Author Archives: Dandavats

TOVP Euro Tour Making History
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Hare KrishnaBy TOVP staff

Although the tour is nearing completion in a few days, already over $1 million U.S. has been pledged from only 7 temples, many of them very small and having only 20-30 devotees and congregation! This is a total reverse of expectations and a sign that the Lord in everyone’s heart is giving inspiration and intelligence for His service, and He is eager to see this great Temple of the Vedic Planetarium manifest and benedict the world with the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu: “An astounding temple will appear and will engage the entire world in the eternal service of Lord Caitanya.” (Lord Nityananda, Sri Navadvipa-Mahatmya, Parikrama Khanda, Chapter 4)

ISKCON Highlights Child Protection on Nrsimha Chaturdasi
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Hare KrishnaBy Madhava Smullen

“It’s an opportunity to bring positive attention to the topic of child protection,” Lilasuka Dasi said. “As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And research shows that one adult who is trained in child protection can protect an average of ten children from sexual abuse.” To this end, the North American Child Protection Office is conducting more trainings in the US and Canada this year than ever before. So far Lilasuka has already visited Towaco, New Jersey; Central New Jersey; Philadelphia; and Gita Nagari, and done online training for Ottowa, Canada. In May, she’ll be going to New Vrindaban; Seattle; Vancouver; and Farmington Hills, Michigan.

HARE KRSNA TELEVISION
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Hare KrishnaBy Vaishnava seva dasa

Behind the television project is hard work and united effort of 38 devotees working together full time in ISKCON Desire Tree. Since its launching in 2016 Janamasthami, Hare Krsna TV has grown rapidly. In India, it is roughly estimated that it is reaching more than 3 million televisions. Besides India, it has started to appear in following countries: Australia, Canada, Europe, Fiji, Guyana, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, UAE, UK & USA. Hare Krsna Television is now available in India on IN Cable #535, NXT Digital Channel #919, DIGI #519, ABS #521, 7 STAR #384, RVR #927, HATHWAY #845, UCN #616, WIN TV #600, TJ CABLE #303, HARIKA STAR #30.

TOVP Euro Tour Day 6 – Slovakia, New Ekachakra Dhama
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Hare KrishnaBy TOVP staff

This miraculous visit to New Ekachakra Dhama on Wednesday, April 18th has become another history making event on the TOVP Euro Tour. So much so that we will also include some related lilas that led to the planning and arrival of Lord Nityananda’s Padukas and Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Sitari in Slovakia. The story begins in 2015 with Mahasankarsana prabhu, one of the temple leaders from New Ekachakra Dhama, speaking with Tukarama prabhu in Mayapur.

New Devotee Website “Second Half” Launched into Orbit: The Fusion of Farming and Preaching
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Hare Krishna Devotees living at New Talavan Farm Community in Southern Mississippi have launched a dynamic new website called The Second Half (Second-Half.org). The name “Second Half” references Srila Prabhupada’s expressed desire for land-based preaching prototypes that make the philosophy and culture of Krishna consciousness approachable and understandable to Western people.

TOVP Euro Tour Days 2 and 3: Koln, Germany – Gauradesh
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Hare KrishnaBy TOVP staff

To everyone’s surprise, this became a miraculous visit with less than fifty devotees pledging over $150,000 U.S.! This precedent setting example shows that the hearts of the devotees and not the size of the temple is what really counts. When there is a will, there is a way. Make the commitment and the means will manifest. This was also Srila Prabhupada’s mood.

Akshaya Tritiya 2018 Message from TOVP
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Hare KrishnaBy Braja Vilasa das

This Wednesday, April 18, is Akshaya Tritiya, one of the most important days in the Vedic calendar. Akshaya means “imperishable” or “that which never diminishes”. Traditionally, this is the best day for starting important endeavors or projects. For example, Vyasadeva and Ganesa chose this day to start writing the Mahabharata, and every year construction of the huge Ratha carts in Puri also starts on this day. Srila Prabhupada chose this day in 1953 to start the “League of Devotees” in Jhansi.

Historic First GBC College for Leadership Development in Latin America
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Hare KrishnaBy Prema Rupa Madhava das

Seminars were given on various topics to help future Zonal Supervisors be able to perform their services more effectively. These ranged from behavioural aspects of a leader, personal development, introspection, to specific management techniques including project management, digital marketing, and leadership models. The association with leaders from different countries offered a very enriching experience. The different experiences each devotee brought to the table has helped all the students to better understand the challenges they each face. Attending morning programs together, chanting japa, honouring prasadam in an atmosphere based on love and service increased enthusiasm and has given inspiration and strength to continue Srila Prabhupada’s mission. Particularly, the conversations held at the tables during prasadam and recreational activities has helped deepen relationships between the students.

Review of Francis X. Clooney, S.J., His Hiding Place Is Darkness: A Hindu-Catholic Theopoetics of Divine Absence
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Hare KrishnaBy Krishna Kshetra Swami

This affirmation of Jesus leads me, reading the book from a Vaiṣṇava Hindu perspective, to reflect on how the book’s exercise might best “work” for a careful reading by a Vaiṣṇava, for whom it is likely to be Krishna who is the all-in-all—not just as Bhagavān, the absolute Lord, but as the embodiment of ever-expanding love that is ever surprisingly (and often playfully) enacted and just as painfully hidden from view. Suffice it to say here that one challenge for the Hindu might be to resist the temptation to settle for easy parallels as some sort of confirmation that “it is actually the same thing.” For the Hindu to experience a similar opening of space to the Catholic tradition of loving Jesus would require a similar readiness to be unsettled and to suspend a broadly Hindu (or neo-Hindu) tendency to enfold the other into the self.