Planet ISKCON

Toronto Rathayatra Inspires Second Gen Leadership.
Madhava Smullen: Growing every year in size and popularity under a second generation team, Toronto Rathayatra has inspired younger devotees to take on more and more leadership in their community, and senior devotees to hand more and more to them.
Seventeen years ago, when he was only eighteen, just one second generation devotee, Kevala Bhakti Das, became part of the Rathayatra organization team. Today, the festival is put on by thirty-two younger devotees from high school kids to thirty-somethings, heading up twenty different departments.
This year’s Rathayatra, Toronto’s 44th annual, was the biggest yet. It began with a ‘pre-festival’ on June 26th, giving the public a taster of what to expect three weeks before the parade.
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So, in our material consciousness we think that Krishna is very distant. Even after practicing devotional service for many years. We vaguely perceive the presence of Krishna in His holy name. When we come to the mangal-arati we are vaguely aware that Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda are standing there on the altar. Or maybe we spend the whole mangal-arati not giving any attention to Them at all. Anyway. Our material attitude is to think that God is very far away when He isn't very far away. What to speak of His transcendental manifestation in His name and His Deity form? Even in this material creation God is very intimately represent. We are not aware properly of the fact that nothing is simply mechanical in this universe. There is personality and intelligence behind everything. Nothing, nothing is just mechanical. Because there is a demigod controlling every material function of the universe. Continue reading "How to perceive the presence of the Lord
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Purnacandra Maharaja would oftentimes keep his firm commitment to substance even at the risk of being unpopular. He was not at all interested in winning some popularity contest. He was interested in preserving that which was passed on to him by his spiritual master. Purnacandra Maharaja didn't need large crowds to be satisfied sharing what he had learned and what he attained in his Krsna Consciousness. He would share his Krsna Consciousness even with a small group of devotees, or even with one devotee. I personally experienced this when we would sit and talk as he would share his realizations with me. This is another one of his qualities I will always remember. I'm sure that many of you who know Purnacandra Maharaja will also remember this quality of his too. Continue reading "Overhaul your Spiritual Life (audio)
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Practicing Love.
When we ask ourselves the question ‘Why do we exist?’ we begin the search for meaning in our lives. If we accept that we exist not just in this life span, but beyond, that question brings us to face the very core of ourselves.

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Rathyatra in Bern, Switzerland (2016) (Album with photos)
Ecstatic Rathyatra festival in Bern, the capital of Switzerland.
Srila Prabhupada: If one chants the Hare Krishna maha-mantra without offences, all of one’s sinful actions are surely atoned for immediately, but one should not commit such deeds again, for that is an offence. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.16.14 Purport)
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Talk at youth centre, NIT Rourkela

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The post Learning to live with the mind – 2 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness!
Krishna-kripa Das: Dhirashanta Goswami, as part of his japa workshop at the Vaishnava Summer Festival (Baltic), graded devotees’ bead bags on a scale of 1 to 10. Cleanliness counts for a lot. He advises to wash them a minimum of once a week. Mine was not washed since the Czech Padayatra and Polish Festival tour and thus I only got 4 of 10. I shall try to keep the standard of washing once a week from now on. :-)

A Most Amazing Transformation!
I’ve been encouraged by Vijaya Prabhu, Bhrgupati Prabhu, and the Los Angeles Temple President, Svavasa Prabhu, to write this story. I would like to include a name and picture of the main person in the story, but considering the situation, it could be a bit risky. For now I’ll call my friend “Al”.
After the 2016 Orlando shootings due to religious violence, I was having a lot of doubts in my mind. I wasn’t too sure about Islam, and I was considering whether this was truly a bona fide religion. Hearing my doubts, Krishna then sent me the perfect person.
I was approached by a man in his thirties named Al, from Saudi Arabia, while distributing books at a book table. We spoke for about thirty minutes, and he was asking intelligent questions. He wasn’t challenging at all, and seemed very inquisitive. He ended up taking nine big books, and gave me a hundred-dollar donation. I was really impressed.
Two days later, he came to our Govinda’s restaurant with his Muslim friends, and we all had lunch together. I was really amazed to see how Krishna was clearing my doubts in such a mystical and perfect way. It doesn’t end there.
Recently, during the 2016 Los Angeles Rathayatra festival, Al dressed in a dhoti and kurta that he purchased there. He had a bag in his hand, along with all his old clothes, and said he “feels free now.” I couldn’t believe it. We had a great time connecting, and I introduced him to the BBT Trustee for the Far East and Middle East, Satyanarayan Prabhu. They got along great, and Al took more books in his own language.
Al will be going back to Saudi Arabia within a month. He was just here completing his masters degree at a university. He just messaged me today after the festival, and thanked me for such a wonderful time. He specifically said:
“The Rathayatra parade was a great and beautiful journey. I’m sure those excellent moments will carry my soul forever. ”
Krishna is amazing.
Jaya Caitanya Dasa

Harinam bliss in Prague, Czech Republic (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Absolute Truth is Sri Krsna, and loving devotion to Sri Krsna in pure love is achieved through congregational chanting of the holy name, which is the essence of all bliss.” (CC Adi-lila 1.96)
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Woodstock is not for us. It is not for the devotees; it is not for the volunteers. It is not for our own spiritual advancement; it is not for our immersion in Krishna consciousness. It's not. Krishna's Village of Peace at Woodstock is wholly and entirely for the benefit of those who attend. It is about the hundreds of thousands of young adults who walk through our site. It is for the hundreds of thousands of people who relish the hot prasadam, who dance in the kirtan tent, who ask questions they didn't know they had as they explore Vedic philosophy, Srila Prabhupada’s, astrology, yoga, and Indian culture. It is about their exposure to Krishna. It is about awakening in them their innate desire to know the Lord and to say his Holy Names and to sing his glories. Every day I was there, I felt insanely blessed to be in the presence of such exalted souls, souls who had traveled so far over multiple lifetimes to arrive here and experience and interact with Krishna consciousness in such an innocent, ecstatic way. The looks on their faces as they chanted the mantra for the first time, the way they danced with abandon, and their pure inquisitiveness were all incredibly inspiring. Their appreciation and love for Krishna increased my own, tenfold. And that is the most amazing thing about Woodstock. Continue reading "My experience at this year’s Woodstock Festival in Poland
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Responding to the Swami’s Call

The recent incident in Gujarat of what has been called “cow vigilantism” has attracted widespread condemnation. While cows are immensely sacred for us, the followers of the Vedic tradition, most people in today’s world don’t share this sentiment. In fact, many find our caring for cows so incomprehensible that the term “holy cow” has come to be used as an informal expression of astonishment or disbelief. In an increasingly post-modern world, trying to impose one’s values on others backfires badly, even if those values are valid and valuable. 

The post Cow vigilantism: Fanaticism even for a good cause blinds people to the goodness of the cause  appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

The post August 11th, 2016 – Daily Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Growing every year in size and popularity under a second generation team, Toronto Rathayatra has inspired younger devotees to take on more and more leadership in their community, and senior devotees to hand more and more to them. Today, the festival is put on by thirty-two younger devotees from high school kids to thirty-somethings, heading up twenty different departments.

This year’s Gita Nagari Labor Day retreat, set to run from Friday September 2^nd to Monday September 5^th, will tackle an intriguing subject: Varnashrama Dharma. The topic was  very important to Srila Prabhupada, who in his later days stated that fifty per cent of his work remained unfinished because he had not implemented Varnashrama.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 March 2016, Durban, South Africa, Sunday Program Lecture)

‘Sixteen rounds done! It’s over! The happiest moment of the day!’ Is this our spiritual life? Is this how we are practicing every day? Was there any attentive round? Can you remember one moment today when chanting was attentive? Can you then remember any moment, while chanting was attentive, that you actually felt something for Krsna?

Rupa Goswami said, ‘Give me millions of ears and millions of tongues while chanting Hare Krsna!’  This is when everything becomes magic; when Krsna consciousness becomes magic. Things become magic when we love it. Everything you do out of duty is not magic; it is only when we love it that it is magic. And the more we love it, the more magic there is!

When we encounter the limit of our love for Krsna, then what do we do? Sooner or later, no matter who we are, we all will encounter the limit of our love for Krsna then what do we do?

Then we turn to Lord Caitanya and take up his magic, the magic of touching other people, the magic of giving people Krsna consciousness. And when we see that they are transformed, then it is amazing. When you actually change someone’s life and they start to take to Krsna as a result, something happens in your heart! There is something that really goes deep and touches the heart. You get so excited and you feel like you never felt before and you just carry on in your own Krsna consciousness. So this is the magic that Srila Prabhupada gave us because when it comes to love for Krsna during our chanting, it is not too much!

Therefore if we can see the magic in giving out this mercy then a change of heart will come. When we are busy serving Krsna, when we are busy giving out mercy of Krsna then naturally we cut the tree of samsara (material existence). In this way everything happens automatically. In this way the ancient example of the Upanisads, example of the banyan tree, the asvathama, meaning ‘the tree of no tomorrow’ is easily cut down by the devotees of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, by the followers of Srila Prabhupada. This is the amazing grace that rests upon this Krsna consciousness movement!

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O mind, I grasp your feet and beg you with sweet words: Please cast away all hypocrisy and develop intense, unprecedented love for my spiritual master, Vrajabhumi, the people of Vraja, the Vaishnavas, the brahmanas, the Gayatri mantra, the holy name, and the transcendental shelter that is the fresh young couple of Vraja, Radha and Krishna. O Mind, don’t concern yourself with the pious and impious deeds described in the Vedas. Rather, intently serve Shri Shri Radha-Krishna in Vraja. Always remember that Lord Chaitanya is the son of Maharaja Nanda and that my guru is most dear to Lord Mukunda. Continue reading "Instructions to the Mind
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Here in this material world, everyone is envious of someone else. Even in religious life, it is sometimes found that if one devotee has advanced in spiritual activities, other devotees are envious of him. Such envious devotees are not completely freed from the bondage of birth and death. As long as one is not completely free from the cause of birth and death, one cannot enter the sanātana-dhāma or the eternal pastimes of the Lord. One becomes envious because of being influenced by the designations of the body, but the liberated devotee has nothing to do with the body, and therefore he is completely on the transcendental platform. A devotee is never envious of anyone, even his enemy. Because the devotee knows that the Lord is his supreme protector, he thinks, “What harm can the so-called enemy do?” Thus a devotee is confident about his protection. Continue reading "Disease of Envy
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Tenerife - VII Festival de la India en las Américas (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Haridasa Thakura was born in a Mohammedan family. From the very beginning of his life he was never trained in the karma-kanda system, but because he was always chanting the holy name of the Lord, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted him as namacarya, the authority in chanting the holy name. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 5.9.4 Purport)
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We have completed our first bracket for the Kalash on the Planetarium Wing Dome.

The bracket weighs 850 kilograms (1,874 lbs). The brackets for the Main Dome will be twice the size and will weigh 1,200 kg (2,646 lbs) each. Each Dome will have 24 brackets, and we have 3 Domes. Thus, the GRC factory will produce a total of 72 brackets.

The brackets are very ornate and detailed. They will help support the base of the Kalash. In a few days, we will lift the bracket in a crane up to the Planetarium Wing Dome.

The post GRC Dome Brackets appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

ISKCON Vancouver celebration 50 years of success and happy chanting (5 min video)
July 13th, 2016 is the 50th Anniversary of th...

Iskcon New Govardhana - Harinama at Coolangatta - 07 August 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: We must rise early in t...

We are pleased to inform you that we have received a very encouraging and inspirational message from India's Top Leadership - The Prime Minister's office personally signed by Sri Narendra Modi - Prime Minister of India, Congratulating ISKCON for 50th Anniversary celebration 2016 being observed worldwide. All ISKCON Temples, Communities and various Centers connected can utilize and propagate this message for their respective Public functions, Celebrations, Festivals, Display, and publications and also during Janmashtami Souvenir 2016. Thus our ISKCON Society's efforts has been highly acknowledged and appreciated by the Prime Minister of India for the ISKCON World and its community. Continue reading "Message of Prime Minister of India for ISKCON50
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The post Akincana-krsna is disturbed about the use of mrdrangas made with cowhide sourced the leather industry appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Gracious Devotee family (Album with photos)
Ramai Swami: When I was in Seattle I had the privilege of staying in the home of S...

Videos from Rathayatras all over the globe.
ISKCON Detroit Ratha Yatra 2016: https://goo.gl/ifL...

Remain in Krishna’s army!
Jayapataka Swami remembers: My father he reacted very angry, he said “You come back immediately, otherwise I will turn your name over to the American Army and you will die in Vietnam. So I asked for how long, but my mother she didn’t know what to say. Later she came up to see me. Meanwhile I asked Prabhupada, “What should I do?” He said, “Better you fight in Krishna’s army. Rather than being in American Army be in Krishna’s army”

Sadbhuja Das: We have completed our first bracket for the Kalash on the Planetarium Wing Dome. The bracket weighs 850 kilograms. The...

Devotees from Africa visit Mayapur and perform Harinama with enthusiasm (6 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: “My heart is always burning in the fire of material existence, and I have made no provisions for getting out of it. The only remedy is hari-nama-sankirtana, the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, which is imported from the spiritual world, Goloka-Vrndavana. How unfortunate I am that I have no attraction for this. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 5.1.22 Purport)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/GGf0fM

One of the most astonishing events in India, ISKCON the recent years was Radheshyam Prabhu’s decision to go to the Bhaktivedanta Vidyapitha for studying the full course for a full two years. The full magnitude of this registered in me when I was there and the devotees showed me a whole picture book they had prepared of his stay there – his refusing to have a room for himself, his going double-seat on a cycle to reach in time for the classes, his diligently attending all the classes and excelling in all the exams. All these are glimpses of the many extraordinary characteristics of his that have attracted so many people to Krishna through him.

Far better than whatever appreciation that I, as one of his many students, can offer is the appreciation that his spiritual master has offered. I will conclude by quoting that:

“It’s quite extraordinary because he is senior to practically every teacher. He probably educated the people to become devotees, who educated the people who made the teachers. He is like a param-siksa guru to almost everybody in the Bhaktivedanta Vidyapitha. He is teaching so many, more than anybody, in the history of India, or ISKCON. He has been systematically training people, who are systematically training people, who are systematically training people and yet, what is it? A two-year course? And yet, he’s just come as a student. Just a humble student. He’s taking notes and he deeply appreciates all of his teachers, many are so junior to him in every single way, but still, he’s really just learning from them, it’s not a just formality. You can go to one or two classes, sometimes but two years! Every day! He’s really learning and appreciating because he doesn’t really see junior or senior.

He is just seeing that these people are repeating Srila Prabhupada, so they are repeating our guru-parampara, so they are supremely exalted.And his being a student, in my own estimation, is one of the great lessons of the Bhaktivedanta Vidyapitha. As you are studying, you are seeing somebody, who knows more than the teachers, humbly learning from them. at is Rupanuga. at is following the footsteps of Rupa Goswami. you Radheshyam prabhu! But I almost don’t want to give you your certiate because, after you leave, the college will not be the same… But it will be better actually, it will be one of the great legendary, historical trademarks of the Bhaktivedanta Vidyapitha, that he was a student here. ”

HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj

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Kirtana Kaleidoscope

The post August 10th, 2016 – Daily Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 March 2016, Durban, South Africa, Sunday Program Lecture)

Question: Swamiji, can you please give me some basics on spiritual life?

Serve the devotees! That’s the basics. That is where it all begins. And when we serve the devotees, we serve their feet. We serve the lotus feet of the devotees and that means you have to bow down to the devotees – otherwise how will you get there? And bowing down to the devotees is not just a stretching exercise! Bowing down is not only about the gross body but we bow down our subtle body too. We bow down our will before the devotees and do whatever they say. In this way everything will come:

sadhu sanga, sadhu sanga – sarva shastra koya

lava matra sadhu sanga sarva sidhi hoya (Caitanya Caritamrita, Madhya 22.54)

From serving the devotees, all perfection will come. That is where it begins, that’s the basics – to bow down at the feet of the devotees.

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