Jagannath Brings in a Splash of Spiritual Culture to London on ISKCON 50th
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On Sunday, 17th July, London witnessed its 48th Rathayatra festival in the heart of Central London. Their Lordships, Lord Jagannath, Lady Subhadra and Lord Baladev from ISKCON-London were carried in three beautifully decorated wooden chariots. In celebration of ISKCON’s 50th anniversary the chariots also carried the “ISKCON 50” logo.

Gau Gram Yatra Hits 92 with Sachin Tendulkar. Radhadyuti Devi…
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Gau Gram Yatra Hits 92 with Sachin Tendulkar.
Radhadyuti Devi Dasi: On the occasion of ISKCON 50th anniversary celebration, IDVM-India (ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministry) launched Sri Govind Gau Gram Prachar Yatra to spread the Holy Name and glories of mother cow in the villages on the inspiration of H.H. RP Bhakti Raghava Swami Maharaj (IDVM-India minister). On the occasion the ministry plans to reach out atleast 108 villages and offer that endeavour at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada.
On 16thJuly, 2016, the Sri Govind Gau Gram Prachar Yatra devotees reached the small village of PuttamrajuKandrika (PR Kandrika), the 92nd village. It happens to be a sleepy village of about 110 houses, located almost 150 km north of Chennai. It has been lovingly adopted by the famous Indian Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. The main occupation of the villagers is based on growing red chillies, lemon and paddy.
Sri Sachin Tendulkar was inspired to adopt this village after a long conversation with the joint collector, Rekha Rani whom he had met on a flight. He has already spent almost 40 million rupees towards the village development with the government adding an equal amount.
On the day when the Yatra devotees reached the village, they were very happily received by the village panchayat head, who welcomed devotees with tea and coffee which was ungrudgingly replaced by warm milk and jaggery upon devotees’ request.
The devotees proceeded for Nagar Sankirtan after the village head’s permission. The Holy Name reached all the 110 houses. Enthusiasm filled the whole village, with the Holy Name enchanting children and adults equally.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/swbvsH

From The Heart – Polish Woodstock
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The Polish Woodstock meant many things for different people. For Lord Krsna’s devotees it was a chance to share our good fortune through massive prasadam distribution, Ratha Yatra, good association and most important, the loud chanting of Krsna’s holy names along with our audience in the Mantra Yoga Tent.

Gadadhar Pandit and Aygul’s beautiful vaishnava wedding in…
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Gadadhar Pandit and Aygul’s beautiful vaishnava wedding in New York, USA (Album with photos)
At the Bhakti Center in New York City, on Saturday July 23, 2016. Sweet, light, auspicious ceremony. Lots of devotees came.
They are part of the small original core that helped the Bhakti Center become what it is today. The marriage ceremony was conducted by the BC’s head priest Vasudeva, with assistance from Kaustubha. Wonderful Prasad cooked by Doyal Gauranga and crew.

You Can Do It!
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By Mahatma das

Forgiving yourself is obviously an issue for you. Look at it this way: Krishna wants you to come back to Him, and if you don’t forgive yourself, you’re making that trip back to Him a more difficult – and thus slower – journey. Krishna is waiting for you to come back, so don’t make Him wait longer than necessary. Krishna forgives you, and if He forgives you, certainly you can forgive yourself. (If it’s good enough for Him, it’s good enough for you.) In addition, if you are thinking, “I am so low and so bad, I don’t deserve Krishna’s mercy,” when the mercy comes you won’t take it because, after all, you don’t deserve it. But mercy wouldn’t be mercy if you fully deserved it. You may not deserve it, but you need it. And Mahaprabhu shows His mercy to those who need it most. Let Him know how much you need it. It’s also possible that a lack of self-forgiveness stems from a kind of self-sabotaging, a self-hatred mechanism within. To me this equates to the idea of being envious of one’s self as taught in the Bhagavad-gita and Isopansisad. Why would we do anything to hurt ourselves unless we lack self-respect and self-love? If you love yourself, forgive yourself. Prabhupada said the highest service is to save yourself, but why would you try for that if you have little respect or love for yourself? Continue reading "You Can Do It!
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What We Eat, And What Our Lordships “Eat”
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By Kesava Krsna Dasa

Some of our pujaris insist that only white flour and white sugar should be used in bhoga offerings for our Lordships, while many of us, being health conscious, will avoid eating such adulterated or suspicious foods. Should we feel a guilty conscience if we eat healthily, but the Lord does not? “Regarding purchasing things in the market, these items are considered as purified when we pay the price for them. That is the general instruction. But when we know something is adulterated, we should avoid it. But unknowingly if something is purchased, that is not our fault. Things which are suspicious, however, should be avoided.” Is it wrong to use proper brown flour? Otherwise, how can the Lord have white chapatis, or white rotis…? We will no doubt feel offended if our same personal fastidiousness for choices of food and the ingredients thereof are not met, but we must also know and anticipate how the Lord must feel, as a Person. “Since it is offensive to offer anything to Krsna that He will not accept, one should be extremely cautious not to offer (or eat) anything questionable.” Are we to assume that the Lord will happily accept the “questionable” bleach and aluminium that taints our offerings of love? Is this something that is irrelevant, compared with the ‘bigger picture’ of daily temple functionality? Or is it impractical to ideally conform, and in any case, the Lord is merciful? Can we follow Sri Prahlada’s example of having his poisoned food purified? Continue reading "What We Eat, And What Our Lordships “Eat”
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Leadership Crisis
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By Bhakti Raghava Swami

A few years ago, while pursuing my postgraduate studies at USM in Penang, I happen to glance over the front page of the local newspaper to read the following headlines in large capital letters: WANTED: LEADERS. Srila Prabhupada: “Ordinarily, the spiritual master, husband, father, mother or superior relative accepts worship from an inferior relative, but here Rshabhadeva forbids this. First the father, spiritual master or husband must be able to release the dependent from repeated birth and death. If he cannot do this, he plunges himself into the ocean of reproachment for his unlawful activities. Everyone should be very responsible and take charge of his dependents just as a spiritual master takes charge of his disciple or a father takes charge of his son. All these responsibilities cannot be discharged honestly unless one can save the dependent from repeated birth and death.” Continue reading "Leadership Crisis
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A visit to Krishna Valley in Hungary July 2016 (Album with…
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A visit to Krishna Valley in Hungary July 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If one chants the holy name of God-Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare-eventually he will see Krishna’s form, realize Krishna’s qualities, and remember Krishna’s pastimes. That is the effect of the pure chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. (A Second Chance, 16)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/c20wli

Photos from yesterday’s Edinburgh (Scotland’s…
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Photos from yesterday’s Edinburgh (Scotland’s capital) Rathayatra (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In the Age of Kali, there is no religious principle except chanting Krishna’s name. It has been ascertained from all the scriptures that Krishna’s holy name is the essence of all mantras. (Renunciation Through Wisdom, 5.1 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/6ZlOeV

Gita 10.29 See the prominent powers in the Vedic cosmos as manifestations of the supreme power
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Gita verse-by-verse podcast


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The post Gita 10.29 See the prominent powers in the Vedic cosmos as manifestations of the supreme power appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

ISKCON celebrates the Rathayatra festival in London. The…
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ISKCON celebrates the Rathayatra festival in London.
The International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was founded in New York by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada in 1966, and celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with 52 nationwide events in the UK. Last week in a gesture of appreciation to the City of London for making the Hare Krishna community feel so welcome, 5,000 anniversary cupcakes were handed out at London’s five major railway stations. The chocolate cupcakes made by Govinda were purely vegetarian, with no eggs and the milk of protected cows, in line with ISKCON’s commitment to Ahimsa.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/e1hwl7

World Holy Name Festival – 28 July to 14 August 2016
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Hare KrishnaBy Lokanath Swami

From its inception twenty years ago World Holy Name Day has grown into World Holy Name Week. This year we commemorate and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the inauguration of ISKCON by Srila Prabhupad with a two week long World Holy Name Festival which commences on 28 July through to 14 August. Srila Prabhupad gave this yuga dharma to the world and the WHN Festival honours and commemorates this. We have much to celebrate about and are looking for the biggest participation the World Holy Name Festival has seen to date. This is a humble appeal to all in the ISKCON family - man, woman and child - to come forward, participate and celebrate the World Holy Name Festival with vigour. Continue reading "World Holy Name Festival – 28 July to 14 August 2016
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The Sublimation Of Work
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By Gautam Saha

Those uninitiated into the spiritual knowledge of the Srimad Bhagavad – Gita might consider Arjuna as a very gifted and talented warrior (like Bruce Lee or Dara Singh or an Indiana Jones of ancient times), who ‘killed’ so many enemies on the battlefield. But in reality, Arjuna was fighting for a cause beyond his own personal needs or wants. In fact he came into the battlefield very reluctantly and initially refused to pick up his weapons. His eventual entry into the battle was an act of yoga, which went beyond consideration of his own feelings or likings. To say that he was a warrior merely ‘fighting’ in the battlefield would be superfluous. He was a true yogi who was convinced by what Lord Krishna had stated in (18.7 to 9): “Prescribed duties should never be renounced. If by illusion, one gives up his prescribed duties, such renunciation is said to be in the mode of ignorance ( tamas guna ). Anyone who gives up prescribed duties as troublesome, or out of fear, is said to be in the mode of passion ( raja guna ). Such action never leads to the elevation of renunciation. But he who performs his prescribed duty only because it ought to be done, and renounces all attachment to the fruit - his renunciation is of the nature of goodness ( sattva-guna ), O Arjuna.” Continue reading "The Sublimation Of Work
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World Holy Name Week 2016! (7 min video) Srila Prabhupada’s…
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World Holy Name Week 2016! (7 min video)
Srila Prabhupada’s greatest desire was to spread the chanting of the Holy Names all over the world. To fulfill this desire, Governing Body Commission (GBC) of ISKCON established World Holy Name Day to commemorate Srila Prabhupada Arrival anniversary to the west, during Srila Prabupada’s Centennial in 1996. World Holy Name Day, along with many other Centennial programs was a tremendous success. In 1996.
HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami Maharaja was in charge of World Holy Name Day. With his sad departure from this world, the perpetuation of World Holy Name Day, has come to HH Lokanath Swami Maharaj in 2006. Below is the GBC resolution:
That World Holy Name Day is made an annual program for all ISKCON centers. The observance of World Holy Name Day is to be held in connection with the anniversary observances of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the USA Sept. 17, 1965 – (GBC resolution 2006)
On seeing the tremendous success and potential of this event, in 2008 GBC has resolved ‘World Holy Name Day’ into ‘World Holy Name Week’ and to celebrate this event for an extended period of time. The period starts on the appearance day of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura and also includes the disappearance day of Srila Namacarya Haridas Thakura, Sri Visvarupa Mahotsava, Acceptance of sannyasa by Srila Prabhupada and ends on the Vedic calendar date for Srila Prabhupada, the greatest ambassador of the holy names, arrival in Boston.
Many temples and communities arrange special nama-yajnas throughout the entire period. Some arrange whenever possible. The intention is that the performance of sankirtan in its many forms, including japa, all over the world. We encourage all people of all faiths to participate to create auspiciousness over the whole planet.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/Ft9jKl

Special Sun Love Feast- July 24,2016 -11am-2pm -Bathing Festival of Lord Jagannatha.
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About Bathing Festival/Snana Yatra

Snana-yatra is an important pastime of Lord Jagannatha at our temple.On this day, Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra allow Themselves to be bathed by all following the original tradition of worship at Jagannatha Puri.This bathing goes on for a few hours in the midst of kirtaniyas glorifying Their Lordships and the chanting of the maha-mantra. Lord Jagannatha’s prasada is also offered to all visitors.Due to the sacred bath,colours painted on the images fade out. The Daitas repaint the images with new colours and on the 16th day the Deities appear in their new forms after colouration become ready for the public view. The festival of the first appearance of the Lord Jagannatha to his devotees is called 'Netrotsava' (festival for the eyes) or 'Nava Yauvanotsava' (festival of the ever new youth).
There is a general belief that the devotee washes away all his sins if he gets a vision of the Lord on this day.







11.00- 11.15      Tulsi Puja
11.15 - 11.30     Guru Puja                                        
11:30 –11:55     Aarti & Kirtan                                    
11.55 - 12.00    Sri Nrsingadeva Prayers               
12.00 -12:45    Vedic discourse
12:45 - 1:30    Bathing Festival of Lord Jagannatha
  1.30 -  2.00     Sanctified Free Vegetarian Feast

Monthly sankirtan Festival(MSF)

“One who has life can preach, and one who preaches gets life.”(Previous Acaryas)

Every member of ISKCON should have the opportunity to make advancement in Krishna consciousness by preaching.We encourage everyone to come out and participate and make Srila Prabhupada happy.

Please contact:
Rasaraj Dasa-rajrushika@yahoo.com/ 647.887.5736(Mississauga and Brampton regions)
Narahari Dev Dasa- naraharidev@gmail.com (Etobicoke
 region)


COMING UP AHEAD


Fasting For Kamika Ekadasi
Fasting.....................on Fri Jul 29,2016
Breakfast.................on  Sat Jul 30,2016 b/w 6.05am-10.57am


Every fortnight, we observe Ekadasi, a day of prayer and meditation. On this day we fast (or simplify our meals and abstain from grains and beans), and spend extra time reading the scriptures and chanting the auspicious Hare Krishna mantra.By constantly ‘exercising’ our minds through regular japa we can train our senses to push the threshold of contentment.
English audio glorification of all Ekadasis is available here 
  Japathon-Congregational Mantra Meditation
Next meeting on Aug 13 ,2016(5.30am-9.30am) at ISKCON Brampton

The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His Energy to give protection to the conditioned soul.japa, when performed with focus and attention, can subdue the agitating effects of one’s mind and senses. The senses, of which the mind is also one, are constantly being stimulated by the external world  - by gross and subtle matter.
If you have not chanted before, and would like to participate in this program, we will be very happy to show how you can do this.
All welcome. We’ll loan you a set of Beads!

IB Vaishnavi Sanga
Please join us for the upcoming workshop and dance practice in July 10(2-4pm) & 24(2-4pm)

The Vaisnavi Sanga hosted by ISKCON Brampton is a special opportunity for ladies to come together for a spiritual getaway in peaceful, intimate surroundings. It is the perfect occasion for an evening filled with amazing association, spiritually surcharged program, and Krishna conscious discussions. It is a place where we will be able to learn from each other and have a safe forum to express our doubts and open our hearts.

Festival Of India-Brampton
July 30,2016(11pm-5pm) at Chinguacousy Park,Brampton.

Key Features include: Free Vegetarian Feast,Parade,Music & dance,Kids Activities,Drama,Boutique,Heena,Face Painting and more.It's a free public event for the entire family.Join us with your loved ones to have some really fun time.
 

ONGOING EVERY SUNDAY


Sunday School

To register,contact us
Email:sundayschool108@gmail.com
Call:647.893.9363

The Sunday School provides fun filled strategies through the medium of music, drama, debates, quizzes and games that present Vedic Culture to children. However the syllabus is also designed to simultaneously teach them to always remember Krishna and never forget Him. School
The Sunday School follows the curriculum provided by the Bhaktivedanta College of Education and Culture (BCEC).


Gift Shop

Our boutique is stocked with an excellent range of products, perfect for gifts or as souvenirs of your visit. It offers textiles, jewellery, incense, devotional articles, musical instruments, books, and CDs inspired by Indian culture.We're open on all Sundays and celebrations marked in our annual calendar.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Chant and Be happy

ISKCON-London celebrates 50th Anniversary of ISKCON’s Incorporation with pomp and grandeur
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Hare KrishnaBy ISKCON-London Communications

“It was a truly glorious day. You could really see that Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara – the Lords of London – and the first installed Deities in ISKCON, personally installed by Srila Prabhupada himself – wanted to spread the glories of Their dear devotee, Srila Prabhupada, to the wider London community. Not only did we have excellent attendance from the community and a full day programme at the Temple to celebrate ISKCON’s 50th, but we had the BBC interviewing devotees and filming footage at various points throughout the day. We also worked with Bhaktivedanta Manor to hold a Gratitude Day where we distributed 5000 cupcakes to the public in key locations around London to raise awareness of the Hare Krishna movement and to thank Londoners for accepting us as part of the community. Continue reading "ISKCON-London celebrates 50th Anniversary of ISKCON’s Incorporation with pomp and grandeur
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Krsna’s Village of Peace highly successful this year!
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Hare KrishnaBy Ananta das

Krsna’s Village of Peace has been an integral part of the Polish Woodstock Festival since it’s inception 22 years ago. This year was no exception as 550 devotees came together from around the world to create a veritable spiritual dhama in the midst of the 800,000 young people who attended the 3 day event on the Polish border, just 2 hours drive from Berlin. Utilizing kitchen facilities in 3 nearby schools, as well as two giant pots onsite, devotees distributed 100,320 full plates of delicious prasadam. They also distributed over 1,000 of Srila Prabhupada books and entertained people with a 5 hour stage show each afternoon in the main tent in Krsna’s Village Of Peace. One of the more popular scenes in the village was the Mantra Yoga Tent where prominent ISKCON kirtnaeers like Bada Haridas, Madhava dasa, Sacinandana Swami, Indradyumna Swami, Mahatma dasa, Sri Prahlad and Acyuta Gopi dasi held kirtan 12 hours a day. The tent was packed with guests day and night. Devotees also held Ratha Yatra, with a massive chariot, through the throngs of people on 4 separate occasions. All in all, it was truly a great yajna. Continue reading "Krsna’s Village of Peace highly successful this year!
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Rising to the Top with TOVP’s New Hoist
- TOVP.org

TOVP welcomes the newest addition to our construction team. On Wednesday July 20, 2016 the TOVP’s new red suspended platform arrived on site. The hoist is manufactured by Jaypee and is from Kolkata.

The model is the JSP1000 and it can lift up to 1 tonne (1,000 kilograms) and can climb up to 100 meters. The lift moves at 8.3 meters per minute. It is made of steel and its platform dimensions are 7.5 meters long, 0.7 meters wide, and 1.4 meters high.
It has a unique system for safe working at great heights. Some of the features of the lift are that it has an anti- tilting Safety lock for rope breakage, an electrical control system, and an advanced suspension mechanism.

The hoist is making work easier, lighter, and simpler. Also, it is reducing our cost on scaffolding and helping us complete our work with more efficiency. The hoist is being maintained by a dynamic and simple support system from the roof. It is not bolted to the ground, but rather it is anchored by two levers that each have counterweights that weigh a 1/2 tonne (counter weight system). This makes it very mobile and easy to move to operate at different locations of the TOVP.

A big round of applause for TOVP Team members Prema Avatar Gauranga Das and Parvata Muni Das for seeking and manifesting this savvy and intelligent alternative in construction. As we work at the great heights of the TOVP with our new equipment, we commit to raising the standards. This allows the TOVP to always evolve and adapt the most advanced technology systems possible for the advancement of our construction and the opening the TOVP.

[See image gallery at tovp.org]

The post Rising to the Top with TOVP’s New Hoist appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

RAGHURAJPUR: Where Art is the language & canvas is the…
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RAGHURAJPUR: Where Art is the language & canvas is the mouthpiece (Album with photos)
Can you imagine a place where every household is involved in creating only exquisite arts and crafts ??
Be it oldest member of the family or the youngest, even housewives create something, paint all along with love and much patience.
In the heritage crafts village of Raghurajpur in Puri, Orissa every household is an artist’s studio and has a story to tell.. Inhabited by artists producing sheer poetry on pieces of clothes, palm leaves, stone carvings, the place has nurtured an age old tradition.
Creativity, in the village, flows in abundance and skills manifest into an emotional realisation of art.. The village looks like a living museum of paintings.
PS: Yes, there exist a village in 2016, where art rules the hearts even in this age of crude materialism.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/tJ3r0m

TOVP: Raising the Standards from the Heights (Album with photos)…
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TOVP: Raising the Standards from the Heights (Album with photos)
Sadbhuja Das: TOVP welcomes the newest addition to our construction team. On Wednesday July 20, 2016 the TOVP’s new red suspended platform arrived on site. The hoist is manufactured by Jaypee and is from Kolkata.
The model is the JSP1000 and it can lift up to 1 tonne (1,000 kilograms) and can climb up to 100 meters. The lift moves at 8.3 meters per minute. It is made of steel and its platform dimensions are 7.5 meters long, 0.7 meters wide, and 1.4 meters high.
It has a unique system for safe working at great heights. Some of the features of the lift are that it has an anti- tilting Safety lock for rope breakage, an electrical control system, and an advanced suspension mechanism.
The hoist is making work easier, lighter, and simpler. Also, it is reducing our cost on scaffolding and helping us complete our work with more efficiency. The hoist is being maintained by a dynamic and simple support system from the roof. It is not bolted to the ground, but rather it is anchored by two levers that each have counterweights that weigh a ½ ton (counter weight system). This makes it very mobile and easy to move to operate at different locations of the TOVP.
A big round of applause for TOVP Team members Prema Avatar Gauranga Das and Parvata Muni Das for seeking and manifesting this savvy and intelligent alternative in construction. As we work at the great heights of the TOVP with our new equipment, we commit to raising the standards. This allows the TOVP to always evolve and adapt the most advanced technology systems possible for the advancement of our construction and the opening the TOVP.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/LhB5zg

From The Heart! (6 min video) Indradyumna Swami: Woodstock meant…
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From The Heart! (6 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Woodstock meant many things for different people. For Lord Krsna’s devotees it was a chance to share our good fortune through massive prasadam distribution, Ratha Yatra, good association and most important, the loud chanting of Krsna’s holy names along with our audience in the Mantra Yoga Tent.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/BFMsks

​Gita 10.28 The life that emerges from love manifests the divine
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Gita verse-by-verse podcast


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​Bhagavatam study 65 1.13.19-23 Vidura’s words hit Dhritarashtra where it hurts the most
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Podcast


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Villa Vrindavan in Italy, 2016
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Written by Nimai

After leaving the Czech Summer Camp, Kadamba Kanana Swami stayed for one night (04 July) at the Prague temple. He needed this little recess to gain some strength after the busy days at the camp. It was just a quick stop though, as we were already thinking about the upcoming kirtan event in Italy which was happening over the weekend (08-10 July). En route to Florence, we did another stay-over in Berlin where Maharaj did an evening program at the temple.

Villa_Vrndavan_2016 (67) Villa_Vrindavan_2016 (1)

On Wednesday (06 July), as we stepped-off the plane in Florence, we knew that we were in for some hot weather. Since we arrived at Villa Vrindavan a few days before the start of the Sravanam Kirtanam Festival, Maharaj had time to settle in and prepare. He even led kirtan a few times before most of the guests arrived, to warm up for the weekend.

On the first day of the festival, Maharaj gave the morning lecture where he spoke from the 12th canto of Bhagavatam. The verse (12.3.51) described Kali yuga and the people in it as an ocean of faults, but Maharaj especially focused on a different aspect i.e. the chanting of the holy name. He elaborated on something he had already said a few times in the recent past which is: chanting is our saving grace! Maharaj explained that we are too weak to perform heavy austerities or to meditate, etc. like people used to do in other yugas, so the only thing that can save us is to chant the holy name and to rely on Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy. Maharaj made the point that the importance of chanting can never be overestimated. The question of which service is the “best” came up, to which Maharaj responded by saying that pure devotional service in all its forms is always equally transcendental. However, in our conditioned state, we cannot always see this so in order to uplift ourselves, chanting is the way! He was also asked to say a few words to inaugurate the festival later that day, but in a way this was already done in the morning class!

In the afternoon, Maharaj led a wonderful kirtan in a slightly slower than usual fashion. Madhava Prabhu complimented Maharaj on the kirtan afterward and said that he would steal that tune! After leading kirtan, Maharaj didn’t leave the temple room straightaway but stayed-on to listen to some of the other kirtaniyas.

Since Villa Vrindavan is located on a hill, we struggled to find a suitable route for our daily walk. One day, we went down the hill but when we came back up soaking in sweat, we didn’t do that again!

The temple president showed us around their art museum which has paintings from all kinds of different pastimes. The paintings were really impressive and some took the space of a whole wall as they were that big.

Villa_Vrndavan_2016 (15) Villa_Vrndavan_2016 (36)

We stayed for almost week after the festival had ended and Maharaj was asked to give two more Bhagavatam classes so he did. The Bhagavatam verses were from the 6th canto where Prahlad Maharaj was instructing his demoniac friends about the dark well of household life. After speaking about enjoyment and entanglement, Maharaj gave a conclusion on the matter – there is nothing wrong with enjoying and Hare Krsna devotees don’t oppose enjoyment as long as we do not engage in sinful activities because this is how one gets entangled with the material energy again! Rather, we enjoy devotional service.

Maharaj also clarified the meaning of the words ksudratma (small minded person) and mahatma (broad-minded person). He explained how we should try to see the bigger picture of things, to see the long-term perspective and not to live in the moment only. The goal of life is to go back to Godhead after all!

Villa_Vrndavan_2016 (1) Villa_Vrndavan_2016 (2)

Since we were in Italy, Maharaj adapted his diet too. He started having salad and stayed true to one of his favourite sayings, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” which he would always mention when putting some extra olive oil on his prasadam.

For the remainder of our time in Villa Vrindavan, Maharaj needed to recover from the intense period of events of the previous weeks, including all the travelling and meeting with lots of people! On 16 July, we flew to London next to attend the famous Ratha Yatra there!

Visit Flickr to see all the photos.

Villa_Vrndavan_2016 (49) Villa_Vrndavan_2016 (42) Villa_Vrndavan_2016 (51) Villa_Vrndavan_2016 (4) Villa_Vrndavan_2016 (19) Villa_Vrindavan_2016 (6)

Srila Prabhupada’s Transcendental Sweetness and Beauty
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By Yamuna Devi Dasi

The closer we come to individually appreciating and honouring Srila Prabhupada's personal dealings with his disciples, the closer we will come to his sense of completeness in Krsna consciousness, to his joyfulness, to his transcendentally attractive nature. With great care, our service is to create a devotional environment where men, women and children can thrive in Krsna consciousness, rendering service according to their desire and inclination. Our service is to empower rather than inhibit the service propensity in others. Finally, let us search our intelligence and hearts for ways to help the women who are sincerely looking for spiritual life. Without properly nurturing them, we as a society have no future. Women in Krsna consciousness are an intricate, essential part of Srila Prabhupada's legacy. In our effort to move forward, let us not put Srila Prabhupada's example behind us, but in front of us - our divine beacon - to guide us together towards the lotus feet of Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai and Sri Sri Radha-Krsna. Continue reading "Srila Prabhupada’s Transcendental Sweetness and Beauty
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Russian’s new law could lead to religious crackdown! “The…
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Russian’s new law could lead to religious crackdown!
“The United States is concerned with the Russian Federation’s recent adoption of amendments to its anti-terrorism law, which President Putin signed July 7,” State Department spokesman Nicole Thompson told The Daily Signal in an email. “The amendments include a number of provisions which place greater restrictions on the right to freedom of speech, assembly, and religion, and also introduce criminal penalties for those who do not inform the authorities of alleged violations. Particularly troubling are the amendments dealing with religion and missionary activity.”
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Celebrating 50 years of ISKCON with Historical Ratha Yatra in Vrindavan
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Hare KrishnaBy Radha Shyamsundar das

It was torrents of rain continuously from last few day in Vrindavana which became very heavy on the day of the Ratha Yatra. Lord Jagannatha tested our devotion and determination till the last minute. First a pandal, to be erected in the complex of Ashram Vihar, had to be cancelled due to objection by residents. Then another big party hall, which was booked for the inauguration programme, was cancelled by the owner on the evening of 16th July. Most of the devotees were thinking to cancel the event, but they went ahead and were compelled to arrange the programme in a medium size hall. Continue reading "Celebrating 50 years of ISKCON with Historical Ratha Yatra in Vrindavan
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