna as your son, He’ll never die. Similarly, if you love Krsna as your lover or husband, He will be the best husband, the best lover. There will be no divorce. That is Krsna consciousness. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 4.13-14 – New York, August 1, 1966
Find them here: https://goo.gl/E8eL11

TOVP 2017 is a presentation by TOVP Chairman, His Grace Sriman Ambarisa das, about the current progress of the TOVP construction and…Read More…

Nationalism is also enviousness!
Giriraj Swami: Today, listening to Srila Prabhupada’s talks in Juhu, I heard something that struck me as especially timely and relevant. “Krishna says advesta sarva-bhutanam: You should not be envious to any living entity. But the present civilization means to become envious. I do not wish to criticize anyone, but this enviousness is the basis … Nationalism is also enviousness. ‘Why foreigners will come here?’ This is enviousness. Why should they not come? Who is foreigner and who is national? Everyone is son of God. Why should you distinguish? But because there is no Krishna consciousness, this discrimination between man and man, man and animal—so many discriminations. Even from the national point of view, ‘national’ means anyone who is born in that country. But because one happens to be an animal, although he is a national, still, he is sent to the slaughterhouse—because there is no Krishna consciousness.”
The philosophy of Krishna consciousness is timeless—always timely and relevant. And, now perhaps more than ever, much needed.
Hare Krishna.

Indians Gear Up For The Festival Of Color, And Some Americans, Too.
Caru das said that it had always had good participation of Indian-Americans. “But when westerners started flowing in like a river, the people from India became less visible. “But we still have several hundreds of Indian Americans, if not thousands, along with 50,000 Americans who gather at the temple from Spanish Fork and other neighboring cities like Springville and Provo for the two- day festival. This, in fact, is the largest Holy festival in the United States,” Adhikari said.

To a question, he said he believes that the festival appeals to Americans because in essence there is similarity between the messages of Lord Jesus Christ and Lord Krishna. “In the western culture, Lord Jesus Christ gave two commandments— love God with all your soul, all your heart and your entire mind, and said love your neighbor like you love yourself. Lord Krishna observed the Holi festival as a way of increasing love between himself and his devotees. So, originally it’s about divine love between Radha and Krishna,” he said.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/ueugfz

Ecstasy in Christchurch, New Zealand, during the first Sunday Feast program after the earthquake (Album with photos)
During the earthquake, back in 2011, in the temple, pujari Sevananda Das had just finished offering midday arati, and several devotees were singing kirtan when intense tremors began shaking the three-foot marble deities of Sri Sri Nitai Gaurachandra violently.
Sevananda held tightly onto Them to protect Them, but Their Lordships were flung off the altar, taking Sevananda with Them. The heavy wooden altar followed, flying through the air and crashing on the ground, barely missing Sevananda.
“Lying there, dazed, I looked around,” Sevananda told ISKCON News back then. “The Deities had completely shattered, and there was an arm lying here, a foot there, a hand there. In the background, I could hear a devotee wailing, just crying out, ‘No!’ It was the most devastating experience ever.”
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Q3pM4s

Demystifying Reincarnation 1 – Incredible delusion or credible vision (video) by Chaitanya Charan Dasa.
Guest (4): Prabhupada, is it true that can a human body takes a form of a human body in the next birth?
Prabhupada: No. Krsna doesn’t say. Tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13]. You will get another body, but that does not mean human body. That will depend on your price. Just like if I say, “When your coat is old and torn, you’ll purchase another coat.” So that another coat, what kind of coat, that will depend on your price, as you are able to pay. Similarly, your activities in this life will decide what body you are going to get next life.
Guest (4): Prabhupada, that, perhaps, contradicts with the theory of reincarnation?
Prabhupada: What is that incarnation theory? You are going to get another body. That is reincarnation. Now, what kind of body you are going to get, that will depend on your work. There are 8,400,000 different types and forms of body. So you are at liberty to work. Therefore the direction is there in the Bhagavad-gita, “You work like this. Then you get the body like this.” So this is risky life. Without knowing the law of God, without knowing how nature is working, how the living entity is getting different types of body, without this knowledge, if we simply keep ourself on the business of eating, sleeping, sex and defense like cats and dogs, this is very, very risky life.
So our Krsna consciousness movement is trying to save the human society from this risky life and to understand what is God, how he can go back to home, how he can get eternal life. This is our business.

Bhagavad-gita 4.13 — Johannesburg, October 19, 1975
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/sWFMtm

Lord Krishna The best teacher.
What makes a great teacher? Teaching is one of the most complicated jobs today. It demands broad knowledge of subject matter, curriculum, and standards; enthusiasm, a caring attitude, and a love of learning; knowledge of discipline and classroom management techniques; and a desire to make a difference in the lives of young people. With all these qualities required, it’s no wonder that it’s hard to find great teachers. Lord Krishna is the best teacher the world has ever seen. Today’s teachers, professors must learn some of these qualities from this great teacher.

T teaches by example- Lord didn’t only speak the wisdom but He himself followed that. Lord is not hypocrite, He does whatever he speaks(BG 3.23). He need not to perform any actions but just for sake of teaching the world he does that. Teachers have the great responsibility to walk their talk because they are leaders or role models for innocent kids.

E expert- Lord is so expert that he converted war field into classroom. And addressed Arjuna in the midst of war. Arjuna was asking varieties of questions and without getting bewildered or confused even for a second Lord replied them so perfectly. Today’s most of the teachers lack this skill. Lord gave importance to field knowledge because life situations are not always cozy and comfortable like well furnished and air conditioned classrooms(BG 2.11 onwards).

A acknowledges the real problem- at Kurukshetra apparent problem or issue was the war between Kauravas and Pandavas but lord rather than instructing Arjuna on How to fight he instructed on why to fight. Because he realised that real problem was not a war but tussle going on in the heart of Arjuna(BG 2.3). So rather than complaining that students don’t study, tell them importance of study or try to investigate what’s the real reason?

C concerned- lord is very concerned out of compassion for all beings. Teachers of this world sometimes behave partially towards their students but Lord is impartial. He made this supreme knowledge available to all humanity through Arjuna. Whoever follows that he is promoted to next grade of spiritual level(BG 2.72).

H holistic- lord introduced holistic philosophy which was not only useful for temporary war fighting but also for living a life as a successful person. Good teachers are not only masters of their own subject but they teach student how to live a life. They guide student like Lord guided Arjuna. Arjuna became winner of the war as well as returned to eternal abode of lord after his life in this world(BG 18.78).

E eager- many times teacher gives up the hope for one who fails again and again. But we find that lord is so eager for uplifting the conditioned souls of the world that he himself comes again and again to this world or arranges for prophets or saintly beings or inspires a person from within(BG 4.7).

R ready to repeat- just after whole Gita was spoken Lord asked Arjuna, do you remember everything, are you able to digest it properly, did you get whatever I say or should I repeat the whole knowledge again(BG 18.72). Good teachers rather than getting angry at students who ask them to repeat the subject matter, they repeat it.

By Rupeshgauranga Dasa

Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk.
Bhagavad-gita describes that God is a being who manifests at different levels. Although people are not attracted to the external practice of renunciation, they are attracted to the result of renunciation, peace of mind. There are universal characteristics of God, and in Bhagavad-gita we see the personal identity of God, Krishna, who has these characteristics. In the story of the prodigal son, the word ‘prodigal’ means wasteful. When Europeans went to India, they saw the worship of many gods and assumed it was similar to pre-Christian worship of many gods as in Rome or Greece. The different gods have different responsibilities. But reading the Bhagavad-gita, it is clear there is one Supreme God.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/3Eh5p2

Anger towards children.
H G Mahatma Prabhu here writes to a devotee how to deal with children when they don’t listen and what to do when that might makes us angry..
“Nothing can make you angry if you don’t allow it.
Don’t teach your children to respond to situations with anger; teach them to respond with kindness, understanding and help. How do you teach them? You act with kindness and understanding. Your kids will be just like you. You are their acarya. What they see you doing as they are grow up tells them that this is how to live, how to respond to difficulties, etc.
Make the decision to improve and pray to Krsna for help. Understand that He will help you only if you want to be helped. Once you deeply decide to improve it will not be difficult to make changes in your attitude. You have to take the first big step. Then Krsna will do His magic in your life.
One big test for us is to be nice to those we don’t have to be nice to. Of course, we must be nice to our superiors, so we do it. But to be nice to equals or juniors is more difficult because we can more easily get away with being unkind. However, we are meant to show compassion to juniors, not anger.
Anger sometimes has its place. It can be used to teach a lesson. For example, if a lesson cannot be communicated in any other way, we may show anger so that the children know we are serious. But understand two things: when we show this kind of anger, we are not angry, and we only rarely show anger. When we only rarely show it, they know you are serious and are thus angry for a good reason. When you show anger often, they won’t take it seriously.
I hope this helps you.
Hare Krsna, Mahatma Das”

American pop artist Miley Cyrus to have a Hindu wedding.
She has often posted photos of herself reading Srila Prabhupada’s books and recently published some of her house turned into an ashram. She is now planning to get married with Vedic ritual, dressed in a sari, somewhere in Nepal.
There is a lot of talk in the media about her interest in the Vedic culture, a careful google search will reveal a lot of relative information.

Today while cleaning up the winter debris in our backyard garden, I removed a stringy pile of dead leaves from our Japanese iris. Just below this dry tangle I suddenly beheld a set of tiny, but vibrant new shoots that had eagerly poked their heads abov…

A letter of appreciation to the devotees of the Christchurch temple in New Zealand on the occasion of the inauguration of their new temple. Their original temple was destroyed in an earthquake in 2011.
Indradyumna Swami: Dear Devotees of the Christchurch yatra,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to the presiding sannyasis, His Holiness Ramai Swami and His Holiness Bhanu Swami.
I want to take this opportunity to congratulate you on the momentous re-opening of your temple. Yesterday, I watched the live streaming of the installation of Sri Sri Nitai Gauracandra, and I was deeply touched by the devotion shining in your eyes as you welcomed back your beloved deities who so sadly disappeared from your vision on that fateful day of February 22, 2011. The phoenix of a glorious temple has now arisen from the dust and ashes of that terrible tragedy; the temple has been built not only with bricks and mortar, but with your budding love for the Lord as well.
That genuine devotion, brought on by years of separation and expressed so beautifully during Sri Prahlada’s opening kirtan yesterday, reminded me of a prayer by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur in his Gitavali:
“My eyes are streaming with tears like a downpour in the rainy season and the world has become void. In Govinda’s absence my life airs no longer stay within me. Tell me how I can go on living? I have become so anxious. Still, taking shelter of harinama once again, Bhaktivinode calls out to Radha’s Lord: ‘Please show yourself to me. Please save me, or surely I will die.’”
The Lord works in mysterious ways. It’s almost as if He disappeared from your vision to increase your attachment to Him. As I continued watching the installation ceremony, I remembered another verse from Srimad Bhagavatam spoken by the Lord to a young Narada Muni. The Lord had briefly appeared to him but had then disappeared:
sakad yad darsitam rupam
etat kamaya te ‘nagha
mat-kamah sanakaih sadhu
sarvan muncati hrc-chayan
“O virtuous one, you have only once seen My person, and this is just to increase your desire for Me, because the more you hanker for Me, the more you will be freed from all material desires.” [ Srimad Bhagavatam 1.6.22 ]
Certainly your material desires were greatly diminished by working together to maintain your community in the aftermath of the earthquakes. The Lord left your vision, but never left your hearts. Now, after many long years, you once again have a place to congregate and to serve Nitai Gauracandra together. By doing so, not only will your love for the Lord increase, but your love for each other will also deepen. Please take full advantage of your great fortune and visit the new temple in every spare moment you have. In essence, the temple is your real home. Here you have an ongoing opportunity to glorify the most beautiful Gaura Nitai deities in our entire ISKCON movement.
On this special occasion it’s important to remember and glorify the great effort and sacrifice made by His Grace Ramanuja Prabhu. He has worked hard and selflessly for so many years to manifest the temple in all its glory. No doubt, this new temple is a manifestation of the love he has in his heart for Srila Prabhupada and his mission. We should all understand that without Ramanuja, this temple would not exist. Thank you Ramanuja Prabhu! And thank you to your good wife Bhaktin Carolyn who has stood by your side and supported you in your efforts for the last six years. She herself has been absolutely indispensable to the rebuilding of the temple: as a chartered accountant, she had the contacts through which you were able to secure the insurance settlement after the earthquake. The payment was uncertain for a long time, and it took her hundreds and hundreds of hours of communication and correspondence to obtain the money built this temple.
Let us also remember the pioneering efforts of Alalanath Prabhu, the first temple president in Christchurch. He planted the seeds of devotion that have now matured into the community you see before your eyes. Thank you Alalanath Prabhu! And let us not forget Laksmi Nrsimha dasi who gave her inheritance as the deposit for the Bealey Ave property on which the new temple sits.
Then there is my good friend Kalasamvara Prabhu who held the position of temple president for many years. He watered the seeds that Alalanath Prabhu planted and developed those seeds into a thriving devotee community. It was during that time that I had the good fortune to first visit the Christchurch temple. Oh the kirtans we had! The feasts we relished! And the festivals! It is all etched in my heart of hearts forever!
Many devotees are to be glorified today for their contributions over many decades: devotees like Jahnava-mata dasi, Karunika dasi, Laksmi dasi, Yasoda-dulal Prabhu, and Bhakti-rasa Prabhu who passed away in 2008 and is missed today. It is a long list and I hesitate to mention more names for fear of leaving anyone out. I will simply offer my respects to all devotees – past, present and future – who are part of the Christchurch temple.
sakala vaisnava-pade mora namaskara
ithe kichu aparadha nahuka amara
hoiyachen hoiben prabhur jato bhakta vrnda
vandana kori’ sabara charanaravinda
“I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of all Vaisnavas, praying I will not commit offences in my attempts to please them. To all Vaisnavas who have ever been, and to all Vaisnavas who will ever be, I offer my obeisances to their lotus feet.” [ The poet Devakinandana dasa ]
Due to my great misfortune I am not able to be present with all of you today. Nevertheless, by the grace of science and technology I am able to witness your great happiness and joy on this special occasion. And we all know that Srila Prabhupada is present through the transcendental medium and is showering you with his causeless mercy.
Let us always remember that the ideal worship of Gaura Nitai is to bring fallen souls back to the shelter of Their lotus feet. The ultimate purpose of the new temple therefore will be achieved when hundreds and thousands of new guests get the opportunity to behold the moon-like faces of Nitai Gauracandra over the coming years. Srila Prabhupada once said that our temples are bases for going out to preach the divine command.
Sastra states:
“Chanting the holy name constantly can purify even the most fallen sinner, and after he becomes purified, he in turn is to be counted amongst the saintly persons who can purify others by his association.” [ Brhad Naradiya Purana ]
I offer my humble obeisances to all of you! All glories to your services! All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Sri Sri Nitai Gauracandra! All glories to Giri-Govardhan!
“May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Srimati Saci-devi be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.” [ CC Adi-lila, 1.4 ]
Your Servant,
Indradyumna Swami

The beautiful Iskcon Temple in Penang (Album with photos)
Bhakti Caitanya Swami: We visited the Penang temple in Malaysia a few days ago. What a magnificent temple! The building is really beautiful, and the Deities are out of this world. A real jewel in Srila Prabhupada’s movement. Please view the photos at full screen.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/bgyeoG

TOVP: THE KALASHES ARE ARRIVING! (Album with photos)
Sadbhuja Das: This first container from Moscow had come to Kolkata Port ju…Read More…

The rise of Hinduism in Australia, will it continue?
Hinduism emerged in the 2011 Census as the fastest-growing religion in Australia, largely brought about by migration. But what will the new Census reveal? Reverend Albert Lange was disillusioned by …

The Grand Installation of Sri Sri Nitai Gaurachandra at Christchurch Hare Krishna Centre, New Zealand, 3rd Mar 2017 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Radha-Krsna. So Radha’s name is first. Why? Nobody can be better devotee than Radharani. So as soon as Radha’s name is there, Krsna is more pleased. So that is the way. So if we glorify the devotees, the character of the devotees, before the Lord, He’s more pleased than to glorify Himself, He directly. From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.11-13 – Hawaii, March 24, 1969
Find them here: https://goo.gl/uaElOM

Miracle in Mayapur! A devotee manifests a six arms form and plays 2 mridangas and a pair of kartals simultaneously while chanting Ha…Read More…

Christchurch Hare Krishna Centre, New Zealand opening 2nd March, almost ready (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If one is in full Krsna consciousness and his life is devoted to the Lord’s transcendental service, he is perfect. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 11.33
Find them here: https://goo.gl/dTnJsT

Mayapur Kirtan Mela 2017 (Album with photos)
Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ: one should go on chanting the glories of the Lord twenty-four hours a day. SB 7.9.46, Translation and Purport
Find them…