Author Archives: Dandavats

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.

Sri Varaha Nrsimha Swamy Temple at Simhachalam
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Hare KrishnaBy Chandan Yatra Das

Simha means “lion” and chalam means “hill”. So this is lion’s hill, the hill of Lord Nrsimhadeva. The Deity here, Sri Varaha Laxmi Nrsimha Swamy, is popularly known in Sanskrit as Simhadrinatha or in local Telugu language as Simhadri Appanna (“the Lord of the Lion Hill”). The Sthala Purana of Simhachalam recounts the history of the great devotee Prahlada Maharaja and his demonic father, Hiranyakasipu

Reflections on God and Evil in the Krishna Bhakti Theology of Caitanya
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Hare KrishnaBy Garuda Das

In order to appreciate aspects of the relationship between God and evil in Bhakti traditions, specifically for the Krishna Bhakti tradition of Caitanya, we must apply at least some essential conceptions of the school’s complex and richly nuanced theology to our topic. First, however, we must acknowledge at least briefly what we all know about the Hindu theological palette that undergirds this school’s vision, before we can appreciate the school’s theological portraiture.

Hinduism and the Academy: Towards a Dialogue Between Scholar and Practitioner
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Hare KrishnaBy Radhika Ramana Dasa

Recent decades have seen persistent tension between Hindus and scholars of Hinduism. There is, for example, ongoing disagreement over how Hinduism is taught in school textbooks, how scholars portray Hindu deities in their writing, and how we ought to conceive Hinduism’s history. The accusations from both sides often become heated, with nationalist politics, colonialist agendas, and missionary zeal allegedly part of the mix.

Fight or Flight: Thomas Merton and the Bhagavad Gita
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Hare KrishnaBy Satyaraja Dasa

TWO commemorative events of landmark stature inspired the essay you are about to read: First, the year 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of Thomas Merton’s abrupt departure from our material vision. Second, 2018 is also the semicentennial celebration of a consequential publication: It was in 1968 that His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada released his unprecedentedly influential Bhagavad-gita As It Is. As we shall see, the trailblazing Western visionary, Merton, and this particular edition of the Gita engaged in productive conversation with each other

Hare Krishna! Film to have its eagerly-awaited UK premiere in London on Monday 23rd April
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Hare KrishnaBy ISKCON-London Communications

The wait in the UK is finally over! Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami who started it all (formerly known as Acharya) is coming to cinemas in the UK! Never before has there been a bigger opportunity for a mainstream audience in the UK to experience the incredible story of A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami (affectionately known as Srila Prabhupada), the 70-year-old Swami from India, who arrived in America without any support or money in the turbulent 1960s. Despite all difficulties and obstacles, his unflinching determination and faith ignited a worldwide spiritual phenomenon, known as the “Hare Krishna Movement” and officially named the “International Society of Krishna Consciousness” (ISKCON)

For the love of wisdom
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Hare KrishnaBy Kripamoya Das

The great logical philosopher Jayatirtha wrote in his book of logic, the Tattvasankhyana Tika: “The independent principle is that which does not depend on any other for its own nature and existence, self-awareness or for becoming an object of knowledge to the selves and for the free and unfettered exercise of its own powers” The philosophical enquiries of the Indian philosophers led them into an area of knowledge which today we would term Theology, the study of theos or God. Although theology is considered today to be a separate discipline from philosophy, one more interested in sectarian religious dogma than scientific examination of the truth, the ancient Indian philosophers saw no such hard distinction. They simply saw that their line of enquiry into the ultimate reality led them to the very reasonable conclusion that there existed an independent reality that had unlimited awareness and volition, and the infinitesimal consciousness of the limitless number of individuals was somehow connected and given sustenance by this one entity.

Celebrating the spirit of togetherness as a Rainbow Nation  through diverse and innovative style – The 30th Durban Festival of Chariots
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Hare KrishnaBy Krsangi Radhe dasi

It has been an amazing festival of spreading Krishna Consciousness through diverse preaching programmes, bringing people together from all walks of life to a spiritual realm. ISKCON Kwa-Zulu Natal (South Africa) hosted the 30th Durban Festival of Chariots over the Easter Weekend (30 March – 2 April).  The four day festival is a flagship event on the Ethekwini Municipality calendar as an event that promotes social cohesion through song, dance, food and discussion. As with previous years, we saw over 150 000 enthusiastic guests enjoy all that was on offer.

Reaffirmation of Ministries and Standing Committees
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Hare KrishnaBy The GBC

GBC Nominations Committee: Members – Bhakti Caitanya Swami (Chairman), Prahladananda Swami, Praghosa Das, Gopal Bhatta Das (Convenor), Tamohara Das, Anuttama Das, Revati Raman Das, Radha Krsna Das, Gauranga Das, Aniruddha Das, Devakinandan Das (MVG), Laxmimoni Dasi, Manohara Das, Kaunteya Das, Tapana Misra Das (Non-voting Executive Member)

ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry Standing Annual Presentation to GBC Body
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Hare KrishnaBy The GBC

Whereas when Deity worship is done properly following the rules of worship and maintaining strict cleanliness and punctuality, the worship is enlivening to devotees; Whereas, it has been seen that in temples where the worship is below the required minimum standard, it is often a result of zonal leadership, temple management, and/or the head pujari not knowing the proper standards of worship; Whereas GBC members and other leaders of ISKCON may not have the time to learn appropriate standards for ISKCON centers; Whereas, the maintenance of public Deity worship in an ISKCON center is the responsibility of the management of that center, under the supervision of that center’s zonal authorities, but ultimately it is the responsibility of the GBC Zonal Secretary and the GBC Body; Whereas Deity worship is one of the five primary angas of bhakti and therefore of primary importance in a sadhaka’s progress in spiritual life; Whereas other primary activities of ISKCON, such as book distribution, have standing annual presentation time to the GBC and discussion on ISKCON Deity worship at our centers is similarly worthy of the GBC Body’s attention and awareness; Resolved: Each year at the AGM in Mayapur, the ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry will be allocated a minimum of 1 hour, at the discretion of the Executive Committee, to present a report of Deity worship in ISKCON, particularly with a focus on Radha-Krsna worship.

Establishing The ISKCON International Office for the Prevention of Leader Misconduct (PLM Office) as a permanent ISKCON managerial entity
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By The GBC Resolved: 1. The ISKCON International Office for the Prevention of Leader Misconduct (PLM Office) be established as a permanent ISKCON organizational entity subject to review by the GBC Body (as with other Offices and Ministries). The PLM …