Planet ISKCON

Challenges

His Holiness Radhanath Swami began the launch of his new book, The Journey Within, at the ISKCON Dallas temple on May 16, 2016. The following exchange took place toward the end of the event.

Radhanath Swami: When I was with His Holiness Giriraj Swami Maharaja this past September, I told him, “I really don’t know what to do with this book. Please save me.” And he started reading it. That was in Boston, yes?

Giriraj Swami: It actually began on the flight from Los Angeles to Boston. After we had spoken together for some time, you said, “Excuse me, I have a manuscript that I have to look at because I have a deadline and I have to send it in.” And then you said, “Would you like to have a look at it?” That was the beginning.

Radhanath Swami: That’s right. Maharaja was supposed to go to Boston a day earlier, but Amala Bhakta Prabhu was going to take sannyasa at the Los Angeles temple and he really wanted Maharaja to be there, so I begged Maharaja, “Please come for his sannyasa ceremony.”

So, Amala Bhakta Prabhu became Amala Bhakta Swami Maharaja, and the next day Giriraj Swami Maharaja and I flew together to Boston. It was a really interesting flight. That was the flight where those people were yelling and fighting, right?

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Radhanath Swami: Were you ever on a flight like that? I don’t want to get into the sociological, psychological dynamics, but there were these men who were with women and they were really drunk. They just kept drinking more and more liquor, and they were trying to show off to the women how tough they were and how arrogant they were, and they were just saying the most obscene, terrible things on the flight. Everybody around them was disturbed by them, and some of the passengers started chastising them, and they had to show their prowess to their girlfriends, so they were screaming and standing up and ready to fight. And the girls were smiling. Then everyone around started chastising the airline attendants: “Why did you give them so much to drink? Look at what you’ve done. This is all your fault. We’re never going to fly on this airline again. We’re going to get you fired.” The attendants were saying, “We didn’t know,” but the people were saying, “No, we are going to get you fired. What is your name?” And then the men said, “Don’t blame them. You fight with me.”

And two little swamis were sitting in the middle of it all. So, in that very sattvika environment, Giriraj Swami started reading the manuscript!

Giriraj Swami: Yes. You had come to a certain point in the manuscript, so you asked me to look at it from that point, which I did, and I was sharing my thoughts with you and you found it instructive, or interesting. When we landed, your vehicle, a minivan, came to receive us all, and when there was a delay with my rental car, you said, “Oh, this is good. It will give us more time to work on the book.” So we were working in your vehicle, and then, even when my car was ready, you wanted to continue working, so I stayed and you didn’t get out even when we got to your place, which came before mine, and we continued working all the way to my place and then you went back to yours.

Radhanath Swami: Yes.

Giriraj Swami: Thereafter, pretty much any time you were free, when we weren’t directly involved in programs, I would come over and we would work on the book.

Then you said that you were going to New York and that it would be good if I joined you. It was a difficult decision for me, because it had been planned long before that I would spend some time in Boston with His Holiness Niranjana Swami. But I felt this imperative from you, so I presented the situation to Niranjana Swami, and he was very gracious and said, “Yes, Radhanath Swami is also very dear to me. I also consider myself to be his servant, so if you are serving him, I will also be happy.”

And so we went. You actually went ahead—you drove at night—and I came the next day, and we made our base at Yasoda-dulal Prabhu’s place in New Jersey and went through the book from where we had left off. Then you thought we should start again from the beginning, so after we got to the end, we did just that. We worked from early in the morning, and when you had to go out for a program, I would accompany you and we would work together in the car. That ended up being the time when the pope came and you were scheduled to speak at the UN. There were a couple of programs scheduled for you in New York, and you cancelled one of them so we could work on the book. You said our work was more important. Then we were working at The Bhakti Center together. But there was still some anxiety over whether we would be able to finish, because I had to leave the next day and we were really going through the manuscript—paragraph by paragraph, sentence by sentence, word by word, comma by comma.

Radhanath Swami: I don’t even know what a comma is. You were doing it.

Giriraj Swami: And it was like a miracle. You did one program and cancelled the other. Then you came back, and it was like a miracle: we actually finished the whole book. I thought that maybe if we were lucky we would finish by midnight, but we finished around 8 p.m.

I really felt that I got to enter your heart more deeply, because so much of your heart came out in the book. And I really got to appreciate—I always did, but in a deeper, maybe more intimate or confidential way—how compassionate you are, because your compassion came out on every page, in every paragraph, every sentence. That was for me one overwhelming effect of going through the book together.

Another was seeing how personal you are in how you present the philosophy. All the philosophy is there, but it is illustrated with vivid examples that even a Minnesota housewife can relate to. Working together was a very enriching and rewarding experience for me, and I pray, and am completely hopeful, that the book will be read widely—by all sorts of people, even people who don’t have any background in yoga or acquaintance with Krishna. That will fulfill your desire that they be awakened to this beautiful life in Krishna consciousness, which can relieve them from so many miseries in the material world.

And there are many stories, such as “The Tale of Dorothy,” that illustrate how someone who has faced setbacks and reversals and tragedies in life can find hope in Krishna consciousness.

Then there is the story of that poor family in Maharashtra—they were so poor, but the mother, Tarabai, had integrity and a sense of self-respect and didn’t want to take something without reciprocating, but she was so poor she really had nothing to give you. You took her son into our orphanage and school, which was a big thing. It is such a moving story: she had nothing to give, but she really wanted to give something. Finally, after droughts and all sorts of calamities, she got a little crop of peanuts, and she gave you the peanuts as an offering. There is an expression—if something is sold for a small amount, or if someone is compensated for some work with a small amount, something meager, useless, or trivial, we say, “Oh, that’s peanuts.” She literally gave peanuts and, like Krishna, out of your loving and compassionate heart, you accepted those peanuts as a most spectacular offering.

So, yes, it was really a wonderful experience, and I look forward to reading the published book, because, as it is said, sometimes you can’t see the forest for the trees. In other words, you pay so much attention to the trees, the details, that you can’t get an overview of the whole forest. Looking at every word and every comma, I didn’t get a full sense of the whole. So, I am looking forward to reading it again, that I might relish it again, and to seeing it in its final form.

Thank you for engaging me.

Radhanath Swami: Thank you for saving me. When Giriraj Maharaja put his magical, mystical, devotional grace into the book in such a loving and attentive way, I really felt for the first time that Srila Prabhupada has blessed it, and I am forever indebted to you for assisting me in this way. Thank you.

Giriraj Swami: Thank you for engaging me and purifying me.

Radhanath Swami: Thank you for engaging and purifying me.

Giriraj Swami: You want to fight about it?

Radhanath Swami: We don’t have any ladies to show off to!

Thank you very much, Giriraj Swami Maharaja!

Iskcon Alachua: New atomic clock installed for being punctual in the Deity worship.
Mukhya Devi Dasi: THANK YOU to Jiva Goswami...

By Seva Devi Dasi

Devotees are not ordinary booksellers; their bookselling is transcendental. It is sankirtana, the glorification of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sankirtana can be executed very easily, without great endeavor or expense. One can simply chant the Hare Krsna mantra by himself or with others. Or one can read about and discuss the pastimes of the Lord and His devotees. When we give someone a book, we allow him to get in touch with the philosophy and pastimes of Krsna. Any donation he gives helps support the book publication and the temples of the Krsna consciousness movement. Temples worldwide distribute prasadam (spiritual food) free of charge and give people the opportunity to come and take part in spiritual activities. And all of this is sankirtana, the glorification of Lord Krsna, which is what Krsna consciousness is all about. Continue reading "Why We Distribute Books
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Into The Heartland Of Moldova (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Yesterday we ventured into the heartland of Moldova to the village of Aneni Noi. The surrounding countryside provided a scenic background for our festival which was attended by over 6,000 guests. Aneni Noi now has the proud distinction of being part of Lord’s Caitanya’s prediction that His holy names will be heard in every town and village of the world.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/daf7iq

By Mike Mallory

Bhaktimarga Swami sat calmly Monday morning as he rested in the grass of Joliet’s West Park with a water bottle at his side. Known as the “Walking Monk,” Swami covers about 20 miles a day with only a pair of sandals separating his feet from the ground. He’s in the middle of the second leg of his journey from New York City to San Francisco. “I started walking in Joliet today,” Swami said. “I found out the Illinois & Michigan Canal State Trail is here. That’s a piece of paradise. You see a heron every few minutes.” Swami hopes to promote a “greener,” healthier lifestyle in America – one that emphasizes strong morals and ethics. Through outreach efforts along his path, he spreads his message. “My purpose is to make the statement that we need to simplify life,” Swami said. “In many ways this walk reaffirms what we should be doing. Our bodies were made for walking. The question is, are we doing enough of it?” He began this portion of the trip in May in Pennsylvania and plans to finish in early August in Nebraska. Next year, he will make his way to California. Continue reading "‘Walking Monk’ makes stop in Joliet during journey across America
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Interfaith Encounter in Dundas Square, Toronto.
Mangal Aarti Devi Dasi: A few days ago I was distributing books in Dundas Square, Toronto, when I stopped a young man from Germany who was on vacation. I showed him a copy of “Beyond Birth and Death” and said a little something to pique his interest. In the middle my talk an elderly man distributing free copies of the Koran walked over from the corner and tried to hand him some books on Islam. Here’s what ensued:
The Muslim representative encouraged the German to take his books, saying “You should research all religions.” I didn’t get angry at this intrusion but tried to sympathize with the older man, recognizing that he had a genuine desire to share his spiritual and cultural values for the benefit of others. This is purifying for any heart, I thought.
Then came the reply from the German: “No, thanks, I’m fine with this one [Prabhupada’s book].” As for me, rather than becoming proud of having won the bout of the books, I felt compassion for the Muslim and tried to minimize the feelings of rejection and dejection he must have felt. I prayed for a swift end to his negative feelings. After the German boy gave me ten euros and walked away, I turned away from the elderly man, trying not to give him the impression I was reveling in his defeat. I had a few moments to reflect on how often I’d tried to go out on a limb to present Krishna consciousness to someone, only to receive a big blow to my false ego in return.
Just then a boy named Joseph walked up to me. He introduced himself as someone who’d once visited our Toronto temple. He was eager to purchase a few books. I was curious about how fascinating the flow of interactions on book distribution can sometimes be. As he was explaining his interest, he revealed his true intention. He had come as an ambassador from the Muslim man. Joseph told me that the man had asked him to approach me to ask what we were all about. I decided the best thing would be to go over myself and present the Bhagavad-gita to the elderly gentleman personally. I wanted to make him my friend. He took a “Bhagavad-Gita As It Is” on Joseph’s donation, and I walked away with some books on Islam. It was a cultural exchange and a successful real-time interfaith dialogue.
Your Servant,
Mangal Aarti Devi Dasi

Someone asked me these questions, I thought to share my answers in this blog.

How do we respond to atheism regarding Krishna consciousness which tend base itself on analysis and evaluation of hard evidences and thus discarding the idea of god and Krishna altogether through an objective eye?

Atheism  basically stems from modern education and modern science because in science, the idea of God is not taught to students. Science as you say is based on evidence and its analysis. Evidence as per science is defined as that which can be observed and put to experimentation and from that experimentation derive mathematical constructs within Cartesian space. This is called empiricism or empirical science. If scientists cannot collect and subject evidence within Cartesian coordinates, then such evidence or theory is not scientifically valid. But God can never be a "subject" or be "subjected" to human control. God is always an "object" (never the subject). So unless scientists and their followers (atheists) give up this pride of subjecting evidence to test, they cannot and will never understand God.

So the first principle to understand God is to do the opposite of what atheists and scientists do - that is instead of "subjecting" evidence to human control, we "subject" humans to God's control. The idea, however, is the same. It is simply a matter of who is the subject and who is the object. Scientists have their "objective" such as research and grants and peer review papers. With this "objective" they "subject" evidence. If we want to understand God, we put God as the "objective" and we volunteer our self as the "subject" to be "subjected" to God's control. So when we become the evidence to God's experiment or plan, then from within our heart, that very God who is unscientific dogmatic idea will become a scientific truth or fact. The bottom line is - it is a matter of which methodology we want to pick but there is truth in both spheres, God and science.

On the road to spiritual path, how can we expand our spiritual roots while resolving dilemmas of day to day life. How to act more purposefully in our practical life? 

The whole Bhagavad Gita was spoken for this purpose and obviously I cannot summarize all of it here. For us to solve our dilemmas of daily life, we simply have to connect our self back to our source who is God. Right now we are disconnected, hence we face dilemma, doubts and fears. When we connect back to Krishna or God, then all of our daily issues will be automatically resolved. So the answer to your question is simple, connect back to Krishna or God and stay connected (because you have free will to disconnect). Now, how to connect and stay connected is the reason the Gita was spoken. But basically Srila Prabhupada has given us few principles to stay connected always with Krishna. They are (1) chanting (2) listening to lectures by Srila Prabhupada (3) reading Bhagavad Gita (4) associating with devotees (5) eating prasadam daily cooked with love for Krishna. When we do these five things daily sincerely, seriously and without selfishness, gradually we will revive our lost connection with God and will be able to stay connected with Him always. In this connection, all of our material troubles will be resolved.

Hare Krishna

By Tribhanga Gopal Das

Sri Sharad Tripathi, Member of Parliament (MP) elected from Sant Kabir Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, visited the ISKCON Temple in Balaramdesh on 20th June 2016 at about 7:30 PM during his Balaramdesh visit. He gave a speech in the Temple Hall. In his speech, he praised ISKCON’s devotional activities and services. He also glorified their Lordships, Vrindavan Dham and Mathura Dham (the speech is recorded and is available with HG Venkatesa Govinda Dasa).

While leaving the Temple Hall, I indicated HG Sridhar Madhava Prabhu to introduce the MP to His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami Maharaja, Minister for ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministry (IDVM-India) and explain about his global Go Seva program through IDVM’s initiative of the OM Sri Surabhi Campaign.

A brief but fruitful meeting took place between His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami Maharaja and the Indian MP in Maharaja’s quarters. During the meeting, Maharaja highlighted the importance of Go Seva, the IDVM’s ongoing OM Sri Surabhi Campaign, the interdependence of cow protection movement and village life and so on. His Holiness also gave prasadam to the Honorable MP. The Honorable MP said that he would help establish an ISKCON center in Uttar Pradesh (UP).

While handing over the IDVM-India pamphlets to Mr. Tripathi I told him how Maharaja in his 5-days spiritual discourse had highlighted the grave situation of migration to cities. His Holiness had shown how thousands of families were leaving villages and going to town and cities. Therefore, India’s traditional or the village culture was disappearing. To stop and reverse this trend the IDVM Ministry, under the inspiration of His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami, has undertaken the Sri Govind Gau Gram Prachar Yatra, which involves travelling to different villages and preaching the villagers to remain in the villages leading a simple life in Krishna Consciousness with Mother cow and Mother Earth.

The Honorable MP was jubilant to hear this and praised Maharaja’s noble work and carefully kept the pamphlet with him.

I also requested him that His Holiness’ mission be shared with the Central Government and other higher officials particularly with Srimati Menaka Gandhi and the Esteemed Prime Minister of India Honorable Narendra Modi. The MP responded positively and said that the Central Government could do many things in this regard and then left the temple.

Disciples’ June Istagosti.

The post Going deep (part 2) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

The post Daily Darshan: June 22nd, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

The post Rajapur Sri Jagannath Snana Yatra Festival appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Iskcon Youth Forum For Girls-Vrindavan (Album with photos)
A successful festival for the brajbasi girls from 4 schools organised by Sureshvar Prabhu and his good wife Caitanya Rupini devi dasi.
This program is the first of its kind in the history of ISKCON Vrindavn..
The girls participated in spiritual programs and skill workshops. Caitanya Rupini Mataji hopes to include more schools in the future.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/OgMJbV

Recently got this rad instrument.

Monk Walks To Promote A Simpler Way Of Life.
By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
BUCHANAN – He’s on a walk across America, and last Friday Bhaktimarga Swami was in downtown Buchanan on his way west toward Lake Michigan. Clothed in his orange robes, Swami made his way through town as well as west along Elm Valley Rd.
Swami is in the middle of a three-year trek across the country. He began his walk last spring and walked through the fall.
Swami has been walking for nearly a month this year, starting out from Pennsylvania in mid-May, and he’s hoping to link up with the historic Lincoln Road so he can end this year’s walk in Nebraska in August. He plans to resume his walk next spring in hopes of reaching San Francisco next summer or fall.
He was in Southwest Michigan last weekend almost by chance as he searched for quieter roads after spending a week or so in northern Indiana with stops in Bristol and South Bend, including travels through Amish country and a stop at the University of Notre Dame.
While he has many reasons for walking, he said his main message is to urge people to get back to the basics.
“I’m walking for America,” he said Saturday. “Let’s get back to basics and more simple ways. People need to slow down and return to the good old values of morality, family and community. We’ve gone off track.”
He sees walking as a good way to reconnect with what’s most important, whether that is one’s inner faith, physical body, other people or the world around us.
“When you’re walking, you can’t help but go back in time,” he said. “The simple act of walking helps people have time to be meditative and take a little downtime for themselves.”
Swami said it’s often the simple things that are most memorable to him from his months and years of walking, things like berries and other wild fruit and seeing farmland like where he grew up in southern Ontario.
There are also other things that he sees along the highways and byways that most people don’t see as they drive by.
“The road kill I see is astronomical,” he said. “When you’re in a car, you can’t help but be insensitive. I’m not a great supporter of automobiles. I love horses and buggies.”
His schedule has him walking around 20 miles every day, starting at around 4:30 a.m. and ending around noon.
“God made our bodies to walk,” he said.
He and his two companions do take time to visit sites of interest along the way, stopping, for example, last week to visit the basilica at the University of Notre Dame.
He’s not one to turn entirely away from all technology. While the purpose of this trek is to walk across America, he and his two companions also drive as they did on Friday evening to Toledo where he had a speaking engagement. They also had plans to go into Chicago for another speech over the weekend.
“We do make use of modern technology. We use it with purpose to promote a simpler lifestyle,” he said. “I tell people to use it but not let it consume their lives … Gandhi spoke of the value of simple living and high thinking.”
When he’s not walking, he’s pursuing his other passion which is writing and producing morality theater plays that retell traditional Indian epic stories to audiences across the globe.
Swami is no stranger to long distance walks. He has completed four cross-country treks across his native Canada since 1996 and has also walked across the countries of Ireland, Israel, Fiji Islands, Trinidad and Guyana.
Born John Peter Vis, he converted to Hinduism and became a Hare Krishna disciple in the early 1970s when he was in college. He is a disciple of Swami Prabhupada, a teacher who brought Hindu teachings to the west including to George Harrison and other members of the Beatles.
His current trek is in honor of the 50th anniversary of Prabhupada’s arrival in the United States in 1965, and he hopes to be in San Francisco next year for the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love.
To follow his travels on his blog and postings, go to his website at www.thewalkingmonk.net.

Lord Jagannath goes to Stonehenge (Album with photos)
Dharmatma das: We began at 5pm with a great crew of cooks and wolfers doing the cut-up. Loaded the vans and began the two and a half hour drive at 10pm. Began serving Prasadam immediately then took Jagannatha on procession pulled by enthusiastic revellers. Wild, ecstatic kirtan led by Harinamananda and Sandipani prabhu’s. After sunrise so many lined up for steaming hot Prasadam. In total over 2000 plates distributed. Everyone loves the Hari’s and were so appreciative of our endeavors. Parasuram prabhu and his wonderful crew have been doing this and many other Festivals for years….
Find them here: https://goo.gl/l3lALg

June 22. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Answering Inquiries.
He had a broad mission, broader even than translating Srimad-Bhagavatam, and so he gave much of his time and energy to meeting visitors. Had his only aim been to write, then there would have been no need to have taken the risk and trouble of coming to America. Now many people were coming, and an important part of his mission was to talk to them and convince them of Krishna consciousness. His visitors were usually young men who had recently come to live on the Lower East Side. He had no secretary to screen his visitors, nor did he have scheduled visiting hours. Whenever anyone happened by, at any time, from early morning to ten at night, Prabhupada would stop his typing or translating and speak with them. It was an open neighbourhood, and many visitors would come by right off the street. Some were serious, but many not; some even came intoxicated. Often they came not to inquire submissively but to challenge.
Once a young hippie on an LSD trip found his way upstairs and sat opposite the Swami: “Right now I am higher than you are,” he announced. “I am God.” Prabhupada bowed his head slightly, his palms folded: “Please accept my obeisances,” he said. Then he asked “God” to please leave. Others admitted frankly that they were crazy or haunted by ghosts and sought relief from their mental suffering.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=9

Answering Inquiries

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 26 April 2016, Radhadesh, Belgium, Vyasa Puja Address)

We want to manifest the spiritual world here. This is our business together. This is what we are meant to do and everyone is meant to contribute in their own individual way to bring in spiritual elements. Whatever it is, bring in Krsna according to our talents. I appreciated Parividha Prabhu´s contribution this year to the festival. I really did, because it was more than a cultural presentation. I mean, he shared something about his life in a very esoteric, cultural way with very nice slides and so on. I also liked that play yesterday. It was a big cast, a lot of work went into it and it was serious acting going on. It was good – costumes and everything, a lot of effort!  It was nice because:

sādhu-saṅga sādhu-saṅga, sarva-śāstre kaya

lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 22.54)

This verse is a fact, this verse is part of our motto. The association with devotees, all perfection comes from there and let us bring perfection, let us not wait for what the devotees give us but LET US GIVE to the community of devotees. The community of devotees is our wealth. I have mentioned in the past that in the beginning of my spiritual life, I used to think that in the service of Krsna, things had to be proper. It had to be proper, the way Krsna wanted it and it was clearly stated in the scriptures, and sometimes I steamrolled a few devotees along the way. You know what I am saying!? I burnt out a few relationships simply because I did not understand how important the community of devotees is.

You know, there is only a handful of us really in terms of worldwide. The International Society for Krsna Consciousness, and after a while you know them all. It is like a village, I mean we have a big global village. Practically speaking, you don´t know everyone by name but you know so many people by face.

We are a big village. In a way, it is a limited community. It is not the “disposable” society. I have a relationship with you for a while as long as I like it and then, okay next… After a while, a trade-in, disposable relationships! This is so far from a vaisnava community. We have to do it with the vaisnava community, not only passively saying, “Oh, yes, this association with devotees will bring us everything.” No, we must ask ourselves, “What are we bringing to the association of the devotees?” When devotees bring things in the association of others, this really brings so much life. We can appreciate like that. I appreciate that more now than I used to.

If we could somehow or other get to that stage where we no longer just think, “What am I receiving?” but instead see what you can give…

It is just like in India, we have big festivals and we have these big, big offerings to the deities, like 1008 preparations and it is all on tables, in front of the deities. And after the offerings, you see the tables go towards the prasadam hall and some tables go in another direction, into someone´s office or something like that. You see these things and you know exactly where all those tables are going.

Haven´t we all got some maha prasadam and just took it to our room, locked the door and ate it all! That is ecstatic undoubtedly, and sometimes you need to do it, I guess. But then, there comes a point when instead of locking it in your room, you turn around… like in the spirit of that Radha Govinda temple in Jaipur where the residents buy maha prasadam with their money and turn around… and start distributing it to everyone! They give to everyone and this is the tradition. This has been going on for so long now and there is so much service attitude.

I was in the temple in Jaipur and this old lady came up to me and she pulled my cloth. I go, “Hey, I’m a sannyasi! Don´t touch!” And then after a while, she gave me these little binoculars so that I could have a look at the deities. So that is her contribution, that pilgrims get these little binoculars so they can see the deity. These kinds of things – original ideas; it is her idea, it is not in some scripture, it is her idea of how to serve the vaisnavas and that is nice. And I had a close up darshan and I actually saw that Govindaji was wearing a watch because in India, if you do not have a watch you are a nobody…

It was just very nice service, so creative, spontaneous, from the heart! Make an offering to the community of vaisnavas and suddenly we start to feel very closely connected. This is it, it is what we bring in.

Just like us, the Lord has feelings. When someone glorifies the Lord, He is happy but if someone speaks ill words, the Lord feels pain in His heart. The pastime between Varaha and Hiaranyaksha is a display of Lord's feelings.

Hiranyaksha spoke of Lord Varaha "When You fall dead with Your skull smashed by the mace hurled by my arms, the demigods and sages who offer You oblations and sacrifice in devotional service will also automatically cease to exist, like trees without roots." Hearing this the Lord was pained by the shaftlike abusive words of the demon, however, He bore the pain. - SB 3.18.5-6

So every time when we chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra, it is a personal glorification of the Lord. We can understand from the above verses that the Lord must feel happy when we chant. However, we should be careful not to speak or think ill of Him or hear others' speak in that manner.

Hare Krishna

By Bhakti Raghava Swami

The incident will always be fresh in my mind. I had been a practicing devotee for ten years, eight of which were in the sacred holy land of Sri Dham Mayapur in India. Little did I know that Krishna would be sending me the test of my life, the test of chanting His holy names. As had been the routine since 1979 when devotees from Mayapur had inaugurated the Nama Hatta preaching by introducing the chanting of the holy name in every town and village, as ordered by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I had just returned from such a village preaching engagement in the month of March, 1984. I had joined the Hare Krishna Movement exactly 10 years earlier, January 1974, in the capital city of Ottawa. After serving in Ottawa for two years, Krishna had arranged that I travel to India to attend the yearly Gaura Purnima Festival that takes place in the month of February/March. While serving in Ottawa as the head-cook for close to two years, the chance to visit the birthplace of Lord Caitanya, that very personality who had inaugurated the chanting of the holy names in this same Sri Dham Mayapur some 500 years earlier, had come upon three young brahmacaris serving at the Ottawa temple. By some divine arrangement, I was able to continue serving in India since that first visit in March of 1976. Continue reading "Chanting Hare Krishna….It Really Works
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By Lakshman das

Intricate sentiments symbolise the grand Rathayatra festivities connecting the event with the return of Lord Krshna to Vrindavan from His pompous life in Dwaraka to meet His heart throbs. The palace of Dwaraka represents the residence of Jagannatha, an enticing enactment of Lord Krshna's scintillating pastime. At Puri, Krshna and His fraternal associates dwell as living Deities to wipe off the sufferings of His devotees in this mutilated age of kaliyuga. The Gundicha represents the Vrindavana, where His eternal associates Radharani, the gopis and gopas dwell. The visit of Jagannatha to Gundicha symbolises the visit of Syamasundara to meet His youthful associates of Vrindavan and the seven days stay there reminds His enchanting moments of rasa-lila with the loving company of their association. Many have enacted this colourful event and many have coined articulating words of gesture to glorify their touching love of Lord with the glories of Vrindavana. Continue reading "The significance and glories of Rathayatra
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By His Divine Grace A.C.B. Swami Prabhupada

Personal Letters from Srila Prabhupada. As a genuine spiritual master, His Divine Grace takes personal responsibility for the advancement of each of his students in the spiritual life of Krsna consciousness. Although now his transcendental instructions are available in book form, when Srila Prabhupada first began the Krsna consciousness movement, the only way his new disciples could get the answers to their many questions was to ask Srila Prabhupada personally. Therefore, since 1966, Srila Prabhupada has written literally thousands of personal letters to his disciples, answering their questions, giving them encouragement and opening their eyes to newer and newer realizations of Krsna. A bona fide spiritual master is by nature very kind to his disciples, and as their ever well-wisher, he blesses them with genuine spiritual understanding. Some of Srila Prabhupada's instructions are presented here. Continue reading "From the Reservoir of Knowledge
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Report from South Africa.
One evening recently, after relishing the nectar of distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books, I was waiting at a gas station for my ride back to the temple. I approached the pump attendants and urged them to chant Hare Krishna. At first they couldn’t understand what I’d said, but after I’d repeated the mantra a few times the normal symptoms of one who hears the Lord’s holy name began to take effect. They all looked at one another, and while smiling and laughing they began to chant in response. Between filling up the cars that pulled in for gas, they joined in with the other gas station workers, and very quickly the whole station was vibrating with the holy name as cars pulled in. After we had chanted for some time, I explained the meaning of the maha-mantra. Then I approached one pump attendant and showed him the Zulu “Beyond Death and Death.” He began reading. I asked him, “Did you understand what you read? Please explain it to me.” He began to explain very nicely yes, he’d understood the first paragraph he read. I asked him, “Please take it with you we just ask for a small contribution.”
He looked at his friend. They both nodded in agreement and gave me a donation.
“Thanks!” I said. “Don’t just read the book; try to study it every day.”
The next day I was dropped off at the same gas station to distribute books at the Pavilion Mall across the road. As I began to walk across the intersection I heard a voice call out to me from behind. “Hare Krsna!” It was the pump attendant who’d received the book from me the previous day. I called back, “Hare Krsna!” He dug his hands into his pocket, pulled out the BBD, and exclaimed, “Look! Here it is. You told me to read and study the book you gave me, and I just wanted to let you know I am and it is very interesting.”
What an inspiration it was for me to see that he’d brought the book to work and was appreciating it. Yes, indeed — he was blessed, and I was also blessed.
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Yours in the service of Lord Sri Krsna and His devotees,
Madhumangala das

Bonds of Love: Girija Devi Dasi.
Girija, a devout Christian, became interested in Krishna consciousness when she learned of Srila Prabhupada’s respect for and openness to all bona fide, sincerely practiced religions.
As I got older I saw my religion declining and felt sorry. I tried Sri Aurobindo’s ashram for a year, then I tried Maharishi, then went to a convent to be a nun, but these weren’t what I was looking for. Then in 1976, when I was 24, I went to the Govardhana-puja festival at the Montreal ISKCON temple. A week later I renounced everything and joined the movement. What first impacted me was the Bhagavad-gita. I found all the answers in that book – answers to who I was, where I would go in my next life, who God is, and how to dedicate myself to Him. It was perfect.
My husband and I wanted to raise our five children in Krishna consciousness, so we moved from farm to farm so they could grow up in a natural environment, in the mode of goodness, and in the association of devotees in a spiritual community. By the mercy of Shri Krishna and Srila Prabhupada it was possible, and our children are beautiful and wonderful devotees. Now I have five devotee grandchildren. It’s rewarding.
I love being a devotee. I stay enthusiastic and inspired by strongly focusing on my goal: to go back home, back to Godhead. I do whatever’s needed to achieve that end. In old age I see myself being blissfully focused on Krishna, and this is all because of Prabhupada and the association of devotees. Anybody who wants God and wants to go back home, back to Godhead, can be inspired and happy by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and his teachings.

Disciples’ June Istagosti.

The post Going deep (part 1) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Snan Yatra Celebration & Hati Vesa at ISKCON Mira Road (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: We are not afraid of maya because Krishna is there. Krishna says, “My devotee will never be vanquished by maya.” Maya cannot do anything if we become strong. And what is that strength? Chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare loudly. (Lecture on Bhagavad-gita, 3.6.10, Los Angeles 1968).
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New Vrindaban - 24 Hour Kirtan (2016) Album (130 Photographs)
Date: 18-19 June, 2016
Photography Courtesy: Arjun Bhattacharyya
Srila Prabhupada: Karmis change their professions at any moment, but a Krishna conscious person does not change his profession, for his only profession is to attract the attention of Krishna by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra and living a very simple life, without following daily changes of fashion. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.5.14 Purport)
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The post Daily Darshan: June 21st, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Harinam in London, UK (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If one somehow or other chants the Hare Krishna mantra, he will immediately be purified, just as one who takes a potent medicine will feel its effects, regardless of whether he takes it knowingly or unknowingly. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.2.19 Purport)
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Vaishnava kids comment the verses of The Nectar of Instruction (Upadesamrta by Srila Rupa Gosvami) according to their understanding. Playlist of brief videos.
Srila Prabhupada: Fire will act, regardless of whether handled by an innocent child or by someone well aware of its power. Similarly, one may or may not know the power of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, but if one chants the holy name he will become free from all sinful reactions. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.2.18 Purport)
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Podcast

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The post Surrender is not just exalted sentiment but also practical action – Gita 18.66 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

June 21. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Swamiji’s Writing.
Mostly he kept to his room, working. As he had said during a lecture when living on the Bowery, “I am here always working at something, reading or writing – something, reading or writing – twenty-four hours.” His mission of translating Srimad-Bhagavatam, of presenting the complete work in sixty volumes of four hundred pages each, could alone occupy all his days and nights. He worked at it whenever possible, sitting at his portable typewriter or translating the Sanskrit into English.
He especially worked in the very early hours of the morning, when he would not be interrupted. He would comb through the Sanskrit and Bengali commentaries of the great acaryas, following their explanations, selecting passages from them, adding his own knowledge and realization, and then laboriously weaving it all together and typing out his Bhaktivedanta purports. He had no means or immediate plans for financing the publishing of further volumes, but he continued in the faith that somehow they would be published.
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Swamiji’s Writing