Author Archives: Dandavats.com

ISKCON Auckland NZ: New years eve Harinam (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: I am very glad to learn also that you are feeling joy while chanting the mantra Hare Krishna. Yes, it is exactly like this. If anyone chants this mantra in good faith and in simple understanding, then surely this transcendental vibration will act immediately in spiritual bliss. Please therefore continue to chant this mantra as many times as possible throughout the day and night. I do not think there is any inconvenience or loss on your part if you do so all the time. Even when you are walking, you can softly chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, or even when you are on the bus going to somewhere you can also chant. When you are working with your hands you can also chant and when you are resting or going to take rest you can also chant. Even in your toilet room while taking bath you can also chant. In this way there is no limitation or restriction for chanting this Holy Name of God, Krishna, and His Energy, Hara. In doing this business there is no loss, but there is very great gain which is transcendental realization. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: Minoru, Kenji – Los Angeles 22 April, 1970
Find them here: https://goo.gl/6s1FTn

156 Ton Bhoga at Radha Kunda! (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: Ring in the New Year with 156 tons of fruit bhoga offering at Radha Kunda on New Year’s Eve. The offering was done by Sri Balak Yogeshvar Das Maharaja! Was not nearly as crowded as I imagined and got darshan everwhere with ease. Photos thanks to Vittalrukmini Das!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/jp8uAm

Kirtan-Fest Atlanta (2016) (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Devotees who are always absorbed in thoughts of Krsna will soon see Krsna face to face without a doubt. In other words, devotees who are always engaged in Krsna consciousness and are fully absorbed in thoughts of Krsna certainly return home, back to Godhead. They then see Krsna directly, face to face, talk with Him and enjoy His company. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (4.9): tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so ‘rjuna. Because during his lifetime a pure devotee is always speaking of Krsna and engaging in His service, as soon as he gives up his body he immediately returns to Goloka Vrndavana, where Krsna is personally present. He then meets Krsna directly. This is successful human life. This is the meaning of prakateha anibe satvara: The pure devotee will soon see the personal manifestation of Lord Sri Krsna. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Madhya 13.155
Find them here: https://goo.gl/jz6vph

“Mangal sweets from the temple are better and easier to get.”
I eagerly gathered my utensils and ingredients to prepare my favourite Mangal* sweet—burfi. I couldn’t wait to offer this decadent, creamy, condensed milk fudge to the Lord on Diwali and Govardhan Puja. I boiled four litres of milk in a sturdy thick-bottomed pot and began to stir. “How hard could it be?” I thought. “After all, it’s just a matter of continuously stirring the milk and sugar until it’s reduced to a brown sticky mass.” But I was in for a surprise. One hour passed, and the milk reduced only by a fraction. Two hours passed, and I began to feel tired. Three hours trudged on, and I started looking at the clock, praying that what had become a mammoth task would soon be over. In less than four hours, my arms and legs ached. I needed to sit down. On a chair by the stove, I broke into a sweat. I called my kids, who took turns to stir. Five hours ticked by, and soon they too were sitting by the stove, moaning that they could not continue. I urged them to persevere when I saw the thickened condensed milk starting to turn into a golden gooey texture. But the end didn’t seem to come. When six hours drew closer and our patience died off, we refrigerated the slightly undercooked burfi, and eventually rolled it into balls. They tasted delicious, but my kids commented, “Mangal sweets from the temple are better and easier to get.”

“How true,” I thought, “but who are those devotees who have been making these sweets daily for the past thirty years at the temple?” I was now convinced that they couldn’t be any less than saints.

When I came to know who one of those devotees is, I wasn’t surprised. For more than twenty-five years I had observed his calm and unassuming nature, and his steady service to the Deities and devotees. Swayambhu Das, a behind-the-scenes person, is always welcoming others with a smile and generous gifts of Mangal sweets. I needed to find out what was behind his mood of unconditional service, humility, and patience. Patience—something I realize more and more that I have none of.

Patience is a hard discipline. It is not just waiting until something, which we have no control over, happens: the arrival of a late bus, the end of the rain, the return of a friend, the resolution of a conflict. Patience is not waiting passively until someone else does something. Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present, to taste the here and now, to be where we are. When we are impatient, we try to get away from where we are. We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later, and somewhere else. We forget that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand. Swayambhu clearly understands this principle; he feels that his moments in Krishna’s service are most precious. His patience comes from knowing that Krishna will be pleased. It comes from seeing Krishna’s service as a rare gift, one to relish and appreciate. After all, in the spiritual world only Lord Krishna’s most intimate devotees are privileged to serve Him in this personal way. “It is not always easy,” Swayambhu acknowledges, “but I am able to persevere by the grace of my spiritual master.” He recognizes that just as his spiritual master has given him this rare opportunity to progress in his spiritual journey, the grace of his spiritual master helps him overcome the internal struggles.

The art of cooking Mangal sweets can be compared to the art of living. We start off with plain ingredients, and with time we see the challenges of life (internal and external) boiling over and sometimes almost consuming us. If we enthusiastically persevere through the purifying process, endure with confidence knowing that the Lord is helping us, and patiently use the moment to take shelter of the Lord, the result will be sweet, saturated, condensed devotion.

For most of us to develop such devotion and patience can take a long time, but for some, like Yashoda-mayi Devi Dasi, they are inherent qualities. I was shocked to hear that this sixty-seven year-old lady has been steadily making Mangal sweets for the Deities for the last fifteen years. Yashoda-mayi sees her service as a blissful experience, a personal offering to the Lord, and a way to express her devotion. It takes her about five-and-a-half hours, not only to make burfi but also to prepare the other Mangal sweets like sandesh, rasagulla, and sweet rice. She has become expert in making all kinds of authentic Vedic sweets for Sri Sri Radha Radhanath. Her sweet countenance and blissful serving attitude are evidence that these divine virtues emanate from using our lives for Krishna. How difficult it is to be patient by our own efforts? Yashoda-mayi explains that hearing about Krishna and chanting His names before and during the cooking enables her to have the proper consciousness and focus. “The sweets come out differently every time,” she adds, “Krishna is showing us that He is a person, and that He reciprocates with our efforts. So this service can n e v e r b e boring or stagnant. My spiritual master especially presented me with brahman initiation fifteen years ago so that I could make Mangal sweets for the Deities. So I feel inspired to follow his instructions and please him.” Not many devotees are able to do this service, but those who have been part of the Mangal sweet-making crew and those who have recently joined the team, brave the challenges and experience the joys of this service. They cannot be ordinary!

If preparing Mangal sweets for the Lord is such a herculean task and is only one of the six food offerings made to the Deities every day, I wonder what it takes to arrange the myriad of other services to the Deities: sewing intricate deity outfits, creating breathtaking flower arrangements and altar decorations, stringing gorgeous flower garlands, dressing the Deities with such creativity and flair, cooking opulent dishes, organizing elaborate festivals, and other aspects of the daily worship of the Lord. It could only come from knowing and experiencing that service to God is the highest and most blissful occupation.

The Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple, itself, has been built with great sacrifice and patience. It has become the heart of our community, pumping the life of God consciousness into our diseased society, and healing it from the influences of corruption and vice. The temple re-instates the pillars of truth, non-violence, austerity, and cleanliness; and reminds us of the importance of making Krishna a part of our lives, of coming to love Him.

When that saturated love in the form of Mangal sweets enters my mouth, I feel it acting like a soothing balm. I taste its divine sweetness, recognizing that all good things, especially spiritual results, come from diligence and patience. *Mangal means “auspicious.”
Nikunja Vilasini Dasi
Hare Krishna News – Published by ISKCON Durban. Used with permission

UK-The Final Offering. Manor devotees surpassed last year’s number of SP’s books distributed during the Marathon!
Sutapa Das: We finished counting the scores yesterday evening. More to come in, but we have to stop somewhere. Nikhil prabhu and myself went to Srila Prabhupada’s darshan room to offer him the final results. In that transcendental tirtha, Mahaprabhu’s commander-in-cheif looked effulgent and absorbed, ever exuding the purity and potency which drives this movement forward. As Prabhupada glanced over each devotee’s name, I prayed for compassion, conviction and creativity. Aside from serving the preaching mission, I thought, what else is worthy of our energies? This is the family business – the best job in the world – and many devotees experienced that in the last month.

In this 2016 Marathon, the Manor devotees, as a final offering to Their Lordships and Srila Prabhupada in this 50th anniversary year, distributed… 142,402 transcendental books!

We didn’t quite reach 200k, but surpassed last year’s historic marathon by 11000 books, making it another record-breaking effort. Thanks for taking part, giving your heart, and making it a resounding success. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Results in Life’s Exams.
Q: This is my junior year in high school and like most kids in school, this has been my hardest year. The following question keeps coming back to me.
I work hard and I don’t get the results that I want. Do I beat myself up for it and get the results I want for the next time or do I just leave it up to fate? Or for example, do I plan that I want to do certain things so I get into the college of my desire or do I just leave it up to fate or Krishna’s mercy? Because I have noticed that when I don’t pay attention to the results I have no motivation to achieve and work hard.

Romapada Swami: Thanks for presenting in such a clear manner this core question, in applying the teachings of Bhagavad-gita to very practical aspects of life like your current academic studies.

Please know that this very same application principle arises in every single aspect of our lives, as we mature in age. Best to learn this principle clearly, as early in life as possible. In turn, as the complexities of life unfold before us, the very same principle can be enhanced and developed through application, step by step through the course of our lives.

Bhakti teaches us to transfer our attachments from the temporary to the eternal Supreme Person, Krishna via rendering of loving service to please and to satisfy Him.

Read B.G,9.27. Cultivate the consciousness of doing your studies in such a way that you are wanting Krishna to smile at your effort, which you are presenting as an offering to Him. When making this offering, the actual results (your grades in an exam, or your report card, or your GPA, etc.) are fully up to him. Krishna is “the ability in man.”

When you bake a cake for your mother or father or a friend on their birthday, will you pay attention to the details of how you mix the ingredients together, such that the cake looks attractive and the taste matches theirs? Will you choose a particular type of cake you know they particularly like — maybe something very different and particularly healthy perhaps? Will your endeavor be focused on getting a result which will be pleasing to and appreciated by them?

Endeavor to please Krishna in all that you do in life, including your studies.

“Beating yourself up” if the results do not meet your expectations is clearly within the lower modes of nature, and will NOT at all guarantee better grades in your next exam!

Nor does Bhakti teach that you must leave things to fate.

You have painted for yourself a false dilemma, as a result of leaving devotion to Krishna off the option list.

In life, we can always do better, yes? Next, where does ability come from? The source of everything, Krishna, is where ability to do better comes from. Next, how to best encourage Krishna to decorate you with increased ability? Answer: When Krishna sees you are striving for one purpose only, to serve and to please Him, you can expect His mercy to flow, in whatever manner or form He decides.

Think of Mother Yasoda binding Krishna. Only when Krishna extended His Kripa-Sakti were Mother Yasoda’s efforts successful in binding Krishna.

There are so many scriptural examples that teach us this very same lesson.

Bhakti teaches that your Dept is the Service Department, and Krishna’s Dept is the Results Dept. You do your services to your maximum capacity in full Krishna Consciousness, striving all the while to make the best possible offering to Krishna, while simultaneously understanding that the Results are in fact fully up to Krishna.

Cultivation of this principle in all that you do is the art of living in Krishna Consciousness.

Govardhan 26-12-16 (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: Nija nikata nivasam dehi govardhana tvam. O Govardhana! Just give me …Read More…

2017: Perform 91.25 HOURS of Intelligent Worship! Positive Intellectual Stimulation
Modern research proves that persons who engage in hobbies that involve the brain, like reading or puzzles, are less likely to fall into the grips of mental and physical disease. What to speak of the benefits we receive by reading Bhagavad Gita everyday?
‘If one reads Bhagavad-Gita very sincerely and with all seriousness,then by the grace of the Lord the reactions of his past misdeeds will not act upon him.’ (Lord Shiva to Parvatidevi, Gita-Mahatmya 2)
Age of Mass Distraction
But reading in this world is filled with distractions and isn’t always easy.We might read a few verses or even few pages and get distracted by the notifications on our phone or those news feeds on FB etc. This way we inevitably end up dragging and procrastinating our reading of Bhagavad Gita for hours, days and months.

Tailor Made Process
This procrastination leads to a development of distaste in our spiritual lives. Unless we consciously allocate time for reading, we may never read a chapter every day. Therefore the process has been simplified. All you need is 15 minutes a day to read the Sanskrit verses OR the English translations along with just ONE purport. You could do it in the morning, before bed or even during your commute t0 work/school. Whenever it is you choose, make sure you put it in your schedule and strictly adhere to it.

2017: Intelligent Worship
Lord Krishna Himself says in Bhagavad Gita, “I declare that he who studies this sacred conversation of ours worships Me by his intelligence.”(Bhagavad Gita 18.70)

Just by reading Bhagavad Gita for 15 minutes everyday, you will perform almost 91.25 hours of topmost worship of Lord Krishna for the entire year of 2017. Nothing in the world can stop you from achieving spiritual success if you sincerely, strictly, and seriously follow this practice. By this form of worship through intelligence, we can please Krishna. When He is pleased we, in turn, become blissful.

To read the entire article click here:
www.readchad.com

New Year Message By Bhakti Charu Swam.
Dear devotees,
Please accept my best wishes. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
A very happy New Year to all of you!
This celebration marks the end of the present year and entrance to the following one – our entrance to a new cycle of time. Time is like a river, continuously flowing and we all are floating in its current. In this way time takes us through childhood, boyhood, youth and old-age. When we get the human form of life, we are meant to utilize our time in developing our relationship with Krishna, our Supreme Lord and master, dear-most friend and caring father.

Time is an expansion of Balaram, the original spiritual master, whose main business is to take us to Krishna. So, let us flow through the time, especially now that we found our ultimate destination, the lotus feet of Sri Krishna. Let us have the full conviction that if we remain fixed in our goal, then someday, time will take us to that destination. And as we are floating in the current of time through different phases of life let us sing the glory of the Lord and dance in ecstasy for receiving this golden opportunity to reach our ultimate destination.

Thank you very much.

Yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada,
Bhakti Charu Swami

Winner Of Inaugural Gita Champions League (Sa) Scoops Air Tickets To India.
By : Krsangi Radhe dasi
As a special offerin…Read More…

Hare Krishnacore – An introduction to the most improbable punk subculture ever.
The Hare Krishnas are something of a cultural artifact. Tied to the peace and love flower children of the 1960s, the Krishnas seemed a cultural and spiritual outgrowth of hippies who, having experimented (or continuing to experiment) with drugs, sought some sort of enlightenment unavailable or unattainable via Western religion. In a pre-9/11 world, the Krishnas could be seen as the saffron-robed devotees selling flowers, stickers, and literature at airports (as parodied in the 1980 film Airplane!) In cities throughout the U.S. and Europe, they chanted their familiar chant, offered free vegetarian food (called “prasadam”), and carefully danced in the grey area between cult and “conventional” religion.

Since its development, several famous cultural icons have been tied the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and founder Prabhupada, including Allen Ginsberg, George Harrison, Chrissie Hynde, Boy George, KRS-One, and members of X-Ray Spex. In addition to celebrities, a group of straightedge hardcore kids from the New York area also showed a spiritual interest in the movement’s path towards enlightenment. That path is one that seeks a life of self-realization over sense gratification.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/GB69tu

My Verse of the Year.
I love to read books and especially love the practice of ‘lectio divina’ which is a slow reading of sacred literature. It’s the process of allowing the text to speak to you (so to speak) and staying with words, passages or verses that stir some feeling, some emotion. Here is the verse that I felt curiously moved by and drawn to again and again last year.
“Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings, nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.” Sri Krishna, Bhagavad-gita 2.12
I was first taken with the principle of equality found here. I can imaging Krishna in the middle of the battlefield making a sweeping gesture with his arm and saying to Arjuna, ‘Look! We are all in the same boat of eternal time. You, I, everyone – we are not going anywhere. We live forever!’ What a generous offer of connection – you, Me, the kings … any of us, all of us. It’s a verse of comfort and it’s not Krishna as God, the great controller, but Krishna inviting us into relationship.

The verse also blows our safe sense of time right out out of the water. Much as we hate and fear death, we have become conditioned to the reliability of beginnings and endings. We are strangely comfortable with time as it presents itself in this world and the notion that we cease to exist after our last breath in this body. Here that is challenged. ‘Never was there a time’ – not past, not present, not future – that we did not or will not cease to be.’ Wait, really?

Trying to grasp a sense of the eternal can be mind boggling. At times we have to say to ourselves – don’t try to understand, just stand under. Take shelter in the grand possibility of what this verse offers, the incredibly glorious idea that life comes from life and will always be alive. That we never, ever die. Then at other times, as we make spiritual progress in the task of uncovering our true self and our life in relationship with Krishna, we will begin to sense eternity and time beyond time.

This beautiful verse invites us to be in the present moment and conscious that we, the soul, are the life of the body, and are very different from the body itself. It is the platform upon which all spiritual practice must stand. If this first point is missing, the rest of the equation is off balance and forever wrong.

Well, not forever in the sense of eternal – but enough to keep us bound to this time-ruled world for a very long time, drawn to seek peace, truth, and happiness from this body instead of the soul within.

Happy New year!
Ananda Vrindavaneswari Devi Dasi

Balancing Taste And Sense Gratification.
Is it wrong to want to taste Krsna? Wouldn’t that desire be sense gratification? Shouldn’t we just serve without any personal desire? These are important questions to address.
There is a difference between taste in Krsna consciousness and sense gratification, although they can seem similar, and thus difficult to distinguish. We discuss this difference, as well as the necessity of developing the proper taste for Krsna consciousness.
Mahatma Das: The Goal is to Gratify Krsna’s Senses
What is the motive behind sense gratification? It is simply to squeeze the maximum amount of pleasure out of our senses. This is the sum and substance of material life. It is also the sum and substance of animal life.
Our senses are also gratified in Krsna consciousness, but there’s a huge difference in the motive with which we engage our senses.

When a devotee reaches higher levels of Krsna consciousness, he is not focused on what will or will not make him happy. His only thoughts are how to make Krsna, his gurus, and the devotees happy, and how to give Krsna consciousness to others. In this way, a devotee never considers his personal happiness.

There Must Be Anxiety for Krsna

Non-devotees are often in a state of anxiety thinking, “Will this work out, will that work out?” These anxieties are, of course, related to personal well-being. A devotee however, is never in a state of anxiety about his personal life. Rather, his only anxiety is whether things will work out for Krsna’s service. This is the real stress relief formula. Once you stop worrying about yourself and start worry about making guru, Krsna, and others happy, your material anxieties will be gone.

Devotees once wanted to buy a huge church in Toronto to convert to a temple. Since it was very expensive, Srila Prabhupada told them not to get it because, “You’ll be buying anxiety.” When Prabhupada later returned to Toronto, he asked the temple president if he purchased the temple. The temple president said, “No, since it is so expensive we would be buying anxiety.” Amazingly, Prabhupada strongly replied, “There must be anxiety for Krsna. Otherwise, there will simply be anxiety for sense gratification.” So all of our anxiety should be in relation to how we can best serve Krsna and help others come to Krsna consciousness.

Hanker After Pleasing Guru and Krsna

When we get a taste for Krsna, we no longer hanker for material tastes, and thus we stop being self-centered. Therefore, the intelligent question is, “How can we get a taste for Krsna?” We get a taste for Krsna by not trying to taste maya. It is only when we are hankering to please guru and Krsna, and not calculating what will or will not make us happy, that we become happy in Krsna consciousness. (This is different from considering basic needs that must be fulfilled.)

“The wonderful characteristics of the gopés are beyond imagination. They have no desire for personal satisfaction, yet when Krsna is happy by seeing them, that happiness of Krsna makes the gopis a million times more happy than Krsna Himself.” (Adi 4.187)

Sense Gratification – An Addiction

Taste is a by-product of pleasing Krsna’s senses. Therefore, we should never run away from trying to gain a genuine taste in Krsna consciousness, thinking it to be sense gratification. Taste in Krsna consciousness is very different from the taste of sense gratification. One comes as a by-product of purified senses and the other as a by-product of lust.

“This taste is the seed of devotional service, and one who is fortunate enough to have received such a seed is advised to sow it in the core of his heart.” (SB 3.2.6)

“I see that you have acquired a taste for hearing talks regarding Krsna. Therefore, you are extremely fortunate. Not only you but anyone who has awakened such a taste is considered most fortunate.” (Antya 5.9)

Tasting is the Secret of Success

taste for krsnaTaste for Krsna is juxtaposed to sense gratification. When we are hankering after sensual pleasure, or particularly when we are engaged in it, the so-called pleasure we get nullifies our senses’ ability to perceive, or desire, pleasure in Krsna consciousness. Conversely, a higher taste in Krsna consciousness nullifies the taste for sense gratification. When our taste for Krsna is strong, we will be disgusted to even think about past sense gratification. The very things that we used to hanker for, the things we used to love to do, eat, hear, talk about, see, etc., will become distasteful.

Devotees often ask me, “How will I know if I am making advancement?” You know you are advancing when material life becomes distasteful. Taste counteracts the desire for sense gratification. Thus, Srila Prabhupada tells us that taste is the “secret of success.”

Maya – The Attractive Energy of the All-Attractive

The problem is that since Krsna is all-attractive, His external energy maya, is also attractive (after all, it is His energy). Srila Prabhupada said maya means that other things become more attractive than Krsna.

I was listening to a conversation in which a devotee was telling Srila Prabhupada how some priests have girlfriends, get married, or become homosexuals. It was even common for some priests to become alcoholics. Prabhupada replied, “Yes, they must fall down because they are not getting a taste.” So without Krsna we are guaranteed to be attracted by maya, even if we don’t want to be, and even if we try hard not to be. We do not “fight maya” simply with discipline. We fight maya through the taste that engagement in Krsna consciousness gives us.

“The more the taste grows, the more one desires to render service to the Lord.” (Madhya Lila 23.12)

Anarthas Won’t Make Us Happy

We are unfortunate if we believe anything outside of Krsna consciousness will give us a taste in life. The irony is that the stage of ruci (or taste for Krsna), which gives us real happiness and pleasure, comes after material desires are given up. In other words, the material things we think will make us happy are actually the very things that prevent us from being happy.

Planting the Seed of Bhakti in Others

Srila Prabhupada once said in a letter written in January 10, 1972, “Our business is simply to plant the seed of devotional service wherever we go, and to give everyone a taste of this transcendental experience.” If people get a transcendental experience, or taste, it will be a huge faith builder for them because they will experience pleasure beyond the senses. And when people get a taste for Krsna, they will want more.

In the Caitanya Caritamrta it is said that Mahaprabhu tasted the fruits of love of God, and then distributed those fruits. “He taught everyone how to taste the transcendental mellow ecstasy of love of Krsna by tasting it Himself.” (Adi 13.39)

Purification for Taste

Taste comes by purification of the senses. Krsna is tasteful, and only purified senses can taste Krsna. In the Harinama Cintamani it is said, “When one’s heart is purified, one’s interest and taste for culturing bhakti begins.”

It is essential that we understand taste as an experience that results from relishing Krsna consciousness with purified senses, and that taste has nothing to do with material motivation. Taste is something all great devotees hanker for. Even the Lord Himself hankers for it.

“What to speak of others, even Krsna, the son of Nanda Maharaja, personally descends to taste the nectar of love of Godhead in the form of the chanting of Hare Krsna.” (Antya 3.265)

Monitoring the Taste-O-Meter

In one lecture Srila Prabhupada asked, “How do you monitor whether or not you’re becoming Krsna conscious?” His response was, “By your detachment. By your freedom from sex desire.” Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, “How do you know an advanced devotee? You know by his taste for the holy name.”

If we see ourselves becoming more inclined and attracted to Krsna, we are on the right track. However, if we see ourselves becoming more attracted to mundane things, we should understand something is wrong. So taste is a useful meter with which to monitor our advancement.

“Therefore, one’s development of a taste for executing these instructions is the test of one’s devotional service.” (Adi 1.60)

And what is the result of chanting without taste? Bhaktivinoda Thakura answers this question in the Harinama Cintamani.

“Though chanting japa daily, if his taste is elsewhere, he will show indifference to the name. His heart will not be absorbed in chanting the name but in some material object. How can that benefit him? He may chant 64 rounds counting strictly on his japa beads, but in his heart he has not received one drop of the taste of the name. This indifference or apathy towards the name is one type of inattention. In the heart of a materialist it is unavoidable.”

Riding Downhill

Ruci is compared to riding downhill because in this stage of Krsna consciousness we are motivated by a taste to serve, not by rules and regulations. Before we have a taste, we must make a constant effort to control ourselves. At the stage of ruci, such efforts are not required since our taste for Krsna is the motivating factor. As the saying goes, “It is all downhill from there.”

Don’t Run Away From Taste

If you have the idea in your mind that, “I shouldn’t want taste,” understand that we’ll always be motivated by taste. So it’s just a question of what kind of taste will motivate us. Just as material taste is drawing us closer to maya, spiritual taste is drawing us closer to Krsna.

“To taste the fruit of devotional service in Goloka Vrindavana is the highest perfection of life, and in the presence of such perfection, the four material perfections — religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation — are very insignificant achievements.” (Madhya 19.164)

We should want taste, pray for taste, and hanker for taste. We need taste.

“When one is so situated that he can taste the association of Lord Krsna, material existence, the repetition of birth and death, comes to an end.” (Madhya 20.121)

What Are You Afraid Of?

Don’t be afraid of tasting Krsna consciousness. Be afraid of enjoying Krsna consciousness. We want to serve Krsna, not enjoy Krsna. The paradox is that if we serve, we end up enjoying Krsna consciousness. Krsna consciousness is not derived from the desire to enjoy. Indeed, it is pleasure that removes the desire to enjoy.

We Are Ordered to Relish Krsna Consciousness

Perfection is to taste the nectar of Krsna consciousness.

“The nectar from the lips of Lord Krsna and His transcendental qualities and characteristics surpass the taste of the essence of all nectar, and there is no fault in tasting such nectar. If one does not taste it, he should die immediately after birth, and his tongue is to be considered no better than the tongue of a frog.” (Madhya 2.32)

Elementary Students Produce Inspirational ISKCON 50 Puppet Show.
Elementary and some secondary school students at the Govardhan Academy in Saranagati, B.C., Canada have produced an inspirational and heartfelt puppet show film of how Srila Prabhupada founded ISKCON for ISKCON’s 50th anniversary.
The forty-minute film premiered at Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s disappearance day at the Saranagati temple on December 17th, and was very well received. It is now available to view for free on Youtube, and the children’s stunning dedication, hard work and love for Prabhupada is evident in every frame.
The elementary school children, aged six to twelve, began by watching Yadubara Dasa’s DVD series “Following Srila Prabhupada” for the month before Kartik.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/niDhGj

New Perth, Australia, temple VP (Album with photos)
Ramai Swami: Brajanandana das and family are originally from Malaysia but have been living in Perth for many years.

He is now the Vice President of our temple and organizes temple and community programs.

I had the good fortune of being invited to their house for a wonderful “Malaysian” style lunch and was accompanied by co-Presidents Sita Rama Laksman and Yadu-srestha.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/B8C6gb

Ahmedabad’s 5th One-day Padayatra (Album with photos)
December 30, 2016
In honour of ISKCONS 50th anniversary, the devotees of Ahmedabad pledged to do one five-day padayatra and five one-day padayatras this year. The first five-day padayatra was held in January with Lokanath Swami attending. During the course of the year, they also completed the 4 one-day padayatras they had pledged. On December 18th, they successfully held the fifth one-day padayatra thus completing their vow. They are now planning to do these padayatras every year for the pleasure of all the vainavas and Srila Prabhupada.
By Muralimohan Dasa
Receiving blessings
On December 18th we held our last one-day padayatra. We planned the following route: we would start at the ISKCON Ahmedabad temple and travel to Ramdev Nagar, then to Prahalad Nagar, next to Railway Crossing followed by the village of Markarba, then to SG. Highway and lastly to Sarkhej Ujala Chowkdi ending the padayatra at the Bhavani temple in the village of Sarkhej. It was a 10 kilometre walk and we would reach our destination at 1:00 pm that day.

Before leaving we had kirtana in the temple premises from around 8.00 am. Jashomatinandan Dasa, who was in his room at the time, heard the kirtana and came out to meet us. Upon seeing him we garlanded him and asked for his blessings. He smiled happily and with a loud voice said, “Hari bol!” raising his left hand in the air (his right hand was on his chanting beads). We were blessed.

Ecstatic kirtana in Sarkhej Ujala Chowdi

We left the temple at 8.30 am. There were more than 90 devotees joining us with 25 to 30 of those devotees actively distributing books along the way. The rest of us conducted sankirtana while following the bullock cart carrying the deities of Sri Sri Nimai-Nitai and Srila Prabhupada. At 9.30 am we stopped and served breakfast prasadam to all the padayatris before resuming our journey. We would stop walking after every four streets so we could have ecstatic roaring kirtanas, lead by various devotees. We had an especially blissful kirtana when we reached Sarkhej Ujala Chowdi. It went on for half an hour as we delighted in chanting the ‘Hare Krishna’ maha mantra. Sarkhej Ujala Chowdi is a predominantly Muslim area and when they saw us the public began to gather, even shop owners came out of their shops to watch us. When we saw that such a nice crowd was gathering we adjusted the deities to face everyone so they could take darsana. We also distributed many books, which we sold at a discounted price in this particular area.

Maha-padayatra book scores

On this padayatra, we distributed 408 Bhagavad-gitas and 447 small books in just four and a half hours, which made this one-day padayatra seem like a maha-padayatra.By 1.00pm we reached our destination, the Bhavani temple in the village of Sarkhej. Afterwards, all the padayatris had a lunch feast and we also distributed khichadi prasadam to all the villagers. When Naradamuni Dasa reported our successful padayatra to Jashomatinandan Dasa he was very pleased and he bestowed more blessings upon us to do more padayatras.

Prasadam power

When I look back on all of the five one-day padayatras we held, I strongly believe that we were able to maintain the spirits of all the many devotees who joined us, through the sumptuous prasadam cooked. For this, we have all these wonderful, selfless serving, devotees to thank: Madhavmohini Dasi, Harimurari Dasa, Padmaradha Dasi, Sachidhuli Dasi and Bhakta Bhavesh. Other devotees who deserve special recognition for their services on padayatra are:

BhaktaRajesh Shah and his wife Bhaktin Jaishree
Harimurari Dasa and Padmaradha Dasi
Antaratma Dasa
Vamsibihari Dasa and Sadanandi Dasi
BhaktaSunil and his wife Bhaktin Rama
Bhakta Sonu Singh
Bhakta Ramchandra Kannan
Bhakta Bhavesh Joshi
Naradamuni Dasa
Madhavmohini Dasi and Rukamani for the deities sringar
Our team of devotees has also pledged to distribute five to six thousand Bhagavad-gitas for this year’s book marathon.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/bMQOyt

Wonderful Far East language book distribution throughout the UK (Album with photos)
From retired Chinese army officers to brilliant Cambridge University students, from tour operators to politicians to jolly kung-fu teachers, here’s just a few of the many fortunate souls across the UK who’ve recently received Srila Prabhupada’s books in Chinese (Japanese & Korean too)…
(In the photo: Joyful students visiting from Taiwan take the “Perfection of Yoga” and extra “Beyond Birth and Death” copies for friends.)
(Photos by Suan Mui) Find them here: https://goo.gl/Ez0Xf9

Food for Life Hungary Lights Up the Holidays for Thousands of Under-privileged Families.
During the December holiday season, …Read More…

ISKCON Malaysia: URGENT NEED FOR PRAYER
Hare Krishna.
HH Bhakti Vrajendra Nandana Maharaj is in very very critical health condition now. Kindly pray for Maharaj to Lord Narasimha Dev. After consulting all ISKCON Doctors and Maharaja’s instruction to disciples, we are taking Maharaja back to Sri Jagannath Mandir now from Seremban. Medications will be stopped and only oxygen given. Devotees are advised to come to temple and start kirtan please

Updated BBT style guide (December 2016)
Here is the most recent version of the BBT Style Guide.
BBT Style Guide, December 2016 (docx, 433 KB)
BBT Style Guide, December 2016 (pdf, 910 KB)
The Style Guide offers the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust’s latest standards on such matters as spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and word choice.
This is a routine update.
You can always find the latest version of the Style Guide on the permanent page of BBT editorial resources.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/DExemh

Warning: cooking, offering and distributing these special pakoras may bring a surge of guests to your home, temple or to wherever you may be.
During Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa Puja celebration, expert cook Sunanda Prabhu (ACBSP), told us a story about how he had prepared cauliflower pakoras for Srila Prabhupada. He had cooked them at Srila Prabhupada’s request one morning as Srila Prabhupada traveled on the Radha Damodar bus from New York to Gita Nagari, Pennsylvania. Srila Prabhupada had a chest cold and therefore wanted something hot for breakfast. Actually, he had asked for pakoras made from green chilies. But because Sunanda Prabhu couldn’t get green chilies, he made cauliflower pakoras and he used the recipe from The Hare Krsna Cookbook (published1973). Sunanda Prabhu said that he made nearly twenty pakoras and that, amazingly, Srila Prabhupada had eaten all of them!

Several senior devotees and experienced cooks, listening to Sunanda’s story on Monday, unanimously spoke out saying that the pakora recipe from The Hare Krsna Cookbook of 1973 is superb and that it has never been surpassed.

I have included the entire recipe below as it appears in the original cookbook so that you can prepare and offer these legendary pakoras to Krsna and then distribute them as prasadam.

Warning:
Cooking, offering and distributing these special pakoras may bring a surge of guests to your home, temple or to wherever you may be.

Pakora Recipe

Batter:
1 cup chickpea flour
1 t. ground cumin seed
1 t. turmeric
1 ½ t. ground coriander
½ each—allspice & cinnamon
¾ t. salt
½ t. crushed chilies
¾ t. baking powder
A little less than 1 cup water
Ghee for frying

Sift chickpea flour. Add all spices, salt and baking powder. Mix with hands until blended. Add water a little at a time to avoid lumps. Heat ghee for deep frying.

Plain pakora:
Pour a small amount (about 1 T.) into hot ghee. It will puff up into a small ball. Turn over and brown. Tap with a spoon—if it sounds hollow, it’s done. Remove with a skimmer and drain on paper towel. Fry several at a time.

Filled pakora:
Filling: thin-sliced eggplant wedges or strips, small cauliflower flowerets, green pepper strips, asparagus tips, parsley sprigs, thin rounds of zucchini or cucumber, carrot rounds or strips. Pieces should be no bigger that 2” long and they should be thin. Dip vegetables into batter and deep fry in ghee until golden. Remove and drain. The little-fried batter drips can be removed and saved for salad or peas and peanuts.

**

“Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu approved of all the methods employed in cooking and offering food to Krsna. Indeed, He was so pleased that He said, ‘Frankly, I will personally take the lotus feet of anyone who can offer Krsna such nice food and place those lotus feet on My head birth after birth.‘” (Cc Madhya 3.66)
Vaisesika Das

Safe and Easy Space Travel
One of the first books that I read by Srila Prabhupada was Easy Journey to Other Planets. At the time UFO’s were a big thing. Television programs like Star Trek, The Outer Limits and Twilight Zone were all the rage. Everyone was talking about the latest sightings of flying saucers in their part of the country. As a youngster my imagination ran wild. I used to wonder what it would be like to transfer myself to another planet or dimension. It seemed within the realm of possibility.
Over the years humankind has made numerous attempts to reach the far galaxies and try to discover what lies beyond. According to Srila Prabhupada this is quite natural. In his purport to the first verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam he states:

“It is natural that a philosophical mind wants to know about the origin of creation. At night he sees the stars in the sky, and he naturally speculates about their inhabitants. Such inquiries are natural for man because man has a developed consciousness which is higher than that of the animals.”
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.1, Purport)

Are we the only living beings in the universe? This is a nagging question that never seems to go away. As of yet we haven’t reached a definitive conclusion, but we keep on trying to find out. Perhaps we’ll never know for certain in this lifetime (or for many generations) if we rely solely on the efforts of imperfect human beings. But in the Vedic tradition there is another way of receiving knowledge – not through sense perception, but through the process of hearing from spiritual authority.
“There is a spiritual sky. There is another nature, which is beyond manifestation and nonmanifestation. But how will you know that there is a sky where the planets and inhabitants are eternal? All this knowledge is there, but how will you make experiments? It is not possible. Therefore you have to take the assistance of the Vedas. This is called Vedic knowledge.”
(Sri Isopanisad, Introduction)
Our material senses are imperfect and so anything created by our senses – including spacecraft – are also imperfect. Everything within the material atmosphere is conditional or dependent on other material arrangements. If one piece or element should fail then the entire whole is prone to collapse. Nothing here is indestructible. In the Bhagavad-gita Krishna describes this world as duhkhalayam (a place of miseries), asasvatam (temporary) and as a world of death (martyaloka).
Fuelled in part by the realization that life here is fleeting and miserable, many young people during the ‘60s and ’70s were seeking a permanent solution to life’s problems. The search for the fountain of youth was raging in full force. Eastern religions and philosophy were in vogue due to their promise of a life after death. So I distinctly recall the joy in my heart when I first laid eyes on Prabhupada’s small book, Easy Journey to Other Planets. There on the front cover was a mystic yogi immersed in trance, floating in a cornucopia of stars and planets. On the first page of the Preface, Srila Prabhupada wrote the following:
“The latest desire man has developed is the desire to travel to other planets. This is also quite natural, because he has the constitutional right to go to any part of the material or spiritual skies. Such travel is very tempting and exciting because these skies are full of unlimited globes of varying qualities, and they are occupied by all types of living entities. The desire to travel there can be fulfilled by the process of yoga, which serves as a means by which one can transfer himself to whatever planet he likes – possibly to planets where life is not only eternal and blissful, but where there are multiple varieties of enjoyable energies. Anyone who can attain the freedom of the spiritual planets need never return to this miserable land of birth, old age, disease and death.”
(Easy Journey to Other Planets, Preface)
When I read these words I knew that I had found what I was looking for. Srila Prabhupada spoke with the gravity, surety and authority which I had been seeking for so long. Star Trek was fun, but it was only guesswork and imaginative. Science fiction abounded, but it was only that – fiction. On the contrary, Srila Prabhupada represents a chain of spiritual masters which dates back thousands and even millions of years. Lord Krishna declares in the Bhagavad-gita: “I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku.” (BG 4.1) Now who can rival that? Yet surprisingly the Vedic system of interplanetary space travel doesn’t require a flight on a dangerous man-made spaceship. Neither does one have to join an exclusive club or pay a large membership fee. Srila Prabhupada explains:
“One can attain this stage of perfection very easily by his individual effort. He can simply follow, in his own home, the prescribed method of bhakti-yoga. This method, under proper guidance, is simple and enjoyable. An attempt is made herein to give information to the people in general, and to philosophers and religionists in particular, as to how one can transfer oneself to other planets by this process of bhakti-yoga – the highest of all yogic processes.”
(Easy Journey to Other Planets, Preface)
It’s interesting to note that people are still seeking answers through space travel and science fiction. Star Trek continues in one incarnation or another, and so do manned space flights regardless of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster of 2003. Man’s thirst for information about other planets and life forms is unceasing. It’s only when we discover the true source of knowledge that our imaginations will be fully satisfied. The Vedic literatures are replete with information and descriptions of other planets, both material and spiritual. Therefore it behooves us all to take advantage of such timeless wisdom and make a permanent solution to the problems of the material world. Srila Prabhupada spent his life trying to disseminate this ancient Vedic knowledge for the benefit of humankind. As a bona fide representative of Srila Vyasadeva (the original author of the Vedas), Prabhupada’s message is unadulterated and pure. His books are therefore a treasury of spiritual knowledge through which we can safely and easily satisfy our innermost longings for intergalactic space travel and timelessness.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Padmapani Das

ISKCON Nepal organized Seminar at Galaxy Public School, Gyaneswar, Kathmandu for around 600 Students of Grade 7, 8, 9 and 10 (Album …Read More…

Pray! who, me?
As aspiring devotees we should know that it is spiritual ‘best practice’ to make prayers an important part of our daily sadhana.
Of course, we are aware (but are we conscious of it?) that prayer, vandanam, is part of nine limbs of bhakti and even following a single limb perfectly can help us reach our final goal. We should also know that each pranam mantra which we speak is a prayer to Krishna, Deity, Acharaya & Guru. Being aware of the importance of power of prayers, Srila Prabhupada very much ingrained them into daily program of our society. In fact reading and meditating on our daily temple prayer’s translation alone is a most purifying and uplifting experience.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/Xs1IGj

Discipline. Discipline is the suppression of base desires, and is usually understood to be synonymous with self-control restraint and control.
If you are eager to advance in devotional service and to experience spiritual bliss, look to discipline.
Brahma, the first, and most intelligent being in the universe was advised by Sarasvati to engage in spiritual discipline by chanting the Krsna mantra. Brahma did this diligently for a long time, until Krsna was pleased with him and showed him the spiritual world.
The word discipline is related to the word disciple. “Disciple,” comes from Latin, discipulus, which means, “learner.”

And the word discipline itself derives from the Latin, disciplina, which means, “knowledge.”

It is clear that to learn, one must practice discipline.

To advance our spiritual knowledge, Krsna recommends that we submit ourselves to a spiritual master, accept training, and agree to strictly obey the disciplines he or she prescribes for us.

In the Gita, Krsna says, “Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.” (Bg. 4.34)

By carefully applying the rules my teacher gives me, I move forward. But it is I who accept and apply them. No one else can do this for me.

However, one who voluntarily applies these prescribed spiritual disciplines is soon blessed with the mercy of the Lord.

In Gita Krsna says, “But a person free from all attachment and aversion and able to control his senses through regulative principles of freedom can obtain the complete mercy of the Lord.” (Bg. 2.64)

The beginning stage of devotional service is called vaidhi bhakti, “regulated bhakti.” During this stage, I must willingly accept whatever discipline is given by the spiritual master and scripture.

In Nectar of Devotion, Srila Prabhupada writes thus about Vaidhi bhakti, “One has to follow these different regulative principles by the order of the spiritual master or on the strength of authoritative scriptures, and there can be no question of refusal. That is called, vaidhi, or regulated.” (NOD Pp. 21-22)

But, happily, this is not difficult because the practices of bhakti are never dry or unnecessarily austere. Rather, they are juicy and blissful.

For example, chanting Hare Krsna, visiting the temple to observe the arti, associating with devotees, visiting the holy dhama, honoring prasadam, hearing Srimad-bhagavatam, worshiping the Deity, and so on, are all are joyfully performed because they keep one in touch with Krsna, the reservoir of all pleasure.

There are also prohibitive austerities. For instance, the “four regulative principles” which are to give up gambling, meat eating, intoxication, and illicit sex. Observing these vows keeps one situated in the mode of goodness, the mode that empowers one to discriminate between matter and spirit. Practicing bhakti without abstaining from the four sinful behaviors is compared to trying to light a fire while pouring water on it.

But, as I vigilantly practice the bhakti disciplines, my sinful desires are burned up and the natural devotion for Krsna within my heart is awakened.

When bhakti awakens, a spontaneous desire to serve Krsna springs forth, leading one to the next stage of bhakti, devotional service in ecstasy.

In the beginning however, I must follow the rules and disciplines, even when I don’t feel like doing so. Such discipline – along with the mercy of guru and Krsna – transport one to the higher stages of devotion.

Even in an ordinary sense, there are benefits to self-discipline. Psychologist, Nathaniel Brandon, mentions one such benefit, which he calls, “your reputation with yourself.” He says, “we build up or pull down our reputation with ourselves with everything we do or fail to do.” (ETF, Tracy, p. 72)

In other words, the more I voluntarily accept beneficial disciplines, the better I feel about myself. And, incidentally, the better I feel about my self, the more I will feel empowered to practice discipline. Discipline creates an upward spiral of improvement.

One way to adopt the self-discipline habit is to start with small disciplines that you’re sure you can handle. As you taste the rewards of performing these small disciplines, you’ll be encouraged to increase them. Furthermore, the disciplines you accept in one area of your life, will positively affect the disciplines in all other areas of your life.

The best and most important discipline of all is the chanting of the holy names of Krsna.

Arrange time to chant every day and listen carefully to the mantra. Also, stay fixed in chanting a regulated number of rounds of japa every day.

Regular chanting of the holy names will not only make all other disciplines easier, it will – as the following verses express – infuse the chanter with spiritual strength and bring him or her to the perfection of life.

“Let the all-auspicious glories of the holy name, which benedicts the entire universe, be victorious. Just as when the sun rises, it dispels the ocean of darkness. In the same way, when the holy name has only slightly risen within one’s heart, all one’s sins are completely destroyed.” (Padyavali 16)

“Oh King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the way of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all, including those who are free from all material desires, those who are desirous of all material enjoyment, and those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge.” (Bhag. 2.1.11)
Vaisesika Das

Christmas Festival 2016 in San Diego, USA (Album with 98 photos)
New Govardhana Annual Prasadam Festival and 6 Hour Kirtan-On …Read More…

The Residents of Varsana (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Yesterday we visited Varsana, the eternal residence of Srimati…Read More…

TOVP Updates – By Sadbhuja Das.
View of the Demigods.
This is a panoramic view of the demigods on top of the first floor …Read More…

Iskcon Melbourne, Australia – Mega Kitchen Equipment Update (Album with photos)
Aniruddha Dasa: I was able to inspect kitchen progress on Friday with Greg, our project manager. I managed to get some shots. I’ve had such a busy weekend I couldn’t get them online till now. A lot of the equipment is in place. Not connected but you’ll get the idea.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Cv87Kn

Amazing video by the Russian devotees appealing for a Krishna Temple in Moscow ( min video)
According to the Vedas, God owns everything, not only in this universe but also in countless other universes, and in the spiritual world. But in Moscow, Krishna … has not home, has not a Temple. How so? In fact, here Krsna has already a beautiful, amazing Temple. Only time, and our efforts are separating us from it. By combining our efforts, thanks to the strong faith and friendship, we will be able to see it first hand and say, “Now, God has a house.” Please take part in the appearance of Krishna temple in Moscow!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/90ap96

Two albums of rare photos of Yamuna Devi from the beginning of the Hare Krishna movement. She is seen with her family, then with Srila Prabhupada, her early godbrothers and godsisters like Jayanananda Prabhu, Tamal Krishna Goswami, Vishnujana Swami, Mu…

Transcendental Greed.
There is one price that one must pay to get Krsna. That price is intense eagerness. This intense eagerness is called laulyam , “greed.”
In his Padyavali, Rupa Goswami has composed the following verse:
“Pure devotional service in Krsna consciousness cannot be had even by pious activity in hundreds and thousands of lives. It can be attained only by paying one price—that is, intense greed to obtain it. If bhakti is available somewhere, one must purchase it without delay.”

Here Rupa Goswami says that one must have intense greed to obtain Krsna. But he also says that one cannot get it even by performing pious activities for hundreds and thousands of lives.

In the following conversation recorded in Journey of Self Discovery (JSD), Srila Prabhupada gives the secret for obtaining this spiritual greed:

“Someone may say, ‘Oh, eagerness? I have eagerness.’ Ah-h-h… but it is not so easy. Janma-koti-sukrtair na labhyate: This eagerness cannot be achieved even by executing pious activities for millions of births. If you simply go on performing pious activities, still this eagerness is not available.

“So, this eagerness is a very important thing, but it can be awakened only by the association of devotees. Therefore we are giving everyone a chance to invoke that eagerness; then you’ll see God, face to face.” (JSD)
Vaisesika Das

My Cancer Diagnosis As Krishna’s Embrace.
It is often difficult to keep secrets, especially about one’s health, so after due consideration, I am publically sharing that after preliminary tests, secondary cancer has been discovered in a swollen lymph node in my neck. There is at least one more test in conventional medicine that could be performed—a PET or full body scan—to try to find the primary cancer. Unfortunately, I have found that just mentioning the word cancer freaks everyone out, as if this is a death sentence. However, this is not necessarily so. There are many alternative treatments with a high success rate—much better than the conventional radiation and Chemo. Although many who are reading this don’t know me personally, this could be your story just as easily, or it may already be, since in the USA, cancer strikes 1 in 2 men, and 1 in 3 women in their lifetime. In 2015, there will be an estimated 1,658,370 new cancer cases diagnosed and 589,430 cancer deaths in the US.

I don’t like to give anyone any pain or discomfort by telling them this news, but I bring it up as an educational experience for all of us and to document my travels through what may be a long journey of recovery. There is much to learn about what cancer is, what it means when it grows in the body, and what the best way to treat it is. We have found this the following site very helpful in our both our education about cancer and quest for the best treatment. http://thetruthaboutcancer.com/

At the same time, I do appreciate all the loving I am getting from my friends and families! I get the most amazing hugs and those looks of disbelief like I might disappear at any moment. If only we could all appreciate one another like this all the time!

My wife jokes that I may be partially attracting the cancer to feel such love and appreciation. Additionally, it may be a result of my daily prayers for spiritual advancement, and to gain facilities for sharing my spiritual life through writing and teaching. My friends and family are far more upset and worried than I am. In any case, I can honestly say, that “it’s all good.” Whatever happens I know it is for my ultimate spiritual benefit.

Although I don’t think it is my time to go, I have found this diagnosis an interesting meditation on death, and all the hankerings and desires in my heart. As is often my process, I take time to observe my thoughts and feelings from a 3rd person perspective, so I can learn as much as I can from my reactions or responses. Who do I really think I am—my conditioned story, or an eternal soul? How do I define myself? What are my attachments? How much do I consider myself a servant of God, or as an enjoyer of the world? Where is my faith? Where is my shelter? What is my relationship with the holy name? How much to I truly want the goal of pure devotion and love for Krishna and everything in relationship to his service? How much to I care about others? What am I willing to give, for the time I have left in my body?
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/exUqB1

GITA LIFE PROGRAM!! (Album with photos)
H.H.Bhakti Vinoda Swami conducting the Gita Life program in Sri Lanka.
Srila Prabhupada: The devotees of the Lord, while delivering speeches and describing the transcendental attributes of the Lord, do not think that they can do anything independently. They think that they can speak only what they are induced to speak by the Supreme Lord, the master of the senses… No one is free to act freely and independently, and as such, one should always seek the permission of the Lord to act or eat or speak, and by the blessing of the Lord everything done by a devotee is beyond the principles of the four defects typical of the conditioned soul.
SB 2.4.11 purp.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/gsIuyN

Always New And Fresh (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Today I took a few visiting devotees on the ultimate parikrama to Radha Kunda, Syama Kunda and Giri-Govardhan. It’s amazing how such parikramas, although performed hundreds or even thousands of times, are always new and fresh.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/SaUlJ1

Iskcon Latur Organizes A 3-Day Padayatra (Album with photos)
Sundarkrsna Dasa: Latur to Goroba Ter.
The devotees of Latur, Maharasthra, organized a three-day padayatra to celebrate ISKCON’s 50th anniversary. The padayatra took place from Latur to Ter started on October 24th and ended on October 26th. Latur is a city in the Marathwada region of Maharasthra and is popular with tourists for its historical monuments. Ter is a village located in the Osmanabad district about 50 kilometers away from Latur. The village was once home to Sant Gora Kumbhar (also known as Goroba) who was associated with the Bhakti movement and the Varkari sect[1] in Maharashtra. He was a potter by trade and a devotee of Lord Vitthal. The village is presently known as Goroba Ter. Gora Kumbhar and other saints also wrote and sung hundreds of abhangs (devotional poetry sung in praise of Lord Vitthal).

Inspiration

The padayatra was inspired by Lokanath Swami after he had spoken to us about doing one in our area. He was always sharing the experiences he had when he first started padayatra after being instructed by Srila Prabhupada. He also mentioned the ‘All India Padayatra’ as an example, and of course, whenever he spoke about that padayatra he would talk about Acarya Dasa. Lokanath Swami praised Acarya Dasa for leading the ‘All India Padayatra’ and told us to get ideas from him. So, being inspired by Lokanath Swami, we gained strength from his order much like the way trees and plants derive nourishment from the all-powerful sun.

Day 1, October 24th Murud Akola

Our small team of ISKCON Latur devotees made all the preparations for the padayatra. The procession consisted of a bullock cart carrying small deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladev, and Subhadra Maiya together with a photograph of Srila Prabhupada and 40 padayatris –also traveling with us was a vehicle carrying all our necessities.

We started the padayatra at the ISKCON Latur temple and walked to our first destination, Murud Akola, located 18 kilometers away. We walked, sang and danced the entire way and reached there that evening. Upon arriving we had sankirtana followed by a short lecture on the importance of harinam and taking up spiritual life. It was the month of kartikka, so we also sang the ‘Damodarastakam’ prayers with many of the local residents joining us in offering lamps to Lord Damodar, and since no program is complete without prasadam, we also distributed prasadam to everyone who attended. Finally, we made an announcement welcoming everyone to join us for mangal arati the next morning.

Day 2, 25 October Murud

We all gathered at 5.00 am for the morning program. We had mangal arati, nrishma arati, tulasi arati, sang the shiksatakam, recited the 10 offenses against chanting the holy names and paid our vaishnav pranams. We then set off at 6.00 am for Murud, about 20 kilometers away. As we neared Murud we did sankirtana and book distribution and when we arrived, that evening, we had another short lecture on ‘how the holy names can deliver us’. We even did a skit on Sant Gora Kumbhar followed by offering lamps to Lord Damodar and prasadam.

Day 3, 26th October Ter

On the last day of the padayatra after the morning program, we walked towards Ter the village of Gora Kumbhar located 17 kilometers away from Murud. It was ekadasi so once we reached Ter we took darsana of the temples there and then we had ekadashi prasadam. Afterward, we had sankirtana and ended with a short lecture on the character of Gorakumbhar..

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank all the devotees who made this padayatra possible, the pujaris, the kitchen department and most importantly those who participated in the padayatra from start to finish. All the padayatris were enthusiastic and courageous and everyone enjoyed the culture-combining experience. It was wonderful when devotees shared their realizations including how padayatra means taking full shelter of the Lord. So, this padayatra had indeed brought us closer to the Lord and to our Gurudev. Our goal for the future is to plan an ISKCON Latur Food for Life program once a month, on ekadashi, in Ter. We pray that Lokanath Swami may kindly bless and empower is to serve him, for whatever we accomplish he has inspired us and empowered us to do .

[1] Varkari refers to ‘pligrim’, it is a religious movement within the bhakti spiritual tradition and is associated with Indian states of Maharashtra and northern Karnataka.
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Parikrama to Nandagram 21-12-16 (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: I was very happy this day to bring my very first Temple President, Harer Nama Prabhu (ACBSP) on Parikrama to Nandagram and Vrinda Kunda. When I joined in Boulder, Colorado, Harer Nama Prabhu (in the photo) was the TP and now he’s in Vrindavan suffering from Parkinson’s. Please say a few prayers for him and now relish his visit to Ter Kadamba, Sanatan Goswami’s Bhajan Kutir, Pavana Sarovara, Nanda Bhavan, and Vrinda Kunda! Pics thanks to Vittalrukmini Das!
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Devotees Got Talent?!
Since ISKCON´s first Ratha Yatra Festival in the summer of 1967 in San Francisco, by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and their Lordships Sri Sri Jagannatha Baladeva and Subhadra devi, this festival has spread to many cities throughout the world.
We can’t give an exact number of how many cities celebrate this ancient, yet ever-fresh festival nowadays; however, it seems to be rapidly increasing year by year!
At the same time, it happens that several of the festival organizers around the world face a certain challenge every year: the stage program.

In certain areas of the world, you´ll find devotional talent-filled hotspots where there are a lot of different devotee musicians, artist, dancers, actors etc. Unfortunately, this is not the case for all areas, as there is quite a shortage of devotees in other areas, who are equipped to and would like to offer their devotion to the Lord on a stage in such a way. that it is also capturing the attention of the many guests.

We would like to offer ISKCON’s organizers and the different devotees around the world a platform where they can meet.

Join the transcendental casting show!

If you are a festival organizer looking for an artist you would like to invite to your local event or if you are an artist who is looking for an opportunity to engage his or her talents in the Lord’s service, then please join our group “Devotees Got Talent” on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1186442751450273/?fref=ts

Here you will have the opportunity to showcase your talents (i.e. in a YouTube video) to the Vaishnava world.

We sincerely hope that this small endeavor will enhance the many public presentations of Krishna consciousness around the world and support our many organizers and talented artists in their service.

ys. Syamacandra dasa & Sadasiva dasa

All India Padayatra: Book Marathon Fever – Rameshwaram
December 24, 2016 (Album with photos)
Acarya Dasa: After attending the Vraja Mandala parikrama during the month of kartika we were joined by two new padayatris, Bhakta Daniel, originally from America and Dayapar Dasa, originally from Europe. We are all very happy to have them with us and welcomed them with all our hearts in the service of Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar and Srila Prabhupada. We are currently in Rameshwaram and will stay there for the next few days.
Doubly auspicious month
The month of December is very special since we celebrate two important events during this month. The first is the sannayasa anniversary of Lokanath Swami which took place on December 6th. The second is the Bhagavad-gita marathon. Bhagavad-gita now plays an important role in our lives because of our Guru Maharaja –it is he who gave us knowledge of sastra and helped us see its significance in our lives.

Seeking blessings
On December 6th, the day of Lokanath Swami’s 41st sannyasa anniversary we made a video call to congratulate him and to seek his blessings. He said to us, “I was instructed by my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, to start and carry on padayatra –and you all are helping me in my service. In fact, I would say, you all are doing my service.” He then gave a short talk on the glories of book distribution which inspired us all. We told him that we would distribute 5000 Bhagavad-gitas, and he responded by saying we should do more. He then raised his hands, blessing us all and said, “Keep going with your sankirtana, book distribution and prasadam distribution. I am very pleased with all your seva.” After taking these words to heart we continued with our services. We distribute books regularly but during this month we enhance our book distribution for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada.

Ramanathapuram
When we reached Ramanathapuram we organized a big pandal program almost like the programs we have during our Janmastami celebrations. We had sound systems in place, lighting everywhere and prasadam distribution. Sahastranam Dasa, a disciple of Bhakti Vikas Maharaja, helped us with accommodation and the program during our time there. The city of Ramanathapuram was mostly populated by people of the Muslim and Christian traditions –thankfully we did not face any problem while there. Our program started with sankirtana, followed by katha on Gita Mahatmya and ended with prasadam distribution to more than 600 people. The next morning we came across a man who had taken a Bhagavad-gita from us the day before, at the pandal program –he was sitting and reading the Gita with rapt attention. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! We distributed 165 Bhagavad-gitas and 358 small books.
Sleeping under trees
While travelling we reached a place where we could not find accommodation. So, all of us had to stay under a tree that day. It is by the mercy of Lokanath Swami, that our entire team was happy, still maintained their enthusiasm and continued with their seva despite our situation. After a six day stay in Rameshwaram we will continue on with our journey.
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Harinaam sankirtan at Gandhi Maidan, Gaya
ISKCON Gaya devotees performed a harinaam sankirtan at Magadh book fare, Gandhi Maida…Read More…