Planet ISKCON

Radha Kunda Seva: June 2016 Photos and Updates (Album with photos)
It’s been hot, hot, hot! And many of our crew have been getting sick and sicker. But life goes on in the Dham, as does our cleaning and prasadam distribution there.
It was with both gratitude and sorrow that we said goodbye this month to a donor who was contributing around 25% of the expenses for our daily prasadam distribution to the widows of Radha Kunda. If you would like to help sponsor one of the 23 ladies now in need of support, please visit… http://radharani.com/daily-meals/
Time is ticking and the temple is looking more and more beautiful. September is just two months away and we are looking forward to construction beginning on the kitchen! To see more about this project please visit… http://radharani.com/build-a-kitchen/
The gardens are thriving. (Yep, they like the heat.) Thousands of pilgrims are still going on parikrama. (They don’t seem to mind the heat.) And the cleaning continues daily. (Our cleaning crew manages to brave the heat.)
Thank you for being a part of our endeavor to clean and serve at Radha Kunda and Govardhan.
Please browse our latest photos and join our efforts by visiting www.radharani.com.
Your servants, Campakalata Devi dasi, Padma Gopi Devi dasi, Urmila Devi Dasi, and Mayapurcandra dasa.
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Bhaktivedanta Research Centre Team in a mission (Album with photos)
The BRC Manuscripts Mission Team sent these photos from th...

His Divine Order (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: The great Polish Woodstock is only days away. There’s a flurry everywhere as preparations go on at full speed. 900,000 people are expected by next Thursday. By the hard work of devotees, Krsna’s Village Of Peace is slowly manifesting from the grassy fields of Kostrzyn nad Odra. Behind the scenes hundreds of devotees are beginning to prepare 40 tons of foodstuffs that will manifest as 150,000 plates of prasadam. Srila Prabhupada once asked his disciples to preach big. Here at Woodstock 2016 we hope to contribute to fulfilling that divine order.
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July 9. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: “If you are not ashamed”
Before I became a devotee of Prabhupada, my friends and I often expressed our determination not to “sell out.” Selling out meant giving up our free spirit and surrendering to the demands of American society. When I moved to the Lower East Side the expression was, “Don’t cop-out.” Don’t give up the hip life and become an ordinary American shmo.
Swamiji’s disciples didn’t think of themselves as cop-outs, but one day a visitor to the storefront told Gargamuni dasa, “I think Hare Krishna is a cop-out.”
“What?” Gargamuni defended our position. “You call this a cop-out?” We’re not afraid to shave our heads and wear a dhoti and walk around the city like this, but here you are with your black denims and your shirt looking like everybody else. You think you’re so cool, but you’re just another anonymous person on the street.”
What our visitor meant was that we had given up the “responsibilities” of hippie life – no more marijuana or LSD – and we lived in our temple in a different reality with aspirations to return to the spiritual world. It sounded to him like a cop-out. We had our comeback remarks, but if some of the hippies didn’t accept us, then that was a price we had to pay.
One time, when I was sitting inside the storefront, I overheard two guys who stopped to read Swamiji’s sign in the window. One of them read aloud: “Classes in Bhagavad-gita – Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Chant this transcendental sound vibration, Hare Krishna mantra. Learn the science of Krishna from a bona fide spiritual master.” Then he said to his friend, “What kind of word is that to use for a guru – bona fide? It sounds like a legal term.” They laughed at the use of the word “bona fide.” I knew what they meant because I also used to laugh cynically at anything that was a little strange. Their attitude was typical of middle-class Americans who had become hip and were ready to take apart anything that didn’t seem to be hip. By laughing at Prabhupada’s use of “bona fide,” they were mocking our whole scene. In hippie life, the worst mistake was to do anything “square.” So by detecting this one phrase that didn’t seem to fit in with hip consciousness – “bona fide spiritual master” – they laughed and walked on, dismissing the seriousness of our movement.
From inside the storefront I thought, “You don’t understand. Just because the Swami uses a few words differently than you doesn’t mean you have a reason to reject him.” As Prabhupada writes in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, he is more interested in the techniques of bhakti than in the language. By “bona fide” he meant that a spiritual master cannot be concocted, cannot be an upstart. He has to be genuine. There is nothing wrong with the meaning of the words “bona fide” to define a spiritual master, but with the hippie movement, style was worth more than content.
Only among the devotees could we fully express our feelings. “Just think – we have been taking one life after another for millions and millions of years. We’ve been up and we’ve been down, and now we’re at the highest point we’ve ever been in millions of births. We’re associating with the pure devotee and making progress for going back to Godhead. Let’s not blow it!”
Prabhupada had a habit of using initials to express meanings in code form. One of his favorites was S.R. S.R. meant “simply rascal.” He said that we could make a button with the letters S.R. on it and give it out to people who were rascals. He said that even the President of India was “an S.R. man.”
Swamiji was aware that we were going through a conversion from “hippy to happy.” He said, “You can wear your chanting beads around your neck when you go outside the temple – if you are not ashamed.”
“What does that mean, Swamiji? S.M.?”
“Not S.M.,” said Swamiji, “I said ashamed. If you are not ashamed.” Prabhupada meant, “If you are not ashamed of being a devotee.”
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=10

“If you are not ashamed”

Three ISKCON devotees participated in a week of faith-based climate change leadership training in New Orleans last month. Gopal-Lila Das from England, Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies’ Bhumi Project, was a facilitator at the training. Joining him as attendees were Sarita Telhan, who works on green initiatives at ISKCON of Washington D.C.; and Archana Prasad, who serves at ISKCON of Towaco, New Jersey and is taking her Masters in environmental/sustainability science.

Looks can be deceiving, and often far from the full story.  A person who feels impelled to keep talking, could be experiencing loneliness and lack of meaningful camaraderie. The insensitivity and harshness that individuals exhibit, is likely connected to an internal weakness and existential insecurity.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 02 May 2015, Simhachalam, Germany, Seminar, Srimad Bhagavatam 5.18.8)

trasto ‘smy ahaḿ kṛpaṇa-vatsala duḥsahogra-
saḿsāra-cakra-kadanād grasatāḿ praṇītaḥ
baddhaḥ sva-karmabhir uśattama te ‘ńghri-mūlaḿ
prīto ‘pavarga-śaraṇaḿ hvayase kadā nu (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.16)

“O most powerful, insurmountable Lord, who are kind to the fallen souls, I have been put into the association of demons as a result of my activities, and therefore I am very much afraid of my condition of life within this material world. When will that moment come when You will call me to the shelter of Your lotus feet, which are the ultimate goal for liberation from conditional life?” 

In this verse, Prahlad is not presenting himself as a liberated soul. Prahlad is remembering how he took birth in a family of demons due to his previous impious activities therefore he thinks that he does not have full shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is true, so many bad habits we have from our childhood and it is not easy to give them up. They are still influencing us. We have not been supported by pure devotee parents from the moment we grew up. Rather, we have been pushed by materialistic people who themselves were confused about the goal of life and who told us to do many things that were wrong. Now, we have to break our habits.

One of my disciples, who was a bit of a poet, said, “When I go to the house of my parents, I am going to a museum of my old habits.” I thought that was pretty good because as soon as you are there, you are back in your old identity. The parents also call you by your old name and you are in your old room. If you stay too long, you are going to slip back into it. The mind, just slots back into it, just like that. “The museum of our old habits,” and they die hard but we have to break them. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura points out that all those things that were dear to us once, we have to break in order to be able to take up Krsna consciousness. This is there in the example of Prahlad who is taking a very transcendental position. So we also have to change our life and make it more favourable for Krsna consciousness. 

Bhaktivedanta Manor, London has planned a packed week of events from 13th to 17th July to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ISKCON’s incorporation. The events start on the actual day of incorporation on 13th July with a ‘Day of Gratitude’ that will see 5000 cupcakes being distributed to commuters at key locations in central London to say 'thank you'. This will be followed by a special ceremony of offerings to Srila Prabhupada in the form of poems and prayers, and an exquisite lunch for disciples of Srila Prabhupada. Ajay Kumar from Bhaktivedanta Manor, who was the brainchild for the 5000 cup-cake distribution programme says, “This is a simple act of Love through distribution of prasdam, and something that we have been doing right from the beginning of our movement. What more of a thank you can we say to London than giving them our birthday cake?” On 14th, January, a select interfaith programme will witness Christian representatives coming together with Vaishnava devotees to discuss the importance and relevance of devotion for the spiritual seeker. Later, Srila Prabhupada Gardens, a specially themed and landscaped section of Bhaktivedanta Manor will inaugurated on 16th July with an abhisheka ceremony of Srila Prabhupada. Continue reading "UK to herald Incorporation Day with packed week of events
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The post ​When Karna was virtuous, why did he suggest that Draupadi be disrobed? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Almost 49 years ago in 1967, the first Ratha yatra outside India was celebrated in the city of San Francisco by Srila Prabhupada's Iskcon devotees. This Ratha Yatra survey, just published, of all the Ratha yatra celebrations held across the world confirms the good work ISKCON is doing and that Lord Caitanya's mercy is in fact spreading out to reach every town and village.. Continue reading "Survey: 526 worldwide Ratha Yatras conducted by Iskcon yearly!
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The post ​Why did Krishna say that Karna is equal, or even superior, to Arjuna in archery? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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The post ​Did Kunti emotionally weaken Karna by revealing that the Pandavas were his brothers? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

The Grihasta Vision Team (GVT) has done many things: provided counseling services; written a book, Heart and Soul Connection; offered seminars at many ISKCON festivals; and established a website, vaisnavafamilyresources.org, that offers many helpful articles. All these support their motto: “Healthy Marriages. Happy Families. Strong ISKCON.” One of their most exciting efforts is their annual Couples’ Retreat, held at the Gita Nagari farm in Pennsylvania.

2015 - 2016.

Suresh Prabhu (India’s Railway Minister) tweets about ISKCON:
Wndrful 2 visit ISKCON temple at Sarajevo,capital city of Bosnia & Herzegovina along wth Indian Amb Rahul Chhabra.
ISKCON’s effort 2 tk Indian spiritual culture 2 the world is laudable.Our spirituality gives msg of world peace nd universal brotherhood.
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Many times Srila Prabhupada said "Love and trust." I think we need a lot more of this. Vengeance, envy, anger,and discord are often higher within religious groups than elsewhere (“We have enough religion to hate, but not enough to love”). We need to be careful about this in Iskcon. Recently I came across this quote. "Religious people often become self righteous, judgmental, resentful, condemning, etc. as they see more faults in man than other's see. Psychologists have noted that piety can easily become an unhealthy form of neurosis rather than a healthy form of religion." As devotees we are given standards to follow, standards which can backfire by becoming a criteria upon which we judge others. This will make us more judgmental , critical and sarcastic than before we joined Iskcon. Of course, if we are advancing properly we will become more introspective about our own need to improve. But the judgment of others often happens before the introspection kicks in. Continue reading "Can We Be Worse Now Than Before We Joined?
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If a devotee were to ask, “Please bless me so that I’ll never take birth again in this horrible material world,” would this be asking for some kind of liberation? Hundreds of times, Srila Prabhupada encouraged us to “Go Back home, back to Godhead.” Would it be a form of boldness or naiveté to desire to come back to this world and serve by preaching? That would depend on our level of perception and spiritual progress. There were times when some disciples indicated to Srila Prabhupada that they would perhaps like to take birth again and help with preaching Krishna consciousness. Even then Srila Prabhupada would variously say, “Don’t try to come back…simply go back to Godhead.” If going back to Godhead is what we must seek, then does this fare somewhat less to an ideal expressed by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, as paraphrased by Srila Prabhupada: Nitya-dasa prati tuwa adhikara: “You have got every right to do whatever You think right in relation with Your servant. I am Your eternal servant.” Janmaobi moe iccha jadi tor: “If you so desire” — because a devotee goes back to Home, goes back to Godhead - therefore Bhaktivinoda Thakura proposes, “If You like that I shall again take birth, it doesn’t matter.” Bhakta—grhe jani janma hau mor: “The only request is that if I have to take my birth, please kindly give me the chance of taking my birth in a devotee’s house.” Kita—janma hau jatha tuwa das: “I don’t mind if I am born as an insect, but I must be in the house of a devotee.” Bahir mukha brahma-janme nahi as: “I do not like non—devotee life. Continue reading "Back To Godhead, or Back To Serve?
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THE IMPORTANCE OF OPPOSITION AND LIFE REVERSES: In the lives of great persons there is always opposition and apparent road blocks in accomplishing their goals or mission in life. Whether through another person, an accident, their own body or mind, or some natural disturbance, what appears on the surface to be an impediment is passed through and the glory of the person is revealed.

In Christianity we have Judas who betrayed Christ but was actually a facilitator of his mission to sacrifice his life to benefit others. Haridas Thakur being whipped in 21 market places, or being tempted by a prostitute sent by a envious person, only added to his glory as the great teacher of the holy name.

Without the atrocities of Hiranyakashipu, Prahlad’s glories would not have been revealed, and we would have never heard of him. Dhurva Maharaja’s step mother forbidding him to be favored by his father helped him realize the strength of his determination and his eventual favor by the Lord. What would have happened if Krishnadas Kaviraja, the author of Chaitanya Charitamrita, had not left his brother's home? Without the devastating rains sent be Indra, Krishna would have had no necessity to lift Govardhan Hill.

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Krishna selected banyan tree, the example of nature, to make easier our understanding how material entanglement is intricate. Banyan has one unique feature – from its branches grow secondary roots, which in time grow down to the ground to grow in the ground. In this way, in due course of time, from one tree whole forest will grow, so that the original trunk of the tree and the original root, from which everythinng grew up, can not be found any more. Similarly, living entities falling into material world loose orientation very soon, which way is root of their existence. Original root of this asvattha tree is on Brahmaloka or Satyaloka. Secondary roots extend everywhere (anusantatani), in the direction of planets of humans, down (adhah) under Brahmaloka, and they cause cycle in implication of activities (karmanubandhini). It means that after exhausting accumulated pious or sinful fruits of own activities, living entities return via these secondary roots to human spheres, where by their own action (karma) sink many further secondary roots due to no interest for finding out original main root and extricating from this forest of implication – therefore karmanubandhini. Continue reading "Functional freedom
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Czech Summer Camp 2016 (Album with photos)
Dharmatma Das: A wonderful Vaisnava family mood at this 22nd annual gathering at a beautiful, remote, full facillity campground. Something special about the Czeck and other devotees here. Enlightening Seminars and classes given by Danavir, Bhakti Vaibhava, Bhakti Gauravani, Kadamba Kanana and Bhakti Prabhava Swami’s. And of course fabulous Prasadam. Went to a local town yesterday. Shops were closed and the town empty but the ecstatic Harinam magically brought them out. Recently arrived Janananda maharaja and Prithu prabhu and more nectar Harinam. Then sent Danavir Maharaja off and took over a old time Hippie Underground Music Festival. Talk about deja-vu!
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With the help of Krsna. who lives within everyone's heart, all impediments to this pure consciousness will be overcome. If we are eager to hear about Krsna, well learn from the scriptures how to recognize His existence everywhere. While drinking water we'll reflect that He's the taste that quenches our thirst. If we gaze upon a flock of birds in graceful flight well appreciate Krsna's artistic sense. Well see ability as His gift, wisdom as a particle of His knowledge, and death as His unavoidable representative. All that is glorious within this world we will see as a minute fragment of Krsna's energy, as we understand that the entire universe is sustained by His potencies. As we hear about Krsna. we'll also learn that as the supremely powerful controller. He has full capacity to perfectly please, maintain, and serve all His devotees. Thus we will clearly see the folly of limiting our love to the faulty relationships cramped within our workaday purview. And naturally our yearning to uncover our forgotten personal relationship with Krsna will increase. Continue reading "Renunciation In Royal Dress
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Harinama in a park of Moscow (Album with photos)
The devotees there are praying that the new very restrictive law, which may go...

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The post ​Why did Draupadi dishonor Karna by rejecting him as a suitor? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

The highlights of the Jagannatha Ratha Yatra in Puri (5 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommended five ...

Harinama in Florence, Italy (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The devotee can constantly think of the object of worship, the Supreme Lord, in any of His features—Narayana, Krishna, Rama, etc. – by chanting Hare Krishna. This practice will purify him, and at the end of his life, due to his constant chanting, he will be transferred to the kingdom of God. Bhagavad-Gita 8.8 Purport.
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Russia: Waiting list of 80 people to read the Sri Isopanisad!
While in Warsaw, Poland, I asked a devotee how he came to Krishna consciousness. At that time it was still a communist country so book distribution wasn’t allowed, but somehow books would get into places around communist countries. This devotee tells how he came across one of Prabhupada’s books.

ISKCON Baltimore: Srila Prabhupada visiting New Temple Project. (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The holy name of the Lor...

Peter Max (the world famous artist) gets Srila Prabhupada’s books!
Drumila Dasa: I was talking to a woman outside the famous Omni Hotel. She had contributed to our Food for Life program here in New Orleans. She was so nice I asked if I could take her picture and put her on my Facebook page holding her book. To reassure her I showed her some of the famous people that have gotten books from me. She said, “You know, I’m here with Peter Max.” I said, “You’re here with Peter Max!?”
I said, “Can I go in and give them a book, and take my picture with him?” She said, “I’ll bring him out to you!” I said, “Really!?” She said, “Sure.”
He’s a very famous illustrator from the 60’s and 70’s, whose work was on the Beatles album ‘Yellow Submarine’.
Peter Max (born Peter Max Finkelstein, October 19, 1937) is a Jewish German-born American illustrator and graphic artist currently living in New York City. He’s known for his use of psychedelic shapes and color palettes, spectra in his work, and the counter-culture, pop-art-focused nature of his art.
His work has been featured in various popular publications, events, and various museums and galleries worldwide. Examples of his commissions include being the official artist of the 1994 World Cup, painting of the hull art of a Norwegian Cruise Line, and border murals along entry points to the USA from Canada and Mexico.

LA Sankirtan Team Initiations (Album with photos)
Bhakta Jay Khush & Bhakta Storm get initiated by HH Radhanath Swami and become Jaya Caitanya Das & Sri Nitai Das!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/1BGRrH

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July 8. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Dynamic Preacher on the Streets of New York.
“Yes, from the very beginning I went to New York City because I thought that Krishna consciousness is the most important idea in the world, so let me go to that place, New York, which is the most important city in the world, and if I am able to do anything for Krishna and my spiritual master, even I am at the fag-end of my life, at least let me try for it there.” (Letter, December 23, 1972)
New York City was the only city in America where Prabhupada walked the streets alone. It is hard for us to conceive of now. We see pictures of Prabhupada sitting on a large vyasasana and speaking to hundreds of devotees, but in Manhattan in 1965-66, no one was his follower. He walked the streets and thought, “How can I spread Krishna consciousness here?”
In a 1965 lecture, Prabhupada gave an analogy to explain that Krishna is not alone. He said, “All day I am in this room alone, but when you come in the evening, I become more enlivened.” He was like a hermit in the city. He typed Srimad-Bhagavatam and chanted alone, even when the lights went out.
“When I was alone in your New York, I was thinking, who will listen to me in this horrible, sinful place? All right, I shall stay a little longer, at least I can distribute a few of my books, that is something. But Krishna was all along preparing something I could not see, and He brought you to me one by one, sincere American boys and girls, to be trained-up for doing the work of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Now I can see that it is a miracle. Otherwise, your city of New York, one single old man, with only a few books to sell for barely getting eatables, how he can survive, what to speak of introducing God consciousness movement for saving humankind? That is Krishna’s miracle. Now I can see it.” (Letter, December 23, 1972)
Srila Prabhupada had no romantic notions about Manhattan. He commiserated with the human suffering that he saw here. He spoke about the heavy snowfall, and compared the dirt on the streets to the dirt in the heart. He saw the city as big maya, and he wanted to give us shelter.
When Prabhupada revisited Manhattan in 1976, he reminisced about the old days. He said, “When I came here no one cared for me, but now I have so many sons; it is Krishna’s mercy.”
He also wrote in one letter:
“New York is very special to me because I started there without anything except faith in my spiritual master and Lord Krishna. I am very glad to see that things are developing there nicely.” (Letter, October 17, 1975)
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Dynamic Preacher on the Streets of New York