Planet ISKCON

Does Your Wife Run After Krishna?
Bhakti Charu Swami: “Another way that Krishna attracts is through His dealings with us and these dealings give rise to five principle relationships. Those five principle relationships are: neutrality, servitorship, friendship, parental and conjugal. In this progression one is greater than the other. The subsequent one is greater than the preceding one. First is santa rasa, and then more deep is dasya, dasya is more profound than santa. Then sakhya (friendship) is more profound than servitorship. Parental is even more profound than friendship, and conjugal is the most profound. And in conjugal also there are two considerations: svakiya and parakiya. Conjugal relationship is a relationship between a man and a woman, a young boy and a young girl. Svakiya is the relationship that is socially approved. Socially approved means the relationship between the husband and wife. Society has approved that relationship: okay, this man and woman can have a relationship. But parakiya is without social approval, a clandestine love affair. So that relationship is even more intense and that relationship is there in Vrindavana between the gopis and Krishna. That is considered to be the highest of all relationships. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has revealed that. This is the teaching of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s teaching is ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita. [Chaitanya-matta-manjusa, by Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura] The way the Vraja-vadhus, the cowherd damsels of Vrindavana, worship Krishna, serve Krishna is the highest form of relationship. Why? Because they didn’t have any other consideration. They did not care for social conventions. They didn’t consider what people will think about their relationship. They didn’t consider other relationships that they developed in their day-to-day life, relationship with their husbands, relationships with their superiors, relationships with their own children. All given up. So from the mundane perspective, “Oh, that’s not good”, but from the spiritual perspective that is the highest. When one is prepared to sacrifice everything for Krishna, that is the highest form of relationship. Sometimes some moralists raise that point, “Oh, why did Krishna have this relationship with the gopis like that? They were not married.” Yes, from the moral perspective that is not right, but from the spiritual perspective that is the highest stage, that is the highest consideration. I will give an example. When your wife becomes a devotee of Krishna, do you become jealous? Do you think it is wrong? When your wife runs after Krishna, do you think there is something wrong? So that’s how we have to see it. Rather, it is glorious! How many of you are proud that your wife is a devotee? There you are! [laughter] So the point is, first of all, you have to recognize who Krishna is, then only it becomes more and more clear.”
His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami, Lord Krishna’s Pastimes Outside of Vrindavana, 29th May 2016, European Retreat, Island of Iz (Croatia)
Transcription by HG Ranga Radhika Dasi

Jahnava Devi Dasi: Of all Srila Prabhupada’s qualities, the one that overwhelmed me was his inconceivable humility.
His humility disarmed my illusion to the point that I could sincerely ask him a question.
At first, when I raised my hand he ignored me. He waited until somebody else in the room raised their hand, and he answered their question.
This happened three or four times and in my mind I was rephrasing my question. Then I asked my question. I closed my eyes and said, “Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami?”
I said his name and for a moment I became disoriented. I couldn’t even go on with the question.
Srila Prabhupada very patiently waited for me. It was an intense moment because his glance and his mercy were upon me.
I said, “How is it that the Absolute, which is at this point, for me, beyond human comprehension, how can it take this form of Krishna-Radha?”
Prabhupada said, “It is His mercy.” Then he said something astounding, a mystical thing that broke through my hippie misconceptions.
Srila Prabhupada said, “The Bhagavatam says that if you want to understand God, His name, His quality, His paraphernalia, His form, it is not possible by your present senses. Your senses are so contaminated that it is not possible for you to understand God by speculation. Then?”
“How it is possible? God reveals Himself to you by your service attitude. And that service attitude begins from your tongue. How? You chant Hare Krishna and taste Krishna prasadam. Two things.”
"You cannot understand what is God, but God will reveal to you, ‘Here I am.’ Just as you cannot ask the sun, 'Please rise up I want to see you.’ Oh, the sun is not your servant. But when the sun reveals himself to you, you see yourself, you see the sun, and you see the whole world nicely. You have to wait for that revelation.”
Six months before this, after I’d fasted for days, I had climbed a mountain all night long and was sitting on the edge of a cliff meditating on om.
My plan was that when the sun rose, I would merge with it and become one with the One. But the day was cloudy and when the sun rose I couldn’t see it.
The night before I had come to Krishna consciousness, I had prayed to a deity of Lord Shiva to please help me know the answer for everything, and then the next day I met Srila Prabhupada. How everything happened was wonderful.
After Srila Prabhupada’s lecture, he went back to his apartment and we all got ready for bed.
Thirty minutes later word got out that Srila Prabhupada had come back. We scrambled together, came into the temple room and sat there expectantly.
Srila Prabhupada was grave. At first he didn’t say anything. He played a tape of Vande 'ham with himself on the harmonium and said, “I have just received a telegram from India saying that His Holiness Keshava Maharaj, my sannyas guru, is no more. He has entered Krishna’s abode.”
Srila Prabhupada said that Keshava Maharaj (in te photo) was a Vaishnava, an ocean of mercy, and he said, “I am offering my respectful obeisances to him along with my disciples.”
As he talked, he remembered Keshava Maharaj, and a tear slowly came and hovered a little while.
That tear was like the shining diamond of his separation from his sannyas guru, it was such a beautiful tear. And at last it fell.
Srila Prabhupada had written a resolution of bereavement and asked everyone to sign it. One girl, Madhavi-lata, took it around.
She wasn’t going to let another guest and me sign but Srila Prabhupada said, “No, no, everyone here, they are all witnesses.”
Then I knew that Srila Prabhupada was accepting me as a part of something that was happening. It was a wonderful experience.
Excerpt from “Memories-Anecdotes of a Modern-Day Saint”
by Siddhanta das
www.prabhupadamemories.com

Car Ride Back to Second Avenue

The post Daily Darshan: August 6th, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

In a famous story from the Mahabharata, Krishna once met with Yudhishthira Maharaja and Duryodhana. Desiring to glorify His devotee Yudhishthira, Krishna requested him to find a person lower than himself, and asked sinful Duryodhana to find a person greater than himself. Yudhishthira had all good qualities. He was peaceful and self-satisfied. No doubt he had healthy self-esteem. Yet he could not find anyone he considered lower than himself. Again, this is the example of an advanced Vaishnava who embodies genuine humility. On the other hand, the unrighteous Duryodhana searched the kingdom all day and couldn’t find anyone he considered superior to himself. Duryodhana was contaminated by vanity and pride. He envied and abused great souls. He was in constant anxiety over his position, always trying to eliminate his competitors. His sense of self depended on externals such as position and power, and thus he knew of no inner peace. He was tormented by his own lust and greed. Continue reading "Is Humility Compatible with a Healthy Self-esteem?
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Daily life in the Indian holy cities of Rishikesh, Haridwar, and Devprayag. A short video by Brandon Li.

Of Straw and Humility.
Ananda Vrindavana Devi Dasi: One of the 8 teachings left behind by Sri Caitanya speaks of humility. It says that one must be in a humble state of mind in order to meditate properly. We should feel lower than a piece of straw in the street actually. What does that mean and what are the implications for our practice?
Humility is a huge topic and true humility can’t be faked. It is grounded in the deep realization that we are not these bodies and not the owner of our things nor the controller of our lives. It’s coming to the point of dependence on Krishna, of knowing we need help to figure out who we are and where we are going. To ‘solve this mystery before we’re history’ as the song goes.
To be happy being as insignificant as a piece of straw in the street happens when we are in relationship with someone who loves us. Not ordinary love, but spiritual love, Godly love. When we know we are truly loved to the deepest core of our sacred soul, that nothing material can change that love, that we also have a capacity to receive and give endless love, then humility is a natural by product.
Getting to humility can be painful, but if we want to free ourselves from the false sense of self, then that pain is welcome. When we feel the pinch of envy or the slap of pride, the fear of failure or the anger of offense, we know there is work to be done. As we progress in spiritual consciousness we face the challenge of more subtle layers of attachment and false ego. Genuine humility isn’t cheap but it is available if we really want it, and are ready to practice it. And what is that practice? With the help of the Gita and daily attentive personal chanting we can turn our pain into gratitude, and see it as a message to remind us that we are not the body and anything connected to it is temporary.
Pick up a blade of grass or a piece of straw. Keep it on your desk and let it remind you of Sri Caitanya’s lesson on humility. As with most things spiritual, it’s an inside job. Watch your reactions. See if you are willing to let go, let love, let Krishna. Let the straw be not the one that breaks the camel’s back, but the one that you lean on to grow strong and free from this material world.
Here’s the full humility verse with Sanskrit:
trinad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.

Gita verse-by-verse podcast

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The post Gita 10.41 See the attractiveness of the attractive not as Maya but as sparks of Krishna appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Krishna Balaram Mandir Darshan (Album with photos)
Now the rainy season has begun and everything is very green. On the 3rd day ...

Pope Francis walked in the footsteps of his two predecessors as he visited the former extermination camp at Auschwitz, where he paid silent homage to the more than one million victims.

Muslims across France have attended Catholic Mass in a gesture of solidarity after the murder of a priest on Tuesday. Fr Jacques Hamel was killed in his church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray by two men who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

A video by Mrinal Ghiya and ISKCON Desire Tree.

ISKCON Auckland, New Zealand, Harinama (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: One has to continue chanting the Hare Krishna mant...

Food and the Hare Krishna movement are intrinsically linked. "The Krishna movement has always been interested in food," says Graham M. Schweig, a professor of religion at Virginia's Christopher Newport University. "It's a natural consequence of the temples opening their doors to the public every Sunday for a feast." In the 1960s, Prabhupada taught his first disciples how to prepare Indian dishes that follow the Krishnas' strict dietary guidelines (including an adherence to a vegetarian diet and use of ingredients considered "sattvic" — those that promote "purity, strength, and clearness of the mind" like fresh fruits, vegetables, rice, legumes, and dairy products). Continue reading "How Hare Krishna Restaurants Promote Vegetarian Cuisine
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To mark the magnanimous occasion of Sri Krishna Janamashtami ISKCON Punjabi Bagh temple is organizing an article-writing and a photography contest. The purpose of these contests is to share the “Joy of Devotion” by writing about or visually capturing a personal or a communal experience related to the spiritual bliss generated by bhakti.

The post Gaura-nitai asks whether sannyasis in ISKCON are accountable for their finances and emails appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

ISKCON Rohini Delhi: Mahamilan Program on 31st July (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The only sacrifice recommended in thi...

In honour of ISKCON’s 50 year anniversary, ISKCON London organized a Boat Festival on the River Thames this past Sunday (31 July). Over 500 guests boarded the Dixie Queen at midday and for six hours we sailed up and down the Thames, with a nonstop kirtan taking place. The festival was advertised as a “Chant for Peace” campaign and it was covered in the media. While we travelled on the subway to the city centre to board the Dixie Queen, people recognised us as Hare Krsnas and greeted us very warm-heartedly! One of the touristic highlights of the cruise was when the Dixie Queen approached the famous London Tower Bridge, which then opened for the boat to pass through. Devotees were waving from the bridge with “Chant for Peace” signs in hand and many other people were watching. Continue reading "Boat Festival in London, 31 July 2016
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Let’s face it, there’s an obsessively-conformist, magically-numb muggle in us all. Being different, even a little odd, is a nightmare of Dursleyian proportions that most of us know (and fear) all too well. The magical world, however, has no room for such muggle-mindedness, and neither does the world of yoga.

Vedic Village (Album with photos)
Ramai Swami: One of the main attractions of the Ananda Mela in Seattle was the “Vedic Village” section.
A ten metre long diorama was erected showing the descent of the Ganga from the toe of the Lord, through the Himalayas, through various holy places like Hrsikesa, and finally going out into the ocean at Ganga Sagara.
Other parts of the village included a pen for two of our cows, roti making using traditional clay and cow dung oven, produce from our farm etc.
Find them here: http://goo.gl/EjX3vI

Making our Outreach Relevant.
Srimad Bhagavatam class by Chaitanya Charan Prabhu at ISKCON Chowpatty. (2016-08-03)
Srimad Bhagavatam 10.84.34-37: The sages then spoke again, O King, addressing Vasudeva while all the kings, along with Lord Acyuta and Lord Rama, listened. It has been definitely concluded that work is counteracted by further work when one executes Vedic sacrifices as a means of worshiping Visnu, the Lord of all sacrifices, with sincere faith. Learned authorities who see through the eye of scripture have demonstrated that this is the easiest method of subduing the agitated mind and attaining liberation, and that it is a sacred duty which brings joy to the heart.
Purport:
Both Sridhara Svami and Sri Jiva Gosvami here agree that the ritual karma of Vedic sacrifices is particularly meant for attached householders. Those who are already renounced in Krsna consciousness, like Vasudeva himself, need only cultivate their faith in the Lord’s devotees, His Deity form, His name, the remnants of His food and His teachings, as given in Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/H6c06c

TOVP: Chatri Peacocks (Album with photos)
Sadbhuja Das: We have finished the white marble cladding on the outside of some of t...

Howard and Keith’s Dreams

One of the main attractions of the Ananda Mela in Seattle was the “Vedic Village” section.

A ten metre long diorama was erected showing the descent of the Ganga from the toe of the Lord, through the Himalayas, through various holy places like Hrsikesa, and finally going out into the ocean at Ganga Sagara.

Other parts of the village included a pen for two of our cows, roti making using traditional clay and cow dung oven, produce from our farm etc.

The post Daily Darshan: August 5th, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

ISKCON’s 50^th Anniversary Committee released three more video clips in continuation of the two that had been released earlier on 13^th July, as part of the Inspiration Series. The new clips feature talks by Gopal Krishna Goswami, Bhaktivijnana Swami and Dina Sharana Devi Dasi, who discuss the importance of the 50^th anniversary and encourage the worldwide community of devotees to participate enthusiastically in the celebrations around the globe.

The Inspiration Series is a set of video clips where ISKCON leaders speak about the importance of ISKCON's 50th anniversary celebrations in 2016, with a view to encouraging active participation from the worldwide community of devotees. In this episode. Dina Sharana Devi Dasi speaks about the importance of ISKCON 50.

Devotees in Berlin held their annual Ratha Yatra on July 30th near to Brandenburg Gate, Germany’s most famous landmark. It was an historic occasion which brought tears to the eyes of many devotees, including Sacinandana Swami who has served in the German yatra for over 40 years. A video by Ananta Vrindavan.

Running from July 15^th to 17^th this year, Krishna’s Village is an ISKCON success story, one of the biggest outreach efforts in the world. It’s been part of Woodstock since the music festival’s inception 22 years ago in 1994, when organizer and renowned philanthropist Jurek Owsiak saw a similar vision in traveling preacher Indradyumna Swami.

We are just under a month away from Janmastami, the Appearance Day of Lord Sri Krishna. Janmastami this year offers a special opportunity-for many temples the best opportunity-to promote ISKCON's 50th Anniversary and connect with the media, dignitaries, and other vips in your area. To date many wonderful ISKCON 50 events have been celebrated around the world, inspiring devotees and informing larger audiences about the relevance and important contributions of Srila Prabhupada and his ISKCON society. For temples and communities that have not yet capitalized on the opportunity that ISKCON 50 provides, I am writing to remind you that with Janmastami coming-NOW IS THE CHANCE! For ISKCON communities Janmastami is our biggest and most important Holy Day. It's a great opportunity to take advantage of the natural attention that Krishna's Appearance Day draws. Janmastami gives us a chance to tell your community's story-ISKCON's story, Srila Prabhupada's story-widely. And, to gain favorable media exposure and build long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with your local government, religious, academic, neighborhood, and other leaders and vips. And, with ISKCON's 50th Anniversary celebration continuing through this Janmastami, its an even bigger opportunity. I pray you will take full advantage. Continue reading "Promoting VIP Attendance and Media Coverage for Janmastami ISKCON 50
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Devotees at ISKCON of Leicester, England, publicly inaugurated their temple and presented new renovations to Srila Prabhupada as an offering for ISKCON’s 50^th anniversary on Saturday July 30^th. It was a special moment for Leicester devotees. Back in September 2010, their Thoresby Street temple was completely destroyed by a gas leak explosion in the kitchen. They purchased a new temple, a 15,000 square foot historic former HSBC Bank in the very center of Leciester, in December 2011.

12hr Kirtan in Sydney, Australia (4 min video)
Here is the Official video from the 12hr Kirtan! On behalf of the rest of the or...