Highlights from a class and other notes from the diary of a…
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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

KSL TV and radio in Utah, USA: Eight Reasons People Move To…
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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.”

Cast Iron Grill Work
- TOVP.org

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…
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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…
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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…
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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

ISKCON 50 Fundraiser Held to Save 26 2nd Avenue
→ ISKCON News

For years, devotees have been struggling to hold on to 26 2nd 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 50th anniversary. But on Sunday June 5th, supporters banded together for a special ISKCON 50 fundraiser, and the historic storefront is safe – for now.

Radha Krishna Adultery?
→ The Enquirer

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.

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Tagged: madhurya rasa, Radha Krishna

ISKCON Scarborough – Inauguration of new Altar‏
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Hare Krishna!
Please accept our humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!


By the divine blessings of Srila Prabhupada and the Vaishnavas, we are extremely pleased to announce the arrival of an opulent Altar for Sri Gaura Nitai, Sri Radha Gopi Vallabha, Sri Jagannath, Sri Baladeva , Subhadra Maharani and Sri Lakshmi Narasimha dev.

The new Teak wood altar was brought in from Malaysia and from this Friday onward the Lordships will be offering their unlimited blessings from this new Altar.

The cost of this new Altar was $12,500 and more than half the cost has already been sponsored by various devotees.

Devotees who would like to donate towards the remaining cost of the altar will be provided with tax receipts.


ISKCON Scarborough
3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,
Scarborough,Ontario,
Canada,M1V4C7

Email Address:
iskconscarborough@hotmail.com

website:
www.iskconscarborough.com

Travel Journal#12.10: The North UK
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 12, No. 10
By Krishna-kripa das
(May 2016, part two)
Newcastle, Sheffield, Manchester, Preston, Accrington
Liverpool, Karuna Bhavan, Glasgow, Edinburgh
(Sent from Newcastle-upon-Tyne on June 8, 2016)

Where I Went and What I Did

As the second half of May began, I finished my stay in Newcastle, chanting there and in nearby North Shields. Then I spent three days in Sheffield advertising their Ratha-yatra, returning to Newcastle for half a day for their Nrsimha Caturdasi harinama and evening program. After Sheffield Ratha-yatra I stayed in Manchester for five days, chanting there for three days and in one day each in Preston and in Liverpool, and speaking at nama-hatta programs in Accrington and Liverpool. Janananda Goswami recommended I go to the North UK Retreat, this year at Karuna Bhavan in Scotland, as we had attended it in previous years, however, I like to attend the Newcastle Eight-Hour Kirtana so much, I skipped the first day of the retreat. The retreat included lots of valuable realizations from senior devotees like Kripamoya Prabhu, Sri Guru Carana Padma Devi Dasi, Dayananda Swami, and Bhakti Prabhava Swami, which I share in the “Insights” section, and included a harinama as well. After the retreat I did harinama in Glasgow and Edinburgh on the last two days of the month of May.

In addition to insights from the senior devotees on the retreat, I have notes on several Srila Prabhupada lectures, a quote from Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Harinama Cintamani, and a poem by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami to his deities, Radha-Govinda.

I would like to thank the Newcastle and Manchester temples for their kind donations. I would also like to thank Anthony Bate of the Preston nama-hatta, Alan Miles of the Liverpool nama-hatta, and Rima of the Edinburgh nama-hatta for their kind donations. Thanks to Balesvara Raman Prabhu, of Odisha, now based in Glasgow, for letting me stay at his place and contributing to my travels. Thanks to Aayush of Sheffield for letting me stay at his place twice and giving me a donation. Thanks to Lotus of Edinburgh for letting me stay at his place twice and for his donation to my travels. Thanks to Malini Devi Dasi, her Italian friend, and an Indian man from Edinburgh, whose name I do not know, for their kind donations. Thanks to the lady who attends the Manchester temple and who gave a donation when I met her in the city center.

Itinerary

June 1–8: Newcastle
June 9: Sheffield
June 10: Leicester
June 11: Northampton Ratha-yatra
June 12: Chester
June 13–20: London [June 17 trip to Northampton nama-hatta]
June 20–21: Stonehenge Solstice Festival
June 21–June 30: France with Janananda Goswami [June 26 – Paris Ratha-yatra]
July 1: Newcastle
July 2: York harinamaand nama-hatta
July 3: Scarborough
July 4–5: Preston, Blackpool, and more
July 6: Newcastle
July 7–9: Polish Padayatra
July 10: Prague Ratha-yatra
July 12–16: Polish Woodstock
July 17–26: Polish Summer Festival Tour
July 27–29: Berlin harinama?
July 30: Berlin Ratha-yatra
July 31–August 4: Czech Padayatra
August 5–11: Baltic Summer Festival
August 12–14: Ancient Trance Festival?
August 15–17: Bratislava?
August 17: Prague?
August 18–21: Trutnoff (Czech Woodstock)
August 22: Prague
August 23: London
August 24–29: Newcastle [August 28: Leeds?]
August 30: Edinburgh
August 31–September 1: Newcastle
September 2: Sheffield
September 3: York
September 4: Newcastle
September 5–12: Ireland
September 13–: New York City Harinam

Harinama in North Shields

I chanted in North Shields, one of those small towns around Newcastle that Janananda Goswami likes us not to forget. The people were grateful and gave double of what I spent on the metro to get there and back, but none took any books.

Harinamas in Sheffield

I chanted Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in downtown Sheffield to promote the Ratha-yatra on Sunday. The first day was the best because Harisuta Devi Dasi chanted with me for the first hour and a half and Adam chanted with me the second hour and a half. All the other days I chanted alone. Friday was Nrsimhadeva’s Appearance Day, and I chanted two hours in Sheffield, and then I went to Newcastle and chanted there for two hours more.


Before chanting on the streets of Sheffield on the special festival day, I chanted japa in Sheffield’s Winter Garden, which includes tropical plants like palm trees and which reminded me of Florida.

Newcastle Nrsimha Harinama

Bhakti Rasa Prabhu and his wife, Kirtida Devi, as well as Prema Sankirtana Prabhu, all like the idea of celebrating the festival days with harinama. Therefore, I knew I would have a good group of devotees to chant on Nrsimha Caturdasi there, and I did – eleven devotees.  Thus I took a break from advertising the Sheffield Ratha-yatra, and made the three-hour bus ride to Newcastle midday and back the next morning to celebrate with the devotees there. Often the devotees dance off to the side of the pathway, so some people can avoid the ecstasy, but in Newcastle, they danced right in the middle so people could not help but notice. One group of young people looked at our party and danced a little bit among themselves for over half an hour, but they were too shy to join us. We tried to sneak up on them, but they ran away. Finally, when they went on their way, they did a few dance steps as they passed our party (https://youtu.be/PldpDLV8_hE):


I gave a lecture on what we can learn from the Nrsimha pastime, which turned out to be a lot of the teachings of His pure devotee, Prahlada Maharaja.

Sheffield Nrsimha Festival

As we did with Janmastami last year, we celebrated Nrsimha Caturdasi in Sheffield at the Burngreave Ashram, an interfaith ashram a short walk from the city center. We did not get as many people as we had for Janmastami, but there were a few people to hear Dayananda Swami’s lecture. It is a challenge to present the pastime to an audience including very new people, and I think he did a good job. We had a couple kirtanas, which is always a good way to celebrate a festival. Then there was a feast of khichri, pakoras, and halava.

Sheffield Ratha-yatra

Rain was predicted for the day of the Ratha-yatra, and I asked several friends, including Calib, a very individualistic Christian preacher, who attends our Sheffield kirtanas, to pray for sun. I do not know whose prayers were most effective, but it was a party sunny day, and it did not rain at all.

Lara, a law student at Sheffield University from Italy, came to the Sheffield Ratha-yatra from seeing Harisuta Devi Dasi and I doing harinama in the city center ten days before. She had encountered Hare Krishna kirtana before at an ashram near St. Francis’s place in Italy, where she had spent time on retreats. While we were waiting for the procession to start, I showed Lara the article on Villa Vrindavan from the last Back to Godhead that I had proofread on my computer. I offered to send it to her, and she was into was happy to receive it.


Lara (in white scarf) also invited a fellow student from France named Louisa (wearing glasses), who was majoring in philosophy, to come to Ratha-yatra. They took prasadam and helped push, rather than pull, the Ratha-yatra cart. Lara was so pleased with the festival she gave Parasuram Prabhu a £10 donation. They both participated in the henna, and showed me their nicely decorated hands afterwards.

A group of kids danced with us during the procession. A couple of girls were especially into it.

Later, during the final kirtana, a couple groups of kids danced with the devotees. Behnam and Erzsebet were both competent in engaging the local kids in dancing.

I took some video of it (https://youtu.be/0_IzKTb3mM4):


Harinama in Manchester

I can see Krishna was encouraging me in my decision to chant in Manchester from the very beginning because the very first day I collected enough to cover the £13.50 weekly bus pass. One Indian man and an American Airlines pilot from near Boston both donated £10. The pilot was also a yoga teacher and knew about kirtana. I told him about our programs at 72 Commonwealth Avenue and the festival we have in September, and I gave him my card and said I would tell him the details about this years’ festival if he emailed me. He took a Chant and Be Happy and Krishna Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System. The Indian man took Beyond Birth and Death.

The second day was crazy because one wild young man started to grab five books with no intention of paying for them, saying he wanted to learn about it. I said he could have one book for free and handed him a Krishna Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System, but he grabbed a hardbound Science of Self-Realization instead.  In one sense that was better as my friend Tara gave me money to buy the SSRs so I did not lose anything on it. In the course of the afternoon, that crazy guy came by three or four times and ripped off two books. Once when he took one more, I challenged him asking if he knew about the law of karma. He said, “You mean good karma?” I replied, “If you steal, there is only bad karma!” He returned, and threw the book at me, but at least I got it back.

One day a friendly Muslim man from Bangladesh talked to me briefly. He mentioned that the Hindus he grew up with were all good people. I said I had friend from Bangladesh where I live in Newcastle. As he left, he gave me a 1.5 liter bottle of water as a gift.

Harinama in Preston

During the week I spent in Manchester, of Manchester, Preston, and Liverpool, Preston turned out to be the place where I distributed the most books and received the most donations. One young lady took three books, and an Indian mother took at Gita for £10. As I was walking from the Travelodge toward my harinama spot, I met a young couple, and the lady was very glad to see a devotee. She said she had been to Karuna Bhavan, our farm in Scotland, a few hours north. She wondered what programs we had in Preston, but I had to inform her we just had programs in Accrington but not Preston. She was not free on Thursdays, the night of the Accrington program. I gave her a card for Manchester temple, so she could at least go to some of the special festivals there. I met an amazing, well educated gentleman in seventies or perhaps eighties, originally from American, who had taken his kids to the Ratha-yatra in San Francisco in 1970 and who had been to Krishna Lunch in Gainesville. He had a lot of knowledge about many subjects. He mentioned he had his own spiritual practice but did not volunteer it, and I did not ask.

Harinama in Liverpool

A guy dabbling in Buddhism took a Beyond Birth and Death after donating £1. Two Sikh friends donated about £2 and took two books. I asked if they were vegetarian, because the Sikhs are supposed to be. One was, and one was not. Later they came back, donating three bottles of a yogurt drink that some people were distributing for free. One friendly older man told me he has been doing street photography in Liverpool for years, and he has taken many pictures of Hare Krishnas, and he would sent them to the devotees. I said he could take a picture of me if he wanted. He did, and I gave him my card so he could send it to me.

A new lady named Joanna came to the Liverpool program. She encountered the Hare Krishna chant at the evening Ganga Puja at Parmarth, an ashram in Rishikesh. She looked up Hare Krishna Liverpool on the internet and found out about our program. I told her how I was in Rishikesh in March, and that we chanted there. I gave her my card, and said if she looked at my blog, she could see videos of us chanting in Rishikesh. She seemed to have a good time at the Liverpool program, and she helped vacuum the floor afterwards.

Newcastle Eight-Hour Kirtana

Devotees new and old, playing Eastern and Western instruments, and wearing Eastern and Western dress, sang and danced with affection for the holy name of Krishna, prasadam, and each other at the Newcastle Eight-Hour Kirtana. One young Indian-bodied man came from Carlisle. Here are some video clips of the event (https://youtu.be/3GZwPCF4ZVA):


On the Train to Edinburgh

The train was so hot I took off my coat and set it on top of my pack on the rack above my seat, as there was no other free place to put it. While I was using my computer, all of a sudden, my coat fell on top of both me and my computer. I was a little surprised, and I exclaimed in relief, “At least it fell on me and not someone else.” People laughed. Then I added, “It must be my karma.” And they laughed again. I was dressed as a brahmacari as usual.

The 20th Anniversary of the Karuna Bhavan Deities’ Installation

Prabhupada Pran Prabhu [temple president of Karuna Bhavan]:

We had contracts to put “Say Gauranga and be happy!” on the buses in Scotland. The contracts were for only a year, but one company liked them so much they kept them for five or six years.

I heard some people saw Gauranga buses in Africa. I said that was impossible because we did not do it there. But then I learned that Stagecoach sold their old buses to Africa.

The idea behind the Gauranga campaign was that if people chanted Gauranga it would be easier for them to chant Hare Krishna.

After the Gauranga campaign had going on for years, the GBC was looking for a home for some Gaura Nitai Deities, and they ultimately approved giving them to Karuna Bhavan. They arrived on Rama Navami. Their boxes would not fit in the car, so They came out, sat on the seats, and on their way to the temple, they saw Scotland, the land where people had been chanting Gauranga for years.

Because it was the twentieth anniversary of the Gaura Nitai deities’ installation, we took them in a parikrama around the temple property. They are known as Mayapur Sashi (The Moon of Mayapur) and Khoda Nitai (Nitai in Person).

Also a devotee made an awesome cake!

Thanks to my friend, Raghuantha Bhatta Prabhu, who greatly assisted me in my travels in Scotland, as he had previously, in attending the nama-hattas around Manchester.

Harinama at a Scottish Park with the North UK Devotees

Devotees at the North UK Retreat took advantage of a rare, warm, sunny day in Scotland to chant Hare Krishna at a park near Karuna Bhavan. They attracted interest, with some young girls delighting in dancing with the devotee ladies (https://youtu.be/Enox-UGbaAo):


Harinama in Glasgow

Although only sleeping 4 hours the last night, after the North UK Retreat was over, I chanted on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall St. from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. One Nepali couple and a group of three Andhra Pradeshi guys working for a year in Scotland bought Bhagavad-gitas and were happy to learn of Karuna Bhavan. Thanks to all the inspiring speakers at the North UK Retreat, especially Kripamoya Prabhu, who motivated me to share Krishna with others. Three Scottish girls also chanted the entire mantra with me and were happy doing it.

Harinama in Edinburgh

One Indian student, originally from Jaipur, came by my Edinburgh harinama. He was studying at the university for his MBA. He wondered if we had extra neck beads since his had broken the day before. I told him about our Tuesday and Sunday programs at our Gouranga Mantra Centre. He was happy to come in touch with Krishna in Edinburgh.

At the Edinburgh nama-hatta program, in addition to the dedicated regulars, I was inspired to see some new attendees, who have been coming for just a few weeks but are quite committed.

After the devotees cleaned up after the nama-hatta program, about four or five new devotees had their own kirtana for ten or fifteen minutes. It was beautiful to witness their spontaneous enthusiasm to perform an additional kirtana of their own accord.

To see the pictures I took but did not include in this blog, please click on the link below:
https://picasaweb.google.com/103872792410945983719/6293384513219370225?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKj229DJx5LMbw&feat=directlink

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.25 in Los Angeles on April 17, 1973:

Danger is very good if such calamities remind us of Krishna.

Danger must be there because the material world is full of danger. These foolish people do not realize this.

Birth and death must be stopped, not these so-called dangers.

Do not be disturbed by the sea waves. Just try to cross to the other side of the ocean.

Tapasya means we must proceed with our Krishna consciousness business in spite of all the dangerous and calamitous conditions of this world.

The devotee thinks, “God has appeared to me as this danger.” He’s confident that the danger is another feature of God. He thinks, “So why shall I be afraid? I am surrendered to Him.”

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.30 in Mauritius on October 2, 1975:

It is a defect of Kali-yuga that those who do not know the goal of life become leaders.

It is good we are self-interested, but we do not know what is our real self-interest.

If the leaders do not know the goal of life, what is the hope for the common man?

If your only aim is to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you can transform this material world into the spiritual world.

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.25 in Vrindavan on October 5, 1974:

We have to be a little intelligent. Hearing that the soul has no birth or death, we have to consider “Why I am subject to these conditions of birth and death?”

From a lecture given in Seattle on September 30, 1968:

“So study Bhagavad-gita to understand the real nature or identity of God and yourself and your relationship with God, and then, when you are a little conversant – when you are prepared to say, “Yes, Krishna is the only lovable object” – then the next book you take is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Bhagavad-gita As It Isis the entrance. Students pass their school examinations and then enter the college. So you pass your school examination – how to love God – by studying Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Then study Srimad-Bhagavatam. That is the graduate study. And when you are still further advanced, post-graduate, then study Teachings of Lord Caitanya.”

Bhaktivinoda Thakura:

“The purity of a Vaishnava is judged by how much attraction or rati he has for the holy name. It has nothing whatsoever to do with his official status as a Vaishnava, or his wealth, erudition, youth, pleasing appearance, strength or following.” (Harinama Cintamani, pp. 34–35)

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami:

From One Hundred and Eight Poems to Radha-Govinda:

“Radha-Govinda reciprocate with us...

You live in a timeless land,
sac-cid-ananda-vigraha
where speech is song,
walking is dancing and
the flute is the constant
companion. There are
numberless Surabhi cows
who moisten the ground
with their nectarean milk,
and Krishna is served by
millions of gopis or
goddesses of fortune.
But there is one who is
His favorite
who captivates Him and is
superior in everything and
controls Him completely.
That is Radha.
The residents of Vrindavana take shelter of
Her and cry out
‘Jaya Radhe!’ because they know if they get the
favor of Radharani She rewards them and
Krishna is obliged
to give them His mercy. We should know the blessings
of Radharani come through Lord Caitanya
who is a combination of Radha and Krishna.
He is Krishna
in the complexion and mood of Radharani in separation.
Follow Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana and receive the blessings of Radha and Krishna.
I am grateful Radha-Govinda reside with us in Viraha Bhavan.”

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.”

Sri Guru Carana Padma Devi Dasi:

Previously there was a tendency to speak of grhastha life or sannyasa life, so I find it encouraging that people like Jayadvaita Swami are speaking about the transitional vanaprastha ashram and are advising people in that way.

It is important to go on pilgrimage to see people in other places also practicing Krishna consciousness.

Dayananda Swami:

The Lord does not think “let’s get rid of the demons because they cause such a hassle for the demigods,” but rather He creates a situation where everyone, both demons and demigods, benefits spiritually.

Although Krishna is the Lord of all planets and the enjoyer of all sacrifices, at first these may not seem so relevant to us, but the fact that Krishna is the well-wisher of all living entities may attract us to Him. When people understand that Krishna is the well-wisher of all living entities, then they can really begin to surrender to Him.

The Lord is the well-wisher of Hiranyakasipu. It does not look like that when you see the picture. Actually when I was in Manchester, the temple president took that picture off the altar for the sake of preaching.

Even though sky is cloudy, like here in Sheffield, and we cannot see the sun, we know it is present because it is light, and we know the sun has set when it becomes dark. In the same way, although we cannot see the spirit in the body, we can tell it is present by the symptoms of life and that it has left from the absence of these symptoms.

There is no difference between any of us because we are all spiritual and we all have a relationship with the supreme spirit.

The Lord has arranged everything for our purification, and if we understand that and act accordingly, then very quickly we can progress spiritually, but we if act against it, that will catch up with us, and there will be a heavy reaction.

Although in the beginning we may serve God in fear, eventually we should be doing things for God because we want to.

Selflessness becomes spiritual when it is meant for the Supreme Person.

Q (by me): How to attain devotion like Prahlada?
A: Follow the dos and don’t in the scriptures. Then your consciousness will be elevated. Glorify God, especially by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Then the heart will become clean, and we will make progress.

We should have courses training grhasthas how to take sannyasa.

If we change our situation whenever we feel like it, we may just be guilty of indulging the restless mind. One place is as good as another if we are in Krishna consciousness.

We often think, “I live in this community or this city, and there are so few devotees.” But actually, like Devahuti, one can attain perfection from the association of a single devotee.

In devotional service, the most important thing is to never leave the association of devotees.

We can read the books and listen to the lectures, but unless we have the association of a devotee, the equation is not complete.

What will keep us going in devotional service is the taste from sharing it with others, either directly or by helping those who are directly doing it.

Bhakti Prabhava Swami:

Jayadvaita Swami advises that grhastha couples should set aside funds when they are younger, so they can take vanaprastha (retire) later.

As a traveling preacher it is good to go to different places, but it is also good to stay for some time in one place. Thus now I spend half my time in Leicester and the rest of the time traveling.

It is inspiring to go to India on pilgrimage from time to time.

When I go from temple to temple, in each temple the temple president comes to me and tells me all his problems. One thing I can learn from this is that no situation is ideal.

The more we are focused on the goal of pleasing Krishna, the less chance there is of conflict.

The avadhuta learned from the arrow maker to be one-pointed. We must chant with attention and concentrate on the order of the spiritual master.

The avadhuta saw the snake use the holes that were created by others and learned to live simply with what is provided.

Once Srila Prabhupada was asked what he thought of an important politician, and Srila Prabhupada replied that he did not think of him.

Doug Rowlings of Blackpool:

From a car conversation:

For many years, devotees from Scotland would put large “GOURANGA” stickers on the bridges in the Scotland and The North of England. Even now, on the radio, when the announcer reports the traffic conditions on the M65 motorway to Blackburn, in The North of England, he will mention how the traffic is backed up to the “Gouranga” bridge.

----

Lord Caitanya is so liberal he gives people the chance to experience the topmost spiritual ecstasy, through the chanting of the holy names, regardless of their social position:

sei dvare acandale kirtana sancare
nama-prema-mala ganthi’ paraila samsara


“Thus He [Lord Caitanya] spread kirtana [the chanting of the holy names] even among the untouchables [uncivilized people who eat dogs]. He wove a wreath of the holy name and prema [love of God] with which He garlanded the entire material world.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Adi-lila 4.40)

Utilize the Human Form of Life to Realize Our Lost Relationship with Krishna, June 5, Potomac, Maryland
Giriraj Swami

Krishna-Welcomes-Gopa-KumarGiriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.17.

“A living being, especially the human being, is seeking happiness because happiness is the natural situation of the living entity. But he is vainly seeking happiness in the material atmosphere. A living being is constitutionally a spiritual spark of the complete whole, and his happiness can be perfectly perceived in spiritual activities. The Lord is the complete spirit whole, and His name, form, quality, pastimes, entourage and personality are all identical with Him. Once a person comes into contact with any one of the above-mentioned energies of the Lord through the proper channel of devotional service, the door to perfection is immediately opened.” (SB 2.3.17 purport)

“God or Krishna is perfect and complete. And, when we are established in our relationship with him we feel completeness. Without our eternal relationship with Krishna we feel incomplete so we try to overcome the feeling of incompleteness with so many things—’If I get this record I will feel complete. If I get this job I will feel complete. if I get this spouse I will feel complete. If I have a child I will feel complete’—whatever it is. But, we never feel complete  with those things because we are only complete in relationship with the supreme complete whole, Krishna.”

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.17, Potomac

Krishna Kid
→ Seed of Devotion

The rhythm of the mridanga drum is in my bones. The harmonium is an extension of my hand. The Hare Krishna mantra runs through my veins.

In the morning I swim in a bikini. In the evening I dance in a sari. I pack for an international trip in two days, I stay with people I've never met before.

I have deep shallow friends all over the world. Within hours we've connected, like two plugs in the same wall socket, getting a jolt of electricity to be together, and then we've disconnected. Oftentimes, we're disconnected for months and years and years. But we always remember what it felt like to be jolted by the same electricity of connection. Maybe it was Krishna, or Prabhupad, or crazy good prasadam, or an electric kirtan.

We never forget.

I've traveled around the world and never paid for a hotel. I've lived on different continents with different communities with different cultures and friends and services. I have found found Home. I'm still searching for Home. Terminal wanderlust.

I want a competitive salary, to wear clothes from Ann Taylor, be LEGIT. I want to belong in the material world. I do. I want accolades, recognition, credibility. I want degrees. I do.

I want to live in the spiritual world. I don't want to GO there. I want joy, good food, music and dance all in praise of God. I want deep connection and love. I want to serve. I want to twirl in kirtan with a sea of ladies until our skirts all fan open like flowers. I want to throw my arms in the air and call out God's name among an ocean of voices. I don't want to go to the spiritual world.

I want to live there.

Bikinis and saris, degrees and initiation vows, traveling the world and finding home, belting out Beyonce and calling out to God. Sometimes it's all a traffic jam in my heart. Sometimes I'm lost, really lost.

When I look out and see other Krishna kids and Krishna devotees lost - sometimes painfully lost, sometimes joyfully lost - in the traffic jam of our desires and our lives, I don't feel so lost.

Family.

When you're leaving this world, I'll sing Krishna's name for you. You will be in my mind, in the temple of my heart. I may be across the world, I may have never met you, but I'll be there for you.

When I am leaving this world, I know you'll be there for me. You will sing for me, you will pray for me, I will be in the temple of your heart. Even though you're across the world, even though you may have never met me, you'll be there for me.

With you,

I am found. 
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Harinama in Hungary (Album with photos) Srila Prabhupada: In…
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Harinama in Hungary (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In this age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting in order to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the name of Krishna. Although his complexion is not blackish, He is Krishna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and His confidential companions. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 11.5.32)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/lUnc9e

You Bet Your Life
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Hare KrishnaBy Arcana Siddhi Devi Dasi

For anyone interested in spiritual progress, gambling is more than just a harmless amusement. How does gambling erode truthfulness? I think back to one of my first psychotherapy clients. Joe, in his late thirties, had recently married for the first time and desperately wanted the marriage to work. But every time he got his paycheck, he'd secretly go to the Atlantic City casinos. Using an elaborate web of lies, he'd explain his absence to his wife. If he lost all his money, often the case, he'd have to lie about the money as well. He'd make up stories: Aunt Berla is dying and needs the money for a respirator; Uncle Martin borrowed the money for his rent. On and on it would go, until his wife no longer could or would believe him and was ready to leave the marriage. Finally, Joe confessed to the blatant truth: He was a compulsive gambler, an addict swallowed up by an insatiable desire to turn his quarters into dollars with a flick of his wrist. His eyes filled with desperate tears. He begged his wife to stay and promised to get help for his addiction. Continue reading "You Bet Your Life
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Our first step in our thousand-mile spiritual journey
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Every living being especially humans have two natures (1) spiritual nature (2) material nature. Spiritual nature and material nature are completely independent of each other yet co-exist. Material nature is time sensitive and is created from material elements. The human body for example is a combination of these time sensitive elements. A person’s character, way of speaking, dressing, walking, and general beliefs is primarily influenced by the society he or she lives. This society in turn is formed over time by human beings. There is a symbiotic relationship between man and his surroundings and both influence each other constantly. Therefore, we have to intellectually appreciate the difference between the true self and the externally influenced self. Typically, we merge the two.

The externally influenced self is constantly changing and we should learn to see ourselves separate from it. Whereas the internal true self which does not change is our real self or identity. This non-changing self is spiritual and the changing self is material. When we slow down our life and step back from our externally influenced changing self, we will realize the existence of a non-changing self. In order to step back from the changing self, we need to practice the art of careful dissociation from the changing external agents such as our physical body/mind, family, children, wealth, career and in that moment of dissociation meditate on the non-changing identity of our self.

This is our first step in our thousand-mile spiritual journey!

Hare Krishna

Wonderful Krsna
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Hare KrishnaBy Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami

Krsna is wonderful, amazing inconceivably so but we have not touched on the most mysterious and inconceivable of all His qualities: His ability to express love. He is powerful, He is wise, He is strong and famous, but His inclination to love all living beings, and His expression of that love in a variety of ways, is His most attractive feature. And even more attractive than that is His special love for His devotees. Therefore, a devotee, while recognizing Krsna's mastership over his or her life, does not ever forget this greatest glory of Krsna's love. I recently heard Srila Prabhupada on tape speaking about suffering. A devotee asked Prabhupada how we should understand that even though we are devotees, we still have to suffer. Prabhupada took a strong position. He said it was not our right to question that we have to suffer. And we should never think that we would love Krsna more if we didn't suffer. Nor does Krsna have to explain to us why we are suffering. A devotee sees Krsna unquestionably as master. In the mood of a devotee, Lord Caitanya prays, "Whether You make me broken-hearted or You handle me roughly in Your embrace, You are always my worshipful Lord, birth after birth." A devotee never doubts Krsna's loving intention toward him. Continue reading "Wonderful Krsna
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Who’s Pulling the Strings
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Hare KrishnaBy Vishakha Devi Dasi

We generally think that we're in control of our actions and that we're making our own decisions, but the supreme authority, Krsna, declares that this is not the case. He says that we are acting as puppets victims of the forces of nature. In Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna says, "All men are forced to act helplessly according to the impulses born of the modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment." (Bg. 3.5) Not just you and I, but "no being existing, anywhere in the material world, is free from the three modes of material nature." Bg. 18.40 Continue reading "Who’s Pulling the Strings
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Harinama in Vladivostok, Russia (Album with photos) Srila…
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Harinama in Vladivostok, Russia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: A girl is married to a husband. She’s hankering after a child. If she thinks, “Now I am married, I must have immediately a child.” Is it possible? Just have patience. Become a faithful wife, serve your husband and let your love grow up, and because you are husband and wife, it is sure you’ll have children. But don’t be impatient. Similarly, when you are in Krishna Consciousness, your perfection is guaranteed. But have patience, determination. “I must execute. I should not be impatient.” That impatience is due to loss of determination. And how that loss determination is there? Due to excessive sex life. Los Angeles, February 17, 1969
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SEX,LOVE AND YOGA June 12th, 15th and 22nd
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  The THREE together? Now that’s a combination worth knowing about! Special Talk on Sunday 12th June 2016 from 5pm. Join us for an exciting evening with Devamrita Swami. $5 includes enlightening talk, kirtan and dinner. As a world traveller & international author, Devamrita swami is the kind of person to hear from if you really want to gain […]

The post SEX,LOVE AND YOGA June 12th, 15th and 22nd appeared first on The Loft Yoga Lounge Auckland.

Sri – Sri Radha Kunjavihari Chandan Yatra Mahotsava 2016 (Album…
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Sri - Sri Radha Kunjavihari Chandan Yatra Mahotsava 2016 (Album with photos) Bali, Indonesia.
Srila Prabhupada: All glories to the chanting of Hare Krishna mantra or Krishna sankirtana movement. All glories. All victory. How it is victory, all victory? If you chant this Hare Krishna mantra, then the dirty things which have accumulated in your heart due to material contamination will be cleared off. (Purport to Siksastakam).
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Harinama in a park of Moscow, Russia (Album with photos) Srila…
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Harinama in a park of Moscow, Russia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: How can we think mundane thoughts and at the same time chant? Two things are happening, and one will conquer. As maya is working to drag you from Krishna consciousness, you can challenge maya by chanting Hare Krishna. (Lecture on Bhagavad-gita, 3.6.10, Los Angeles 1968)
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One cat and the Teachings of Queen Kunti. Karuna Darini Dasi: I…
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One cat and the Teachings of Queen Kunti.
Karuna Darini Dasi: I got my first book from a book table near the Los Angeles Ratha-yatra site. I took the Teachings of Queen Kunti home with me and read it. I liked the beautiful, classic prayers, but did not want a personal God in my life again, having renounced Christianity.
Some friends, recently turned devotees, were regularly bringing me prasada. They were patient with and kind to me, but I had a lot of excuses not to join them. One major excuse was my pregnant pet cat. One night I came home from work to find that my cat had given birth to two premature kittens — a miscarriage. The fetuses were lying on top of my stack of poetry books and quasi-spiritual art magazines. The TQK was exactly next to that mess – though untouched, as effulgent as ever. I was shocked and frightened. Then I thought, What is it with this Krishna literature? It was protected from this mess and it looks so beautiful! It seemed to say, “You can’t enjoy this pet cat! The cat is always suffering, and you are always suffering!”
I read TQK, I started to wonder what other shocks were in store for me in this lifetime. When I joined the bhaktin asrama, I was very glad to meet so many devotees.
When people ask me how I became a devotee I like to say that there is no group of people I have met throughout my life who is as amazing and intelligent as the Hare Krishna devotees.
Your servant,
Karuna Darini Dasi

A visit to the famous Radha Krishna Temple in London (Full Album)
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A visit to the famous Radha Krishna Temple in London (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Just hours after my flight from New York had landed in London I was off to 10 Soho Street for a program at ISKCON’s famous downtown temple. The darshan of Radha London Isvara was breathtaking, the association of the British devotees sweet as it comes and the prasadam as great as ever. Good to be back in England!
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June 8. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations. Satsvarupa…
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June 8. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Satsvarupa dasa Brahmacari, January 1966.
Diary notes from morning lecture, Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 21.35.
Krishna is “home-ly” – He is proprietor of every place, but He has His own place. We falsely claim a piece of land as ours. Actually, nothing is ours. There is a saying, “I beg vegetables to eat, and sleep in the marketplace, so where is my home?” We claim land is ours, so there can be no peace. Goloka is His abode in the spiritual sky. Planets are round but Goloka is lotus-like. As sunlight for the universe comes from the sun, so all light comes from Goloka. All the universes come from Krishna in Goloka; this one universe we live in is insignificant. Within the earth, U.S.A. is a small part, and in U.S.A., New York City is still more insignificant, “and in that NYC, this 26 Second Avenue is insignificant, and we are sitting here. So just see how insignificant we are. And we are claiming we are God.”
We laughed when Swamiji said that, we are here at 26 Second Avenue. As he was saying it, we sensed it, getting more and more insignificant. He laughed, too. We are in one tiny corner of everything. It is wonderful that he did that – and we can know it all comes from Krishna. We get in touch with original Krishna by chanting.
I used to doodle these bass players all the time. Now that I’m in Krishna consciousness, I should give it up. Better to have them play in kirtan like the man who played bass when we had kirtan at Dr. Mishra’s asrama. Otherwise, I want to let these things go from my past. I only want to do things approved by my spiritual master.
That publisher from Chicago came to New York City. He published a segment of my novel on Svevo. He was surprised to find me a disciple of the Swami. He came and sat on the floor with me in my apartment. He wasn’t particularly impressed by my “religion.” He noticed that the thumbnail on my left hand is filled with grooves and asked me if it had been injured. “I’m not sure what it’s from,” I said, “maybe nail-biting.” It was as if he wanted to say something actual, true and meaningful, personal, and perceptive, so he chose to comment on my pitiful-looking thumbnail. But I am not this body. Talking about my thumbnail didn’t bring us much of an intimate exchange.
Anyway, I said to him, maybe I can write a sequel to the novel telling how Svevo joined the Hare Krishna movement. He said okay. Rayarama came and met him. Then the publisher left. I don’t think I even have his address. He’ll probably go see Murray and Steve and see what they’re writing. His coming here was like a visit from my past self. But I’m fixed in Krishna consciousness now. I probably won’t find time to write that sequel. I’m definitely not very interested in reliving the scenes with Eliot and Anna and all the stuff that Svevo went through. But a sequel might be good for preaching purposes.
I asked Swamiji last night about whether I should write the sequel. He said, “Yes, you can do it.” I felt foolish telling him somebody wanted to publish something that I had written. I didn’t want Swamiji to misunderstand. He understood perfectly well. He said, “But they should pay you. Just because you are religious does not mean you should get less money or no money. You should get more.” That’s all he said. So let’s see what happens about that.
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ISKCON Scarborough – Special programs this weekend‏
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Hare Krishna!

Please accept our humble obeisances!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!


We have a special Seminar on the "Holy Name" by HG Akrura das prabhu from Vancouver.

The part 1 of the program will be held on Friday and will conclude on Saturday at ISKCON Scarborough.

No registration is required.

Free prasadam will be served after all our temple programs.


The seminar timings are as follows:

Friday: 6.45 pm

Saturday: 7 pm


Prabhu will also be joining us for the live Radio program at the Geethavaani radio station on Saturday from 10 am to 11 am.


Biodata of HG Akrura das prabhu: 

HG Akrura das prabhu was born in 'Shuktal, India. Shuktal is the actual place where Shukdev Goswami spoke the Srimad Bhagavatam to Parikshit Maharaj. HG Akrura das prabhu is continuing the glorious service that was started by his father by conducting Bhagavat katha and Bhagvad Gita programs. Prabhu preaches Krishna Consciousness in India, West Indies & North America. Prabhu preaches in English, Punjabi, Gujarati, Urdu and Hindi Prabhu also serves as the co- President of ISKCON and serves the Global Iskcon as a deputy GBC.


ISKCON Scarborough
3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,
Scarborough,Ontario,
Canada,M1V4C7

Email Address:

iskconscarborough@hotmail.com

website:

www.iskconscarborough.com

Strength in numbers
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 30 June 2013, Vrindavana, India, Srila Prabhupada Pastimes Lecture)

Question: What is the purpose of group chanting?

queensday_2013Obviously when we do things together, it gives us support in different ways – it gives support in a positive way and also in another way like when your mind thinks, ‘Oh, I am so ill today, I am not well, I need some rest! Oh, rest!!’

When you are alone, who will tell you not to do it but when you are with the vaisnavas, then it looks so bad. Therefore, it also keeps check and balance. In this way, the association of devotees gives us support and protection from our lower nature. In front of the vaisnavas, we will behave better than when we are alone. So, chant with the vaisnavas!