Author Archives: Dandavats.com

Bhaktivedanta Manor – Packing away the Janmashtami festival…
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Bhaktivedanta Manor – Packing away the Janmashtami festival (Album with photos)
More than 70.000 guests visited the Manor and participated in a large variety of events who brought Lord Krishna closer into every body’s life. Bhaktivedanta Manor’s Temple President, Srutidharma prabhu, seen in this photo engaging in dismantling the temporary structures used during the festivities.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/0ZNnm4

Vrindavan: A Green Paradise! (Album with photos) Indradyumna…
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Vrindavan: A Green Paradise! (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: On our way to Tibet to circumambulate sacred Mount Kailash in two weeks, we stopped in Vrindavan to seek the Lord’s mercy and blessings. Heavy monsoon rains have turned Vraja into a veritable green paradise, especially in and around beautiful Radha kunda and Syama kunda.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/tcLp3L

Notes from a class by Krishna-kripa das. Manidhara Prabhu: It is…
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Notes from a class by Krishna-kripa das.
Manidhara Prabhu: It is the blessing of the 1960s and 1970s that people were doubting everything.
Srila Prabhupada challenged and debated with his disciples. He did not like them to accept things blindly.
When asked about to what say to Christians, Srila Prabhupada would make the point that they are not following the Bible. The Bible says ‘thou shall not kill’ but the Christians are killing so many animals.
We have answers for all questions in Krishna consciousness.
In Sweden, schools would visit the temple because they have a conception that people should be informed about everything. So we would sometimes have three schools a day. I would always ask them for questions. It was a challenge for them because they are not taught to inquire.
When people understand that we are not escapists but are providing a viable alternative, they will take it seriously.
I was talking to a lady who was suffering very much. I said to her, “Suppose you are not your body?” She was happy just to consider that. We cannot eliminate suffering but we can understand the reason for suffering, and we can elevate our consciousness so we can tolerate the suffering.
Srila Prabhupada told a paralyzed person that his condition was a blessing as another person may be in illusion thinking he can enjoy, but being paralyzed he could very soon understand this is an illusion.
Every second must be used in Krishna consciousness.
People say that I have to do this and that, and I have no time to hear about Krishna. But whatever our situation, we can try to always increase our hearing.
Srila Prabhupada said we do not need temples. We must simply create a situation for people to hear and chant of Krishna.
Taking care of cows is hard work, but it also provides facility to remember Krishna.
We have hard work in Krishna consciousness, but it is work that benefits. We are not working to produce useless products.
In Germany the philosophy is that you have to work. Why? To eat. And why to eat? So you can work.
They took people from the villages to work in the city so they could make money to go to the villages for vacation.
We go from village to village and chant Hare Krishna on padayatra. What do we do for vacation? This is our vacation.
In Slovenia devotees would use motorbikes to go to remote regions of the country. People would buy whole sets of books because they were so impressed people came to visit them. That developed into padayatra. On the padayatra, people would use bicycles to visit remotely located people, and they were so happy to encounter the devotees again.
Padayatra gets devotees together. That is an important part of it.
One devotee said I did 15 years of book distribution and 25 years of management. What can I do now? You could do padayatra. Even on wheelchairs, you could do padayatra.
The spirit of this movement is: “I got something. I should give it to others.”
We know people are not interested in philosophy. On padayatra, they see the oxen and chanting and the dancing. We give people a visual presentation, and they wonder, “What is this?”
We should not be old devotees who are sour. This means something is wrong. We are identifying with our body. Srila Prabhupada was the most old and the most poor, but he was the most ecstatic.
We have to accept Krishna consciousness as it is and share it with others.
As the Bhagavad-gita says this process is “su-sukham” (very joyful). If it is not that way for us, then we are doing something wrong.
One devotee told me that after being Srila Prabhupada’s servant for three months, he slept for three weeks.
Srila Prabhupada once said, “Don’t ask if I am sick. I am always sick.”
Srila Prabhupada was so transcendental, he extracted his own tooth once in a airplane.
A body is like a time bomb. It is just a matter of time before it will explode.
We have a padayatra calendar with photos of people enjoying our festivals. We should not lose this spirit.
We may not consider ourselves preachers, but our lifestyle is itself preaching.
My former artist friends were so shocked that I became a devotee that they began chanting Hare Krishna.
In German our opponents would have different mantras, “Get a job.” And we would come up with responses, “But I am working.”
We can practice Krishna consciousness in different situations. Our only obstacle is ourselves.
As devotees we have to be introspective and be situated properly. If we are not situated properly, if other things are there, we still will not be satisfied.
Sometimes we are so absorbed in this body, we are not aware of how to best operate this body.
As a youth I was so conscious of death that I had very few friends because no one wanted to talk about it. When I met the devotees, they would talk about death, which I appreciated. Although they talked of death, they were happy. Thus I was very curious.
Vedic culture means to be satisfied with what you have. Village life in the West was closer to Vedic culture. People had problems, but they were local problems. Previously people in general did not travel. Only the sannyasis and the brahmacaris traveled. Now we have global problems. In my own life, I experienced as I moved from the city to the village, my mind became more peaceful.
Sometimes people challenge the widespread distribution of Bhagavad-gita because Krishna says it is not for nondevotees, but we should not question Srila Prabhupada’s order.
Srila Prabhupada was proud that people could not longer identify his disciples as Americans.
Things seem to be miracles to us but they are not miracles to Krishna.
There are three types of people. Innocent people have nothing against Krishna consciousness. They simply have not heard. Then there are others who are spontaneously inimical. We tried to hide by wearing wigs, but people could identify us anyway. The German police advised people to capture Hare Krishnas. They could be identified by their bright countenance.
Krishna promises to preserve what we have and supply what we lack. What insurance company can promise that?
We have to engage our body, mind, and words in Krishna’s service.
Srila Prabhupada did not want us to tell new people about Krishna’s pastimes. We should simply explain how the soul is different than the body and about reincarnation.
It is Krishna’s mercy we do not remember all our frustration in previous lives. We would commit suicide as children otherwise. We take birth as optimistic babies.
We should give Bhagavad-gita only as far they can understand.
Once Srila Prabhupada said to a reporter, “We will not discuss God [a surprise for the reporter]. We will only talk about how we are not the body.”
Krishna spoke Bhagavad-gita on the battlefield to Arjuna, a professional soldier, while he spoke Uddhava-gita to Uddhava, a brahmana in the forest.
Sometimes people ask who forbade us to engage in intoxication, but no one forbade us. I can go into a pub and drink anytime I want, but I do not want to.
If we explain the combination of man and women is simply meant for insemination, the women understand it but the men don’t.
They are many problems caused by illicit sex, like AIDS, fear, lamentation, but how many problems are caused by celibacy? Still because people are lusty they cannot give up the habit.
After the revolution, there was propaganda against vegetarianism but not now.
When discussing vegetarianism, I offer to a meat-eater, “Here is a knife. Chase after an animal. Kill it. Take out the intestines.” But they would never do it.
In my town, there was riot, but the people would not have rioted unless they were intoxicated.
People worry how they will live without meat, but I never saw devotees dying of starvation. More likely there is the opposite problem.
We should never stop giving Krishna consciousness to others, in any circumstances, following Srila Prabhupada’s example.
We do not have to worry about renunciation. By nature’s way, as we age, we naturally become more renounced. We just have to be determined not to become more foolish.
The worries of old age and death are minimized for the devotee who has given up trying to enjoy the material world.
For the materialists to do the equivalent of padayatra would be very difficult. The people are not fully trained, they come and go, they have primitive facilities, etc.
If someone asks how do you organize ISKCON, the actual answer is no one knows. Krishna is in the heart of everyone, and He is the main manager. Krishna inspires people in the heart. If we were completely in Krishna consciousness, our activities would be completely harmonized.
I was too sick to distribute books and Bhakti Bhusana Swami invited me to travel with him. We would go door-to-door, open the door, and say, “We are here,” and we would come in and present Bhagavad-gita. People were shocked. Our tour ended in Berlin, where we had a hundred and twenty guests at the Sunday feast. There was just Maharaja, me, and two brahmacaris. We would alternate between lecture and prasadam till 4 a.m. During the year we were they there, thirteen new people became devotees due to Bhakti Bhusana Swami’s expert preaching.
Krishna consciousness is never static. If we do not endeavor, we will go backward. It starts by preaching to yourself to get up in the morning.
I lived in a temple where the temple president removed the hot water tap. This is external. We have to understand the meaning of our austerities. If we have warm feet and we can distribute more books, then it is better.
Even if people are crazy we do not hold that against them, because if they remain engaged in the practice seriously, they will ultimately attain perfection.
I was given the craziest people on my book distribution party. They would get in fights in the van, and I would alternate speeding and breaking to get them to stop.
One devotee was so crazy they told me to take him and not bring him back. He could not even chant the Hare Krishna properly. He had the good quality of being willing to hear. By distributing the books, he came to the point of being almost normal on the streets, and he could eventually chant the mantra properly.
Srila Prabhupada stressed that purity and simplicity were our qualifications.
The devotee has nothing to lose. He has lost everything already. We just have Krishna to give. Simple people can understand.
If someone begins the practice of Krishna consciousness, that is really quite high. We prepare the people for that point. That is also preaching.
People see we are not acting in the standard way, and they begin to ask questions of their own accord.
It is good we were not blackmailed in the media in Czech as we experienced in Germany.
We give people a practical alternative way to live.
Srila Prabhupada was happy seeing the next generation coming because with each succeeding generation, Krishna consciousness is more natural.
In Moravia, the devotees bought a pub and turned it into a temple. This is happening and will happen more and more.
When the switch is turned off on our technology, we will still have the cart and cows.
We have good cooks here in Czech. Srila Prabhupada liked to encourage local talent.
At the last visit to Bhaktivedanta Manor, it was guru puja, and Srila Prabhupada raised his hands indicating to speed up the kirtana, and in seconds it became most ecstatic.
Srila Prabhupada did not criticize the conditioning of his students but engaged them for their purification.
Our German book distribution party was number one, and we were told Srila Prabhupada wanted to see us. We had two groups the Nrsimha group, who were very heavy, and the Govinda group who were more peaceful.
Read more: http://goo.gl/BKxoir

Janmastami 2016 at New Govardhana, San Diego (Album with…
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Janmastami 2016 at New Govardhana, San Diego (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “For one who wants liberation from the fruitive reactions of material activities, the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, or glorification of the name, fame and pastimes of the Lord, is recommended as the most perfect process of atonement because such chanting eradicates the dirt from one’s heart completely.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.2.12).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/4zlYDd

Lion Beats Cinematography’s 11 min. movie about Krishna…
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Lion Beats Cinematography’s 11 min. movie about Krishna Janamastmi 2016 @ ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple of Auckland, New Zealand.
Srila Prabhupada: Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat: even a little devotional service can save one from the greatest danger. Devotional service, which begins with chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is so powerful that even if one falls down, he can be saved from all calamities if he somehow or other chants the holy name of the Lord. This is the extraordinary power of the Lord’s holy name. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.1.63 Purport).
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/Lp4Ji1

Villaggio Hare Krishna, North Italy, Special Krishna Janmastami…
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Villaggio Hare Krishna, North Italy, Special Krishna Janmastami 2016 & Srila Prabhupada Vyas Puja (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The process of chanting the holy name of the Lord is always superbly effective, but it is especially effective in this age of Kali. All the great authorities of bhakti-yoga recommend the devotional process beginning with the chanting of the holy name of Krishna (tan-nama-grahanadibhih). (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.1.21 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/JqSAn0

Janmastami 2016 – Goloka Dhama Germany, Temple of Sri Sri Radha…
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Janmastami 2016 – Goloka Dhama Germany, Temple of Sri Sri Radha Madana Mohana (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “My heart is always burning in the fire of material existence, and I have made no provisions for getting out of it. The only remedy is hari-nama-sankirtana, the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, which is imported from the spiritual world, Goloka-Vrndavana. How unfortunate I am that I have no attraction for this. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 5.1.22 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/RksFBl

BBT Art History – video presentation given in Los Angeles…
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BBT Art History – video presentation given in Los Angeles 8-26-2016.
Bharadraja Prabhu, one of the first artists who joined Iskcon, narrates how the Art Departement of Iskcon begun. This BBT Art team illustrated all of Srila Prabhupada’s books, created dioramas, museums etc. Srila Prabhupada called their paintings as “Windows to the Spiritual World”
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/083oXK

Harinama and Janmashtami celebration in Vienna, Austria (Album…
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Harinama and Janmashtami celebration in Vienna, Austria (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Vedic scriptures say: “Even if one distributes ten million cows in charity during an eclipse of the sun, lives at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuma for millions of years, or gives a mountain of gold in sacrifice to the brahmanas, he does not earn one hundredth part of the merit derived from chanting Hare Krishna.” (Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 3.79 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/cvHWno

Iskcon of Silicon Valley – Janmashtami – 2016 (Album with…
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Iskcon of Silicon Valley – Janmashtami – 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Hare Krishna mantra is specifically mentioned in many Upanisads, such as the Kali-santarana Upanishad, where it is said: “After searching through al the Vedic literature, one cannot find a method of religion more sublime for this age than the chanting of Hare Krishna.” (Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 3.40 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/XoeEGQ

Krsna Janmastami and Srila Prabhupada Vyasa Puja in Lagos,…
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Krsna Janmastami and Srila Prabhupada Vyasa Puja in Lagos, Nigeria (Album with photos)
Kavicandra Swami: It was very nice!
Surely not gigantic like in UK or New Dwaraka, but everything is relative. We had many local Nigerian and devotees and new guests. Many devotees stayed for the night and mangal arotika for Vyasa Puja was very crowded.
Kirtans in Africans are always high energy and this time was very sweet, altho often TOO loud for me.
Many devotees worked at decorating and cooking. Nigeria is in the midst of a serious economic crisis. It is an interesting place. Although the climate is tropical there are hardly any flowers around. The roads are “inconceivable”. I should have filmed a bit while we traveled cross country, but there was always bouncing and jerking so I did not get to it.
I find the children in Africa to be especially sweet.. They love kirtan and are very simple. They cannot afford all kinds of sense gratification and really take shelter of the holy names.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/SWRbZ1

Ekadashi recipes (playlist of brief video-recipes)
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Ekadashi recipes (playlist of brief video-recipes)
Srila Prabhupada: Because we live in the temples of Radha-Krishna and continuously hold hari-nama-sankirtana – the chanting of Hare Krishna – we consequently live in Vrndavana and nowhere else. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 16.281 Purport).
Watch them here: https://goo.gl/JmHZJE

Prabhupada’s Appearance celebration in Iskcon New…
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Prabhupada’s Appearance celebration in Iskcon New Govardhana (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: There is a need of a clue as to how humanity can become one in peace, friendship and prosperity with a common cause. Srimad-Bhagavatam will fill this need, for it is a cultural presentation for the respiritualization of the entire human society. Delhi, December 15, 1962.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/lfTtsR

Devotees pay Homage to Srila Prabhupada in ISKCON. Indiatoday:…
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Devotees pay Homage to Srila Prabhupada in ISKCON.
Indiatoday: Glittering lights, melodious chanting of Hare Krishna maha mantra by several devotees transformed the auditorium of Prabhupada Samadhi Mandir at ISKCON Mayapur in Nadia district into a transcendental world even as rich tributes poured in from all over the world in the form of messages including President of India Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minster Narendra Modi and UK PM Theresa May.
“I pay my humble tribute to the contributions of AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad who incorporated ISKCON in 1966 and whose teachings continue to resonate in the hearts of Krishna devotees all over the world even today,” President Mukherjee said in his message.
PM Modi has congratulated ISKCON and written “journey has been manifestation of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam integration core of philosophy”.
May in her message mentioned, “For fifty years since its foundation by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, the men and women behind ISKCON have dedicated their lives to the words of Lord Krishna to achieve peace and unity.”
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/HAuaER

Krishna Janmashtami Special: ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple,…
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Krishna Janmashtami Special: ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple, Chennai.
My favourite part in the temple is the walls which are adorned with the mesmerising paintings of Lord Shree Krishna and all His adorable pastimes. Since we are celebrating His birthday, Krishna Janmashtami today, I thought of presenting those paintings with a few Quotes from The Bhagavad Geeta.
Life can seem tough or confusing sometimes and you don’t really understand the way, but through the vast treasure chest of knowledge and guidance He left us in the form of the sacred Bhagavad Geeta, one realises that making a way through anything is well within our grasp and very much possible. Collecting these quotes today inspired me, I hope they will do the same for you too.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/Nu3i2N

ISKCON Temples all over the world celebrated Janmashtami, the…
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ISKCON Temples all over the world celebrated Janmashtami, the 5243rd “birth” of Lord Krishna, on 25th August 2016. Radha Krishna Deties in ISKCON Radha Gopinath Temple – Girgaum Chowpatty were wearing the opulent gold hand embroidered dress of zardosi on pure silken velvets in royal Colours inspired by the six opulence’s of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna during the day time .The night dress was completely hand woven by the weavers in Varanasi / Banaras in pure silks and gold Zari ,with intricate ornamental designs. Jaya Sri Krishna!

As Vasudeva-suta, Krsna performs pastimes that, for the most…
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As Vasudeva-suta, Krsna performs pastimes that, for the most part, prominently review His power and opulence, while as Nanda-suta He performs only humanlike pastimes that prominently reveal His sweetness. Vasudeva-suta’s lila is clothed in opulence while decorated with sweetness, like an opulent mirror decorated with an attractive picture. By contrast, Nanda-suta’s lila is clothed in sweetness while decorated in opulence, like a beautifully painted stage curtain decorated at the bottom with a row of opulent mirrors. Both these forms of Krsna are oceans of nectar, but the form of Krsna in Vraja is the most absolutely perfect.
(from Gopiparanandhana’s comments to Sri Laghu-bhagavatamrta)

MayapurTV: ISKCON’s biggest ever TV broadcast for the…
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MayapurTV: ISKCON’s biggest ever TV broadcast for the ISKCON 50th Anniversary!
This video shown to over twenty million viewers on satellite to promote the MayapurTV broadcast (the animation was done by talented Russian devotees): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6wJo6YKF_o
Around the world at Janmashtami time, many temples such as Mumbai and Vrindavan, as well as dedicated individuals like Ramanuja prabhu and others, make a special effort to reach the public through TV broadcast. By their efforts many millions of people have been included in various ISKCON temple Janmashtami celebrations.
Joining in this world effort by many devotees, this Janmashtami MayapurTV is experiencing the biggest ISKCON live TV broadcast – live simultaneously on: Airtel, Tata Sky, Dish TV and Videocon (all satellite broadcasts) as well as reaching their usual several million viewers in West Bengal Cable TV. Not to forget the devotee viewers on Mayapur.tv from around the world – who fund MayapurTV activity and to whom the credit for this surely must be given.
Hare Krishna

JOY of DEVOTION – Srila Prabhupada in Montreal
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JOY of DEVOTION – Srila Prabhupada in Montreal: SEPT. 4-5
In honor of the 50th Anniversary of ISKCON, the Montreal Temple is inviting all devotees and members of our world-wide ISKCON Vaisnava Sangha to please come join us in a very historic gathering. We are hosting a Grand All-Canadian Festival this coming Sept. 2 to 5, with a two-part festival.
Firstly, on Sept. 2-3, in the Complexe Desjardins, a very prestigious downtown venue, will be held a special cultural Expo: Journey to the Heart of India, which will present the salient features of India’s ancient Vedic culture, and highlight Srila Prabhupada as India’s greatest modern spiritual ambassador, with the abundant spiritual legacy he gave to all mankind.
The second part of the celebrations will be at our temple on Sept.4-5, with the special theme: Joy of Devotion -Srila Prabhupada in Montreal. Our main focus is in fact Srila Prabhupada’s famous summer-long stay in Montreal from June to late August 1968. And we are hosting our guests of honor Guru Das, Malati, Suresvara and Srutirupa. The first two devotees were personally trained by Srila Prabhupada in the art fo kirtan before he famously sent the 3 couples off to conquer England and the rest of Europe with the glorious waves of Harinam.