Websites from the ISKCON Universe
A kid participates with enthusiasm in a Stockholm Harinam, Sweden (5 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: Others, who are not devotees, may think, “How can people devote so much time simply to talks of God?” The chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is simply the repetition of three words, Hare, Krishna, Rama, but still devotees can go on chanting this Hare Krishna mantra twenty-four hours a day without feeling fatigued. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.13.1Purport)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/2RGEBn
June 6. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Typing for the Swami, 1966 (Diary Excerpt)
If this notebook is lost, please return to:
Satsvarupa dasa Brahmacari
c/o International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Inc.
26 Second Avenue, New York, NY
Swamiji, I am remembering you. I am here now and you are here around the corner in your room. Life is freed for me from the karma of the past. I want to learn Krishna conscious philosophy.
Should I do the typing or go see the Swami? Without any notes, I just start to remember what the Swamiji said in his lecture and I type some of it down. I can type pretty good. I don’t make mistakes. It starts to come to me, some of the things he said in his lecture. At least I remember the essence of it. I don’t attempt to write the whole thing down, just the essence as I remember it.
I don’t really do it for him, it’s more for myself. It’s not that I go to my apartment having memorized what he says, but it just comes out and keeps my head balanced. I really like to walk through the streets feeling the Hare Krishna mantra and seeing the city in the summer. I feel such a well-being as Swamiji’s boy.
My yoga is typing. I’m not just typing something for Swamiji. I’m doing yoga. It’s for myself. It’s the last kind of creative writing I’ve allowed myself. I’ve stopped all other writing – my novel-writing and my short-story writing – it was all so corrupt and egotistical. But this remembering and recording short sentences is the fruit of anything I’ve learned as a writer. I try to communicate what Swamiji said in my own voice, as concisely as possible. It’s Swamiji, but expressed in my own way. I get creative joy out of this writing. It’s a good discipline for spiritual life.
Usually as I start to type, something comes to mind. Yesterday I remembered about the three modes of nature. “There are three modes of material nature, raja-guna, tamo-guna, and sattva-guna. We are all under the modes of nature. Krishna is above the modes of nature. Surrendering to Krishna brings freedom from the modes.” Just things like that. He also said, “The donkey carries the washerman’s load. He thinks the washerman is the source of his food, but he can get grass anywhere. This is the foolishness of the ass. Materialists are like this donkey.” Typing these things down is a nice way to be with Swamiji. I’m starting to grasp the philosophy too.
I think you have to get a special, mystical revelation from Krishna to understand Swamiji. He’s incomprehensible. Swamiji said that by service the revelation will come. Note-taking helps.
I am trying to kick off my false ego. Novel and poetry-writing is false ego. I’m ready to make the break with the past for Swamiji’s sake. I throw my manuscripts into the incinerator. I had to think about that one before I did it though. What if these manuscripts were great works? What if I am a genius and I just don’t recognize it? Still, they had no Krishna consciousness. How could they help anyone? Swamiji says even great literature, if it is without Krishna consciousness, is like decoration of a dead body.
Now I only want to express Krishna-thought and read Krishna-thought. We shouldn’t have other books in the storefront.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=9
Hare Krishna – Ratha-yatra – Lexington Patriots Day Parade (brief video)
Lexington, a small city in Massachusetts and home to one of the sites where the American Revolutionary War began, enthusiastically welcomed Lord Jagannath during the Patriot’s Day Parade celebrated on April 18 this year. Devotees of the Lord participated in the parade pulling the Lord’s cart or ratha and were very warmly applauded and encouraged by the Town and the over 10,000 residents attending the parade. Lord Jagannath’s cart also won the second place in the float competition for the most beautifully decorated and attractive display. Over 80 local residents joined in partaking Lord Jagannath’s prasad and then pulling the cart for a 3-mile walk through Lexington’s downtown area. 11 little girls led the parade performing Bharatnatyam and Odissi dances for the pleasure of the Lordships. We hope Srila Prabhupada accepts this as a small offering on his 50th anniversary year. We are very encouraged by the Town and residents’ overwhelming support and enthusiasm and pray to the Lord that he continues to bless the Town and its residents.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/bvMLpa
ISKCON Baltimore – Chariot Festival (Rathyatra) 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The tapasya of chanting and glorifyi…
14th Ratha Yatra Festival in Rijeka, Croatia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Krishna says that his devotee is never vanquished. Therefore all the disciples practicing Krishna consciousness should obediently follow the regulative principles and remain fixed in chanting the holy name of the Lord. Then there need be no fear. Otherwise, one’s position is very dangerous, especially in this Kali-yuga. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.1.58 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/FojP4J
Bhakti Life Retreat @ Gita Nagari.
We are very happy and excited to share with you that for the very first time ISKCON of Richmond is arranging a Bhakti Life retreat (in its real sense!) with HG Radhika Ramana Prabhu at Gita Nagari Yoga Farm. Rest, the poster says it all…
Here is the link to registration: http://goo.gl/forms/IV4ntjWpkt7HvMoD2
Google directions: https://goo.gl/PjcCeu
ISKCON Hosts 2nd European Yoga Congress.
ISKCON of Radhadesh, Belgium hosted the 2nd European Yoga Congress from May 27th to 29th, sharing insights and techniques with thirteen different yoga schools from twelve countries.
The seeds of the event were sewn in November 2014, when many different yoga organizations met at Yoga Vidya in Germany, Europe’s largest yoga ashram, to explore commonalities and possibilities for cooperation.That gathering, attended by a delegation of a dozen ISKCON members, resulted in the creation of the European Yoga Confederation, and an agreement to hold a European Yoga Congress every two years.
This year’s event in Radhadesh was held in a giant nearly 1,000 square-foot tent on the grounds, as well as a satellite classroom in the temple. Some 160 to 180 people attended.
Yadunandana Swami, Rector of the Instituto de Estudios Bhaktivedanta in Spain, and Vaiyasaki Das, a Prabhupada disciple and renowned kirtaniya, represented ISKCON Belgium along with several other devotees.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/jQ8SEF
Stockholm Harinam, Sweden (11 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: The process of chanting the holy name of the Lord is always superbly…
New Bhagavad-gita Exhibit Opens at MOSA Belgium.
A brand new exhibit of artwork from Kim Waters and Chris Murray’s classic 1980 book, Illuminations from the Bhagavad-gita, opened at the Museum of Sacred Art (MOSA) in Radhadesh, Belgium on May 28th.
The exhibit features all Kim’s original illustrations from the book, which is illuminated with translated verses from Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is. The uniquely charming, colorful images depict Krishna and Arjuna, Radha Krishna, Krishna Balarama, Vishnu, Pancha-Tattva, Nrsimhadeva, Sita Rama, and more.
The exhibit also includes Kim Waters’ cut-out, stand-up illustrated altars of Vrindavana Dhama, Devi, and Buddha, as well as other assorted works.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/M3wxGe
Harinama in Tel Aviv, Israel 04.06.2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: This Krishna consciousness movement insists that …
Preaching Krishna consciousness in the prison of Huntsville, Texas.
Phalini Devi Dasi: One of the most memorable experiences during our last visit to Houston was our trip to the Estelle Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice near Huntsville, Texas on September 19, 2015.
Although we had not planned it into our schedule, Krishna apparently had, so we went along with Krishna’s plan. It’s always good to cooperate with Krishna’s plan.
We were invited to participate by Gopal Krishna Prabhu of the Houston Temple. An enthusiastic and dedicated prison-preacher and alternates with Sridhara Shyama Prabhu from the Dallas Temple, to conduct regular, open-call Hare Krishna services—which comes under the wider umbrella of “Eastern Religions.” But this was not just any ordinary program. It was their Janmastami celebration, so they had invited a huge number of inmates for the festival.
After clearing security, we entered a room full of men–maybe forty or fifty–who sat ready and waiting for the Hare Krishna Festival to begin. Comfortable sitting cushions were arranged around the edge of the room, and the devotees had set up a microphone and amplifier with speakers.
My husband started the kirtan. The inmates joined in enthusiastically from the very start, singing robustly like old kirtan veterans. As the kirtan picked up to a livelier pace, the men almost all stood up to dance. They bounced and jumped back and forth, up and down the length of the room, chanting more and more loudly and grinning from ear to ear as they felt more and more jubilant with the intoxicating sound of Lord Krishna’s holy names. Even His Holiness Bhakti Vikasa Swami joined in the dancing. The men formed a train, each man holding onto the shoulders of the man in front of him. They weaved and hair-pinned around the room like expert dancers from the old Agnideva kirtans of the seventies.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/zMkSFi
June 5. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Irreplaceable Swami.
Every night we were listening to that bongo drum, Swamiji’s fingers on that drum. I remember one guy who came, that rascal named Eliot, who I knew before I started coming to the storefront. He said, “The Swami gets some good licks in; I want to hear him play.” They came to hear Swamiji just as they went to the park to hear the bongo drummers there. I used to apologize to them, “The Swami is a very proficient mrdanga player. You can’t judge him by what he’s doing now. He’s doing the best he can with this little drum. He doesn’t normally play a one-headed bongo, but we don’t have any of the drums that he plays in India.”
“All right, granted, but let’s hear what he can do with this one drum.”
So you can hear him. His fingers walk on the drum. People speak of Olantunji and his talking drums. Prabhupada’s drum talks from his walking fingers (tick-tick-tick, tick-tick-tick, one two, one two three four, one two.) It’s a simple thing he’s got going with his fingers on the drum, accentuating his walking beat, along with his own singing and the karatalas and tambour. It seemed that sometimes he played it strictly, like a metronome’s measured beats. But sometimes it was uneven, more human-like, hitting his fingers in rougher beats. None of it was very fast. He played that drum to accompany his own singing. I thought, “Gee, he’s over seventy years old and thumping on that drum to his own singing.” Yes, you could come to the storefront just to hear him play the drum. Of course, he had a lot more to give than that – Lord Caitanya’s philosophy, Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna, the Hare Krishna mantra.
The drum is for kirtana. You chant over the drum, but still you can be fascinated by hearing Prabhupada’s very simple fingers walking on the head of that brownish and already worn bongo head. There will never be anything like it, even now that we have many accomplished mrdanga players in ISKCON. Nobody plays a bongo drum like Prabhupada did – simulating a mrdanga and yet not simulating a mrdanga. Just playing on that little drum.
And his voice. It was not velvety smooth like cream, but a little rough, some grating there. Not unpleasant, but like a man at the end of the day with a stubble of beard, or the way a leader of men is sometimes a little rough in his speech. It is an appealing roughness that comes from working and from singing, not a pampered, delicate thing. An old man’s singing. And not a “man” – but an aged, pure devotee. His singing has its own appeal. It goes along with the drum, the uneven finger beat, and the rough voice. We were attracted by these things, almost hypnotized by each thing he did.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=9
Kirtan In The Blue Ridge Mountains (6 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Krsna’s holy names resounded through the hills and valleys of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina at the recent Sadhu Sanga Retreat. Two thousand devotees relished each other’s association at one of ISKCON America’s biggest functions of the year, celebrating Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the country 50 years ago.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/KYNTnN
Muhammad Ali Talks About Meeting God (10 min video)
Kavicandra Swami: While distributing books in the airport of Chicago, me and other book distributers we would often meet with Muhammad Ali and we would stop him to give him a book. In 1974 I met him and gave him one of Srila Prabhupada’s books. In the beginning he thought that I wanted him to sign it but when I asked him to take it and give a donation, he immediately took out his wallet and gave a 20 dollar donation.
In many other occasions also he received Krishna conscious books from other devotees as he was quite friendly with all. Did he read them??
Judge for your self from this video where he preaches about God during a TV show, repeating almost verbatim Srila Prabhupada’s teachings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofUhct5Bk_g
Below is a brief description:
Muhammad Ali Talks About Meeting God.
A little boy asked Muhammad Ali, “I’d like to know what you’re going to do when you retire from boxing?” Ali’s answer couldn’t be more inspiring as he takes his time and gives this young fan an answer he’s sure to never forget. With news of Ali’s death, it is reassuring to know that he prepared for where he wanted to go. Ali said:
When I retire from boxing, I want to say something right here. Life is not really long. Let’s say the average person (is) 30-years-old. If you’re 30 years old you are not but about seven years old…how can I prove it? Add up all the seven, eight, nine hours you slept for 30 years. Out of all the years last night when you went to bed and woke up this morning, you don’t remember a thing. You’ve been unconscious for about eight years…if you’re 30-years-old you slept about eight years. Ok, how much traveling have you done in 30 years, from the television station to home, to another country, to another city, to school, to church…you’ve probably traveled two years your life just getting back and forth to where you’re going. So there’s eight years of sleeping, two years of traveling, There’s 30 years out of your life before you ever accomplish anything. How long do you sit in school? In America we sit in school from the 1st grade to the 12th grade. Six hours a day for 12 years, break it down, you sit in the classroom for three years! Without leaving. Ok, two years of traveling, eight years of sleeping, three years of school. Probably two years of entertainment. By the time you have children, by the time you have made a way for your children, by the time you’ve paid for your home you’re pushing 60-years-old. So…life is real short.
What am I gonna do in the next sixteen years? What’s the best thing I can do? Get ready to meet God. Owning real estate, going in business, teaching boxers…that won’t get me to heaven.
The boxing champ goes onto ask how many people in the audience believe in God, believe that a higher being is behind the earth, moon, the sun and the stars? Most raise their hands that they do. When he asks who doesn’t, not many go up. But Ali questions one of them. He holds up a glass of water and asks if she believes the glass made itself, if the tv studio and her own clothes made themselves. He talks about the moon and planets, and how someone had to have made them, and he believes that someone is God. Because of this, Ali’s mission is to help people because one day he is going to be judged. God is watching him, and he wants to do good. He said:
He wants to know how do we treat each other? How do we help each other? We need someone in the world to make peace. This is a test to see where will we spend this life, heaven or hell? This is not the life here. But your soul and your spirit never die. So God is testing us on how we treat each other and how we live to see where our real home be in heaven. So this physical stuff don’t last us so long. We don’t stay here. We’re just trustees. The most important part thing about life is what’s going to happen when you die. Are you going to heaven or hell?
Looking very serious, Ali talks about just how long forever really is, and the reality of burning in hell versus living in heaven for an eternity. It sounds like Ali has earned his way to the latter.
Muhammad Ali in 1975 was received with a flower garland by a devotee of Iskcon during his visit to Frankfurt Trade Fair.
Bhaktitirtha Swami and Brahmananda prabhu with Muhammad Ali.
Bhaktitirtha Swami had a way of striking up a spontaneous friendship with celebrities such as Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali also shared the spotlight with Srila Prabhupada, at an anti-war peace…
Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) in 1975 was pleasantly surprised when he was received by a devotee of the “International Society for Krishna consciousness” during his visit to Frankfurt Trade Fair with a flower garland and was gifted Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita.
Harinama under the rain in Sydney (Album with photos)
Kalasamvara Das: We’re chanting in the rain
Just chanting in the rain
What a glorious feelin
We’re happy again
We’re laughing at clouds
[A disciple of Prakasananda Sarasvati to an assembly of disciples]: “In this age of Kali, one cannot attain liberation without taking to the devotional service of the Lord. In this age, even if one does not chant the holy name of Krsna perfectl…
June 4. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Lunch at 26 Second Avenue.
It’s amazing to think how, in the beginning of ISKCON in America, Prabhupada used to eat lunch with the devotees. He used to serve them prasadam. That’s mentioned in the Prabhupada-lilamrta and some devotees’ memoirs. Prabhupada would walk between the devotees seated on the floor and he would dish out the prasadam, just as our brahmacari servers do now in the temples. The devotees would see Prabhupada’s bare feet, and he would ask them what kind of prasadam they wanted. It’s inconceivable to us now! After a few weeks, some of the devotees learned to cook, and they then began to serve Prabhupada. But still, he used to sit in the midst of all the devotees. He was like a father with his family. He sat in one corner. I’ve been to 26 Second Avenue and I saw the room in his apartment where it took place. Prabhupada used to sit in a corner near a table where he kept his worshipable pictures, including a picture of Panca-tattva. Prabhupada didn’t have a special mat, but he just sat there, and devotees came out of the kitchen with hot preparations to serve the Swami and the other devotees. Prabhupada would look at the other devotees and encourage them to “Eat more, eat more.”
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=9
Here is another way to have people pronounce the holy name with commotion and broadcast it to many thousands others who are listening! (4 min video)
There is this famous football player named Roy Krishna and every time he gets the ball the commentator tells his name, especially when he makes goals. Hear with how much intensity they pronounce the name of the Lord, unknowingly doing heaps of advancement!
[Sukadeva Gosvami to King Pariksit]: Even if he chants the Lord’s name jokingly or by chance, he and anyone who hears him are freed from all sins.
– Srimad Bhagavatam 5.25.11
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/gqQwls
Judging Others & Jumping To Conclusions.
Purnacandra das Goswami: Westerners, in general, take too much for granted and are not careful enough in social dealings.
Modern Western society conditions one to artificially come too close, too soon wi…
ISKCON’s annual Interfaith and Communications Conference in Florence (Album with photos)
ISKCON’s annual Interfaith and Communications Conference was this year held in Florence. 16 countries participated and we were visiting most interesting and beautiful places like: Il Duomo – Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore; Santa Croce, with the tombs of Michelangelo, Dante and Galileo Galilei, and the robes of St Francis of Assisi. We also visited the Great Synagogue of Florence where we got a tour with the present Rabbi. And finally we met a politician where the discussion included the importance of interfaith in Florence (May 2016).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/piUhK3
Govindas vivid street kirtan by the Sydney Opera House: (Album with photos)
Kalasamvara Das: 1.7 million people flock to this …
Bhaktivedanta Gurukula Excels in ICSE / ISC Board Results.
Nirmala Krishna Das, Vice-Principal (Admin): The management of Bhaktivedanta Gurukula & International School, Vrindavan is pleased to inform that our students of classes 10th & 12th have performed very well in the ICSE & ISC Board examinations.
The following are the top scorers
GRADE: 12 SCIENCE
SANCHIT LAKRA: 93.5
KRISHNA MURARI : 90
ABHISHEK MISHRA: 90
GAURAV LAKRA: 90
GRADE: 10 SCIENCE
GAUTAMESHWAR : 92.8
ARJUN GUPTA: 91.6
HARDIK GUPTA: 91.2
GRADE: 10 COMMERCE
MAYANK DUBEY : 93.8
DIVYANSH GUPTA: 92.2
We wish our teachers and students for this great success. In Bhaktivedanta Gurukula although the emphasis is on spiritual education we also see that our students perform well in material education, so that we full fill the motto of the school “To prepare fine citizens of the world, men of character and competence who can lead and inspire others”.
Australian Iskcon Annual General Meeting (Album with photos)
Ramai Swami: At the end of May the leaders around Australia assemb…
Hare Krishna devotees in town! (Album with photos)
Devotees of Hare Krishna came to Eastbourne, UK, this week during a five day…
June 3. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: The Bowery Bum Offers Service.
Suddenly a Bowery derelict enters, whistling and drunkenly shouting. The audience remains seated, not knowing what to make of it.
Drunk: How are ya? I’ll be right back. I brought another thing.
Prabhupada: Don’t disturb. Sit down. We are talking seriously.
Drunk: I’ll put it up there. In a church? All right. I’ll be right back.
The man is white-haired, with a short, grizzly beard and frowsy clothing. His odor reeks through the temple. But then he suddenly careens out the door and is gone. Prabhupada chuckles softly and returns immediately to his lecture.
Several minutes later, the old derelict suddenly returns, announcing his entrance: “How are ya?” He is carrying something. He maneuvers his way through the group, straight to the back of the temple, where the Swami is sitting. He opens the toilet room door, puts two rolls of bathroom tissue inside, closes the door, and then turns to the sink, sits some paper towels on top of it and puts two more rolls of bathroom tissue and some more paper towels under the sink. He then stands and turns around toward the Swami and the audience. The Swami is looking at him and asks, “What is this?” The bum is silent now; he has done his work. Prabhupada begins to laugh, thanking his visitor, who is now moving toward the door: “Thank you. Thank you very much.” The bum exits. “Just see,” Prabhupada now addresses his congregation. “It is a natural tendency to give some service. Just see, he is not in order, but he thought that, ‘Here is something. Let me give some service.’ Just see how automatically it comes. This is natural.”
The young men in the audience look at one another. This is really far out – first the chanting with the brass cymbals, the Swami looking like Buddha and talking about Krishna and chanting, and now this crazy stuff with the bum. But the Swami stays cool; he’s really cool, just sitting on the floor like he’s not afraid of anything, just talking his philosophy about the soul and us becoming saints and even the old drunk becoming a saint!
After almost an hour, the dog still barks, and the kids still squeal.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=9
Sri Harinam Sankirtan Nectar in Sydney 02-06-16 (Album with photos)
Tonight the city was filled with the loud and clear sound of the Mahamantra tugging at the hearts of all the souls wandering in the material world.
Fourteen wonderful devotees came with us and pulled back the veil of maya with their melodious chanting.
We started at our usual place near Woolworths and wound our way down through Pitt Street mall. Then we came back along George Street to Town Hall.
As usual people welcomed us along the way with smiles and waves. Many people feel a lift in their heart when they hear the mantra being chanted to the rhythm of the mrdanga and Karatals. Their souls are begging them to wake up. Even the shopkeepers come out and wave to show their appreciation.
The Vivid festival has started and the city is crowded with people who have come to see the lights and colours being displayed on the buildings.
Thanks to Radha Vinod, Dhanvantari and Kirtan who distributed books. People took a Science of Self Realisation, Chant and be Happy, a Higher taste and two Perfection of Yoga.
Don’t forget we are dancing and chanting in the city of Sydney every Thursday . We meet at 6.30pm at Town Hall and we chant the Mahamantra until 8pm. We invite you to come, we really want you to come.
Please accept our invitation to join us whenever you can, we have a wonderful time and so does everyone else who sees us and hears the vibration from the transcendental world. See you next Thursday.
Sri Harinam Sankirtan ki jaya!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/5aVSvs
Scenes from Krishna conscious life in the Holy Dham. Photos by a professional photographer.
Srila Prabhupada: Krishna is living everywhere, that is the vision of the higher devotees. Actually He’s living, but still because we are in the lower condition, we should know that here is Krishna in the temple. Krishna is everywhere, but for us, because we have no such vision to see Krishna anywhere and everywhere, therefore we should come here in the temple and see Krishna. “Here is Krishna. Krishna has kindly appeared here in a manner in which I can see Him. That is Krishna’s mercy.” That is temple. Los Angeles, April 29, 1973.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/61BBgE
Harinama in a Gipsy colony (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: A Vaishnava should not try to minimize anyone else’s position. It is better to remain humble and meek and chant the Hare Krishna mantra. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.17.10 purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/cGnv9i
Further TOVP updates. (Album with photos)
Sadbhuja Das: Here’s some more pictures of what the ‘ribs’ on the outside of the (small) dome will look like. We’ve used gold paint as a ‘mock-up’ on the sides, but in the final stage it will be a lot more golden as it will be made in Titanium Nitrade. Gauranga!!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/n8dKzA
TOVP update (Album with photos)
Sadbhuja Das: Some exciting new artwork has been happening. The first picture below shows you a real ‘mock-up’ of a coffered ceiling piece in GRC, painted by one of our Russian artists.
From this we took a photo which we copied and pasted to see the effect on a bigger scale. Although the colors may slightly change,
this is what the inner main dome & Nrsimhadeva’s inner dome will look like.
Next stage, we’ll do a 3D mock-up on the inner dome.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/NGwbxi
Iskcon Grammies?
Gaudiya Vaisnava songs are foundational to the spread of the Sankirtan movement. Every since the Radha Krishna album, devotees have been producing phenomenal arrangements of both traditional and innovative songs. There are too many great names of devotee composers, performers, and singers to mention here, but, thus far, there has been no formal recognition of their contribution. An awards festival to commend the various musical artists and bestow a Nityananda award is long overdue. Anyone interested in organizing, contributing, or being included for consideration in a Vaisnava version of the “Grammies,” please contact me: nrismhananda@gmail.com
June 2. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Genuine Kirtana.
Exotic it was, yet anyone could see that a swami was raising an ancient prayer in praise of God. This wasn’t rock or jazz. He was a holy man, a swami, making a public religious demonstration. But the combination was strange: an old Indian swami chanting an ancient mantra with a storefront full of young American hippies singing along.
Prabhupada sang on, his shaven head held high and tilted, his body trembling slightly with emotion. Confidently, he led the mantra, absorbed in pure devotion, and they responded. More passers-by were drawn to the front window and open door. Some jeered, but the chanting was too strong. Within the sound of the kirtana, even the car horns were a faint staccato. The vibration of auto engines and the rumble of trucks continued, but in the distance now, unnoticed.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=9
Offering to Srila Prabhupada on ISKCON 50th anniversary
Braja Mohan Das: I would like to compare your personality and glory with two of the biggest corporations. Now, there is this famous company Amazon, where they promise, everything under the sun can be delivered but you, Srila Prabhupada not just delivered everything under the sun but gave us a process to go above the sun to our supreme home, to the spiritual world. They also claim why they named their company as ‘Amazon’ as this word has an arrow from A to Z meaning everything is available with them that makes us happy (curved line). But can worldly things make the world happy? You showed us what makes one really happy. ‘Chant Hare Krishna and Be Happy!”
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/np4V93
KK Bindu #376: All Attractive Hari-katha!
The latest issue of Sri Krishna-kathamrita Bindu e-magazine was just released. This issue includes:
* MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS FOR KIRTAN – Instructions from His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
* ALL-ATTRACTIVE HARI-KATHA – First time translations done especially for this issue of various commentaries on Srimad Bhagavatam 10.1.4.
* VRINDAVAN-DHAMA AND RADHA-NAMA – A fresh translation from Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati’s Vrindavan-mahimamrtam (9.84). It can be downloaded here:
https://archive.org/details/bindu376
Yogesvara Prabhu’s excellent presentation during the Srila Prabhupada annual festival in Los Angeles (video)
“How to present Srila Prabhupada to the non devotees”
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/jriwXT
“The End of the Beginning” (video)
Ekendra das discusses “The End of the Beginning” of ISKCON on its 50th anniversary in his talk at the recent Festival of Inspiration in New Vrindaban, West Virginia.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/Tegynh
“Seven temples on seven hills” (Album with photos)
Varsana Swami: When I moved to New Vrindaban in 1972, this community was a “spiritual frontier”nestled within the rugged foothills of Appalachia.It was a community of devotees who were dedicated to Srila Prabhupada’s vision for New Vrindaban which holds sacred two primary mandates: (1) to live in harmony with one another, depend on nature, and protect Krishna’s cows; and (2) to develop a replica of Vrindavan.
The entire community was comprised of men and women endowed with the pioneering spirit required to carve a community in the inhospitable West Virginia countryside. The devotees referred to this pioneering mood as the “Brijabasi Spirit” and the mantra which inspired and united that community was “seven temples on seven hills.”
“Seven temples on seven hills” became the mantra of the entire community when Srila Prabhupada wrote to Hayagriva on November 18, 1968, “But now, let us build at least seven temples. On seven hills we will build seven main temples as in the original Vrindavan: Govindaji, Gopinatha, Madana-Mohana, Shyamasundara, Radha-Ramana, Radha-Damodar, Gokulananand.”
Bhauma Vrindavan folklore is divided regarding which of the seven temples was constructed first. Some say Madan Mohan Mandir while others say Radha Gopinath Mandir was the first. In New Vrindaban, we began construction of Radha Gopinath Mandir (across from the Palace of Gold) in order to provide a suitable residence to Their Lordships Who are already residing on the premises.
A few weeks ago, half a dozen devotees gathered at Radha Gopinath Mandir to offer practical service in fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s vision of “seven temples on seven hills.” ISKCON pioneers and second generation devotees offered service at Sri Sri Radha-GopinathMandir to install the expanded metal lathe over the steel frame. My godbrothers Gaura Sakti das (a New Vrindavan resident) and Akhilananda das(from Ohio) provided guidance and inspiration to the younger men. Second generation Dhruva das from Alachua and Bhakta Jake from Michigan were amongst the fortunate recipients.
The camaraderie, team spirit and working relationships were reminiscent of the Brijabasi Spirit upon which this community was founded. All the work is being done by volunteers, and all the steel and masonry sand are donated.
In the photos, you can see the installation of the metal lathe. The lathe goes on both sides of the steel, and it is ideal to install both sides at the same time. This lathe will hold the cement stucco that will provide the form, mass, strength, and eventually the artistic embellishments for the dome.
Short pieces of PVC-coated tie wire are used to hold the lathe tight to the steel structure. These are inserted from one side and twisted on the other side to draw the metal lathe tight to the steel. The crew completed half of one side in just a few hours.
The lathe will be installed from the top down, so workers can stand on the steel frame while working. The cement stucco will be installed from the bottom up, giving strength from the bottom up.
We will continue the construction during the Kulimela and 24-hour Kirtan Festivals, June 15 – 19. If you desire to participate in fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s vision for “seven temples on seven hills,” please contact us at DhamSeva@gmail.com.
– Varsana Swami
Find them here: https://goo.gl/7Evp44