Author Archives: Dandavats.com

Srila Prabhupada built a house the whole world could live in, welcoming melechas and yavanas whose lives were degraded and covered in sin.

Scenes from 2016 parikrama with Sivarama Swami (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Hare Krishna mantra says, “My dear Lord Krishna, my dear Lord Rama, O energy of the Lord, Hare, kindly engage me in your service.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.24.69 Purport)
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New York City Daily Harinam Ashram Wants You! Going on 4 years, the NYC Harinam ashram has performed the Yuga Dharma in NYC, and so…

ISKCON Mumbai’s 50th Anniversary Celebration The Joy of Devotion (Album with photos)
ISKCON Mumbai’s 50th Anniversary Celebration The Joy of Devotion Day 1 on 5th Feb 2016 Celebration in Presence of HH Gopal Krishna Swami, HH Radhanath Swami, HH Lokanath Swami, HH Nava Yogendra Swami, HH Indradyumna Swami, HH Atmanivedana Swami, HH Prabodhanand Saraswati Swami, HG Basu Ghosh Das, HG Devakinandan Prabhu, HG Pancharatna Dasa, HG Radha Jivan Prabhu, HG Sura Das Prabhu, HG Yasomotinandan Prabhu, HG DadiVaksha Prabhu, HG Mahaman Prabhu, TP’s of all Mumbai Temples, and many senior Leaders of ISKCON.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/NNcRU0

February 7. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Prabhupada’s Legacy is One of Disturbing the Sleeping Dogs. Although the old adage tells us to “let sleeping dogs lie,” Prabhupada explains the necessity for waking them up. In his purports to the verse where Krishna tells us not to disturb the minds of the materialists or the ignorant, Krishna advised the devotees to prosecute their duties peacefully, and said they should not feel troubled by persons who have no desire to practice spiritual life. Prabhupada reminds us, “If you give a good thief instructions, he will just become angry.”
Krishna tells us in the Bhagavad-gita that only persons who are austere can receive the message of Bhagavad-gita. In an apparently different mood, Krishna says that whoever distributes the message of Godhead and makes devotees is the dearest servant of the Lord. Prabhupada clears up this apparent contradiction by telling us that the devotees know Krishna’s inner purpose. Although Krishna doesn’t want to trouble His devotees by exposing them to harassment, His deepest desire is that the conditioned souls be given a full chance to take to Krishna consciousness. Actually, they have already had many chances. Krishna Himself has appeared in His many forms, but still the generations of conditioned souls continue to revolve in the cycle of birth and death, refusing to hear the message of Godhead. Krishna wants to give them another chance. Now it is Kali Yuga and the conditions are even more unfavorable for coming to spiritual life. Krishna and the devotees have to be more accessible, the process has to be easier and shorter. Despite Krishna’s merciful holy name, which is the only way in this age to attain God consciousness, the devotees are still harassed. And because of Kali Yuga, people are even more violent in their rebellion against God consciousness.
Prabhupada knew Krishna’s inner desire. He woke up the sleeping dogs. And he wants us to do the same.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=5

2nd Annual ISKCON health care professionals retreat in Gita Nagari.
Premvilas das: 2nd Annual North American ISKCON health care professionals retreat will be held in Gita Nagari from September 22-25th, 2016.
It is open to any professional in the health care field and retreat is meant to promote collaboration and networking among health care professionals in North America. Students/residents/fellows currently in the health care field or simply aspiring to choose health care as a professional are welcome as well.
Mission statement: To connect and inspire all devotees within the medical profession; to improve our practice of Krishna consciousness; to assist one another to improve our service to Srila Prabhupada: and to expand Krishna consciousness amongst medical professionals
Vision Statement: 1. To create a forum for all physician devotees and those within the medical field to meet annually and have fellowship.
2. Through association, to become better devotees and better medical professionals.
3. To equip physicians, medical professionals and students to blend their devotional life with their professional pursuits.
4. To understand how to meet the challenges within their profession as well as maximize their opportunities.
5. To develop Plans and Strategies how together medical practitioners can best serve ISKCON’s mission, Srila Prabhupada and the body of ISKCON devotees within North America.
6. To unite together in effective ways to increase the number of medical professionals who take up sadhana bhakti.
7. Establish a forum to get to know one another and network with one another on many levels throughout the yea
To register or to be added to the group for future notices and events, simply send an email to medicalretreat@gmail.com

For Youth – By Youth – Europe Summer Youth Events #ISKCON50
Kumari Kunti: Summer-time fun all over Europe. Mark your calendars and get your sunglasses out – #ISKCON50 youth events are inviting you to come party with Krishna!
In honour of the 50th birthday celebrations of Founder-Acarya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada’s International Society for Krishna Consciousness, we will be offering two events this summer in Europe for youth.
July 18 – Aug 19
Euro Bus Tour – Remembering Srila Prabhupada
Krsna consciousness travelling kirtaniya youth trip around Europe! This year we are going to Greece (and back). This is the 3rd annual Euro Bus Tour and is for youth aged 16-30 (space for only 30 people so sign-up quick)! We already have youth from Australia, US, UK and EU registered.
For more information
www.youthbustour.com
Fb: www.facebook.com/EuroBusTour
September 1-4, 2016
Youth Mela – Connecting to Srila Prabhupada
Europe-wide youth in Leicester Temple, UK. This is a youth convention for workshops, inspiration, sanga, kirtan and empowerment in ISKCON’s movement for the next 50 years. This is an ISKCON youth Europe & Pandava Sena initiative that should not be missed! Youth aged 15-35 are invited.
For more information:
www.youthmela.org
Fb: www.facebook.com/YouthMela
Ys Kumari Kunti
ISKCON Youth Ministry Europe Volunteer

ISKCON Mumbai: Juhu Ratha Yatra on 5th February 2016 (Album with photos)
For over 5000 years the Rathayatra festival has been …

Bhagvad-Gita As It is Audio Now available on Iphone/Android Mixcloud App.
Bhagavad-Gita As It is audio is now available for fre…

TOVP update (Album with photos)
Sadbhuja Das: As the finishing work goes on, new different items come to life.
Lately we …

The Process of Dying.
At the moment of death the following things take place. If the person is impious and quite sinful, the messengers of Yamaraja, called the Yamadutas, fierce, horrible looking persons with twisted features, copper red flaming hairs that stand on end, black in complexion and frightening to behold, appear at the deathbed of the person in question and drag him forcibly from his body with ropes and chains. This scene so frightens the person that he literally dies of fright. They then pack up the subtle body of the person in a bag, where they take the soul, now covered only by the subtle body of mind, intelligence and false ego, to the abode of Yamaraja for judgement. He is taken over long stretches of hot, dry sands, and along the way he is insulted in various ways by other horrible creatures and bitten by dogs. He is suffering terribly on this journey and he wishes it would end. (The movie “Ghost” presented a world that included ghosts, psychic powers, Yamaduta-like evil spirits, and an effulgent heavenly realm. See also the real-life stories below.) However, when it does end he is taken before Yamaraja, the fierce demigod in charge of death and punishing the sinful. He is forced to accept a position of suffering according to his sins in one of the hells which exist at the bottom of the universe, just above the Garbhodaka Ocean. In this hellish region called the Naraka, there are approximately 27 hellish places. As an example of this a person who has engaged in the slaughter and eating of other innocent animals will enter into Krimibhojana, wherein he will exist as a worm who is eating the tail of another worm as that worm is eating his tail. There are many such hells just according to the crimes committed. One may find the complete description in the last chapters of the 5th canto of the SB. After such intense and horrible forms of suffering the living being is thrown again into the lower species of life just suited according to his sinful desires in his human life. However, most persons are not quite that sinful and therefore they may expect a more normal departure from the body. At the time of death, death is denoted as the moment when the spirit soul departs from the material gross body. At that time the soul, covered by the subtle body of mind, intelligence and false ego, leaves the body. The subtle body always travels with the soul wherever he goes within this material world and therefore the living entity has a continuity of material experience throughout his different lifetimes. Death may come from a variety of causes, but when it actually happens the first thing that a person experiences is total blackness. All is dark, but this lasts only for a moment. The Supersoul, situated right next to the soul, illuminates a hole which appears to the soul to be a light at the end of a tunnel. In fact the darkness which appears is the body but now that it is dead it is devoid of consciousness and now we are seeing it from the inside for the first time. There are some 118 different passageways through which one might depart from the body. One may only go through one of these at the time of death. These passageways are called nadis, or channels of consciousness. According to Garuda Purana 1.67 death occurs when both main (spine) nadis, Ida and Pingala, are at work. Under normal conditions they switch. One might understand them to be the major nerve channels of channels of energy flow within the body, but the exact medical synonym is not available to us at this time. In any case one will depart from one of these nadis to his next destination. We do know that one who departs from the anus or genital goes to the lower regions, wherein one who departs from the upper portion of the body goes to the higher regions. Those who depart from the top of their skulls, from the hole known as the brahma randhra, the place where the three bones in the skull meet, will attain the regions of Brahman. The Supersoul illuminates only one of these passageways according to the karma of the soul. He selects the passageway just according to the previous activities of the living entity and as soon as it is illuminated the soul naturally wants to move towards the light. As soon as he is out of the body, he feels relieved of the burden of the material frame and starts to move, naturally drawn towards his next form. At that time he will experience the world from the point of view of the subtle body and will see things much clearer than they are seen through the present body. Just try to imagine how much more beautiful the world must be when seen through spiritual eyes! He then enters into the womb of a new mother as it is being impregnated by the father and awaits the time until the new body develops itself sufficiently to maintain consciousness. When the embryo is about seven months of age it is sufficiently developed to support consciousness and the baby awakens in his new body and immediately moves, sometimes kicking the mother from within in a vain attempt to get out of the horrible entanglement that he has found himself in. If he is pious, this horrible condition of having the arms and legs jammed into the chest as one is bent over in the foetal position, causes the soul to pray to the Lord as follows, “O Lord, this condition is terrible. Please save me from this situation and get me out of this womb immediately and I promise to serve You in this lifetime for sure.” However, as soon as he takes his birth he becomes too much attached to all the attention and service being rendered him by mother and family members and he forgets all about serving the Lord and falls totally into maya again. Avoid the process of rebirth, it is not auspicious in any way.

Harinama under the snow in Moscow, Russia (5 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: The materialist thinks that persons engaged in Krishn…

4 cookery seminars with Kurma das at Zurich (Album with photos)
Padma Purana: “A person who honors the prasada and regularly eats it, not exactly in front of the Deity, along with caranamrita [the water offered to the lotus feet of the Lord, which is mixed with seeds of the tulasé tree], immediately can achieve the results of pious activities which are obtained through ten thousand performances of sacrificial rites.”
Find them here: https://goo.gl/fd3nI1

February 6. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Prabhupada’s Intolerance of Maya.
Srila Prabhupada was especially uncompromising in his condemnation of materialistic activities. He used strong language to describe people who are devoid of the inclination for spiritual life, calling them dogs, hogs, camels, and asses. He also referred to them as rascals. He called the leaders of the countries cheaters. He said they were all going to hell for their impious activities. By any standard, this was harsh criticism.
Srila Prabhupada also protested against the government. He did it in a non sectarian way, favoring neither the communists nor the capitalists. According to the scriptures, he said, any political leader in this age is bound to be the lowest kind of man. And, in a sense, he protested against the material bonds that held families together. When his young disciples joined him, he created friction between ISKCON and the parents of the devotees. The anti-cult movement became prominent and made ISKCON one of its main targets. But Prabhupada was willing to put himself and his followers on the firing line for the sake of spreading Krishna consciousness.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=5

Famous Iranian actress visits New Govardhana.
Kisori Devi Dasi: An internationally famous, multi award-winning Iranian actress recently visited New Govardhana along with an Australian-award winning film-maker, Faramarz-alKahder. Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, one of the most significant actresses of Iranian cinema, came to Brisbane in early December to attend an award ceremony. Fellow Iranian Faramarz, who now lives in Australia, decided to show Fatemeh the sights. He contacted his friends Mandakini devi dasi and Aravinda dasa, who are involved in the film industry, and have known Faramarz for 10 years. Fatemeh, nicknamed Simin, along with being a famous actress, is an activist in Iran for the preservation of culture and has spiritual and charitable inclinations. She carries around in her handbag a dainty little trinket box which has a cover picture of Radha-Krsna and is broad-minded about spiritualism. She is also very well-known in India and has rubbed shoulders with the Dalai Lama and the Iranian President. After having a lovely prasadam meal at Mandakini and Aravinda’s home, they visited New Govardhana and she was enchanted by it. Kirtana was going on inside the temple and they absorbed the peaceful atmosphere. Simin expressed a strong desire to return to New Govardhana and plans to return and rent a cabin on the farm for a few weeks. Movies Simin has starred in include, Here Without Me, Nabat, Tales and The Blue-Veiled.

Iskcon devotee saves man from drowning in the river.
‘I AM NOT A HERO, BUT I’m happy I was able to help somebody.’ Brave Filip Čargonja jumped into the river Sava and rescued a man who wanted to commit suicide.
(Translated automatically)
I’d like to talk to this man, I hope you will take advantage of a second chance for life, says Philip Čargonja, from Rijeka living in Zagreb
I sat on the stairs along the Sava. I put the glasses, drank in the sun and meditated. Suddenly I heard a ‘plop’.
I thought someone threw garbage into the water. The bridge is noted laughing girl, but there was no panic and I thought someone was playing. But in the middle of the riverbed saw my leg to be fidgety. It was an older guy in a black suit, who did not bother to swim. I told him ‘Come on, man, swim! Enough kidding! ’ I encouraged him, and when I realized that there is no intention to swim, passed me the creeps. His head is no longer out on the surface – recalled the rescue Filip Čargonja (34), from Rijeka to Zagreb address, filmography and a member of the Hare Krishna movement, which is January 27, around 15.50 hours bravely jumped into the cold river and rescued the man planned to kill himself. Since the river carried the man, so the Čargonja moved along the edge, and when he reached for his cell phone from confusion failed to think of the number of emergency. Seconds seemed to him like an eternity, a blessing in disguise is that the river is man dragged to his side of the coast.
There wife and son
– I was hoping I’d catch him at the railway bridge. But Sava was fast but is still floating. I took the bag, ran into the water to his waist and grabbed her arms to suit. His head was blue. I have not managed to completely get away because the big man and the coast is steep. I’m banging his chest, gave him mouth-to-mouth, but in vain. Clogged his nose and blew air is to breath. I held his tongue 15-20 minutes that is not choked and cried walkers on the bank to call an ambulance – recalled more Čargonja your venture. Soon came the doctors of the ambulance, the police, or the wife and son of the unfortunate man, a former defense attorney.
Life is precious
Čargonja is not considered a hero.
– I am pleased that I helped someone. At home they took me to the police because I was wet. His wife did not know what to think when she saw my wet clothes after I came home. And with this man I’d like to talk. I know that life can be so difficult that you can not see out, but I hope that this man take advantage of a second chance at life and realize how precious life is and a great opportunity for the development of the soul – concludes brave and humble Čargonja.
Source: http://goo.gl/QtRRAV

Bhakti Without Borders Producers to Attend Grammys.
Four people are set to represent Bhakti Without Borders, only the third kirtan album ever to be nominated for a Grammy, at the 58th annual Grammy Awards on February 15th. Main artist Madi Das – who duets on the album with eleven Vaishnavi co-vocalists – and producer Dave Stringer will attend as the Grammy nominees. They will be joined by KMA record label representatives Chaitanya Mangala and Kamal Vyas. With the exception of Stringer, who is a well-known kirtan artist outside of ISKCON, all are second generation Hare Krishna devotees. The award ceremony will be held at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, and will be televised live at 8pm ET / 7pm CT / 5pm PT on CBS. It will also be streamed online at live.grammy.com or through the GRAMMY Live app.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/qlc5iV

School to Work Program.
Damodara Pandit dasa: This year the Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukula (Hare Krishna School in Australia) beg…

Harinama in Mount Maunganui, New Zeland (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In the Age of Kali, there is no religious principle except chanting Krishna’s name. It has been ascertained from all the scriptures that Krishna’s holy name is the essence of all mantras. (Renunciation Through Wisdom, 5.1 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/pWlBBx

Back To Godhead magazine Reaching Prison Inmates.
Hardik Kaswala: I am a second-generation Indian-American devotee. I was born in Gujarat state and raised in Atlanta. I have been in prison for almost 3½ years and have about 3½ years to go, unless I am paroled earlier.
I cannot express in words what BTG means to me and what impact this magazine has had on people’s lives in prison. There are so many testimonials of “BTG-lila” in prisons that I could give you. Here are just a few:
Once, a South American inmate started chanting and dancing when he saw my BTG and found out that I am a devotee. The other Latino inmates smiled and listened attentively as he told us how his old girlfriend in his native Uruguay was a devotee, how he went to the temple, ate prasada, etc. He told me, “You have a real good culture, real good religion.”
Another time, at another prison, another Latino inmate saw the BTG in my hands and immediately started chanting Hare Krishna and dancing in ecstasy. I hadn’t mentioned a thing, and we hadn’t even introduced ourselves to each other. He told me how he used to go to the Laguna Beach temple, how nice the devotees were, how he liked the programs and the food. He immediately took the BTG. Srila Prabhupada’s BTG has a transcendental life of its own.
Another time, I was moved into an open dorm, where I knew only one person out of eighty or so inmates. I had the BTG issue of Shri Pancha-tattva in Mayapur and another issue, which had His Holiness Shridhara Swami’s life story. I hadn’t even set my mattress and belongings down when a crowd of people immediately started picking up and looking through the BTGs, saying they wanted to read them. They felt a spontaneous attraction.
It seems that no matter what religion, viewpoint, opinions, background, experiences, culture, or knowledge a person has, there is something for everybody in BTG. I want to thank you and the staff Vaishnavas for writing and producing such an excellent, interesting, spiritually entertaining, and enlightening magazine.
Hardik Kaswala. Calhoun State Prison, Morgan, Georgia

February 5. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Discouragement from Singhania. February 5, 1966.
Discouragement came to the plans Prabhupada had formed around the promise of support by Badampat Singhania through Dvaraka-vala, who wrote to express his dissatisfaction with the Seventy-second Street building:
“I am afraid that I cannot agree with your suggestion that you should buy a small house and erect something on top of it. Unfortunately, such a kind of proposal will not suit me. The temple must be a small one, but it must be constructed properly. I quite agree that you cannot spend a lot of money at present, but within the amount the government may sanction, you should build something according to the architecture of Indian temples. Then only will we be able to create some impression on the American people. This is all that I can write to you in this connection. I am grateful for you taking the trouble of writing me.”
Prabhupada did not take this letter as final. He maintained hope that Sri Badampat Singhania would still give money for the temple, if only the transfer of money could be arranged. He continued writing his godbrothers and other devotees, asking them to try to secure the government sanction. He maintained his same aspirations, even though his sole prospective donor had rejected his scheme of a cakra and dome atop a conventional two-storey building.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=5

Gunagrahi das Goswami Health Update: Maharaja is following a very strict daily regimen of herbal remedies and other bodily treatment…

Where did we begin our karma and when and why?
Answer by Radhanath Swami: I will answer briefly because this is the very long explanation but i.e. certain point in our existence as part and parcel of Lord Krsna. We have given free choice to either serve Krsna and love Krsna or to exploit what is the property of Krsna. When you made that choice you have given entrance into the material creation. And in the very beginning at the don of our existence in material creation we began to perform activities in the realm of exploitation and then our karma begins. Sometimes we exploit in a pious way and we get good karma. Sometimes we exploit in an impious way and we create bad karma. But Srila Prabhupada rarely would become very specific in regard to this question of our origin in this material creation. In fact generally when devotees would ask him he would very purposely answered in an indirect way. Generally when people would ask him this question he would say the problem is you are in Maya. Now how you got here its not so important what’s important is to get out. The Scriptures explain in specific detail how we come here. But Srila Prabhupada he would say if you are drowning in an ocean and someone comes to throw you a life preserver while sitting on the boat and says- come, I will pull you up to the boat and you say- wait! first I want to know when I fell on the ocean and why I fell on the ocean. Mean while there is sharks surrounding you ready to eat you alive. In the same way the shark of death is ready to devour us. It is not so important to understand why and how we came but it’s essential to hold on to the life raft and to get out. How our karma began through perhaps millions and millions and millions of births it has developed but the point i.e. of concern now is you have the opportunity to be free from all karma now. Krsna says in Gita- Abandon all varieties of religion, abandon all varieties of speculation and just surrender to Me. I shall protect you from all sinful reactions of whatever you have done, whenever you have done.
Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. In this way you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this. So guru maharaj put all the emphasis on the here and now. Here is the life raft the association of devotees, the Holy Name, his transcendental books which teaches us how to live in such a way today by which can get out. And as far as he was concern the only real subject matter of any importance in regard to our origin in this material existence is that we misuse our independence exactly when, exactly how is not important. So what is important is we have misuse our independence? And why is it so important because we are still misusing our independence. So let us utilizes this independence for Krsna and become librated from the cycle of birth and death because you see theoretically we can explain these things but you will not understand it until you Back Home Back to Godhead. Ha… So therefore our concern is- you Back Home Back to Godhead and understand that realization and not put so much effort on trying to theoretically understand what we can’t understand. Is that answers question? So chant Hare Krsna Be Happy. Go Back Home Back to Godhead. You may have been worm, you may have been snake, you may have been reptile, a bird, a pig, a human being, a Mataji so many things. This is anything wrong with Mataji now you are brahmachari matajis are devotees you know all devotees we were so many things, we don’t care for any what we been we are concern with where we are going. Where been in this life. We are not concerned. Jagai and Madhai sinful didn’t matter when they took to Krishna Consciousness they became pure, pure than the pure. Doesn’t matter what we have done, where we come from all that matters is where we are going. So take Krsna. Lord Nityananda prayed in this way. Take Krsna. The only price is that you accepting with faith. Hare Krsna.

The Yogi’s Wager.
A servant of a very rich man came before his master one day and told him of an interesting yogi he had seen in the river. The servant said that this yogi claimed he could stay in the water all night in the middle of the river without any outside heat. The yogi was willing t take a wager with anyone to prove that he could do it. When the rich man heard this, he decided to wager against the yogi. So the bet was made to see whether the yogi could stay in the water all night. The yogi went into the water, and the rich man and his servant went home. The next day word came that the yogi had successfully stayed in the water all night. The rich man went out to see the yogi, and indeed he was still standing in the water. Therefore by all rights the rich man had lost the wager. But then a friend of the rich man said, “Wait! See that light?” He pointed to a small flame far away in a temple. The rich man’s friend said, “By his mystic power, this yogi has been using the heat of that light to keep warm in the water. So he shouldn’t be paid, because the bet was that he would stay in the water without taking any heat.” Taking advantage of this word jugglery, the rich man said, “Yes I’m not going to pay you. You’ve tricked me.” Then the rich man and his servant went back to the house. The rich man asked his servant to quickly cook him a nice breakfast, but after waiting for some time, the servant had not produced anything. The rich man expressed his impatience, but the servant replied, “Please wait. I’m cooking.” The rich man waited, but it got later and later and no food was brought. When he demanded food from his servant, the servant only replied, “I’m cooking. It’s going to be ready soon.” Finally the rich man became angry and walked into the kitchen. “What is this cooking?” he demanded. And there he saw that the servant had a very strange arrangement for cooking. He had a very small fire on the ground an a tall bamboo tripod to hold the pot he was supposed to be heating high near the ceiling. Obviously, the small flame would never be able to reach the pot to heat it. “What do you think you’re doing?” demanded the rich man. “Well,” said the servant, if you claim that the yogi was keeping warm in
the water by that light, then I am also cooking.“ The man could understand that his servant was dissatisfied with the outcome of the wager with the yogi. And so he went and paid the yogi the wager.
MORAL: If you practice Krishna consciousness “part time” you can’t expect to be “completely cooked”. If the fire of purification you apply is too far and weak won’t be able to separate the impurities and create a nice ghee for Krishna 🙂
To watch this parable in video: https://goo.gl/jzzZP3

Krishna Conscious HIP HOP ALBUM.
Milan Parmar is an individual who is part of the youth group ISKCON Pandava Sena. He has been practising Krishna Consciousness for over 5 years by reading and studying the Bhagavad Gita where he finds, what he likes to call – “every moment”, inspiration and in depth meaning to life. Milan became more involved with Pandava Sena late 2014 and found himself engaging in different services instantly such as, the Pandava Sena Janmashtami play and Something Spiritual (A creative arts group that aims to spread Krishna Consciousness in fun and dynamic ways). For over 10 years, he has been writing poetry and music lyrics where he finds he can express his inner thoughts and realisations to a wider crowd. He has released 3 Hip-Hop mixtapes over a 3 year period which were his experimental points to find himself within his musical field. On January 29th 2016, he released his first album called “When A Soul Acknowledges” through PandavaSena and aims to connect the World to Krsna Consciousness through Hip-Hop & music. When A Soul Acknowledges is a Hip-Hop album that portrays a story of an individual soul within a material lifetime. A journey that starts from birth into the material world, to growth of this body, experiencing the ‘pleasures’ of material life and finding no real essence in them, to becoming realised of the true self and finding a Guru who has shown this individual the truths of life, then taking on a spiritual life and finding the greatest love towards the Supreme and finally, the soul leaving the body and returning to the spiritual realm where the Supreme resides. This album is compiled of 10 tracks that allow you to immerse yourself in different stages of this individual’s lifetime and finding a deeper meaning through each chapter of their story. A symphonic book which many, if not all, can relate to and take on lessons that lie within each lyric, verse, song and the album as a whole. All proceeds for the album go to Pandava Sena. You can also view a video on the PandavaSena YouTube of the album highlights here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2co-8jHUllQ When A Soul Acknowledges is available to download/stream from all digital media formats iTunes: https://itun.es/gb/TIvuab Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/music/album?id=Btlr3pwzqkq7lav2x3q4tyz25li Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/7o3bYfrTHk3BPn6Czp1GGC Amazon Music: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01B6YOE7S?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Why Biology is Beyond Physical Sciences?
Abstract: In the framework of materialism, the major attention is to find general organizational laws stimulated by physical sciences, ignoring the uniqueness of Life. The main goal of materialism is to reduce consciousness to natural processes, which in turn can be translated into the language of math, physics and chemistry. Following this approach, scientists have made several attempts to deny the living organism of its veracity as an immortal soul, in favor of genes, molecules, atoms and so on. However, advancement in various fields of biology has repeatedly given rise to questions against such a denial and has supplied more and more evidence against the completely misleading ideological imposition that living entities are particular states of matter. In the recent past, however, the realization has arisen that cognitive nature of life at all levels has begun presenting significant challenges to the views of materialism in biology and has created a more receptive environment for the soul hypothesis. Therefore, instead of adjudicating different aprioristic claims, the development of an authentic theory of biology needs both proper scientific knowledge and the appropriate tools of philosophical analysis of life. In a recently published paper the first author of present essay made an attempt to highlight a few relevant developments supporting a sentient view of life in scientific research, which has caused a paradigm shift in our understanding of life and its origin [1]. The present essay highlights the uniqueness of biological systems that offers a considerable challenge to the mainstream materialism in biology and proposes the Vedāntic philosophical view as a viable alternative for development of a biological theory worthy of life.
Recently our Institute scientists published a paper entitled Why Biology is Beyond Physical Sciences? in the Journal Advances in Life Sciences. This paper discusses some of the points that are under discussion in this group. Details of this paper are given below.
Cite: Bhakti Niskama Shanta and Bhakti Vijnana Muni (2016) Why Biology is Beyond Physical Sciences?, Advances in Life Sciences, Vol. 6(1), pp. 13-30. doi: 10.5923/j.als.20160601.03
Full-text HTML: http://dx.doi.org/10.5923/j.als.20160601.03
Full-Text PDF: http://www.sapub.org/global/showpaperpdf.aspx?doi=10.5923/j.als.20160601.03

Nityam Bhagavata-sevaya e-magazine#30 Lord Kapila’s Teachings.
This issue brings to light the teachings of Lord Kapila Muni, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Glories of Devotional service, which is the basis of bhakti yoga, is explained by Lord Kapila to His mother, Devahuti. Along with that, a fresh translation for Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur’s song from the book Saranagati has been included. We pray this issue brings some pleasure to the devotees of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. NBS # 30 Features: 1) Lord Kapila Intructs Devahuti Sri Maitreya Rishi 2) Bhakti-Pratikula-Bhava Varjanangikara A promise to give up attachments which are unfavourable to Devotional Service Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur 3) Unauthorized Sampradayas Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur 4) The Process Of Advancing In Krishna Consciousness His Divine Grace A .C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada 5) How To Attain Devotional Service Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami This issue can be viewed through these links: ISSUU: http://issuu.com/nbsmag/docs/nbs_30 Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/doc/297875116/NBS-30

KK Bindu #368, “The Ornament of Equivocal Phrase”, plus more. The latest issue of Sri Krishna-kathamrita Bindu e-magazine was just released. This issue includes: * PREACHING IN INDIA – In this letter from 1968, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada speaks about the only solution for the problems of India. * THE ORNAMENT OF EQUIVOCAL PHRASES – A collection of first-time translations done especially for this issue of Bindu on the subject of vakrokti, or crooked talks that have indirect or unintended meanings. An excerpt: Radha: Who are you, dark fellow? Krishna: I am Hari! Radha (interpreting “hari” as “lion”): But this Vrindavan forest has become devoid of such ferocious animals. How can a lion be present here? Krishna: O Radhika! I am Madhava! Radha (interpreting “madhava” as the month of Madhava, also known as Vaishakh): How has the Vaishakh month arrived untimely? Krishna: O charming lady! I am Janardan! Radha (interpreting “janardana” as “he who gives all people trouble”): Oh! It’s nice that a troublesome person like you is staying here in the forest, away from the city and people in general. It can be downloaded here: https://archive.org/details/bindu368

February 4. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Letter to Tirtha Maharaja. February 4, 1966. He wrote again to Tirtha Maharaja, who had agreed to try for the government sanction if he first received written confirmation from a responsible donor pledging the funds for a temple. Prabhupada informed him that the donor would be Sri Badampat Singhania, and he enclosed Mr. Singhania’s favorable letter of the fourteenth. Prabhupada reminded his godbrother: “Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta wanted such temples in foreign countries such as New York, London, Tokyo, etc., and I had personal talks with him when I first met him at Ulta Danga in 1922. Now here is a chance for me to carry out his personal order…. I am just seeking your favor and mercy in making this attempt successful.”
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=5

Harinamas in Allahabad, India (33 min video)
Sri Sacitanayastakam: I salute the Son of Mother Saci, Whose heart is in a state o…

Preaching program in Zurich (Album with photos)
Kurma Dasa: A Night at Radha Kripa’s
Last night we were invited to her lovely apartment just outside Zurich (transformed from a barn) for a program of kirtan, Prabhupada katha and delightful prasadam. Radha Kripa and her husband Jaya Gopal are kind and thoughtful hosts. Jaya Gopal attended my first cookery courses here almost 20 years ago, and drove me to Germany for a huge catering program.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/skUDvc

An exceptional presence today in the subway 🙂
Srila Prabhupada story: Srila Narada Muni come!!!
One night an extraordinary thing happened. Prabhupada led the first kirtan and then gave a lecture. I sat on the floor just to his right with the harmonium, and after the lecture, I began leading the second Hare Krishna kirtan. All of a sudden, Srila Prabhupada’s voice cut through the auditorium with the potency of Lord Nrisimha, right in the middle of my chanting. I had never heard Prabhupada do that, nor had I heard the words he chanted. ‘Narada Muni bhajaya vina radhika ramana namne,’ he sang. And then again he repeated it. I looked up, and he looked down at me, signaling me to carry on. So I continued chanting Hare Krishna, and he continued singing his prayer to Narada Muni into his microphone. I closed my eyes and carried on, not knowing what was happening. Then he started leading with me. We could all understand that something inexplicable but amazing was happening. Everyone was literally jumping off the ground, leaping in the air; even little baby Saraswati was two feet off the ground, and the audience was leaping into the air. We jumped off the stage and all of us began running around the perimeter of the auditorium with the audience. It was one of those Krishna magic moments. Just amazing! The next morning I asked what had happened the previous night. “Didn’t you see?” Srila Prabhupada said. “Narada Muni came to our kirtan.” “No, I didn’t see him,” I answered. “Yes, Narada Muni came.” ( Yamuna devi dasi – London 1969 )

TOVP: A few updates of the floor screenings at the Nrsimhadeva wing and the iron grill work. (Album with photos)
Find them here…

Radhadesh Mellows 2016 at ISKCON Radhadesh, Belgium (Album with photos)
Sri Sacitanayastakam: I prostrate myself before the Son…

Vrindavan Parikrama in Govardhan Eco Village (Mumbai)! (Album with photos)
One day HG Deena Bandhu Prabhu took us all for Vri…

February 3. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Krishna’s Dutiful Preacher.
Srila Prabhupada was not a rebel-rouser. He didn’t get any particular joy out of people trying to harass; he simply knew that he had to preach seriously and accept the consequences from the materialists who became disturbed. And of course, he pointed to the long tradition of Vaisnavas who were grateful for all troubles that came as a result of their preaching. They knew it was bringing them closer to Krishna and accepted it as proof that their preaching was effective. Prabhupada sometimes gave the example of Jesus Christ on this point of opposition. He called it “the favorite example,” that Jesus was willing to disturb people, even at the risk of his life. But he also spoke of those in the Vedic tradition – Lord Nityananda, Haridasa Thakura, and many others – who were willing to give up their lives for the cause of spreading Krishna consciousness. Prabhupada was in the same mood.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=5

“Spying Kindness”: Rasalila Wins National Writing Contest.
TKG Academy: Our dear 4th grader, Rasalila Shinde, has recently participated in a national “I Spy Kindness” writing contest and won first prize for the 3rd – 5th grade category. She wrote an essay describing acts of kindness she has witnessed and experienced in her life.
The “Be Kind People Project” wrote: “Her essay stood out because of her ability to see kindness in the smallest action (helping ducklings cross the street), to a global response (fundraising for flooding in Mayapur, India). It is clear that Rasalila sees kindness as an empathetic choice rather than a decision worthy of reward or praise. She gives me great hope for the future.
We warmly congratulate her for her accomplishment. Well done!
Read more: http://goo.gl/VCpbkN

The devotees and the temple of Iskcon Zurich, Switzerland (Album with photos)
Some of the nice residents of Zurich Iskcon: Left…

The Night Bo Diddley Got Krishna’s Mercy.
Gaura Das: I used to do Harinama Sankirtana with our godbrother Vivasvan prabhu in Tampa in 1993 , while I was maintaining The Bhaktivedanta Cultural Arts Center I opened in Clearwater Beach . We would do Harinama Sankirtana in an area where a lot of clubs and bars were. One night I thought I was seeing one of my teenage music idols “Bo Diddley” standing outside one of the clubs. I walked up to him and introduced myself and he confirmed that it was him. I told him how I used to enjoy playing his songs previously in my blues band, and complimented how much influence he had on The Rolling Stones, and popular music in general. He accepted my compliment graciously, thanked me, and I gave him a Bhagavad Gita As It Is. He thanked me for the book as well and gave a donation for the printing cost. I had always wanted to meet him in my youth, as I had also met Chuck Berry, but had no idea that one day I would be distributing Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is to him.

Ratha yatra in Osmanabad plus Sunday Program in Solapur (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Pure devotees chant the Hare Kris…