Beyond philosophy
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 05 June 2016, Radhadesh, Belgium, Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 25.57)

SP_reading

A verse from the Mahabharat points out that logic alone remains inconclusive. One philosopher has one interpretation while another philosopher has another interpretation and sometimes there is no end to an argument. It just goes on and on and on, if one tries to establish the truth on basis of argument.

Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya said, tarka-śāstre jaḍa āmi, yaiche lauha-piṇḍa (CC Madhya 6.214) that, “As a result of preoccupying myself with the study of these arguments of logic from various scriptures, my heart became hard like an iron bar.” So this is the result, when everything is based on logic there is no room for the heart.

Later when Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya became a vaisnava, he is quoted in the Padyavali, in the book which is compiled by Srila Rupa Goswami, “We are not logicians. We are not great philosphers who have crossed the ocean of Vedanta. We are not expert debaters. We are simply the servants of a rascal cowherd boy.” 

So the whole spirit had changed. It is not that the vaisnavas are NOT expert in philosophy but their main interest is not only tattva (philosophy) but there is also rasa (relationship). Without the combination of tattva and rasa, how can transcendental knowledge ever be complete!? If there is only tattva, only philosophy, then where is the heart? Just like it says in the Caitanya Caritamrta, “What is the use of the words of a poet? What is the use of the arrow of a hunter, if it does not pierce the heart and make the head spin?”

So in this way, what is the use of the truth if ultimately the heart is not involved…

 

The power of chanting
→ Servant of the Servant

Your mind is wondering all over the universe when you chant. Chant anyway!
Your mind is wondering to the past and future when you chant. Chant anyway!
You are not able to concentrate on Krsna's names while you chant. Chant anyway!
You have no taste for chanting. Chant anyway!
You have lusty desires. Chant anyway!
You are making offences in chanting. Chant anyway!
You are not praying to Krsna to help you chant better. Chant anyway!
You often chant late at night. Chant anyway!

Why should you chant despite all the above obstacles? 

This is why: There is no vow like chanting the holy name, no knowledge superior to it, no meditation which comes anywhere near it, and it gives the highest result.

No penance is equal to it, and nothing is as potent or powerful as the holy name.

Chanting is the greatest act of piety and the supreme refuge.

Even the words of the Vedas do not possess sufficient power to describe its magnitude.

Chanting is the highest path to liberation, peace and eternal life.

It's the pinnacle of devotion, the heart's joyous proclivity and attraction and the best form of remembrance of the Supreme Lord.

The holy name has appeared solely for the benefit of the living entities as their lord and master, their supreme worshipful object and their spiritual guide and mentor.

Whoever continuously chants Lord Krishna's holy name, even in his sleep, can easily realize that the name is a direct manifestation of Krishna Himself, in spite of the influences of Kali-yuga. -

- Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Saranagati (quoted from Adi-purana)

​Gita 11.05 – The many forms within the one form – variety manifests within divinity
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Learning from a Tree
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garden opening

Two weeks ago at Bhaktivedanta Manor, a new garden was dedicated to Srila Prabhupada and his disciples. Since it was the week in which we were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the formal establishment of ISKCON, I gave the following speech:

If you would please look up and cast your eyes behind me towards this sequoia tree. It’s at least 100 feet high. It was planted here in the 1880s by a gardener who never got to see it the way we can see it today. This tree is one of 183 trees here at the Bhaktivedanta Manor. I’d like to think it has its own personality. Certainly it has heard more kirtan than most sequoias.

At sometimes 200 – 300 feet high, the sequoia tree is one of the largest living things in the world and can live for more than three thousand years.  A tree like this can produce 250 seeds from every cone. And a mature tree can produce thousands of cones.

Now, the seed of the sequoia is tiny – only 5 millimetres long. Yet inside a tiny seed is everything needed to grow an entire tree. Think of that for a while. An entire tree inside a tiny seed. Something that will live for three thousand years, inside a tiny seed. Inside the cone is a special chemical which only allows the seeds to fall when the moisture level is just right. Inside the seeds there are so many working parts with wonderful names: vacuoles, ribosomes, mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. And inside them there is intricate coding – every single detail of the future tree is there.

So within the seed is both the essence of the sequoia tree – the essence that will make it different from all other trees – as well as the specific coding that will form the trunk, branches, twigs and cones, coding that will help the tree to grow, stand tall, and endure for centuries. The essence and the structure – both are needed.

In any area of human life, when someone begins an endeavour  – especially one they hope will endure for a long time, they are, in effect, planting a seed. By their aspirations, their vision of the final result, and by their determination, they plant a seed. And, provided the conditions are right, it will grow.

The growth of a spiritual movement, such as ours, depends on the flow of grace from the divine source and the aspirations and channelled energy of the spiritual seeker. It is said that God reaches down to the soul and the soul reaches upwards to God. And where they meet is called the guru.

The interplay between guru and disciple allows for the transmission of intricate spiritual coding. By sincere enquiry and service, by following the compassionate guidance of the guru and making himself a vessel for the guru’s wisdom and grace, the disciple can begin to grow upwards. But through the disciples the guru also grows. His ability to help the world grows as his disciples reach out to others. They multiply his ability to give Krishna. Guru and disciple together make a spiritual movement.

In the case of a tree, in the beginning there is but a small stirring in the soil. But as the years pass the small sapling grows into a magnificent, tall tree with many branches and hundreds of twigs on every branch. In the case of a spiritual movement, inspired followers attract more followers and a small band of disciples grows into a movement. It takes time, and the growth may not always be apparent, but it grows.

seed

From this small seed comes a tree that can grow to three hundred feet and last for thousands of years. With the establishment of ISKCON Srila Prabhupada planted a seed for centuries to come.

50 years ago, our founder and acarya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada planted a seed. He brought into existence a society whose specific name he chose and whose specific shape he carefully formed. The original group of early followers might have been bemused to learn the name of the organisation typed up on the deeds of incorporation: the International Society for Krishna Consciousness – ISKCON. There were no assets to speak of and with only one room in a back street of New York there was no way it could be described as even the New York State Society for Krishna Consciousness, what to speak of the American Society for Krishna Consciousness. And international? What a preposterous and utopian idea!

Yet with the signing of that document – the planting of the seed for his future organisation – Srila Prabhupada gave all the natural coding for the growth that was to come. The love and gratitude of his disciples, their enthusiasm to do his bidding, and his daily teaching and careful guidance, all formed the perfect setting for growth to take place.

There is an old Irish story of a farmer who looks up from his field towards the nearby road and sees a saintly man walking. “Where are you going, sir?” he asks. “Oh, I’m going to start a religious movement,” replies the saint. Then the farmer sees the devil walking some yards behind and asks him: “Why are you following the saint?” “Oh, I’m going to help him organise his religious movement,” he replies with a grin.

We don’t trust organisations. They can be very tricky things. It’s not always easy for human beings to work together as an organisation – we are all independent and we are needy in so many ways. Yet an organisation is, in effect, nothing more than a living organism- like this tree – but made up of humans. An organism is something alive that contains organs – parts that perform certain functions for the welfare of the whole body. An organisation is an organism where those organs are made up of teams of humans working together.

Now, it is true that sequoia trees, or anthills, or beehives, function much better as living systems than humans do when they try to work together. We just don’t get along like ants or bees, or like the living organism of the tree. A survey conducted by Yale University found that in the 20th century the lifespan of the average S&P Index listed American company fell from 67 years to just 15. So at 50 years old, ISKCON is already bucking the odds by a factor of three.

Our company, ISKCON, is by ordinary calculation a company that should either be struggling or have gone out of business already. Consider the fragility of an organisation that promotes education in spiritual values, pays its members no dividends and depends mainly on voluntary contributions; that extols virtues that most of the world considers vices, and that runs counter to many of the intellectual notions held sacred by the world. Surely such an organisation should have collapsed by now.

Yet against all the odds, and despite some irregularities, Srila Prabhupada’s movement has endured, grown and prospered – and has reached its half century. This is something to be applauded. The secret of ISKCON’s success so far is an open secret: Srila Prabhupada planted the seed and the information content of that seed was very high. Not only the Sanskrit texts and teachings of ancient wisdom, but the careful guidance of how the structure was to grow, flourish and expand. How the members of his movement should work together, and how the resulting movement would spread and sweep up many more people in its embrace.

At the heart of it is the relationship of those early disciples with their master; a special friendship grounded in the sincere exchange of enquiry and revelation. From the master came wisdom so encouraging that it changed their young lives, and they offered grateful service to a person who they knew loved them. It was the oldest of all relationships, the guru-sisya sambandha.

Disciples gave their entire youth to Srila Prabhupada. The years normally spent in learning and making a home were sacrificed so that the seed of his divine tree, ISKCON, could be planted. We who enjoy membership of ISKCON today know that without those early disciples and their love for their spiritual master, we would not be here. So today we salute them and we thank them for their life of service. Some of them are gathered here today. We thank you and applaud your gift to us. This garden, this guru-sisya udyana, is dedicated to you and your relationship with Srila Prabhupada. Let this garden always remind us of how you served him, of the divine exchange between guru and disciple, and of the efforts you took to bring us all to Srila Prabhupada, and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.


Sunday, August 7th, 2016
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Sunday, August 7th, 2016
Tamora, Nebraska

‘The Walking Monk’ Hangs up Shoes in Nebraska

Allison Sommerfeld, #4165, a police officer, pulled over and offered to shake my hand.  She read the following article in today’s “Journal Star” by Lindsay Esparrago:

Bhaktimarga Swami has trekked across Canada four times covering over 17,000 miles on foot.

Often known as “the walking monk,” Swami followed his first walk from his homeland of Canada in 1996, by traveling across Ireland, Israel, the Fiji Islands, Mauritius, Trinidad, Guyana and other countries, to promote simple living and peace.

It was in 2016 when the 63-year-old Hare Krishna monk told himself, “If I don’t do the USA, I’m not a complete monk.”

So he’s living up to his reputation as “the Forrest Gump of Hare Krishna,” he said with a laugh.

In honor of his spiritual teacher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada and his contributions, his decision to walk was final.  Prabhupada brought the Hare Krishna tradition to the U.S. at the age of 70.  The walk celebrates the 50th anniversary of his guru’s introduction of “green style living” to the 50 states.

With his bright orange robe-- often mistaken for an orange prison jumpsuit-- and his tan, go-to Crocs, he embarked on his 3,000 mile journey from New York City to San Francisco.

But on Saturday night, after his stay in Lincoln, Swami has decided to put his U.S. excursion to rest until next summer, when he will return back where he started in Lincoln and continue on to San Francisco.

He thought Lincoln’s “middle of the country” location was the perfect stopping point for now.

His reasoning is simple, much like his lifestyle.  Beyond his marathon walking and duties as a monk, Swami keeps himself busy as a Bhakti yoga and mantra meditation instructor.  He’s also a playwright, producer and director of live “morality theatre” -- productions based on enlightening tales from ancient India.

“I’m just breaking it up,” Swami said.  “I have a lot of other responsibilities as a monk. It’s a pretty busy community.”

His choice to stop after he reaches York on Sunday has nothing to do with a nervous breakdown or his legs giving out, he said.  Each day he walks 20 miles in about 10 to 12 hours, sometimes getting up as early as 3:30 a.m.  Even when the hills get tough, his body doesn’t quit.

Swami said walking long distances does anything but remind him of his age.  In fact, he swears it makes him feel younger.  Sending a message to the youth is one of his main explanations as to why he chooses to walk.

“I want to encourage a healthy lifestyle,” he said.  “We move really fast and we need to slow down.  Everybody knows that, but we all need reminders.”

His reminders often come in abrupt ways as he’s walking along highways, dirt roads and bike trails.  Aside from encountering at least one police officer each day and scheduled speeches and programs from time to time, many people come up and question him -- his chance to spread peace and knowledge.

Who he calls his “support person” is one of the youth he has influenced to live spiritually.  So much, that 21-year-old Mandala McAllister came from Canada this time around to join in on the adventure.

McAllister drives a van a few miles ahead of Swami, checking on him every three miles to see if he needs water or any assistance.  But even the 21-year-old has tried to keep up with Swami’s pace and failed, McAllister said.

But the interactions and lessons are all the same, he said.

“There’s so many nice people to meet,” McAllister said, “and I get to spend time walking with the monk.  He helps me out with my spiritual life.  It’s a really different experience from experiences of today’s day and age.”

It’s all about the people for Swami, too.  Since his departure in the spring, Swami raved about peoples’ hospitality.  Not once did the two have to camp out because strangers always offered a place to stay.

Swami said he resonated with his stopping point of Nebraska, much to his surprise. The cornfields and “farmers’ country” reminded him of home.  Though he observed constant change in Nebraska -- rural and urban, conservative and liberal company -- he said he also noticed “stability in this part of the U.S.”

His journey isn't over and neither is the conversation he's started.  Swami thinks he's done just enough to pick back up where he left off in Lincoln next year.

“If you just drop little seeds of interest, you get people to think more about the other side of life,” Swami said.  “Giving them a little hint goes a long way.”

May the Source be with you!

6 miles

Los Angeles Rathayatra 2016 (Album with photos) Srila…
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Los Angeles Rathayatra 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “Although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age. It is that simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 12.3.51 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/8DRsdI

Saturday, August 6th, 2016
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Saturday, August 6th, 2016
Seward, Nebraska

Good Cop, Bad Cop

Police authorities continue to remain an integral part of our cross U.S. walk.  A well-built officer came to “check me out” just as I was about to enter the small city of Seward.  He admitted that he liked what I was doing.

“I’m always pushing the fitness model to my associates.”  The officer was telling me he has to restrain himself from going overboard with his hype.

On parting, I mentioned that the police have been awesome in taking interest in our pilgrim project.

“That’s good to hear,” said the officer, considering there’s been some negative publicity going out toward police in America, a lot of it having to do with racial issues.  Everyone’s heard the case of an officer who shot a motorist who was merely reaching for his wallet.  The fellow died.  The passenger, his girlfriend, filmed the whole thing.

When Mandala was waiting by the side of a dirt road at mid-day, with the intent to serve me and co-walker Chaitanya Chandra, with water and fruit, a heavy-set, stereotypical, “tough” sheriff pulled up to see what was going on.  He came to the passenger’s side of the van.  When Mandala turned to grab for his ID, the officer shouted, “Hey, stop moving!”  He was ready to reach for his gun.  “What are you doing here?” asked the officer.

“I’m just waiting for The Walking Monk,” implored Mandala.  The sheriff slowly relaxed and left.

May the Source be with you!

21 miles


Friday, August 5th, 2016
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Friday, August 5th, 2016
Lincoln, Nebraska

People Coming Through

The Bluebird Bike Trail took me into the city of Lincoln—Nebraska’s capital.  No fuss with traffic, but with horse flies—yes.

For a second consecutive day, lunch was in the home of Hemant Dessi, proprietor of the La Quinta Inn.  Generous as he is, he also is giving Mandala and I accommodation in the hotel.  In every way, the man is pious.  He also hosted two members of the Swami Narayana group.  They were from a Chicago chapter and sat comfortably in the living room while we were enjoying our meal.  The two monks, also in rather intense orange attire, had not come prepared to eat, but we did engage in light conversation with them--they use the title “sadhu” before their names, just as in our tradition we use the term “swami” after our spiritually-given names. 

They were pleasant.  I suggested that we all, in our different ways, advance the cause of raising consciousness.Them, and the entire Gujarati community, and lest we forget, the north, south, east and west members of the Indian community, who are so eager to serve and take care of lodging, food and other financial needs.

When interviewed by Lindsay of the “Journal Star” from Lincoln, I was able to say, “Lindsay, since I began this walk, we did not have a problem with securing a room for any night.”  Either it has been an ISKCON temple, a Krishna devotee’s home, or a Hindu household which has supported our need to rest our weary bodies at the end of the day.  We are grateful!

May the Source be with you!

14 miles

Toronto Rathayatra Inspires Second Gen Leadership. Madhava…
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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.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/bpJ0Ux

How to perceive the presence of the Lord
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Hare KrishnaBy Gopiparanadhana Das

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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Overhaul your Spiritual Life (audio)
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Hare KrishnaBy Purnacandra Goswami

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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How can we harmonize our inclination with higher instruction while serving?
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How can we develop the mood of serving Krishna in everything we do?
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Rathyatra in Bern, Switzerland (2016) (Album with photos)…
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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)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/hTlCqE

How can we avoid indulging in a thing while thinking negatively about avoiding it?
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Cleanliness is next to Godliness! Krishna-kripa Das: Dhirashanta…
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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…
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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

My experience at this year’s Woodstock Festival in Poland
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Hare KrishnaBy Syamanandi Dasi

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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Cow vigilantism: Fanaticism even for a good cause blinds people to the goodness of the cause 
→ The Spiritual Scientist

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. 

I am reminded of how the tide turned decisively against the pro-life group in the the battle against the legalization of abortion. While many consider the US court decision in the Roe vs Wade case the defining defeat in this battle, the loss therein was largely legal. In the public eye, the battle was lost when some Christian extremists killed some doctors who regularly performed abortions. By that abortion vigilantism, the anti-abortion campaign came to be associated with right-wing religion. Totally drowned out were the strong philosophical and even scientific arguments supporting the fact that the embryo is essentially human and deserves the human right to life.

Tragically, the movement for cow protection in India seems to be headed towards similar alienation, with the many financial and social benefits of cow protection not even being considered amidst the fear and furore about right-wing religion.

Nowadays, attempting any form of imposition is almost certain to backfire — spreading awareness about the rationale for cow protection is the only feasible way ahead.

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

Toronto Rathayatra Inspires Second Gen Leadership
→ ISKCON News

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.

The magic of Krsna consciousness
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 March 2016, Durban, South Africa, Sunday Program Lecture)

prague_harinama

‘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!

Gita 11.04 – Devotee desires to see Krishna but doesn’t demand
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The post Gita 11.04 – Devotee desires to see Krishna but doesn’t demand appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

ISKCON Toronto Vyasa Puja Book – Submit Your Offering!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

ISKCON Toronto’s 2016 Congregational Vyasa Puja Book

The appearance day (birthday) of Srila Prabhupada is a very special occasion for all Hare Krishna devotees.  Srila Prabhupada appeared on Nandotsava – the day that Nanda Maharaja had a big festival to celebrate the birth of Lord Krsna (Sri Krsna Janmastami).   This year, Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa Puja falls on Friday, August 26, 2016 and celebrations will be from 11am-3pm at the Toronto Hare Krishna Temple.

This day is known as Vyasa Puja because the spiritual master is a representative of Srila Vyasadeva who is the author of the Srimad Bhagavatam, one of our most important scriptures.  Traditionally, Vyasa Puja "offerings" are made by devotees who write and present personal messages to the spiritual master.   The Governing Body Commission (GBC) for ISKCON has stated that every devotee in ISKCON should write an offering to Srila Prabhupada on Vyasa Puja.

We would like to encourage all devotees in our community to write a personal letter, in the form of an offering to Srila Prabhupada for this year’s festival and, to further facilitate this process, we will be making a special ISKCON Toronto Vyasa Puja Book for 2016.   This book will be presented to Srila Prabhupada on the day of Vyasa Puja.   Following the program, the book will be on display for devotees to read all the offerings by devotees of our community.  Please note – doe to time constraints during the festival, we will not be able to have everyone read out their offerings during the main festivities.  However, devotees are welcome to privately do so before or after the festival.

In order to facilitate this whole process, pre-printed pages have been prepared and we are asking devotees to hand write offerings onto these specially-designed pages.   The maximum length of the offering is one page per person.   If you wish to type your offering, you can use our Vyasa Puja online form at: http://tinyurl.com/SPOfferings2016 (form is also embedded below) - typed offerings must be emailed by 8:00am on August 26th.  We will print out these offerings for you.

The hand-written offerings can be submitted in person at the temple, in the designated drop box, up until 11:00am on August 26th. Hand written offerings are encouraged.

We humbly encourage you to please take this opportunity to honour Srila Prabhupada with a personal offering!  Hare Krsna!

Your Servants,
The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple


Guidelines for Your Written Offering:
  • Write your offering in the mood of a personal letter to Srila Prabhupada.  Write in a style as if you are addressing Srila Prabhupada directly (e.g. “Srila Prabhupada, it is by your mercy that I have come to Krsna consciousness.”)
  • The Vyasa Puja offering is meant for glorifying the spiritual master.    So offerings need to be made in that mood and not be used as a platform for airing one's grievances.  
  • You may wish to read the previous year’s Vyasa Puja offerings made to Srila Prabhupada by various senior devotees around ISKCON.    It may give you some ideas of how to express yourself.   These can be found here: http://prabhupada.krishna.com/homages
  • It is a courtesy to start your offering with Srila Prabhupada’s pranama mantras; we have already printed these onto the official pages.   A suggested opening is as follows: “Dear Srila Prabhupada, Please accept my humble obeisances.   All glories to you on this auspicious occasion of your Vyasa Puja.” 
  • The main content of the offering should glorify the role that Srila Prabhupada is playing in your life as well as express your indebtedness to him.   You may also include reports about your spiritual growth, how you are meeting challenges and how you are carrying out his orders.    
  • To end the offering it would be nice to show one’s appreciation and desire to please, by some nice phrase such as “Your Humble Servant” or something similar.
  • If you have any questions, concerns or challenges, feel free to write to us at SPofferings@torontokrishna.com 
  • Please note, the temple reserves the right to not publish an offering if it is deemed inappropriate.

Submission Requirements and Deadlines
  • Hand-written offerings must be submitted no later than 11:00am at ISKCON Toronto on Friday, August 26, 2016
  • Typed offerings must be submitted via http://tinyurl.com/SPOfferings2016 (form is also embedded below) no later than 8:00am on Friday, August 26, 2016

Instructions to the Mind
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Hare KrishnaBy 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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Disease of Envy
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Hare KrishnaBy 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…
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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)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/LAL0yd

GRC Dome Brackets
- TOVP.org

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.

Puka

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.

Working

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

Message of Prime Minister of India for ISKCON50
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Hare KrishnaBy 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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