Author Archives: Dandavats.com

Salavation For Dummies.
Samapriya devi dasi: Riding around in a burnt out jaloppy,
fuming and leaking it’s all become sloppy
creaking and rattling tired and floppy,
maybe I should get a new shinning copy.
Do I really want to go through all this again?
There’s always problems from beginning to end.
Stand up for your rights your word to defend
and searching for someone on whom to depend.
We speak what we realize and it’s become clear
most of us lonely and covered with fear.
The time now is coming, the last act to appear
when we reap what we sow and become what we hear.
Make our lives simple what more can we do?
It’s passing us by as though time just flew.
But we have the answer the ultimate clue
on your knees to receive it, and it’s given to you.
Handed to us through disciplic succession
in one strand of beads, the final concession.
We must take it up as our only possession.
Salvation for Dummies in this age of deception.

Harinama in Athens, Greece (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of …

Zen Master’s Home (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Last night we entertained the elite of Beijing in the home of a famous Zen Master. Charmed by our philosophy, our talented musicians and the holy names people were swept off their feet and chanted and danced in great happiness in the courtyard of that prestigious residence.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Q3I4yV

April 14. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Sanskrit Lessons.
It was perhaps because of Carl’s interest in Sanskrit that Prabhupada began holding Sanskrit classes. Carl and David and a few others would spend hours learning Sanskrit under Prabhupada’s guidance. Using a chalkboard he found in the loft, Prabhupada taught the alphabet, and his students wrote their exercises in his notebooks. Prabhupada would look over their shoulders to see if they were writing correctly and he would review their pronunciation. His students were learning not simply Sanskrit, but the instructions of Bhagavad-gita. Each day he would give them a verse to copy in the Sanskrit alphabet (devanagari), transliterated into the Roman alphabet, and then translated word-for-word into English. But their interest in Sanskrit waned, and Prabhupada gradually gave up the daily classes to spend time working on his own translation of the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
His new friends may have regarded these lessons as Sanskrit classes, but actually they were bhakti classes. He had not come to America as the ambassador of Sanskrit; his Guru Maharaj had ordered him to teach Krishna consciousness. But since he had found in Carl and some of his friends a desire to investigate Sanskrit, he encouraged it. As a youth, Lord Caitanya had also started a Sanskrit school with the real purpose of teaching love of Krishna. He would teach in such a way that every word meant Krishna, and once His students objected, He closed the school. Similarly, when Prabhupada found his students’ interest in Sanskrit was transitory, and since he himself had no mission on behalf of Sanskrit linguistics, he gave it up.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=7

Harinama in Happy Japanese Island Okinawa, Japan (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/35uhi6

What Kind of listener am I?
The topmost listener is one who comes before the speaker with proper respect and is eager and expert in hearing of Krishna’s teachings and pastimes. He has rejected all mundane topics, has faith in the Supreme Lord, hears submissively, always contemplates the knowledge he has heard and likes to ask relevant questions. He is dear to Lord’s devotees.
There are listeners who are known as superiors.
Cataka bird : A cataka bird does not take water from any source other than the rain cloud. It eagerly waits for the swati constellation, because it only drinks the raindrops that fall during that constellation. It will rather die than drink any other types of water. One who does not hear any book other than the scriptures concerned with Krishna is called a cataka listener.
Swan : Just as the swan can extract milk from a mixture of milk and water, one who can extract the essential teachings while listening to various topics is called a swan listener.
Parrot : Just as a parrot can recite whatever it has been taught, one who is able to properly repeat the topics he has heard from his teacher and others is called a parrot listener.
Fish: Just as a fish that is situated in an ocean of condensed milk quietly drinks milk without even blinking its eyes, one who quietly listens with full focus and relishes what he hears is called a fish listener.
Some listeners are classified as inferior:
Wolf :Just as the cry of wolf frightens the deer attracted by the sweet sound of the flute in the forest, the foolish listener whose questions and comments are a source of frustration and pain to the other listeners is called a wolf listener.
Bhurunda bird: Just as the bhurunda bird that lives in the Himalayas tells everyone whatever it has heard without doing anything himself, one who repeats what he has heard to others but does not practice it himself is called a bhurunda listener.
Bull: Just a bull does not distinguish between eating sweet grapes or pungent oilcakes, the person who listens to everything without intelligence and discrimination is called a bull listener.
Camel : Just as the camel rejects the mango leaves to chew bitter neem leaves, one who listens to Krishna’s teachings and then eagerly listens to mundane topics is called a camel listener.
– Srila Vyasadeva, Srimad Bhagavat Mahatamya, Skanda Purana, verses 10.41.35-37

First Girls’ Mela at Sri Mayapur International School.
Mayuri Pillai: Saturday the 6th of February hosted the first Girls’ Mela at SMIS. A nice group of girls over the age of fourteen gathered at the main campus to partake in the planned weekend’s events. HG Devaki Mataji, a senior disciple of HH Niranjana Swami gave an inspiring two day seminar on “Fascinating Womanhood”, presenting the transformation from materialistic views on womanhood to spiritual views, and thus motivating our enthusiasm.
The seminar concluded with a lunch feast in the open air. At 6:30 pm, after sunset we met back at school after the Hatti Procession. We sat around the bonfire, cooking dinner to the company of an upbeat kirtan, followed by a game of “Capturing the Flag in Pitch Black”. It was fast approaching midnight when we finally managed to get to sleep, exhausted from “Truth & Dare” and stuffed with the night prasadam of soup, buttered buns and fire roasted potatoes.
The next morning we performed darshan arati to Gaura Nitai and had a quick breakfast prior to the second day of the seminar. We performed humorous little skits summarizing the topics of previous day’s discussions before mataji began to speak.
The two-day course delivered a deep insight into various prospects, from a woman’s position in vedic culture to being able to advance in Krishna Consciousness as a youth. The whole group felt enlightened and benefited at the end and inspired to keep trying to make further progress.
The first Girl’s Mela was a great success and we are already planning for the next one! Please come and join the next Girls’ Mela….!

Kadamba Kanana Swami: When I first went to India, Lord Ramachandra was the first deity I ever saw because the first temple I went to was of Lord Ramachandra and that was my temple! It was a small round temple and later on, they renovated and made it …

Lessons from Hanuman, Lord Rama’s Greatest Servant.
This Friday, 15 Apr 2016, devotees around the world will put extra focus on the essence of Gaudiya Vaishnavism—loving service to God—as we celebrate the appearance day of Lord Ramachandra, God’s form as the ideal leader. And who better to follow as the perfect example of selfless, devoted service than Lord Rama’s greatest devotee, the monkey warrior Hanuman?
We cannot, of course, imitate Hanuman’s actions. This is someone, who, as a newborn baby, tried to eat the sun because he thought it was a delicious-looking fruit, and would have succeeded had not Indra the lord of the demigods stopped him by striking him unconscious with his deadly thunderbolt weapon. He was then personally revived and granted untold powers by the creator Brahma, in an effort to pacify his father Vayu, the God of wind, who in a fury had taken away the ability to breathe from every living entity in the universe.
We can, however, follow Hanuman’s example of using his talents and capacities to the fullest in the Lord’s service.
Doing Our Very Best
Hanuman’s talent was strength, and a quick study of his life reveals endless examples of his using it to the fullest. When Rama’s wife Sita devi was kidnapped by the demon king Ravana, Hanuman jumped, with playful disregard, across thousands of miles of fathomless ocean to warn Ravana to release her.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/uzYJL7

Prasadam and book distribution with Harinama in Warsaw, Poland (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: We can chant Hare Krishna,…

Please see this unique animation of the timeline of the travels of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. Amazing where Srila Prabhupada…

The 2nd Vaisnava Film Awards Festival (20 min video)
The 2nd Vaisnava Film Awards Festival in Mayapur took place on 18, 19, and 20th March 2016.
Seventeen golden Nityananda Awards were granted to special achievement and lifetime achievement recipients in an exciting 90 minutes ceremony, on the stage of Mayapur Festival’s main entertainments pandal.
Ground-breaking new videos were shown, each before it’s respective producer/director was honored by this rare event’s formal recognition.
No doubt this 2nd Award’s Festival is setting a trend that is likely to perdure and grow in popularity in ISKCON. So is the wish of organiser Nrsimhananda Das of Iskcon Television, who was assisted this year by Vasudeva Das, of BhakTV and VANDE (Vaisnava Arts For A New Devotional Era).
The Awards Night was filmed by Subuddhi Ray Das, and edited with the original HD clips by Vasudeva Das.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/kC8aCM

April 13. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Carl Yeargens.
New people began coming to see Prabhupada on the Bowery. Carl Yeargens, a thirty-three year-old, black, bearded man from the Bronx had attended Cornell University and was now independently studying Indian religion and Zen Buddhism. He had experimented with drugs as “psychedelic tools” and he had an interest in the music and poetry of India. He was influential among his friends and tried to interest them in meditation. He had even been dabbling in Sanskrit.
Carl: I had just finished reading a book called The Wonder That Was India. I had gotten the definition of a sannyasi and a brahmacari and so forth. There was a vivid description in that particular book of how you could see a sannyasi coming down the road with his saffron robe. It must have made more than a superficial impression on me, because it came to me on this one chilly evening. I was going to visit Michael Grant – probably going to smoke some marijuana and sit around, maybe play some music – and I was coming down Hester Street. If you make a left on the Bowery, you can go up to Mike’s place on Grand Street. But it’s a funny thing that I chose to go that way, because the shorter way would have been to go down Grand Street. But if I had gone that way, I probably would have missed Swamiji.
So I decided to go down Hester and make a left. All of a sudden I saw in this dingy alcove, a brilliant saffron robe. As I passed, I saw it was Swamiji knocking on the door, trying to gain entrance. There were two bums hunched up against the door. It was like a two-part door – one of them was sealed and the other was locked. The two bums were lying on either side of Swamiji. One of these men had actually expired – which often happened and you had to call the police or health department to get them.
I don’t think I saw the men lying in the doorway until I walked up to Swamiji and asked him, “Are you a sannyasi?” And he answered, “Yes.” We started this conversation about how he was starting a temple, and he mentioned Lord Caitanya and the whole thing. He just came out with this flow of strange things to me, right there in the street. But I knew what he was talking about somehow. I had the familiarity of having just read this book and delved into Indian religion. So I knew that this was a momentous occasion for me and I wanted to help him. We banged on the door and eventually we got into the loft. He invited me to come to a kirtana, and I came back later that night for my first kirtana. From that point on, it was a fairly regular thing – three times a week. At one point Swamiji asked me to stay with him, and I stayed for about two weeks.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=7

5050 Book Campaign News! Message from Vaisesika Prabhu (2 min video)
“Hare Krishna! For the 50th anniversary year of ISKCON, the 50th book distribution marathon is upon us. This is a great idea, that everyone can distribute at least 50 books. All members of ISKCON, all friends of ISKCON, are welcome to take 50 books, and go out and distribute them to their friends, people they meet everywhere, their colleagues at work. And why stop at 50 books? Why not do more? Why not invite other people to come in? In this way we can distribute millions of books this year for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada. I endorse this program wholeheartedly and ask everyone to please get involved as much as possible. Thank you. Hare Krishna!”
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/rUafyr

Thank you, George! (4 min video) Mangalananda Prabhu’s tribute to George Harrison. Cleverly included many of George’s most recognized guitar riffs.
Padmapani das: Srila Prabhupada once remarked that George Harrison was “more” than his disciple. During his final earthly pastimes in Vrindavan, 1977, Prabhupada took off his gold ring and requested that it be given to George. Due to his sincere and influential devotional service, George Harrison had pleased Lord Krishna’s pure devotee, Srila Prabhupada.
“The relationship between Srila Prabhupada and George Harrison was very close, and Srila Prabhupada regarded George as his son. When Bhaktivedanta Manor was donated, Srila Prabhupada said of George, ‘Because he has given shelter to Krishna by providing this temple, Krishna will surely provide shelter for him.’ Just before Srila Prabhupada left this world in 1977, he removed the ring on his right hand and said to the disciples around him, ‘This is for George, give it to him.’” (The Bhaktivedanta Manor website)
Srila Prabhupada appreciated George Harrison’s humility and how he sincerely tried his best to utilize his God-given talents to spread the Hare Krishna mantra all over the world. He was bold and resolute in his devotion. Our godbrother, Tribhuvanatha Prabhu, used to visit him quite regularly and often said that George was very grateful and humble in his dealings. He especially liked prasadam, and never made a fuss about being an important rock star or drew attention to himself. In fact, when he attended public events at the temple, he remained quiet and unassuming. At other times, he was often seen chanting Hare Krishna sincerely on his japa beads.
Many devotees joined the Hare Krishna movement at least in part because of George Harrison. He legitimized Hare Krishna and Indian culture in the West because of his exalted status as a member of the Beatles. He broke new ground by introducing the sitar into rock music, studying under Ravi Shankar and bringing an ancient wisdom from India into mainstream pop lyrics: “Life flows on within you and without you,” etc. He had long talks with Srila Prabhupada and they both got along well together. George offered many services to Prabhupada over the years, and Srila Prabhupada was noticably pleased.
George Harrison was a devotee of Lord Krishna who Srila Prabhupada once referred to as his “uninitiated disciple.” George Harrison was very fortunate to receive some direct service to Prabhupada’s mission at such an exciting time in its development. He’ll go down in history for his loving devotional songs like My Sweet Lord, which contain the chanting of Hare Krishna. George Harrison also produced the beautiful Radha-Krishna Temple Album in London, which many devotees cherished at home before joining the temples. He was a devotee at heart – an individual who had the courage of his conviction along with an order from Srila Prabhupada to spread the Hare Krishna mantra worldwide. A true success story and a life well lived. Thank you, George. You’re dearly loved and appreciated by so many people all over the world.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/U2Q7l7

Harinama in Biisk 10/04/16 Barnaul, Russia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: This Krishna consciousness movement insists th…

Bhaktivedanta Research Centre’s latest newsletter.
Highlights include:
* Rare manuscripts donated to our library collection from Sri Advaitacharya’s dynasty
* BRC’s Acquisition of Laser Engraver
* BRC Manuscript Mission Team visits Sr Vrindavan Dham
* Tech Team Updates
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/hVOE9z

The Three Month Padayatra Ready To Take Off In Russia!
Narada Dasa: In one month we’re going to start a 3 month Padayatra in Russia. Even though we now have a serious economical crisis in the country, we are ready to do whatever is takes to make this Russian Padayatra a very good offering for Lokanatha Maharaja and Srila Prabhupada’s pleasure.
We now have more than 27 padayatris from all over Russia, and one great kirtaniya, Mukti Datta Prabhu, will also join us. We’re planning to travel around 50 cities and villages doing harinama sankirtana, and to also have a bullock cart for some time, but for all that we do need some laksmi. In order to take care of all these padayatris, to organize transportation, pay for petrol, and so on, we need a total $ 5177. It’s an average of less than $ 60 a day, which is not much at all considering the number of devotees and the duration of the padayatra.
During the padayatra we are planning to raise donations by book distribution, and thus hope to cover around $ 2000. So far I raised $ 200 in Russia, which means we still need to raise $ 2977, more than half of the total amount needed.
We are humbly appealing to all of you to please make a generous donation for this project meant to glorify ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada.
In a recent interview about Padayatra Russia, Lokanath Swami quoted a Newsweek cover stating that Hare Krishna is the fastest growing religion in the former Soviet Union, with around 100 000 devotees. He commented that we have to let the Russian people know that the Hare Krishna devotees are very good people, friendly people working very hard for everyone’s welfare.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/qSaOEC

Fast Friends (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Yesterday we visited the famous Llama Temple in downtown Beijing. While th…

April 12. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: David Allen.
Prabhupada wrote to his friends in India, describing his relationship with his new roommate in the Bowery loft, David Allen.
He was attending the class at 72nd Street along with others, and when I experienced this theft case in my room, he invited me to his residence. So I am with him and training him. He has good prospect because he has already given up all bad habits. In this country, illicit connection with women, smoking, drinking and eating of meats are common affairs. But by my request he has given up 90% of his old habits, and he is chanting Maha-mantra regularly. So I am giving him the chance and I think he is improving. Tomorrow I have arranged for some prasadam distribution, and he has gone to purchase some things from the market.
When David first came to the Bowery, he appeared like a clean-cut college student. He was twenty-one, six feet tall, blue-eyed, handsome and intelligent looking. Most of his new friends in New York were older and considered him a kid. David’s family lived in East Lansing, Michigan, and his mother was paying $100.00 monthly to sublease the loft. Although he did not have much experience, he had read that a new realm of mind expansion was available through psychedelic drugs, and he was heading fast into the hazardous world of LSD. His meeting with the Swami came at a time of radical change and profoundly affected his life.
David: It was a really good relationship I had with the Swami, but I was overwhelmed by the tremendous energy of being that close to him. It spurred my consciousness very fast. Even my dreams at night would be so vivid of Krishna consciousness. I was often sleeping when the Swami was up, because he was up late in the night working on his translations. That is possibly where a lot of the consciousness in dreams just flowed in, because a lot of that deep relationship. It also had to do with studying Sanskrit. There was a lot of immediate impact with the language. The language seemed to have a strong mystical quality, the way he translated it word-for-word.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=7

A new offering to the Lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada!
As a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of ISKCON, a Mega Youth festival named “Xpression- a festival of gratitude” was organized by ISKCON Kanpur in which around 10.000 youths participated from all over Kanpur & nearby places like Lucknow, Allahabad & Varanasi etc. It had a great impact on youths & many of them carried valuable memorable lessons through the medium of Shadow Dance on Bhagavad Gita, Drama on OMG! Movie which clarified many of their doubts. Along with this youths also enjoyed a reverberating Kirtan by Russian devotees. Everybody was spell bound by talks of HG Devakinandan Prabhuji (Zonal Secretary Kanpur) & HG Gauranga Prabhuji. This event was also very well attended by many big dignitaries such as District Magistrate (DM) of Kanpur, Amish Tripathi (Famous writer), and Income Tax Commissioner Etc. At the end youths were very happy with Krishna Prasad & also a return gift of a book on Srila Prabhupada along with a beautiful Photo frame of Sri Sri Radha Madhav Kanpur. Responses of youths & many other visitors were to have this event next time in a very big mega way with triple the count. The organizational efforts were very well coordinated under the guidance of HG Devakinandan Prabhuji, HG Prem Harinam Prabhuji (Temple president) & HG Radha Ranjan Prabhuji (Vice- President). We are hoping to serve more & more by conducting such events in service of Srila Prabhupada.
Find more photos here: https://goo.gl/W5d6Oo

The transcendentally beautiful ISKCON Ujjain temple (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: These temples, they are just like oas…

Does Prasada Guarantee a Human Birth?
Kesava Krsna Dasa: I am guilty of this. I hear it all the time. For so long I was thinking that if anyone is given Krishna prasada (non-devotee), that person is guaranteed a human birth in the next life. I heard this many times, but where is the evidence to support the claim?
There is no doubt that Krishna prasada will lead anyone who takes it, to Bhakti, in the future. After how long? It depends on whether a fortunate person performs activities in devotion, knowingly or unknowingly. Below Is Srila Prabhupada’s clarity on the matter:
Bali-mardana: “I believe I’ve heard you said in other lectures that a person who takes prasadam, even a plant or a…, any kind of living entity who takes prasadam or hears the name, that it will come back at least to human form of life. Is that correct?
Prabhupada: No, if he’s devotee, then he’ll come. But this taking of prasadam, or hearing Hare Krsna mantra is advancement for becoming a devotee. But if he takes prasadam not as ordinary prasadam, foodstuff, he believes that “This is remnants of foodstuffs given to God,” if he understands this philosophy, then guaranteed. If he takes the prasadam as ordinary food, “All right, these people are distributing, prasa… Let me take it. It is very tasteful,” that will give him chance to accept prasadam next, next, next… In this way, one day he’ll come to the point that “This prasadam is not ordinary foodstuff.” Then he’ll… There is guarantee. Because only the devotee can appreciate that “This prasadam is not ordinary foodstuff. It is Krsna’s remnant of…” Therefore, he understands Krsna. That is said in the Bhagavad-gita, janma-karma ca me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. In truth, when he understands, then his life is guaranteed. Why guaranteed? He goes back to home next life. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. If you simply can understand what is Krsna and what is your relationship with Krsna, that is sufficient to take you back to home, back to Godhead. That is sufficient. It is so nice. “ (SB16.23, January 19, 1974, Hawaii)
With a sense of relief, we have more certainty on the benefits of Krishna prasada.
Ys Kesava Krsna Dasa.

Harinama in Tel Aviv, Israel 09.04.2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: One has to continue chanting the Hare Krishna man…

A Drop In The Ocean (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Srila Prabhupada said that by tasting one drop of the salty ocean o…

Sri Rama-Navami booklet by Gour-Govinda Swami.
Srila Prabhupada: Nobody can be stronger than God, nobody can be wiser than God, nobody can be more beautiful than God, and nobody can be more renouncer than God. So here Lord Ramacandra exhibited the qua…

April 11. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: The Word Spreads.
News of the Swami’s move to the Bowery loft spread, mostly by word of mouth at the Paradox restaurant, and people began to come by in the evening to chant with him. The musical kirtanas were especially popular on the Bowery, since the Swami’s new congregation consisted mostly of local musicians and artists who responded more to the transcendental music than to the philosophy. Every morning he would hold a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam attended by David Allen, Robert Nelson and another boy, and occasionally he would teach cooking to whoever was interested. He was usually available for personal talks with any inquiring visitors, or with his new roommate.
Although Prabhupada and David each had a designated living area in the large loft, the entire place soon became dominated by Prabhupada’s preaching activities. Prabhupada and David got on well together and, at first, Prabhupada considered David an aspiring disciple.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=7

Hare Krishna Festivals UK – York Harinam – 9th April 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In the Padma Purana, Krishna says, mad-bhakta yatra gayanti tatra tisthami narada: “O Narada, I am present wherever My devotees are chanting.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 17.132 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/GUg5fa

Alphonso Mangos!
Kadamba Kanana Swami: I have one short story. It is a story I made up myself but I think it is quite nice. Once, there was a group of people who lived in an oasis in the desert. In this oasis, they had their enjoyment, they had their variety of things – camel milk, dates and some bananas; or bananas and dates and camel milk; or camel milk with bananas and dates; dried bananas; camel milkshake – but that was it. So they were milking their varieties and this oasis was known as the “Oasis of sense gratification”.

Aerial photos of the Iskcon Ujjain Temple (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Ointment is applied to the eyes for clear visi…

ISKCON Auckland NZ: Friday night Harinam (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: By chanting Hare Krishna one fixes his mind alw…

Baba Madhava Das Festival at Vrinda Kunda (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: On Friday, we observed the disappearance festival of Baba Madhava Das who gave Vrinda Kunda to ISKCON. We had wonderful katha, kirtan, artika, fed all of the Sadhus of Nandagram, and had feast for all the devotees and villagers. Relish Vittalrukmini’s photos!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/77fcZo

Transformation through Books.
Today one devotee shared with us about his meeting with two Russian devotee couples in Srirangam. Those Russian devotees were earnestly looking out for the place where Mahaprabhu’s lotus feet are being worshiped in Srirangam. After taking them to that place, this devotee inquired those Russian devotees as to how they came to know about Krishna consciousness. One of that Russian prabhuji was earlier working as a butcher in a slaughterhouse. Somehow some merciful Vaishnava had been doing book distribution even outside the slaughterhouses in Russia. Some people who were working in those slaughter houses got those books. But later they tore the pages as they could not understand English.
That day after tiring hours of work in the slaughter house, this Russian prabhuji, with his clothes tainted with the blood of the animals he had slaughtered, came and sat down to rest for sometime. By Krishna’s arrangement, he saw the torn pages of Srila Prabhupada’s “Science of Self-Realisation” book. He picked up that page and studied its contents. The subject matter in that page attracted him so much that he asked the people around about further details. The people who had torn that book told him, that there were some Asian people who had given them these books, but since it was in English, they had torn it. Those people also told him that these book distributors could be found down the street, singing some song. Immediately this Prabhu went to that place and met the devotees. He spoke with them for nearly 6 hours and then there was a complete transformation in his life. Realising the gravity of the sinful activity involved in killing animals, this Prabhu not only gave up his job on that day, but he also went and shared the details of the contents which he had read and heard from the devotees to his wife and another couple who were their friends. That was the beginning of their spiritual journey and over a period of time, both the couples dedicated their life to serving the cows and spreading the message of Srila Prabhupada.
This real life incident is a real eye-opener on how powerful even a page of Srila Prabhupada’s book is. If studying a single page of Srila Prabhupada’s book can bring such a great transformation in the life of a butcher, then what to speak of all the volumes of wonderful writings he has left for us. Indeed the books of His Divine Grace are brhad mrdanga and the sankirtan of book distribution can drive away all anarthas and bring a very great revolution in this world. Srila Prabhupada with great humility always mentions how he has full faith on the verse 1.5.18 of Srimad Bhagavatam wherein Narada Muni says: “On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world’s misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.”
Placing his faith in Srimad Bhagavatam and his spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada has literally poured his heart out in his books and continues to live in his writings. So for our own benefit and for the benefit of the whole world, we should study, practise and propagate his books to the best of our ability.
Transcendental Book Distribution ki Jai! Srila Prabhupada ki Jai!
Sudarshana Devi dasi

A New Frontier (7 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Our first few days in China were spent getting to know the people and culture of this country. We also held programs with local devotees in Beijing. My conclusion is that Lord Caitanya’s formula for sharing Krsna consciousness; namely chanting, dancing and feasting, is very suitable for the people here. We look forward to the next 18 days of our journey through the Land of the Great Red Dragon.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/kGCu4I

April 10. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Prabhupada in the Loft.
The loft was a fourth-flight walk-up, and the only entrance, usually heavily bolted, was a door in the rear at the west end. From the outside, this door opened into a hallway that was only lit by a red EXIT light over the door. The hallway led to the right a few steps and into the open area. If a guest entered during the kirtana or lecture, he would see the Swami about thirty feet from the entrance seated on his dais. On other evenings, the whole loft would be dark but for the glow of the red EXIT light in the little hallway and a soft illumination radiating from the other side of the partition where Prabhupada was working.
Prabhupada lived on the Bowery, sitting under a small light, while hundreds of derelicts also sat under hundreds of naked lights on the same city block. He had no more fixed income than the derelicts, or any greater security of a fixed residence, yet his consciousness was different. He was translating Srimad-Bhagavatam into English, speaking to the world through his Bhaktivedanta purports; his duty, whether on the fourteenth floor of a Riverside Drive apartment or in the corner of a Bowery loft, was to establish Krishna consciousness as the prime necessity for all humanity. He went on with his translating and with his constant vision of a Krishna temple in New York City. Because his consciousness was absorbed in Krishna’s universal mission, he did not depend on his surroundings for shelter. Home for him was not a matter of bricks and wood, but of taking shelter of Krishna in every circumstance. As Prabhupada had said to his friends uptown, “Everywhere is my home.” Without Krishna’s shelter, the whole world would become a desolate place.
Often he would refer to a scriptural statement that people live in three different modes: goodness, passion and ignorance. Life in the forest is in the mode of goodness, life in the city is in passion, and life in a degraded place like a liquor shop, a brothel, or the Bowery, is in the mode of ignorance. But to live in the temple of Vishnu is to live in the spiritual world, Vaikuntha, which is transcendental to all material worlds.
And this Bowery loft where Prabhupada was holding his meetings and performing kirtana was also transcendental. When he was behind the partition working in his corner before the open pages of Srimad-Bhagavatam, that room was as good as his room back at the Radha-Damodara Temple in Vrindavana.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=7

New TOVP Phone App Goes Live!
Everything can be used in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even modern technol…

Harinama and book distribution in Tel Aviv, Israel (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: To be chanting the holy name of Your L…

ISKCON Auckland NZ: Kirtana program with Madhava (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/2nJ7LE

A Flow Of Nectar in China (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Our first few days in China have been packed with programs. Once again I am amazed how kirtan melts the hearts of people everywhere, regardless of what country they are from. Here in Beijing our guests, most of whom are coming for the first time, listen attentively and chant and dance in ecstasy. And Srila Prabhupada’s books are flowing out like nectar.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/M1ofdd

Vaishnava Film Awards! (13 min video)
Please enjoy watching the first part of the ceremony that took part in Mayapur. There are…