Author Archives: Dandavats

2018 Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama – Huge Success!
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Hare KrishnaBy Mayesvara Dasa

Because of the success of the BBT book distributors all over the world… the volume of pilgrims attending have become so high the parikrama groups have had to be divided into smaller groups. What is further impressive is that those responsible for coordinating the logistics of this operation arrange for ALL the pilgrims to get both breakfast and lunch served at the location sites where they arrive at! There is yet another group of very hearty individuals who camp and bath at the places of worship where huge tents are set up for them to sleep and they get an evening meal as well! This is all because of the extraordinary teaching of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

How John Lennon heard the mahamantra just before he left his body
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Hare KrishnaBy Nartak Gopal Devi Dasi

Krishna arranged for devotees to be there at the time of his death. This was December 8th 1980. The New York temple was on West 55th Street in Manhattan and two devotees lived at that temple. Bakula and Surottama, and they had their daughter Shringara born that morning. She was born in the temple so by the afternoon she had developed kind of a cough so they thought well we better take this baby to the hospital because you never know. So they asked another devotee Keshiha, who now lives in Alachua where I lived, that can you please drive us to the ER the emergency room at Roosevelt Hospital. Roosevelt Hospital is up on West 59th Street and the temple is on 55th Street so at the hospital they were taken into this room and the lady doctor was examining the baby when all of a sudden she was called out of the room, there was apparently like a big emergency, and she was called out of the room so uh Surottama das followed her, he wanted to see what what is this emergency, so he followed her to and of course I mean at that time this was 1980 the devotees you know they always just dressed with their shaved head and the dhoti and kurta they didn’t wear karmi clothes to go places in America so much that because they were living in the temple. So what it was, Yoko Ono, John Lennon’s wife was walking alongside a stretcher and John Lennon was laying on it facedown lying on his stomach. He had been shot, somebody assassinated him, they shot him outside of his apartments and his apartments were up on West 72nd Street so what it means is that the hospital is right in the middle. So that’s why he went to that same hospital and when Yoko Ono Saw Surottama she said “John the Hare Krishna’s are here” and then, like a moment later he expired.

Plastic Bhakti
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Hare KrishnaBy Vrindapati Dasa

It is almost entirely possible in this age to make our temples, businesses, and deity paraphernalia more GREEN. It is favourable for spiritual life and you may agree, purer. The revolution needs to happen with devotees and temples. Do not make a demand for plastic mantra boxes, clickers, trinkets and cheap souvenirs, have some class! Use a proper meditation beads. If you need a to-go kit, why not try using a 27 bead mala in your pocket or wrist (at least this is justified by scripture in the Hari Bhakti Vilasa, where this mala is called a kanista/sumarni), or you could wear a small 108 beads around your neck in addition to your neck beads (at least this is justified by scripture like Nectar of devotion, where devotees should wear Tulasi around the neck and chest) – Better still what happened to the good old meditation bead bag that is designed to go everywhere with you. Amazing! no? Better than a non-eco-friendly counter (stop buying them – it is only inattentive chanting being promoted).

Srimad Bhagavatam Class in Mayapur, 16 Feb 2018
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Hare KrishnaBy Lokanath Swami

Tamal Krishna Maharaj had come back to Bombay and in the meantime something happened with me. I was getting ready for marriage, it was arranged, temple president was involved and my parents were very happy, thinking that I became normal so they also had come and everything was but then, on the day of the ceremony, the girl’s parents came and then they parked the car, some distance away from the temple. They said jewelleries and sarees for you, please come to the car, they brought her to the car, and made her sit down in the car and (actioning they drove the car away), they kidnaped her. I was very much down thinking why bad things are happening to good person like me?

Europe – The TOVP World Tour 2018
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Hare KrishnaBy Sukanti Radha Dasi

The TOVP World Tour continues and is now being organized to visit nine European Countries in the Spring of 2018. Led by Lord Nityananda Prabhu’s divine lotus shoes (Padukas) and Lord Nrsimhadeva’s sacred helmet (Sitari) from the Mayapur Chandodaya Mandir, They will be accompanied by His Grace Jananivas prabhu (head pujari of Mayapur), His Grace Ambarisa das (TOVP Project Chairman) and his wife, Her Grace Svaha mataji, and His Grace Vraja Vilas Das (Global Fundraising Director).

From thinking Krishna of having a questionable character to becoming His devotee: Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s journey
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By Khonika Gope-Kumar “By 10 o’clock the night was very dark and cloudy. Across the Ganges, in a northern direction, I suddenly saw a large building flooded with golden light. I asked Kamala if he could see the building and he said that he could. But m…

Insights from lectures of Iskcon devotees
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Hare KrishnaBy Krishna-kripa das

I share many quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s books and lectures. I also share notes on talks by Varsana Swami, Rtadhvaja Swami, Adikarta Prabhu, Akhandadhi Prabhu, Madana Mohan Prabhu, Nagaraja Prabhu, Garuda Prabhu of Tallahassee, Murali Gopal Prabhu, and Hanan Prabhu. I share quotes by Prishni Devi Dasi and Nama Kirtan from conversations and by Jagannatha Misra Prabhu from his latest book, The Book III.

Srimad Bhagavatam class from Mayapur, 11 February 2018
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Hare KrishnaBy Bhakti Vinoda Swami

As leaders we get to do so many different things but we should be knowing that we are under the radar of Maya and Kali. “You are the leader who is going to take people out of the world and send them to Godhead, you are working for Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s organisation! You are a dangerous guy for me. I am going to attack you!” And definitely iskcon leaders who are proponents of pure bhakti are going to be attacked more and more in their leadership positions.

Srimad Bhagavatam class from Mayapur, 8 February 2018
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Hare KrishnaBy Radha Krishna Das

Who remembers the motto of the Strategic Planning team? “More devotees, happier devotees.” Why is it we are focusing on more devotees and happier devotees? Because Krishna will be pleased. If they are not happier there won’t be more. More devotees means external growth. Happier devotees means internal growth. Which one is more important? It’s just so interesting we are focussing really a lot on spreading Krsna consciousness. And that’s a really good goal and we should focus on that, but at the same time we should really focus on developing ourselves. Growth starts with you first.

GBC College 2018 Graduation Ceremony – ILS, Mayapur
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Hare KrishnaBy Vrsabhanu das

In the “sublime and auspicious land of Gaurasundara on the charming bank of the Bhagirathi, Gaudadesh[Sridham Mayapur], which is eternally shining and full of bliss” (extracted from Navadvipastakam Verse 1, Srila Rupa Goswami), on the auspicious Appearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, the GBC College for Leadership Development held the 2018 Graduation ceremony at the ILS (ISKCON Leadership Sanga). Twenty-three leaders from various locations in Africa, Bangladesh, China, India, Italy, Russia and Singapore, received their GBC College Graduation certificates and gifts in the presence of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, Srila Prabhupada, and over 600 ILS devotees including many ISKCON Gurus, GBCs and sannyasis.

News from the Manor: A small school with a big heart, Doctor in the House, Gitas for london Crematorium
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Hare KrishnaBy Radha Mohan das

The Manor School children participated in an inaugural ceremony to mark a new chapter in their school’s history. The primary school has been situated at Bhaktivedanta Manor for the past 35 years. Due to various challenges associated with the building of the new Haveli on the site and the required demolition of two of the classrooms, the school has been relocated into a new temporary premises not far away. The renovation of the existing buildings took over eight months to complete, and involved top architects, structural engineers, two major building contractors and a big investment from the temple. Kaushik Patel was hands on at every step and the Patrons Working Committee oversaw the entire development.