Websites from the ISKCON Universe
#1 book distributor in North America hits a record!
Jaya Chaitanya Das distributes over 9,000 pieces of literature last month (June 2016) with a 72% increase! Here are the final scores and figures:
book points: 6399.00* +72%
maha-big:1258*
big:1976*
medium: 1440*
small: 4664*
magazines: 210
All glories to Srila Prabhupada’s mission to distribute these books to the masses and awaken Spiritual consciousness throughout the world! All glories to the Sankirtan army!
Their Lordships too wear designer clothing!
VRINDAVAN: If you thought designer dresses and clothes are for mortals only, you are mistaken, as there are designers who toil throughout the year to make our revered deities look their very best.
In the holy city of Vrindavan, at the Chandrodaya Temple, a group of six people, led by 35-year-old Sangini Indulekha, a management graduate who did a course in fashion designing only to pursue her passion to “serve the lord”, design clothes for the murtis of Kirshna and Radha. These clothes and dresses are sent to temples under the Hare Krishna movement, which are part of Iskcon, across the world and sometimes a single dress can cost as much Rs one lakh.
Attires of the deities have also undergone a sea change over the years – from usage of simple colours and attractive beads to stylish cuts with applique work (needlework technique in which patterns are created by the attaching smaller pieces of fabric to a larger piece of contrasting colour or texture) with Zardosi Aari embroidery. The clothes are now designed to make Their “Lordships” stand out and look more appealing to the devotees at first sight.
Talking to us, Sangini said many decades ago, the styles were very simple and in “braj shaili” (style) where only simple silk with some pearls, thread work and flowery embroidery were used. She said later the Mughal concept took over where the use of velvet fabric, with thread work depicting domes and monuments became common.
In the 70s, the styles took a slight western turn, and the traditional braj shaili was experimented with the use of Kora and dapka embroidery. Sangini said the present day trend is to use of large varieties of bright coloured fabrics – pure silk, satin, tissue and shimmer- with applique work and stylish cuts.
Sangini said presently two styles of embroidery, Zardosi and Aari, are in vogue and various styles of stitches, including chall zamki, zigzag, fashavuda and pipalgray, are used to make the clothes attractive.
She said while the deities have a set of 50 dresses, which are changed every day, five special occasion dresses are designed every year for festivals. She said a normal dress for a three and a half feet deity idol takes about three weeks and special occasion ones, which have heavy work, can take over a month to design and stitch.
She said these dresses cost anything between Rs 45,000-75,000 and are sold to other temples, after including costs of material, design and labour.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/En3an8
Indonesia Adds Local Flavor to ISKCON 50 Festivities.
During its ISKCON 50 festivities this month, Indonesia added some rich l…Read More…
Preaching program in New Mayapur, Ukraine (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “Just work in such a way that God may see you.” This is the Krishna consciousness movement. Everyone is busy to see God. Of course, it is not so easy to see God. But a devotee is not busy to see God, but he wants God to see him. Bombay, May 12, 197
Find them here: https://goo.gl/U05RkR
The dream of a book distributor realized!
Recently while distributing in the Wicker Park district of Chicago I had some very nice interactions. The first encounter exhibited timing. I parked my jeep that had some for sale signs on it and seeing some p…
Woodstock Full On (7 min video)
As attendance at Woodstock Poland swells to over 700,000 people devotees go into action with Ra…Read More…
ISKCON Auckland NZ: 50 years on! (Album with photos)
Kalasamvara Das: Main Street of Auckland New Zealand was closed down tonight for a maha Harinam and Rathayatra. celebrating the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON movement .With over 200 hundred devotees!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/sh7CSK
ISKCON-Delhi: Celebrating ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The tapasya of chanting and glorifying the name, fame and attributes of the Lord is a very easy purifying process by which everyone can be happy. Therefore everyone who desires the ultimate cleansing of his heart must adopt this process. Other processes, such as karma, jnana and yoga, cannot cleanse the heart absolutely. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.2.12 Purport).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/LORLIC
Bhaktivedanta Players: New rendition of Mahabharata, 2016 (64 min video)
The Bhaktivedanta Players perform a very brief version…Read More…
Happiness, an Inside Job at EY London (video)
Mankind’s pursuit for happiness is never ending. Although we live in a finite world, our desires are infinite. What is our understanding of happiness?
An evening of exploring happiness from a Vedic perspective with His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami, a renounced monk and travelling teacher for over 40 years, renowned all over the world for his depth of spiritual knowledge and practice.
This was an interactive seminar with an opportunity to ask questions and consider how we can better understand our role in creating our own happiness in our personal and professional lives.
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/N45UXQ
My Greek “odyssey”
An introduction: “Because the Mayavadis are great offenders and atheistic philosophers, the holy name of Krsna does not come from their mouths. I have come here to sell My emotional ecstatic sentiments in this city of Kasi, but I cannot find any customers. If they are not sold, I must take them back home. I have brought a heavy load to sell in this city. To take it back again is a very difficult job; therefore if I get but a fraction of the price, I shall sell it here in this city of Kasi.”
CC Madhya Lila Chapter 17 Texts 143-145
Preaching in UK.
In a span of 7 days, HH Jayapataka Swami took part in several festivals and gatherings in England; the Birmingham Snana Yatra and Panihati festivals, the Bhaktivedanta Manor’s Panihati festival, the Fundraising of Sri Krishna Haveli Project with HH Sivarama Swami Maharaja, the Maha Bhakti Vriksha convention in East London, amongst others
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/GlMXsX
The Speaking Tree, a weekly spiritual supplement published by the Times of India with a coverage of 10 lakh copies, covered the 50th Anniversary of ISKCON in a near full-page story.
The story documents the movement’s history as well as the ongoing celebrations.
The miracle of Srila Prabhupada!
“Yes, from the very beginning I went to New York because I thought that Krishna Consciousness is the most important idea in the world, so let me go to that place, New York, which is the most important city in the…
Scenes from our great Sunday program in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. (Album with photos)
A wonderful program with hundreds of great de…Read More…
“Who’s the Girl with Krishna?”
Yesterday Parama Karuna, Mathuradhis and I were at a mall in San Jose reading about Radharani in the Nectar of Devotion. Srila Prabhupada (and Srila Rupa Goswami) was talking about how devotional service is greater than Krsna because it attracts Him and that the symbol of devotional service in the highest degree is Radharani.
So when we were about to distribute books again Parama turned to me and said, “Isn’t it amazing that no one here has heard of Srimati Radharani?!” Around us was the mayhem and madness of last minute shoppers bustling and jostling for last minute Christmas presents in their last minute nightmare before the clock struck twelve and the gifts they forgot to get turn them into pumpkins. It was obvious that the Hladini Shakti was not foremost on their minds.
But then Mathuradhis met a couple who were more thoughtful. They bought a book from him and went on their way. I saw them walk past me with the book in their hands and mused that I had wanted to stop them a few minutes before they met Mathura. Somehow I had missed the opportunity but Krsna hadn’t.
I guess this couple wanted to know more because moments later they were standing next to me discussing between themselves the pictures in that book. So I poked my head into their conversation and asked if they understood those pictures. A conversation ensued.
We covered the usual topics of karma and reincarnation and what Christmas means to a monk but then the girl asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks. The book they had only had pictures like changing bodies, karma and such. There were no pictures of the Spiritual World but our conversation had led me past the demigods to the real Boss, the real CEO in the sky, Krsna and His eternal abode of Goloka Vrndavana. And this lady, Sally, suddenly asked me out of the blue, “Who’s the Girl [with Krsna]?”
It seems like the secret is out. Is it really that no one knows about the real CEO in Vrndavana, Radharani? Where did Sally find out?
We may think that our efforts to give some knowledge in this world are in vein that no one really reads the books let alone understands them. We may pacify ourselves by reading the Nectar of Devotion and learning that the devotional service we are performing is attracting Krsna and therefore any other result is irrelevant. But it seems that there is some tangible result as one person yesterday inquired into Someone that even we the ones who have the most faith in trying to preach to a forgetful society may not have realized was out there preaching with us.
Sravanam Kirtanam Festival Italy 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Many people come and inquire whether they have to …Read More…
KK Bindu #379: How the spiritual world is manifested in the material world in the holy Dham.
The latest issue of Sri Krishna-kathamrita Bindu e-magazine was just released.
This edition includes:
* TEN CONCLUSIONS OF BHAGAVAD-GITA – His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada presents a summary of Krishna’s words to Arjuna.
* UTILIZE YOUR GREED – Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja speaks of the importance of spiritual greed.
* THE DIVINITY OF KRISHNA?S ABODE – This fresh translation done especially for Bindu, presents Srila Jiva Goswami’s explanation of how the spiritual world is manifest in this material world in the holy Dham.
* MAKE YOUR BHAJAN KUTIR – Another fresh translation from Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati’s Vrindavan-mahimamrtam (2.67). It can be downloaded here: https://archive.org/details/bindu379
ISKCON Auckland New Zealand: Preparations are starting for a great weekend, celebrating Srila Prabhupada’s 50th anniversary of ISKCON.
Friday night: Maha Harinam plus Rathyatra
Saturday: Abhishek of SriSri Radhagiridhari
Sunday: VIP guests, Abhishek of Srila Prabhupada and lots more!
Woodstock Ratha Yatra in Poland (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: The day before Woodstock we did our first of 4 Ratha Yatras through the crowds. Like us, the people who joined sang Lord Krishna’s holy names and danced in ecstasy. Such is the mercy Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Nkbq0X
Celebrating Iskcon’s 50th in Colorado -Denver, USA (3 min video)
Yesterday evening we were very fortunate to be visited by the Kishori Yatra, a Krishna youth ladies’ Summer bus tour. They sang this song, “The Atlantic,” about Srila Prabhupada’s coming to America.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/bdAx7M
The Mayor of London receives his cupcakes and congratulates ISKCON on turning 50.
Live on BBC coverage of ISKCON 50 celebration…Read More…
Harinam in Prague, Czech Republic (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: By chanting the Hare Krishna mantra without offenses, one increases his love for Krishna. As stated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, preme pum-artho mahan: one’s main concern should be to increase one’s attachment to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and to increase one’s love for Him. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.3.24 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/91m3YZ
Bhaktivedanta Manor: Today’s gratitude offering to Srila Prabhupada (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Our centers are like the oasis in a vast desert. In the desert there is no water, but occasionally if one is fortunate he may come in contact with an oasis and he is saved. Similarly in this material world we are drying up due to a lack of spiritual knowledge. Our ISKCON centers are meant to give relief to the dried up conditioned souls who are searching after the nectar of joyful life. Letter to Bhagavan, December 18, 1970.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/pkz8eC
ISKCON50 cake art by Anuradha Devi Dasi of the Manor. The seven purposes. In 1965, a 69 year-old spiritual teacher from India arrives in the West and settles among the hippies of New York’s Lower East Side. From a tiny storefront, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami starts a revolution of consciousness influencing tens of thousands in the US and worldwide. But what happens to his spiritual movement , the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), after their charismatic leader’s passing? Will it survive? Will it change? Can an ancient Eastern religious tradition be relevant in the modern 21st century?
Read more: https://goo.gl/arL2aW
Gorgeous!! The murti of Srila Prabhupada decorated today for the 50th anniversary of Iskcon in Bhaktivedanta Manor, UK.
And a s…Read More…
Srila Prabhupada’s Divine Lotus Feet (Album with photos) by Padmapani Das.
“The dust of the feet of a devotee, the water that has washed the feet of a devotee, and the remnants of food left by a devotee are three very powerful substances. By rendering service to these three, one attains the supreme goal of ecstatic love for Krishna. In all the revealed scriptures this is loudly declared again and again. Therefore, my dear devotees, please hear from me, for I insist again and again: please keep faith in these three and render service to them without hesitation. From these three one achieves the highest goal of life – ecstatic love of Krishna. This is the greatest mercy of Lord Krishna.” (Caitanya-caritamrita, Antya-lila 16.60-63)
Find them here: http://goo.gl/GxrmyN
Happy 50th Anniversary ISKCON! (International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Inc.)
All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder – Acharya!
July 13, 1966
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, INC.
(Pursuant to the Religious Corporation Law of the State of New York)
We, the undersigned, for the purpose of forming a corporation pursuant to the Religious Corporation Law of the State of New York, do hereby make, subscribe and acknowledge this certificate as follows:
FIRST: The name of the corporation shall be INTERNATIONAL
SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, INC.
SECOND: The purposes for which the corporation is organized are:
(a) To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all peoples in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.
(b) To propagate a consciousness of Krishna as it is revealed in the Bhagawat Gita and Srimad Bhagawatam.
© To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, and thus to develop the idea, within the members, and humanity, at largo, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna).
(d), To teach and encourage the Samkirtan movement congregational chanting of the holy name of God as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
To erect for the members, and for society at large, a holy place of transcendental pastimes, dedicated to the personality of Krishna.
(f) To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler and more natural way of life.
(g) With a view towards achieving the aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, books and other writings.
THIRD: The corporation shall have the power, either directly or indirectly, either alone or in conjunction or cooperation with others, to do any and all lawful acts and things and to engage in any and all lawful activities which may be necessary, useful, suitable, desirable, or proper for the furtherance, accomplishment, fostering, or attainment of any or all of the purposes for which the corporation is organized, and to aid or assist other organizations whose activities are such as to further, accomplish, foster, or attain any of such purposes. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the corporation shall exercise only such powers as are in furtherance of the exempt purposes of organizations set forth in Section 501© of the Internal Revenue Code and its Regulations as the same now exist or as they may be hereafter amended from time to time.
FOURTH: The corporation is not organized for profit, and no part of the net earnings of the corporation shall inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual. In the event of the liquidation or dissolution of the corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, no member shall be entitled to any distribution or division of its remaining property or its proceeds, and the balance of all money and other property received by the corporation from any source, after the payment of all debts and obligations of the corporation, shall be used or distributed, subject to the order of the Supreme Court of the State of New York as provided by law, exclusively for purposes within those set forth in Article SECOND of this certificate and within the intendment of Section 501© of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 and its Regulations as the same now exist or as they may be hereafter amended from time to time.
FIFTH: The operations of the corporation are to be conducted principally within the State of New York.
SIXTH: The principal place of worship of this Society is intended to be located at No. 26 Second Avenue in the City, County and State of New York.
SEVENTH: The number of trustees of the Society shall be nine.
EIGHTH: The names and addresses of the trustees until the first annual meeting of the corporation are as follows:
NAME ADDRESS
MICHAEL GRANT 110 Bowery, New York, N. Y.
JAN OSLUND 110 Bowery, New York,.N. Y.
JAMES S. GREENE 324 East 6th Street, New York, N. Y.
The names and addresses of the trustees until the second annual meeting of the corporation are as follows:
NAME ADDRESS
PAUL GARDINER 38 East 76th Street, New York, N. Y.
DONALD W. CHAPDELAINE 26 Second Avenue, New York, N. Y.
RAYMOND MARAIS 26 Second Avenue, New York, N. Y.
The names and addresses of the trustees until the third annual meeting of the corporation are as follows:
NAME ADDRESS
KARL YEARGENS 218 Centre Street, New York, N. Y.
RAPHAEL BALSAM 26 Second Avenue, New York, N. Y.
ROBERT LEFKOWITZ 1847 49th Street, Brooklyn, N. Y.
NINTH: The first annual meeting for the annual election of trustees shall be held on July 6, 1967, at 7:00 P.M. at No. 26 Second Avenue, in the City, County and State of New York.
TENTH: The matters set forth in paragraphs FIRST through
EIGHTH of this certificate were determined at a meeting held for that purpose pursuant to Section 192 of the Religious Corporation Law on July 6, 1966 at No. 26 Second Avenue in the City, County and State of New York. Said meeting was held pursuant to due written notice as provided in Section 191 of the Religious Corporation Law.
ELEVENTH: All of the subscribers to this certificate are of full age and all are members in good and regular standing of the church seeking incorporation through the filing of this certificate by admission with full membership therein in accordance with the rules and regulations thereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF we have made, subscribed, and acknowledged this certificate of incorporation this 13th day of July, 1966.
[signed:] A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Carol Bekar, Raymond Marais
STATE OF NEW ‘YORK) SS:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK)
On the 13th day of July, 1966 before me personally came A. C. BHAKTIVEDANTA, SWAMI, RAYMOND MARAIS and CAROL BEKAR to me known and known to me to be the individuals described in and who executed the foregoing certificate of incorporation and they severally acknowledged to me that they severally executed the same.
STEVEN J. GOLDSMITH
NOTARY PUBLIC, STATE OF NEW YORK
NO. 81-1489875
Qualified in New York County
Commission Expires March 30, 1967
STATE OF NEW YORK )
SS:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK )
STEVEN J. GOLDSMITH, being duly sworn, deposes and says: That he maintains an office for the practice of law at Two Park Avenue, Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York; that he is the attorney for the subscribers to the annexed certificate of incorporation of INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, INC.; that he has made diligent search of the records of the Clerk of the County of New York, and as revealed by such search, that no prior corporation with the same or similar name as INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, INC. has filed a certificate of incorporation in New York County. [handwritten:] The undersigned affirms this made under penalty of perjury.
[signed:] Steven J. Goldsmith
Netherlands Introduces ‘Bhagavad-gita’ To 5th Graders.
Schools are arguably the most effective means of enacting the aims of integration. Texts/passages from scriptures such as the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ and ‘Upanishads’ have caught the imagination of primary education system in the Netherlands. Many ‘sayings and teachings’ from such spiritual Hindu scriptures are incorporated now in the Netherlands Schools system with the aim of making world education compulsory starting from 5th grade onwards.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/3yjiVk
A Taste Of Things To Come! (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Woodstock is still days away but people are already floodin…Read More…
July 13. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Don Drifting Away.
Don was a test of Swamiji’s tolerance. He had lived in the storefront for months, working little and not trying to change his habits. He had a remarkable speech affectation: instead of talking, he enunciated his words, as if he were reciting from a book. And he never used contractions. It wasn’t that he was intellectual, just that he had somehow developed a plan to abolish his natural dialect. Don’s speech struck people as bizarre, like it might be the result of too many drugs. It gave him the air of not being an ordinary being. And he continually took marijuana, even after Swamiji had asked those who lived with him not to. Sometimes during the day his girlfriend would join him in the storefront, and they would sit together talking intimately and sometimes kissing. But he liked the Swami. He even gave him money once. He liked living in the storefront, and Swamiji didn’t complain.
But others did. One day an interested newcomer dropped by the storefront and found Don alone, surrounded by the sharp aroma of marijuana. “You been smoking pot? But the Swami doesn’t want anyone smoking here.” Don denied it: “I have not been smoking. You are not speaking the truth.” The boy then reached in Don’s shirt pocket and pulled out a joint, and Don hit him in the face. Several of the boys found out. They weren’t sure what was right: What would the Swami do? What do you do if someone smokes pot? Even though a devotee was not supposed to, could it be allowed sometimes? They put the matter before Swamiji.
Prabhupada took it very seriously, and he was upset, especially about the violence. “He hit you?” he asked the boy. “I will go down myself and kick him in the head.” But then Prabhupada thought about it and said that Don should be asked to leave. But Don had already left.
The next morning during Swamiji’s class, Don appeared at the front door. From his dais, Swamiji looked out at Don with great concern. But his first concern was for ISKCON: “Ask him,” Prabhupada requested Roy, who sat nearby. “If he has marijuana – then he cannot come in. Our society …” Prabhupada was like an anxious father, afraid for the life of his infant ISKCON. Roy went to the door and told Don he would have to give up his drugs if he entered. And Don walked away.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=10
GET YOUR FREE CUPCAKE!! Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of the global Hare Krishna movement and 5000 cupcakes will be freely distributed between 7am & 9am at Euston, Kings Cross, Victoria, BBC HQ and GOOGLE HQ to celebrate!
Lotus feet of Guru.
Although the lotus flower grows out of the water, it is not touched by it. One of the synonyms for water i…Read More…
Millions will be watching ISKCON 50 Celebrations on 13th July 2016 from 4-5pm.
Keshav Murari Das, TP- ISKCON Rohini: DD Channel will be broadcasting a special program on ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary on the exact day of 50th Anniversary, 13th July, 2016 Wednesday from 4-5 pm. They will also feature ISKCON 50 documentary prepared by ISKCON 50 Global team during the show.
The inside job!
Sutapa das: The ungrateful, inappropriate and irrational ways in which people act can infuriate us to no end. We deal with our anger by letting it loose (passionate and vengeful outbursts) or locking it up (emotionally disconnecting). …
Preparing for the “battle” – Some of Krsna’s soldiers (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Today we held an Istagosthi to assign all devotees their duties at Woodstock. In this album you can meet some of Krsna’s soldiers who will soon be carrying His message to the masses.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/8giZXZ
Krishna Temple Salt Lake City: Record-breaking Ground-breaking Celebration- SLC Krishna Temple!! (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s transcendental mission is to distribute love of Godhead to everyone. Anyone who accepts God as the Supreme can take to the process of chanting Hare Krishna and become a lover of God. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 4.41 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/ukdVca
ISKCON of Central New Jersey: Temple reception ceiling being ‘mural’ized by our own high schooler devotee Yogini.
Srila Prabhupada: “In Dvapara-yuga one could satisfy Krishna or Visnu only by worshiping Him gorgeously according to the pancaratriki system, but in the Age of Kali one can satisfy and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari simply by chanting the holy name.” (Narayana-samhita)
Bali Bhakti Festival Ratha Yatra (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “The essence of all Vedic knowledge—comprehending the three kinds of Vedic activity, the Vedic hymns, and the processes for satisfying the demigods—is included in the eight syllables Hare Krishna Hare Krishna. This is the reality of all Vedanta. The chanting of the holy name is the only means to cross the ocean of nescience.” (Narada-pancharatra)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Jg7u7t
July 12. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: “Bells”
He picked up two brass bells in his left hand and began ringing them. Then, lighting two sticks of incense from the candle near the picture of Lord Caitanya and His associates, he began waving the incense slowly in small circles before Lord Caitanya, while still ringing the bells. He looked deeply at the picture and continued cutting spirals of fragrant smoke, all the while ringing the bells. None of the boys knew what he was doing, although he did it every evening. But it was a ceremony. It meant something. The boys began to call the ceremony “bells.”
After bells, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, it would usually be time for the evening kirtana. Some of the boys would already be downstairs greeting guests and explaining about the Swami and the chanting. But without the Swami, nothing could begin. No one knew how to sing or drum, and no one dared think of leading the mantra-chanting without him. Only when he entered at seven o’clock could they begin.
Freshly showered and dressed in his clean hand-woven cloth, his arms and body decorated with arrowlike Vaisnava markings, Prabhupada would leave his apartment and go downstairs to face another ecstatic opportunity to glorify Krishna. The tiny temple would be crowded with wild, unbrahminical, candid young Americans.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=10