Planet ISKCON

New Sydney Temple Project (Album with photos)
Ramai Swami: The third Sydney West temple fundraiser this year was well attended...

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

Many of you have discussed my health and it imposes some further limitations on me. What can I say!? I have to start thinking about going slow, what a boring thing but what to do!? Limited! The guru is limited so ultimately, at the end of the day, the ball is back in your court. It may go back and forth but then at the end, it is in your court. I will play, no problem, that ball will come back to you many times but at the end, it is in your court only and nowhere else and then it is up to you what you do with it…

As they say in good American slang, “You win a few, you lose a few.” I really wish the best for everyone but the reality is, “You win a few, you lose a few.” Some people are going to take it, some are not going to take it and sometimes it is really sad to see how people throw away an opportunity. Please, PLEASE realize what amazing, precious opportunities are being delivered through the disciplic succession. Let us do it all the way, let us not become distracted by the petty little things of this world, like sex desire!

Everyone has it! I have said it before and I will repeat it today, we may have sex desire but we should not put so much faith in sexual activity. I mean, is it going to fulfil us? Let us be real. We are here in this Krsna Consciousness movement because we have some doubt about that. It is a fact that sexuality plays a part in life but it is not going to fulfil us.

Even after so much sexual activities still something is missing, still we are not beaming with happiness, still not effulgent, still not ecstatic… So let us not make too much of it. The world is oversexed basically; they make too much of it. There is a place for sexual activity but they make too much of it. Whatever place it has in your life do not give it too much energy. In my life, it is zero. Let us deal with more important things. This is the point!

People are looking for romance and then relationships break… new ones start… all these things are going on. Okay, if you need that then it is okay but within the boundaries, do not go over the line because then you are damaging your spiritual progress back to the spiritual world. So keep it within the boundaries of what Krsna has blessed, what the acharyas have authorized and then make the best of it.

Well, being married to this one or being married to that one is not so different. In the end, it is not that different actually. Personalities are different, true, we can look around the room and everyone has a different personality. So in marriage, also the personalities are different but the script is the same. The same script, the same laws:

vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ

jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam (Śrī Upadeśāmṛta 1)

The pushings of the senses are the same, the same modes of material nature create the same script. A little variety is there, the personalities, the actors are different but the play is the same old script. This is what it is. So do not make too much of it. It is alright but again it is not enough to fulfil us; only Krsna will fulfil us. Let us bring that into our relationships, into our community, at home and wherever we meet. Let us just bring in the culture of the spiritual world because that will really help us to shift the weight to the other side, to the spiritual side to become jivan muktas, liberated souls even in this body already. This is the idea!

These are some of the thoughts that I am sharing with you this year. Time is short. I hope I can be with you for many more years to come but Krsna is in control and we will see what happens and I hope that all of you can be here also for a long time and that we can do something very nice together!

Transcribed by Tattvavati dd

Tamohara das: The North American Executive Committee (NAEC) of the North American GBC and Temple Presidents Association is looking for a new Director of the Child Protection Office.

Param Dayal Nityananda das: Members of ISKCON understand that truth can be found in other teachings, but falsity is also found in many of them.

By Brajahari das

In this article, I compare the origin of universe as described in the Srimad Bhagavatam (SB) and the Big Bang (BB) theory . 1. The initial state According to SB, the initial state of matter immediately previous to its manifestation is called pradhana (SB 3.26.10p). In the BB theory, this initial state is called the singularity. The table indicates a clear similarity between these two initial states. Both states, i.e. pradhana and singularity, refer to a condition where no matter/space is manifested. Since, not even space is manifested, it is just an infinitely small point. SB describes it as void. Although no manifestation of matter/space, yet the total matter is contained and densely packed therein. It is a state where all physical laws break and thus beyond our ability to perceive. Continue reading "Origin of the universe: Srimad Bhagavatam and the Big Bang Theory
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Hare Krishna Festivals UK: Glastonbury, Day 4 (Album with photos)
Hare Krishna,
Over 3,000 plates of delicious prasadam (sanctified spiritual food) were served during the first full day of this year’s Glastonbury Festival :) … Oh, and we went on a Harinam :)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/s6d97o

Madhvacarya das, ACBSP, left his body.
We are sorry to inform the devotee community that His Grace Madhvācārya prabhu, Śrīla Prabhupāda disciple, left this world past Sunday 19 of June. He and a group of other devotees were celebrating his mother’s 95 birthday anniversary when he just felt on the ground, he passed away en route to the hospital surrounded by devotees. There will be last rites services at the Mexico City ISKCON temple next Friday July 1st.
It is worthy to add that his mother, Śrīmatī Rocana devī dāsī, is Śrīla Prabhupāda’s elder disciple still on the planet at 95 years old. She has several sons and daughters initiated and grandsons and granddaughters.

The North American Executive Committee (NAEC) of the North American GBC and Temple Presidents Association is looking for a new Director of the Child Protection Office. This Office has been active for over five years, and is now expanding its staff and programs. 

June 24. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Exchanges.
He would listen also, and he heard a wide range of local testimonies. He heard the dissatisfaction of young Americans with the war and with American society. One boy told him he didn’t want to get married because he couldn’t find a chaste girl; it was better to go with prostitutes. Another confided that his mother had planned to abort him, but at the last moment his grandmother had convinced her not to. He heard from homosexuals. Someone told him that a set of New Yorkers considered it chic to eat the flesh of aborted babies. And in every case, he told them the truth.
He talked with Marxists and explained that although Marx says that everything is the property of the State, the fact is that everything is the property of God. Only “spiritual communism,” which puts God in the center, can actually be successful. He discounted LSD visions as hallucinations and explained how God can be seen factually and what God looks like.
Although these one-time visitors came and went away, a few new friends began to stay on, watching the Swami deal with different guests. They began to appreciate the Swami’s arguments, his concern for people, and his devotion to Krishna. He seemed actually to know how to help people, and he invariably offered them Krishna consciousness – as much as they could take – as the solution to their problems. A few began to take the Swami’s message to heart.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=9

Exchanges

The first time I saw Srila Prabhupada was in the L.A. airport. I think it must have been about 200 devotees went to greet him. We were a huge crowd and the loud kirtan and everyone was pushing forward, and there was a space above the partition where the passengers were coming out and you were able to see if it was a tall person. I remember a Stetson hat came by and something else came by, and then we could understand.."Is that.. ? No, that's not Prabhupada." We kept pushing forward more and more and the kirtan was bigger and bigger; and then I felt someone pushing behind me and I thought that's odd because I'm at the back of the crowd, I was a very new devotee.

So then I turned to look and there were two businessmen behind me, mid-20's, suits and briefcases and everything else, but they were looking and looking to see who we were waiting for. Then suddenly we saw a danda raised above the partition and we knew, "Oh, Prabhupada must be coming." So then Prabhupada came out and we all paid our obeisances and there was the most amazing feeling like a tidal wave rushing through me from the very depths of my being and pouring out, and I cried and cried and cried. Then finally when I stood up to go and follow the devotees who were following Srila Prabhupada, I turned and these two businessmen were standing there with tears pouring down their faces. That was such an amazing experience to see how they were touched just by a moment's association with Srila Prabhupada.

- Racitambara dasi

The third Sydney West temple fundraiser this year was well attended. Vedavyasapriya Maharaja and I were guest speakers and also gave gifts to donors.

The was a beautiful  bhajan led by Sri Prahlada and some of our devotee ladies presented a Bharat Natyam dance to a song written by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur.

The temple management informed everyone that construction on the new project would begin next year.

Everyone wants to be original – to offer something unique to this world. They want to contribute to the welfare of this world by showing their unique identity. This desire to show off originality is very natural and common in this world. In fact, this idea is promoted right from kindergarten.

As for devotees are concerned, they do the exact opposite. They do not offer anything unique to this world. They simply repeat what has already been spoken for thousands of years. In other words, they do not take pride in “borrowed plumes”. Peacocks look very beautiful with their plumes especially when the rainbow is out. If we borrow a plume from a peacock and show it off as our own, what credit do we get? Therefore, devotees give all credit to the teacher or Guru who teach to repeat knowledge as it is.

Unlike materialistic people who take pride in their originality, devotees express humility in the repetition of knowledge. This is one way to remain humble.

Hare Krishna

By Laxmimoni dasi

If Srila Prabhupada visited you, Maybe just for a day or two, And came by unexpectedly, I wonder what you'd do. Oh, I know you'd give your nicest room, To such an honored guest, And all the food you'd offer, Would be the very best. And you would keep assuring him, You're glad to have him there, That serving him within your home, Is a joy beyond compare. Continue reading "An Unexpected Guest
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By Chaitanya Charan das

Death can seem cruel when it takes away a dear one. The Bhagavad-gita may seem to add to the bewilderment when it asserts (10.34) that the death which steals away everything is a manifestation of Krishna. Why would Krishna, who is the well wisher of everyone, want to steal anything from anyone? The Gita prepares us for this discomforting assertion by first broadening our philosophical perspective of life. Many people see life as having only one dimension: the material. Within this unidimensional materialist perspective of life, death seems to be the ultimate disaster: the total irrevocable termination of our identity and destiny. Gita wisdom expands our horizons by informing us that our existence is two-dimensional: material and spiritual. We are spiritual souls residing temporarily in material bodies. In fact, Gita wisdom goes further to inform us that our real life is only spiritual: a life of eternal love and joy in relationship with Krishna. We actually have nothing to do with the material sphere where we presently reside. When contrasted with our ecstatic eternal life in the spiritual realm, the material sphere is seen as a mere distraction – and a miserable distraction at that. Gita wisdom exhorts us to enthrone the ambition of returning back to Krishna in the spiritual realm as the supreme goal of our life. Continue reading "How are we to see Krishna’s hand amidst tragic, premature death of devotees?
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The mind: a friend or an enemy?
Mahatma das: Ignore the Mind!
Our acaryas advise us to learn to ignore our mind. Why? Well, we shouldn’t ignore it when we are thinking of Krsna. But in our conditioned state, the mind really has a mind of its own. When we decided to become devotees, the mind didn’t agree. And it still is resisting surrender. When the mind presents thoughts that are detrimental to our Krsna consciousness – or to our well being – we can jokingly tell our mind, “Thank you for sharing,” and decide to connect more deeply with our Krsna consciousness. Since the mind is often like a nagging roommate who continually distracts us from our highest good, knowing how to neglect it is a necessary Krsna conscious survival skill.
To effectively neglect the mind, we need to become more detached from it, something we are not well accustomed to do. Of course, the mind can be the best friend, but the problem is that we often take the mind for a friend when it is acting like an enemy. “Go ahead, do that, look at that, buy that.” And we often think, “OK, that sounds good,” without thinking, “Wait a minute. That’s not what I should be doing. My mind is tricking me.” And even when we know we are being tricked, still, because the mind is so strong, we may find it difficult to resist. To be Krsna conscious means to be prepared to fight with this the mind “by constant practice and detachment.” Constant practice means to never give up no matter how difficult controlling the mind may be.
Changing our beliefs
In my forgiveness seminar I explain that reluctance to forgive is often connected to a belief about forgiveness. For example, people often believe they cannot forgive until their offender apologizes. But if they change this belief to, “I can take responsibility to forgive even if my offender doesn’t apologize,” they immediately find they can start to let go.
So another way of dealing with the mind is to examine the beliefs that are behind your thoughts and actions. Changing a belief will change the thought associated with the belief. If you tend to have negative thoughts, it’s likely you hold a lot of negative beliefs (“nothing ever works outs well for me, things will never get better, I’ll never be advanced, my mind is impossible to control, etc.”). Ask yourself what beliefs might be causing your negative thoughts.
Instructing the mind.
In the song Bhaja Hure Mana, Govinda das speaks to his mind by reasoning with it. In the same way, when we find our thinking detrimental to our progress, we can ask our mind questions as to why it is attached to things that are taking us away from Krsna. We can ask ourselves empowering questions, questions that will naturally redirect our thoughts towards Krishna consciousness. In this way, we can reason with our mind to give up self-destructive thoughts and accept real devotional qualities. And we can also tell our mind what we expect give it reasons to behave properly.
Dealing with emotions.
How do we deal with emotions, particularly emotions that appear to not be Krishna conscious?
There is a tendency to neglect emotions that are unpleasant, much in the same way that we try to neglect negative thoughts. But emotions don’t always go away when we neglect them. They often remain hidden while acting out in subtle ways. According to Vedic psychology, allowing yourself to experience negative emotions – the ones you might naturally try to bury – activates your intelligence to deal with them. In other words, your emotions speak to you and by listening to them you can learn how to improve. For example, during a time when I was not paying as much attention to my sadhana as I normally do, I was feeling guilty about not following Prabhupada’s instructions as strictly as I should. Since this was causing me to feel pretty miserable I didn’t want to confront the painful feeling that I was letting Prabhupada down, so I buried it and pretended it didn’t exist. A devotee suggested I totally face that feeling because that feeling was telling me something. When I faced the feeling I immediately felt that the misery from not following was far greater than any perceived misery I was trying to avoid by making the effort to strictly follow. So the “negative” emotion was instructing and helping me come to a higher platform, but I was only able to get the instruction when I stopped trying to bury the feeling.
Desiring Krsna consciousness.
We often bring problems into our lives through our minds. Sometimes we say, “I can never… (you can fill in the blanks”) and that is exactly what happens. The mind’s vibrations are real and thus have a real effect on our external existence (and even on our physical health). Of course, this also works in a positive way. Elevated devotees desire and expect more Krsna consciousness and more of guru and Krsna’s mercy, and thus they find more of this coming into their lives. This shows that Krsna reciprocates with a negative or positive mind set.
We may look at our lives and think “why has Krsna placed so many obstacles in my path?” when it may be that a negative mind set is attracting those problems.
Constant Effort.
Constant effortThe mind tends to be habituated to a certain way of thinking. This means that of the tens of thousands of thoughts we have daily, the majority are the same. Our goal is to habituate our minds to Krishna conscious ways of thinking. This is quite possible, but we need to make a conscious effort to do so. Then our minds will naturally pull us toward Krishna rather than away from Him.
Krsna never said this is going to be easy, but He did say it is possible. How? It is possible by endeavoring by right means and by detachment. That means if we put our guard down, we’ll be in trouble. The more we practice, and the more we become detached from doing whatever the mind says, the more we take control of the situation and create new positive habits. Since you are above your mind, ultimately you are in control. You just have to exert that control.
Can we do it? Since Krishna has given you free will, you can choose to seek out those thoughts that inspire and uplift you, that connect you with your greatest spiritual ambitions. Do I hear you say, “Yeah, but that’s not always easy?” (Here we go again with those negative thoughts.) Always remember that difficult things become easy for one who has the mercy of guru and Krishna.
The lecture is available here: https://goo.gl/gp9KRv

Ask a Monk any question - London - Who Will Win the Football Euro Cup? (4 min video)
The Football Euro Cup 2016 is upon us, and...

Mayapuresvari: A long-awaited appearance on the devotional goods market has finally premiered in the form of Silver Tulasi Mala!

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

Every spiritual master is representing the sampradaya and is representing the knowledge of scriptures in parampara and at the same time, every spiritual master is an individual and each individual is different and therefore every spiritual master brings in his own individual mood.

Well, I am from that small country, the Netherlands. A country that has a lot of history and was involved in a lot of wars because it is always the small guys that get picked on naturally. For example, in the time when Protestants came into being in Europe, starting in Germany, Switzerland followed and Holland was also among the countries that became Protestant.

At that time, Spain was a very great empire, very powerful and Spain was leading the inquisition. They were like the Catholic response at that time. So what happened was that they tried to attack England and they sent a fleet which was known as Armada, an invincible fleet, and what the British did was, in a sneaky way, they sent out old ships without any crew, they set fire to the old ships and they sent them to the middle of the Spanish fleet and the whole Spanish fleet burned down! So that was the end with the fight with England.

Then the Spanish looked around and the other Protestants were the Germans. They decided to leave the Germans alone so guess what… The next target was Holland. And sure enough, they came, those guys from Spain, they came and for 80 years there was a war between Holland and Spain. It was a huge thing. Some people were born in that war and they died in that war. The Dutch were fighting from the water with ships and the Spanish on the ground. The Dutch King who liberated the Netherlands was William of Orange. That is why orange is the colour of the Dutch because it stands for freedom which was conquered after 80 years of war. That made such a deep impression on the culture of the Netherlands; the hard-earned freedom!

Freedom is the motto and the culture of freedom has been deeply ingrained in the psyche of the Dutch and they are very independent, rugged individuals. In the Bhaktivedanta Manor, in the brahmachari ashram they all have similar uniforms: the same sweaters, the same hats and the same socks! In England this is possible because that is part of the culture. In Holland, it is not possible, no way. I appreciated though that Gurudas took the hat of the official uniform, cut it in half and then put it back on although Sutapa did not appreciate that… A little bit of rebellious spirit touches the heart of a Dutchman.

I am also a bit of a rebel and I guess that many of you are also rebels. There is a good chance because rebels attract rebels. It goes like that. So I have a group of devotees who are all rebels and individuals, a bit independent and who like their own personal space. Well, that is all good. I am providing that personal space for you in Lord Caitanya´s movement and I don´t mind if Gurudas cuts his hat in half as long as he does not cut his rounds in half or other essential spiritual things in half. In that regards, I will have no tolerance at all. Yes, I will chastise and so on when need be but in principle, I guess since I am a rebel who wants some space to sort of be an individual, I provide space in this movement for being individualistic people.

So let us be that. Let us be strong individuals but with that let us also take responsibility. One who is individualistic can rely less on the community. When we see a herd of sheep, they may be a slight variety among them – different curls and one is grey, another one is white, but there is not too much difference. Do as the others do may not always work for us. At least it is not my mission in life to be counted among the sheep. But if we are not sheep, if we are more individualistic, then it also means that we have to individually take responsibility. We have to do it ourselves. Just like no one had to ever call me to get up in the morning. I could do it myself. I did it myself; I got up and went to mangala arati.

So take responsibility. This is the position of one who wants some freedom. One who wants some freedom can have it, if they take responsibility themselves. This is what we want in this movement; we want individuals to take responsibility themselves – each one flies his own plane, as Srila Prabhupada explains. Ultimately we are personally responsible. Yes, we may have a nice guru-disciple relationship. We have sweet exchanges and there may be inspiration and sometimes it may be boring also, but whatever may be, at the end of the day we cannot depend on others until the very end. We can be carried our whole life but at the very end, it is us who have to alone face Krsna and it is OUR Krsna consciousness that will count. Therefore guru-disciple relationships go so far. The guru is certainly doing what he can but how much can he do!? He is also human. He is also limited and even if he wants to do so many things he is limited.

Transcribed by Tattvavati dd

‘I wanna be beautiful’
Mohini Madhavi devi dasi: How often you shout at your friends not to tag you on Facebook photos?
Did you ever had thoughts of wearing burka?
Did you ever fasted to loose weight & then after 1-2 days because of hunger ate whole fridge then sat & wept?

Medical advice for improving bodily health and enjoy many years of devotional service (12 min video)
Radharadhya das: As a medi...

By Mukunda Goswami

The swami arrived in Los Angeles the day before the show and spent the afternoon recuperating from the flight in his apartment on Saturn Street. The following night, we headed down to the studios for our first television appearance. March met us at the door and led us through a warren of corridors to a small room. “We’re going to start with a warm-up interview so you get used to how the show is run.” She opened the door to a larger room and motioned for us to go in. There were already two other men sitting at a table inside the room. “This is Dr. Daniel Morgan,” March said, indicating the older man. “He’s the Campus Crusade for Christ leader here in LA. And this is one of his students, Joseph Shaw. They’ll be going on the show with you.” “On the show with us?” I thought. No one had said anything to me about that. As the swami and I shook hands with them and introduced ourselves, I realized this wasn’t going to be a simple, amiable interview with Les Crane. It was set up to be a televised confrontation between opposing theological parties. I hadn’t bargained for this. Continue reading "The Les Crane Show – the first television appearance of Srila Prabhupada in LA
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The post Can a non-liberated guru liberate his disciple appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Hare Krishna Festivals UK: Hundreds of hungry festival revellers came along to taste some delicious Krishna Prasadam on the opening night of this year’s Glastonbury Festival! (Album with photos)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/G6qQCp

Announcing The Vaisnava Journal in PDF.
Padmapani das: Hare Krishna. I wish to announce that The Vaisnava Journal from the 1980s is now available in PDF online:
http://www.prabhupadaconnect.com/the-vaisnava-journal-in-pdf.html
The Vaisnava Journal was created to help devotees work through our differences in a respectful and co-operative manner with the aim of preserving the loving mood in our spiritual family after the physical departure of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. Although only five issues were printed and distributed over the next two-and-a-half years, the magazine was popular and well received by many leaders, members and friends of ISKCON.
Over the years, I’ve been approached by numerous devotees requesting copies of The Vaisnava Journal. Since I have only one set available, I was unable to comply until now. Please have a look at our humble attempt to serve Srila Prabhupada and his great mission during a time of change in our movement’s history.
In particular, I’d like to draw your attention to the Vaisnava Forum (letters section) which was launched to help facilitate a healthy dialogue among all participants. The mood was friendly and hopeful to which the devotees responded in kind. Writers and contributors read like a who’s who list of ISKCON members at the time. If anything, the journal proved that devotees of all persuasions can relate to one another with respect and godbrotherly love. This was Srila Prabhupada’s instruction and desire for us all.
“Perhaps you may know that there are many political parties in a country but when the country’s total responsibility has to be executed, they become combined. To have some little disagreements among yourselves is not very unnatural because we are all individual beings. But as we are working on behalf of Krishna, we should always forget our personal interests and see to the prime cause.”
(Srila Prabhupada letter, January 21, 1969)
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

The post Daily Darshan : June 23rd, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

June 23. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Challenges.
One young man approached the Swami asking, “What book will lecture from next week? Will you be teaching the Tibetan Book of the Dead?” as if Prabhupada would teach spirituality like a college survey course in world religions. “Everything is there in Bhagavad-gita,” Prabhupada replied. “We could study one verse for three months.”
And there were other questions: “What about Camus?”
“What is his philosophy?” Prabhupada would ask.
“He says everything is absurd and the only philosophical question is whether to commit suicide.”
“That means that everything is absurd for him. The material world is absurd, but there is a spiritual world beyond this one. That means he does not know the soul. The soul cannot be killed.”
Adherents of various thinkers approached him: “What about Nietzsche? Kafka? Timothy Leary? Bob Dylan?” Prabhupada would ask what their philosophy was, and the particular follower would have to explain and defend his favorite intellectual hero.
“They are all mental speculators,” Prabhupada would say. “Here in this material world we are all conditioned souls. Your knowledge is imperfect. Your senses are blunt. What good is your opinion? We have to hear from the perfect authority, Krishna.”
“Do you mean to say that none of the great thinkers are God conscious?” a boy asked.
“Their sincerity is their God consciousness. But if we want perfect knowledge of God, then we have to consult sastra.”
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=9

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
→ Dandavats"

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