Author Archives: Dandavats.com

Remembering Sridhar Swami (Album with 52 photos)
Dharmatma Das: He was a dear friend and wonderful inspiration. A true lover an…Read More…

The Syamantaka Jewel story from the Krishna book.
Kalakantha Prabhu: The Syamantaka jewel story shows how money can ruin good people. When there is an accumulation of wealth, it is difficult to resist the temptation to control it.
Comment by Dhrstadyumna Prabhu: Isn’t gold one of the places Kali is allowed to reside.
Response: Yes. Very good.
You can have bad habits or character flaws, but in Kali-yuga, you will be respected if you have money.
Q (by Amy): Money is such a part of life. Anything we can do if we have money to not be degraded by it?
A: Use it for sacrifice.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/ODC7Z9

March 15. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Honoring Prabhupada’s Relationship With Us
Each of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples has chosen to love him. It is a commitment that I will always honor, and I have sealed that commitment at my initiation. We have a contract of love now. Although my love for Srila Prabhupada may not yet be free of any material tinge, he is patient. And Prabhupada himself has placed conditions of his love on his disciples. He expects them to follow him. Although he will still love a disobedient disciple, his love will not reach a disciple who rebels or disobeys his order, and who blasphemes guru and Krishna. The relationship between guru and disciple is meant to be based on honor.
I have heard people say that this “condition” Prabhupada places on his love for us is not much different than the conditions some of our parents placed on us to win their love. Many people have been hurt by parents who sold their love for high grades in school, or conformity to family rules, etc. There was no chance for people who grew up in these families to develop themselves as individuals, or to feel self-worth despite their failings to meet their parents’ standards. They grew up only with conditions and have no experience of real love. Is Prabhupada’s love for us like that? Is it a lesser kind of love because he places on it the condition of our obedience?
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=6

The March issue of the “Conch”, the Newsletter of the Hare Krishna Farm community of Australia is now online.
Special Edition: Children in Iskcon.
EDITORIAL ADVISOR – H.H. Mukunda Goswami
GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT – Urvasi devi dasi
PHOTOGRAPHY – Urvasi devi dasi and Trevor Gore
EDITORIAL BOARD
Damodara Pandit dasa
Govardhana Seva dasa
Krishna Rupa devi dasi (ACBSP)
Mandakini devi dasi
You can download it here: http://goo.gl/c7sOzY

New Govardhana Community’s Special 50th Anniversary Projects.
Many New Govardhana devotees (Australia) have begun planning special 50th projects. Please support these proposed projects and also create your own special 50th Anniversary event.
For more info: http://www.krishnafarm.net/

A Krsna conscious person will never blaspheme any person, any religious leader, who is trying to spread Krsna consciousness or God consciousness!
Srila Prabhupada: A Krsna conscious person will never blaspheme any person, any religious leader, who is trying to spread Krsna consciousness or God consciousness. In any country, in any religion, anyone who has tried to spread God consciousness to the people, they are all respectable persons. Those who are atheists, those who do not believe in God or those who personally declare that “I am God,” we have nothing to do with such persons. But anyone in any country who accepts God as the Supreme, Krsna as the Supreme, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam (SB 1.3.28), such persons are respectable persons and we should offer our always respect to them. We have… Unnecessarily we do not want to criticize anyone. But when there is necessity, because we are preacher, it may be sometimes you’ll be faced with opposite elements, so we have to criticize in that respect. Generally we don’t praise or eulogize somebody or criticize somebody. That is not our business. Our business is Krsna consciousness, God consciousness, always thinking that we are eternal servant of Krsna.
And sruti-sastra-nindanam. No scriptures of the world shall be decried. Any scripture which is preaching about God consciousness, that is bona fide. It may be in some scriptures information of God is not fully explained, but if the idea, target, is God, that is a scripture. So generally sruti-sastra means Vedas, the books of knowledge. So one should not go beyond the books of knowledge, just like we are studying Bhagavad-gita. So sruti-sastra-nindanam. Nobody should criticize or malinterpret the statement in the scripture.
(Initiation of Satyabhama Dasi and Gayatri Initiation of Devotees Going to London – Montreal, July 26, 1968)

Bhakti Rasayana Sagara Maharaja’s sannyasa initiation (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Yesterday we performed the sannyasa initiation for Uttama Sloka das, who became Bhakti Rasayana Sagara Maharaja. The ceremony was held here in Sridham Mayapura in the association of many wonderful devotees. May Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya bless Maharaja to be successful in his preaching all over the world!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/uljMyC

Maha Harinam in Mayapur by Russian devotees (6 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is described as maha-vadan…

Vraja-Katha in Mumbai (Album with 180 photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: In January 2016 we were invited to do Braja Katha at the newly…

March 14. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Real Love for Srila Prabhupada.
If we are to love Prabhupada, we have to actually care about his interests as much as we care about our own. What does he want? He wants us to become Krishna conscious. He wants us to cooperate with his other disciples, to maintain his movement and expand it by preaching. Loving Srila Prabhupada means carrying out these aims, even at the expense of some of our more personal aims. There is room for us to develop our interests in serving him. But our own aims should not be separate from his expressed desires; they have to fall within the parameters of his teachings.
This is, at least, a working definition of love for Srila Prabhupada. One will be ready to forgo one’s own conveniences, to invest one’s own time, and even to risk one’s own security to promote the desires of Srila Prabhupada. Our love is not just a feeling, but feeling translated into action. Feelings are fickle. Sometimes they are deep, and at other times, they are distracted. It is the constant sacrifice for the sake of love that makes those feelings profound and steady.
It is impossible to love all the different people in our lives with equal intensity. The spiritual master has a special place, and he is given special love. Srila Prabhupada said, “To be everyone’s servant means that you are no one’s servant.” We give him more respect, more credence, more attention than anyone else we may have love for. And by loving Srila Prabhupada, Krishna consciousness gets distributed and the love is spread around to all living entities. That is the special quality of loving a pure devotee – the love gets spread around: people can eternally benefit just by our loving Srila Prabhupada.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=6

Amazing aerial views from the 3rd day of Navadvipa Parikrama (Album with photos)
Today’s pics from the Navadwip Mandala Parikrama. Hamsa Vahana, Naimisaranya, Pancaveni, Maha Harinam through the streets of Navadwip, Bhajan Kutir of Srila Jagannath dasa Babaji, Sri Dhamesvara Mahaprabhu (where His consort, Srimati Visnupriya Devi worshipped His Deity form.)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/IRhG1I

Iskcon Russia: From modelling and beauty pageantry stages to Krishna devotees, distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: We must be fixed up in our own rupa (form), svarupa, swarupa-siddhi. Svarupa-siddhi means to be engaged in the service of Lord. That is real mukti. Bombay, January 9, 1973.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/qcH0UA

Visiting the holy places of India (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “When one becomes Krishna conscious, he loves everyone. If you chant loudly Hare Krishna, even the ants and insect who is hearing, he’ll be delivered, because it is spiritual vibration.” Bombay, January 4, 1973.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/1s9LU5

A new sannyasi for Iskcon: HH Bhakti Rasayana Sagara Swami!
Shaktyavesha Avatara Dasa: HG Utama Sloka Prabhu has just received a sannyasi initiation from HH Indradyumana Swami in the presence of numerous elevated Vaishnavas and guests. (And his new name is) HH Bhakti Rasayana Sagara Maharaja ki Jaya!
Thank you, dear Uttama Sloka, for guiding, helping and supporting over the years! Wish you complete success with your ‘Spiritual Untied Nations’ project and service to Srila Prabhupada!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/ml0EZl

Krsna’s dedication to His friend Arjuna.
Aniruddha Dasa: We have a very mature crowd of devotees attending the Disciple Course in ISKCON Dwarka (Delhi) this weekend. It is a pleasure to teach.
I spoke on SB 1.15.17 this morning to an appreciative crowd of local devotees. The class was translated by Amogha Lila Prabhu.
A couple of things struck me in the purport and verse. Krsna’s dedication to His friend Arjuna, exemplified in His becoming His friend’s chariot driver. Arjuna’s humility in regretting he allowed Krsna to be his servant. Even though Arjuna is Krsna’s dearest friend he felt he had overstepped the mark in accepting service from the Lord. “…it was due to my lack of esteem for my Lord that I dared engage Him as my chariot driver, for He is worshiped and offered services by the best men to attain salvation.”
Krsna is perfect in all His dealings with His devotees and His pure devotees’ dealings with Him are not flawed. In his meditation on Krsna as the Supreme, Arjuna felt His familiarity lacked respect and proper recognition of Krsna’s position. It is exactly that intimate quality of friendship, devoid of awe and reverence, which is attractive to the devotees and which Krsna loves to reciprocate with His dearest friend.
The idea of service being the most attractive position is intriguing. Even Krsna, the Supreme Controller likes to serve. Everyone is a servant. No one, except Krsna, is fully independent. Ekale isvara krsna, ara saba bhrtya. Lord Krsna alone is the supreme controller, and all others are His servants. CC Adi 5.142 Yet, the mood of service is also within Krsna. Yes, He is the Supreme Controller but He is also the Supreme Servant.
In that sense His dealings with His intimate devotees is so attractive because He gives up the position of Superior and becomes the servant of the servant.

India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, offers his homages to Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu during a recent religious gathering. If only other world leaders could follow his example there would surely be peace and prosperity for all nations of the world!
Srila Prabhupada: The Lord inaugurated this system of mass sankirtana, and leaders of all countries can take advantage of this spiritual movement in order to keep the mass of people in a pure state of peace and friendship with one another. This is now the demand of the present human society all over the world.
Read more: http://goo.gl/x5TTdn

March 13. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Faith in Prabhupada’s Instructions.
Srila Prabhupada is the topmost acarya, the representative of Krishna capable of delivering all conditioned souls. His disciples and followers seek release from the material world through bhakti yoga, engagement in Krishna’s service. If we accept Prabhupada’s instructions with faith, we can become fully Krishna conscious and go back to Godhead.
Unfortunately, a disciple doesn’t always measure up to the guru’s demands due to a heavily conditioned nature, and this may lead to doubts in his relationship with his spiritual master. Prabhupada is not unreasonable in his requests; he wants us to be perfect, to render pure, unmotivated service to guru and Krishna. He knows that bhakti must be unconditional, and his duty is to train us to perform that unconditional service. Whatever doubts we may still have in Krishna consciousness should not be about Prabhupada’s spiritual calibre, or about his disposition toward us. We doubt only our ability to respond to him. In other words, we doubt ourselves. Srila Prabhupada once said that even if we have the most expert guru, we may still fail unless we help ourselves.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=6

Presentation of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition at a meeting with graduates of the Master of Sretensky Theological Seminary in the t…

Navadwip Mandal Parikrama: Day two (Album with photos)
Holy paces visited: 1. Gauradaha. 2. Svananda Sukhada Kunja: Gaura Gadadhara Temple, residence and Samadhi of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. 3. Bhajan Kutir of Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. 4. Samadhi Mandir of Krsna Dasa Babaji. (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s dear servant) 5. Surabhi Kunja: Lord Indra came with Surabhi and worshiped Lord Caitanya to seek pardon for his offense (it happened in Dvapara Yuga). Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura started the head office of the Nama-hatta preaching program here. 6. ISKCON Bhaktivedanta Arogya Asrama with deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva, Subhadra and Sri Gaura Nitai.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/2ecbey

Avoiding improper behavior while residing in a holy place.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has listed ten offenses against the holy dhama that we must carefully avoid in order to be fully benefitted from our visit to or residence in the holy dhama.
To disrespect one’s spiritual master who reveals the dhama to the disciple
To think that the holy dhama is temporary.
To commit violence towards any of the residents of the holy dhama or to any of the pilgrims who come there, or to think that they are ordinary people. Srila Prabhupada writes: “All the inhabitants of Vrindavana are Vaisnavas. They are all auspicious because somehow or other they always chant the holy name of Krishna” (C.C.Adi 5.232, purport).
To perform mundane activities while living in the holy dhama.
To utilize the dhama for personal economic development by commercializing deity worship and sankirtana in the holy dhama.
To think that the holy dhama belongs to a mundane country or province, such as Bengal; to think that the Lord’s dhama is equal to a place connected with some demigod, or to attempt to measure the area of the holy dhama.
To commit sinful acts while residing in the holy dhama
To consider Vrindavana-dhama as different from Navadvipa-dhama.
To blaspheme the sastras that assert the glorious position of the holy dhama.
To be faithless and think that the glories of the dhama are imaginary.
Srila Prabhupada explained that the results of all devotional activities performed in the holy dhama are magnified a thousand times. Therefore, one can make rapid advancement if one lives offenselessly in the holy dhama. But if we commit offenses, the results of those offenses are also magnified one thousand times. Therefore, one is advised to carefully avoid committing any offenses in the holy dhama.

Hare Krishna Festivals UK: Swindon Festival – 10th March 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: There is a need of a clue …

Iskcon Congregational Preachers Awarded In Sri Dham Mayapur (4 min video)
“On February 29th we held the Congregational Awards of 2016, presenting medallions and certificates to over fifty devotees from around the world in recognition of their outstanding efforts in expanding and supporting their congregations. The ceremony took place at the main hall where all the attendees to the ISKCON Leadership Sanga (ILS) had gathered during lunchtime. The medallions were beautifully engraved with Gaura Nitai as well as the Congregational Development Ministry’s logo, all according to the design made by H.H. Jayapataka Swami, co-Minister of CDM. The event was hosted by Kaunteya Prabhu, who is also a Congregational co-Minister, and he glorified the particular services that each of the winners have performed in the area of congregational development. He emphasized that this event was an offering to ISKCON’s 50th anniversary campaign in celebration of Srila Prabhupada establishment of our movement.”
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/7nXvHi

New Krishna Hip-Hop Album Tracks the Soul’s Journey.
Milan Parmar, a member of ISKCON youth group Pandava Sena in the UK, has released an introspective hip-hop album that tracks the soul’s spiritual journey throughout one lifetime in the material world.
Out on January 29th on Pandava Sena’s own label, “When a Soul Acknowledges” features smooth production by Deva Deva Das, uplifting melodic hooks by female vocalist Sobia Khan, and Parmar’s mesmerizing unbroken flow. It’s a professional effort that clearly has its finger on the pulse of current UK rap styles.
At the same time, with tracks like “Pleasures of the World (Illusion),” “Wise Words From A Wise Man (Gurudeva),” and “Return to Godhead,” it’s clearly no ordinary hip-hop album.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/NJJ0Px

“A Month in the Life of Srila Prabhupada”–excellent 50th resource.
Ananda Tirtha das: Thanks to Visnu Murti Prabhu and the Vanipedia team, we can now easily follow Srila Prabhupada’s life from 1966 all the way to 1977 here: http://vanipedia.org/wiki/A_Month_in_the_Life_of_Srila_Prabhupada Please visit this link and share widely. Each month covered includes all of Srila Prabhupada’s letters, lectures, etc. day by day, including audio clips. For example, did you know that today, March 11, 1966, Srila Prabhupada gave one of his very first recorded BG lectures? Visit the site to read and hear more! We owe a debt of gratitude to Vanipedia and the best way to show that is to take advantage of their efforts by following Srila Prabhupada.
Nitya-Trpta devi dasi: Once you find some audio or quote you are into, the entire audio and full transcript may be downloaded freely from: https://prabhupadavani.org/transcriptions/?content_type=Transcripts+with+Audio Each year the Bhaktivedanta Archives makes available all audio and transcript updates available to all. This site is a method of free distribution.
Your grateful servant at the Bhaktivedanta Archives.

Parikrama Adhivas plus First day (Album with photos)
After 4 days of wonderful Sravana Utsava, 5 days of blissful and amazing …

March 12. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Prabhupada is In Our Hearts.
Prabhupada expands in each of our hearts. He is present simultaneously with his many followers as they worship him in his murti, or read his books, and when they remember his exchanges, his intense desire to preach, his book distribution or the way he took prasadam. If we panic when Prabhupada seems distant, then it is meant to be an impetus to propel us forward in our remembrance of him. There are so many ways to be with Prabhupada, we should be grateful to him that he has made himself so available to us and pray to be recognized by him out of his infinite kindness.
Prabhupada, please relieve me of my forgetfulness. I offer my obeisances to His Divine Grace, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He is very dear to Lord Krishna. His goal was to absorb the minds and hearts of his disciples in love of God, and in this, he represented the Six Gosvamis of Vrindavana.
If Prabhupada is shining in each of our hearts, we will automatically love each other more. As a result, people will be drawn to take part in this mystic sanga, which will increase tenfold when we chant and hear together. Prabhupada will be approving us, and we will all feel accepted and purified in his presence.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=6

Ecstatic International Harinamas in Mayapur (Album with photos)
Devotees from all over the world chant and dance with local residents glorifying Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda in Iskcon Mayapur.
Srila Prabhupada: “it was the desire of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura that Europeans and Americans would come here and chant Hare Krsna mantra. That prophecy is now being fulfilled, and that is my satisfaction”
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Xddpp8

Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama Begins.
Sri Jiva Goswami started from his residence at Candradvipa to Navadvipa & throughout this journey, streams of tears were flowing from his eyes. While crying he called out with a loud voice, “O life of the living entities, O Sri Gauranga, O Nityananda Prabhu, when will You bestow Your mercy upon me and give me Your darsana? ( Navadvipa dhama Mahatmya)
This is the mood of Sri Jiva Goswami, when he set out to Navadvipa to visit pastime places of Sri Gauranga, under the guidance of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. The same mood manifesting very much with every devotee that set out today for Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama- mood of a beggar begging for a drop of that mercy in a wonderful sadhu sanga. The powerful vibration of holy name resounding through the nine islands of Navadvipa! International group will be walking at the holy island of Kirtanam-Godrumadvipa, hindi group will perform kirtan at Koladvipa, Namahatta group will relish Jagannatha katha at Simantadvipa, Gita study group meditating on Nityananda’s namahatta at Surabhi kunj, i.e, you go anywhere in Navadvipa, you will meet up with devotees performing Gaura bhajana.
Sitting at any corner of the world, you too can take part in Navadvipa Parikrama, by watching it live in mayapur.tv, browsing through festival pictures at mayapur.com or by offering Prasada seva to devotees who are walking on Parikrama.
Imagine thousands of devotees, sanysasis and dhamvasis, take prasada together, sitting in the dust of the holy dhama, on the banks of Ganges, offer you blessings- a whole sale opportunity to receive mercy of Sri Pancatattva, Vaisnavas & the most merciful Navadvipa dhama.

“Forever indebted to Srila Prabhupada for the teachings of the Golden Avatar”
Varsana Swami: “In 1974, my spiritual enthusiasm increased as Srila Prabhupada inundated us with new nectar – the printing of the entire Caitanya-caritamrta which was then coming to light for the first time in the English language. Whenever a new volume arrived fresh off the printing press, I would read and relish it from cover to cover. I literally hid in the barn’s corn crib to avoid being detected or interrupted in reading during work hours, which was strictly prohibited by the management. Nestled in amongst the golden corn kernels, I imbibed the message of Lord Gauranga, the Golden Avatar.
The arrival of the seventeen volumes of CC within two months sparked such a revolution in consciousness by opening a dimension of Srila Prabhupada’s movement that had not been so clearly revealed before – the sacramental nature of agriculture. Being a plow boy from a farming background, I was so charmed by Srila Prabhupada’s translations and purports describing Lord Caitanya as a gardener, delivering His fruits and flowers of devotional service to this world.
In this context, “cultivating the field” means preparing the heart. “Planting the seed” means impregnating the fertile heart with the bhakti-lata-bija. “Humility” means humus, the fertile soil in which the seed can take root. The “necessary rains” are the spiritual sacrifices we perform. And the “wind, whispering through the growing vine” is the breath of life, the Holy Name. The “harvest festival” is the coming together to share the fruits of the spirit in nama sankirtana.
It has long been known even to western theologians that the pen of spiritual authors is an expansion of the original sacramental plow. In this light, creating lines on the page parallels the plowing of furrows in a field, which opens and softens terrestrial regions for cultivation prior to planting seed. The spiritual author softens and prepares the heart and then plants the seed, the Word of God. By the grace of the guru who uses his pen as a plow, we are able to experience the mercy of Sri Baladeva Who uses His plow to soften the hardness of our hearts.
True theologians are aware of this reality and thus submit their hearts, like the open field, to be impregnated by the seed of truth. The rare person who knows Krishna in truth loves his Lord, and wishing to share that love, draw others into the wake of the furrow. In doing so, they follow in the footsteps of Sri Guru Who guides the plow.
I found it intriguing that such a grasp of the sacramental dynamics of agriculture could be found in a sadhu from Calcutta. It was clear that the culture Srila Prabhupada represents is not of this world.
The culture of Vraja overflows with the flavor of bhakti and instills prema in those whom it touches. The essence of vraja prema is the life force flowing through the branch of Sri Rupa Goswami. Sri Rupa alone could detect the essence of love contained in the infinite depths of Lord Caitanya’s heart.
Srila Prabhupada is the perfect Rupanuga. He presents the crystallized form of the bhava flowing through that line, compiled in a scientific manner which even logical, rational minds can appreciate and follow.
It was in Srila Prabhipada’s spirit of humility, surrender, and sacrifice that the seed of Lord Caitanya’s love found the fertile soil it needed to establish roots for a world-wide movement. Srila Prabhupada came to deliver this mercy to us and for this blessing we praise him. We are solely and forever indebted to Srila Prabhupada for the teachings of the Golden Avatar. Without Srila Prabhipada’s contribution, who would have ever known the glories of the Golden Avatar, the most unique, merciful, and rare incarnation of Godhead?”
– Varsana Swami

“So you are good Vaisnava. You do not find fault with anyone.”
“So in your letter you are not finding fault with anyone. So you are good Vaisnava. You do not find fault with anyone. This is the qualification. We should always think ourselves very humble and meek. This you must know.

HH Tamal Krishna Goswami Disappearance Festival 10-03-16 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: I am aware that you are feeling…

Romapada Swami: Is there anything that exists that we can say is ours? We can’t say that the body is ours because it can be taken away. Our mind is not ours because it is not under our control. Our possessions are certainly not ours. Even the s…

Distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books in Russia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: We can ask favor from anyone, but we must know that nobody can favor us unless sanctioned by the Supreme Person. Suppose we approach a rich man to favor us with some contribution. Krishna is there within, and if He says, “You give him this money,” the man will give us. If he is not so fortunate now; therefore Krishna did not dictate him. So there is nothing to be sorry. This should be our principle. Mayapur March 22, 1976.

March 11. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Dependent on Krishna.
He would record every amount received; yet Prabhupada didn’t worry about the money at all. When he moved from one place to another in 1966, he didn’t worry about the rent money, but simply depended on Krishna. American hippies were accustomed to living as mendicants too, but their renunciation was more an act of irresponsibility, and therefore, simply another variety of materialism. Prabhupada was purely renounced in Krishna’s service.
It is an amazing feature of Prabhupada’s surrender and dependence on Krishna that he came to the West completely alone with no material backing. Because the Gaudiya Matha had become divided after his spiritual master left this world, there wasn’t enough solidarity among his godbrothers to fund him from his Guru Maharaj’s institution. If someone pressed him about what religion he was representing, or about who sent him, he couldn’t claim anything other than a philosophical and spiritual connection with the Gaudiya Matha.
Prabhupada didn’t demand his disciples to do what he did – to go alone to a new place without any income – but it inspired us to think that he founded the movement on his complete dependence on Krishna.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=6

New Temple opening ceremony (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The difference between a devotee and a nondevotee is this, ju…

Gaura Purnima festival in Mayapur- 10 Feb 2016.
Today being the last day of Kirtan Mela in Mayapur, I thought I should write something to share with everyone. I just came back from the temple were the Pandav Sena (Mayapur kirtan group) just finished leading their Kirtan. “Oh Thank you Krsna…that was some real amazing Kirtan”

Spiritually United with Mahatma Das (4 min video)
1GOD Contributor, Mahatma Das suggests that to be spiritually united, to ‘unite the tribes’, means to unite that internal spirit that binds us all in our faith to love God, our divine friend, beloved, father, brother, spirit or whatever we may call him.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/lHG4nZ

Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk.
Krishna-kripa Das: See and hear how my friends from Krishna House share Krishna food, music, and books with people at the Jacksonville Art Walk, Tallahassee First Friday, and Ocala Rainbow Gathering. I share realizations from Srila Prabhupada, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, Giriraj Swami, several Srila Prabhupada disciples from Gainesville and Alachua, and younger devotees. Check out …
Travel Journal#12.3: North Florida -Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/tDbVp8

An Ox? What’s That?
Hare Krishna Devi Dasi: We can learn a lot about history and the people writing it by keeping tuned to what is not being said. Applying this principle, we can see why Westerners have such trouble understanding the significance of cow protection—especially protection of the bull or ox. Because of what is routinely suppressed or overlooked in history books, it’s hard for people to understand when Prabhupada says,

Add your chant video too!
Fortunate People has launched its 50K Chants Campaign for ISKCON’s 50th anniversary. The campaign was presented at the International Leadership Sanga in Mayapur recently, where it was enthusiastically received by an audience of some 600 devotees including ISKCON leaders. It is now being officially promoted by the ISKCON 50 Committee.
1) Upload your chant video to Facebook, Instagram or Youtube 2) Share it to the Facebook.com/fortunatepeoplesmile page, and 3) Add the hashtag #fortunatepeople so that the project’s website fortunate-people.com can automatically find it.
All the videos that have been uploaded so far can be watched on the website, and are sure to lift your spirits – the sight of so many complete first-timers smiling, lauging and chanting Hare Krishna “for world peace” is heartwarming indeed.
The website also features a world map that shows which locations in the world have uploaded chants.
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