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Iskcon Kuching Sarawak Free Food For Life At 7th Mile Market Today (15 May 2016)
Srila Prabhupada: In this age human beings only live for sixty or eighty years, and even this small life-span is gradually decreasing. Therefore it is even more imperative for human beings to take to the worship of the lotus feet of the Lord by constantly chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, as recommended by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.24.67 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/ulJW97

It was appearing like a flower garland on the chest of Nrsimhadeva. It seems as if a lion had killed an elephant. So many of Hiranyakasipu’s soldiers came out to fight against the Lord, but the Lord, with His sharp nails, tore them apart and all were killed. There are many descriptions. “Lord Nrsimhadeva’s mouth and mane were sprinkled with drops of blood, and His fierce eyes, full of anger, were impossible to look at. Licking the edge of His mouth with His tongue, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nrsimhadeva, decorated with a garland of intestines taken from Hiranyakasipu’s abdomen, resembled a lion that has just killed an elephant.” (SB 7.8.30 ) ” The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who had many, many arms, first uprooted Hiranyakasipu’s heart and then threw him aside and turned toward the demon’s soldiers. These soldiers had come in thousands to fight with Him with raised weapons and were very faithful followers of Hiranyakasipu, but Lord Nrsimhadeva killed all of them merely with the ends of His nails.” (SB 7.8.31 ) Continue reading "Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Appearance Day
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By Mayapur Sasi dasa

                                     *
                            *     *     *     *
                 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
          * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  ************************************************************************
  N O R T H    A M E R I C A N    S A N K I R T A N    N E W S L E T T E R
  ************************************************************************
          * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
                 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
                            *     *     *     *
                                     *

                                 April 2016                       5/14/2016


         For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this file contains
        the following North American results for the month of April:

                    North American Totals
                    Monthly Temples
                    Monthly Weekend Warriors etc.
                    Monthly Top 100 Individuals
                    Monthly Top 5
                    Cumulative Countries
                    Cumulative Temples
                    Cumulative Top 100 Individuals
                    Cumulative Top 5



   This file is best viewed and printed using a fixed pitch font. In WinCOM
   select Options, General, and change to Fixed pitch. In a word processor
   chose Edit, Select All, and select a fixed pitch font such as Courier.

                               All glories to your service,
                               Your servant, Mayapur Sasi dasa


   Scores received thru 05/14/2016




                 North American offering to Srila Prabhupada

         MahaBig   Big   Medium  Small   BTGs   Total   Total    %    Templ/
          Books   Books  Books   Books   Mags   Books   Points Change Devote
        --------------------------------------------------------------------
January  13132    7201    7126   17240   4382   49081   41798.20 +11% 23/ 88
February 13077   11031   11784   20907   5770   62569   48933.55 +39% 23/ 92
March    14063    6467    7115   20533   4835   53013   43798.05 +13% 19/ 64
April    16777   11350   10620   30967   6695   76409   58651.65  -9% 23/ 89
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals   57049   36049   36645   89647  21682  241072  193181.45 +10% 29/135
                                                          (%)Change compared
                                                                to last year



                     North American Sankirtan Newsletter
                                ALL TEMPLES
                                 April 2016

                                      %    M-Big   Big  Medium  Small  BTGs
    Temples (size)           Points Change Books  Books  Books  Books  Mags
    _______________________________________________________________________

  1 Los Angeles (L)    US  16493.50* +19%   3680   4495*  4152  10130   300
  2 RupanugaVedicColle US  12303.20* +74%   4046   3187*    97   2128* 4437*
  3 Baltimore (MS)     US   4725.70*+123%   2079      5     20*  2010*  502*
  4 Chicago (S)        US   4559.70*+192%   1186*   878*   921*  3390*   17
  5 TBB TSKP (MS)      US   3746.75  -11%    429   1281   2044   2343     0
  6 Silicon Valley(ISV US   3213.75*+118%   1567*    12*     0    271     0
  7 Gainesville (M)    US   2204.75  -37%    549    523    712    911     0
  8 Denver (M)         US   2139.75   -9%    720    304*   281    837   460
  9 Hillsborough, NC ( US   1823.30*+176%    455*   124*   132*  2778*  288
 10 Laguna Beach (S)   US   1418.75* +49%    666*    16     29    185   100
 11 New Orleans (S)    US   1251.25*+116%     70*     0   1051*  2339*   10
 12 Toronto (S)        Can  1075.95* +72%    250     37    123   1789*   38
 13 New Talavan (S)    US    975.50  -23%    350     14*   512     22     0
 14 Dallas (M)         US    513.75   +4%    160     73     94    259    90
 15 San Diego (M)      US    456.25*+205%     87*   148*   169*   199*    0
 16 Atlanta (S)        US    399.25   na      69    114      0    589     0
 17 Hartford (MS)      US    377.20   +2%    131     47*    99*    58    42
 18 Miami (S)          US    350.75  -39%    109     32      1    401     0
 19 Sacramento/TYM (S) US    272.30  -29%    104     21     54     60    13
 20 Berkeley (S)       US    238.10*+117%     41*    28*    84*   186*  396*
 21 Vancouver (S)      Can    91.50   +8%     21     11     43     68     0
 22 Texarkana (S)      US     18.95*+441%      8*     0      0     11*    2
 23 Arkadelphia (S)    US      1.75  -80%      0      0      2      3*    0
                                    (%)Change compared        (*)New record
                                    to monthly average        for this year



                     North American Sankirtan Newsletter
                             WEEKEND WARRIORS ETC
                                 April 2016

                                      %    M-Big   Big  Medium  Small  BTGs
    Individuals or Group     Points Change Books  Books  Books  Books  Mags
    _______________________________________________________________________

  1 WW Jiva Daya Mar Bal US  4725.70* +51%  2079      5     20*  2010*  502*
  2 WW Team ISV Week Sil US  3213.75*+118%  1567*    12*     0    271     0
  3 WW Toronto WW    Tor Can  453.00* +48%   165*    23*    75    250*    0
  4 WW Dallas        Dal US   205.50* +43%    56*    53*    39     84*    0
  5 CP LA Sastra Dan LA  US    23.00  -91%     1      1     20     40     0
  6 WW Chicago MSF   Chi US    15.95*+106%     2      5      2     19*   12
                                    (%)Change compared        (*)New record
                                    to monthly average        for this year




                     North American Sankirtan Newsletter
                             TOP 100 INDIVIDUALS
                                 April 2016

                                      %    M-Big   Big  Medium  Small  BTGs
    Individuals              Points Change Books  Books  Books  Books  Mags
    _______________________________________________________________________

  1 Bk Jay Khush     LA  US  3908.45* +25%  1025*   781*   748*  2447   917*
  2 Paramesvara d    RVC US  3520.75* +32%  1122*   877*     4    543* 2620*
  3 Krishna Bhagavan RVC US  2978.40*  +9%   975    809*     0    478*  999
  4 Ananda Kirtan d  LA  US  2868.75  +36%  1028    334    107   1701     0
  5 Gauranga Prema d LA  US  2806.75*+186%   627*   774*  1331*   453*    0
  6 Bhrgupati d      LA  US  1941.20*+163%   356*   772*   480*   864    12
  7 Bk Storm         LA  US  1936.50*  +5%   473    523*   354   1162*    0
  8 Dharmaraja d     RVC US  1918.30* +81%   574*   629*     0    528*   93
  9 Brajananda d     RVC US  1795.95* +45%   590*   512*     3    371*   97
 10 Prema Sankirtan  LA  US  1666.75   +4%   397    606    175    717     0
 11 Nidra dd         Den US  1236.75  +34%   459    217*   101    205     0
 12 Gaur Sundar d    LA  US  1111.70  -35%   512     62     35     30     7
 13 Dasya Prema d    RVC US  1036.15  -13%   372    224     24    133*  229
 14 Drumila d        NO  US   953.75*+216%    17*     0    852*  1975*    0
 15 Krsna Kumar d    TBB US   894.75*+176%    23*   482*   523*   421*    0
 16 Bk Carlos        Gai US   863.25  -28%   248    211    124*   377     0
 17 Mohanasini dd    Tal US   855.50  -29%   350     14*   272     22     0
 18 Deva Krsna d     RVC US   726.90  -55%   320     44      0     12   399
 19 Bk Carlos        TBB US   723.50  -27%   103    170    388    614     0
 20 Bk Karim         TBB US   722.50  +27%   116*   155    370    602     0
 21 Ekasma d         LA  US   690.00*+187%   158*   133*   280    404*    0
 22 Kalki d(2 Kimani Gai US   622.75  -25%   150    214    178*    79     0
 23 Raya Nitai d     TBB US   549.50  -47%    63    195    315    284     0
 24 Shastra-krt d    LA  US   532.50* +19%   170*     0      0    770*    0
 25 Madhava Puri d   TBB US   452.50  -11%    48    168    194    366*    0
 26 Aditya Narayan d Hil US   440.75*+174%   112     13      4    807*    0
 27 Radha Krishna d  LA  US   438.60  +23%   155*    63     58    144     6
 28 Bk Joey          TBB US   404.00  -24%    76    111    254     56     0
 29 Bn Demi          Tor Can  400.95*+999%     8*     3      4   1519*    2
 30 Madhukari d      Atl US   399.25  -52%    69    114*     0    589*    0
 31 Bk Akshay        Hil US   299.75   na     95     69      0    163     0
 32 Bk Adam          RVC US   287.25   na     92     64     54     49     0
 33 Prana Hari d     Den US   264.25  -20%   106     14     15*   123     0
 34 Visala d         Mia US   248.00* +61%    69*    20*     0    360*    0
 35 Bk Chang         SD  US   237.75*+178%    58*    80*    54*    59*    0
 36 Bk Mikey         Gai US   218.00   na     54     32     80    152     0
 37 Bn Karly         Gai US   204.25  -67%    67     29     36     93     0
 38 Harish Kumar d   Chi US   192.00   na     96      0      0      0     0
 39 Sacitanoy d      LA  US   180.50  -64%    39     86      4     58     0
 40 Visva dd         Chi US   178.75*+155%    71*    18*    20*    35     0
 41 Dinabandhu Guru  Ber US   174.50* +91%    25*    22*    52*   154*  380*
 42 Ananta Gopal d   NO  US   161.50*+135%    50*     0     78*    90*    0
 43 Cakri d Dallas   Dal US   150.25  -29%    58      0      0    101    90*
 44 Vinoda Kovida d  Den US   132.25  +10%    45     23     15     47*    0
 45 Kaivalya dd      Tal US   120.00*+104%     0      0    240*     0     0
 46 Syama dd         LA  US   117.50*+171%     0      0      0    270*  500*
 47 Caitanya dd      Gai US   115.00  -55%     4     29    101*   110*    0
 48 Ekatvam d        Gur US   107.00  +28%    18      0    104*    76     0
 49 Nanda Suno d     Den US   103.25  -54%    28     22     31     39     0
 50 Lilakara d       Mia US   102.25   -8%    40*    12      0     41     0
 51 Rohini Nandan d  NO  US   101.00  -33%     3      0     80*   220     0
 52 Karuna Dharini   LA  US    96.50*+162%    42*     3      5     28*    0
 53 Bk Oscar         LA  US    94.75  -64%    16     27     26     91     0
 54 Bn Autumn        Gai US    87.75   na     26      8     23     65     0
 55 Samyaprasa d     Den US    83.25   -6%    26     12     26     25*    0
 56 Bn Tessa         Gai US    82.50*+725%     0      0    160*    10     0
 57 Bk Mitch Rampp   Chi US    80.25  +58%    13     31     26*    41*    0
 58 Ananda Murari d  Den US    79.75  -15%    29      6     19     25*    0
 59 Lalita dd        Ber US    63.60*+249%    16*     6*    32*    32*   16*
 60 Gopi Gita dd     LA  US    63.00*+388%     0      0     47*   158*    0
 61 Shankar Pandit d Chi US    59.75   -1%     0      0      0    239*    0
 62 Bk Himanshu      Chi US    57.50  -80%     0     50      0     30     0
 63 Bk Matsu         Den US    54.50  -32%    15      4     26*    30*    0
 64 Banke Bihari dd  Van Can   42.00* +76%    12*     1     12*    44*    0
 65 Bk Sebastian     LA  US    40.50   -8%     0      2      6    142     0
 66 Dvijamani Gaura  RVC US    39.50  -30%     1     28*    12     14*    0
 67 Sarvatarak d     NO  US    34.00  -67%     0      0     41     54     0
 68 Sridhar Syama d  Dal US    34.00* +23%     9*     5     14*    16*    0
 69 Kamalini dd      Hil US    28.05   na      5      6     15     17     3
 70 Bk Marquis       SD  US    27.50  -35%     1     14     12     22     0
 71 Amala Purana d   Den US    27.25  -82%     4      4     21     19     0
 72 Balaram d        SD  US    26.00*+263%     2      7*    17*    26*    0
 73 Tulasi Vallabha  Den US    20.50* +61%     8*     2      0     10*    0
 74 Ramanuja d       Van Can   18.00* +64%     1      7*    12*    12     0
 75 Apurva d         Hil US    16.20   na      3      3      6      8    22
 76 Bn Christiana    Gai US    11.25   na      0      0     10     25     0
 77 Visnu Gada d     Van Can    9.75  -56%     1      3      7      5     0
 78 Jagatpati d      Van Can    5.75  -53%     0      0      9      5     0
 79 Balabhadra d     Van Can    2.00   na      1      0      0      0     0
 80 Visnu Priya dd   Van Can    2.00  -50%     1      0      0      0     0
 81 Digpala d        NO  US     1.00   na      0      0      0      0    10
 82 Tadiya dd        Den US     1.00    0%     0      0      0      4     0
 83 Nartaka Gopal dd Mia US     0.50  -88%     0      0      1      0     0
                                    (%)Change compared        (*)New record
                                    to monthly average        for this year



                    North American Sankirtan Newsletter
                   MONTHLY TOP 5 TEMPLES AND INDIVIDUALS
                                 April 2016

     -------- Points --------             ----------- Points -----------
1 Los Angeles           16493.50     1 Bk Jay Khush        LA       3908.45
2 RupanugaVedicCollege  12303.20     2 Paramesvara d       RVC      3520.75
3 Baltimore              4725.70     3 Krishna Bhagavan d  RVC      2978.40
4 Chicago                4559.70     4 Ananda Kirtan d     LA       2868.75
5 TBB TSKP               3746.75     5 Gauranga Prema dChinLA       2806.75

     ----- (%)Increase ------             -------- (%)Increase ---------
1 Texarkana                +441%     1 Bn Demi             Toronto    +999%
2 San Diego                +205%     2 Bn Tessa            Gainesvil  +725%
3 Chicago                  +192%     3 Gopi Gita dd        LA         +388%
4 Hillsborough, NC         +176%     4 Lalita dd           Berkeley   +249%
5 Baltimore                +123%     5 Drumila d           New Orlea  +216%

     ---- Maha-Big Books ----             ------- Maha-Big Books -------
1 RupanugaVedicCollege      4046     1 Paramesvara d       RVC         1122
2 Los Angeles               3680     2 Ananda Kirtan d     LA          1028
3 Baltimore                 2079     3 Bk Jay Khush        LA          1025
4 Silicon Valley(ISV)       1567     4 Krishna Bhagavan d  RVC          975
5 Chicago                   1186     5 Gauranga Prema dChinLA           627

     ------ Big Books -------             ---------- Big Books ---------
1 Los Angeles               4495     1 Paramesvara d       RVC          877
2 RupanugaVedicCollege      3187     2 Krishna Bhagavan d  RVC          809
3 TBB TSKP                  1281     3 Bk Jay Khush        LA           781
4 Chicago                    878     4 Gauranga Prema dChinLA           774
5 Gainesville                523     5 Bhrgupati d         LA           772

     ----- Medium Books -----             -------- Medium Books --------
1 Los Angeles               4152     1 Gauranga Prema dChinLA          1331
2 TBB TSKP                  2044     2 Drumila d           New Orlea    852
3 New Orleans               1051     3 Bk Jay Khush        LA           748
4 Chicago                    921     4 Krsna Kumar d       TBB TSKP     523
5 Gainesville                712     5 Bhrgupati d         LA           480

     ----- Small Books ------             -------- Small Books ---------
1 Los Angeles              10130     1 Bk Jay Khush        LA          2447
2 Chicago                   3390     2 Drumila d           New Orlea   1975
3 Hillsborough, NC          2778     3 Ananda Kirtan d     LA          1701
4 TBB TSKP                  2343     4 Bn Demi             Toronto     1519
5 New Orleans               2339     5 Bk Storm            LA          1162

     ------ Magazines -------             --------- Magazines ----------
1 RupanugaVedicCollege      4437     1 Paramesvara d       RVC         2620
2 Baltimore                  502     2 Krishna Bhagavan d  RVC          999
3 Denver                     460     3 Bk Jay Khush        LA           917
4 Berkeley                   396     4 Syama dd            LA           500
5 Los Angeles                300     5 Deva Krsna d        RVC          399

     ------ Full Sets -------             --------- Full Sets ----------
1 Baltimore                   48     1 Gaur Sundar d       LA            14
2 Los Angeles                 19     2 Nidra dd            Denver         8
3 Silicon Valley(ISV)         10     3 Aditya Narayan d    Hillsboro      4
4 Denver                       8     4 Shastra-krt d       LA             1
5 Hillsborough, NC             6     5 Ekatvam d           Gurabo (P      1

     ----- BBT Payments -----             ------ Matajis - Points ------
1 Los Angeles              30546     1 Nidra dd            Denver   1236.75
2 Toronto                  14265     2 Mohanasini dd       New Talav 855.50
3 Gainesville               9834     3 Visva dd            Chicago   178.75
4 TBB TSKP                  8897     4 Kaivalya dd         New Talav 120.00
5 RupanugaVedicCollege      5432     5 Syama dd            LA        117.50

     --- Bhaktas - Points ---             ----- Bhaktins - Points ------
1 Bk Jay Khush  LA       3908.45     1 Bn Demi             Toronto   400.95
2 Bk Storm      LA       1936.50     2 Bn Karly            Gainesvil 204.25
3 Bk Carlos     Gainesvil 863.25     3 Bn Autumn           Gainesvil  87.75
4 Bk Carlos     TBB TSKP  723.50     4 Bn Tessa            Gainesvil  82.50
5 Bk Karim      TBB TSKP  722.50     5 Bn Christiana       Gainesvil  11.25

    Veteran Men(20+yrs) Points            -Veteran Women(20+yrs) Points-
1 Bhrgupati d   LA       1941.20     1 Nidra dd            Denver   1236.75
2 Prema Sankirt LA       1666.75     2 Mohanasini dd       New Talav 855.50
3 Gaur Sundar d LA       1111.70     3 Karuna Dharini dd   LA         96.50
4 Drumila d     New Orlea 953.75     4 Lalita dd           Berkeley   63.60
5 Visala d      Miami     248.00     5 Kamalini dd         Hillsboro  28.05



                     North American Sankirtan Newsletter
                           COUNTRIES (CUMULATIVE)
                          January thru April, 2016

   Country                 %     Total  M-Big    Big   Medium   Small   BTGs
   (Temples)     Points  Change  Books  Books   Books   Books   Books   Mags
   _________________________________________________________________________

 1 USA (26)    189812.95  +12%  236083  56051   35851   35887   86719  21575
 2 Canada (3)    3368.50  -54%    4989    998     198     758    2928    107
                        (%)Change compared to Jan-Apr 2015



                     North American Sankirtan Newsletter
                            TEMPLES (CUMULATIVE)
                          January thru April, 2016

                                      %    M-Big   Big  Medium  Small  BTGs
    Temples (size)           Points Change Books  Books  Books  Books  Mags
    _______________________________________________________________________

  1 Los Angeles (L)    US  57982.90  +13%  13308  13951  14572  39332  2969
  2 RupanugaVedicColle US  33525.50  +34%  11480   8394    450   3504 10705
  3 TBB TSKP (MS)      US  16324.25 +224%   1978   5708*  9296   8041    20
  4 Baltimore (MS)     US  11070.30 +225%   5228     11     42   2124   513
  5 Chicago (S)        US   9238.65  +19%   2483   1749   1696   6045  1644*
  6 Denver (M)         US   9188.70   +6%   2954   1102   1784   4142  2512
  7 Gainesville (M)    US   9159.50  +48%   2547   2248   2146   2978     0
  8 Seattle (S)        US   8803.50*  na    4290*    93    118    166   300
  9 Silicon Valley(ISV US   7644.75  -55%   3692     14      0    987     0
 10 Laguna Beach (S)   US   4284.75  +35%   1851    169    149   1095   655
 11 Hillsborough, NC ( US   3805.50  +87%    931    345    179   5574  1155
 12 New Talavan (S)    US   3498.25  -52%   1316     36   1544    233     0
 13 New York Harinam ( US   3113.50   +4%    787    802    317   2316     0
 14 Toronto (S)        Can  2949.50  -23%    929    155    585   2382    89
 15 New Orleans (S)    US   2409.75   +1%    150      0   1719   4997    10
 16 Dallas (M)         US   1999.60  -67%    652    316    315    764   311
 17 Miami (S)          US   1501.60  -22%    322    253    168*  2024    58
 18 Hartford (MS)      US   1483.80 +234%    548    135    139    364   219*
 19 Sacramento/TYM (S) US   1425.40  +19%    584     73    160    406*   29*
 20 Farmington Hills,  US   1229.00*  na     509*     9*   404*     0     0
 21 San Diego (M)      US    905.25   na     184    244    359*   455     0
 22 Berkeley (S)       US    457.70  -24%     78     58    192    404   467
 23 Atlanta (S)        US    399.25  -87%     69    114      0    589     0
 24 Vancouver (S)      Can   344.50  -45%     69     41    167    268    18
 25 Krishna Culture (S US    248.35   na      77      6    113    125     6
 26 Montreal (S)       Can    74.50   na       0      2      6    278*    0
 27 St. Louis (S)      US     71.50   na      18     19     18     30     0
 28 Texarkana (S)      US     22.45   na       9      0      0     17     2
 29 Arkadelphia (S)    US     19.25  +64%      6      2      7      7     0
 30 Boston (S)         US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 31 New York City (M)  US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 32 New Vrindavan (L)  US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 33 Honolulu (S)       US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 34 Washington D.C. (M US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 35 Detroit (S)        US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 36 BTG/Krishna.com (S US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 37 Philadelphia (M)   US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 38 Alachua (S)        US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 39 Portland (MS)      US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 40 New Jersey-Edison  US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 41 Tucson (S)         US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 42 New York 26 2nd Av US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 43 Murari Sevak (S)   US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 44 Ottawa (MS)        Can     0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 45 New Jersey-Towaco  US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 46 Houston (S)        US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 47 Columbus (S)       US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 48 New York Queens (S US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 49 Naperville (MS)    US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 50 Tampa Bay (S)      US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 51 Orlando (MS)       US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 52 San Francisco (MS) US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 53 Cintamani Dhama KY US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 54 Halifax (MS)       Can     0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 55 San Antonio (MS)   US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 56 Austin (MS)        US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 57 World Harinama Par US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 58 Calgary (MS)       Can     0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 59 Boise (MS)         US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 60 Tallahassee (MS)   US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 61 Winnipeg (MS)      Can     0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 62 Bhakti Lounge (Phi US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 63 Bhakti Lounge (Tor Can     0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 64 Gita-nagari (S)    US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 65 Ann Harbor (S)     US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 66 Saranagati Farm (M Can     0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 67 Santa Cruz (MS)    US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 68 Minneapolis (S)    US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 69 Hale Krishna Hawai US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 70 Santa Barbara (MS) US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 71 Spanish Fork KHQN  US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 72 Palm Beach (MS)    US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 73 Las Vegas (S)      US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 74 Carpinteria (MS)   US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 75 Birmingham(USA) (M US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 76 Albuquerque (MS)   US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 77 Louisville (MS)    US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 78 Naples (MS)        US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 79 Harrisburg (MS)    US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 80 Oklahoma City (MS) US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 81 Boulder (MS)       US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
 82 Phoenix(AZ) (MS)   US      0.00   na       0      0      0      0     0
                                    (%)Change compared       (*)Better than
                                       to Jan-Apr 2015            last year



                     North American Sankirtan Newsletter
                      TOP 100 INDIVIDUALS (CUMULATIVE)
                          January thru April, 2016

                                      %    M-Big   Big  Medium  Small  BTGs
    Individuals              Points Change Books  Books  Books  Books  Mags
    _______________________________________________________________________

  1 Bk Jay Khush     LA  US 10181.65  +10%  2783   1672   1648   8007* 1179*
  2 Ananda Kirtan d  LA  US  9218.85   -2%  2993   1313    637   6349*  141*
  3 Paramesvara d    RVC US  8874.00  +12%  2853   2335      4    910  6035
  4 Krishna Bhagavan RVC US  8421.80 +116%  2885   2089      3    886  3398
  5 Bk Storm         LA  US  7448.35 +130%  2122   1319   1514   4281*  581*
  6 Prema Sankirtan  LA  US  6479.50 +164%  1633   1973    479   3968    90*
  7 Gauranga Prema d LA  US  5750.50*  na   1090*  1702*  3222*  1030     0
  8 Gaur Sundar d    LA  US  4512.80 +585%  2092    222    148    122    23
  9 Brajananda d     RVC US  4267.20  +57%  1435   1226     88    470    97
 10 Bhrgupati d      LA  US  4155.70  -11%   829   1527    908   2052    37
 11 Dharmaraja d     RVC US  4036.80  +96%  1263   1315     42    662    93
 12 Nidra dd         Den US  3995.50  +21%  1441    570    563   1048     0
 13 Deva Krsna d     RVC US  3984.90   -3%  1646    586      0    268   399
 14 Bk Carlos        TBB US  3686.75   na    510    982   2180   2379     0
 15 Raya Nitai d     TBB US  3667.75  +12%   286   1366*  2671   1577     0
 16 Dasya Prema d    RVC US  3410.80  +15%  1264    690    143    214   678
 17 Bk Carlos        Gai US  3271.75  +27%  1044    793    222   1119     0
 18 Mohanasini dd    New US  3260.75  -39%  1316     36   1069    233     0
 19 Bk Karim         TBB US  2425.75*  na    166*  1016   1332*  1647     0
 20 Kalki d(2 Kimani Gai US  2287.00   +2%   633    788    360    212     0
 21 Bk Joey          TBB US  1996.75*  na    348*   507   1291*   593     0
 22 Krsna Kumar d    TBB US  1866.25   na     28   1164*   843    891    20
 23 Drumila d        New US  1557.75  -12%    27*     0   1300   3415     0
 24 Radha Krishna d  LA  US  1510.90*  na    490*   282*   171*   644*   24*
 25 Madhava Puri d   TBB US  1468.25 +332%   222    492    810*   509     0
 26 Bn Karly         Gai US  1453.00*  na    291*   143*  1024*   864*    0
 27 Ekasma d         LA  US  1412.25  -65%   194    136   1461    631     0
 28 Prana Hari d     Den US  1254.70  -21%   480    129     32    594    12*
 29 Madhukari d      Atl US  1236.50   na    466    117*    42*   666*    0
 30 Sacitanoy d      LA  US  1171.75   -4%   269    519      4    451     0
 31 Shastra-krt d    LA  US   981.00  -77%   298      0    180*  1180*    0
 32 Aditya Narayan d Hil US   923.00 +108%   317     37     16    976*    0
 33 Nanda Suno d     Den US   772.00   na    246    125    170    280     0
 34 Bk Himanshu      Chi US   640.50  -13%   120    193*   240*   350*    0
 35 Caitanya dd      Gai US   625.50  +41%   159    192    151    160     0
 36 Bk Oscar         LA  US   621.00*  na    115*   154*   187*   574*    0
 37 Prabhu Hari d    Mia US   598.00*+374%    73*   147*   160*   900*    0
 38 Cakri d Dallas   Dal US   575.15   +1%   228      0      0    401   189
 39 Visala d         Mia US   557.00   -3%   151     41      6*   842     5
 40 Abhimanyu d      Gai US   556.25*  na    196*    80*    54*   229*    0
 41 Parama Karuna d  Chi US   536.75  -73%   144    108    124    315     0
 42 Adi Karta d      Gai US   512.00*  na    143*   196*    40*    40*    0
 43 Bk Chang         SD  US   494.00   na    116    133    168*   180     0
 44 Vinoda Kovida d  Den US   491.50  -24%   173     78     74    122     0
 45 Amala Purana d   Den US   472.75   na    149     48    146    215     0
 46 Bn Demi          Tor Can  460.10  +62%    25     13     22   1530*   36
 47 Akshay           Hil US   425.50*  na    145*    77*    15*   204*    0
 48 Bk Allen         TBB US   375.50*  na     21*   178*   127*   368*    0
 49 Dinabandhu Guru  Ber US   357.35  -12%    56     47    138    341   441*
 50 Ekatvam d        Gur US   357.00   na     18*    45    344    416     0
 51 Samyaprasa d     Den US   349.50  -29%   110     51    123     68     0
 52 Lilakara d       Mia US   324.75  -26%    96     61      1*   245    12
 53 Bhismadeva d     Dal US   313.75   na     98    111      1     25     0
 54 Bk Akshay        Hil US   299.75   na     95     69      0    163     0
 55 Ananta Gopal d   New US   299.00 +338%   100      0    128    140     0
 56 Bk Adam          RVC US   287.25   na     92     64     54     49     0
 57 Ananda Murari d  Den US   266.50  -47%    88     28     98     54     0
 58 Rohini Nandan d  New US   251.00   -4%     3      0    160*   660     0
 59 Visva dd         Chi US   248.75  -47%    91     28     33     89     0
 60 Shankar Pandit d Chi US   241.50 +154%    50      0      0    566*    0
 61 Sarvatarak d     New US   241.00  -31%    20      0     41    722     0
 62 Kaivalya dd      New US   237.50   na      0      0    475      0     0
 63 Cakri d          Chi US   228.00   na      0    188*    80      0     0
 64 Bk Mikey         Gai US   218.00  -33%    54     32     80    152     0
 65 Dvijamani Gaura  RVC US   209.25   na     36     81     96     33     0
 66 Karuna Dharini   LA  US   207.00  +50%    83     12     28     60     0
 67 Syama dd         LA  US   204.25* +98%     0      0      0    565*  630*
 68 Sacidulal d      LA  US   200.25   na     82      0      0    145     0
 69 Harish Kumar d   Chi US   192.00   na     96      0      0      0     0
 70 Bk Joe B.        Chi US   184.00*  na     72*    40*     0      0     0
 71 Bk Mitch Rampp   Chi US   181.75   na     63     31     28     43     0
 72 Bk Sebastian     LA  US   172.50  -47%     0      6     21    624     0
 73 Govinda Datta d  LA  US   164.25*+481%    44*     0     80*   145*    0
 74 Babhru d         LA  US   145.75  -84%     6     63*    76    131     0
 75 Svavasa d        LA  US   144.00   na     72      0      0      0     0
 76 Bk Matsu         Den US   134.75*  na     44*    10*    46*    55*    0
 77 Jaya Gauranga d  Den US   121.25*  na     30*    48*     0     53*    0
 78 Banke Bihari dd  Van Can  113.50  -31%    26     12     36    126     0
 79 Bn Tessa         Gai US   102.50   -8%     0      0    170     70     0
 80 Gopi Gita dd     LA  US   101.75  -21%     0      0     67    273     0
 81 Lalita dd        Ber US   100.05  +20%    22     11     54     63    23
 82 Karuna Nidhi d   Chi US    96.25*+817%    40*     0      0     25   100
 83 Bn Autumn        Gai US    87.75  -12%    26      8     23     65*    0
 84 Gaura Candra d   Tor Can   83.25   -9%    39      0      5     11     0
 85 Radharani dd     LA  US    82.75*  na      3      0     46    215*    0
 86 Bk Marquis       SD  US    69.75   na     11     25     29     33     0
 87 Shivani dd       Chi US    65.25 +110%     5     20*    12    117*    0
 88 Sridhar Syama d  Dal US    61.75*  na     15*    11*    26     31*    0
 89 Uttamananda d    Tor Can   58.00*  na     24*    10*     0      0     0
 90 NityanandaChandr Dal US    56.00*  na     28*     0      0      0     0
 91 Visnu Gada d     Van Can   54.25  -42%     4     17     17     23    18*
 92 Advaita Caran d  Chi US    48.00*+380%    24*     0      0      0     0
 93 Balaram d        SD  US    47.50*  na      3     18     25*    44*    0
 94 Tulasi Vallabha  Den US    46.00*  na     17*     7*     0     20*    0
 95 Haridham d       Van Can   45.50*  na     18*     0     19*     0     0
 96 Jagatpati d      Van Can   42.50  +44%     0      0     65     40     0
 97 Bk Deano         New US    40.00  -33%     0      0     80      0     0
 98 Ramanuja d       Van Can   40.00  +82%     4      9     20*    52*    0
 99 Naimisaranya d   Dal US    39.00*  na     19*     1*     0      0     0
100 Nikunja Bihari d Den US    38.25*  na      0      3*    33*    75*    0
                                    (%)Change compared       (*)Better than
                                       to Jan-Apr 2015            last year



                    North American Sankirtan Newsletter
                 CUMULATIVE TOP 5 TEMPLES AND INDIVIDUALS
                          January thru April 2016

     ----- Points(Cum) ------             -------- Points(Cum) ---------
1 Los Angeles           57982.90     1 Bk Jay Khush       LA       10181.65
2 RupanugaVedicCollege  33525.50     2 Ananda Kirtan d    LA        9218.85
3 TBB TSKP              16324.25     3 Paramesvara d      RVC       8874.00
4 Baltimore             11070.30     4 Krishna Bhagavan d RVC       8421.80
5 Chicago                9238.65     5 Bk Storm           LA        7448.35

     --- (%)Increase(Cum) ---             ------ (%)Increase(Cum) ------
1 Hartford                 +234%     1 Gaur Sundar d       LA         +585%
2 Baltimore                +225%     2 Prabhu Hari d       Miami      +374%
3 TBB TSKP                 +224%     3 Ananta Gopal d      New Orlea  +338%
4 Hillsborough, NC          +87%     4 Madhava Puri d      TBB TSKP   +332%
5 Arkadelphia               +64%     5 Prema Sankirtan d   LA         +164%

     -- Maha-Big Books(Cum) --            ----- Maha-Big Books(Cum) -----
1 Los Angeles              13308     1 Ananda Kirtan d     LA          2993
2 RupanugaVedicCollege     11480     2 Krishna Bhagavan d  RVC         2885
3 Baltimore                 5228     3 Paramesvara d       RVC         2853
4 Seattle                   4290     4 Bk Jay Khush        LA          2783
5 Silicon Valley(ISV)       3692     5 Bk Storm            LA          2122

     ---- Big Books(Cum) ----             ------- Big Books(Cum) -------
1 Los Angeles              13951     1 Paramesvara d       RVC         2335
2 RupanugaVedicCollege      8394     2 Krishna Bhagavan d  RVC         2089
3 TBB TSKP                  5708     3 Prema Sankirtan d   LA          1973
4 Gainesville               2248     4 Gauranga Prema dChinLA          1702
5 Chicago                   1749     5 Bk Jay Khush        LA          1672

     --- Medium Books(Cum) ---            ------ Medium Books(Cum) ------
1 Los Angeles              14572     1 Gauranga Prema dChinLA          3222
2 TBB TSKP                  9296     2 Raya Nitai d        TBB TSKP    2671
3 Gainesville               2146     3 Bk Carlos           TBB TSKP    2180
4 Denver                    1784     4 Bk Jay Khush        LA          1648
5 New Orleans               1719     5 Bk Storm            LA          1514

     --- Small Books(Cum) ---             ------ Small Books(Cum) ------
1 Los Angeles              39332     1 Bk Jay Khush        LA          8007
2 TBB TSKP                  8041     2 Ananda Kirtan d     LA          6349
3 Chicago                   6045     3 Bk Storm            LA          4281
4 Hillsborough, NC          5574     4 Prema Sankirtan d   LA          3968
5 New Orleans               4997     5 Drumila d           New Orlea   3415

     ---- Magazines(Cum) ----             ------- Magazines(Cum) -------
1 RupanugaVedicCollege     10705     1 Paramesvara d       RVC         6035
2 Los Angeles               2969     2 Krishna Bhagavan d  RVC         3398
3 Denver                    2512     3 Bk Jay Khush        LA          1179
4 Chicago                   1644     4 Dasya Prema d       RVC          678
5 Hillsborough, NC          1155     5 Syama dd            LA           630

     ---- Full Sets(Cum) ----             ------- Full Sets(Cum) -------
1 Baltimore                  109     1 Gaur Sundar d       LA            46
2 Silicon Valley(ISV)         90     2 Nidra dd            Denver        26
3 Los Angeles                 62     3 Aditya Narayan d    Hillsboro     18
4 Denver                      37     4 Bk Jay Khush        LA             4
5 Hartford                    30     5 Svavasa d           LA             4

     --- BBT Payments(Cum) ---            ---- Matajis - Points(Cum) ----
1 Los Angeles              97098     1 Nidra dd            Denver   3995.50
2 Silicon Valley(ISV)      32379     2 Mohanasini dd       New Tala 3260.75
3 TBB TSKP                 29571     3 Caitanya dd         Gainsvil  625.50
4 Chicago                  25539     4 Visva dd            Chicago   248.75
5 Gainesville              17971     5 Kaivalya dd         New Tala  237.50

      Bhaktas - Points(Cum)               --- Bhaktins - Points(Cum) ---
1 Bk Jay Khush  LA       10181.6     1 Bn Karly            Gainesvil1453.00
2 Bk Storm      LA       7448.35     2 Bn Demi             Toronto   460.10
3 Bk Carlos     TBB TSKP 3686.75     3 Bn Tessa            Gainesvil 102.50
4 Bk Carlos     Gainesvil3271.75     4 Bn Autumn           Gainesvil  87.75
5 Bk Karim      TBB TSKP 2425.75     5 Bn Christiana       Gainesvil  11.25

    Veteran Men(20+yrs) Points             Veteran Women(20+yrs) Points
1 Prema Sankirt LA       6479.50     1 Nidra dd            Denver   3995.50
2 Gaur Sundar d LA       4512.80     2 Mohanasini dd       New Talav3260.75
3 Bhrgupati d   LA       4155.70     3 Karuna Dharini dd   LA        207.00
4 Drumila d     New Orlea1557.75     4 Lalita dd           Berkeley  100.05
5 Sacitanoy d   LA       1171.75     5 Radharani dd        LA         82.75



                        HOW TO SEND IN SCORES

Monthly scores can still be sent the usual ways: fax, phone,
snail mail and e-mail. Please send them before the 7th of the
next month.

When sending scores by e-mail, please use the same basic format
as the printed scoresheet:


Temple: (Important!)       Month: (Important!)

                     (Enter BOOKS below--NOT points)
              SUB   M1   S1   H1   S2   H2   S3   H3   S4   H4   SETS
Temple totals   x    x   xx    x    x   xx    x   xx    x   xx      x
Top devotees:
Bk Mike         x    x    x    x    x    x    x    x    x    x      x
Krsna d         x    x    x    x    x    x    x    x   xx   xx      x
Radha dd       xx   xx    x         x    x        xx  xxx    x      x
etc.

Please...
  Try to limit each line to 80 characters maximum.
  You can omit the codes you don't use. You can start with H4 if you wish.
  Make sure the columns line up properly when viewed with a
     fixed pitch font.
  Use spaces (not tabs) between columns.
  Include your temple's name!
  Include the month the scores are for!
  Include temple totals for the month.
  List each month separately. Don't combine two or more months together.
  Don't just report Small, Big, Mahabig, etc.--->Use the codes S1,S2 etc.
     or make sure you specify hard or soft cover books
  Don't send every devotee's score. Just the top devotees who will
     have a chance to appear in the newsletter.
  Send scores to Mayapur@aol.com


              --- Please observe the Fair Play rules ---
        DEADLINE for scores is the 7th of the following month!

By Basu Ghosh Das

Pictures of the festival can be seen by anyone (even if you do NOT use Facebook), here (cut and paste the link into your web browser):

http://tinyurl.com/z6wwx38

http://tinyurl.com/hecfcch

http://tinyurl.com/h8w9w3u

Over this past weekend, from Friday May 6 through Sunday May 8, the South Vrindavan temple, at Puthur village, Thrissur District, Kerala, was inaugurated.

Deities of Sri Sri Radha Vrindavan Krishna, Jagannath, Baladev, Subhadradevi, and Sri Sri Gaur Nitai were installed in the temple.

The temple is promoted by ISKCON Bahrain temple president Udarakirti Chaitanya Das, and devotees from Bahrain, named “Balaramdesh” by HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaj.

Situated on 12 acres of land, and surrounded by the homes of Balaramdesh devotees who are relocating to South Vrindavan, the temple was built in Kerala style, but with modern building materials. There are a number of beautiful paintings and relief artworks that decorate the temple.

Senior ISKCON devotee from Mayapur, Bhadra Charu Das performed the installation with the help of ISKCON Vrindavan head pujari Mukunda Datta Das. Other senior ISKCON devotees who participated in the inauguration festival were Bhakti Vikas Swami, Radha Raman Swami, Bhakti Vinoda Swami,
(ISKCON zonal secretary for Kerala), Basu Ghosh Das (Temple President ISKCON Baroda), Murali Mohan Das (Co-President, ISKCON Vijayawada), Patri Das
(Regional Secretary for ISKCON Nepal), Atul Krishna Das (Director of the Mayapur Institute, Sridham Mayapur), Ekalavya Das (of ISKCON Calcutta), Nityananda Ram Das (Vice President, ISKCON Baroda), and Pundarikaksha Govinda Das (General Manager, ISKCON Juhu, Bombay). Nandaputra Das from Nagarcoil, Jagadsakshi Das (Temple President, ISKCON Trivandrum), and Vikram Govinda Das (Manager, ISKCON Kanyakumari) were also present.

Many other devotees came from around India and from Bahrain, as well as from Dubai and Sharjah in the U.A.E. Brahmachari kirtaneers from ISKCON Chowpatty, Bombay, were also in attendance.

The function was blessed by HH Jayapataka Swami in a letter sent to the organizers of the program. Maharaj was unable to attend due to the renewal of his US green card, and had to meet a deadline to enter the USA by May 10.

Kerala is known throughout India as “God’s own country” for profuse coconut trees, jackfruit trees, araca nut trees, black pepper vines, and several exotic varieties of banana trees. The hills, rivers, greenery, and the way old Hindu/vedic culture has been preserved in so many ways makes Kerala a very attractive place for devotees of Lord Krishna!

On behalf of the organizers, you are all invited to visit!

Nearby South Vrindavan, about 15 kilometers West, is the famous temple of Lord Krishna known as Guruvayoor, the most popular place of pilgrimage for Keralites, and one of the most popular places for Tamil Nadu residents as well!

One of the features of the Guruvayoor temple is the daily procession in the evening where the “utsava” (festival) Deity of Lord Krishna is taken on parikrama (circumambulation) around the temple on top of a male elephant!

The temple maintains 65 elephants in an elephant sanctuary, near by the main temple.

More information on Guruvayoor can be seen on the internet, here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guruvayur

Just 10 kilometers East of South Vrindavan is district headquarters Thrissur
(tri-Shiva in Samskritam), where there is an ancient temple of Lord Shiva, Vadakkunnathan, that is also one of the popular pilgrimage places in Kerala. Kerala “Pooram” festival held annually during Pooram nakshatra in the Keralite month of medam – it falls usually during April.

More information on the Pooram festival can been seen on the internet, here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrissur_Pooram

Harinama in Jacksonville Beach, Florida (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If the surface of the globe is overflooded with the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, the people of the world will be very, very happy. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.24.10 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/K6mZF7

Gomati Vesa – Chandan Yatra Day 6 (Album with photos)
While herding, Krishna runs amongst the cows. While the cows rest, He lies with them. To purify Himself, Krishna enjoys smearing His divine limbs with the dust raised by the cow’s hooves. Krishna considers the cow’s and bulls of Vrindavana His mothers and fathers. He greets them each morning with loving words, “O mother! Have you rested well? O father! Are you happy?” Their horns are plated with gold and set with jewels, and their hooves are decorated with sapphires. I pray that these Surabhi cows may protect us all.
Small or utsava deities of Sri Radha Madhava looked very beautiful in their new outfits surrounded by many cows and calves all jumping with their tails raised high in the air. May Sri Radha-Madhava increase our attraction to serve His dearmost Surabhi cows!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/kC8UQl

May 15. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: The First Time I Bowed Down.
One time, my supervisor, Mr. Rice, shouted over in my direction, “Mr. Guarino, you are gonna have to complete the Garcia case so that she can get a check this afternoon. I want you to stay in the office and do it, so don’t go out to lunch until one. Is that all right?” It was not all right, but what could I say? So I went to the hallway phone booth and dialled the Swami’s number. The thing I was most attached to in the world was going every day at noon to have lunch with the Swami and the boys. So Mr. Rice’s command drove me to the radical move of phoning up the Swami. This was in the early days, before I was initiated.
I heard the phone ring and the Swami answered, “Hello?”
I said, “Swamiji, this is Steve. Do you remember me?”
Swamiji said yes, he remembered me.
I said, “I won’t be able to come today at noon for lunch because I have to stay in the office and work. But I’ll come over at one o’clock. Could you ask the devotees to please save some prasadam for me?”
“Yes,” said Prabhupada. He made it sound like it was not a problem. As I hung up, I was very pleased that I had made the phone call. Nowadays, it doesn’t seem like the proper way to treat Prabhupada, and in the later years of ISKCON with Prabhupada there was no question of doing such a thing. First of all, you wouldn’t be able to reach Prabhupada by phone; you would reach his secretary. But in those days it was right, and it was nice. It was a way to surrender and develop friendship. I very much wanted to go and be with him and eat his prasadam.
It turned out to be a better treat than usual, because by the time I got there all the boys were gone. Swamiji was there and the rug was still rolled back. The office had been demanding – so much bureaucracy and talk and nonsense, and now I had only one hour left before I had to plunge back into it. I came to take shelter with the Swami.
He told me to sit down, and so I waited alone in the room. He made up the plate and then came in and put it before me on the floor. I said, “Thank you,” and I bowed down before him.
He said, “Yes.”
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=8

The First Time I Bowed Down

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Bhagavad-gita 9.14 in the Darshan Room of Sri Sri Radha Kalachandji Temple.

“Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.” (Bg 9.14)

“From a certain point of view it may seem impossible to always engage in kirtan. Of course there are some liberated souls in Vrindavan who almost literally chant all the time. That is a very advanced stage. But, for most of us to actually chant always is not practical. But, we can do things that in a broader sense are glorification of the Lord if those activities further the glorification of the Lord. Therefore Srila Prabhupada called this process of devotional service ‘practical samadhi‘. One engages in various activities but the purpose of all the activities is to please Krishna. In order to please Krishna we have to know what Krishna wants. Therefore we have to read books like the Bhagavad-gita and take advice from experienced devotees who know from scripture and parampara what Krishna wants. When Krishna is pleased the devotee feels pleasure.”

Bhagavad-gita 9.14, Dallas

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 03 May 2016, Vrndavana, India, Bhagavad-gita 3.34)

We may not be fully Krsna conscious, our love for Krsna may not be so deep and there may be other desires. But this is just restlessness. How much faith do we have in these other desires? Which devotee can claim to have full faith in sex life? We may be attracted to sex life but do we have full faith that it will make us happy? After having heard transcendental knowledge, it is hard to have full faith in material enjoyment. Still, we may have a flirtation with these desires here and there sometimes. For a moment we may be in the pink cloud of illusion, but then we come back to the hard reality of suffering and again, we endeavour more seriously to get out of the material world.

By His Divine Grace I would learn what true broadmindedness really was from the great heart of someone so transcendentally magnanimous that he could "build a house the whole world could leave in." Without being intimidated by other's beliefs or converting anyone to anything but pure God Consciousness Itself. Unconditional friendliness towards all jivas reaches it’s zenith and is perfectly exemplified by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and his boundless affection which suffused all his dealings. My favorite story of His Divine Grace is how when a disciple happily remarked, “Srila Prabhupada, everyone likes you!” Srila Prabhupada beamed his great transcendentally beautiful smile before replying, “That’s because I like everyone.” Continue reading "Any Colour You Like
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From Back to Godhead

By Vilasini Devi Dasi

AS I WAS RETURNING home from the temple on my usual 38 bus, I stared forlornly through the grimy window at the gray sky. I hadn’t seen the sun for days, and then only briefly, through breaks in the clouds.

“How is it possible to be healthy and happy in a place where the weather is constantly dreary and cold?” I thought.

I remembered Srila Prabhupada’s statement in a purport to the Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.24.36): “When there is sufficient sunshine, the mind remains clear and transparent in other words, the sun-god helps the mind of the living entity to become situated on the platform of paramahamsa [‘topmost swan,’ or transcendentalist].” Does it not follow, then, that with insufficient sunshine the mind becomes hazy and opaque and stays on the platform of a crow? After all, Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that He is the light of the sun and moon, and Prabhupada affirms in the purport to that verse that “the light of the sun and the moon originally emanate from the brahmajyoti, which is the bodily effulgence of Krsna.” For one’s spiritual life, wouldn’t it be better to live in a place where one could bask in the rays of thebrahmajyoti and be elevated effortlessly to the paramahamsa platform? Isn’t it described in the Gita that unnecessary austerities that torture the body or mind are in the mode of ignorance? If Krsna is all-pervading, isn’t He also in sunny California? Aren’t there thousands of conditioned souls there that I could help find Krsna consciousness?

Just as I was about to get off the bus, step into a travel agency, and buy a ticket to San Diego, my intelligence somehow grabbed hold of my runaway mind and shook it into silence. My intelligence brought up a verse from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta:

krsna surya sama; maya haya andhakara
yahan krsna, tahan nahi mayara adhikara

“Krsna is just like the sun, and maya is just like darkness. Where there is sunshine there can be no darkness.” Krsna, as the source of the sun, must be brighter and more powerful than the sun. So one in direct contact with Krsna must derive all the benefits of the sun and more. The sun provides light and heat, makes water sparkle, adds vibrancy to colors, illuminates the material landscape, and so on. But Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that He is the shining lamp of knowledge that destroys the darkness born of ignorance. Darker than any gray day in London is ignorance, which cannot be brightened by a thousand material suns. So real illumination is to see everything in relation to Krsna as His creation and property and to be in His service.

One can contact Krsna directly by chanting His holy name. So no matter how miserable the weather may be, a person chanting Hare Krsna with attention will see the world bathed in light and knowledge, and his mind will be clear and transparent. As for heat, when one’s heart is filled with love and happiness, one feels warm and contented in any weather. When chanting Hare Krsna, one is suffused with the steady warmth of love of Krsna.

Dependence on the unpredictable sun for happiness is a precarious position, for even tropical climes have cloudy days and sometimes hurricanes to disturb one’s tranquillity.

With this, the intelligence rested its case.

I conceded that it was certainly worth trying to be absorbed in chanting Hare Krsna before running off to California. I settled down in my dusty seat, closed my eyes, and fixed my mind on chanting the maha-mantra, which I articulated carefully, with as much devotion as I could muster. Within minutes my anxious mind and heart were peaceful, and I resigned myself to staying in London for as long as I have service here for Lord Krsna.

Sita Follows Her Conscience: In the Ramayana, Sita Devi first clearly expresses her own will by disobeying Lord Rama, who wants her to stay behind when He leaves for His exile to the forest. She decides that to be with Rama in all circumstances is her sacred duty. The unequivocal voice of her conscience will not allow her to do otherwise. By insisting on going with her husband to the forest, Sita defines for herself what a devoted wife is. To convince Rama to allow her to go with Him, Sita says, “Every day I will serve You and practice self-discipline. I too will live on fruits and nuts and will not interfere with Your austerities. Taking shelter in Your arms, O Rama, I will become fearless.” Rama replies, “O frail lady, in the forest wild beasts will lurk on all sides, waiting to attack, and we will have to sleep on the bare ground with scorpions, worms, mosquitoes, and gnats as constant nuisances. Abandon this idea of coming with Me. If you are truly devoted to Me, you will follow My instructions.” “O Rama,” Sita says, “all these hardships will seem like blessings to me. If You protect me, I can tolerate anything.” Seeing her determination, Rama finally agrees with her decision. On His request, Sita gives all her valuable possessions to the brahmanas and Vaisnavas, and she and Rama go to the forest with Laksmana. Continue reading "Sita Devi’s Inner Harmony
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Vaiyasaki Book Bestseller: Stephen Hawking On Trial - Confronting the Big Bang. A new book by Vaiyasaki das.
Sunanda das: Vaiyasaki Das, the well-known ISKCON kirtaniya, and author, recently published his newest book, Stephen Hawking On Trial – Confronting the Big Bang. Like his first Blockbuster book Cosmology On Trial – Cracking the Cosmic Code, this book is now also a Bestseller in its category on Amazon.
Vaiyasaki has taken seriously Srila Prabhupada’s instruction to expose the scientific account of the origin of the universe as mostly speculation with very little data to back up the assertions. Hawking is one of the world’s leading cosmologists, and disproving so-called scientific assertions will become one of the foundations for presenting the conclusive and self-effulgent truths of the Vedic scriptures and acharyas.
As the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium rises, and ISKCON reaches greater levels of public attention, it will be necessary for devotees to explain where science is right and where it is wrong. Therefore, I agree with other senior devotees that we would do well to seriously read these books of Vaiyasaki Das (Pierre St Clair). Sadaputa Das (Dr. Richard L. Thompson PhD), the architect of the planetarium design for the TOVP (www.youtube.com/SadaputaChannel) used to stress this point regularly, “It is not enough to just say that the Vedas are right and science is wrong. We must know why.” Srila Prabhupada wanted us to understand the importance and power of seeing through the veil of illusion created by modern materialistic science by which it presents itself as the authority on the universe.
Please click this link: http://amzn.to/1ZEIiim to read the latest five-star review by Top Ten and Hall of Fame reviewer, J. Chambers. Once you read the review, click ‘Yes, this was helpful’ under the review as this simple click will increase the exposure, popularity and sales of the book. Vaiyasaki has made this book available at the ridiculously low price of $0.99 to get it into everyone’s hands. Please purchase this book, or both his books, on the same review page.
Note: If you do not have a Kindle, just download the Free Kindle App to your Computer, Tablet or Smartphone to read the book.

2016 West Coast Vaisnavi Retreat celebrating ISKCON50.
You are invited to attend an ISKCON50 Celebration, a one-day Vaishnavi women’s retreat to be held in Camarillo, California - a short drive north of Los Angeles.
The theme of this exciting gathering is an extremely important one, “ Deepening our Relationship with Srila Prabhupada”.
Featuring: kirtan, seminars, Prabhupada memories, special guest speakers, sumptuous prasadam (breakfast, lunch and dinner), new friends, and much more…
Early bird registration is $25. From May 30th to June 24th, fee will be $30; and on the day of the event, $35. (Includes three full meals of delicious prasadam.)
When: June 25, 2016, 8:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Where: 206 Smuggler’s Cove
Camarillo, CA 93012
310 245-4706
Directions: http://goo.gl/nSUoU6
Please contact us if you have questions.
Rambhoru devi dasi, Radha devi dasi, Nandini Radha devi dasi
radha16108@gmail.com (760)449-0469
To register: https://goo.gl/qQ13pL

Museum of Sacred Art.
The Museum for Sacred Art is a feature of the Radhadesh Iskcon community (Chateau de Petite Somme – Durbuy Belgium). In the Museum there are many beautiful works of art depicting sacred themes from ancient India.
These works of art are mainly in traditional Indian styles, including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthani, Orissan, Keralan, and Tanjore.
Visitors can relax, stroll through the gallery, and enjoy these inspirational art treasures, soaking up the deep devotional sentiments expressed by the artists.
The Museum was conceived by Martin Gurvich (Mahaprabhu Dasa), secretary of the Hindu Forum of Belgium.
Read more: http://goo.gl/eOYgl9

Study at the Bhakti Academy.
How would you like to pursue spiritual life, even while earning your college degree? If you’re between the ages of 18 and 29, consider enrolling in the Bhakti Academy at Krishna House (214 NW 14th Street, Gainesville, FL 32603). Students live in private or semi-private rooms just three blocks from the UF library. While at Krishna House, students take part in traditional bhakti yoga and meditation practices (kirtan, japa, and Bhagavad-gita study), enjoy fresh daily vegan/vegetarian meals and can even take advantage of simple work/study programs to pay for it all. Applicants may be but are not required to be students at UF or Santa Fe College or even residents of Krishna House. They only need a strong desire to discover inner happiness and a wilingness to test-drive bhakti yoga in a drug-free environment. You’re invited to check out Krishna House by attending any of the bhakti yoga classes, which are held most mornings and evenings. You can print and fill out the application here: http://goo.gl/ErkYoC. If you are not able to visit, please contact us: http://goo.gl/WGyyBp.

Loughborough Festival, UK - 13th May 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The devotee can constantly think of the object of worship, the Supreme Lord, in any of His features—Narayana, Krishna, Rama, etc. – by chanting Hare Krishna. This practice will purify him, and at the end of his life, due to his constant chanting, he will be transferred to the kingdom of God. Bhagavad-Gita 8.8 Purport
Find them here: https://goo.gl/aZymRz

Almost Instant! On a tight schedule? These delicious dishes for Krsna are quick and easy!
Visakha Devi Dasi: Krsna Prasadam. I was looking through a new cookbook on making meals in twenty minutes, and I read, “Never before have so many people wanted so much out of life and had so little time to enjoy it. Between inflation, two-job marriages, and the quest for self-improvement, the momentum of our life style has us all dancing at a furious reel of achieving and coping. Something has to give. And usually the first thing to go is the time spent preparing our daily meals….”
When it comes to food, we want it effortlessly and fast. That’s why forty percent of the American food dollar is spent in restaurants and why an uncalculated amount is spent on fast foods at home precooked, frozen, canned, and instant.
But why, in the “momentum of our life style,” is cooking the first thing to go? Why not TV? Or the movies? Or the baseball game? Well, maybe it’s because cooking takes a lot of effort and the reward is often small and fleeting. We may labor for a few hours to make an elegant luncheon, only to be left with a pile of dirty dishes an hour after it’s served; and then a few hours later, everyone’s ready for another meal. Was it worth the effort? From the statistics, most of us must think not. We’d rather phone for a take-out pizza and sit back for Star Trek reruns. There are just more important things to do than cook.
Krsna’s devotees, however, have a different attitude. Our desire to get an understanding of who we are, who God is, and what our relationship with Him is. In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krsna explains that the process for achieving this goal is devotional service.
Time spent in devotional service is important. Time spent in other ways is wasted and can never be regained even at the cost of millions of dollars. The Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.3.17) confirms, “Both by rising and setting, the sun decreases the duration of life of everyone, except one who utilizes the time in devotional service to the all-good Personality of Godhead.” Similarly, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “With every rising and setting of the sun, a day passes and is lost. Why then do you remain idle and not serve the Lord of the heart?” And a great devotee of the Lord prayed, “O my Lord, I have spent my life uselessly. Having obtained a human birth and having not served Radha and Krsna, I have knowingly drunk poison.”
A devotee understands that if we’re slapping a meal together so we can get out of the kitchen and watch TV, we’re wasting our time both in the kitchen and out of it. Cooking, or anything else done for our sense pleasure, is useless as far as spiritual realization goes; ultimately it won’t help us enjoy life or get much out of it. But if we’re cooking for Krsna (or doing any other activity for His satisfaction), our time is perfectly spent.
The care we take in finding the proper ingredients for cooking, as well as the love and devotion we give to preparing and offering dishes to the Lord, are all part of our quest for self-realization; they’re all devotional service. Those who purchase the food for Krsna, those who cook it, those who offer it, those who serve it, those who taste it, and those who clean up afterward all get a reward that’s neither small nor fleeting. They get eternal, spiritual benefit. In one way or another, they are engaging in devotional service, and that will lead them to the highest enjoyment in life.
The care we take in finding the proper ingredients for cooking, as well as the love and devotion we give to preparing and offering dishes to the Lord, are all part of our quest for self-realization; they’re all devotional service. Those who purchase the food for Krsna, those who cook it, those who offer it, those who serve it, those who taste it, and those who clean up afterward all get a reward that’s neither small nor fleeting. They get eternal, spiritual benefit. In one way or another, they are engaging in devotional service, and that will lead them to the highest enjoyment in life. It’s all a matter of knowing the process.
Sometimes it seems that the dishes Lord Krsna favors most take the longest time to make like milk sweets that must be boiled down for forty-five minutes, or kachauris (stuffed savories) that are deep-fried for twenty-five minutes. Yet, even in the momentum of our devotional lifestyle, we’re often fully engaged doing other services and don’t have as much time as we’d like to cook for Krsna. So this month, we’re featuring dishes that are quick and easy and that are also pleasing to the Lord. Puffed rice, for example, is a light meal, great for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon or evening snack. Not exactly “instant,” but almost. And every second that we give to making, offering, serving, and tasting these foods brings us closer to our goal: an eternal life full of bliss and knowledge with Krsna.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/HRMbbn

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Teachers’ Appreciation Day at TKG Academy, Dallas.
At the heart of the school are the students, of course. Directly nurturing them are our wonderful teachers. Ultimately, it is thanks to them that our students are happy and successful. It’s their hard work and dedication that drive everything. It’s their daily, personal interactions, their care and attention, their patience and love which directly affect the children’s learning experience.
While we deeply appreciate their hard work year-around, on Friday, May 6th, we observed “Teachers’ Appreciation Day” at TKG Academy, to express our immense gratitude. Under Krishna Mangala Mataji’s coordination, parents brought elaborate lunch preparations. Many students wrote cards to their teachers and some brought gifts.
This year we included our volunteer teachers as well. Each teacher received a personalized gift, related to their subject of instruction. It was a lovely celebration of appreciation, marking an outstanding year of steadfast service.
Read more: http://goo.gl/1rlfsR

Delhi Stadium Event to Honor Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
“Although the Bhakti movement has spread far and wide, not many people know its founder Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – even in India,” says ISKCON’s communications director in North India, Yudhistira Govinda Das.
With the Festival of Inspiration in New Delhi this May 28th, he hopes to begin changing that. Supported by the Government of India’s Ministry of Culture, the event will take place at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium near Parliament. It’s expected to draw a full house.
The festival will commemorate the 500th anniversary of Sri Chaitanya visiting Lord Krishna’s home village, Vrindavana. But more than that, it will celebrate the timeless teachings of India – service, compassion and devotion to God – that the 15th-century saint and Avatar exemplified and broadcast.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/53r8Rn

Harinama in Magic Rocks, Germany (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Our relationship with Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is eternal. Nitya-siddha Krishna-prema. The pure souls are eternally in love with Krishna. Simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra one revives his original relationship with God and thus becomes so happy that he does not want anything material. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.7.39 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/WlM3XF

May 14. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Worship the Moments Spent with Swamiji.
I worship the moments spent with Swamiji in his apartment. On one particularly quiet night, I was the only one with him. The front doorbell rang and I went down to see who it was. It was Donald, a pudgy, bespectacled young man from uptown. He was probably the only non-hippie coming to the storefront at that time. He was a junior executive with the Pepsi-Cola company and he usually dressed in shirt and tie. When I met him at the door, he asked if he could come up to see the Swami. I replied, “He’s alone tonight, so let me see if it is all right.” I went back upstairs and said, “It is someone who wants to see you.”
Prabhupada asked, “What is he like?” I told Prabhupada that Donald appeared very respectable; he was not a crazy person. When Prabhupada heard that, he gladly gave his permission and I went down to let Donald in. He came upstairs, took off his stylish raincoat, and went in to sit down with Swamiji in his room. I stayed in the other room where I had some typing to do. But I overheard Donald asking academic questions about the position of Lord Siva in relationship with Krishna. Donald later got initiated and was given the name Dvarakadhisa, but within a few years he had stopped coming to the temple.
Remembering and worshiping the minutes may be done by offerings of flowers, just as we do in arati. But I also have the feeling of shooting into the past like a sportsman hitting targets with a bow and arrow. The targets are waiting, all the minutes and hours of the past.
Inevitably, we turn toward memories that we’ve enjoyed many times. But that doesn’t make them less important or less worshipable. If we remember a favorite moment once again, it may bring out new lights.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=8

Worship the Moments Spent with Swamiji