Author Archives: Dandavats.com

Happiness and Ourselves.
THE WALKING MONK – Bhaktimarga Swami: This is my last full day in Canada, on a break-of-sorts, before I depart for America to reconvene the US Walk. It does get exciting knowing I’ll be on the road again. It’s when I’m on that road, that I’m the happiest and when I get the best rest. Yes, I had to say that insomnia hit again – now that I’m not in full regimen. I’m sure if a survey is done, you will find a good amount of people are not happy due to many reasons, one of them being economics- or lack of it. But many folks are unhappy with too much wealth, too!
I did do some research about happiness. It was interesting to find some stats about happiness. For instance, an article from a UK paper, The Huffington Post, maintained by author, Kathyrn Snowdon, found that religious people from all different faiths are happier than those who have ‘no religion.’ Of all the faiths in the UK, Hindus are the happiest, scoring well above the average and just under the demographic of people who consider themselves to be ‘in very good health’ according to data compiled by the Office for National Statistics.
Christians of all denominations were the second happiest, followed by Sikhs and Buddhists.
In a TED Talk with Matt Killingsworth, it was revealed that if you want to be happier then you ‘stay in the moment.’
Gallup had interviewed more than a million Americans since 2008, enough to map out happiness. And no surprise; on a state-wide level, Hawaii heads the top ten. But this isn’t about good weather, because Wyoming, North Dakota, Alaska, and Colorado are next. No southern state made the list.
Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, never conducted a survey on the topic of happiness, but he had proved that those who gave up bad habits and took to chanting became quite satisfied.
“Chant and be happy!” he used to say.
May the Source be with you!

The publication Suddha-Nama Bhajan by Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami is now available as a book and for online reading.
Suddha-N…

June 12. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Prabhupada in the Summer.
The summer of 1966 moved along, and Prabhupada kept good health. For him these were happy days. New Yorkers complained of the summer heat waves, but this caused no inconvenience to one accustomed to the 100-degree-plus temperatures of Vrindavana’s blazing summers. “It is like India,” he said, as he went without a shirt, seeming relaxed and at home. He had thought that in America he would have to subsist on boiled potatoes (otherwise there would be nothing but meat), but here he was happily eating the same rice, dal and capatis, and cooking on the same three-stacked cooker as in India. Work on the Srimad-Bhagavatam had also gone on regularly since he had moved into the Second Avenue apartment. And now Krishna was bringing these sincere young men who were cooking, typing, hearing him regularly, chanting Hare Krishna, and asking for more.
Prabhupada was still a solitary preacher, free to stay or go, writing his books in his own intimate relationship with Krishna – quite independent of the boys in the storefront. But now he had taken the International Society for Krishna Consciousness as his spiritual child. The inquiring young men, some of whom had already been chanting steadily for over a month, were like stumbling spiritual infants, and he felt responsible for guiding them. They were beginning to consider him their spiritual master, trusting him to lead them into spiritual life. Although they were unable to immediately follow the multifarious rules that brahmanas and Vaisnavas in India followed, he was hopeful. According to Rupa Gosvami the most important principle was that one should “somehow or other” become Krishna conscious. People should chant Hare Krishna and render devotional service. They should engage whatever they had in the service of Krishna. And Prabhupada was exercising this basic principle of Krishna consciousness to the furthest limit the history of Vaisnavism had ever seen.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=9

IS VEDIC SHASTRA OUTDATED ?
Are Vedic texts or shastra antiquated and irrelevant, incompatible with modern life ? Is shastra weakened by the influence of time ?

BHAKTI-YOGA & COWS
A) SAMBANDHA JNANA & cow protection:
goṣvan ga yavasadina (Srimad Bhagavatam, 11.11.43)
I can be worshiped within the cows by offerings of grass and other suitable grains and paraphernalia for the pleasure and health of the cows,
(How can this be called as being related to Sambandha-jnana? Because, “Bhakti-yoga that is performed for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord Vasudeva brings about detachment from all things unrelated to Him and gives rise to pure knowledge that is free from any motive for liberation and directed exclusively towards the attainment of Him” Srimad Bhagavatam, 1.2.7)
B) ABHIDHEYA & cow protection:
(I) Gomata – a partner in Vaidhi-sadhana-bhakti:
(a) 10th principle of Vaidhi-sadhana-bhakti (Bhakti Rasamṛta Sindhu,1.2.110_:
aṣvattha tulasi dhatri go bhumis sura vaiṣṇavaḥ
pujitaḥ praṇataḥ dhyataḥ kṣapayanti nṛṇam agham
In the Skanda Puraṇa it is directed that a devotee should offer water to the tulasi plant and Amalaka trees. He should offer respect to the cows and to the brahmaṇas and should serve the Vaiṣṇavas by offering them respectful obeisances and meditating upon them. All of these processes will help the devotee to diminish the reactions to his past sinful activities.
(b) Srimad Bhagavatam, Go-seva:
uktam bhagavatam nityam kṛtam ca hari cintanam
tulasi poṣaṇam caiva dhenunam sevanam samam
Reciting Srimad Bhagavatam daily, remembering Lord Hari constantly, nourishing the tulasi plant, protecting and caring for the cows, are all equally beneficial (because these acts are pleasing to Kṛṣṇa) (Bhagavata mahatmya, verse 40).
© Daivi-sampat qualitites imbibed due to association of mother cow
dhairyam
dhṛtisca santisca puṣṭirvṛddhiḥ tathaiva ca
smrtirmedha tatha lajja vapuḥ kirtistathaiva ca
vidya santirmatiscaiva santatiḥ parama tatha
yatra gavastatra lakṣmiḥ sankhyadharmasca sasvataḥ
(Varaha Puraṇa, 206.34-35)
By associating with the cows, by serving the cows and by consuming milk and milk products, it is said that one will be endowed with fearlessness, tolerance, peacefulness, strength, sharp memory, intelligence, shyness to act irreligiously, humility, health, fame, knowledge and progeny. Wherever there are cows, there is all prosperity and eternal spiritual knowledge.
(d) Dasyam (of sadhana bhakti) and cow protection:
karma svabhavikam bhadram (Bhakti Rasamṛta Sindhu, 1.2.185)
To follow svabhava-karma (Daiva varṇasrama dharma) for pleasure of Kṛṣṇa. Varṇa-samanya-dharma (common dharma for all is ‘cow protection’ and ‘growing food’ (meaning, not for trade but for self-sufficiency. Trade is exclusive domain of mercantile class)
kṛṣistu sarva varṇanam
samanyo dharma ucyate
kṛṣrbhṛtiḥ pasupalyam sarveṣam
na niṣidhyate
Agriculture and cow protection are common duty for all the varNAs and they are not prohibited for anyone (Vṛddha Harita Smṛti)
(II) Gomata – a partner in Raganuga sadhana bhakti
tat-prapty-utkaṅṭayam ekadaṣi-janmaṣṭi-karttika-vrata-bhoga-tyagadini tapo-rupaṇi tathasvattha-tulasy-adi-sammananadini tad-bhavanukulany eva
The observance of Ekadasi, Janmaṣṭami, Kartikka vrata as well as the renunciation of sense pleasures and other austerities, offering respect to tulasi, the banyan tree, cows etc.; all of these activities executed with eagerness for attaining one’s most cherishable relationship with the Desired Object, because they are helpful and favourably disposed towards the attainment of this bhava are called bhavanukula sadhana (Bhakti Rasamṛta Sindhu Bindu, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarthi Ṭhakura)
A devotee may be desiring to associate with the Personality of Godhead as His cowherd friend. He will want to serve the Lord by assisting Him in controlling the cows in the pasturing ground. This may appear to be a desire to enjoy the company of the Lord, but actually it is spontaneous love, serving Him by assisting in managing the transcendental cows (Srila Prabhupada, Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 15)
(III) Gomata – a partner in Bhava-bhakti
Impetus (Uddipana) – “Uddipana-vibhava to bhava bhakti
ye kṛṣṇas smarayanti te uddipana vibhava
Refers to all those things which stimulate remembrance of Sri Kṛṣṇa such as His dress and ornaments, the spring season, the bank of the Yamuna, forest groves, cows, peacocks, and so on.” (Srila Visvanatha Cakravarthi Ṭhakura, Bhakti Rasamṛta Sindhu Bindu)
C) PRAYOJANA & cow protection:
(IV) Gomata – a partner in Prema-bhakti
Santa-rasa and cows:
(a) Impetus for santa-rasa and cows:
parvata-saila-kananadi-vasi-jana-san
ga-siddha-ksetradayaḥ uddipana-vibhavaḥ
To live in pure and natural atmosphere devoid of crowded congestion of cities. Such places are known as vivikta-desa full of trees and natural surroundings (just like forests of Vrindavan).
(Of with course cows in such peaceful living. After all, that is how great rṣis lived in the past).
Cows gave pleasure to Sri Kṛṣṇa in Santa-rasa (Hence worthy of our service):
The land, the grass, the trees, the plants, fruits, or the cows in the transcendental world are supposed to be situated in the santa-rasa. As spiritual beings, they are all conscious of Kṛṣṇa, but they prefer to appreciate Kṛṣṇa’s greatness remaining as they are (Srila Prabhupada, Letter to Rupanuga, 12 Mar, 1968).
(b) Impetus for Dasya-rasa and cows:
Reverential affection to see Kṛṣṇa as a cowherd boy:
“When will that glorious day in my life come when it will be possible for me to go to the bank of the Yamuna and see Lord Kṛṣṇa playing there as a cowherd boy?”
© Impetus (Vibhava) and Anubhava in Sakhya-rasa and cows:
“ Kṛṣṇa going into the forest to tend the cows” is an impetus for saakhya-rasa.
vrndaraṇye samastat surabhiṇi surabhivṛndarakṣavihari (Bhakti Rasamṛta Sindhu, 3.3.66)
Anubhava symptom in sakhya-rasa and cows:
puras tairyatrikam
tasya gavaṁ sambhalanakriyaḥ
“Helping Kṛṣṇa herd His cows” (Bhakti Rasamṛta Sindhu, 3.3.95)
(d) Vatsalya-rasa and cows
According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Ṭhakura the cows loved Lord Kṛṣṇa in vatsalya-rasa, or the love of parents for a child, because the cows were always supplying milk to Kṛṣṇa.
Impetus for vatsalya-rasa and cows/calves:
vatsarakṣa vrajarbhyeṇa (Bhakti Rasamṛta Sindhu, 3.4.32)
Kṛṣṇa protecting and herding calves in the forests, is an impetus for Vatsalya-rasa.
(e) Impetus for Madhurya rasa and cows:
The impetuses of conjugal love are Kṛṣṇa and His very dear consorts, such as Radharaṇi and Her immediate associates (who are all gopis, or cowherd women).
“Dear Kṛṣṇa, what woman in all the three worlds wouldn’t deviate from religious behavior when bewildered by the sweet, drawn-out melody of Your flute? Your beauty makes all three worlds auspicious. Indeed, even the cows, birds, trees and deer manifest the ecstatic symptom of bodily hair standing on end when they see Your beautiful form.” (Srimad Bhagavatam, 10.29.40)
“When one gopi perfectly imitated how Kṛṣṇa would call the cows who had wandered far away, how He would play His flute and how He would engage in various sports, the others congratulated her with exclamations of “Well done! Well done!” (Srimad Bhagavatam, 10.30.18)
“Your lotus feet destroy the past sins of all embodied souls who surrender to them. Those feet follow after the cows in the pastures and are the eternal abode of the goddess of fortune. Since You once put those feet on the hoods of the great serpent Kaliya, please place them upon our breasts and tear away the lust in our hearts”. (Srimad Bhagavatam, 10.31.7)
“Dear master, dear lover, when You leave the cowherd village to herd the cows, our minds are disturbed with the thought that Your feet, more beautiful than a lotus, will be pricked by the spiked husks of grain and the rough grass and plants” (Srimad Bhagavatam, 10.31.11)
D) Tending cows – natural occupation of Kṛṣṇa in Goloka Vṛndavana
cintamaṇi-prakara-sadmaṣu kalpavṛkṣa-
lakṣavṛteṣu surabhir abhipalayantam
lakṣmi-sahasra-ṣata-sambhrama-sevyamanam
govindam adi-puruṣam tam aham bhajami
“Lord Kṛṣṇa is situated in a spiritual abode made of transcendental gems. In that abode he is surrounded by millions of desire fulfilling trees (kalpa-vṛkṣa), and he takes pleasure in tending the divine cows. He is always being served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of devotees. To that Supreme Lord, who is always trying to satisfy the senses of the cows, and who is the original person, I offer my worship.”
Brahma-samhita
Of course not touching about Karma-kanda, Jsana-kanda and cows.
Bharat Chandra Dasa, Date: 7/06/2016

Ratha Yatra at Cooly Rocks, Australia, 11 June 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If we simply place ourselves at the l…

HH Radhanath Swami gifted his latest book “The Journey Within” to UK Prime Minister Mr. David Cameron yesterday at the Bhaktivedanta Manor, near London.

Prime Minister David Cameron at Bhaktivedanta Manor (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: The Prime Minister of England, Mr. David Cameron, was ISKCON’s special guest yesterday at a groundbreaking ceremony for a large new complex on the property. He began his talk to a prestigious crowd of dignitaries and devotees with a resounding, “Hare Krishna!“ and went on to congratulate ISKCON by praising Srila Prabhupada on his creation of a “global mission.” It was a great milestone in the history of the British Yatra.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/zMSN94

Chant, chant, chant! Harinama in Sydney, Australia (Album with photos)
The 14th consecutive Harinama! 14 nights of pure nectar…

The Story of Dasati.
Bhakti Bhringa Govinda Swami: I recently heard a story about a guru and disciple relationship. The Guru was Ramanuja Acarya and he had one disciple his name was Dasati. This Dasati, after Ramanuja, he was probably the greatest scholar in the whole world. He was really a wonderful-wonderful vaisnava. And he knew, he really-really knew the Vedas nicely. So one day he went to Ramanuja Acarya and he said: “Guru Maharaja, I would like for you to explain me Krishna’s final statement in the Bhagavad Gita.” That statement is:
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
Krishna says we should abandon everything that we have and surrender to Him. So he said: “Guru Maharaja, please explain to me all the internal and esoteric meanings of this verse.”
And Ramanuja said: “Actually, I’m not qualified to describe this. But I know in one village there is this very old saint, and he knows so much, go there and serve him”. So Dasati followed Ramanuja’s instructions, he went there and he found this very old and saintly sadhu in the village. And he served him so faithfully. He did everything for the sadhu.
And finally one day that saintly sadhu looked at Dasati and said: “Maharaja, you’ve been serving me so nicely! What can I do for you?” So he said “Please explain to me all the meanings of this verse from Bhagavad Gita”. And that sadhu looked up and said “For me to even say something to you would be totally foolish, you know so much more than myself, therefore all that I can say is go back and serve Ramanuja”. So he went back to the place where Ramanuja was.
Just at that time one lady from a far village came to see Ramanuja. She was from a brahman family. And she had just gotten married into a family and she said: “Ramanuja, these people that I married into their family, they treat me like a slave. They expect me to cook all the food, wash all the pots, and wash all the clothes, and keep the house clean and the worst thing is that the well is at least 3 kilometrs from the house. And they expect me to go and collect the water also. It’s too much for me. And they always abuse me and they speak badly to me and I just don’t know what to do”.
Ramanuja said “Well, it’s easy. You need to get a servant to carry the water and do the cooking.”
Just at that time Dasati arrived, and Ramanuja said “He can go with you as a servant, he can carry the water and do the cooking”. And without saying anything Dasati just went with that lady.
And every day he started doing all the cooking, carrying all the water, cleaning everything, and the people in the house would abuse him and they didn’t even know that next after Ramanuja he was the greatest scholar in the whole world.
That went on for about 8 months. And then one day one great-great scholar came to that town and he was giving a lecture on Bhagavad Gita. And this scholar he was a horrible impersonalist. And he was saying such things in his lectures like “God has no form”, “God has no senses”, “God is only unmanifested Brahman”. And everybody from the [indistinct] went to hear this lecture. And Dasati was given permission by the family to go and listen. And Dasati was becoming crazy listening to this impersonalist speak.
So finally the man finished his lecture and Dasati said: “Sir, you have said that God is impersonal. But actually this is foolishness.” This man looked at Dasati “If you know is correct then you establish the truth”. Dasati immediately stood up and very elaborately established how Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to all the Vedic understandings.
And all the people of the town were looking at this person and they were saying “Who is this?” and the man on the platform was saying “You’re just a water-carrier! You’re just the cook! What do you know about Veda? What do you know about the truth?”
And Dasati spoke – everyone was amazed. And the man came off his platform and on the spot he surrendered to the feet of Dasati. And Dasati went back to the house to cook and collect water.
Then finally the word got out that this was Dasati. And Dasati had defeated that great Mayavadi and people went to Ramanuja and they told him how Dasati had defeated this Mayavadi. But what Dasati was doing was just He was carrying water and cooking for some karmis. And he was happy doing that.
They said “Maybe we should bring Dasati back to You”. At that point Ramanuja said “No-no, I will go to Dasati”. And so he went there and Dasati saw his Guru Maharaja come and he was in so much ecstasy, he fell down and embraced the lotus feet of his spiritual master. And he [Ramanuja Acarya] said “Now let us go back to Sri Rangam”. And there on the way he walked alone with Dasati, he said:
Now I will explain to you the meaning of verse 18.66 from Bhagavad Gita, because you have shown that truly you are a prideless person. You have shown that you are not attached to the concept of being the greatest scholar in the world.
You have shown that you are not attached to the concept of being such a great sanyasi. You have shown that you are not attached to the concept of being a temple president. You have shown that you are not attached to the concept of being a GBC. You have shown that you are not attached to the concept of being the best harmonium player. Or the best camera person. You see. You have shown that you are not attached to all these things.
“You have shown that you are just attached to following the instructions that you receive from Your spiritual master. Therefore you are qualified to understand Bhagavad Gita.”
So this is the natural relationship between a disciple and the spiritual master.
A disciple should follow the instructions of the spiritual master. Very happily, just like Dasati, who could go carry water and cook. You see. It was very easy for him to do. You see.
So we should look at ourselves – are these things easy for us to do? To chant 16 rounds. To follow 4 principles. To read Prabhupada’s books. To conduct our affairs in just the way affairs are conducted in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. You see. To dress the way that we dress in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Some people can’t even dress properly. See. To eat the way we’re supposed to eat, to eat Krishna prasadam.
So basically a disciple means one who follows. And remember the example of Dasati. He would follow so much that even though he was the greatest-greatest of all Vedic scholars he could just go and carry water for karmis.
Initiation talk from “Lectures 2007-2008” [00:00:00-00:16:57]
Sri Vrindavan Dham farm, Kazakhstan

June 11. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Satsvarupa dasa Brahamacari – A Poem from 1966.
On Going (from the Storefront) into the Street.
Lord Vishnu, guard this boy as he goes out
or if You want me to die today, take me.
I can’t fall in the street or be crushed or stabbed.
That can only happen to the body.
Let me chant the Lord’s Holy Names
at the end and right now.
And here is my identity
in case no one knows,
a disciple of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.
Tell him I was on an errand for him.
But I don’t want this to happen.
I am only beginning to learn bhakti
and my heart and brainstuff is dirty.
I’m going out now, Lord Vishnu,
and I pray to stay within You.
All glories to You and to those devotees
like Swamiji and Narada and Vyasadeva,
who tell us how to join with Krishna
in the eternal blissful world.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=9

Harinam at Thompson Square Park, 50 years after Srila Prabhupada sat there and performed Harinam in the west for the first time.
One of the Park’s most prominent features is its collection of venerable American elm (Ulmus americana) trees. One elm in particular, located next to the semi-circular arrangement of benches in the park’s center, is important to adherents of the Hare Krishna religion. After coming to the United States in September, 1965, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896–1977), the Indian spiritual leader, founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in New York. He worked from a storefront on nearby Second Avenue that he used as the Society’s American headquarters. Prabhupada and his disciples gathered in Tompkins Square Park in the fall of 1966 to introduce the East Village to the group’s distinctive 16-word mantra:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
On October 9, 1966, Prabhupada and his followers sat beneath this tree and held the first outdoor chanting session outside of India. Participants chanted for two hours as they danced and played cymbals, tambourines, and other percussive instruments; the event is recognized as the founding of the Hare Krishna religion in the United States. Prabhupada’s diverse group that day included Beat poet Allen Ginsberg (1926–1997). Krishna adherents continue to return to the tree to acknowledge its significance.

Preaching program in Russia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: One has to continue chanting the Hare Krishna mantra and prea…

What’s Your Vow?
Ananda Vrindavana Devi Dasi: Being austere is not highly regarded in contemporary culture. We over eat, oversleep, over mate, and over defend. The concept of having less or doing less is something that may be admired from a distance but generally not considered so welcome when it’s closer to home.
In yoga teachings, austerity is considered the wealth of those who seek self-realization and an understanding of how to discover our love for Krishna. Wealth. Think about that for a moment. Who does not want wealth? However, this wealth is all about the things that money can’t buy. Austerity, when done properly, brings a veritable treasure – wisdom, an opening of the heart, feelings of love for Krishna and an understanding of everything around us!
Vows are part of the practice of austerity and the Kartik month, which started yesterday, is considered the best month of the year to take a vow. Depending on who we are and where we live, our vows will be shaped. Many go to Vrindavan India for this month and practice austerities like eating once a day, chanting 64 rounds on japa beads, or walking without shoes to Krishna’s sacred places.
For us here in the comfortable USA we can choose vows that work for us (not a good idea to go barefoot to the office :). It can be a small thing that we do for Krishna every day, for one month, but it should stretch us. We should feel the pinch a little bit and in that struggle, the offering becomes sweeter.
We don’t have to tell anyone our vow, although it is helpful to have a ‘vow buddy’ whom we can lean on. The mind loves to take down vows so we may need a support group 🙂
Here are some ideas to get us started. Do something. Our life will be all the better for it.
give up sweets
chant 4 extra rounds
read 10 Gita verses a day
do a daily act of charity
give away a book about Krishna every day
don’t criticize others
don’t complain
take a cold shower
do menial service
do what no one else wants to do
give up TV
give up Starbucks
sleep on the floor
join the outdoor kirtan on the weekends
become a monthly donor
skip a meal
give up chocolate
be a vegetarian
drop caffeine
drop alcohol
give 50% of your income away for that month
only take ahimsa milk
offer a ghee lamp every day to Krishna
sing the Kartik prayer
don’t watch the news
pray more, speak less
love more, hate less
live more, give more, and be more

Love of an Indian Mother.
Mohini Madhavi devi dasi: Trembling voice; moving train; eyes seemingly will be showered with tears; feeling of a warm hand and compassionate glance;
Glance of a loving Mother!
My friend Nilam, her sister Nisha, their mother and I were going in the train to the station. It was time when I visited Mumbai for the first time.
I was studying in Mysore. But on the first vacation I decided to visit one of the world famous Temples – Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Mandir in Girgaun, Mumbai. Temple is famous not because of its wealth but because of wonderful congregation. Place where Devotees take care of each other so nicely. Where big, big persons, industrialist, the wealthiest personalities do menial services like washing pots and collecting shoes of guests; where big or small you are, no matter what, you are accepted and loved equally…
It was the place where I meet my friends Nilam and Nisha and then they invited me to stay at their small, rented room.
Room was so small that when 4-5 people lie down room gets filled up. But still family was so kind. Father and younger brother slept on the top roof of the room so that girls could sleep down. It was a small room like place above that small room. It is a traditional room in a crowded Mumbai with millions of people. They had tiny room but ocean like hearts!
First evening they cooked puran puri, rice, dhal, and chapatti and offered me Prasadam on a banana leaf. They taught me how to eat the food; telling me what should be taken first, second and last.
In this way I stayed with them for few days. My vacation came to an end. I had to leave Mumbai.
The last day I went to the Temple and wanted to spend some more time there and directly leave to the station. Nilam was with me. She was taking me to the station. On the way we meet her mother and sister Nisha. Then we sat on a city train. Nisha brought out a huge plastic box out of mango sweets. But that was filled up with some food. She handed me the box and told that it was cooked by her mother especially for my long trip to Mysore.
I was touched with their care and said that there was no need; I could buy some fruits on the way. Nisha told ‘no, no. Journey is so long. You will be hungry. So my mom did not sleep at night but made this especially for you.’
She continued: ‘it is a rice papad. She could not find rice flour late evening so had to buy rice and make flour out of that herself. Then she fried all these papads in ghee.’ ‘So she made it for you, please take!’
I did not eat rice, plus fired rice for over 5-6 years. But in order to accept her love I accepted it to make her happy. But that was external.
From within I felt so much of her love, care that while all we were sitting tears flow from my eyes. Nisha’s mother noticed it and immediately came up to me and embraced me. My voice was chocking I could not speak for a while. Later I told that my own mom would never ever cook for us when we go to school. Of course she was a working lady of a Soviet Union time when everyone was starving with no food and money.
But still, I grew up wanting and yearning for the food from the hand of my mom; which never ever used to happen. So our lunch used to be a piece of Russian bread and margarine applied on it.
But here I saw and felt so much of motherly love. She did not sleep for whole night, doing all that flour out of rice and then frying them one by one; and it was not for her own kids but for someone whom they know only for few days.
While saying all these I continued crying. Tears were flowing from my eyes. Mother started worried herself, started to dry my tears with her hand saying something in Hindi followed by ‘Aree, aree!’
It was the time when I meet a true Mother. Indian Mother! Loving and caring Mother!
It says that Mother is a first guru to a child. So by her examples mother teaches her kids. And the best education is not that we know much; not that we can earn much;
But the best education is when we gain good qualities! We learn lovingly to take care of others!

On behalf of the World Holy Name Week Committee, I am honored to share with you some information and resources regarding World Holy Name Week 2016.
Dates: 28th July – 14th August
28th July is the lunar calendar date of The Incorporation of ISKCON in New York.
14th August is the solar calendar date of Srila Prabhupada’s first historic Harinam Sankirtan in Washington Square Park, New York City, USA.
Download Posters in PDF:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bw7fh3dQppfARE0wRVZOM0RJQWc/view?usp=sharing
Download Posters in CDR (you can modify with Coral Draw Program)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bw7fh3dQppfAeVdsd0pLeVZnb1E/view?usp=sharing
Your servant,
Ekalavya Das
Secretary – World Holy Name Week

Krishna In The Heart Of London (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: As we held a beautiful and colorful initiation ceremony in our temple, just off Oxford Street in the heart of London, the city awoke to a beautiful warm summer morning. Radha London Isvara’s blessings seemed to be present everywhere. [Photos by Ananta Vrindavan dasa]
Find them here: https://goo.gl/E9M1Ep

June 10. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Can a Pure Devotee Have Personal Preferences?
The first time I encountered this question was in 1966. Devotees were taking lunch prasadam with Srila Prabhupada one day when a young, rather unsubmissive man came into the Swami’s apartment for lunch. I remember that Prabhupada was sprinkling hot sauce on his meal. This young man asked Prabhupada why he was eating this sauce. He replied that he liked it.
The young man became doubtful when Prabhupada said that. He said something to the effect: “You use hot sauce just because you like it? You mean there’s no special spiritual significance?” The young man looked around at us as if to show that he had caught Srila Prabhupada in some relative position, or as if he had defeated him in a debate. I remember thinking that this man’s attitude was ridiculous and offensive, but I also saw the point he was trying to make.
Is Prabhupada’s sprinkling of hot sauce on his meal in this category? Is he doing it for his own sense gratification? Who can know Prabhupada’s inner meditation when he sprinkled that sauce? Also, Vaisnavas are not extreme tyagis. They do not have to prove their devotion by sprinkling ashes on their food or not eating at all. They accept Krishna’s mercy in the form of prasadam. What is the harm if they add seasonings to their food? Prabhupada himself ate very simply. He was elderly and ate things that stimulated his digestion.
His preferences were expressions of Krishna consciousness to us. We were always intrigued and happy to find out the little things that Prabhupada liked. It brought us closer to him. It taught us how to serve him better. In fact, an expert disciple was one who knew exactly how Prabhupada liked his room to be arranged, how to cook for him, how to arrange his schedule, and so on. Even today, the more things you know about how Prabhupada conducted things, the more qualified you to serve in ISKCON.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=9

TOVP: Cast Iron Grill Work.
Here is a finished ‘mock-up’ of the cast-iron grill design, made by our new CNC machine.
By hand, this would have taken more than a month to complete (without the precision), while by machine it only took 8 hours, (with perfect alignment).
So this machine is really a “God-sent”! It will be duplicated on the other side, so both sides will be exactly the same.
1 piece will weigh around 200 kgs. The next step is to make molds for casting.

A visit to New Godruma Dhama, Lanchang, Malaysia. (Album with photos)
Every year when the Sugam Karnatica organises their annual children farm retreat, I thank and appreciate the kids who have to be up early in morning and be on a one and a half hours 118KM ride. And as soon as they arrive at our farm they are to actively participate in bhajan, hearing Krishna pastimes, tree planting activities, farm walk, bathing cows, making dung patties etc. Seems tiring. Yet they come back every year. So I guess there must be some excitement. Otherwise why come back? But for most other city dwellers, farms and cows are simply not too exciting. Not important. Not urgent. For many parents and teachers, childhood and teenage times are simply too precious that to be spending time with mother nature and mother cows. In any case our city supermarkets are providing the necessary fruit, vegetables and milk. So what is the need to go see cows and be with nature? This selfishness is not uncommon nowadays. The Srimad Bhagavatam and all Vedic scriptures will never compromise stating the need to serve mother nature and cows. This is real knowledge.
Credit goes for the Sugam Karnatica group organisers, parents and teachers for not only encouraging their kids to come to the farm but to be also with them all through the day retreat. This year they even got the children to be dressed green, simply attractive. Without the teachers and responsible elders these children will be deprived of the exposure to farms and cows. These experiences actually build goodness in personalities. The number of video clips posted in the facebook depicting the loving affection between cows, animals and children are increasing. It is a sure sign that cows and nature have an important part in our lives, especially our children. In many countries it is becoming a trend that families and friends get out of the cities during holidays and spend their times with mother nature and ahimsa farms.
The Srimad- Bhagavatam describes in detail how Lord Krishna takes the cows and calves every morning to graze on the pastures of Govardhana Hill. There are hundreds of thousands of cows at the palace of Nanda Maharaja (Lord Krishna’s father), and each cow has her own name. Whenever Lord Krishna plays His flute and calls the cows by name, the cows, intelligent and affectionate, come running toward Him.
The Vedic literature enjoins us to satisfy the needs of the cows daily (with food, shelter, and so on) before we satisfy our own needs. This is how Aryans—civilized persons—should serve the cows.
Worshiping the cows: The Vedic scripture states that all the demigods and demigoddesses reside in the body of a cow. This explains why the body of a cow is divine and holy. If we worship Mother Cow, we attain the same material benefits we’d get by worshiping the demigods and demi-goddesses individually. The Garuda Purana says that anyone who has even once worshiped Mother Cow will be saved after death from the great suffering of hell (Naraka). Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, gave more importance to the worship of the cows than to the worship of the king of the demigods, Indra. Therefore in India even today many millions of pious Vedic followers worship Mother Cow at least once a year on Govardhana Puja day.
Protecting the cows: If we accept the cow as our mother, she deserves our veneration and love. And we should protect her from all dangers. In Vedic times it was the duty of everyone, especially kings, to protect the cows at all cost.
If you have some influence over children and youths, and more so parents, please take your time to talk to them and encourage them about farm activities during holidays. Please write to simheswara@zoho.com or just give me a call at 012-3798743 or to our farm manager Gopesa Govinda prabhu at 016-527 4001 to schedule farm visits. We will do our best to serve you. Thank you.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/0VwkTk

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, known for her devotion to Lord Krishna, welcomed India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the U.S Capitol. As part of a select committee of lawmakers that welcomed and escorted the Prime Minister to the House Floor, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard thanked the Prime Minister for his commitment to strengthening the U.S.-India friendship, which will help us grow our economies, strengthen our security partnership in the fight against terrorism, and pursue other areas of common ground. Following the Prime Minister’s address to Congress, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard released the following statement:
“Prime Minister Modi began his visit to the United States by meeting with President Obama, where they recommitted themselves to strengthening the U.S.-India partnership. President Obama said in 2014 that our friendship with India is the defining partnership of the 21st century. The Prime Minister’s fourth visit to the United States in just two years signifies just how important the burgeoning relationship between our countries is as we continue to address the many challenges that face our nations today—strengthening our economies, promoting renewable clean energy, protecting our planet, improving cyber security, and combating terrorism.
“As the world’s oldest and largest democracies, the United States and India have long shared many mutual goals of peace, stability, and economic growth. Prime Minister Modi highlighted the progress our countries have made by partnering in business, national security, and renewable energy. U.S. bilateral trade with India has grown to nearly $100 billion over 15 years—a nearly five-fold increase—and India trades more with the U.S. today than with any other country. Similarly, India remains one of our strongest partners in the region in the fight against terrorism. India conducts more security-related exercises with the U.S. than any other country.
“As we look to the potential that lies ahead, the commitment of our countries to grow and strengthen our ties is critical as we work together towards furthering our shared values and interests.“
Yesterday, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard joined Members of Congress, U.S. Government Officials, Members of the Indian Government, and top U.S. and Indian business leaders to welcome Prime Minister Modi at the U.S. India Business Council’s (USIBC) 41st Annual Leadership Summit.
In December 2014, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard visited India at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi to promote U.S. and Hawaii interests. During her visit, the congresswoman travelled to seven major Indian cities, and met with the Prime Minister and other government and defense officials, business leaders, among others. During her visit, the congresswoman also advocated for the development of a sister-state partnership between Goa and Hawaiʻi, which was adopted by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature in April 2016.

Another “transcendental time bomb” explodes and generates its benevolent effects.
Vijaya Dasa: On my way to take prasada at a devotee’s house, I asked him how he joined. This is what he had to say:
“When I was seventeen, I started asking the big questions about life and reading books on philosophy. My father observed this and told me that he’d gotten a book ten years ago from the Hare Krsnas — it was in the attic. So I went up there and found the Bhagavad Gita, very dusty. I brought it down to my room, wiped off the dust, and started reading it. I was thinking it was from another dimension, the most amazing book I’d ever read. Then I moved to Czech Republic. While in Czech I met a devotee, and he distributed to me the abridged version of the Lilamrta. When I read that, that was it — I just wanted to be a devotee. So I found out where the temple was and joined. A year later I asked my father where he got the Gita. He said he had worked as a carpenter and the devotees hired him to build a stage for a festival. After the job was finished they gave him a Bhagavad Gita. He put it in the attic and it was collecting dust for ten years. Like a transcendental time bomb, it was ticking away waiting to explode when I picked it up.” When I went back to Ukraine to visit my father I told him about what I had read in the Bhagavad Gita. He liked what he heard and also started chanting 16 rounds.
Another devotee in Czech got a book somehow. His kitchen table was not properly balanced so he put the Science of Self Realization under the leg to make the table level. It was under a table leg for eleven years until he was moving to another place. When he picked up the book, he read the cover and thought that it sounded interesting. So he read it, and he is now a brahmacari in the temple in Brno.
The moral is: Just get the books out, because we don’t know how, when, or where Krsna’s mystic directions are going to change people’s heart and bring them to Krsna.
Your servant,
Vijaya Dasa

Highlights from a class and other notes from the diary of a travelling sadhaka.
Kripamoya Prabhu: One disciple asked Srila Prabhupada, “I am right in assuming that although your first organization was called ‘League of Devotees’ that you in fact were the only member?”
Srila Prabhupada laughed, and said, “You are right. I was the only one.”
If I fainted from the heat in Delhi, if I were gored by a bull, and if no one joined the institution I created, I would have given up, but not Srila Prabhupada. If I got two heart attacks on the ship, I would have given up.
It is not that Srila Prabhupada did not suffer. The glory of Srila Prabhupada that he did what he did despite the difficulties.
No one really came to Krishna consciousness because they like institutions.
Many people like Srila Prabhupada, but fewer like Srila Prabhupada’s organization.
The village, the company, and the extended family are natural divisions. Cities are an invention by wealthy capitalists.
When I joined ISKCON there were about forty people. Yet for six years, my world was four people traveling in a van and selling books.
I was at a meeting of about eighteen people, and Prabhupada was talking about book distribution. He began by looking at everyone in the room and then said, “Thank you very much for helping me spread my mission.”
I would say that 95% of our members are nice devotees, and let us say, the multi-colored patchwork history we have had, are due to other 5%.
Prabhupada made Kirtanananda a swami and sent him to preach in London, and instead of going to London, he went to New York and preached his own brand of Krishna consciousness without sikhas and without robes.
Srila Prabhupada considered, “If ISKCON fails, I want my books always in print, so that it can be recreated by those who read my books.” Thus Bhaktivedanta Book Trust was separately incorporated.
The British aristocracy was the object of the preaching of the Gaudiya Matha whereas Srila Prabhupada preached to confused young people.
Srila Prabhupada encouraged everyone to practice bhakti – men, women, everyone.
Iggy Pop was one of the first people to buy a set of Srimad-Bhagavatams directly from Srila Prabhupada’s hands.
Srila Prabhupada was attractive to all kinds of people, although he remained unchanged. [He did not have to present himself differently to attract a variety of people.]
Many devotees say that they felt that Srila Prabhupada had all the time in the world for them. We should at least try to make people feel we have all the time in the world for them. One reason is Srila Prabhupada realized we should not lose people.
If Prabhupada was angry with someone, when he was finished dealing with that person, and he dealt with someone else, he was free from anger and dealt with that next person according to his relationship with him.
When Srila Prabhupada came to the Manor for the last time, he treated his disciples with great affection instead of being the stern founder-acarya.
In 1992 we set up a Sannyasa Ministry to analyze the chance of devotees remaining celibate for life. Since then we have had only one or two minor issues with sannyasis.
In communist times about 28 devotees were lost to the communists, who tortured and killed them.
The devotees have the land permissions and the money to build a temple in Moscow, but the Church and Mafia are in cahoots to keep them from building a temple for twenty years. Still, in Russia we have festivals with 14,000 people.
We have our first Eskimo devotee now in Yellowknife in Northern Canada from getting a book and reading it.
In the early days in Dublin, the magistrate charged the devotees with two things:
1. Making noise in public.
2. Being dressed in such a way as to frighten the public.
In Australia someone from Time-Life joined ISKCON. He said, “I can change your image overnight.” He created a magazine showing the best of Hare Krishna with happy children and kangaroos, and we printed 1.5 million and we inserted them into Sunday papers, etc. And it did change our image overnight. We ended up having a preaching center for every million people, fourteen million people and fourteen preaching centers.
In ISKCON, there has been a great influx of people but there is also an outflux of people. Why? We have not done two things that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to do:
1. Look after people.
2. Develop living situations where people can live.
Our success depends on how we can retain our members.
Be real. Keep track of the people you meet. One vicar told me that he spends most of his time looking after his members. There is one lady I looked after for twenty-two years before she took initiation.
I have left ISKCON many times. But then I would wake up the next morning and decide to carry on. The reasons I am staying now are different from those when I was seventeen.
You will be judged by how many people you looked after in your life.
Try and look after people, about twenty. Have a few friends. Do not tell them what to do. Just be their friends. Have two or three people looking after you.
From a lecture called “The Reluctant Preacher”:
If no one speaks to strangers, then the movement will not move.
I was absolutely convinced that the world would be saved by 1979. But it did not happen, so I postponed it to 1985.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses would predict the end of the world, and then, when it would not come, without any embarrassment, they would update it.
We are good at broadcasting our message through book distribution and harinama.
A farmer has to cultivate and have scarecrows to scare away those who nibble away the seedlings. We are lacking in these.
Many a slip twixt cup and lip.
We have remote gurus and disciples, and people are lacking in systematic education.
Often we lose devotees three or four years after initiation. We are so used to people coming and going, we are not too concerned about it.
Anyone committed to this movement should take a vow to let no one drift away.
One follower of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura drifted away. Bhaktisiddhanta inquired about that devotee. The other devotees said he had disappeared. They were planning to open a temple, but Bhaktisiddhanta refused to open the temple until they found that devotee. They looked all over Madras and found him in the back of a watchmaker’s shop. They explained that Bhaktisiddhanta did not want to open the temple until he returned. The devotee was so touched by his guru’s concern that he never again left.
Preaching is to exhort someone to a higher level of spiritual and moral behavior.
The ritualization of spiritual emotion should keep pace with our actual development of real spiritual emotions, otherwise it seems artificial and people are only willing to do it for so long.
One lady wrote a book about compassion and how to develop it because it is there in all religions and this society does not teach it but just the opposite.
The sannyasa danda is an emblem of compassion and is just the opposite of the selfie stick, which increases ego.
The glue that keeps society together is compassion.
I did not join the Hare Krishna movement but began living with some ex-hippies on a Beatles estate.
Even if we are “faking it till we make it,” if we allow ourselves to used as instruments of compassion, the Lord will work through us.
We are a religion that requires a high commitment of faith. This has to be developed gradually.
Krishna consciousness is beyond all religious designations. We are coming with a transcendental message, that we are transcendental and our transcendental nature can be experienced through transcendental sound vibration.
I had a friend who had a Ph.D. in physics and a spiritual urge. He took the train from England to Japan, and spent months in three Buddhists monasteries which all left him dissatisfied. He returned to London, but despondent. He prayed to God, “You know that I do not think you exist, but if do you exist, give me a sign.” The next day, he met the devotees, and he was attracted. They said he could come stay in their temple. He had great conviction because the Lord fulfilled his prayer, and he convinced many people to become devotees.
Whether you feel it or not, you do it because it is the guru’s order.
It takes a long time to bring one to Krishna consciousness.
One person encountered Hare Krishna when she was working at “Top of the Pops” when the devotees were on the show in 1969. Just recently she became a devotee.
We must become willing to extend ourselves to at least ten people. Write their names down and never forget them.
The individual reaching out with compassion is the Krishna consciousness movement.
We have to establish connection with people so they become new members.
We have to care for the people who become new members.
Q (by Radhika Nagara Prabhu): So many of our members have left. Should we do something to help them?
A: Srila Prabhupada would always want us to make some endeavor to bring them back. There is an attrition rate because people have different needs, and we are not always expert in meeting people’s needs as they go through their stages of life. Krishna recognizes the changing needs and created varnasrama. Prabhupada found that people would come and eat in our restaurants, but not our temples. Then we had 100 temples, and he said we had enough temples, and he said we should start doing more restaurants.
About 50% of interested people actually come to meetings. Some people just do not like meetings, but they like the practice.
In 1934, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura set up a system with 18 sannyasis, then some maha-upadesikas, looking after upadesikas, and each of those looking after group of devotees.
The real question is “Who is helping you in your spiritual life?” It is not “Who is your guru?” Everyone should have someone looking after his spiritual welfare. Without guidance, there is no impetus for movement.
People join groups because they get something they need, and they leave groups because do not get what they need.
When ISKCON meets the needs of a family man, such as residence and education for children, we will retain many more people.
Srila Prabhupada said in a purport in Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, “Right now the future devotees of the Krishna consciousness movement are living in every town and village, and it is up to the present members to find them.”
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/hFzl2n

New Govinda’s Restaurant in OSAKA (a large port city and commercial center on the Japanese island of Honshu) (Album with photos)
Kavicandra Swami: Ananda Murti dasi and her husband Siddartha Prabhu opened their 2nd restaurant today. Many happy customers came.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/CQlYcn

KSL TV and radio in Utah, USA: Eight Reasons People Move To Utah: “Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple & Festival of Colors” prominently mentioned: https://goo.gl/MpdHZV
“…Utah even hosts one of the biggest Holi festivals in the world at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple, where over 70,000 people join together to dance, hug and throw colors in the air during a weekend of pure joy.”

Thoughts about family, friends, country, nation while chanting?
Visnujana: How will it be possible, Prabhupada, for a man whose mind is clouded to constantly chant Hare Krsna? A man who’s always thinking thoughts about family, friends, country, nation?
Prabhupada: Yes. Think of. At the same time, chant. Two things will go on, and this will conquer. (chuckling) As maya is forcing you to drag you from this Krsna consciousness, you also force maya by chanting Hare Krsna. There is fight. And maya will go away.
This maya is very strong. She’ll force you to entice you to other path. But if you do not stop, if you chant loudly…
Just like Haridasa Thakura was chanting, and maya could not victimize him. You know that? What was his stand? Simply chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Maya could not entice. Maya failed. Maya became his disciple. He did not become maya’s disciple.
This is tug of war. So don’t be afraid of maya. Simply enhance chanting and you’ll be conqueror. That’s all. Narayana-parah sarve na kutascana bibhyati [SB 6.17.28]. We are not afraid of maya because Krsna is there. Yes. Krsna says, kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati [Bg. 9.31]. You just declare, “My devotee will never be vanquished by maya.” Maya cannot do anything. Simply you have to become strong. And what is that strength? Chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, loudly.

Iskcon 50Th Anniversary Festival @ 26 Second Ave, New York
Sunday, June 5. (Album with photos)
In May of 1966, Srila Prabhupada, with the help of just two followers, rented a storefront in New York’s Lower East Side – at 26 Second Avenue. In July of 1966, Srila Prabhupada incorporated his beloved institution, ISKCON, with headquarters at this storefront.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/S5wLhq

June 9. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Satsvarupa Brahmacari, 1966 C.c. Notes Continued: Principal Incarnations.
Lord Caitanya is describing the principal incarnations. Swamiji said there is a list in Srimad-Bhagwatam. Lord Buddha is there: “Do not think Hindus have disregard for Lord Buddha or Lord Jesus Christ. They have all regard. Anyone who comes as a representative of God or powerful incarnation, they are welcome.” They speak differently from Vedic conclusions due to time, place, and persons. They are powerful incarnations.
So Krishna is on this list, and He is like the original candle. Swamiji said, “I have several times mentioned in this room” (he has said before that Krishna is like the original candle).
All incarnations are parts, or parts of the parts, but Krishna is the original. He protects Indra from his enemies. Indra is like the heavenly king. There is the concept of Satan. When there is Satanic influence over the devotees and the demigods, then Krishna comes. When religion is low, and the laws are disobeyed, He comes.
A layman can’t make up religion. God comes and He gives dharma. If people make it up nowadays, that is not real religion.
Days end with kirtan, dancing in a circle with other devotees before Swamiji. That cleanses me of all dirt accumulated during the day. Not just during the day, but for many lifetimes. I believe this because I can feel it.
I’ve got Swamiji’s manuscript to type. I’m fortunate! Ready to work for him at the welfare office on East 5th Street.
Swamiji has allowed me to convert my energy from material to spiritual. O creative spirit of devotional life, please let me serve the Lord and the Lord’s pure devotee. Swamiji, I don’t know anything but what you teach. You are kind to us. I am a fool of false ego. But you say I can learn Bhagwad-gita.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=9

Harinama in Hungary (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In this age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational cha…

Harinama in Vladivostok, Russia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: A girl is married to a husband. She’s hankering after a child. If she thinks, “Now I am married, I must have immediately a child.” Is it possible? Just have patience. Become a faithful wife, serve your husband and let your love grow up, and because you are husband and wife, it is sure you’ll have children. But don’t be impatient. Similarly, when you are in Krishna Consciousness, your perfection is guaranteed. But have patience, determination. “I must execute. I should not be impatient.” That impatience is due to loss of determination. And how that loss determination is there? Due to excessive sex life. Los Angeles, February 17, 1969
Find them here: https://goo.gl/xnwCUJ

A superb performance of chanting the maha-mantra with the accompaniment of a whole orchestra with classical instruments.
Observ…

Harinama in Ukraine (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: We are trapped souls in a state of forgetfulness of Krishna, and Kris…

Sri – Sri Radha Kunjavihari Chandan Yatra Mahotsava 2016 (Album with photos) Bali, Indonesia.
Srila Prabhupada: All glories to…

Harinama in a park of Moscow, Russia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: How can we think mundane thoughts and at the same ti…

One cat and the Teachings of Queen Kunti.
Karuna Darini Dasi: I got my first book from a book table near the Los Angeles Ratha-yatra site. I took the Teachings of Queen Kunti home with me and read it. I liked the beautiful, classic prayers, but did not want a personal God in my life again, having renounced Christianity.
Some friends, recently turned devotees, were regularly bringing me prasada. They were patient with and kind to me, but I had a lot of excuses not to join them. One major excuse was my pregnant pet cat. One night I came home from work to find that my cat had given birth to two premature kittens — a miscarriage. The fetuses were lying on top of my stack of poetry books and quasi-spiritual art magazines. The TQK was exactly next to that mess – though untouched, as effulgent as ever. I was shocked and frightened. Then I thought, What is it with this Krishna literature? It was protected from this mess and it looks so beautiful! It seemed to say, “You can’t enjoy this pet cat! The cat is always suffering, and you are always suffering!”
I read TQK, I started to wonder what other shocks were in store for me in this lifetime. When I joined the bhaktin asrama, I was very glad to meet so many devotees.
When people ask me how I became a devotee I like to say that there is no group of people I have met throughout my life who is as amazing and intelligent as the Hare Krishna devotees.
Your servant,
Karuna Darini Dasi

A visit to the famous Radha Krishna Temple in London (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Just hours after my flight from New York had landed in London I was off to 10 Soho Street for a program at ISKCON’s famous downtown temple. The darshan of Radha London Isvara was breathtaking, the association of the British devotees sweet as it comes and the prasadam as great as ever. Good to be back in England!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/vPoN1z

June 8. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Satsvarupa dasa Brahmacari, January 1966.
Diary notes from morning lecture, Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 21.35.
Krishna is “home-ly” – He is proprietor of every place, but He has His own place. We falsely claim a piece of land as ours. Actually, nothing is ours. There is a saying, “I beg vegetables to eat, and sleep in the marketplace, so where is my home?” We claim land is ours, so there can be no peace. Goloka is His abode in the spiritual sky. Planets are round but Goloka is lotus-like. As sunlight for the universe comes from the sun, so all light comes from Goloka. All the universes come from Krishna in Goloka; this one universe we live in is insignificant. Within the earth, U.S.A. is a small part, and in U.S.A., New York City is still more insignificant, “and in that NYC, this 26 Second Avenue is insignificant, and we are sitting here. So just see how insignificant we are. And we are claiming we are God.”
We laughed when Swamiji said that, we are here at 26 Second Avenue. As he was saying it, we sensed it, getting more and more insignificant. He laughed, too. We are in one tiny corner of everything. It is wonderful that he did that – and we can know it all comes from Krishna. We get in touch with original Krishna by chanting.
I used to doodle these bass players all the time. Now that I’m in Krishna consciousness, I should give it up. Better to have them play in kirtan like the man who played bass when we had kirtan at Dr. Mishra’s asrama. Otherwise, I want to let these things go from my past. I only want to do things approved by my spiritual master.
That publisher from Chicago came to New York City. He published a segment of my novel on Svevo. He was surprised to find me a disciple of the Swami. He came and sat on the floor with me in my apartment. He wasn’t particularly impressed by my “religion.” He noticed that the thumbnail on my left hand is filled with grooves and asked me if it had been injured. “I’m not sure what it’s from,” I said, “maybe nail-biting.” It was as if he wanted to say something actual, true and meaningful, personal, and perceptive, so he chose to comment on my pitiful-looking thumbnail. But I am not this body. Talking about my thumbnail didn’t bring us much of an intimate exchange.
Anyway, I said to him, maybe I can write a sequel to the novel telling how Svevo joined the Hare Krishna movement. He said okay. Rayarama came and met him. Then the publisher left. I don’t think I even have his address. He’ll probably go see Murray and Steve and see what they’re writing. His coming here was like a visit from my past self. But I’m fixed in Krishna consciousness now. I probably won’t find time to write that sequel. I’m definitely not very interested in reliving the scenes with Eliot and Anna and all the stuff that Svevo went through. But a sequel might be good for preaching purposes.
I asked Swamiji last night about whether I should write the sequel. He said, “Yes, you can do it.” I felt foolish telling him somebody wanted to publish something that I had written. I didn’t want Swamiji to misunderstand. He understood perfectly well. He said, “But they should pay you. Just because you are religious does not mean you should get less money or no money. You should get more.” That’s all he said. So let’s see what happens about that.
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TOVP: Temple Room Floor and Outdoor Fence Concepts (Album with photos)
Janesvari Devi Dasi: Here are some concepts for the mai…

Summer Children’s Day Greeting in the Iskcon Temple of Budapest, Hungary (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Krishna is everywhere. Simply you have to catch Him. And He’s also ready for being caught. Yes, if somebody wants to catch Him. Suppose you are a devotee. If you want to catch Him, He comes forward ten times than your desire. He’s so kind. Therefore, we have to simply receive Him. London, August 21, 1973.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/uzYNnG

Religious Studies Project: ISKCON in Britain. (23 min podcast)
This year the ISKCON Movement (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) celebrates its 50th anniversary. Fittingly, for this podcast Professor Kim Knott, BA (Leeds), MA (Leeds), PhD (Leeds), provides an overview of the Hare Krishna movement in Britain from its inception in 1966 to the present day.
Recognisable by their distinctive appearances and chants, ISKCON practitioners grew in number in the UK due to a number of reasons, ranging from young people’s fascination with Indian spirituality in the 1960s, to its celebrity endorsements from George Harrison and the Beatles.
Knott considers the most notable events in ISKCON’s fifty year history in Britain, and discusses how the movement has adapted to British lifestyle, and what the future may hold for ISKCON education.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/RDBAeY