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This year’s Gita Nagari Labor Day retreat, set to run from Friday September 2nd to Monday September 5th, 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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By Urmila Devi Dasi 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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By Bhakti Vijnana Goswami 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...
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Srila Prabhupada: We must rise early in t...
By Vrajendranandan Das 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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Gracious Devotee family (Album with photos)
Ramai Swami: When I was in Seattle I had the privilege of staying in the home of S...
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)
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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
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(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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In spiritual parlance there are ‘thin’ places in the world. These are holy places, sacred spaces, where the line between the spiritual and materials worlds is very thin and the ability to feel and perceive our relationship with Krishna is heightened. It’s easier to chant there, to call Krishna deeply from the heart, and thus to call ourselves to experience our spiritual selves.
There are also thin days (and even thin times in the day). Janmastami is one such day. Although Krishna is unborn and eternal, he ‘takes birth’ in this world to share Himself with us and remind us of our relationship with Him. On this day He is extra-present.
By Vrsabhanu Das My name is Vrsabhanu dasa. I work in film production and I also make programmes about the Hare Krishna movement as a contribution to the mission of Srila Prabhupada. This film shows some of the activities of the beautiful Radhadesh community and you will hear several interviews with local devotees talking about their lives. In the heart of the Belgian Ardennes, near Durbuy, lies the fairytale castle of Petite Somme. The castle has a long history which now houses the spiritual community, Radhadesh Ardennes. The new residents have thoroughly restored the castle and transformed it into a true spiritual oasis where you can explore the colorful culture of the Indian traditions. Continue reading "Lord Krishna’s presence in the Belgian Ardennes – a new documentary
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‘Walking Monk’ makes his way through Omaha on long, hot trek across United States.
Maggie O’Brien / World-Herald staff writer: “The Walking Monk” made a stop in Omaha on Tuesday as part of his journey across America to celebrate his faith and promote an active, healthy lifestyle.
“It’s about going back to the basics,” Bhaktimarga Swami said. “Like Gandhi said, a simple life, high thinking. I see this as doing both of those things.”
Swami, 63, is a Hindu monk from Canada. He is walking from New York to San Francisco to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Hare Krishna religious movement, which emphasizes spiritual well-being and clean, simple living.
Swami changed his name from John Peter Vis when he became a monk in 1973. He wears an orange robe and black Crocs on his feet.
He considers walking an ideal form of exercise, he said, because anyone can do it, and it allows time for self-reflection.
This tour is broken into three parts. He started last fall in Boston, went to New York, then into Pennsylvania. The second leg started again in Pennsylvania over Mother’s Day weekend and took him to Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Nebraska. He arrived in Omaha on Tuesday.
Next up is Grand Island on Wednesday, where he’ll stop his journey before completing the third leg of the trip next summer.
Swami, who also practices yoga, said he started walking long distances to get away from the chaos of the world.
He has walked across Canada four times. He’s also trekked through Ireland (he said it was wet), Israel (dry), Ghana (hot) and Trinidad (humid).
It hasn’t been easy walking through the Midwest, he said. Swami usually gets up at 4 a.m. to beat the heat and averages about 20 miles a day.
“It’s been a hot, sweaty summer,” he said.
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By Krishna Kshetra Swami "The Radharamana temple as embodied community”: Details about the daily worship at the ancient Radharamana temple in Vrindavana. “I spent four months living next door to the temple, because I had learned that [ISKCON’s founder] Srila Prabhupada had instructed some of his pujari disciples to study how they do deity worship there,”. “No one had really done that yet, so I thought, let me do this as a service for ISKCON. While there, I was able to get a copy of their daily worship procedure, which is only eight pages long and is in handwritten Brajabasha Hindi. Continue reading "Krishna is always victorious!
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Does this imply that becoming freed from material desires isn’t quite what real purification is?
The post Gopala-raya asks: Sb 7.10.4, says “…only when one is fully freed from material desires can one be purified, and only in that purified state can one serve the Lord” appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
By Dr. Graham M. Schweig His Grace Garuda Prabhu is a disciple of A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada and known as Dr. Graham M. Schweig, at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies of Christopher Newport University in Virginia. Garuda was one of the first ISKCON devotees to pursue a formal education. He saw a great opportunity to reach educated circles by inaugurating the field of Vaishnava studies. He earned his doctorate in Comparative Religion from Harvard University. Recently, Princeton University Press published his thesis under the title “Dance of Divine Love- India’s Classic Sacred Love Story: The Rasa Lila of Krishna." Continue reading "Love of God-Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Jesus Christ – 2nd Avenue
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World Holy Name Festival 2016, ISKCON-Delhi (5 min video)
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The U.N. Representative’s Visit to the Storefront is Botched
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When I was in Seattle I had the privilege of staying in the home of Senthil Nallasamy, his wife Sujatha, his son Nithin and daughter Navyah.
Originally from India, they moved to Seattle around 15 years ago and became devotees in 2010. They regularly attend and serve at our temple in Sammamish.
London Ratha Yatra (17 July) had been really great and Kadamba Kanana Swami enjoyed it a lot however he needed to take a few days of rest after such an exhausting event so he decided to go to Amsterdam before continuing with his European tour, and he stayed at the flat of Uddhava and Visakha. Maharaj enjoyed living very simple and peaceful there without having to stress about anything. He took me on several walks during our time in Amsterdam. On the first day, Maharaj took me to the Zandvoort beach front and on other days we went to different parts of the city, every time walking an average of almost 10 km per day. We were really nicely taken care of as well, and Uddhava made a lot of pizza on the day before our departure.
Maharaj decided to stop in Cologne for a night (22 July), rather than going to Zurich directly. Our train got cancelled and we had to take the bus but eventually we arrived at the Cologne temple just in time for the evening class. Maharaj spoke in German that day and also spent some time with devotees he hadn’t met in a long time.
The next day we took a flight to Zurich, where we spent two nights at the temple in preparation for the 2016 Swiss Summer Camp. While at the temple Maharaj focused on writing his novel before leaving for the retreat which took place at a hotel a bit higher in the mountains, in a valley called Blümlital which translates to “flower valley”. The hotel was reserved completely for devotees for a whole week.
Maharaj started his sequence of lectures by speaking about Uddhava trying to enter into Vrindavan, a theme which he developed throughout his lectures. It wasn’t focused on only that though, Maharaj spoke about many, many other things as well. When speaking about Vrindavan, Maharaj always shared a few personal experiences and stories. On one of the days Maharaj did a presentation entitled “Gouda Mandala”, where he showed pictures of an excursion to Bangladesh that he had done with a group of devotees in October 2011. The slideshow included pictures of Advaita Acharya’s birthplace, different ISKCON temples, Bangladeshi devotees and more. While presenting the slideshow, Maharaj explained what each picture portrayed and explained its significance. The presentation showed several trees too, representative of different holy places.
Sacinandana Swami arrived a few days after us. Many of the devotees at the retreat were his disciples and they couldn’t wait to see their Guru Maharaj. Sacinandana Swami also showed a slideshow, it was about Vrindavan and was really nice.
Maharaj went on a few walks during the retreat. On one day, Maharaj had been invited to go on a walk by an aspiring disciple who got initiated on the last day and received the name Adishekara Das. Together we walked a total of 12 km to see a beautiful waterfall!
Maharaj also agreed to give a “children’s class”. He told the story from the Krsna book where Kaliya is defeated. Some of the kids got a bit wild at the end and Maharaj said that this always happens when he teaches children because he was like that himself in his younger years and the kids can sense it. On that evening Maharaj sang in the final slot of a 12 hour non-stop kirtan.
On 28 July, we departed Switzerland and travelled back to London.
Visit Flickr to see all the photos.
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