Author Archives: Kevala Bhakti das (Keshav)

We are very excited to announce that ISKCON Toronto will be hosting our next Community Town Hall on Sunday, April 24, 2016 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm in Govinda’s Dining Hall.

This Community Town Hall will have a special theme as we will be having a dialogue about revamping and renovating our temple basement!

Please accept this as a warm invitation for you to come and attend our Town Hall.  We continue to host these Town Halls every few months in an attempt to increase the communication between the temple management and our dear congregation.

If you are unable to make it to the Town Hall, but would like to share some ideas, suggestions or feedback, please feel free to fill out our form by clicking here or email us at templecouncil@torontokrishna.com.  You can also visit the Temple Council’s website at templecouncil.torontokrishna.com.

Please note, the Community Town Hall will NOT be broadcast live online in an effort to promote better in-person attendance.

We hope to see you on Sunday, April 24, 2016 from 4pm to 6pm – please feel free to pass along this warm invitation to your devotee friends!  Hare Krishna!

Sincerely,
The ISKCON Toronto Temple Council
templecouncil@torontokrishna.com
www.templecouncil.torontokrishna.com

Srimad Bhagavatam is described as the ripened fruit of all Vedic knowledge. Reading and discussing Srimad Bhagavatam is a core practice amongst Hare Krishnas (bhakti-yogis). By the regular reading and discussing of the Srimad Bhagavatam, one not only acquires deep spiritual realizations but also overcomes several disturbances to ones  inner happiness and overall success in life.

We invite you to special interactive classes on the Srimad Bhagavatam every weekend (Saturday and Sunday). While Bhagavtam classes actually take place every day of the week, we specially invite you to join us on the weekends.  Classes take place on Saturday and Sunday mornings and start at around 7:30am and go until about 8:45am.  You are most welcome to join us for these special morning classes!

“The meaning of the Vedānta-sūtra is present in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The full purport of the Mahābhārata is also there. The commentary of the Brahma-gāyatrī is also there and fully expanded with all Vedic knowledge. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the supreme Purāṇa, and it was compiled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His incarnation as Vyāsadeva. There are twelve cantos, 335 chapters and eighteen thousand verses.”

Upcoming Speakers for Bhagavatam Classes:

• Saturday, March 26th – Shyama Mohini devi dasi
• Saturday, April 2nd   Ananda Gauranga das
• Saturday, April 9th – Mahabhagavat das
• Saturday, April 16th – Mahabhagavat das
• Saturday, April 23rd – Radha Bhakti devi dasi 
• Saturday, April 30th – Kevala Bhakti das

* Sunday Classes each week are delivered by HG Rupanuga das

The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple will be celebrating Siva Ratri on Sunday, March 13, 2016.

Siva Ratri literally translates as, “the night of Lord Siva”. Devotees of Lord Krishna view Lord Shiva as the greatest Vaishnava (devotee of Vishnu), based on Srimad-Bhagavatam, 12.13.16 says this (among other things) about Lord Shiva: vaishnavanam yatha shambhu, “Amongst all Vaishnavas, Lord Shiva is the best.”

On this special Sunday, we will learn more about the great qualities and pastimes of Lord Siva. We extend a special invitation to you and your family to join us for this special festival! To learn more about the festival details, keep an eye on this page!

*** ANNOUNCEMENT – We have a special arrangements for the kids of community for the festival.  We will have professional face painters at the festival and all kids will be invited to be part of the celebrations in a unique way.  In order to keep things organized, we are asking all parents to bring their kids to the temple no later than 6:30pm this upcoming Tuesday, March 22, 2016. ***

One of the Toronto Hare Krishna Temple’s biggest festivals of the year, Gaura Purnima,  falls on Tuesday, March 22, 2016.  Celebrations will start early in the morning and continue into the evening where expect a huge turnout of devotees!

Gaura Purnima marks the divine appearance of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is non-different than Lord Krishna.  He appeared in Navadwipa (modern day West Bengal) in 1486. Lord Chaitanya was born on full moon and blessed everyone with the moonlike rays of his teachings. He launched the movement of chanting the Holy Names of Krishna and taught how we can gain enlightenment in this age by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.

It will be a special day of celebrations and for more details about this sweet festival, including a schedule of events, keep an eye on our website. There are also many sponsorship opportunities still available for the festival: garlands, flowers, aratis and the festival feast.

Official Festival Schedule

• 6:00pm to 6:30pm – Kirtan (Arati)
• 6:30pm to 6:40pm – Welcome & Announcements
• 6:40pm to 7:00pm – Class & Presentation
• 7:00pm to 7:15pm – “The Jarikanda Experience”
• 7:15pm to 8:00pm – Abhiseka (bathing ceremony)
• 8:00pm to 8:30pm – Kirtan (Arati)
• 8:30pm – Vegetarian Feast (Prasadam)

For sponsorship opportunities, feel free to contact us.

*** Please Note: We will try to regularly post updates on this post about the latest news about both Jayapataka Swami and Kadamba Kanana Swami ***

The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple would like to make a special plea for all devotees and well-wishers to extend their prayers for the health of two senior devotees of our international Hare Krishna movement: Jayapataka Swami and Kadamba Kanana Swami.  Jayapataka Swami has been battling poor health for some time now.  He was recently hospitalized.  Kadamba Kanana Swami has been recently diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing surgery today.  Some information and updates as follows:

Update on Jayapataka Swami
New Update – Feb 26, 2016
Jayapataka Swami is now out of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the specialist hospital in Delhi. He was transferred to the private room within the same hospital and is responding quite well to the treatment. The doctors are reporting his progress as promising.  He has been receiving get-well-soon video messages and he is happy to receive good reports about the developments in Mayapur with the gathering of over ISKCON 1200 leaders before the Gaura Purnima festival.

As we all know he is very keen in being able to recover as soon as possible so he can attend the celebrations in Mayapur. He has requested to participate the GBC meetings via tele conference and arrangements have been made for that to happen.

Although these are all good signs, we still are concerned that there is a relapse, thus we kindly request all devotees to, at this time, please maintain your sincere prayers for Lord Nrisimhadeva and Srila Prabhupada to kindly protect Jayapataka Swami so he is able to recover rapidly.

We will keep posting regular health updates of Guru Maharaja’s condition. Kindly share this message with others so we all together support him in his recovery.
Your servants,

Guru Maharaja’s Health Team
Maha Varaha Das / Iksvaku Das

Wednesday, Feb 24, 2016
Jayapataka Swami has been off of the ventilator for over 24 hours and spent a good night without it.  He remains in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the hospital in Delhi under detailed supervision to ensure he progresses nicely in his recovery. At this point he has been responding well to the treatment so far. We pray that he continues this positive trend.

At this very moment all the leaders meeting at the ISKCON International Leaders Sanga (ILS) in Mayapur sent a collective prayer for Jayapataka Swami’s wellbeing. The master of ceremony referred to him as a soldier of the “good old days, present days and future days”. So let’s also keep our prayers so he continues without the need of a ventilator and that his lungs breathe on their own at this time.

We kindly request all disciples and well-wishers to please continue with your sincere prayers for Lord Nrisimhadeva and Srila Prabhupada that they kindly protect Jayapataka Swami.

We will post regular health updates of the situation with Jayapataka Swami’s health. Kindly share this message with others so we all together support him in his recovery.

Your servants,
Guru Maharaja’s Health Team
Maha Varaha Das / Iksvaku Das


Update on Kadamba Kanana Swami
New Update – Friday, Feb 26, 2016
After a succesful second operation on Wednesday afternoon, Kadamba Kanana Swami was recovering on Thursday and Friday morning. He is currently recovering from the operation at the Durban temple. If his health permits he will give class on Saturday at 11am South African time which will be streamed in Mayapur.tv.

Thursday, Feb 25, 2016
There was a second operation yesterday. The results came in today (Thursday) and the conclusion was that the surrounding tissues is tumor free. The doctors are advising oral chemotherapy. Maharaja is feeling nauseated and has low blood pressure. If his situation improves he might be dismissed from the hospital on Friday.

Wednesday, Feb 19, 2016
[Excerpts from a public post from Kadamba Kanana Swami]
Only days ago I was diagnosed with cancer in the rectum, the tumor has already been removed by operation. Now a second operation is due to remove the surrounding tissue. It may or may not end there, that will come out after some more time. So far it has not been found that the cancer has spread to other places in the body, let’s hope it will remain so.

Lord Krsna is the Supreme Controller and we are little controllers, in this situation there is not much for me to control, I can not steer my boat on the now wild river of time, I have to just go along with things and see what will come on the way. So far there is a realistic chance of survival, but let’s see how things will evolve. You kindly pray for me. Either in this world or the next I am in Krsna’s hands. I will let you know more as things develop.

The doctors are advising me not to have many visitors, because there will be some radiation and chemo involved, which breaks down the immune system, we can’t afford to catch something on top of this.So I will write an update from time to time.

My heart goes out to so many wonderful people that I have met everywhere, and if Krsna so desires I hope that we can meet again and spend many inspiring moments together.

Your servant
Kadamba Kanana Swami

Tomorrow marks the Appearance of Lord Varahadeva – Lord Krishna’s boar incarnation.  Fasting for the occasion takes place today.  Below are some excerpts from a write up about this special day from the wonderful devotees at krishna.com:

Lord Varaha is Krishna appearing in the extraordinary form of a gigantic boar—gigantic enough to carry the Earth on His tusks. Sound amazing? It is. And why should the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead be anything less than supremely amazing?

But exactly how, and why, would God Himself make His appearance as such an extraordinarily humongous swine? What was the idea? Here’s how that particular story begins—a few verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Third Canto, chapter 13:

“Brahmā thought: While I have been engaged in the process of creation, the earth has been inundated by a deluge and has gone down into the depths of the ocean. What can we do who are engaged in this matter of creation? It is best to let the Almighty Lord direct us.

O sinless Vidura, all of a sudden, while Brahmā was engaged in thinking, a small form of a boar came out of his nostril. The measurement of the creature was not more than the upper portion of a thumb.

O descendant of Bharata, while Brahmā was observing Him, that boar became situated in the sky in a wonderful manifestation as gigantic as a great elephant.

Struck with wonder at observing the wonderful boarlike form in the sky, Brahmā, with great brāhmanas like Marīci, as well as the Kumāras and Manu, began to argue in various ways.

Is this some extraordinary entity come in the pretense of a boar? It is very wonderful that He has come from my nose. . .”

Here’s a capsule summary of Lord Varaha’s pastimes on Earth, from “Water, a Meditation” by Urmila devi dasi:

“In Vedic cosmology, planets are conscious persons. The planet Earth once fell into the universal water when demonic persons disturbed her orbit by drilling for oil and upsetting her balance. Celestial beings, called devas, who control the universe in service to Krishna, wanted Earth to be rescued.

Responding to their desire, the Lord came to save her. He assumed the form of a splendid, gigantic boar (Varaha), dove to the bottom of the universal ocean, picked up Earth, and gently carried her on His tusks to the water’s surface. As He did so, a great demon challenged them.

Lord Varaha then carefully placed fearful Earth on the water and gave her the ability to float. A fight between the Lord and the demon ensued within the great ocean. After defeating the demon, Lord Varaha returned to the spiritual sky.”

As discussed during our Sunday Feast discourse this evening, today marks the appearance anniversary of Sri Advaita Acharya who is regarded as one of the dear associates of the Lord.  Below is a description of Advaita Acharya obtained from our friends at krishna.com:

Advaita Acharya appeared in fifteenth century Bengal, India, as a teacher of Krishna consciousness. He is frequently mentioned in the biography of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Chaitanya Charitamrita, as an intimate associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and as an avatar of Krishna (specifically an incarnation of Sadashiva and Maha-Vishnu).

Chaitanya Charitamrita relates how Advaita Acharya was so pained to see the degraded condition of the people in Kali Yuga, the Age of Quarrel, that He fervently prayed for Krishna Himself to descend and remedy the situation. Sri Advaita worshiped Krishna on the banks of the Ganges with Ganges water and Tulasi leaves, crying out and begging for the Lord to come save the suffering souls. In response to Sri Adwaita Acharya’s devotion and compassion, Krishna decided to appear, in the form of His own devotee—Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Advaita Acharya was the first among Mahaprabhu’s associates to appear within the material world. Some sixty years prior to Mahaprabhu’s own advent, Advaita Acharya had already begun chanting Krishna’s names in the streets with devotees and discussing scriptures on devotional service to Krishna.

Advaita Acharya’s name indicates that He is nondifferent—advaita—from Krishna, and spiritual master—acharya—because He taught devotional service to Krishna. Advaita Acharya lived in Shantipura and Mayapura, in what is now West Bengal, and was the head of the Vaishnava community of Nadia.

One of the sweetest festivals of the year Nityananda Trayodasi will fall on Saturday, February 20, 2016! A warm invitation goes out to you and your family to join us as we celebrate the advent (appearance) of Lord Nityananda.

Lord Nityananda (also known as Nityananda Prabhu, Nitai, Nityananda Balarama) appeared in the village of Ekachakra, in West Bengal, India, around 1474. In the Caitanya Caritamrita and other scriptures He is declared to be the avatar of Lord Balarama, the direct expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. He is honoured as Lord Chaitanya’s principal associate for spreading the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord.

It will be a special day of celebrations and there are also many sponsorship opportunities still available for the festival: garlands, flowers, aratis and festival feast.  To sponsor, please contact us!

All devotees are encouraged to wear their favourite blue-coloured outfits in honour of Lord Nityananda, who is often depicted wearing blue clothing!

Festival Schedule (subject to change):
6:00pm to 6:30pm – Kirtan (Arati)
6:30pm to 6:40pm – Welcome & Announcements
6:40pm to 8:00pm – Special Presentation
8:00pm to 8:30pm – Kirtan (Arati)
8:30pm to 9:30pm – Vegetarian Feast (Prasadam)

Toronto’s Hare Krishna Temple will be welcoming Brahma Muhurta das to our community this weekend!  He will be conducting a “Yajna Training Seminar” (by invitation only) to help train local devotees in performing yajnas.  “Yajnas” are fire sacrifices wherein grains and other items are offered into fire amidst the chanting of mantras.

At the age of 14 Brahma Muhurta das first read the Sanskrit philosophical text Bhagavad-gita. Inspired by its teachings, he devoted himself to more fully understanding classical Indian philosophical and religious culture. At 17 he received initiation from Bhakti Tirtha Swami and a few months later received second initiation. While a brahmachari (celibate monk), he served as the Head Pujari (Priest) in the Gita-Nagari temple and the personal servant of his guru. He later received his BFA from Tufts University and and MFA from the University of Florida, as well as a Fulbright Fellowship to India to support his work on art and India Ritual.

Brahma Muhurta das’ endeavor to study classical  Indian rituals has lead him to seek the tutelage of various teachers. He began his Sanskrit studies under Professor Michael Witzel of Harvard University. He developed curriculum on rituals at the Sri Rupanuga Vidyapitham, Mayapur, West Bengal and studied under Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami. He later continued to study temple rituals and the pancaratrika agamas under Gaura Keshava Prabhu of Sri Rangam and Maui, and did research under the guidance of Sri Ramana Bhattar of Sri Rangam.

In Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s final days, he requested Brahma Muhurta das to return to his home in the US and perform his last rites where Brahma Muhurta was given the instruction and blessing to dedicate his life to studying and teaching ritual. In addition to his art and academic career where he has taught at RISD and Boston College, and in accordance with this, Brahma Muhurta das has been officiating weddings and myriad other Hindu rituals, including the opening of temples, for nearly 20 years, in the Americas, Europe, and India.

One Saturday, January 9, 2016, the Toronto Hare Krishna Temple will be welcoming Sankarshan das Adhikari for a special seminar entitled, “Pure Devotional Service is for Everyone”.  Does that sound like a lofty unrealistic thing to you?  Do you have obligations such as work and family? Do you have responsibilities?  Are you struggling to maintain a regular practice of hearing, chanting, reading, and serving?

If yes, come and find out how you can get on the boat to pure devotional service.  The seminar will begin at 6:30pm and dinner will be served at 8:30pm.

You can register for the seminar by clicking here!

About Sankarshan das Adhikari
Sankarshan Das Adhikari appeared in this world in St. Louis, Missouri, USA on 7 November 1947. He first met his spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, in 1971 and was initiated by him on 12 August of the same year. Srila Prabhupada personally told this new young disciple that he was pleased with his sincerity and enthusiasm for spreading the Krishna consciousness movement. Sankarshan Das fully dedicated his life for serving the order of his spiritual master to become a guru and deliver the world. For the last 43 years he has uninterruptedly served his spiritual master’s movement, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), in various capacities.

In the year 2000, in recognition for his full dedication to Srila Prabhupada’s mission, ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission (GBC) gave him their blessings to initiate disciples. Since that time he has been regularly travelling and lecturing extensively all over the world for reviving the dormant Krishna consciousness in the hearts of all living beings. Well known for his Internet based training program, the Ultimate Self Realization Course, he has attracted over 17,000 subscribers from over 100 different countries who receive a daily inspirational message and personal answers to their questions regarding how to become perfect in Krishna consciousness. Those who are interested can join his course at: www.backtohome.com