Ganga Puja Celebrations in Mayapur. Ganga Dusshera is a famous…
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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.
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The Position of Dhruvaloka. Understanding Dhruvaloka – By His…
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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.
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UK PM David Cameron getting Bhagavad Gita
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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 Puja Celebrations
→ Mayapur.com

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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ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary Celebration ki jaya!
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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:…
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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

​What is the difference between us and ghosts – why are they afraid of the holy name?
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​Why do scriptures give mathematical knowledge – is it needed to go back to godhead?
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Pandava-nirjala Ekadasi
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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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June 16. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations. Satsvarupa…
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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.
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Evil Qualities
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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

Hypocricy & Fraudulance

Dambha means being super loud about how wonderful we are, and extremely quiet about how lame we are.

Vanity

Darpa is the root of the Sanskrit word for mirror (darpana). It means admiring oneself, fawning over oneself, and ignoring the beauty in others.

Thinking Big of Oneself

Abhimāna literally means “a big idea.” Here it means, thinking oneself a big shot.

Wrath

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.

Manliness

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.

Ingnorance

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

www.vrajakishor.com

 


Tagged: bad qualities, evil, manliness, wicked qualities

Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi
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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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​Isn’t saying that everything came from a four-headed being’s navel’s lotus more absurd than saying it came from a bang?
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​Why do devotees use things like laptops that are made by people with materialistic consciousness?
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​If Krishna is the supreme cause, how is our destiny in our hands?
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​When science keeps changing, why do we use scientific analogies to explain scriptural teachings?
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If objects are made of waves, how does consciousness come into objects?
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Advanced Civilization
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By Chirag Dangarwala

The common understanding of an Advanced Civilization in today's context is to be advanced in Technology, having a comfortable lifestyle, Earning Lots of money and having enough or rather lavish facilities to enjoy the senses to the fullest. This is the yard stick that is generally used to gauge the Advancement in Civilization. Owing to this yardstick Countries like United States of America, Great Britain etc are considered as First world Countries and more advanced in civilization then others. Undoubtedly these countries are advanced as far as Material comforts and Technology is concerned, however the ancient Vedic scriptures of India have a different perspective on Advancement in Civilization. As per Bhagavad-Gita, the living entities in this world are not the material bodies which are visible with the eyes, but they are eternal spirit souls possessing different kinds of bodies. It is something like a driver sitting in a car where Car is compared to the material bodies and the driver is compared to the spirit soul. So the material body is dead in itself and cannot be animated unless the spirit soul resides in it, just like a car cannot move without a driver. Continue reading "Advanced Civilization
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Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly
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By Jagabandhu das

Please know that I also suffered a great deal emotionally as my long sought after first born child was diagnosed as autistic and mentally retarded. They might as well have given me the news of her death, which is how it felt at first. I was emotionally devastated by this and it very nearly ruined my life at the time. I went from being a top Ford salesman to being virtually unable to sell anything (after a lifetime of sales work). I cried a lot with self-pity, "Why me, God?" This caused me to call out to Krishna as if I was at the time of my own death. Eventually, by His Grace I evolved from within to divest myself of all self-pity (as the most useless human emotion) by harmonizing spiritually from deep within until I could ask, "Why not me, God?" Continue reading "Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly
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Segments of life: Looking at death under another prospective
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By Matsya Avatara Dasa

Nowadays the great innovations of medical and scientific science can maintain patients alive, even those that in the past were given no hope to survive. These innovations can prolong the patient’s existence artificially even knowing that they will never regain acceptable health and life conditions. This situation is commonly called over-medication. The definition of cerebral death, since the end of the sixties has allowed for the development of transplant surgery. Before that time, the extraction of organs from a patient with a heartbeat was deemed a felony. Among this scientific and social debate there are ever more crucial questions. Up to which point is it right to keep alive a body that is worn out and unable to grant a minimum of dignity to the psycho-physical entity called person? What is the line that marks the decisive boundary between the unavoidable medical assistance and the over-medication? Continue reading "Segments of life: Looking at death under another prospective
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​If science doesn’t have authority to explain life, why does scripture have that authority?
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