Planet ISKCON

June 10. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Can a Pure Devotee Have Personal Preferences?
The first time I encountered this question was in 1966. Devotees were taking lunch prasadam with Srila Prabhupada one day when a young, rather unsubmissive man came into the Swami’s apartment for lunch. I remember that Prabhupada was sprinkling hot sauce on his meal. This young man asked Prabhupada why he was eating this sauce. He replied that he liked it.
The young man became doubtful when Prabhupada said that. He said something to the effect: “You use hot sauce just because you like it? You mean there’s no special spiritual significance?” The young man looked around at us as if to show that he had caught Srila Prabhupada in some relative position, or as if he had defeated him in a debate. I remember thinking that this man’s attitude was ridiculous and offensive, but I also saw the point he was trying to make.
Is Prabhupada’s sprinkling of hot sauce on his meal in this category? Is he doing it for his own sense gratification? Who can know Prabhupada’s inner meditation when he sprinkled that sauce? Also, Vaisnavas are not extreme tyagis. They do not have to prove their devotion by sprinkling ashes on their food or not eating at all. They accept Krishna’s mercy in the form of prasadam. What is the harm if they add seasonings to their food? Prabhupada himself ate very simply. He was elderly and ate things that stimulated his digestion.
His preferences were expressions of Krishna consciousness to us. We were always intrigued and happy to find out the little things that Prabhupada liked. It brought us closer to him. It taught us how to serve him better. In fact, an expert disciple was one who knew exactly how Prabhupada liked his room to be arranged, how to cook for him, how to arrange his schedule, and so on. Even today, the more things you know about how Prabhupada conducted things, the more qualified you to serve in ISKCON.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=9

Back in January 1967, Mukunda Goswami was instrumental in putting on The Mantra Rock Dance in San Francisco, a key counter-cultural event of its time that put Srila Prabhupada and his disciples on the map. Now, nearly fifty years later, he has been a driving force in organizing the hugely ambitious Transcendental Journey, a spectacular show at Australian landmark the Sydney Opera House in celebration of ISKCON’s 50^th anniversary.

A documentary about Srila Prabhupada's beginning of ISKCON at 26 Second Avenue. NY. The film is based on interview with Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, one of the most senior of Srila Prabhupada''s disciples who is also the author of the biography 'Srila Prabhupada Lilamrita". ISKCON Cinema, BBTI and other copyrighted material used with permission. To arrange public viewing please report to sdg@sdgonline.org and visit http://www.sdgonline.org

Can a Pure Devotee Have Personal Preferences?

Krsnadas Kaviraj Goswami is saying that the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is just amazing, and the more one tries to logically understand it, the more amazing it is. I like to call this verse, the open invitation to the Caitanya Caritamrta. I see this verse as an important verse because it shows us the proper attitude by which we are meant to look at the life of Lord Caitanya. We are looking at his mercy and that is what we are trying to uncover, more and more.

TOVP: Cast Iron Grill Work.
Here is a finished ‘mock-up’ of the cast-iron grill design, made by our new CNC machine.
By hand, this would have taken more than a month to complete (without the precision), while by machine it only took 8 hours, (with perfect alignment).
So this machine is really a “God-sent”! It will be duplicated on the other side, so both sides will be exactly the same.
1 piece will weigh around 200 kgs. The next step is to make molds for casting.

A visit to New Godruma Dhama, Lanchang, Malaysia. (Album with photos)
Every year when the Sugam Karnatica organises their annual children farm retreat, I thank and appreciate the kids who have to be up early in morning and be on a one and a half hours 118KM ride. And as soon as they arrive at our farm they are to actively participate in bhajan, hearing Krishna pastimes, tree planting activities, farm walk, bathing cows, making dung patties etc. Seems tiring. Yet they come back every year. So I guess there must be some excitement. Otherwise why come back? But for most other city dwellers, farms and cows are simply not too exciting. Not important. Not urgent. For many parents and teachers, childhood and teenage times are simply too precious that to be spending time with mother nature and mother cows. In any case our city supermarkets are providing the necessary fruit, vegetables and milk. So what is the need to go see cows and be with nature? This selfishness is not uncommon nowadays. The Srimad Bhagavatam and all Vedic scriptures will never compromise stating the need to serve mother nature and cows. This is real knowledge.
Credit goes for the Sugam Karnatica group organisers, parents and teachers for not only encouraging their kids to come to the farm but to be also with them all through the day retreat. This year they even got the children to be dressed green, simply attractive. Without the teachers and responsible elders these children will be deprived of the exposure to farms and cows. These experiences actually build goodness in personalities. The number of video clips posted in the facebook depicting the loving affection between cows, animals and children are increasing. It is a sure sign that cows and nature have an important part in our lives, especially our children. In many countries it is becoming a trend that families and friends get out of the cities during holidays and spend their times with mother nature and ahimsa farms.
The Srimad- Bhagavatam describes in detail how Lord Krishna takes the cows and calves every morning to graze on the pastures of Govardhana Hill. There are hundreds of thousands of cows at the palace of Nanda Maharaja (Lord Krishna’s father), and each cow has her own name. Whenever Lord Krishna plays His flute and calls the cows by name, the cows, intelligent and affectionate, come running toward Him.
The Vedic literature enjoins us to satisfy the needs of the cows daily (with food, shelter, and so on) before we satisfy our own needs. This is how Aryans—civilized persons—should serve the cows.
Worshiping the cows: The Vedic scripture states that all the demigods and demigoddesses reside in the body of a cow. This explains why the body of a cow is divine and holy. If we worship Mother Cow, we attain the same material benefits we’d get by worshiping the demigods and demi-goddesses individually. The Garuda Purana says that anyone who has even once worshiped Mother Cow will be saved after death from the great suffering of hell (Naraka). Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, gave more importance to the worship of the cows than to the worship of the king of the demigods, Indra. Therefore in India even today many millions of pious Vedic followers worship Mother Cow at least once a year on Govardhana Puja day.
Protecting the cows: If we accept the cow as our mother, she deserves our veneration and love. And we should protect her from all dangers. In Vedic times it was the duty of everyone, especially kings, to protect the cows at all cost.
If you have some influence over children and youths, and more so parents, please take your time to talk to them and encourage them about farm activities during holidays. Please write to simheswara@zoho.com or just give me a call at 012-3798743 or to our farm manager Gopesa Govinda prabhu at 016-527 4001 to schedule farm visits. We will do our best to serve you. Thank you.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/0VwkTk

By Kesava Krsna Dasa

Just imagine the confusion, especially for our newcomers, well-wishers, younger devotees, and even for some senior devotees. Everybody who “loves” Srila Prabhupada, and is “loyal” to him, must be a bona-fide follower of his, or so it seems.

Out of the many thousands and millions of souls around the world who have been touched by Srila Prabhupada, either through his writings, recordings, inspirations, dreams and so on, can any of us define who are genuine followers or sympathisers, as opposed to those who claim to be? If so, is there a simple criterion for this, or does it stretch broadly to evade standard membership of Iskcon?

Being “loyal” to Srila Prabhupada can assume the guise of many shapes and forms. It can formulate procedures based upon slight pretexts, or continue decade’s long schemes that function against the wishes of our disclipic succession. There are some deviant groupings who vehemently claim that everybody else is also deviating from Srila Prabhupada’s express wishes. With everyone claiming to be right, and everybody else wrong, who is right?

For those whose faith in Srila Prabhupada is not yet fully established, these claims and counter claims of loyalty to him, can be bewildering, especially after being met by representatives of these groupings, or reading their productions. Their literature, web sites, preaching attempts (Yes, they want our membership) contain lots of photographs of him and words of praise. This all seems very nice.

But this is where the real test of authenticity should be applied. We should ask, “So, you are loyal to Srila Prabhupada…do you value his teachings, his aggregate teachings?” The obvious answer will be yes. Then probe further. “Do you value his followers who are members of ISKCON, who are cooperating together in spite of many challenges and difficulties?” At this point, though the representative appears to be meek and humble, he or she will probably engage in anti ISKCON rhetoric and aim personalised jibes at sincere devotees. It appears that Srila Prabhupada is used as a selling point after all.

One should try not to get lulled into something that uses our love and respect for Srila Prabhupada to possibly deviate us from his aggregate teachings. One certain way of attempting this is to speak ill of those we trust within Iskcon, make us lose our faith in them, then repose it into some system devised out of an inability to cooperate together, as Srila Prabhupada desired. This means getting lost somewhere.

There is a human behavioural phenomenon called – atmavan manyate jagat – “Everyone thinks of others according to his own position.” (Prabhupada quote) Because members of certain groupings accuse everybody else of being wrong and unfaithful to Srila Prabhupada, it can be a reflection of one’s own unfaithfulness. It is strange how loyalty to Srila Prabhupada can produce splinters of separated loyalty.

We should be mindful that there is a large swathe of devotees and well-wishers, sometimes called the “Silent Majority.” These are members or former members of Iskcon who at present have no active involvement in service. Some of them left for personal reasons, and others are waiting perhaps, for change, or favourable situations before getting involved again. Many of them feel they have outlived their usefulness for Iskcon which can be very disempowering. With proper affection they should be encouraged to come back with vigour and experience. This majority generally wants Iskcon to reach its full potential. Most of these do not fall into the deviancy bracket.

For those who are uncertain, or who are wondering who is truly loyal, some information is required. This information should help discern matters more clearly simply by covering one aspect of our preeminent siksa guru’s aggregate teachings – our parampara. It is known that all of our good fortune in receiving mercy needed for advancement in Krishna consciousness comes through our disclipic succession. Srila Prabhupada in his last days called this disclipic succession a law, or “…the law of disclipic succession.” Why is it a law? Because it is not a man-made succession.

“Lord Krishna said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god…” (BG 4.1) This science is – avyayam – or imperishable. Lord Krishna was genuinely concerned about keeping this law intact, otherwise how else will the mercy flow? “One who follows the disclipic succession of acaryas knows things as they are.” (Chandogya Upanisad 6.14.2)

There is a common argument given by certain deviant groups, who claim that because Srila Prabhupada is a Maha-Bhagavat pure devotee, he is able to do any unprecedented thing, which includes ending our disclipic succession with him, because there are supposedly no qualified souls to continue the succession. Those who are familiar with his way of debating with scientific arguments will know that he usually referred to “natural laws” that cannot be reversed, because they originate from Krishna Himself. This law of disclipic succession is not an exception to the rule. Yet the claim is made that Srila Prabhupada did this, as an exception to the rule.

If Lord Krishna was concerned enough to say, “But in course of time the succession was broken…and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost,” so why would Srila Prabhupada oppose this sacred law? If we refer again to the, “Everyone thinks of others according to his own position,” we can suspect that someone who cannot cooperate as desired by our founder acarya, and who generally criticises with outbreaks of bitterness and scorn, are thinking that Srila Prabhupada thinks like themselves.

If Srila Prabhupada thinks like them then one can make it appear that Srila Prabhupada can do anything, and violate the sacred law of our disclipic succession. One can also presume to justify any deviation and say, “It is Prabhupada’s desire.” By the way, if anyone has the power to revoke this sacred law, it has to be God Himself, but He would never do this, as Krishna already explained. Given a short amount of time, Srila Prabhupada could be raised to the status of God by such “loyal” followers.

This information is the necessary knowledge and forewarning needed to receive mercy, otherwise, “If one is not is not actually connected with a bona-fide disclipic succession, whatever mantras he chants will not bring the desired result.” (Padma Purana)

To cooperate together as devotees can be difficult at times. But this desire of Srila Prabhupada to work together contains the power of mercy. This desire or plea has inherent within it the command to enable us to tell right from wrong, even if our paths are strewn with thorns. Who ever said our paths in Krishna consciousness would be easy? To try to become part of the solution with true loyalty is better than getting lost in comfort.

Your servant, Kesava Krsna Dasa – GRS.

Krishna is possessed of an unlimited intellect (84.22) Krishna is inaccessible to sensuous knowledge (16.46). Krishna is the Lord of the infinity of worlds (69.17). Krishna wields the power of creating the unlimited (87.28). Krishna carries the impress of limitless power (87.14). Krishna is possessed of inconceivable potency (10 .29). Krishna is unborn (59.28, 74.21). Krishna solves all heterogeneous views (74.24). Krishna is vanquished by exclusive devotion (14.3). Krishna is the Inner Guide (l.17)· Krishna is the Withholder of the energy of the wicked (60.19) . Krishna is the Giver of salvation to jivas that are free from vanity (86.48). Krishna ordains the worldly course of conceited jivas (86.48). Krishna is Primal God (Deva) (40.1). Krishna is Primal Person (Purusha) (63.38). Krishna is an overwhelming flood of bliss (83.4). Krishna possesses fulfilled desire (47.46). Krishna is self-delighted (60.20). Krishna is the opponent of the sensuous (60.35). Continue reading "Krishna is…
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Everybody has found their way to the Internet; practically every belief, interest, desire, and product has some representation on the Web. It is therefore not surprising that Gaudiya Vaishnavas have also made their way into the online village. After all, with a spiritual aspiration culminating in a bucolic life, one would expect us to gravitate towards village settings, and in this case—for better or for worse—we have. The prospect of Gaudiya Vedanta circulating throughout the global village and thereby reaching people of every background is wonderful. Such an opportunity would no doubt make Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati’s brhat-mrdunga reverberate with sounds of joy. But as with any medium one might employ in promoting spiritual life, the Internet is a double-edged sword, and unfortunately, many of those who have a hand on the hilt are swinging—and thinking—in the wrong direction. Fortunately, within the Gaudiya tradition one need not look hard for examples of how to properly conduct him or herself in a village (even a global one). Continue reading "Global Village Talk
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Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, known for her devotion to Lord Krishna, welcomed India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the U.S Capitol. As part of a select committee of lawmakers that welcomed and escorted the Prime Minister to the House Floor, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard thanked the Prime Minister for his commitment to strengthening the U.S.-India friendship, which will help us grow our economies, strengthen our security partnership in the fight against terrorism, and pursue other areas of common ground. Following the Prime Minister’s address to Congress, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard released the following statement:
“Prime Minister Modi began his visit to the United States by meeting with President Obama, where they recommitted themselves to strengthening the U.S.-India partnership. President Obama said in 2014 that our friendship with India is the defining partnership of the 21st century. The Prime Minister’s fourth visit to the United States in just two years signifies just how important the burgeoning relationship between our countries is as we continue to address the many challenges that face our nations today—strengthening our economies, promoting renewable clean energy, protecting our planet, improving cyber security, and combating terrorism.
“As the world’s oldest and largest democracies, the United States and India have long shared many mutual goals of peace, stability, and economic growth. Prime Minister Modi highlighted the progress our countries have made by partnering in business, national security, and renewable energy. U.S. bilateral trade with India has grown to nearly $100 billion over 15 years—a nearly five-fold increase—and India trades more with the U.S. today than with any other country. Similarly, India remains one of our strongest partners in the region in the fight against terrorism. India conducts more security-related exercises with the U.S. than any other country.
“As we look to the potential that lies ahead, the commitment of our countries to grow and strengthen our ties is critical as we work together towards furthering our shared values and interests.“
Yesterday, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard joined Members of Congress, U.S. Government Officials, Members of the Indian Government, and top U.S. and Indian business leaders to welcome Prime Minister Modi at the U.S. India Business Council’s (USIBC) 41st Annual Leadership Summit.
In December 2014, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard visited India at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi to promote U.S. and Hawaii interests. During her visit, the congresswoman travelled to seven major Indian cities, and met with the Prime Minister and other government and defense officials, business leaders, among others. During her visit, the congresswoman also advocated for the development of a sister-state partnership between Goa and Hawaiʻi, which was adopted by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature in April 2016.

Another “transcendental time bomb” explodes and generates its benevolent effects.
Vijaya Dasa: On my way to take prasada at a devotee’s house, I asked him how he joined. This is what he had to say:
“When I was seventeen, I started asking the big questions about life and reading books on philosophy. My father observed this and told me that he’d gotten a book ten years ago from the Hare Krsnas — it was in the attic. So I went up there and found the Bhagavad Gita, very dusty. I brought it down to my room, wiped off the dust, and started reading it. I was thinking it was from another dimension, the most amazing book I’d ever read. Then I moved to Czech Republic. While in Czech I met a devotee, and he distributed to me the abridged version of the Lilamrta. When I read that, that was it — I just wanted to be a devotee. So I found out where the temple was and joined. A year later I asked my father where he got the Gita. He said he had worked as a carpenter and the devotees hired him to build a stage for a festival. After the job was finished they gave him a Bhagavad Gita. He put it in the attic and it was collecting dust for ten years. Like a transcendental time bomb, it was ticking away waiting to explode when I picked it up.” When I went back to Ukraine to visit my father I told him about what I had read in the Bhagavad Gita. He liked what he heard and also started chanting 16 rounds.
Another devotee in Czech got a book somehow. His kitchen table was not properly balanced so he put the Science of Self Realization under the leg to make the table level. It was under a table leg for eleven years until he was moving to another place. When he picked up the book, he read the cover and thought that it sounded interesting. So he read it, and he is now a brahmacari in the temple in Brno.
The moral is: Just get the books out, because we don’t know how, when, or where Krsna’s mystic directions are going to change people’s heart and bring them to Krsna.
Your servant,
Vijaya Dasa

The post Discussion with Danavira 14, on his morning Bhagavatm class in NVD appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Highlights from a class and other notes from the diary of a travelling sadhaka.
Kripamoya Prabhu: One disciple asked Srila Prabhupada, “I am right in assuming that although your first organization was called ‘League of Devotees’ that you in fact were the only member?”
Srila Prabhupada laughed, and said, “You are right. I was the only one.”
If I fainted from the heat in Delhi, if I were gored by a bull, and if no one joined the institution I created, I would have given up, but not Srila Prabhupada. If I got two heart attacks on the ship, I would have given up.
It is not that Srila Prabhupada did not suffer. The glory of Srila Prabhupada that he did what he did despite the difficulties.
No one really came to Krishna consciousness because they like institutions.
Many people like Srila Prabhupada, but fewer like Srila Prabhupada’s organization.
The village, the company, and the extended family are natural divisions. Cities are an invention by wealthy capitalists.
When I joined ISKCON there were about forty people. Yet for six years, my world was four people traveling in a van and selling books.
I was at a meeting of about eighteen people, and Prabhupada was talking about book distribution. He began by looking at everyone in the room and then said, “Thank you very much for helping me spread my mission.”
I would say that 95% of our members are nice devotees, and let us say, the multi-colored patchwork history we have had, are due to other 5%.
Prabhupada made Kirtanananda a swami and sent him to preach in London, and instead of going to London, he went to New York and preached his own brand of Krishna consciousness without sikhas and without robes.
Srila Prabhupada considered, “If ISKCON fails, I want my books always in print, so that it can be recreated by those who read my books.” Thus Bhaktivedanta Book Trust was separately incorporated.
The British aristocracy was the object of the preaching of the Gaudiya Matha whereas Srila Prabhupada preached to confused young people.
Srila Prabhupada encouraged everyone to practice bhakti – men, women, everyone.
Iggy Pop was one of the first people to buy a set of Srimad-Bhagavatams directly from Srila Prabhupada’s hands.
Srila Prabhupada was attractive to all kinds of people, although he remained unchanged. [He did not have to present himself differently to attract a variety of people.]
Many devotees say that they felt that Srila Prabhupada had all the time in the world for them. We should at least try to make people feel we have all the time in the world for them. One reason is Srila Prabhupada realized we should not lose people.
If Prabhupada was angry with someone, when he was finished dealing with that person, and he dealt with someone else, he was free from anger and dealt with that next person according to his relationship with him.
When Srila Prabhupada came to the Manor for the last time, he treated his disciples with great affection instead of being the stern founder-acarya.
In 1992 we set up a Sannyasa Ministry to analyze the chance of devotees remaining celibate for life. Since then we have had only one or two minor issues with sannyasis.
In communist times about 28 devotees were lost to the communists, who tortured and killed them.
The devotees have the land permissions and the money to build a temple in Moscow, but the Church and Mafia are in cahoots to keep them from building a temple for twenty years. Still, in Russia we have festivals with 14,000 people.
We have our first Eskimo devotee now in Yellowknife in Northern Canada from getting a book and reading it.
In the early days in Dublin, the magistrate charged the devotees with two things:
1. Making noise in public.
2. Being dressed in such a way as to frighten the public.
In Australia someone from Time-Life joined ISKCON. He said, “I can change your image overnight.” He created a magazine showing the best of Hare Krishna with happy children and kangaroos, and we printed 1.5 million and we inserted them into Sunday papers, etc. And it did change our image overnight. We ended up having a preaching center for every million people, fourteen million people and fourteen preaching centers.
In ISKCON, there has been a great influx of people but there is also an outflux of people. Why? We have not done two things that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to do:
1. Look after people.
2. Develop living situations where people can live.
Our success depends on how we can retain our members.
Be real. Keep track of the people you meet. One vicar told me that he spends most of his time looking after his members. There is one lady I looked after for twenty-two years before she took initiation.
I have left ISKCON many times. But then I would wake up the next morning and decide to carry on. The reasons I am staying now are different from those when I was seventeen.
You will be judged by how many people you looked after in your life.
Try and look after people, about twenty. Have a few friends. Do not tell them what to do. Just be their friends. Have two or three people looking after you.
From a lecture called “The Reluctant Preacher”:
If no one speaks to strangers, then the movement will not move.
I was absolutely convinced that the world would be saved by 1979. But it did not happen, so I postponed it to 1985.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses would predict the end of the world, and then, when it would not come, without any embarrassment, they would update it.
We are good at broadcasting our message through book distribution and harinama.
A farmer has to cultivate and have scarecrows to scare away those who nibble away the seedlings. We are lacking in these.
Many a slip twixt cup and lip.
We have remote gurus and disciples, and people are lacking in systematic education.
Often we lose devotees three or four years after initiation. We are so used to people coming and going, we are not too concerned about it.
Anyone committed to this movement should take a vow to let no one drift away.
One follower of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura drifted away. Bhaktisiddhanta inquired about that devotee. The other devotees said he had disappeared. They were planning to open a temple, but Bhaktisiddhanta refused to open the temple until they found that devotee. They looked all over Madras and found him in the back of a watchmaker’s shop. They explained that Bhaktisiddhanta did not want to open the temple until he returned. The devotee was so touched by his guru’s concern that he never again left.
Preaching is to exhort someone to a higher level of spiritual and moral behavior.
The ritualization of spiritual emotion should keep pace with our actual development of real spiritual emotions, otherwise it seems artificial and people are only willing to do it for so long.
One lady wrote a book about compassion and how to develop it because it is there in all religions and this society does not teach it but just the opposite.
The sannyasa danda is an emblem of compassion and is just the opposite of the selfie stick, which increases ego.
The glue that keeps society together is compassion.
I did not join the Hare Krishna movement but began living with some ex-hippies on a Beatles estate.
Even if we are “faking it till we make it,” if we allow ourselves to used as instruments of compassion, the Lord will work through us.
We are a religion that requires a high commitment of faith. This has to be developed gradually.
Krishna consciousness is beyond all religious designations. We are coming with a transcendental message, that we are transcendental and our transcendental nature can be experienced through transcendental sound vibration.
I had a friend who had a Ph.D. in physics and a spiritual urge. He took the train from England to Japan, and spent months in three Buddhists monasteries which all left him dissatisfied. He returned to London, but despondent. He prayed to God, “You know that I do not think you exist, but if do you exist, give me a sign.” The next day, he met the devotees, and he was attracted. They said he could come stay in their temple. He had great conviction because the Lord fulfilled his prayer, and he convinced many people to become devotees.
Whether you feel it or not, you do it because it is the guru’s order.
It takes a long time to bring one to Krishna consciousness.
One person encountered Hare Krishna when she was working at “Top of the Pops” when the devotees were on the show in 1969. Just recently she became a devotee.
We must become willing to extend ourselves to at least ten people. Write their names down and never forget them.
The individual reaching out with compassion is the Krishna consciousness movement.
We have to establish connection with people so they become new members.
We have to care for the people who become new members.
Q (by Radhika Nagara Prabhu): So many of our members have left. Should we do something to help them?
A: Srila Prabhupada would always want us to make some endeavor to bring them back. There is an attrition rate because people have different needs, and we are not always expert in meeting people’s needs as they go through their stages of life. Krishna recognizes the changing needs and created varnasrama. Prabhupada found that people would come and eat in our restaurants, but not our temples. Then we had 100 temples, and he said we had enough temples, and he said we should start doing more restaurants.
About 50% of interested people actually come to meetings. Some people just do not like meetings, but they like the practice.
In 1934, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura set up a system with 18 sannyasis, then some maha-upadesikas, looking after upadesikas, and each of those looking after group of devotees.
The real question is “Who is helping you in your spiritual life?” It is not “Who is your guru?” Everyone should have someone looking after his spiritual welfare. Without guidance, there is no impetus for movement.
People join groups because they get something they need, and they leave groups because do not get what they need.
When ISKCON meets the needs of a family man, such as residence and education for children, we will retain many more people.
Srila Prabhupada said in a purport in Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, “Right now the future devotees of the Krishna consciousness movement are living in every town and village, and it is up to the present members to find them.”
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/hFzl2n

The post Daily Darshan: June 9th, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskxYUqb5

The post Scenes from NVD Samadhi and temple installation June 8th appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

We’re starting the cladding of white marble (from Vietnam) underneath the chatris. In a few days we’ll show you some pictures with the trimmings (pillars).

The post Chatri Marble Cladding Commences appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

New Govinda’s Restaurant in OSAKA (a large port city and commercial center on the Japanese island of Honshu) (Album with photos)
Kavicandra Swami: Ananda Murti dasi and her husband Siddartha Prabhu opened their 2nd restaurant today. Many happy customers came.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/CQlYcn

KSL TV and radio in Utah, USA: Eight Reasons People Move To Utah: “Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple & Festival of Colors” prominently mentioned: https://goo.gl/MpdHZV
“…Utah even hosts one of the biggest Holi festivals in the world at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple, where over 70,000 people join together to dance, hug and throw colors in the air during a weekend of pure joy.”

The post Daily Darshan: June 8th, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Here is a finished ‘mock-up’ of the cast-iron grill design, made by our new CNC machine.

By hand this would have taken more than a month to complete (without the precision), while by machine it only took 8 hours, (with perfect alignment).

So this machine is really a “God-sent”! It will be duplicated on the other side, so both sides will be exactly the same.
1 piece will weigh around 200 kg’s. The next step is to make molds for casting.

The post Cast Iron Grill Work appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Thoughts about family, friends, country, nation while chanting?
Visnujana: How will it be possible, Prabhupada, for a man whose mind is clouded to constantly chant Hare Krsna? A man who’s always thinking thoughts about family, friends, country, nation?
Prabhupada: Yes. Think of. At the same time, chant. Two things will go on, and this will conquer. (chuckling) As maya is forcing you to drag you from this Krsna consciousness, you also force maya by chanting Hare Krsna. There is fight. And maya will go away.
This maya is very strong. She’ll force you to entice you to other path. But if you do not stop, if you chant loudly…
Just like Haridasa Thakura was chanting, and maya could not victimize him. You know that? What was his stand? Simply chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Maya could not entice. Maya failed. Maya became his disciple. He did not become maya’s disciple.
This is tug of war. So don’t be afraid of maya. Simply enhance chanting and you’ll be conqueror. That’s all. Narayana-parah sarve na kutascana bibhyati [SB 6.17.28]. We are not afraid of maya because Krsna is there. Yes. Krsna says, kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati [Bg. 9.31]. You just declare, “My devotee will never be vanquished by maya.” Maya cannot do anything. Simply you have to become strong. And what is that strength? Chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, loudly.

Iskcon 50Th Anniversary Festival @ 26 Second Ave, New York
Sunday, June 5. (Album with photos)
In May of 1966, Srila Prabhupada, with the help of just two followers, rented a storefront in New York’s Lower East Side - at 26 Second Avenue. In July of 1966, Srila Prabhupada incorporated his beloved institution, ISKCON, with headquarters at this storefront.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/S5wLhq

June 9. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Satsvarupa Brahmacari, 1966 C.c. Notes Continued: Principal Incarnations.
Lord Caitanya is describing the principal incarnations. Swamiji said there is a list in Srimad-Bhagwatam. Lord Buddha is there: “Do not think Hindus have disregard for Lord Buddha or Lord Jesus Christ. They have all regard. Anyone who comes as a representative of God or powerful incarnation, they are welcome.” They speak differently from Vedic conclusions due to time, place, and persons. They are powerful incarnations.
So Krishna is on this list, and He is like the original candle. Swamiji said, “I have several times mentioned in this room” (he has said before that Krishna is like the original candle).
All incarnations are parts, or parts of the parts, but Krishna is the original. He protects Indra from his enemies. Indra is like the heavenly king. There is the concept of Satan. When there is Satanic influence over the devotees and the demigods, then Krishna comes. When religion is low, and the laws are disobeyed, He comes.
A layman can’t make up religion. God comes and He gives dharma. If people make it up nowadays, that is not real religion.
Days end with kirtan, dancing in a circle with other devotees before Swamiji. That cleanses me of all dirt accumulated during the day. Not just during the day, but for many lifetimes. I believe this because I can feel it.
I’ve got Swamiji’s manuscript to type. I’m fortunate! Ready to work for him at the welfare office on East 5th Street.
Swamiji has allowed me to convert my energy from material to spiritual. O creative spirit of devotional life, please let me serve the Lord and the Lord’s pure devotee. Swamiji, I don’t know anything but what you teach. You are kind to us. I am a fool of false ego. But you say I can learn Bhagwad-gita.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=9

For years, devotees have been struggling to hold on to 26 2^nd Avenue, the small storefront in New York City where ISKCON was born. And a steep rent increase this year threatened to take it away from them, just as they were celebrating ISKCON’s 50^th anniversary. But on Sunday June 5^th, supporters banded together for a special ISKCON 50 fundraiser, and the historic storefront is safe – for now.

If you sense that someone is either very philosophically deep or has some moral issues about sex, then its not a good idea to describe Rādhā as “Krishna’s girlfriend.” In those cases it is better to describe her as the female manifestation of divinity, the goddess epitomizing divine beauty and love. Describe her as the “personified bliss of Krishna,” and explain that their relationship with one another allows divinity to experience and enhance the fullest extent of divine bliss, which would otherwise only be latent within it.

If some question arises whether Rādhā and Krishna are married, you can explain it like this: They are two aspects of one entity – the potent and potency – so they are “married” in the deepest, truest sense of the word. But they express their love for each other as through they are not married because that makes their experience much more thrilling, exciting, and dangerous, more precious and rare, and more selfless and primal. 

If some question arises over what sort of “example” this sets for humanity, just point out that setting an example for humanity is the purpose of many other avatāra, but not the purpose of Vrajendra Nandana Shyamasundara Krishna. The purpose of his avatar is to attract us to the raw, wild, supreme beauty of the most primal and original ānanda.

If the person still finds Rādhā and Krishna to be immoral, point out again that Rādhā and Krishna are one being, more married to one another than any husband and wife could possibly hope to be. But they are *playing* out their love *as if* they were not. Adulterous people in our realm cannot very honestly make the same claim (that one is the potent and the other is the potency, and they are they are thus eternally two halves of the supreme whole). Therefore adulterous people cannot use Krishna’s behavior as license for their own. However, even adulterous people benefit by hearing about Rādhā and Krishna, for they *can* see that Krishna and Rādhā “do it better than anyone else possibly can,” and so even their adulterous or sexually adventurous spirit can attract them to want to know more about Rādhā and Krishna’s love and perhaps even develop a strong desire to play some role in it.

In all cases, everyone should be introduced to Śrīmatī Rādhārānī Devī – but with the proper sambandha, the proper conception of who and what she truly is.

Tagged: madhurya rasa, Radha Krishna

A funny video by Those Two Hare Krishnas. (If you'd like to see some of their other videos please go to www.thoseharekrishnas.com)

Satsvarupa Brahmacari, 1966 C.c. Notes Continued: Principal Incarnations

Meditation is popular, but what are we choosing to meditate on? A video by Spirit Matters. (Please give the video a like and share it on your social media pages and also have a look at other videos made by Spirit Matters! You can find them on www.enoughmagazine.com or www.whyspiritmatters.com)