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Chant and be Still! Ananda Vrindavaneswari: There is a great…
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Chant and be Still!
Ananda Vrindavaneswari: There is a great connection between stillness and listening. “Don’t move” we say when we hear some noise around the house in the middle of the night. In yoga we hold the body still in order to hear the breath. We will hold the shoulders of our child while we tell her something important.

In the tradition of mantra meditation, the repetition of a sacred sound, how we listen, how we hear the mantra is the difference between a successful practice or not. Although in the Krishna Bhakti practice there are no hard and fast rules for chanting, and we are encouraged to chant in whatever way works best for us, being still while we do our daily japa meditation is very helpful for the practitioner wishing to advance.

When I sit down to do my mantra meditation I make a commitment not to move for 15 mins (that’s about 2 rounds on the japa beads). It’s important to make sure we are comfortable and the lower back is supported. Then I begin the meditation. Holding the body still immediately helps my mind to settle down. I move quickly to a clear sense of separation from the outer world to the inner world. I have arrived at an important place and time and the holding still invites me to be present.

Besides the small movements of the beads through my fingers, and the audible chanting, all else is quiet and my focus is on hearing the mantra and hearing it again and again. With a still body, my mind is easier to control, easier to bring back to the mantra with better focus and feelings. After 2 rounds I adjust my sitting position and set it again for another 15 minutes.

Be warned! When we hold the body still, it talks to us. We are more conscious of it than usual and it will twitch and itch and pain. But it’s a powerful experience to ignore all that and lean into the sound of the mantra.

At the end of the day it’s important to be careful about our practice so that it does the work it’s meant to do – remind us of who we are beyond our body and awaken pure love. Deep listening to the maha-mantra has a lot to tell us. Stillness can help us hear the message better.

Pol’and’ Rock 2018 – First Day (10 min video)
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Pol’and’ Rock 2018 – First Day (10 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: n this video we see the buildup to this year’s Poland’and’Rock festival, formally known as Polish Woodstock. Krsna’s Village of Peace plays an important part of the event. The sheer numbers of people who come to our village attests to that! We plan to distribute 150,000 full plates of prasadam in 72 hours!

Krishna calls just another soul back to Him! Shastrakrit Das:…
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Krishna calls just another soul back to Him!
Shastrakrit Das: All you kind hearted Mahatmas out there please listen to this nectar: His name is Omkar, hardly 10 years old. He approached my book table and told me that recently he finished reading The Bhagavad Gita as it is cover to cover in two weeks. I asked him what is his conclusion after reading the Gita. He said that “Krishna is simply awesome”, I asked him where he got the Gita from? He reminded me that I gifted him the book couple of months ago. I asked him what book he wants to read next from the collection? He spontaneously picked up the Krishna book and gave $5. The funny part of the exchange is that when I asked his mother to bring him to our ashram sometimes, she thought I’m asking her to let him join the ashram and she said “ I’m sorry he is my only child, I can’t do that “

Sri Krishna Haveli project update (Bhaktivedanta Manor,…
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Sri Krishna Haveli project update (Bhaktivedanta Manor, UK)
Construction work on Bhaktivedanta Manor’s new Haveli has begun and is in full swing with a date of completion for Janmashtami 2019. • The Primary school & Preschool have been relocated. • Radharani’s bakery has been relocated. • New access roads to car parks are in use. • New greenhouses for Tulasi devi are completed • The Site perimeter has been erected for construction • Over 100 truck-loads of subsoil has been removed to level the site • Foundations for the building has been laid • Drainage has been installed • Walls around the cottage have been erected to secure the stability of the building • Concrete slabs for the main buildings have been laid

Spiritual retreats, UK. The College of Vedic Studies (CVS) is…
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Spiritual retreats, UK.
The College of Vedic Studies (CVS) is now organizing no less than 6 retreats a year. There have been five retreats since last September, including Buckland Hall in Wales, Radhadesh Temple in Belgium and the Goloka Dham temple in Germany. Retreat attendees have a chance to immerse themselves in the daily practice of Krishna Consciousness and the association of devotees, away from the mundane routines of life. Asha Bhimji shares her experience: “My highlight over the last few years has been the CVS retreat to the Goloka Dham temple in Germany. The association of the devotees, in particular a great luminary like Sacinandana Swami, and the level of immersion away from the stress of work was magical for me. That’s the beauty of retreats; there is a great mix of amazing locations, creative programs, association of other devotees as well as plenty of free- time to do your own thing!”

Senior Padayatra bull Narasimha completed 1 and a half round walking around India in 13 years!
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Senior Padayatra bull Narasimha completed 1 and a half round walking around India in 13 years!
All India Padayatra NEWS (1 min video)
By Acarya Dasa and Prajeesh Prabhu
On August 3, 2018, All India Padayatra left Pandharpur Dhama for onwards journey and reached Ajote, a small village 10 Km from Pandharpur. We left our senior bull Narasimha at Pandharpur gosala. He was with the padayatra for more than 13 years and completed 1 and a half round walking around India i.e. Tirupati to Tirupati and Tirupati to Pandharpur. The next senior bull Nandkishor, Narsimha’s best companion must be feeling bad in his absence. Now we got 2 new bulls from Gujrat. We stayed in a school at Ajote. Evening sankirtan at a nearby Hanuman temple. Many congregational devotees and villagers attended the programme.

Auckland NZ: Giving out the mercy!! (Album of…
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Auckland NZ: Giving out the mercy!! (Album of photos)
Kalasamvara Das: This process given by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is like the perfect transcendental storm.
Or transcendental net that catches everyone,
By books, prasadam, the holy names, and Association with devotees.
It’s so attractive and brings smiles to all
Bringing them BTG!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/XZVQct

Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold Named One of the Most Beautiful…
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Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold Named One of the Most Beautiful Places in the U.S.
ISKCON devotees will be pleased to note that amidst such attractions as the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art was the headline “Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold – New Vrindaban, West Virginia.”
To read the complete article please click here: https://goo.gl/58xPpt

ISKCON UK and NHS in joint care initiative. A joint initiative…
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ISKCON UK and NHS in joint care initiative.
A joint initiative between ISKCON UK and the SWAN end of life scheme was launched at a conference in the ISKCON Temple in Leicester. SWAN offers dedicated support to patients in the last days of life and to their families into bereavement and beyond. The SWAN scheme is a national programme which is present in 47 Trusts across the country. It was set up by Fiona Murphy MBE, the assistant director of Nursing at the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. The conference was attended by around fifty nurses and doctors, many of them practicing devotees of Krishna, and everyone felt the concepts discussed were helpful. Sukanti Radha dasi, a nurse, was the organizer of the conference and ISKCON’s National Office was represented by Praghosa das. Key speakers from ISKCON included Kripa Moya das who presented “Journey of the Soul”, and Nila Madhava das, who spoke about last rites and funeral services.

Kirtan London’s summer of success!
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Kirtan London’s summer of success!
This year, Kirtan London is reaching out even wider than ever before with many more outreach kirtan (music) events in London: 1. Mantra Lounge – Kirtan evenings in Covent Garden have become weekly in frequency since the beginning of the year, with 40-50 people attending every session. 2. Pop-up Temple at the Wellbeing Festival (Mind Body Spirit) in May: – over 700 people participated in kirtan and japa meditation sessions; – over 900 prasadam sweets distributed; – 340 medium and 90 big books on spiritual topics sold, and – over 300 sets of japa chanting beads have been given out to eager participants. 3. Kirtan at Triyoga – Since March 2018 the team has been running weekly sessions at Triyoga Shoreditch, one of the branches of the prestigious yoga studio in London. 4. Barefoot in The Park – in July, the team held a big 6 Hour Kirtan and picnic at the Hyde Park Bandstand. Over 500 people attended throughout the day with many more passers-by enjoying the kirtans. 5. For those who want to dive deeper into the bhakti yoga philosophy and practice, study Bhagavad Gita and learn more about kirtan and its roots, we have developed special courses, residential retreats and monthly Bhakti Sanga (reading group). We also continue to offer our guests regular day retreats at Bhaktivedanta Manor, with tours, workshops, kirtans and talks on bhakti-yoga (the yoga of devotion), as well as the quarterly 6 Hour Kirtan at the lovely Swiss Church in Covent Garden, which attracts 120150 people each time.

Erecting a great wall versus character-building. Laksmi Nrsimha…
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Erecting a great wall versus character-building.
Laksmi Nrsimha Das: When the ancient Chinese decided to live in peace, they made the great wall of China.
They thought no one could climb it due to its height.
During the first 100 years of its existence, the Chinese were invaded three times. And everytime, the hordes of enemy infantry had no need of penetrating or climbing over the wall…
because each time they bribed the guards and came through the doors.
The Chinese built the wall but forgot the character-building of the wall-guards.
Thus, the building of human character comes BEFORE building of anything else..
Like one Orientalist said:
If you want to destroy the civilization of a nation there are 3 ways:
1. Destroy family structure.
2. Destroy education.
3. Lower their role models and references.
1. In order to destroy the family: undermine the role of MOTHER, so that she feels ashamed of being a housewife.
2. To destroy education: you should give no importance to TEACHER, and lower his place in society so that the students despise him.
3. To lower the role models:
You should undermine the Saints and Scholars, doubt them until no one listens or follows them.
For, when…
* a conscious mother disappears,
* a dedicated teacher disappears, and
* there’s a downfall of role models,
Then _who_ will teach our children VALUES?
*Aren’t we being already invaded..?*

Pop-up Temple at Kensington Olympia, UK. This year’s “Wellbeing…
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Pop-up Temple at Kensington Olympia, UK.
This year’s “Wellbeing Mind Body Spirit Expo” took place at Kensington Olympia last May. Kirtan London devotees organized a pop-up temple and Ananda Monet led kirtan on the main festival stage. The chorus comprised a talented team of Manor School alumni. As well as hosting kirtans, the pop-up Temple ran mantra meditation workshops, and no less than 400 of Srila Prabhupada’s books were distributed.

‘Superb’ Open Day in the Manor! The annual Open Day held on…
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‘Superb’ Open Day in the Manor!
The annual Open Day held on Saturday 7th July was described as ‘superb’. In the middle of a heatwave, Bhaktivedanta Manor received a steady stream of guests throughout the day, many of them for the first time. Devotees from across the entire community teamed together to ensure the best experience for everyone. Guests enjoyed tours, ox-cart rides, ‘Meet the Monks’, a free veggie lunch and kirtans. Inside were ongoing hatha yoga sessions, reflexology and ‘drumfullness’ workshops (‘mindfulness’ with percussion by Jayadeva das!) Meanwhile, children were also treated to henna decoration, face-painting, a bouncy castle and the very popular Children’s Yoga sessions in the George Harrison Garden! Balaram Nityananda das reflected, “We were off to a great start, after chanting the Hare Krishna mantra on the BBC Three Counties Radio Breakfast Show during an interview about the Open Day! “The energy, vibrations and team-work on the day was exemplary. We really had the best attendance we could ever hope for because guests were so interested to learn more that they renounced watching a crucial England World Cup match!”

On Saturday, approximately twenty-four devotees & seven…
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On Saturday, approximately twenty-four devotees & seven children participated in our MSF in honor of Bhaktivinoda Thakur in Kingsbury, UK. Five of the devotees and the children went door to door and the rest of the devotees engaged in street distribution and kirtan. 137 doors were knocked!The first photo is of a Muslim gentleman who was very interested in our philosophy and took this book on our presentation. He explained he didn’t have any money to offer a donation but, driven by a desire to not miss an opportunity of taking a book, he asked a guest at his home to lend him some money so that he give a donation and take the book. His guest, understanding how important this was to him, gave him the money!
The second photo is of a Polish lady who was very happy to receive books from Niharika Jain. She felt blessed that our books had arrived at her doorstep.
The third photo is of a spiritually inclined gentleman who was happy to accept the books and gave a generous donation. Our books have given him the chance to further his spiritual knowledge and to advance his learning in spirituality.
The fourth photo is of a lady named Vivienne ans as soon as the books were presented to her, she was very happy to take them. She wants to start yoga so we took her details and gave her information about the Manor and invited her to visit us. It was really heartwarming to meet her and to share the special mercy Srila Prabhupada has left us with in the form of these transcendental books.
As you can see from the subsequent photos the children and devotees had so much fun. We are all looking forward to our next MSF!
More photos: https://goo.gl/ZdNJzj

INDIA IN GREECE Or, Truth in Mythology (Free pdf) Edward…
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INDIA IN GREECE Or, Truth in Mythology (Free pdf)
Edward Pococke: Where did the Aryans come from originally? Did they invade India? Or were they actually Indian invaders who colonized Greece?
In India in Greece, E. Pococke explores the theory that the Aryans may have originally traveled from India to Greece, colonized the latter and influenced the culture there. Centuries later, they came back to India. Covering topics as diverse as the sources of the Hellenic Race, the colonization of Egypt and Palestine, the wars of the Grand Lama and the Bud’hist propaganda in Greece, the author tries to show that at some point in history, India and Greece were closely associated
To read the pdf please click here: https://goo.gl/7Ywyvi

Devotee awarded British Empire Medal. Acyuta Charan das, based…
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Devotee awarded British Empire Medal.
Acyuta Charan das, based in South London, manages a vegetarian food charity for homeless people, and was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the New Year’s Honours list. The award category was for voluntary and charitable services to homeless people in the area. For ten years he has been heading up food distribution for the charity Food For Life while also working as a Home Office accountant at Lunar House in Croydon. “I wasn’t expecting it at all!” responded Acyuta, “We serve all meals from a pop-up table and if it’s raining we operate from a van. I just get on with my service; I don’t expect to be nominated for awards. The Medal was presented to Acyuta at Tower Hill, Central London, by the Lord Lieutenant of Greater London, Mr Ken Olisa OBE.

Devotees attend Royal Reception in the UK. Kripamoya das and…
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Devotees attend Royal Reception in the UK.
Kripamoya das and Sita Rama das were guests of HRH Prince Andrew at a reception to welcome inter-faith representatives of the Emir of Bahrain. The event was held in a venue adjacent to St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. Krish Raval, director of the Senior Faith Leadership Programme spoke on the importance of religious understanding between traditions. Clergy from Windsor Castle and the Dean of Windsor were also present.

Three, Two, One… (Album of photos) Indradyumna Swami: With…
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Three, Two, One… (Album of photos)
Indradyumna Swami: With Polish Woodstock [ Pol’and’Rock ] just days away the countdown has begun. People are beginning to trickle in and set up their tents at this free event. As our men continued setting up our “village” I took the opportunity to walk around and meet some of the people who had arrived early.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/vSWwru