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In 1996, several foreign ISKCON devotees who were visiting Mongolia, held kirtan in the streets of the capital, Ulaanbaatar. They were immediately caught and deported. For almost 20 years now the streets of the country have remained silent of the singing of Krishna's holy names. ISKCON's renewed status as a religious organization, however, now allows Indradyumna Swami and his group to sing freely everywhere with prior permission (A video by Ananta Vrindavan).
Swamiji and the Boys
After years of planning for its 50th anniversary, and nearly six months of celebrations this year so far, ISKCON is now gearing up for its Golden Jubilee Incorporation Day on July 13th, 1966. And temples, centers, and individual devotees all over the world are getting ready to do something big for founder Srila Prabhupada, whom many feel they owe their lives to.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 26 April 2016, Radhadesh, Belgium, Vyasa Puja Address)
sarva mahā-guṇa-gaṇa vaiṣṇava-śarīre
kṛṣṇa-bhakte kṛṣṇera guṇa sakali sañcāre (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 22.75)
It is said that all the good qualities of Krsna will manifest within the body of a vaisnava. This is the amazing nature of Krsna consciousness. Because by serving the spiritual master… whatever the qualities are of the spiritual master, whatever the goals are of the spiritual master, whatever is important to the spiritual master, all of these becomes important to the disciple. So in this way, automatically we develop these qualities.
If honesty is something outstanding for our spiritual master and we serve our spiritual master, then honesty will develop in us also. If we see mercy and compassion in Krsna, then naturally mercy and compassion will be qualities of his devotees. In this way, the qualities of Krsna will manifest within the devotees and from one devotee to other devotees. Bhakti is spread from one devotee to another devotee. It is a devotee who can actually enlighten, can light up the fire of inspiration in our heart. Without the devotee, it is not possible to progress in spiritual life. Who will give us the inspiration to do so?
Reading the Bhagavad-gita just by ourselves is difficult. But when a devotee presents the Bhagavad-gita and when a devotee takes the message of the Bhagavad-gita sincerely, then we will also take it seriously and therefore, Srila Prabhupada´s Bhagavad-gita As It Is touches us. It is not just commentary per se because the purports are not always explaining the verses. Sometimes Prabhupada is just calling for surrender, page after page. When I read the Bhagavad-gita, I felt so challenged by Srila Prabhupada´s purports because I felt that he is basically saying, “If you are sincere, then you should accept these arguments – they are logical and they are systematic. So you have no reason not to accept them. And if you accept them, then you have to surrender your life, and if you don´t surrender your life, you are not sincere.”
This was the message I got from reading purport after purport in the Bhagavad-gita. It was in this way that Bhagavad-gita chiselled away at my heart, at my determination and sort of forced me to change, to change my life. What to say? So this same message comes again and again, to all of us…
Transcribed by Tattvavati dd
By Mahatma das Yes, association of the pure devotees and sadhus and chanting Hare Krishna are the most important practices. But the point is that if a sufficient level of intensity to become Krishna conscious is not there, no one would do the practice. Good food is healthy, but it’s only healthy if you can digest it. Our eagerness to be Krishna conscious is our digestive power. If one develops this laulyam, or excessive eagerness for meeting and serving the Lord in a particular way, that is the price to enter into the kingdom of God. Otherwise, there is no material calculation for the value of the ticket by which one can enter the kingdom of God. The only price for such entrance is this laulyam lalasamayi, or desire and great eagerness.” (Nectar of Devotion Chapter 9) Continue reading "Laulyam Lalasamayi
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A Little Girl Who Emptied Her Piggybank for a Krsna Book!
Pravin Wakle Prabhu and his team of young Youth Forum devotees at ISKCON Chowpatty very enthusiastically distribute books after work. Pravin works at a software firm in Lower Parel. After work he and his devotee friends put up stalls at either D-mart or at some spiritual event happening around the Thane / New Mumbai area.
Here’s one of the heart-warming experiences he told us about.
“Relative Worlds”: Rare booklet by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s now available for online reading.
Bhaktivedanta Research Centre: Although our website is under development, there are already quite a few features that are ready. For example, you can read a scanned copy of an original publication of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s “Relative Worlds” using the KOHA system on our site. Try it and let us know what you think.
To read it click here: http://goo.gl/EMYNNK
Its in Hungarian but you can understand the storyline.
https://youtu.be/D66NtwYFjyA
The post Budapest gurukula year-end closing day drama appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
Ganga Puja Celebrations in Mayapur.
Ganga Dusshera is a famous festival celebrated on the occasion of her merciful descent to earth. A grand Ganga Puja was offered at Prabhupad ghat, highlight being the spectacular Ganga Arthi with big, bright lamps. Srimati Ganga Devi, seated on her carrier crocodile, decorated in a new Sari and many flower garlands, accepted the puja and offerings. Many senior vaisnavas spoke on the glories of Ganga Devi and the pastime of her appearance in the earthly planet. Lotuses and ghee lamps were distributed and all the devotees offered them to Mother Ganga. A Maha Arati was offered to Ganga Mata at 6pm. All the devotees took bath in the pure waters of Ganga devi and offered deep prayers with gratitude for her appearance in this material world.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/Vh08LG
The Position of Dhruvaloka.
Understanding Dhruvaloka - By His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Dhruvaloka, or the polestar, is the abode of Lord Vishnu within this material world. Upon it there is an ocean of milk, and within that ocean there is an island known as Shvetadvipa. It is clearly indicated that this planet is situated above the seven planetary systems of the r.s.is , and because this planet is Vishnuloka, it is worshiped by all other planetary systems. Although the polestar existed before its occupation by Dhruva Maharaja, it had no predominating deity. Dhruvaloka, our polestar, is the center for all other stars and solar systems, for all of them circle around Dhruvaloka just as a bull crushes grains by walking around and around a central pole. Dhruva wanted the best of all planets, and although it was a childish prayer, the Lord satisfied his demand. A small child may demand something from his father which his father has never given to anyone else, yet out of affection the father offers it to the child; similarly, this unique planet, Dhruvaloka, was offered to Maharaja Dhruva.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/5odl40
By Nrsimhananda das
Some devotees asked me if Cameron had received a copy of Bhagavad-gita since there was no video of him receiving it. A little perspective on PM Cameron’s visit to the Manor. This was his second time, the first in 2006 when he was leader of the conservative party. Krishna Dharma described his visit at that time, “Cameron could well become the next leader here in the UK. He heard the holy name, took prasadam, saw the deities and even had Lord Rama’s shoes placed on his head as he bowed before the altar. In 2010, the Prime Minister again personally encountered devotees at a Diwali celebration at 10 Downing Street, the official residence. He was given a Bhagavad-Gita and said, “I remember coming to Bhaktivedanta Manor and I enjoyed my visit immensely. Thank you. I shall keep this book in 10 Downing Street.”
Ten years after his first visit, he returned to the Manor where he in received the deluxe edition of Bhagavad-gita . I’m not sure how many “big book points” are awarded for each gigantic copy distributed. :) The Manor is not the only Hindu game in town, but the British head of state has chosen to highlight it. All glories to the staunch efforts of the leaders and congregation to spread the Holy Names around. Of course, the lure of honoring more Krishna prasadam probably was also a big factor in the PM’s decision to return to the Manor.
Read more: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=9055
Ganga Dusshera is a famous festival celebrated on the occasion of her merciful descent to earth. A grand Ganga Puja was offered at Prabhupad ghat, highlight being the spectacular Ganga Arthi with big, bright lamps. Srimati Ganga Devi, seated on her carrier crocodile, decorated in a new Sari and many flower garlands, accepted the puja […]
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Assembled Devotees of ISKCON:
In order to increase our collective awareness of the historic event of ISKCON’s founding in 1966, and to help our world wide society better remember the wonderful achievements of our Founder-Acarya, Srila Prabhupada, and his society, and upon the request of the ISKCON 50th Anniversary Committee…
The GBC Executive Committee hereby recommends that at all ISKCON temples, festivals, pujas, home programs, and other community events and functions throughout the world shall include the following glorification whenever the Prema-dvani prayers are chanted throughout each day:
‘ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary Celebration ki jaya!’
This phrase should be included either in English, or the local languages, as appropriate, and should begin immediately and continue through December 31, 2016.
Signed:
Sesa das GBC Executive Committee Chairman
London At It’s Very Best! (5 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: George Harrison’s gift of Bhaktivedanta Manor to the Hare Krishna Movement in 1973 has proven invaluable throughout the years. The success of the Manor reached a crescendo last weekend with a visit from the Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron. We felt fortunate to attend the festivities. We also visited ISKCON’s Radha Krishna Temple in downtown London. With Krishna in the center, and bright sunny weather throughout our visit, London was truly at it’s very best.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/imwIPN
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Pandava-nirjala Ekadasi.
Giriraj Swami: Ekadasi is one of the regular celebrations in the Vaisnava calendar. It is observed eleven days after the full moon and eleven days after the new moon of every month. Even in the thirteenth, or leap month, called adhi-masa or purusottama-masa, which comes every three years, during which no other festivals are celebrated, Ekadasi is observed. Ekadasi is known as “the day of Lord Hari” and is said to be “the mother of devotion.” Of the sixty-four items of devotional service listed in Srila Rupa Gosvami"™s Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, keeping the fast on Ekadasi is one. In fact, observing Ekadasi is one of the first ten basic principles.
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Cooking in the Kitchen
June 16. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Cooking in the Kitchen.
The kitchen was stocked with standard Indian spices: fresh chillies, fresh ginger root, whole cumin seeds, turmeric, and asafoetida. Keith mastered the basic cooking techniques and passed them on to Chuck, who became his assistant. Some of the other boys would stand at the doorway of the narrow kitchenette to watch Keith, as one thick, pancake-like chapati after another blew up like an inflated football over the open flame and then took its place in the steaming rack.
While the fine basmati rice boiled to a moist, fluffy-white finish and the sabji simmered, the noon cooking would climax with “the chaunce.” Keith prepared the chaunce exactly as Swamiji had shown him. Over the flame he set a small metal cup, half-filled with clarified butter, and then put in cumin seeds. When the seeds turned almost black, he added chillies, and as the chillies blackened, a choking smoke would begin to pour from the cup. Now the chaunce was ready. With his cook’s tongs, Keith lifted the cup, its boiling, crackling mixture fuming like a sorcerer’s kettle, and brought it to the edge of the pot of boiling dal. He opened the tight cover slightly, dumped the boiling chaunce into the dal with a flick of his wrist, and immediately replaced the lid … POW! The meeting of the chaunce and dal created an explosion, which was then greeted by cheers from the doorway, signifying that the cooking was now complete. This final operation was so volatile that it once blew the top of the pot to the ceiling with a loud smash, causing minor burns to Keith’s hand. Some of the neighbors complained of acrid, penetrating fumes. But the devotees loved it.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=9
The qualities that degrade us are, unfortunately, so familiar, near and dear to us. They are “the wealth of the evil” (āsura-sampada). Krishna lists them in Gita (16.4):
dambho darpo ’bhimānaś ca krodhaḥ pāruṣyam eva ca
ajñānaṁ cābhijātasya pārtha sampadam āsurīm
Dambha means being super loud about how wonderful we are, and extremely quiet about how lame we are.
Darpa is the root of the Sanskrit word for mirror (darpana). It means admiring oneself, fawning over oneself, and ignoring the beauty in others.
Abhimāna literally means “a big idea.” Here it means, thinking oneself a big shot.
Krodha is the type of anger that results from frustration of ambition. When we want to gain something, and obsticles get in the way – krodha is the feeing of indignation that results, the desire to destroy and ruin those people or things.
Yep, pāruṣya, “manliness.” Krishna cites “manliness” as a wicked thing that degrades living beings. Get a grip on that, please.
Of course, there are good qualities of manliness, too – strength, for example. But the bad qualities of men connoted by pāruṣa include: harshness, violence, cruelty, lewdness, inflexibility, and lack of sophistication.
Ignorance is the crown-jewel in the treasure chest of evil. Or, more precicely, it is like the gold in which every other evil jewel is set. It is the foundation of evil, and it is a smokescreen to hide evil’s vile stench.
Vraja Kishor
Bhima the mighty warrior of the Pandava dynasty requested one vrata day by which he could obtain the fruits of all the other days of vrata that he was incapable of observing. Vyasadeva advised him to follow this difficult vrata.
PADMA PURANA – Vyasadeva speaking to Bhimasena:
“Oh son, Lord Keshava, Who holds the club, disk, conch and lotus flower in His hand, personally told me that all of the merit achieved by fasting on whatever Ekadasis fall in one year can be attained by fasting on this one Ekadasi (Nirjala Ekadasi). Of this, there is no doubt.”
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