Author Archives: Dandavats

In Memoriam: Gopinath Acarya Prabhu
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Hare KrishnaBy Abhay das

n February 7th, Bhaimi Ekadasi, Srila Prabhupada disciple Gopinatha Acarya Prabhu disappeared at New Govardhan Farm in Murwillumbah, New South Wales, where he had cared for Krishna’s land, cows and bulls for decades. Well known in the seventies and early eighties for his dedication to book distribution, he later became one of our movements great teachers of simple living and high thinking. I stayed on New Govardhan for a number of years and was fortunate to have had his association. I wanted to share some of my experiences of this great soul. There are many others who knew him better than I and hopefully they will come forward with more remembrances. Gopinath Acarya Prabhu had the personal association of Srila Prabhupada during his visits to Australia, and his angelic countenance (He joined ISKCON in 1973 at the tender age of 16) can be seen next to His Divine Grace in photographs and on film, often offering a camara.

Considering Srila Prabhupada’s Mercy
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Hare KrishnaBy Babhru das

Essential to Bhaktivinoda’s revolutionary view was the understanding that Lord Chaitanya was not exaggerating when He said that His name would be sung in every town and village around the world. Bhaktivinoda wrote in his monthly journal Sajjana-tosani, “Sriman Mahaprabhu did not descend with His associates to deliver a certain number of human beings in the land of India, but rather His purpose was to deliver and uplift all living beings in all countries of the world by practicing the eternal religion of all souls.” He quoted a verse from Chaitanya-bhagavata in which the Lord predicted, “My name will be preached in all the countries and towns that exist throughout the world.” Bhaktivinoda Thakura then expressed his heart’s desire: “There are many kinds of religion in the world, and among all of them the highest development of religion is the congregational chanting of the Supreme Lord’s divine names. Of this there is no doubt. Alas! When will that day come when greatly fortunate souls in countries such as England, France, Russia, Prussia, and America will take up banners, kettle drums, mådaìgas and karatalas and thus cause the ecstatic waves of Harinama-kirtana and the singing of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Holy Name to rise in the streets of their towns and cities? O when will that day come, when pure and transcendental Vaisnava-prema will be the only religion of all souls and all tiny sectarian religions will meet in the unlimited and universal religion of Vaisnavism as rivers merge into the great ocean? O when will that day come?”

Parallels (Alien Identities)
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Hare KrishnaBy Krishna-kripa Das

“This idea of love in relation to the Supreme Person can be compared with the ‘universal love’ mentioned in many UFO communications. These communications often define the ultimate One as an impersonal energy or force. Yet love is something having to do with persons. If the One is impersonal in nature, then how can love have a truly universal role? Note that this problem does not come up in modern scientific theories. According to modern science, love is simply a recent outgrowth of hominid evolution in Africa, and it has nothing to do with ultimate causes. But if the personal quality of love is a fundamental feature of nature, then it is natural to ask how this could be. If there is a Transcendental Person behind the universe, then the answer is that the universe was crafted according to the loving intentions of that person.”

The Yoga of Love – Beyond illness and psychotherapies
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Hare KrishnaBy Matsyavatar das

Normality and illness only exist in the illusionary vision of man. In reality, there is only the immense path of spiritual evolution, characterized by vicissitudes, incidents, stages, progresses, stasis, deviations, falls and imprisonments. Certain incidents are isolated and classified by medicine and psychology as “illness”. Then medicine and psychology study them under an unconscious perspective and do not take under account the evolution context in which they are inserted. These sciences can still obtain respectable, considerable and useful short-term results, but these are only limited to the symptoms. They can also have a certain prevention capability, however the entity and means of their cure and prevention cannot go beyond to reach the substance. This is because they are not contextualized into reality and into the process of spiritual evolution, which are mostly invisible even though they are sometimes remotely perceivable.

Natural Economy, Cow Protection and the Mode of Goodness.
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Hare KrishnaBy Dusantya Das

Like so many things, both Economy and Cow Protection can exist in the Mode of Ignorance, the Mode of Passion and the Mode of Goodness. And although the Economic models can be perceived easily through the different modes of Nature, its way more difficult to differentiate Cow Protection within the different modes of Nature. It’s only been within the last 20 years or so that Cow Protection has taken on any kind of form. That it is not just a bunch of cows hanging around a field with red hands all over them and old Maha garlands hanging dishevelled on their horns. At least, on some Cow Protection projects it has been realised there are models to follow, albeit within the two lower modes of nature.

The Fallacy of Fault-finding
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Hare KrishnaBy Madhavananda Das

Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami: You have no right to chastise, no right to correct anyone. You are not guru. Guru has that right. If you see something and you have a good heart, “He is doing something wrong that is detrimental to his bhakti.” Then go to him, pay obeisances, and tell him confidentially, not in front of others, “O my brother, I see this thing and it pains me very much that you are doing this and this. This is a great impediment on the path of devotion. I fear you will not be able to make any advancement. Therefore I am coming to you and telling you. O my friend, please don’t do it. Be serious about your bhajana.

World Holy Name Week 2016 report
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Hare KrishnaBy Ekalavya Das

ISKCON or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness has been known for propagating the Holy Name of Lord Krishna through the Hare Krishna Mahamantra worldwide as instructed by our previous acharyas. The weeklong festival celebrated every year aims towards engaging devotees in spreading the glories of the holy name everywhere through special kirtans, events, harinams and much more. For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada and in celebration of ISKCON50, World Holy Name Week 2016 was celebrated between July 18 – August 14, 2016. We have received a total of 44 reports – 5 from overseas and the rest from India.

India: Ahmedabad, Amravati, Aravade, Baroda, Beed, Belgaum, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chennai, Dabilpur, Delhi, Govardhan Eco Village, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Katra, Kaundanyapur, Kurukshetra, Manipur, Mayapur, Nagpur, Nasik, Nellore, Nigdi, Noida, Panchsheel, Pandharpur, Pune, Rajkot, Siliguri, Solapur, Surat, Tirupati, Udhampur, Vijaywada and Vrindavan

Overseas: Australia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Singapore and UK

North American Leadership conference 2017
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Hare KrishnaBy Mukhya Devi Dasi

Recent studies have shown that excessive incense smoke inhalation is on a similar level to inhaling secondary cigarette smoke, it contains volatile compounds which are toxic to the human body. Two members of the ISV congregation went for a physical and the doctor asked them how long they had been smokers. They had never been smokers. Inquiring about their lifestyle he deduced their smoker’s lungs were the result of excessive exposure to incense smoke. He related an article on Buddhist monks who had led a simple pure life being diagnosed with lung cancer and it was discovered this was a result of the exposure to so much incense smoke. A proposed solution, a recommendation, which the deity worship minister concurs is fine, is to offer one stick only or even cut the stick in half or less. And after offering make a place outside and plant it there. But don’t snuff it out after offering.