Author Archives: Dandavats

Devotees inspired by ISKCON 50 to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s Books
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Hare KrishnaBy Mathura Lilesvari Devi Dasi

Thaipusam is a festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon day in the Tamil month of Thai (January/February). It is mainly observed in countries where there is a significant presence of Tamil community such as India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore. The festival commemorates the occasion when Mother Parvati gave Lord Skanda a Vel “spear” so he could vanquish the daityasura Soorapadman. Thaipusam is a public holiday in Malaysia. Thousands of Hindus gather every year at various temples nationwide to celebrate Thaipusam. ISKCON Malaysia has stamped our presence at these temples every year since the late 80s. In Kuala Lumpur the festival is celebrated in a grand manner at Batu Caves which is likened to Palani Malai in Tamil Nadu.

New Raman Reti: Devotee-to-Devotee Care
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Hare KrishnaBy Jagat Vira das

From the Mission Statement for Devotee Care: “We strive to care for the spiritual, emotional, physical and social well being of the devotees in order to be enthused to expand Srila Prabhupada’s mission.” From this mission statement one of the primary aims – is “we aim to provide care that includes personal attention to both devotees’ spiritual and material lives.” This is one of the important aims, which facilitates every devotee in feeling cared about and inspired by their respective community, and never left being alone without the care of other devotees. Whether you live close to the temple, far away or you just attend the festivals, it is important to feel a part of a loving and welcoming Vaisnava community.

A giant desire tree blesses ISKCON desire tree
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Hare KrishnaBy Chaitanya Charan das

Maharaja has won the hearts of thousands, if not millions, all over the world because of his capacity to connect at the level of the heart with people. That is not a skill we get genetically or learn by some self-help training. We can form heart-to-heart connections with others only when we have genuine respect and concern for them. And Maharaja has always had that in abundance, even from his pre-devotional days. I remembered an incident during his spiritual search. A sadhu had served spicy khichadi to Maharaja (then Richard Slavin). Although the chili in it was burning him from within, he not only finished all of that khichadi but also accepted a second helping when offered – just to not hurt the feelings of that sadhu.

Bhaktivedanta Manor’s eNewsletter- – Feb 2016 Edition
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Hare KrishnaBy Radha Mohan das

His Holiness Sivarama Swami has begun a long-term project to build a template for social structure in the ISKCON farm community in Hungary, based on the ancient varnasrama system.During a two part seminar on the subject delivered at the Manor, Maharaja described in no uncertain terms about how Srila Prabhupada had wanted the development of varnasrama, the backbone of a practical society that complements the process of devotional service.

Let not tears torment us
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Hare KrishnaBy Purushottam Nitai Das

At the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna put aside his weapons and with tears in his eyes looked at Krishna expecting compassion. But in return he got chastisement. Tears of sorrow did not impress Krishna but rather it displeased him. If a child refuses to appear in an exam then his mother won’t be sympathetic although her child may give several reasons for not giving the exam. Mother being the best well -wisher of her child knows how important exam is for her child’s career. Krishna being the best friend of Arjuna expected him to exhibit exemplary qualities befitting a great personality. Tears of lamentation, moroseness and reluctance to do once ordained duty isn’t appreciated by Krishna. These are the qualities of people in mode of ignorance. And devotees are expected to come to mode of goodness which is characterised by enthusiasm, hard work, patience and perseverance. Off course devotees of the Lord do their duties keeping Lord in the centre so they rise above goodness.

Little Wild Flowers
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Hare KrishnaBy Sajjanasraya dasa

An Istha ghosti is a wonderful opportunity to understand the hearts of the devotee. We express our feelings, and give suggestions to improve our divine service and to increase our sense of belonging in our devotional community. The essence of everything is serving and doing things for Krishna with love, attention, care, respect, concentration and helping others to know their best friend. If people are ready to listen we can tell them directly about Him. Those who aren’t ready to hear directly about Krishna will be influenced by kindness of the devotees. Our outreach to others can take many forms.

3rd Annual Ratha Yatra ISKCON Adelaide (Australia) 2016
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Hare KrishnaBy Jaya Sada Gosai Dasa

On the 26th of January this year, ISCKON Adelaide celebrated its 3rd annual Rath Yatra. Lord Jagannath took to the streets as a part of the Australia Day Parade, His rath being designated as one of the floats. But, true to form, He stole the show yet again. With His huge, delighted eyes and inimitable smile, the Lord of the Universe appeared to be in rollicking good cheer. He was primed for an afternoon of wanton mercy distribution and thousands of unsuspecting onlookers reaped the full benefit. Amongst the vibrant parade participants, Lord Jagannath in His opulent and fetching regalia called for undivided attention. Veda Vyasa Prabhu and Yashoda Sakhi Mataji brought their decades of altar experience to bear. With consummate skill and artistry, they dressed the Lord of all lords in the manner of a true king. Regardless, the merciful Jagannath ensured that He was not the only reason His “float” turned the most heads. Around 50 devotees in their Vaishnava best took part in pulling the chariot through Adelaide’s streets.

Gita Program in ISKCON Sri Lanka
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Hare KrishnaBy Nandarani Devi Dasi

In ISKCON Sri Lanka, the Gita program was initiated last year. The program started with a short advert on newspaper and 25 people enrolled for the program. This program consists of 12 classes and was conducted on basis of 2 classes per week. The participants of the program were interested in the content and on the matters discussed in the class. At completion of the program all the participants were tested on their knowledge on Gita. Further certificate of completion of the program was issued to 15 participants who attended all the classes of the program and showed their full commitment towards the program

WSN December 2015 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
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Hare KrishnaBy Vijaya Dasa

Well, prabhus, it looks like a new pace has been set by Mayapur. Mayapur was again the No. 1 temple in the world in 2015. But not by much! Mayapur did 1,576,532 book points, and New Delhi did 1,533,199. Mayapur won by only 43,333 book points. What is amazing is that New Delhi more than doubled what Mayapur did during the marathon! Every year there is an intense transcendental competition between the two temples, and what a competition it is: They both increased their book distribution by 12%. Let’s see what happens in 2016. Another surprise this year took place in the annual transcendental competition between Russia and the USA. As you may know, every year for close to a decade Russia is behind the USA during the year, but in December leaves the USA in the dust, way behind. But not this year. Finally the USA did more book points than Russia! Like the competition between New Delhi and Mayapur, it was close. The USA did 802,191 book points and Russia did 798,115, so the USA won by only 4,076 book points. That was close!

Teaching in Taiwan
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Hare KrishnaBy Mandakini devi dasi

Preaching Krishna Consciousness in a largely atheistic, impersonal and demigod worshiping society who shun organised religion is a special skill. Devotees in the province of Taiwan are yielding positive results with a well- established and easily digestible approach. The pioneers in this field have determined that success will surely reach the inner core of the population with the regular distribution of lunch boxes, spiritual books and Harinama. However, particularly by offering Hatha-yoga classes, the devotees experience a high success rate and respectful reciprocation with the people. Divya Purusha dasa also makes tangible devotional inroads in this area by offering popular courses on Astrology twice a year. Several yoga classes each week take place at the largest Iskcon centre in the country, which is located in Taichung. The practice is followed by melodious call and response Hare Krishna mantra meditation. Many participants move on to more involvement in spiritual life.

God can be proven!
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Hare KrishnaBy Jahnu Das

Hare Krishnas don’t have to believe in God. We know who God is, what He looks like, what He wants, why and how He created the world and who and what the soul is. This info is available in the Bhagavad Gita. Bhagavad Gita is the only book in the world in which someone claiming to be God, describes in detail about Himself, the soul and Nature and how they inter-relate. Also, we don’t have to believe in Evolution or Darwin’s theory, as there is no empirical evidence to support that theory. In fact, Darwin’s theory is pure speculation and wishful thinking. “We must concede that there are presently no detailed Darwinian accounts of the evolution of any biochemical or cellular system, only a variety of wishful speculations.” — Franklin Harold, Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Colorado State University, in an Oxford University Press text. If someone came and told you that everything you hold dear, everything you believe in, everything you thought you knew, all your values, all you hopes and aspirations, all your love for wife, kids, family, friends, and society, in fact, the entire foundation of your life – it is all wrong, it is all an illusion – you’d probably think that that someone was on drugs or belonged in a mental institution.

Marathon 2015 – Toronto Sankirtan Team Offering
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Hare KrishnaBy Toronto Sankirtan Team

For your pleasure Srila Prabhupada, the Toronto chapter of your Sankirtan Army, had a glorious year 2015. We organized many sankirtan festivals, participated in several multicultural festivals in and around the city, knocked on thousands of doors, placed books in countless venues from hotels to homeless shelters. We distributed several thousands of books, distributed huge quantities of prasadam and reached out to many more souls, with a hope to connect them to you. The Toronto Sankirtan Family has grown beautifully in the past one year. While book distribution continued throughout the year, our final push for your pleasure came towards the end of our annual book marathon. The goal seemed far and our options seemed few, but armed by the mantra “With blessings everything is possible”, we marched ahead determined to try our best – the worst we thought was that we’d fail, but you have assured us that simply by the attempt, we will attain all perfection! And the final push began… everyone stretched beyond their comfort zones – some headed out on the streets to distribute books in chilling winds, some knocked door to door for hours on end, others got on the phone and reached out to all their contacts with a plea to accept your books – everyone worked together for the one goal – to make Srila Prabhupada reach up the Jaladuta.

Extraordinary!
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Hare KrishnaBy Anuttama das

We all get messages that there is something beyond ordinary life, and that what we are doing is not the all in all. Whether it’s through a holy book, experiencing the loss of a loved one, an intuition, deja vu, or just watching Matrix or Star Wars and wondering about our origins – we all are reminded from within from time to time, that there is more to life than a few years of hard struggle and mixed results. Do we respond to that call, or just shake it off?

ISKCON UK hosts National Communications Day 2016
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Hare KrishnaBy Zayani Bhatt

Temple Presidents and communications teams from ISKCON temples across the UK gathered at Bhaktivedanta Manor to mark National Communications Day 2016 on Saturday 30th January. The day was dedicated to workshops, presentations and discussions centred on the communications strategy for the year, ideas for the 50th year celebrations and essential media training. The national communications team intends to enhance cohesion across ISKCON temple communications throughout the UK and provide media support to both devotees who give interviews and those who write about ISKCON. The long-term aim is to unify the branding and messaging of all centres whilst maintaining the individuality and creativity of each. The day also included a talk from special guest The Reverend George Pitcher, a journalist, author, public relations pioneer and Anglican priest. He spoke to the assembled devotees about the common barriers religious organisations face when communicating with the secular public and media.

An Intimate Encounter with Radhanath Swami
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Hare KrishnaBy Anuradha dasi

When you listen to this audiobook you feel as if you are in his private room hearing him recount every detail of his often perilous and sometimes humorous—but never dull—journey across the earth. The intimate experience of hearing Radhanath Swami tell his story lasts for nineteen hours and is enhanced with thematic music and tasteful sound effects. The book itself touched the hearts of people around the globe. Ram Dass, teacher and author of Be Here Now, described it as “fascinating and spellbinding.” Francis Clooney, professor at Harvard Divinity School, described it as an invitation to “a time of grace and wonder.” Sharon Gannon, co-founder of Jiva Mukti Yoga, said the book could “cause a transformation of our whole being.” Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, said that he was, “convinced that the reader will love this book.”

Community Dialog Presents Plan for New Vrindaban Village Association
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Hare KrishnaBy Madhava Smullen

Possibly the hottest topic at the Fall 2015 ISKCON New Vrindaban and Eco-Vrindaban Board Meetings, and certainly the one that drew the most interest, was the Community Dialog about a proposed new “Village Association.” For decades, New Vrindaban residents have felt a need to be heard more by the ISKCON management and to have more influence on how their community is run. So with a possible solution at hand, they were buzzing as they crowded into the Palace Lodge community hall after lunch on December 5th to learn more about it. Longtime residents Nityodita Das and Advaitacharya Das guided the session, beginning with a half-hour Power Point presentation on the history and plan for the proposed Village Association.

Subtle sex; the scourge of the advancing sadhaka
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Hare KrishnaBy Kesava Krsna Dasa

Some spiritual practitioners think that now they have achieved some reasonable control of the physical sex urge, they are well nigh up there in the wispy clouds of victorious abstinence, deserving of respect and honour. Wrong! Congratulations on becoming a decent human being. Welcome to the world of subtle selfishness. Srila Prabhupada states: ‘Illicit sex is the most prominent sin due to lusty desire.’ This is because it is sometimes called ‘ adi-rasa ‘ the primeval, original pleasure, which sadly for us, is a twisted iron-like perversion enjoyed separately from Krishna. With a little enlightenment some people can see the problems arising from lust, but; ‘The conditioned soul sometimes personally appreciate the futility of sense enjoyment in the material world, and he sometimes considers material enjoyment to be full of miseries. However, due to his strong bodily conception, his memory is destroyed, and again and again he runs after material enjoyment, just as an animal runs after a mirage in the desert.’

The Company We Keep
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Hare KrishnaBy Urmila Devi Dasi

Anyone who has worked with children knows they are vulnerable to their environment. Yet children also carry from their previous lives a complex burden of good and bad karma and a particular tendency of character. In fact, the mentality of the parents during conception attracts a particular soul—with particular inclinations—to become their child. Because of this, enlightened parents prepare themselves so that they can be in spiritual consciousness during conception. Thus their child will be receptive to the training they will give him. Srila Prabhupada says, “You can mold the children in any way. They are like soft dough.” So the mold is essential when considering the shape of the final piece of sculpture. But the quality of the material one puts into the mold is also important.

A Philosophy of Social Development for ISKCON: Perspectives from Bhagavad-gita
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Hare KrishnaBy Ithamar Theodor

It is sometimes said that Srila Prabhupada built a house in which the whole world can live. Inspired by this idea, I would like to suggest a three-storey house model as a reflection of the nature of ISKCON. The idea is grounded in the Bhagavad-gita and is designed to offer a supporting framework for the sankirtana movement, as well as to further the ongoing discussions of implementing varnasrama within ISKCON. The house described here has three storeys, each having fundamental distinctions that can best be demonstrated by the differences in ontology and ethics characterising each level. The idea presented here favours an individual-centred, as opposed to an organisation-centred, paradigm. Before addressing the issue, let us acknowledge the two-dimensional realm in which ISKCON exists.

Creating a Spiritual Revolution in India
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Hare KrishnaBy Sri Nandanandana das

This is a step by step process for affecting the villages of India to become a part of the spiritual revolution that could be developed across the country. Why worry about the villages? The 2001 census showed that India’s population has gone past the 1 billion mark. Nearly three-quarters of its population, 72.2 percent, live in its more than 500,000 villages, which are primarily dependent on agriculture. Its urban population of 285 million, 27.8 percent, is almost the equivalent of the total population of the United States. But we can see that a good majority of the Indian population lives in the villages. The villagers are also very simple people, pious, and also the most vulnerable to the conversion tactics that are brought in by outside religions. This is also why Christian missionaries are increasingly preaching and working to build churches in the villages. And this is also why we should focus more on fulfilling the spiritual needs of villagers.

Call to ‘50ise’ regular festivals in ISKCON temples
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Hare KrishnaBy ISKCON 50 Global Office

The Global Office for the 50th Anniversary of ISKCON has called upon all ISKCON temples around the world to ’50-ise’ their regular festivals in 2016 by following a few simple steps. “We need to take every opportunity to spread awareness about our 50th anniversary to the general public,” said Anuttama Das, GBC Minister for Communications, and a member of the International Executive Committee for the 50th Anniversary. “Our regular festivals such as Gaura Purnima, Rama Navami, Janmashtami, Ratha Yatra and Diwali offer us a big opportunity to put the 50th anniversary right out there in the public domain. Every temple should follow these steps to ‘50-ise’ their festivals, so that the world becomes aware of ISKCON’s achievements in the last 50 years.” “There are six simple steps that every temple can follow to ‘50-ise’ their festivals,” explained Romapada Das, International Coordinator for the 50th Anniversary. “And we have created several resources for you to make your job simpler. Please follow these guidelines so that we can engage the maximum number of people around the world in the 50th Anniversary.”

Third Service Appreciation Ceremony Warms Hearts
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Hare KrishnaBy Madhava Smullen

The Service Appreciation Ceremony – a semi-annual custom introduced in 2014 that honors those who have contributed years of service to the New Vrindaban village – was held for the third time at ISKCON New Vrindaban’s Community Hall on Sunday December 6th, 2016. Previous ceremonies honored the late Madhava Gosh and his wife Vidya, Kripamaya and his wife Krsna Bhava, Malati Devi, Navin-Shyam, Jamuna, and Kacey Orr for diverse services from GBC to board member to cow and garden care. This time, around fifty people gathered to honor ECO-Vrindaban veteran farmhand Ray Kuderski, cook and mother Dharmakala Dasi, performer and author Sankirtan Das, and his wife Ruci, a longtime teacher at New Vrindaban.

Positive emotions, spirituality and the practice of psychiatry
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Hare KrishnaBy Vaillant George

This paper proposes that eight positive emotions: awe, love (attachment), trust (faith), compassion, gratitude, forgiveness, joy and hope constitute what we mean by spirituality. These emotions have been grossly ignored by psychiatry. The two sciences that I shall employ to demonstrate this definition of spirituality will be ethology and neuroscience. They are both very new. I will argue that spirituality is not about ideas, sacred texts and theology; rather, spirituality is all about emotion and social connection. Specific religions, for all their limitations, are often the portal through which positive emotions are brought into conscious attention. Neither Freud nor psychiatric textbooks ever mention emotions like joy and gratitude. Hymns and psalms give these emotions pride of place. Our whole concept of psychotherapy might change if clinicians set about enhancing positive emotions rather than focusing only on negative emotions.