Author Archives: Dandavats

A Riverbed of Desire
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Hare KrishnaBy Shatakshi Goyal

As we drove back to Keshi Ghat, I recalled a conversation with Shivarama Swami. Yamuna Devi is always flowing in Vraja in aprakata, or unmanifested, form, he said, but her disappearance in drishtva form, or that which we can see, shows that she is offended by how Vrindavan is being exploited – dirt and filth everywhere, rampant corruption, lack of building codes. Shivarama Swami reminded us that our Save Yamuna Campaign is not just about moving politicians, courts, and policy makers; it’s also meant to create a bed of desire and welcome to show Yamuna Devi that we want her to return to Vrindavan. If she wants to come, she can just burst that dam in Delhi and come straight through. So it’s not the dam that’s going to keep her there.

ISKCON Vladivostok: Where Krishna Reigns in Russia’s Far East
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Hare KrishnaBy B.V.V. Narasimha Swami

Despite many challenges, the intrepid devotees in this remote city 5,700 land miles from Moscow built a suitable temple to worship the Lord. The city of Vladivostok (“Ruler of the East”) is situated in the far east of Russia, a few hundred kilometers north of China. The region was long under Chinese rule, but Russia acquired it through the Treaty of Beijing in 1860. In time Russians migrated from the western part of the country, and it is now an important port serving the eastern region of Russia. In the late 1980s, when the USSR gave up its communist regime and opened its doors to other ideals, the Krishna consciousness movement established centers across Russia, Vladivostok being one city where the people were immediately interested.

Interesting insights of classes by Iskcon devotees
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Hare KrishnaBy Krishna-kripa das

I share many powerful insights from Srila Prabhupada’s lectures and his books. I include excerpts from Satsvarupa dasa Goswami’s Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name. I transmit some nice realizations from Janananda Goswami, speaking at 26 Second Avenue in New York City on the fiftieth anniversary of the first Tompkins Square Park harinama, October 9, 2016, and also some cool insights from his godbrother, Mahavirya Prabhu, also speaking at that occasion. I share a nice point from a lecture by Candrasekhara Swami. I share several profound quotes from Sadaputa Prabhu’s collection of articles, published as God and Science. I share notes on a lecture by Shyamananda Prabhu, a senior Radhanath Swami brahmacari from Pune and Chowpatty. I share notes on lectures by young devotees who attend The Bhakti Center morning program, Virabhadra Rama Prabhu and Bhakta Cesar Prabhu, along with many comments on their lectures by Adi Purusha Prabhu, who has been a devotee since the 70s.

ISKCON devotees attend Diwali at Number 10 (British Prime Minister’s residence)
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Hare KrishnaBy Radha Mohan Das

Srutidharma das was invited to the Diwali function at Number 10 Downing Street, the residence of the British Prime Minister, Theresa May MP. Along with the Prime Minister and other dignitaries such as the Indian High Commissioner Mr Dinesh Patnail, Srutidharma das lit the ceremonial lamp before being invited to say a few words and lead the Diwali prayers. He shared three meditations: Diwali is all about giving to our families, community and our country. Through forgiveness we can have a new start. The Lord forgives, so we are we not to? Being grateful. With Remembrance Sunday coming up, a day when all those that made the ultimate sacrifice in war are remembered, he asked those present to be grateful for the religious freedom and equal opportunities we share today. Echoing the Prime Minister’s own words, Srutidharma das added that the fact that the community is celebrating Diwali at the Prime Minister’s home is the symptom of “a fairer Britain.” He then proceeded to recite the first verse of the Sri Isopanisad, the Panca-Tattva mantra and the Hare Krishna mantra.

After 50 years, Hare Krishnas are no longer white hippies who proselytize in airports
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Hare KrishnaBy Julie Zauzmer

Washingtonpost.com: “We used to worship different forms of God, all the forms of God. … We were like a supermarket of gods,” said Manoharan, an IT contractor for the Department of Homeland Security . Not long after Manoharan and Jeyabalan moved to the United States in the late 1990s, they were told by a relative about a palace in West Virginia built in the style of an Indian shrine. So they decided to take a sightseeing trip. “And right in this place,” Manoharan says, pointing at the ground in the West Virginia temple, he picked up his first copy of one of Prabhupada’s many books. Now, standing in the same spot years later, he points out the book that changed his life to his 10-year-old daughter Hamsika. He came to believe what the book said, he tells Hamsika — that there was only one God, Krishna, and that he should worship only the deities who are forms of Krishna.

ISKCON Celebrates 50 Years Since Its Founding
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Hare KrishnaBy Ronak D. Desai

Anuttama Dasa, the gala’s primary organizer who serves as ISKCON’s Communications Minister and Governing Body Commissioner, noted “It was humbling to see government officials, religious leaders, and academic scholars all come together to honor Swami Prabhupada and the religious society he began that has made significant contributions to the areas of philosophy, culture, literature, religious freedom, and social welfare in the last 50 years.” ISKCON’s followers include some of the country’s most prominent figures. Alfred B. Ford, great-grandson of car magnate Henry Ford, is one of the organization’s leading figures and addressed the gala regarding ISKCON’s landmark spiritual project in West Bengal inspired by the teachings of Swami Prabhupada, the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. Former Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs recounted in his famous 2005 commencement speech to Stanford University how he relied on ISKCON temples to feed himself: “I didn’t have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends’ rooms. I would walk the seven miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it.”

Srila Prabhupada’s blessing to Bhaktivedanta Hospital & Research Institute
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Hare KrishnaBy Kiranbala Lakhmania

H. G. Brindaban Chandra De, the youngest son of Srila Prabhupada, had a blockage in the Left Coronary Artery of his heart which resulted in chest pain. After undergoing Angiography in Kolkata he entrusted Bhaktivedanta Hospital & Research Institute with the responsibility of caring for his heart and restoring him to health. Accompanied by his wife H. G. Chhobi De and their son H. G. Shashank De, he travelled all the way from Kolkata to Mumbai to undergo treatment by our team of expert medical professionals. On 1st October 2016 the De family arrived at the Hospital and were welcomed with garlands by Dr. V. G. Shanbhag, Deputy Director – Spiritual Care Training & Education.

How Shri Krishna Calls Us Back
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By Abhaya Mudra Dasi

By enacting His intimate pastimes, Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, evokes deep primeval emotions in the hearts of the sleeping souls. Generally, when the Lord displays His pastimes in the material world the mood is one of separation. This mood of separation is very important for the conditioned living entities who are dwelling in this material world. Not only they have forgotten their eternal identities as Shri Krishna’s servants but they have fallen into the mode of unrealistic feelings. All their sentiments are masked by the false pursuance of temporary happiness. The Supreme Lord comes to shake the rusty and crude feelings of the conditioned living entities whose hearts have become like stones. He knows exactly how to call the ones that are ready to come back to Him by playing the deepest sentiment of disconnection. This mode of separation is the surest attracting factor that propels the living entity to realize that he needs to reunite with the Supreme Lord as His eternal loving servant. The Supreme Lord plays the lila of separation although in fact He is never separated from the living entity. He is all-cognizant at all times and at the same time He is in everyone’s heart.

Bonds of Love: Racitambara Devi Dasi
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Hare KrishnaBy Iskcon Vaishnavi Ministry

In early ’77, when Prabhupada came to Juhu for the last time, I was at the back of the crowd thinking, “Oh, Srila Prabhupada, you have so many disciples. I’m also your disciple, but do you know me?” Srila Prabhupada got out of his car and instead of sweeping into the building as we expected, he stopped, looked over the crowd, and saw me. He looked deep into my eyes, into the soul, gave me a smile as if a million suns had come out at once, and nodded his head. I clearly heard him say, “Of course, I know you. We have an eternal relationship.” Since then I’ve always felt Prabhupada is with me and knows me, for we have an eternal relationship.

Minister of Education-Sri Lanka received the Bhagavad Gita As It Is
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Hare KrishnaBy Sudarshan Cakra dasa

National Institute of Education (NIE) – Sri Lanka celebrated the annual Navaratri festival during the first week of October. Participants were the Minister of Education Mr. Radhakrishnan and all leading educational officers from different districts of the country. On this occasion, ISKCON devotees were invited as guests along with Buddhist head-monks and Christian priest. As ISKCON’s representative, Vasudeva Datta Prabhu spoke in length on the importance of adding the study of Bhagavad Gita As It Is in the religious school curriculum in Sri Lanka. He stressed that the students are the future of the country, so it is great responsibility on the teachers, professors and government officers to give proper spiritual guidance to their pupils. Not only this, they should first teach by their good example – yad yad acarati sresthas tat tad evetaro janah. He explained the word “acharya” and cautioned the esteemed audience not to be like his European teacher who would with a cigarette in his hand say to the students – “It is not good to smoke”.

Damodara 2016 Sastra Dana and Anna Dana in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Hare KrishnaBy Simheswara Dasa

21OCT’16 Hare Krishna. Today we began the DAMODARA 2016 SASTRA DANA & ANNA DANA, one book & one meal program at “SJKT Bangsar” for the KL – KLANG VALLEY zone. We are to reach “20 schools and 15,000 students.” A total of 120 students and 16 teachers received books and respected prasadam today. May Lord Sri Krishna bless Sriman Logenthiran and family for sponsoring prasadam meals and books for today’s programme and may the Lord also bless today’s volunteers for their dedicated services.

$3 Krishna lunches hit spot
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Hare KrishnaBy Ortago Daily Times

University of Otago – Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. After moving to Dunedin to retire, Jane Beecroft soon found herself with more on her plate than she first anticipated. “I came here hoping to take it easy. “Then I started teaching vegetarian cooking; soon enough word got out and it turned into the lunches.” The numbers • 500,000 meals served since 1997 • 250 The approximate number of students fed daily • 150 samosas handed out daily • 20kg of rice dished out daily This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Hare Krishna vegetarian lunches on campus at the University of Otago, an initiative started by Ms Beecroft in 1997. On a busy day more than 300 students could arrive for a meal in the space of two hours. The $3 main courses are served four days a week, Monday to Thursday, with Wednesday’s fresh bread and soup a favourite.

Writing for Krishna: The Price and the Prize
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Hare KrishnaBy Chaitanya Charana Dasa

Srila Prabhupada has expressed his fond dream for BTG: “As I have told you several times, I am awaiting for the day when this paper will take the shape of Life magazine or similar other magazines in the matter of its popularity.” (Letter dated June 1968) The popularity of BTG depends on many factors: for example, the reach and appeal of our movement; the magnitude of the efforts to distribute BTG; the format, feel, and cost of the issues. But the most important factor, the factor I can influence, is its core content—the quality of its articles. The only way I can improve the quality of my articles is by improving the quality of my writing.